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Earlier this year I discovered Germany-based Bernd Müller and his fantastic one-of-a-kind figurines – like this one from Gulliver’s Travels. Apparently his love of all-things Fleischer didn’t end there. Check out Müller’s lastest creation: Koko The Clown.

I don’t think he sells these – but, by God, I want one!!!

(Thanks, Steve Loter)

I will be presenting a fantastic set of surreal cartoons at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art next Friday night. My show, Animating the Subconscious, is part of a series of film programs at the museum, under the umbrella title of The Surreal Screen, all of which prelude an upcoming exhibition there, Drawing Surrealism. My cartoon show will present 35mm vault prints of ten classic cartoons that explore “imagination’s more outlandish perimeters”. The full list is below, but highlights include Disney/Dali’s Destino, Fleischer Studios’ Betty Boop Snow White and Screen Gems cult favorite Willoughby’s Magic Hat (I can’t wait to see that in 35mm on the big screen). Join me on Friday October 19th at 7:30pm, at LACMA on Wilshire for a bunch of great cartoons that will blow your mind. For more information and tickets, click here.

FANTASMAGORIE
1908/b&w/1 min. | 35mm supplied by Academy Film Archive

BIMBO’S INITIATION
1931/b&w/6 min. | Fleischer Studios | 35mm supplied by UCLA Film and Television Archive

SNOW WHITE
1933/b&w/7 min. | Fleischer Studios | 35mm supplied by UCLA Film and Television Archive

LULLABY LAND
1933/color /7 min. | Silly Symphonies (Walt Disney Pictures) | 35mm supplied by Buena Vista

PORKY IN WACKYLAND
1938/b&w/7 min. | Looney Tunes | 35mm supplied by Warner Bros.

WILLOUGHBY’S MAGIC HAT
1943/b&w/7 min. | Phantasies (Columbia Pictures) | 35mm supplied by Sony Repertory

IMAGINATION
1943/color/7 min. | Color Rhapsodies (Columbia Pictures) | 35mm supplied by Sony Repertory

THE OLD GREY HARE
1944/color/8 min. | Looney Tunes | 35mm supplied by British Film Institute

DUCK AMUCK
1953/color/7 min. | Looney Tunes | 35mm supplied by Warner Bros.

DESTINO
2003/color/7 min. | Walt Disney Pictures | 35mm supplied by Buena Vista

Dear Santa, Please bring me one of these…

German sculptor Bernd Müller, who makes medieval figures in 1/6 scale for museums and collectors, has a nice post here about his latest custom-made commission – Gulliver from Max Fleischer’s 1939 feature, Gulliver’s Travels. Want one? Sorry, but it’s one-of-a-kind. Beautiful work, Bernd – maybe if we ask nicely you’ll make us a “Gabby”…

(Thanks, John Loter)

Cartoon Brew | Permalink | No comment | Post tags: Gulliver's, Max Fleischer

Here’s a treat for Fleischer Studio aficionados. In 1935, animator Myron Waldman went to the hospital to have his appendix out. The artists at the studio created a giant hand made “get well” card packed with gag cartoons. Animation art dealer Ken Storms acquired this piece (yes, it’s for sale) and has allowed us to share. A terrific find – It’s great to see the animators behind Popeye and Betty Boop do some off-color gags. There are four pieces, sized 23″ by 13.5″. Click the image above to see the “cover” piece. The other three pieces are below.

Click the thumbnails below to see the art full size. Panel 2 (below left) contains cartoons by Graham Place, Jim Miele, Joe Stultz, Jack Quban, Bill Bird, Tom Antisell and Sam Buchwald (!); Panel 3 (center) has Dave Tendlar, Herman Cohen, Nick Tafuri, Georgew Germanetti, Lillian Friedman, Ed Nolan, Bill Sturm, Ted Vosk, Izzy Sparber and I think, Orestes Calpini; Panel 4 (below right) Max Fleischer, Willard Bowsky, Doc Crandall, Abner Kneitel, William Henning, Harold Walker, Seymour Kneitel, Jim Claboy, Dave Hoffman and Eli Brickner.

