Tom Stathes Interviewed

That's right, I've been interviewed. Check out the third issue of Stop Motion Magazine, a new and delightful online publication dedicated to all things Stop Motion Animation.

Stop Motion Matinee

I'm proud to announce Cartoons On Film's STOP MOTION MATINEE, a new release produced in conjunction with Inkwell Images, Inc. This DVD collection is an exploration of early stop-motion animated films, and should serve as a great introduction to a most interesting aspect of animation history. It demonstrates the level of talent possessed by several filmmakers of the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s who were able to produce visually stunning films using three-dimensional objects without the aid of computers. It can be argued that these works, in turn, are true film feats compared to the commonplace animation of today.

First in the show is THE AUTOMATIC MOVING COMPANY (1912), a film by Romeo Bossetti. Wrongly attributed to Emile Cohl since the 1970s, this film was in fact produced by Bossetti for the Pathe company two months after Cohl left the studio. Bossetti worked at the Gaumont Studios during an earlier period in which Cohl produced a film with the same theme, Le Mobilier fidele (1910); now only viewable at the Cinematheque Gaumont-Actualites.
Animation historian and author Donald Crafton makes the important distinction between the two films in his book Emile Cohl, Caricature, and Film (Princeton Press, 1992) and suggests that Bossetti must have had the pleasure of watching Cohl at work during the Gaumont period and experimented with furniture in an earlier 1911 film as well.
THE AUTOMATIC MOVING COMPANY is a short yet charming film depicting actual furniture unloading from a moving truck and arranging itself in a second-floor apartment without the aid of a human moving crew.

In that same year, famed animator Ladislaw Starewicz produced our second film, THE REVENGE OF THE KINEMATOGRAPH CAMERAMAN (1912). This dramatic telling of a lecherous couple, the Beetles, has a humorous edge in that a grasshopper cameraman provides the climax by showing his secretly-captured, incriminating film at a cinema where the Beetles are in attendance. Husband and wife betray each other and yet they remain together at the end of the film with a bottle of wine to bind them!
Starewicz uses actual preserved insects as subjects in this film. And to think I throw them away after I swat them...

Our third feature is THE DINOSAUR AND THE MISSING LINK (1917), a Conquest Pictures production distributed by Thomas Edison. Willis O'Brien animates superb, lifelike figures in this film which is part of a prehistoric-themed series he produced in the mid-to-late 1910s. Miss Araminta Rockface, the protagonist, is called on by local cavemen The Duke and Stonejaw Steve. These two cavemen are rivals, and Steve throws The Duke into a pot of boiling water! Theophilus Ivoryhead, the "unassuming hero" as an intertitle introduces him, eventually wins the love of Araminta - but I'd better not spoil the rest of the plot for potential viewers! The film features an almost stunningly similar precursor to KING KONG, "Wild Willie," who serves as the antagonist and is also the 'Missing Link' of the film's title. O'Brien's work is revisited later in this program.

Jumping ahead to the eve of the Great Depression, we find ourselves in the fantastic world of Chip the Wooden Man. Kinex Studio's CHIP IN THE LAND OF WHIZ (1929) is one of various toyland-like adventures. Kinex's series such as Chip, Snap the Gingerbread Man and Doodlebugville all feature characters crafted out of wood and other materials in a much more "cartoon"-like style, whereas realistic bugs and human-like dolls were predominant characters in earlier stop-motion films. While not much is known of the Kinex Studios, historians believe their films were produced in approximately 1928 to 1930 as silent films for non-theatrical 8mm and 16mm distribution by Kodak's Cinegraph branch. Ex-Kinex staff went on to produce a small number of sound films such as Hector the Pup (1935).

