Mark Mayerson’s New TRIPP
Canadian animator/storyteller Mark Mayerson has a new Harvey Tripp adventure, “Tripp to Servility,” which you can enjoy when you click here.
Who is Harvey Tripp? He’s a wanna-be diplomat whose career got sidetracked when he found disfavor with Chief of Security Travis Daggett. Why? He befriended a Repton dinosaur named Granjik. Now he and Granjik are on the run from the Planetary Partnership due to phony charges of treason.
It’s a series with a lot of fun and adventure. I recommend starting with the first story, “Tripp to the Stars.”
For more about the series, click on my earlier post here.
All volumes © copyright Mark Mayerson and Kim Davidson.
Brad Bird on why the Looney Tunes were successful
From Cartoon Brew, 2010, Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ray Gunn director Brad Bird gave this observation:
The “failure of every Bugs and Looney enterprise for the last twenty years” (only 20?) is caused by two very simple reasons–
1) The original cartoons were created in an environment where NO ONE WAS PAYING ATTENTION. As long as Warner’s (or any competing studios) animation department created the cartoons within established parameters (on schedule, on budget, each at its correct length, within the code, etc), the division was LEFT ALONE… and hence were allowed to be funny, irreverent, surreal– all the things we revere about LOONEY TUNES.
These same characters are now considered franchises, which means they (and the system that created them) are now micromanaged within an inch of their animated lives, systematically removing everything that made them great in much the same way that over-processing food removes everything nutritious.
2) No one is encouraged to create NEW characters with the same sort of budgets and schedules that would allow new animation to made on the same level as the great Warners, MGM, or Disney shorts of the thirties, forties or fifties. It’s either the brutal schedules of television (necessitating overseas production) or the long story requirements of animated features, which demand a different aesthetic.
Visual humor on the level of a great LOONEY TUNES needs more time than TV production demands allow, and would be suffocated by the demands of a feature.
Until some studio figures out how to recreate a friendly environment for this very particular art form (and that it is in their financial interests to do so) comedic character animated shorts will have to come into being as they currently do; as infrequent, minor miracles.
* * *
This was written 14 years ago. Before Warner Discovery cancelled the completed film, Coyote vs. Acme.
Dragons of the Day, February 29, 2024
Well, that’s all, folks, for the end of a series. On December 14, 2023, Dreamworks Dragons: The Nine Realms, unspooled its eighth and final season on the Peacock and Hulu streamers. To its credit–literally–the show did show us what the characters looked like if they were hand-drawn, instead of the plastic-looking robot CG versions. Let’s take a look at the drawings from the end credits and see for yourself.
And from the final episode:
Australian Star Wars Articles, Part Four
For several years now I’ve been documenting press coverage of the classic Star Wars trilogy into a multi-volume project, The Star Wars Historical Sourcebook. This involves buying the various books, magazines, papers, comic books, etc., as well as buying through ebay and online downloads. This coverage is global, so I do what I can to gather documentation of press coverage.
One time I purchased newspaper clippings of several Australian publications–but with incomplete information. From the images below, I need one or more of the following: the date of publication, the name of the newspaper, the page number, and if from a magazine, the issue number. Can anyone provide this information? I’d like to document these articles to the fullest extent possible. Thank you.
The following articles come from TV Week.
You can enlarge the image by clicking on it.
You can reach me through my contact page or through The Star Wars Historical Sourcebook page on Facebook.
Thanks for your help!
Australian Star Wars Articles, Part Three
For several years now I’ve been documenting press coverage of the classic Star Wars trilogy into a multi-volume project, The Star Wars Historical Sourcebook. This involves buying the various books, magazines, papers, comic books, etc., as well as buying through ebay and online downloads. This coverage is global, so I do what I can to gather documentation of press coverage.
One time I purchased newspaper clippings of several Australian publications–but with incomplete information. From the images below, I need one or more of the following: the date of publication, the name of the newspaper, the page number, and if from a magazine, the issue number. Can anyone provide this information? I’d like to document these articles to the fullest extent possible. Thank you.
The following articles come from the Bulletin, Knox-Gazette, Sun, The Age, TVRE, and Australian Women’s Weekly.
You can enlarge the image by clicking on it.
You can reach me through my contact page or through The Star Wars Historical Sourcebook page on Facebook.
More will be uploaded tomorrow.
Australian Star Wars Articles, Part Two
For several years now I’ve been documenting press coverage of the classic Star Wars trilogy into a multi-volume project, The Star Wars Historical Sourcebook. This involves buying the various books, magazines, papers, comic books, etc., as well as buying through ebay and online downloads. This coverage is global, so I do what I can to gather documentation of press coverage.
One time I purchased newspaper clippings of several Australian publications–but with incomplete information. From the images below, I need one or more of the following: the date of publication, the name of the newspaper, the page number, and if from a magazine, the issue number. Can anyone provide this information? I’d like to document these articles to the fullest extent possible. Thank you.
The following articles might come from the Sun-Herald, or the Sydney Morning Herald, but I’m not sure. They are labeled “Herald.”
You can enlarge the image by clicking on it.
More will be posted tomorrow.
Australian Star Wars Articles Want List, Part One
For several years now I’ve been cataloguing press coverage of the classic Star Wars trilogy into a multi-volume project, The Star Wars Historical Sourcebook. This involves buying the various books, magazines, papers, comic books, etc., as well as buying through ebay and online downloads. This coverage is global, so I do what I can to gather documentation of press coverage.
