ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD ANIMATION ARCHIVE PODCAST

Episode One: Antran Manoogian / Raymond Scott

Our big brother down south, ASIFA-Hollywood (with its extensive Animation Archive) is proud to announce the debut of its new podcast, hosted by Danny Young and Michael Woodside. Every few weeks, they will be producing a new podcast, filled with interviews, information, tips and anecdotes related to animation and the people who make it. Along with Danny and Michael, the guests for this episode include Antran Manoogian, the President of ASIFA-Hollywood; Stephen Worth, director of the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive; and musicologist Skip Heller. We hope you will tune in and listen to what they have to offer.

The February ASIFA-SF Newsletter is on the way

Members of ASIFA-SF enjoy a lot of benefits, like exclusive screenings, the opportunity to meet famous (and not-so-famous) filmmakers from around the world, and rub elbows with fellow animators, students and aficianados in the Bay Area. But one benefit that stands apart is our more-or-less monthly newsletter, written, edited and mailed by our president, Karl Cohen.

K.C. has been almost single-handedly publishing this treasurem trove of news, reviews, opinions and inside information for over 15 years. There are guest writers of course, and covers illustrated by Ric Carrasquillo, and a small crew of volunteers that help with the addressing and mailing—but the bulk of the work is overseen by Karl. And whether you’ve got 1 issue or 100, there’s something for everyone. For instance, look at the lineup in this month’s edition:

 • A lengthy obituary/reminiscence on Art Clokey that goes beyond Gumby
 • Bay Area films entered into The Library of Congress
 • A rundown on our January screening of local animators
 • Upcoming animated features to look out for in 2010
 • Behind-the-scenes on the animated sequences for the new film Howl
 • Film Festival report from Fredikstad ("The Perfect Festival") by Nancy Denny-Phelps

 Plus upcoming local events and an invitation to our members-only screening of the Oscar-nominated shorts, and more!

If you think you might be missing out, then maybe you should sign up (or renew) for membership in 2010-11. At $25 per year, it’s worth it just for the subscription!

San Francisco Animation Convention This Weekend

Animation on Display (AOD) is an annual convention that features anime, cartoons, and their related interests. The convention hours are Saturday 10am to Midnight, Sunday 10am to 5pm. Event highlights include the usual array of con attractions, including Industry Guest Events, Charity Auction, Party With The Guests!, Masquerade, Robotech 25th Anniversary, Video Gaming, Music Performances, Dealers’ Room, Artist Alley, Cosplay Portrait Booth. You can find more info and full event schedule at their website here.

Industry guests scheduled to attend include PMBQ, Kyle Hebert, Carl Macek, Ian McConville and Matt Boyd, Tony Oliver, Ken Pontac, Cristina Vee, David Vincent, and Tommy Yune. You can find complete guest bios here.

Pre-Registration is now closed, but tickets are surely available at the door $30 full weekend, $20 Saturday, $15 Sunday, at the Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco.

“Lost Animation Festival”
Screens at Oddball Films
Thursday Jan. 28 through Saturday Jan. 30

Guest curator Pete Gowdy and Oddball Films present three nights/five programs of rarely screened/rarely seen animated films. Dredged from the 50,000+ 16mm film archive, these lost classics and rarities are a treasure trove for animation and fans of the surreal and sublime. Admission is $10.00/35.00 Festival Pass.  Seating is limited so RSVP is preferred to: info@oddballfilm.com or 415-558-8117.



Thursday, January 28 8:00PM

Opening Night Reception + The Fabulous World of Jules Verne
Karel Zeman’s ground-breaking work (Color, 1958, 83 mins.) in the genre of stop motion animation is an awe-inspiring, meticulous cinematic rendering of the aesthetic and conceptual inventions of proto-science fiction genius Jules Verne. 
The film’s intricate art direction successfully renders the visual style of nineteenth century woodcuts and engravings into motion pictures and creates a stylized and surreal graphic world. 
Zeman’s eclectic cinematic style influenced many contemporary quirky directors such as Terry Gilliam and Tim Burton. Mixing slapstick comedy, slightly satirical, larger-than-life performances of the cast, action pacing and Mélies-style film magic, this little known Czechoslovakian gem brings a bizarre and futuristic visionary novel to life.

 Plus! Revenge of the Kinematograph Cameraman (Dir. Ladislas Starévich, B+W, hand tinted, 1912)  
Wildly inventive landmark of early cinema and stop motion animation, insects star in this Kafkaesque love triangle. Polish director Ladislas Starévich, working in Russia, started out as an entomologist when he tried to replicate a bug battle he had witnessed. His experiment was so successful and satisfying that he continued with animation.

