Animated Bookmarks - The Internet is the Closest Thing We’ve Come to Permanence

“The Internet never forgets”

When I was younger watching the Internet become mainstream and slowly become the powerhouse of communication and business we see today, I admit I was more optimistic of its impact on our humanity. I did not expect fringe nationalistic and disinformation groups to hijack the composite of all of mankind’s knowledge to further their own agendas and political ambitions let alone coopt civil rights movements for their own nefarious means. 

Not that the Internet hasn’t accomplished a lot of good, it has. But the negative aspects were never something I anticipated. 

I have been bookmarking articles of interest and printing them out for posterity for a couple years now. One reason, to slowly build a small repository of unique and interesting articles detailing the minutiae of animation history over time. The other because the Internet is not permanent. Internet hosts can change, servers can quit working, and mass consumption of social media can move over time (I miss you, LiveJournal). 

I’ve quit printing out the articles I have found because….ink is expensive. I wish that wasn’t the prohibitive motive for my discontinuation of what I deem an important hobby, but it is what it is. 

So for the next few blog posts I will begin to chronicle a few of my current bookmarks that date back a few years to a long time ago. A highlight of moments in animation history I thought were too important not to take note of. And before they disappear off the Internet forever. 

The Original Rugrat: ​Paul Germain

Written by Brandon Swofford

This interview with Paul Germain from 2018 is a bit by the books, but still a quick and neat interview with a cornerstone of 90’s animation. Paul has a tumblr, though it hasn’t been updated in a while. His tumblr is a more thorough peak into the creative process and the pros and cons of the industrial animation machine. Though, if you’re prone to teeth grinding when the same questions are asked repetitively, it might be best to jump around the blog to interesting blog entries. 

100 Years of Animated Movies 

by Alex Tolkin

Concise timelines of animation history, especially ones that are accurate of their origin, are fascinating to me. Tolkin’s is a quick, dirty, and concise recap of 100 years of animation. It’s a good introductory primer that could lead you further into the halls of history. My animated film knowledge is subpar compared to my general understanding of television production, but this blog does a great job highlighting the milestones throughout the 20th century. 

A Conversation with Hoyt Curtin

By Gary Karpinski

Interviews that occurred before 2000 all were pretty much treading the same ground. Since there was no repository of information to gleam what had and hadn’t been asked, repetitive questions were often reasked multiple times to interviewees (when did you start working, where was it, how did you get into the business, etc.). This 1999 interview with composer Hoyt Curtin from 2000 is quaint and an artifact from days gone by. 

[adult swim] in a Box

Researching the big three network’s animation availability reminded me of the most unique DVD release I have ever seen. Released in 2009, [adult swim] released a 12 disc set called, "[adult swim] in a Box".

Contained within were six volume sets: Aqua Teen Hunger Force Volume 2, Space Ghost: Coast to Coast Season 3, Moral Oral Season 1, Robot Chicken Season 2, Metalocalypse Season 1, and Sealab 2021 Season 2. Bit odd it was not all volume one features, but comme ci comme ça. While interesting, this was not the highlight of the set.

The highlight of the box and my wanting of it comes from a single disc of pilot episodes. The pilots included are:

Totally for Teens - A live action spoof that would hint at the future of live action spoofs [as] would eventually become known for. 

Cheyenne Cinnamon and the Fantabulous Unicorn of Sugar Town Candy Fudge - The only pilot I have not seen. 

Korgoth of Barbaria - Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky and an interesting pilot for auteur as barbarians and violence would be a focus in the 2019 Primal (though the two have quite different styles as a whole; one a comedy, the other a gritty drama).

Welcome to Eltingville - My personal favorite pilot and huge missed opportunity to be picked up as a full series.

Perfect Hair Forever - This series would eventually run for three seasons.

[adult swim] in a Box is still available for a little more than $50 - something I really should purchase to have in my collection, just for the Eltingville pilot alone. I would assume that it’s continued availability means it either sells well, in which case you would think other networks would copy the box idea and make available long dormant pilots, or it hasn’t sold well at all... which would also explain why we haven’t seen copycat like clones. 

