Animation 11 Jul 2006 07:30 am
Saved By The Bells
-Tonight on PBS there will be a documentary on Tin Tin creator, Herge. The show has gotten some attention. This is today’s NYTimes review.
– Currently I’ve been reading Didier Ghez‘ three volume set of books Walt’s People: Talking Disney with the Animators Who Knew Him. There’s a lot of good information in these interviews. There are inaccuracies galore in the animators’ memories – as is expected from all interviews -, but the editors correct the information at the end of each interview. Presently, I’ve been reading Ward Kimball’s comments about the Disney strike. He seems very defensive as if he wants to make sure he’s on both sides of the fence.
One bit he said was that John Hubley and John McLeish were making a documentary about the strike and were disappointed to have not been able to screen it. As Kimball says, “. . .they agreed we shouldn’t open 
old wounds.” This could have been possible. I knew, while I was working for him, that Hubley had a lot of 16mm footage of the strike, and I saw a lot of still photos. I hadn’t heard, till reading this book, that they were trying to make a professional documentary. Still, given the many inaccuracies in Kimball’s comments, I’m not sure that it was real.
Art Babbitt’s view of the strike is much more engaging. There is no doubt that a reality is behind his memories. They’re all so exact and detailed. It makes for a captivating read.
I’m looking forward to Tom Sito‘s book, Drawing the Line. This is an informed history of the unionization of the artists in animation. I’d read parts of this in an advance manuscript Tom had shown me and found a lot of new material. I suspect I’ll find a lot more in the final book when it hits the market in October. An excellent piece of history from a dedicated historian.
- Last night Pee Wee’s Playhouse invaded Adult Swim/Cartoon Network. It’ll air Mon-Thurs at 11pm. I love this show; I love Pee Wee Herman; I love that it was done in NYC (the first and best season). I doubt I’ll watch the reruns.
I could complain about live action on the
C – A – R – T – O – O – N NETWORK , but the whole notion of such a complaint seems tiresome at this point.
(And I did that already.)
At least Pee Wee’s Playhouse had some funny animation wrapped into each show and it was done (in NY) by Broadcast Arts, a good animation studio that ultimately became Curious Pictures.
And it’s not Saved By The Bell.