Friday, January 29 8:00PM 

Subversion and Mystery in Eastern Europe

Some of the most original, wittiest and satiric animation emerged from Eastern Europe during the cold war- many were thinly veiled subversion, enough to pass the censors apparently.  Others are so mysterious that it’s no mystery the censors let them through.
From the relatively well known to extremely obscure—these are some of our favorites.
 
Films Include:
 Rhinoceros (Color, 1935, Dir. Jan Lenica)
 Ersatz (Substitute) (Color, 1961) 
Bags (Color, 1967) 
A Place In The Sun (Color, 1960) 
The Fly (Color, 1980)
 The Hand (Dir. Jiri Trinka, Color, 1965)
 Kosmodrome 1999 (Dir. Frantisek Vystreil, Color, 1968)
 Red and Black (Dir. Witold Giersz, Color, 1963)
 Plus- Blacktop, Duet, The Sword and more!
 


Friday, January 29 10:00PM
Wild Innovation in American Animation

From the country that knows how (or knew how): humor, jazz, rock ‘roll, and some of the most visually stunning animation on the planet, whether from independent artists or the largest studios.
 
Films Include:
 Claude (Dir. Dan McLaughlin, Color, 1963)
 Toot Whistle Plunk and Boom (Dir. Ward Kimball, Color, 1953, pictured above) 
Urbanissimo (Dir. John/Faith Hubley, Color, 1966) 
Mountain Music (Dir. Will Vinton, Color, 1975)  
The Interview (Dir. Ernest Pintoff, Color, 1960) 
Frank Film (Dir. Frank Mouris, Color, 1973) 
Kick Me (Dir. Robert Swarthe, Color, 1975) 
Fantasy (Dir. Vince Collins, Color, 1975)
 Thank You Mask Man (Dir. Jeff Hale, Color, 1971) 
Stop, Look and Listen (Dir. Len Janson/Chuck Menville, Color, 1967)
 Plus! Animated commercials from the 1950’s and 1960’s



Saturday, January 30 8:00PM

World Animation: Post-War Avant Garde and Social Critique

A broad stroke of post-war animation with subjects that range from the deeply disturbing (death, cannibalism, alcoholism) to hypnotic, visual hallucination to social critique. None are simply pure entertainment or subtle subversion. 

Films Include:
Hunger (Dir. Peter Foldes, Color, 1974)
 Spacy (Dir. Takashi Ito, Color, 1980-81)
 The Trendsetter (Dir. Vera Linnecar, Color, 1970) 
History of the Cinema (Dir. John Halas, Color, 1957)
 Toys (Dir. Grant Munro, Color, 1966) 
Mr. Rossi Buys A Car (Dir. Bruno Bozetto, Color, 1966)
 Flower Storm (Dir. Ali Akbar Sadeqi, Color, 1972), Returnable Bottle (Dir. Johan Hagelbeck, Color, 1977) 
Mr. Frog Went A Courtin’ (Dir. Evelyn Lambert, Color, 1974)
 


Saturday, January 30 10:00PM

Banned! Censored! Animation

Racism, sexism, drug references and more were routinely featured in American animation- many of these cartoons were shown on TV through the late 1960’s until they were pulled from distribution. Swept from the public eye as an embarrassment and considered a danger to the public, these cartoons are nonetheless a part of American cultural and artistic history, should be available, and perhaps need to be seen.

Films Include:
Coal Black and The Sebben Dwarfs (Color, 1943)
 Tokio Jokio (B+W, 1943) 
Little Black Sambo (Dir. Ub Iwerks, Color, 1935)
 All This and Rabbit Stew (Color, 1941)
 Minnie The Moocher (B+W, 1932) Scrub Me Mama With A Boogie Beat (B+W, 1941)
 Bacall To Arms (Color, 1946) 
Jungle Jitters (B+W, 1938) 
Buried Treasure (B+W, 1928)

Curator Pete Gowdy (aka DJ Chas Gaudi) is host of San Francisco’s Shellac Shack, a weekly 78 rpm listening party and a DJ specializing in vintage sounds: soul, jazz, country, punk and new wave. 

Oddball films is the film component of Oddball Film+Video, a stock footage company providing offbeat and unusual film footage for feature films. Oddball Films is the largest film archive in Northern California and one of the most unusual private collections in the US.

A little award season cheese—um, cheer!

ASIFA-SF, the Bay Area’s Animation Association, will be presenting the 5 Oscar nominated shorts on Thurs. Feb. 25 at 7:30 PM (at a location to be announced) with some or all of the animators/directors present. Ron Diamond from awn.com in LA is organizing the event. He will also be presenting the program at closed screenings at Pixar, ILM, at the Skywalker Ranch and at PDI/Dreamworks.
 