As promised earlier, the work of Willis O'Brien is revisited. This time we're showcasing a rare reel that saw no general release until its discovery in recent decades. O'Brien designed sets and dinosaur figures which were built by Marcel Delgado for a short-lived project dubbed CREATION (1931). The plot was to have featured a submarine discovering a lost island where dinosaurs still roam. David O. Selznick scrapped this project when he became head of production at RKO in 1932; however, work already completed on it convinced Selznick's assistant Merian C. Cooper that this technique of filmmaking was feasible. This rare fragment represents what eventually bore fruit as the famous King Kong (1933).

Our program concludes by revisiting the work of Ladislaw Starewicz. By 1933, Starewicz fine-tuned his skills in the medium and moved on to using some cartoonish characters alongside anthropomorphized objects such as wine glasses. A true surrealist work with a Depression-era European edge, THE MASCOT concerns Duffy, a cute stuffed-animal dog, facing some strange adventures before returning to his human masters' home. This film is the only in our program to have been produced with a soundtrack.

This collection represents a turning point for me as an early animation collector and historian. I've been interested in early animation history since the mid-1990s, when I was a young child. Out of sheer frustration caused by the general unavailability of these films, I began collecting them around a decade ago and started my home-based operation of selling DVD collections under the Tom's Vintage Film moniker in the Summer of 2005.
This year, 2009, has been an important period as colleague David Gerstein helped with the formation of my new Cartoons on Film website. Also, fellow animation historian Ray Pointer of Inkwell Images, Inc. sought to help upgrade my product to something that has a better focus and a much more professional presentation. I'm grateful to both for their collaboration in producing STOP MOTION MATINEE, with Ray serving as fellow director and David as package designer, respectively.



Needless to say, we all look forward to working on future releases of historic animation. For the moment, though, let's enjoy STOP MOTION MATINEE! Visit cartoonsonfilm.com for ordering information.

Halloween DVD

Making it's re-debut for a second holiday season is the Tom Stathes Halloween Cartoon Reel! I've kept the same films as last year but have added very nice packaging for this fun collection. If you didn't pick this up last year, now's a good time.
See Krazy Kat, Ko-Ko the Clown, Tom & Jerry (the humans) and more in some of their scarier adventures.
For you comedy fans, also included is the Jimmie Adams film GOOFY GHOSTS (1928).

Read more at http://cartoonsonfilm.com

On Kevin's Blog

Folks, Kevin Gannon has been kind enough to write about me and my new website on his blog. Go check it out here!

New Website!

Five years in the making and I'm very happy and proud to announce my first website...first .com to be exact! My DVD listings, show information and all things related to silent animation will now be featured here:

Visit CartoonsOnFilm.com
Bloggers and Site Owners: Contact me through the website for trading links and banner ads.

Cartoon Carnival 4...and Burlesque!

Get ready for the 4th screening of the Tom Stathes Cartoon Carnival. This unique installment not only features an array of early, obscure, raunchy & risque cartoons; the show will be followed by excellent live performances at NYC's top Burlesque house: The Slipper Room! As always, the Cartoon Carnival presents cartoons from the 1910s to 1930s on genuine 16mm film, the way film was meant to be enjoyed. Bring a friend, watch some cartoons and enjoy the exotic dancers.

Thursday, August 13th
The Slipper Room
167 Orchard St., NY NY

Doors at 8pm
$5 entry for the whole evening.

Slipper Room

New "Wanted List" Website

I've started a new simple and free web page called Silent Cartoons Wanted. It's basically my want list of 16mm silent-era cartoons that will be updated in real time as I acquire prints. From now on the "Buying 16mm Cartoons" at the top of this blog will be linked to said page.

Cartoon Carnival on July 8th, 2009

You're invited to the next installment of the Tom Stathes Cartoon Carnival presented by The Kings County Cinema Society! Come and see some classic cartoon characters you know and some ancient ones you've never heard of! The show is presented in 16mm with a projector--no digital aspect whatsoever enabling you to enjoy film as it was originally intended.

$5. Donation at the rear of Freddy's Bar

Date:
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Time:
8:00pm - 10:00pm
Location:
Freddy's Bar and Backroom
Street:
485 Dean St.
City/Town:
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, NY

By Subway take the 2, 3 trains to Bergen Street; Freddy's is right around the corner. Or take practically any train in the city to Atlantic Avenue/Pacific Street Stations; Walk East on Flatbush and take a left on Dean.

