Monthly Archives: May 2002

We highly recommend the new issue…hell, any issue of Amid Amidi's Animation Blast, a splendid periodical that is too periodical.  That is, it doesn't come out nearly enough…but when it does, it's always full of interesting insight and history concerning the animation field.  The latest issue (seen at left) has a terrific piece on Ed Benedict, one of the great unsung designers of cartoons, including most of the early Hanna-Barbera shows.  I think the piece gives a wee bit too much credit to Benedict and not enough to Dick Bickenbach who, I've heard, did more than is indicated here.  On the other hand, there's no question Benedict was the main creative force behind the visuals and that he hasn't received nearly enough recognition for it.

You can find out how to get this issue over on Amid's website, which you can reach by clicking here.  And while you're there, browse about.  The place is full of interesting animation articles and links.

DC Comics has just reprinted the first issue of Sugar and Spike, which is only one of the best comics they or any company ever published.  In an industry where writers and artists have usually been forced into unnatural collaborations on whatever book needs a staff at the moment, Sugar and Spike was a rare, welcome exception.  A very talented cartoonist named Sheldon Mayer created the book he wanted to do and then proceeded to write and draw it, all by himself, for around a hundred issues.  We're hoping this facsimile edition will arouse enough interest to warrant a lovely reprint collection of the full run, or even of just a few more issues.  It was a fun comic and I happen to think the industry would be ten times its size, and not at all in trouble, if more great talents over the years had had the opportunity to create and control the comic they really wanted to do.  (You can read the first three pages of Sugar and Spike #1 on-line by clicking here.)

The one vivid memory I have from this year's Academy Awards ceremony is of Woody Allen standing on stage, delivering the rough equivalent of one of his old stand-up routines…the only non-winner of the evening, by the way, not reading off a TelePrompter.  There has been something distant and perhaps a bit numbing to me about his last dozen or so films, at least the ones I've seen.  That I haven't run to catch every one, as I once did, is because I started to find them remote — brilliantly made (always) but dealing with people I didn't care about, hashing out issues that did not command my attention.  Maybe it's me…no, it's probably me.  Nevertheless, it was wonderful to see Woody up there on Oscar night, reminding us who he is and why we first loved him, back when he spoke to us directly.  The material was no great shakes but I enjoyed the flashback.  Between the dark nature of most of his films and his personal problems, it's been easy to forget that he was and is a very funny man.  There are times you get the feeling he's forgotten it, too.

This coming weekend, Turner Classic Movies kicks off a Woody Film Fest — 18 of his movies throughout the month of May.  You've seen them all and, like me, probably have a good percentage of them on DVD or tape.  I am, however, going to tune in for the premiere of Richard Schickel's new documentary, Woody Allen: A Life in Film.  It debuts this Saturday evening, May 4, and reruns May 18.