Rumor has it that the films will include a recent Nick Park Wallace and Grommet short A Matter of Loaf and Death from Aardman in Bristol, England. The plot has somebody killing all the bakers in the town—and Wallace (who runs a bakery) could be next!. Nick has already won two Oscars and if he shows up it will indeed be a memorable evening.

Our event will be open to current, paid ASIFA members and 1 guest—but you’ll have to wait for an e-mail blast to confirm your attendence. Now might be a good time to get your membership renewed—or to join, if you’re not already a member. Just go here!

2010 Promises To Be Another Great Year

As the Cable Cartoon swings into its third year online, we’re excited about the prospects for animation in general and ASIFA-SF in particular. But we’d like to make things more relevant to all of you, dear readers, whether or not you are a member of the ASIFA family. So if you have any news of upcoming events, suggestions for expanding our scope or perhaps a secret desire to blog about the local animation scene, please drop a line to your conductors at the cable cartoon. Just write to editor at asifa-sf.org !

Thanks for reading and keep watching cartoons!

Call for Entries
ASIFA-SF Open Screening for Pros and Indies
 
We’ll be showing the some of the best work of Bay Area on Friday, January 15, 7:30 PM at the Exploratorium’s McBean Theatre, but we need your entries! Do you have something to show?  Want some pre-show publicity? We can provide the theatre and audience—hope you can provide some of the animation!  (Our open screening for student films will be held in May).
This is always a well-attended program of surprises from around the world. There will be some impressive commercial work as well as independent offerings.  If you want to be listed on the ASIFA-SF flyer and here on the Cable Cartoon, please contact karlcohen at earthlink.net with a description what you plan to bring or send by Dec. 23. We can show 16mm and DVDs, and screen shots for publicity are definitely appreciated!

At Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Dec 13, 2 pm

Decades before A Bug’s Life, there was Hoppity Goes to Town (aka Mr. Bug Goes to Town) directed by Dave Fleischer (with apologies to Frank Capra). This classic early feature shows life from a bug’s perspective, and is presented here in a newly-restored 35mm print. A group of bugs — including a grasshopper named Hoppity, a bee named Mr. Bumble, and Mr. Bumble’s daughter Honey — find their homes threatened when humans start littering and invading their grassy neighborhood. Meanwhile, duplicitous C. Bagley Beetle enlists the help of his two henchmen in convincing Honey to be his wife. Stunning hand-drawn animation, a unique pastel color palette, and songs by Hoagy Carmichael and Frank Loesser combine to create an exceptional work.

Skip the crummy public domain DVDs (pray for a legitimate release) and come to YBCA for the real thing in glorious 35mm!

Mr. Fox Comes to the Cartoon Art Museum

The Cartoon Art Museum proudly presents original works of art from Twentieth Century Fox’s feature film FANTASTIC MR. FOX  This exhibit features two sets from the stop motion animated film, “Flint Mine – We Took Everything” and “Farmer Scale Yellow Door,” which include puppets and props used in the film’s production.  These works will be displayed in conjunction with the Cartoon Art Museum’s permanent collection of classic animation cels and drawings throughout the holiday season.

Wes Anderson’s adaptation of the Roald Dahl’s children’s classsic is a delightful fun romp.  It is also a remarkably well-made stop-motion feature. Anderson reportedly made it to please himself and never discussed appealing to a specific age group. 2009 has been a great year for stop-motion features and this film is so unlike Coraline that there is little point comparing them. Let’s hope that the public and film producers see stop-motion films as an exciting alternative to cell and computer animation. Meanwhile, don’t miss the great opportunity to see some of the magical, toy-like props and sets in person!

 ASIFA-SF & Cartoon Art Museum Present
Booksigning and presentation Tuesday, Dec. 8

The Cartoon Art Museum welcomes author Darrell Van Citters for a special presentation on the creation of Mister Magoo’s Christmas Carol, the first animated Christmas special. Van Citters will sign copies of his new book following his presentation.

Mr. Magoo and Charles Dickens may have seemed like an odd match at the time but Americans of a certain age will remember that the pairing resulted in bit of pure magic. Produced by the renowned UPA studio, and directed by Warner Bros. vet Abe Levitow, the musical program introduced Mr. Magoo to adult TV viewers and launched a subsequent prime-time series (The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo).

Van Citters, a nationally renowned animation director who has worked with Warner Bros. and Disney, and currently heads Glendale, Calif.-based Renegade Animation, delves into his subject with the discerning eye of an inside expert and the zeal of a die-hard fan. He is thoroughly convincing in making the case that Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol deserves a place on everyone’s holiday shopping list—along with copies of his wonderful new book.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009, from 7:30pm to 9:00pm • Free and open to the public