**Please join our group at
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=205685270704

All the Aesop's Fables cartoons should be out there...

The Aesop's Fables cartoons produced in 1921 to 1929 are an interesting topic of discussion among animation fans and historians. "Historians", if you will, tend to dismiss them for their lack of originality, inconsistent and occasional poor animation.
It can be said, though, that so-called historians are really just educated critics in their own right. Ask almost any baby boomer, especially from the Northeast of America, what cartoons they watched on television as a kid and many will cite Farmer Gray. Gray was the nickname given to Farmer Alfalfa by one of the New York kiddie TV show hosts while in competition with a rival host. The animated product was the same on both shows but apparently it's all in the naming of the character...and in both cases, these baby boomers speak of the Aesop's Fables cartoons lovingly, perhaps even if out of pure nostalgia for a time so recent yet so completely lost in today's American culture.
As I've probably mentioned on this blog before, at least three firms were responsible for bringing the 1920s Fables to television. Stuart Productions, also known as Guaranteed Pictures and later known as FilmVideo released 44; Saul Turrell of Sterling Television under the "Snappy Cartoons" moniker and most certainly Commonwealth Pictures which had the biggest stake of the cartoons. Those of you who have been watching public domain tapes for a long time probably recall seeing "Commonwealth" main titles on some of the color Van Beuren cartoons. Below we see a nice ad for Commonwealth's film package, found in a 1950's television trade paper. Mark Kausler tells me Commonwealth had at least 304 of the 430+ Fables. Considering the ad states 400 cartoons, it makes sense if they carried other Van Beuren product. David Gerstein agrees that it's nice to see Ub Iwerks' name proudly displayed on a 1950s advertisement.

What does this all mean? Television prints are not impossible to find, making the Aesop's Fables not only the largest silent cartoon series but also one that has the best odds of being completely archived and accessible. The TV prints don't account for all the original nitrates held in archives, either. For as long as I'm breathing it will be a quest to find more of these titles.
And now, a sound version Commonwealth fable cartoon for you.

Tom on the Fanboy blog, etc...

Check it out folks, my first Cartoon Carnival was written up by Joe Strike and appears over at the Fanboy blog.

Remember folks, join the Carnival group over on Facebook for updates on new screenings- at this rate, there definitely will be several in the near future!

Cartoon Carnival 1 in retrospect

After all these years I've finally put on my first public 16mm screening of these ancient cartoons. The turnout wasn't as big as I'm hoping for in the future, but large enough to make a very nice start to the series, and I think the audience really enjoyed the varied presentation.

Photos by Joe Strike
And how would this blog post be complete without a video? ENJOY!

Join the Tom Stathes Cartoon Carnival group on Facebook and get alerts for any upcoming shows!

Brooklyn, NY: Cartoon Carnival #1

Friday, June 12th 8pm to 10pm
Come and enjoy the first installment of the Tom Stathes Cartoon Carnival—a series of screenings featuring ancient and offbeat animation, all presented on 100% genuine 16mm film! See cartoons culled from a large private collection, produced from the 1910s to 1930s when true hand-drawn art filled movie palace screens... and political correctness didn't exist!

$4-$7 donation at the rear of Goodbye Blue Monday. Say THANK YOU to Goodbye Blue Monday for hosting this event by purchasing a drink at the bar!

J train to Kosciuzko St., walk 3 blocks down Broadway to 1087.

If you need help with more detailed or custom directions, email me at CartoonsOnFilm (at) gmail (dot) com

Happy Mothers Day!