The Tales of Uncle Remus Album

About two years ago, I attended a yearly garage sale hosted by an album seller (Of course, he didn’t hold one last year due to the pandemic and has since retired). He had over 10,000 albums that he sold during his yearly garage sale, as well as at a vinyl swap held bi-monthly in South Bend. His collection is extensive. I've bought many animation themed albums from him (and will share in the coming weeks). 

One of the coolest things I’ve bought from him is the Tales of Uncle Remus for Children from Capitol Records. 

Unfortunately, it is missing one of the three albums contained within, and the third record has a chunk missing out of the edge. As such, I got it for a good deal! 

The reason I am excited to share this album is because I finally got my hands on Disney’s Song of the South. If you are unfamiliar, it is the only Disney film that has never seen home media release in the United States due to perceived racial stereotypes. Even upon its release, it was met with great controversy. Jim Korkis wrote a great book on the film, Who's Afraid of the Song of the South? And Other Forbidden Disney Stories. 

That being said, Disney animator Floyd Norman has been a respectfully staunch proponent of the film’s release as well as Whoopi Goldberg.

I have yet to see the film, but now that I have it, I look forward to finally viewing what has caused Disney to have a PR headache for the last 80 years. 

From The Comic Pages, To Your Computer Screen - A 114 Year Journey

A couple months back I was perusing online auction sites for animation paraphernalia (As you do when you’re bored) and came across this magnificent specimen:

A framed page from the July 21, 1907 Los Angeles Sunday Times. This page shows just how much real estate a Winsor McCay comic took up during its original run. 

Unfortunately, it was not packed well and the frame was cracked in its delivery from California to Indiana. It is what it is, I wasn’t going to return it, even though I will have to find a framer to reframe this century+ old newspaper page contained within. Regardless, I had never seen an original Winsor McCay comic prior to this. 

The original comic, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, is as follows:

The Friends of Yoko Kanno

Yoko Kanno is one of the most prolific and important composers in anime. She spearheaded the soundtracks for classics like Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, and Wolf’s Rain amongst many, many others. Her passion and craftsmanship shines through on all of her works, blending genres and emphasizing the emotions required for a scene. Of course, she didn’t do everything herself. She has worked with the best talent from across the world. 

Two musicians she has featured and their respective discographies have become my go to for my own music listening pleasure. One, a rocker from New York, and the other, a melancholy singer from Australia, residing in New York. 

Steve Conte - Guitarist, Vocalist, Badass. 

Steve Conte is in a class of rocker where rock isn’t just a lifestyle, but the blood pumping through your heart. His career is a long and plentiful one.  He was the lead guitarist for the New York Dolls from 2004-2010, a band that has been around since 1971. In 2009 he formed the band, Steve Conte & The Crazy Truth, and released a phenomenal self-titled album. One of his first successful albums was in 1990 when he was a part of Company of Wolves, their self-titled debut album is an underground classic and one I still need to get my hands on. 

He frequently works with glam punk multi-instrumentalist, Michael Monroe 

As aforementioned, he has worked on various anime projects with Yoko Kanno, most famously, “Call Me, Call Me” and the male version of “Rain” from Cowboy Bebop, as well as having worked with SEGA on 2007’s Sonic and the Secret Rings adding vocals to the main theme. 

Most recently, during the pandemic, Steve released a EP of songs made in the early 90's by him and his brother, John, entitled, Bootleg Rarities.

After having followed his music since I was a teenager, the two things that stick out the most for me about Steve, besides his powerful vocals and guitar shredding, is his respect for other musicians and his love for his family. I have never seen him miss an opportunity to highlight the successes of others or to put his family first. I have a lot of love for the music he makes and a lot of respect for the person he is.  

Scott Matthew - Poetry and Emotion

I do not know much about who the person Scott Matthew is. His music videos have featured, who I presume to be, his friends and colleagues. He seems to be surrounded by happiness. 

