Perhaps because I'm hungover — yeah, that's a good excuse — I neglected to mention that Jerry Beck is the co-brewmaster of the must-visit animation website, Cartoon Brew. I often think of something I should post here about cartoons. Then I see that Jerry and his partner, Amid Amidi, have beaten me to it…so I don't.
Amid has two new publications out that I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone interested in cartooning. Cartoon Modern is a new book that spotlights, with wonderful examples, the UPA/modern/retro (call it what you will) style that many dabbled in during the fifties. Animation was moving away from the ornate Disney look and hadn't yet encountered the spartan, very-little-moves era of Hanna-Barbera or of runaway productions done in Mexico for twenty pesos. During that time, some amazing work was done with, as I think I mentioned in the obit on Ed Benedict here, artists getting more expression out of simpler drawings. Great to look at, great to learn from. You can order a copy of Cartoon Modern from the Amazon empire by clicking here.
Amid also sent me the new issue of Animation Blast, which is his magazine of 'toon history and wonderment. There are many fine articles in this one and you can preview them on this page or just trust me and order a copy by clicking here. While you're at it, check out the remaining back issues. Not all are available and the ones that are won't be for long.
I mean all this even though I am still a bit loopy. In fact, as I sit here at my computer, I'm still afraid that the police will pull me over and arrest me on a B.W.L. — blogging while loopy — and toss me in a cell with Mel Gibson and Paris Hilton.