He may be near-sighted, but it was Mr. Magoo who could see the way and blaze a trail for all future animated television Christmas specials. Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol debuted on December 18, 1962, on NBC, making it the very first animated Christmas special to be produced for television. It aired two years before Rudolph […]
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An Eye for A Classic: The 60th Anniversary of “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol”
December 22nd, 2022 
Michael Lyons A Very Merry Mickey: The 70th Anniversary of “Pluto’s Christmas Tree”
December 19th, 2022 Michael Lyons The fall and winter of 1952 saw many at the Disney Studio in a holiday mood. In October that year, Disney released the Donald Duck short that would become a Halloween classic, Trick or Treat. And, just a month later, the Disney artists would get into the Christmas spirit with a short that has become […]
A Fine French Feline Film: The 60th Anniversary of “Gay Pur-ee”
December 12th, 2022 Michael Lyons Gay Purr-ee is an example of two distinct animation styles coming together perfectly. The feature film was produced by United Productions of America (UPA) studios, revolutionizing animation with their distinctive graphic style. Also, Gay Purr-ee was written by animation legend Chuck Jones and his wife Dorothy Webster Jones. The recognizable “UPA look” is on full […]
A “Boo”-tiful Classic: The 70th Anniversary of Disney’s “Trick or Treat”
October 31st, 2022 Michael Lyons Few Disney short subjects pack more character, story, beautiful animation, and the feel of a holiday into a brisk eight minutes than Trick or Treat. The 1952 Donald Duck cartoon has become a Halloween tradition for so many, and for great reason: it’s wonderful. Crafted with great care by director Jack Hannah, Trick or Treat […]
Posted in Animation Cel-ebration 
Tags: Animation Cel-ebration, Donald Duck, Walt Disney 
No Comments » The Don of a New Era: Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of “The Secret of NIMH”
September 5th, 2022 Michael Lyons For many following animation closely in 1982, The Secret of NIMH was more than just another summer movie. A lot was riding on this animated film that was opening amidst other blockbusters like E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Rocky III. It was the first feature directed by Don Bluth. His name had become well-known just several […]
“Alien”-nated: The 20th Anniversary of “Lilo & Stitch”
June 3rd, 2022 Michael Lyons Before Lilo & Stitch debuted in theatres, no one knew what to expect. Disney launched an extremely creative marketing campaign with teaser trailers that featured Stitch appearing in scenes from Disney’s animated features Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King. In the trailers, the blue creature that was a combination of thing-from-another-world strangeness […]
“Forward” Motion: The 15th Anniversary of “Meet the Robinsons”
May 10th, 2022 Michael Lyons Some movies blindside you, in a good way …a very good way. Meet the Robinsons is one of those films. Released just after Disney animation was emerging from several challenging years that saw disappointing box-office results with films like Home on the Range, and just before new leadership brought a new decade of successes, with […]
Nature Calls: The 30th Anniversary of “FernGully: The Last Rainforest”
April 10th, 2022 Michael Lyons When FernGully: The Last Rainforest opened in 1992, Washington Post film critic Desson Howe said of the film that it “…sounds as though its environmentally correct message will fall upon you like a heavy rubber tree. But FernGully is neither weighty nor whiny. It sings its messages unobtrusively through – and for – the trees. […]
Music with Real Character: The 65th Anniversary of “Three Little Bops”
March 17th, 2022 Michael Lyons Just when you think there’s no way to re-tell a familiar story, you see something like Three Little Bops. This re-telling of The Three Little Pigs fable with a swingin’ jazz beat is still as infectious and fun sixty-five years after its release. This Warner Bros. Looney Tunes short tells its entire story using music, […]
Going For The Gold: Cartoons That Celebrated The Winter Olympics
February 25th, 2022 Michael Lyons The Winter Olympics have just past, but excitement of winter sports go on forever – at least in cartoons. In fact there is much comfort to be had during uncertain times and we thought it would be worth looking back at some of the classic cartoon shorts that celebrate many of the sports featured in […]
Salute to a Seasick Sea Serpent: The 60th Anniversary of “Beany & Cecil”
February 18th, 2022 Michael Lyons “So come on, kids, let’s flip our lids Higher than the moon ‘Cause now here’s Beany and Cecil in… (a whole half hour) Bob Clampett Cartoo-ooooooon!” – The opening theme song for the Beany and Cecil show. So began the popular animated television series, created by legendary Warner Bros. director Bob Clampett. Created for kids, […]
Donald’s Taxing Experience: The 80th Anniversary of “The New Spirit”
January 28th, 2022 Michael Lyons What could be a better topic for a Disney animated short than income taxes? Wait…what?!? Well, that’s precisely the focus of the 1942 Donald Duck outing The New Spirit. Eighty years after its release, watching it now is an intriguing look at how studios like Disney joined in the collective effort on the Homefront during […]
In the Beginning: Classic Animated Characters’ First Appearances
January 17th, 2022 Michael Lyons Another year begins and with every New Year comes hope, resolutions, and the thought of new beginnings. What better time for animation fans than the start of a New Year than to look back at how some iconic cartoon characters got their first start. Continuing this column’s tradition from last year, here are the first […]
Animated Anniversaries: Looking Back at Some Other 2021 Milestones
December 31st, 2021 Michael Lyons 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 […]
Both Creatures Were Stirring: The 80th Anniversary of Tom & Jerry’s “The Night Before Christmas”
December 24th, 2021 Michael Lyons 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 […]