His music, however, I am intimately familiar with. His 2009 album, There Is an Ocean That Divides and with My Longing I Can Charge It with a Voltage That's So Violent to Cross It Could Mean Death, was the album I went to sleep listening to for over three years. His music is calming, his voice packed with emotion. His songs bring out melancholy, loss, happiness. I have yet to hear another singer who emotes more in their music than Scott Matthew. 

As aforementioned, he has collaborated with Yoko Kanno, and is featured on the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex soundtrack. “Beauty is Within Us” is a powerful ballad; one that almost doesn’t fit into the confines of the episode it was aptly featured in. 

 

His most recent album, Adorned, which debuted in 2020, is a collection of his most prominent songs from throughout his career, re-contextualized. 

I find it difficult to write about Scott’s music without sounding like I am embellishing his music. To listen to his music is to listen to something personal and vulnerable. Even his covers of famous songs, like Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”, adds a layer of intimacy not seen in the original. 

Steve and Scott are on two very different parts of the musical spectrum, and yet their paths crossed in a land foreign to both of them, on projects that have been viewed across the world. Their lended talents elevated stories that became era defining and have had an immensely huge impact on myself and I assume many others. I would encourage you to dabble in both artist’s accomplished discographies, you will not go wrong.

The Animation Paraphernalia Pyramid

It’s easy to get caught up in the newest thing available for purchase; it’s new, shiny and potentially limited! You’re also purchasing the ability to be in the now, adding to conversations with other like-minded individuals about the thing and its awesomeness. However, every year more and more stuff comes out and it can be a bit of a challenge to differentiate between what’s new and what’s of historic value. 

The following is how I categorize the importance of wants and the responsibility of being a proprietor of something unique in history. This model is of a pyramid, the higher you go, the more important the object. Beginning with the bottom tier:

Tier One - Big Box Retail

A pyramid needs a foundation, and the following objects are important, not because of their rarity, but because of their accessibility. They are objects of inclusiveness, of availability, and of passion. 

DVD and BluRay releases of animation can be picked up at your local major retailer, or through online distribution. They are not rare, they are produced in large scale, but the importance of being available cannot be overstated. You cannot enjoy what you do not have access to (As my blog series on home media releases has made painfully clear). 

Of course, a healthy sign of a successful series is a plethora of varying merchandise. Plushies, Action Figures, Posters and Stickers of characters or logos are examples of a successful series and makes the show all the more likely to be continued. Without a healthy merchandise push, and thus profit to keep the industrial machine going, series wither and die (e.g. Megas XLR and Thundercats (2011)). 

I also consider Magazines with a focus on animation in this category, but as a whole that industry has been drying up in the last 10 years. (Though Animation Magazine continues to thrive (Subscribe here!)

Tier Two - Technology of Yore and Limited Availability

BluRay and DVD (And 4K) are today’s home media. Animation releases on previous forms of media, like VHS, LaserDisc, and CEDs, are more challenging to get a hold of and harder to maintain as a viable option for viewing. Sometimes, however, they can be the only way to watch certain series. As an example, some Looney Tunes have only been released on LaserDisc.

You really have to enjoy a series if you are going to pick up the accompanying Trading Card Game (Focus on gameplay) or Collectible Card Game (Focus on collecting) or even the licensed video game. Vinyl Releases, The Art of...books, or history books on the medium can fall into this category. Not every Jan or Joe on the street is going to care about the story of the production of a show or the musical cues contained within.  

Collector’s Edition Releases, Magazines that are out of print, and Reproductions of objects of desire also fall into this category for me. While not impossible to find, the availability starts to decrease. 

Tier Three - The Exclusive

8mm and 16mm Film Prints of series and the accompanying technology needed to display them are even rarer than the aforementioned. Limited Edition Maquettes released for the public, usually between 1-5,000 in existence. Original Theatre Posters only available to businesses that actually debuted a show or movie or apart of the marketing push. 

Artist Sketchbooks and Prints from the Artist take research to know about and a limited window of availability to pick up. 

Museum Tours, Events (Conventions, Artist Signings, etc.), and Concerts are all ephemeral and only happen once. Their accompanying trinkets prove attendance and are limited even further then the prior levels. 