One time I purchased newspaper clippings of several Australian publications–but with incomplete information. From the images below, I need one or more of the following: the date of publication, the name of the newspaper, the page number, and if from a magazine, the issue number. Can anyone provide this information? I’d like to document these articles to the fullest extent possible. Thank you.
You can enlarge the image by clicking on it.
You can reach me through my contact page here, or at the Star Wars Historical Sourcebook page on Facebook.
More clippings tomorrow.
What Happened to Cartoon Network?
Would you believe a solitary real world incident would significantly change the programming of an entire network? This morning on “X” a.k.a. Twitter, I noticed this post, recalling the misfiring of a publicity stunt on February 1, 2007:
TRAFON(s Backup Account)
@RiseFallNickBck
3:30 PM • Jan 31, 2024
•
191.6K Views
The Adult Swim “Boston Incident”, when Aqua Teen Hunger Force lite-brites were put up all over Boston overnight were mistaken for a Bomb Threat, happened 17 years ago today This event would essentially change Cartoon Network and the entire channel for a very long time.
This opened up the following thread:
Zack Friedman
@Xtitan92
We got CN Real because of this incident.
TRAFON(s Backup Account)
@RiseFallNickBck
Sadly we did… and cancelled series like Underfist
jirmy
@jeremystewart9
I really don’t think Underfist would have lasted that long anyway
TRAFON(s Backup Account)
@RiseFallNickBck
You may have a point but it was still cancelled due to this so it’s something you can say!
Taffy
@CandyOSC
I don’t understand how anyone would see this as a bomb threat
TRAFON(s Backup Account)
@RiseFallNickBck
It was unknown devices put up all over the city overnight that caused panic. I guess they should have also thought the PR stunt through a bit more
S0mecallme
@FEObsessive
Also it was the 2000s and bomb fears were still EXTREMELY prevalent. I remember in school every month we’d have a bomb drill
Taffy
@CandyOSC
I don’t understand how anyone would see this as a bomb threat
TRAFON(s Backup Account)
@RiseFallNickBck
It was unknown devices put up all over the city overnight that caused panic. I guess they should have also thought the PR stunt through a bit more
S0mecallme
@FEObsessive
Also it was the 2000s and bomb fears were still EXTREMELY prevalent. I remember in school every month we’d have a bomb drill
Kenny Mulvena
@kennethmulvena
The lost episode posted online (while was shelved unfinished) is legit one of the funniest episodes I ever saw.
LTisFine
@TodayImCalm
I can’t wait for the 6 part Hulu documentary on CN and this incident
Av
@MarioEmmet
We lost Fridays, Miguzi & Toonami because of that.
MegamanNG
@MegamanRA
And not for the better because the moment when Stu Snyder took over, everything went to hell. To be honest, CN should have at least gotten in touch with the government of Boston to at least ask for permission in doing this campaign and letting the public know.
Masterge77
@Masterge77
Cartoon Network would go downhill after this incident, and never really recovered. The fact the 2008 Writer’s Strike happened shortly afterwards didn’t help matters.
Hertion333
@DevinCr87019475
Sad this caused the downfall of Cartoon Network over the years, makes you wonder if they didn’t do this and what CN would become
SoggaWater2
@SoggaWaterCup2
My favorite part about this is how even after the police were told directly by the people responsible for the entire stunt that they weren’t bombs is that they then went on national TV and doubled down on how they were bombs and claimed that they were bombs for years
mr.banana
@piemantis
Sad
Zak Wolf (a.k.a. Sam Valentino)
@wiley207
I feel Jim Samples had already done quite a bit of damage to Cartoon Network with the “City” era. But then Stuart Snyder made things much worse.
SparktDog #FUGASWEEP
@SparktDog
We never recovered from this Thanks boston
Ryan (CEO of Perseverance)
@LilKingofHado
Yep, they overestimated ATHF’s recognizability and reach. No one was going to recognize a Mooninite if they hadn’t watched the show.
Bex Niccals
@BexNiccals
The Older Boston Folks At The Time Should Have Been Aware What Was Going On At That Time And Been More Aware Of The Marketing Behind The Signs. Other Cities Had Those Lights And There Wasn’t And Panic And Fear Happening In Those Places
[See Daily Press, February 2, 2007, “Where Boston Panicked, New York Merely Shrugged,” page A10.]
Brian Miller, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank from 2000 until 2021, gave this response to the posting of TRAFON(s Backup Account):
Brian A. Miller
@bfredmuggs
9:32 pm. January 31, 2024
True!
A Conversation with Marcia Lucas
On November 12, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. in the Carol L. Ellis Auditorium at Santa Rosa Junior College, Petaluma, California Campus, AV Film sponsored “A Conversation with Marcia Lucas,” the film editor who contributed significantly to American Graffiti, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Taxi Driver and Raiders of the Lost Ark. She is interviewed by AVFilm Executive Director Kathryn Hecht and Sundance Director Emeritus John Cooper. The presentation is now available here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2CPTf5J_5g&t=73s
Special thanks to Dania Warburton, AVFilm Communications and Development Manager.
The Joker Meets Harley Quinn … in live action!
January 7, 2024.
At the 81st Annual Golden Global Awards, Barbie wins for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement. The voice of the Joker, Mark Hamill, presents the award to the live-action Harley Quinn and Barbie, Margot Robbie.
Backstage, Robbie posed with Hamill. Source: The “It’s Mark Hamill” fan page, Facebook, posted January 8, 2024.
Also during the event, Hamill met Natalie Portman for the first time–the actress who played the mother of Luke Skywalker, Queen Amadala!
Hamill on Twitter (X), January 8:
Now I have finally met my “mother”, thanks to the @goldenglobes.
Life is full of surprises!