New Blog: David Gerstein

Attention, Folks! As Santa Barbarian youth from the late 80s might recall, "WE WANT DAVID GERSTEIN!" was a chant with the best intentions for making sure the limitless knowledge and humor of our fellow historian Dave Gerstein was accessible to all interested parties. This finally applies even moreso now that he has started a new and very promising blog; Prehistoric Pop Culture, or 'ramapithblog' for short.
David is sure to share much of his knowledge of all things Disney, other miscellany like early Warner Bros. as well as many interesting comic book facts and tidbits. Obviously the random exotic dinner recipe will be thrown in...anyone with esoteric or downright eccentric tastes will enjoy this blog and I highly recommend it.
http://ramapithblog.blogspot.com/

Ken Priebe, Stop Motion Detective

Ken Priebe has posted a wonderful update on his blog The Boundaries of Fantasia in which his detective work and appreciation for all things stop motion animation are showcased. Ken's latest update, Explorations in Stop-Motion History moves from some interesting George Pal imagery (huge favorite of mine!) and then into the annals of something much more relevant to Stathesian animation studies, a [stop motion] animator of the silent era. Ken's musings and research on Howard Moss and his Mo-Toy and "Mugsy" character films is most interesting to me and I highly suggest readers here visit the blog post here.
As posted on Ken's blog and here several months back, a video shot of actual 16mm projection of a film done by Moss and re-released in the 1940s with a new title and narration.

Flip's Lunchroom

Here's a nice Iwerks cartoon I didn't see readily available online...transferred from my 16mm collection. Note the awesome Films Inc. distributor introduction! Enjoy.

NEW DVD releases!

NEW DVD releases for 2009! $20.00 each plus shipping.

TS-41 Farmer Alfalfa Vol. 7 - Everyone's favorite Farmer Alfalfa from Paul Terry.
Alley Cat (1923) Farmer Al encounters the Cat KKK in his nightmares!
African Huntsman (1924)
Jealous Fisherman (1925)
Runaway Balloon (1925)
Up in the Air (1926)
Red Hot Sands (1927)
Flying Hoofs (1928)
Mechanical Cow (1937)

TS-42 Aesop's Fables Vol.2 - More early treasures from Paul Terry.
Rooster and the Eagle (1921)
Monkey Business (1924)
Adventures of Adenoid (1925)
Hitting the Rails (1926)
Wicked City (1926)
Pirates Bold (1926)
High Seas (1927)
Lad and His Lamp (1929)

TS-43 Alice Comedies - More silent classics from Walt Disney.
Alice's Tin Pony (1925- rare Sound version)
Alice's Tin Pony (1925- home movie version)
Alice Chops the Suey (1925)
Alice in the Jungle (1925)
Alice in the Wooly West (1926)
Alice's Little Parade (1926)
Alice the Whaler (1927- rare sound verion)

The following two collections feature Eastern European, mostly Russian cartoons which were edited, retitled, and repackaged with new English soundtracks for American telivision consumption in the 1960s. Here's a rare chance to see what was coming out of Europe during the Cold War. Packaged by Fima Noveck for Flamingo Telefilm, youth of the 1960s and 1970s remember these cartoons well. Unfortunately these color prints have turned red

TS-44 Flamingo Cartoons Vol. 1
Hole in the Sky
Wooden Boy
War of Colors
Gone with the Goose
One Sunny Day
Beggar's Treasure
Woody in Toyland
Detective's Nightmare
Millie the Kid
Monkey and the Atom

TS-45 Flamingo Cartoons Vol. 2
Wolf Trap
Bullies in a Toy Shop
The Rescue
The Party
Lion and the Gazelle
And So On
Animal School
Tiger Trouble
Barefoot King
Magic Mirror.

Shipping extra. Simply email me at cartoonsonfilm [at] gmail.com if interested. Thanks always, friends.

Tom's Vintage Film- The largest source of Early Animation offering some 350 cartoons!
http://farmeralfalfa.tripod.com

Intellitoons Forums

To all the followers and surfers:
Please join Intellitoons Forums, hosted by Thad Komorowski and myself.
We welcome all intelligent discussion relating to classic cartoons as well as offering a generously liberal platform to speak your mind on virtually all topics- including off topic ones!
Remember folks, please register with your real name as the user name.