Convention Exclusive Merchandise and Imported Merchandise show a rare follow through. Accessibility that extends beyond borders, or requires travel to a distant place, demands a high level of dedication and limited accessibility for most. 

Tier Four - Showpieces

Autographs from any member of staff, Sericels and their historical significance and limited availability, Lithographs and their high level of meticulousness are close to top tier collecting. Their high price and availability make them exquisite pieces to own and display. 

35mm Film Prints, one of the highest levels of visual fidelity nitrate film can bring to the table, the highest level of home media. 

Tier Five - Production

There is no higher tier than the objects that comprise the end product. What item is more important than the objects that literally created the thing? Production Cels. Original Scripts. Animatics. Storyboards. Production Material. Original Artist Maquettes. All of these things are top tier; collectible and historically significant. An object from this category can reveal the minute details of production no object store bought can reveal. No other object is more rare, more sought after, more important than things that made the show. Aside from vacuum sealing creators, there is nothing more collectible or valuable than production material. 

And that’s how I categorize objects and collectibles. I am sure I am missing categories, arcade cabinets of licensed games would probably be a Tier 4 object, but I think the majority of items is accounted for.

Join me next time as I dive into two of my favorite musicians whom I was introduced to through one of anime’s best composers. 

Welcome to 2021

The title felt very good to write; like putting on comfy pants fresh out of the dryer. 

I hope your holiday was safe, refreshing and relaxing. Our family enjoyed a quarantined Christmas; everybody seemed to enjoy themselves. I got my Dad the original Speed Racer (which he watched as a kid when it premiered) and the complete 1966 Batman with Burt Ward and Adam West (and a lot more guest stars than I had ever realized; Cesar Romero, Vincent Price!?). Mom got a Sumo November tournament champions poster (which we’ve been watching together this year). Sister got Chocolate Charley (a local delicacy). And made sure my Niece got the Switch games she wanted (Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and Luigi’s Mansion 3). 

Family was kind enough to get me quite a few awesome animation related objects of desire:

Not pictured: Luffy's Pirate flag. 

Super excited about pretty much all of it. Particularly looking forward to watching The Last Fiction, Iran’s first animated film, as well as reading through Reid Mitenbuler’s Wild Minds: The Artists and Rivalries That Inspired the Golden Age of Animation. While on a break from blog writing, I was able to wrap up some goals for some other projects. Looking forward to sharing more about them in the future. 

Some big pieces of news broke while on break. The first being MGM has announced they are up for sale for $5.5 Billion after negotiations fell through with Apple. Now, I am no expert, yet, but I would assume this would include the rights for Pink Panther as well as The Phantom Tollbooth among other animation rights. It will be interesting to see where this deal goes, especially as we have watched the Big Six turn into the Big Four in less than five years. The rumor mill has Amazon and Warner Brothers (AT&T) as potential buyers. 

Bruce Smith and Ralph Farquhar, the producers of Disney’s The Proud Family, have signed a deal with Disney committing them to multi-year, multi-project agreements that covers both live-action and animation. After having recently gone through The Disney Channel’s animation history, it was very cool to see that they will be influencing the next few years of output for the Big Mouse.

And lastly, Tommy Stathes, of Cartoons on Film, has launched a new Kickstarter for the sixth volume of his spectacular DVD and BluRay sets. The newest volume will cover Bray Studio’s Dinky Doodle and Pete the Pup. The following is the trailer announcing the project: 

As of writing the goal of $16k is just over $10k. If you would like to add your support you can find the Kickstarter here. 

Lastly, 2020 couldn’t leave us alone, adding one last kick in the gut on the way out the door; MF DOOM passed away in October, with the news of his passing breaking on New Years Eve. DOOM's collaboration with DJ Danger Mouse and [adult swim] on the stellar album, The Mouse and the Mask, was one of my first exposures to Hip Hop. Though, nothing is quite like MF DOOM's ebbs and flows. I ate up his entire discography after wearing out my copy of The Mouse and the Mask. His passing at 49 is another stark reminder, in a year of stark reminders, to appreciate what you have. 

That’s all for now. Join me on Wednesday as I discuss how I view the rarity and importance of different animation paraphernalia.