A Handy-Dandy Checklist of the Animated Features Scheduled For Release in the U.S. (Due to the COVID-19 pandemic many release dates below may change.) 1. EARWIG AND THE WITCH (2/3/21) GKids. D: Goro Miyazaki 2. TOM & JERRY (3/5/21) Warner Bros. D: Tim Story 3. RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON (3/12/21) Disney. D: Don Hall […]

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The past year has been another challenging one. However, for animation fans, there was, at times, a fraction of escape with films, TV shows, and short subjects. Additionally, there have been many milestones for movies and TV shows that have been marked throughout the year. This column has celebrated such anniversaries as the 20th of […]

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Short Film

Oscar nominee Joanna Quinn (“Famous Fred”) could be on the ballot again, this time with Affairs of the Art, one of the 15 Best Animated Short Film finalists. She directs this fourth short starring the dynamic character Beryl, who previously headlined “Girls Night Out” (1987), “Body Beautiful” (1990) and “Dreams and Desires” (2006). The comedic […]

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Short Film

BoxBallet is a hand-drawn short that’s one of the 15 finalists for the upcoming Best Animated Short Film Academy Award. It’s about an unconventional relationship between a ballerina and a boxer. Will they fall in love and stay together amidst the pressures of their professions? Director Anton Dyakov explains why he had to tell this […]

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Commentary

Although he wrote them in 1859, Charles Dickens might have been thinking of animation in 2021 when he penned the celebrated lines, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the […]

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There is Peace on Earth in the 1941 MGM cartoon short The Night Before Christmas. Well, if not on Earth, then at least in the world of Tom & Jerry. While the pair do their share of sparring in this Christmas-themed short, there is a moment of truce between the two, adding a break from […]

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Today, the season doesn’t seem complete without at least one viewing of the iconic Christmas television special, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. That’s why it’s so hard to believe that when it was in production, the team bringing the beloved book to the screen couldn’t find a sponsor. Legendary animator Chuck Jones, who […]

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AppleTV+

Lighthouse Studio’s El Deafo, a charming and poignant three-part animated series for kids and families, will premiere on Apple TV+ Friday, January 7th, 2021. El Deafo, based on the #1 New York Times Bestselling and Newbery Honor Winning graphic memoir, follows insightful young Cece as she loses her hearing and finds her inner superhero. Going […]

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Anime

Usually an actor books a role after an audition. But there are times when actor is chosen because of their reputation, without an audition. Such is the case with the American cast of Poupelle of Chimney Town. The film stars Antonio Raul Corbo. Stephen Root voices Lubicci’s father, Bruno, who tries to inform people that […]

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DreamWorks

When it comes to dragons, there’s no stopping DreamWorks Animation. Based on the best-selling How to Train Your Dragon novels by Cressida Cowell, the franchise has so far spawned three feature films with a combined box-office take of $1.6 billion worldwide, five short films, a “Snoggletog Log” video and a 118-episode TV series collectively titled […]

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