The French Connection
According to the Toronto Star, Dudley the Dragon was the first children’s series to be produced simultaneously in English and French. This was done for the first two seasons. The show would first be shot in English, with Asia Vieira (playing Sally) and Daniel DeSanto (playing her brother Matt) interacting with Dudley. They would be […]
Pinto Salute!
Starting today, a 1,600-mile Pinto Stampede celebrates the car with a reputation for exploding when rear-ended. Here’s a tribute to the Pinto from the movie, Top Secret!
The Pro-Social Dragon
Dudley’s second season began the weekend of October 1-2, 1994 in Canada. The show had lost most of its environmental sponsors but gained financial support from other sources. (See previous posts.) With a change in sponsors came a change in themes. And so it would be for the remainder of the series. Season One taught […]
Sir Richard Taylor’s Latest Honor
It’s with extreme pleasure to report Richard Taylor’s Honorary Doctorate for Fine Arts presented to him by Massey University of New Zealand. See it for yourself: Then see local NZ news coverage here. Richard is a wonderful man. I wish him hearty congratulations and best wishes for continued success.
What Children Think Makes a Great Cartoon
In 2001 the British Film Institute surveyed kids on their favorite cartoons and cartoon characters. Here are the results. Five essential ingredients for successful animated characters: They should make children laugh or feel happy – with their different looks, funny voices, use of imitable catchphrases; They should expand children’s imaginations by blurring fantasy and reality […]
Dudley’s First Appearance at Macy’s
November 24, 1994. Thanksgiving Day, America. The 68th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York would be televised to some 45 million viewers. Newspapers and TV newscasts would report about it nationwide. What an opportunity to promote Dudley the Dragon to the American public! In his first Macy’s appearance, Dudley was just an actor […]
Licensing the Dragon
June 4-5, 1994. Dudley the Dragon appeared at the PBS National Convention in Florida, his debut in America. By then, 150 PBS stations had committed for 25 episodes. The list continued to grow, and why not? For them, the show was free. Executive producer Peter Williamson explained: “Dudley is underwritten by Vail Associates [a ski […]
Dragon with a Handicap
In the first season, Dudley sauntered around the woods with his right arm constantly resting on his chest. Likewise, the same thing had happened with Big Bird on Sesame Street. “When we first started, the first few months, his right arm was pinned to his side, so that it looked like Big Bird had a […]
Word Counts in Children’s Books
One advantage of being a member of SCBWI-Los Angeles, and a member of their listserv, is receiving tips from the writing community. Literary agent Jennifer Laughran has just posted her recommendations for word counts in various fiction categories. Noted for future reference.