Cartoon Brew: Leading the Animation Conversation | Permalink | No comment | Post tags: Max Fleischer, Myron Waldman

Popeye authority Fred Grandinetti found this clipping in The Miami News (published on December 25th, 1936) in which Max Fleischer predicts a day when audiences will flock to theatres to see 3-dimensional cartoon feature films! Of course, Uncle Max was thinking more along the lines of his Stereo-Optical process, using three-dimensional sets and not computer graphics. Nor motion capture (despite his invention of the rotoscope). Still, Max was a visionary…

Cartoon Brew: Leading the Animation Conversation | Permalink | No comment | Post tags: Max Fleischer

In 2009, we reported on the Ghibli Museum exhibit devoted to Max Fleischer’s Mr. Bug Goes To Town (1941). I believe this was somewhat tied into Studio Ghibli’s Arrietty (2010). Ghibli and Disney have since teamed to release Mr. Bug (aka Hoppity Goes To Town) on home video in Japan.

Brew reader Rick Nodal sent us this report about the DVD (and supplied the images in this post):

“Hoppity Goes to Town (Mr. Bug Goes to Town) was released on DVD (region 2) in Japan back in 2010 by Studio Ghibli through Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Japan. I just received the copy I purchased online and it’s fantastic. The audio & video quality is excellent, and although the disc defaults to Japanese subtitles when it begins, you can change the setting to “no subtitles.” I’ve attached a few screen shots/grabs including the end title Paramount logo.”

As Mr. Bug is still protected by copyright, does this mean Ghibli, Disney or Pony Canyon (their Japanese video distributor) sub-licensed the film from Paramount Pictures? If so, that’s very interesting! Disney presenting a Fleischer cartoon?!

Click thumbnails below to see larger images of the box (with Disney castle logo clearly visible, lower left on the label) and several frame grabs. According to Rick, this is a transfer of an NTA Technicolor print, with NTA’s reissue opening titles. This is a shame as the UCLA Film Archive recently restored the film from the original Paramount three-strip negatives. Hopefully we will see that version released soon – from Disney or anyone.

In the meantime you can order the Japanese Ghibli/Disney release from CDI Japan for $46.43 (U.S. $).

Cartoon Brew: Leading the Animation Conversation | Permalink | No comment | Post tags: Max Fleischer, Mr. Bug Goes to Town

Max and Dave Fleischer (and animator Dick Heumer) explain it all in this 1928 classic cartoon.

If you had to recommend one cartoon for the world to see before we all perish – what would it be?

Cartoon Brew: Leading the Animation Conversation | Permalink | No comment | Post tags: Fleischer Studios, Max Fleischer

Apparently the Fleischer estate has lost a court battle for the rights to Betty Boop, a character created by Grim Natwick at Max Fleischer’s studio in 1930. Fleischer Studios has been co-licensing (with King Features) the property (along with Pudgy, Grampy, Binmbo and Ko-Ko the Clown) for several decades now.

The Fleischer Studio tried to sue Avela Inc. over its licensing of public domain Betty Boop poster images (for handbags and T-shirts). The 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals (based in San Francisco) ruled against the Fleischers, saying in their decision, “If we ruled that AVELA’s depictions of Betty Boop infringed Fleischer’s trademarks, the Betty Boop character would essentially never enter the public domain.”

According to court documents, the Fleischer Studio originally assigned its rights to Betty Boop to Paramount Pictures on July 11, 1941. Paramount assigned those rights to Harvey Films, Inc on June 27th, 1958. Harvey actively licensed the character in the early 1960s. On May 15th 1980, Harvey Cartoons transferred “Betty Boop and her Gang” to Alfred Harvey and his brothers. Judge Susan Graber said there was no break in the chain of title.

So where does that leave Ms. Boop? No longer represented by the heirs of Max Fleischer and King Features Syndicate? Does this mean Harvey Comics – or by extention, its current owner Classic Media – the owner of the property? Or is the character now in public domain.

For the record: The master film elements to original Fleischer Betty Boop cartoons are still owned by Paramount Pictures (and are maintained at the UCLA Film and Television Archive). Many of those films have legally entered the public domain, many others have not (they are still protected under copyrights held by Paramount/Viacom). We hope that someday the studio deems it fit to restore and release these classics on DVD.

Cartoon Brew: Leading the Animation Conversation | Permalink | One comment | Post tags: Betty Boop, Max Fleischer