New Video

This has been over two years forthcoming...finally I have put together a video about my personal tour of the local RKO Keith's theater here in Flushing New York. Definitely of interest to both film historians as well as theater and architecture historians and preservationists. Feel free to cover this on your blogs as well.

Off Topic: 1876 advice for 2009

In looking through my collection of FLUSHING DAILY TIMES newspapers from 1876-1880, I came across the following passage which I found interesting and appropriate for our current times.

One result of the present dullness in trade of all kinds will be the driving out of the credit system, and the restablishment of the cash basis permanently. When we reach the point where retail merchants will only sell for cash, then the prosperity of the people will follow, for then will money be valued higher than it is at present, and its purchasing power be better understood than it has been in the latter years of our national history.
-Flushing Daily Times, March 9th, 1876.

Silent Disney Cartoon Reviews

For the silent-era Disney connosieurs out there I would like to proudly recommend The Disney Film Project. On the blog, Ryan Kilpatrick follows a largely chronological method of reviewing the silent Disney cartoons complete with frame grabs. This is a crucial step (and one that is largely ignored elsewhere) in Ryan's goal to review all of the Disney films. Don't miss the latest review, Alice the Peacemaker, and keep a lookout for ones to come!

Youtube Anniversary: Rare Treat

Today marks exactly two years that I have been posting videos to YouTube and nearly 3 years that I have been a member there. All of you following my videos will notice that the quality of them has varied but of late improving thanks to my purchase of a 16mm transfer machine a few months back. Like postings here on the blog, video uploads are sparse or sporadic but will be added to in the future.
Today's treat for you guys is a short clip from a Little Orphan Annie cartoon. I'm not exactly sure of its origin (yet) but it was distributed to the home movie market in the 1940s and probably dates to the 1930s. It may have been made with sound but this is a silent print. Also note, I received the film in an extremely "light" copy and did all the tweaking I could on iMovie to make it watchable even though it is still partially unintelligable. Gain from it what you may, but it's certainly a forgotten and orphaned film.

Although it's barely visible in the video, here is a decent composite frame from the opening shot that I was able to tweak...

Comic Con in Retrospect

Well, NY Comic Con '09 was my first comic convention and an enjoyable one at that. Lots of endless browsing dealer's tables, meeting people and gasping at all the strange costumes.
As mentioned earlier, yours truly was involved with a special panel on the history of New York animation hosted by J.J. Sedelmaier and Howard Beckerman. It was a very gratifying experience and I'm very thankfuly to J.J. for his kind words regarding my efforts and what I'm doing to preserve and share early animation. For your enjoyment, some pictures of this panel event follow...first, Howard Beckerman and myself followed by screenshots of my video presentation being screened.







Also, check out this nice brief review: http://news.toonzone.net/article.php?ID=28411

NY Comic Con '09

It is only appropriate that I mention the NY Comic Con '09 here. On Saturday Feb. 7th, 2009 there will be a special panel event hosted by J.J. Sedelmaier and Howard Beckerman, both veteran animators. The panel is very directly related to the "It All Started Here!" exhibit as discussed here on the blog in that it is a presentation on the roots of New York Animation. So, if you're in the area or maybe you're already going- please stop by 1A07 (Saturday 2/7/09 4PM) in the Javits Center (visit www.nycomiccon.com for info) for:
A presentation by J.J. Sedelmaier and his co-curating cohort Howard Beckerman, telling the story of the New York area's place in the animation industry's history. That's right folks, cartoons started in NY not on the West Coast! Sedelmaier and Beckerman have organized an exhibit in conjunction with the Westchester Arts Council, The Jacob Burns Film Center, and The Picture House in Pelham, chronicling this very subject, and they're at New York Comic Con to show highlights of the exhibit and shattering the misconception that cartoons call only California home.
I've compiled a collection of clips encompassing the silent and early sound eras of animation as they occured in NY, including footage from several rare cartoons. It would be great to have you there and see it in person although I will probably make the short video available online afterward. See you there!

