A team of highly acclaimed executives from Hollywood, Silicon Valley, and the worlds of advertising and publishing have announced the arrival of Curiosity Ink Media, an emerging family-friendly showcase offering a broad mix of original animation, live-action programming, reboots of iconic characters and shows, VR content, publishing and live theatrical entertainment slated to start rolling […]
Archive for the ‘News’ Category
Justinian Huang Named Head of Development For Pearl Studio
June 7th, 2018 
Jerry Beck Justinian Huang has been named Head of Development for Pearl Studio the global animation company with two major films currently in production, it was announced today by Peilin Chou, Chief Creative Officer for Pearl Studio. In his new role as Head of Development, Huang will be responsible for overseeing Pearl’s development team, as he continues […]
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June Foray Collection Goes to Heritage Auctions
June 2nd, 2018 Jerry Beck More news from the upcoming Heritage Animation Art Auction later this month. The company has obtained the estate of June Foray and will be offering for sale many of her personal prized possessions. The June Foray Collection, to be offered during the June 16th-17th sale, includes Foray’s 50-year private collection of memorabilia that features vintage […]
Rare “Pinocchio” Original Art Featured in Heritage Auctions’ June Auction
June 1st, 2018 Jerry Beck Nearly 100 rare 1940 hand-painted production cels, original animation drawings, storyboards, background layouts, production backgrounds, model sheets and key master production cel setups from the 1940 Walt Disney masterpiece Pinocchio will be featured in Heritage Auctions’ Animation Art auction June 16-17 in Dallas. “Pinocchio is considered an absolute masterpiece of Disney animation,” Heritage Auctions Animation […]
Happy Birthday, Ray Favata
May 1st, 2018 Jerry Beck This Thursday, May 3rd, is Ray’s 94th birthday. Who is Ray Favata? His friend and colleague Jim Martin wrote: “Ray Favata had an interest in drawing since he was a child. His artistic talents led him to a position in the US Army’s art department during World War II. His formal career in animation began […]
USC’s Teresa Cheng installed as First chairholder of Hench Endowed Division Chair
April 19th, 2018 Jerry Beck Teresa Cheng, the recently appointed Chair of the John C. Hench Division of Animation & Digital Arts (Hench-DADA) at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, will be installed as the first chairholder of the John C. Hench Endowed Division Chair at a dedication scheduled for Wednesday, April 25, 2018, it was announced by Dean Elizabeth […]
Fred Crippen (1928-2018)
March 27th, 2018 Jerry Beck We are very sad to report (via USC’s Tom Sito) of the passing of animator Fred Crippen at age 90. Fred created the legendary TV cartoon series Roger Ramjet, and the very funny “Shorty and Cheap Chicken” commercials for National Lumber. He animated spots for Sesame Street, shorts for UPA and contributed to many classic […]
Silent Cartoon Restorations highlight “Animatus Eventus”
January 20th, 2018 Jerry Beck On Saturday, February 10th, 2018 at 7:30pm and Sunday, February 11th, 2018 at 2:00pm the Riverside Philharmonic Presents “Animatus Eventus” – an all animation program with live musical accompaniment by the Riverside Philharmonic. It will feature the premiere of Mark Watters’ original score for a newly restored Walt Disney’s silent short, Alice’s Little Parade (1926). […]
TRAILER: “Have A Nice Day”
December 6th, 2017 Jerry Beck The first US theatrical release for 2018 may well be the Chinese indie, Have A Nice Day. Strand Releasing will release animator Liu Jian’s neo-noir in New York (at the Village East Cinemas) on Friday January 26th, with LA right behind it on February 2nd at the Ahrya Fine Arts Cinema in Beverly Hills. The […]
TRAILER: “Hedgehogs”
December 6th, 2017 Jerry Beck Lest you think you’ve seen every 2017 theatrical animated release, along comes Lionsgate with its limited release next week of Hedgehogs. Directed by Jianming Huang, with a voice cast that includes Chevy Chase and Jon Hader, the Chinese import (originally announced as “Bobby The Hedgehog”) will be both in theaters and available On Demand (VOD […]
TRAILER: “Monster Family”
November 30th, 2017 Jerry Beck It’s already getting crowded next year in the world of animated features. Let’s now add the German-made Monster Family to the list of first quarter releases in 2018. Directed and produced by Holger Tappe, the man behind several knock-off animated films (Animals United, an ersatz Madagascar; The Snurks, a wannabe Shrek; and so on), comes […]
OPEN LETTER: Animation Insiders Demand a Change from Sexism and Harassment in the Animation Industry
October 19th, 2017 Leslie Combemale A letter was sent today by 217 women and non-gender conforming folk to over a dozen studios demanding change and an end to sexual harassment and sexism in the animation industry. Included on the list of recipients are executives at Disney, Sony Pictures Animation, Cartoon Network, DreamWorks Animation, and Warner Bros. Signatures are from people […]
Classic Cartoonists Illustrate New Popeye Energy Drink
October 13th, 2017 Fred Grandinetti Popeye the Sailor has been associated with food and beverage products since the 1930’s. His latest endeavor is an energy drink. The artwork on the cans are by veteran Thimble Theatre cartoonists, Doc Winner, Bela Zaboly and Bud Sagendorf. I spoke with the C.E.O. of Popeye Energy Drink, Popeye-fan Jeremy Todd. Fred Grandinetti: What is […]
George Pal and Puppetoons this week on TCM
October 6th, 2017 Jerry Beck Producer-Director Arnold Leibovit guest hosts on Turner Classic Movies with Ben Mankiewicz next Wednesday and Thursday Oct. 11th and Oct. 12th, 2017 introducing his films The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal and The Puppetoon Movie, both produced and directed by Leibovit, plus 8 George Pal features for this Special 2 Day Tribute. Pal was […]
Warner Archive Announces “Porky Pig 101” DVD Collection
August 16th, 2017 Jerry Beck Warner Archives has announced today the September 19th release for Porky Pig 101 – a unique 5-disc DVD set that collects 99 black-and-white Looney Tunes (and two Technicolor Merrie Melodies) starring Warner Bros. first cartoon superstar. The set includes cartoons dating from 1935 (with Porky’s first appearance in Friz Freleng’s I Haven’t Got A Hat) […]