Reminder: It All Started Here! (in NY) Jan 17th

Just a friendly reminder to all you north-east American readers to try and make it to the White Plains "IT ALL STARTED HERE!" event which will take place on January 17th, this coming saturday. It is curated by animation veteran and historian Howard Beckerman as well as J.J. Sedelmaier of J.J. Sedelmaier Studios; not to be missed!
Here is some good information on the exhibit, and below some will be quoted if you cannot read the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/nyregion/westchester/11artswe.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&emc=eta1

"Visitors to the Arts Exchange will be greeted by four-foot standees of Mighty Mouse and Popeye. Inside, a 15-by-20-foot reproduction of McCay’s Gertie the Dinosaur towers up to the mezzanine balcony, and polychromatic murals of familiar cartoon personalities adorn the walls. A Popeye lamp circa 1938 and a 1960s Mighty Mouse radio represent merchandising based on various characters. An oversized list displays the nearly 550 animation companies that have called New York home since 1906.

There is original artwork from each stage of the animation process, including character sketches, cels and storyboards from a selection of films. “We’ve got artwork of Betty Boop when she still had little dog ears, signed by the animator Grim Natwick, who helped create her,” said Mr. Sedelmaier. “We have a 60-year-old scene of Popeye from ‘Lumberjack and Jill’ that was never used, and a pose test, pencil test and final footage from a Baby Huey cartoon.”

DVDs playing on flat screens and conventional monitors throughout the exhibition focus on different periods of animation. One presents snippets of characters from old silent cartoons; a second shows more contemporary independent animation by New York-based filmmakers. Another plays a compilation of animated television commercials, including Marky Maypo shouting, “I want my Maypo!” and Bert and Harry Piel (voiced by the comic duo Bob and Ray) promoting Piels beer, both from the 1950s.

Equipment on view ranges from an antique Mutascope and a Moviola from the 1950s once owned by the animator Preston Blair to a desktop computer used in the making of Disney’s 1982 feature “Tron.” There are also manual sound effects makers, a Fleischer Studios animation disk from 1936, and a planning board (used to assist in the checking process before the animation artwork was filmed) designed by John Oxberry, of New Rochelle, for Jack Zander, the Pound Ridge resident who animated Jerry of “Tom and Jerry.”"

Please come to the opening on Saturday evening January 17th, 2009
5pm to 8:00pm
The Arts Exchange
31 Mamaroneck Ave.
White Plains, NY 10601
914-428-4220 ext. 223

Here's the most updated info:

"IT ALL STARTED HERE !"
January 18 – February 28, 2009
Opening January 17, 2009
5pm to 8 PM
Curated by Howard Beckerman and J.J. Sedelmaier.
Presented by the Westchester Arts Council in partnership with
J. J. Sedelmaier Productions, Inc. and Blue Sky Studios

The Arts Exchange
Gallery hours:
Tuesday – Saturday, 12-5 PM
(914) 428-4220 x223

HELP SAVE ANIMATION HISTORY!

Whether you're a friend or fellow blogger, or maybe you've found my blog by googling some early animation key words, you will know that information and film availability is close to nill out there. It's been my goal for the past decade to locate as many pre-sound cartoons as possible--something that I spend hours each day attempting to accomplish.
I cannot do this without the help of fellow historians and fans, however. Almost all my my acquisitions are funded through the purchases of DVDs listed on my Tom's Vintage Film website (banner link above). There you will find the most comprehensive source for silent-era cartoons...as such, I challenge you to locate more!
It is especially necessary that you, the historian or fan, help with my search by purchasing one or a few DVDs in order to enable me to fund further films that can be unearthed at any given time. Imagine a scenario where a random, previously unavailable film hits the market and yours truly has no funds for it because DVD sales have been slow. That increases the chances of the film falling into the hands of someone else who can pay more and will only store it on a shelf for no one else to see. We all lose in that scenario, except for the lucky purchaser. Unfortunately, I've faced that situation countless times!
Here is an example of one DVD I've compiled, and what the costs were to obtain original 16mm film prints...
TS40: Mutt & Jeff Vol. 2 (with beautiful cover art!)

Cramps (1916)
A Kick for Cinderella (1924)
Invisible Revenge (1925)
Mummy O' Mine (1926)
The Globe Trotters (1926) excerpt
Westward Whoa (1926) Original b&w footage!
Aroma of the South Seas (1926; 1931 b&w/sound)
Aroma of the South Seas (1926; 1931 color/silent)

My cost: Roughly $275
Your cost: $20

Here's another example:

TS-38 Cartoons at Home (Brand new 16mm transfers)
Here you will get a glimpse into how your ancestors enjoyed cartoons from the 1920s and 1930s at home by renting 16mm prints from various distributors before the days of television. You may have seen some of these in their original versions, but chances are you've not seen these alternate versions which have been out of use for sixty-plus years.

Fighting Flees (Kitty Kat Cartoons: Felix the Cat)
Alice's Tin Pony (Novelty Film Co.)
Racing Fever (Screen Attractions Corp.)
Tuning In (Unknown Dist.)
El Toreador (Unknown Dist.)
Midnight Frolics (Unknown Dist.)
War Daze (Unknown Dist.)
Magazine Rack (Screen Attractions Corp.)
Slight Fantastic (Screen Attractions Corp.)
Hey Fever (Hollywood Film Enterprises)

My cost: Roughly $325
Your cost: $20

So you see, locating and acquiring these early films is costly. Few are willing or even have the time to do it.

As always, the animation enthusiast's contributions and purchases are always highly appreciated and necessary for allowing additional material to find its way to you. Just follow the Tom's Vintage Film banner link above and take a look at the DVD page.

Thank you all!

It All Started Here!

Well folks, here is a an event I think all of you tri-staters should attend..and one specifically about the history of cartoons in New York, where it all really began as an industry! I'm honored to have contributed some images and information for the event. If you live in the northeast, show you appreciate NY Animation History and try to make it, will ya!

Please come to the opening on Saturday evening January 17th, 2009
5pm to 8:00pm
The Arts Exchange
31 Mamaroneck Ave.
White Plains, NY 10601
914-428-4220 ext. 223

Here's the most updated info:

"IT ALL STARTED HERE !"
January 18 – February 28, 2009
Opening January 17, 2009
5pm to 8 PM
Curated by Howard Beckerman and J.J. Sedelmaier.
Presented by the Westchester Arts Council in partnership with
J. J. Sedelmaier Productions, Inc. and Blue Sky Studios

The Arts Exchange
Gallery hours:
Tuesday – Saturday, 12-5 PM
(914) 428-4220 x223

Walter Lantz's TAIL OF THE MONKEY (1926)

Many of you are probably familiar with Walter Lantz for having created Woody Woodpecker. Lantz's career dates back to the late 1910s as a teenager and budding professional in the animation industry. His first major and lengthy employment was at the Bray Studios, where he first worked on series like Jerry on the Job and later took over the revived Colonel Heeza Liar series, this time actually acting in live action segments of the films much like Max Fleischer in his Out of the Inkwell films.
By 1924, Col. Heeza Liar would again become defunct so at this point Lantz created his own character, Dinky Doodle who had a canine sidekick named Weakheart. Starting in 1925, he also created the Pete the Pup series, which is less known today and deemed by some as merely being "Dinky Doodle in a dog costume".
Although I have a Dinky Doodle cartoon uploaded on youtube (and probably linked here on the blog, too), The Unnatural History cartoons remain rarely seen and even harder to find if you go looking for them. I've got a handful and of course will eventually have plans to find more and make them available at some point.

So, fans and historians, I welcome you to discuss this forgotten Lantz film from his early and perhaps most autonomous period while at the Bray Studios.