Back in 1975, when I was in the thick of making my first animated cartoon, Film Comment came out with an all-cartoon issue, which included an interview with Chuck Jones, one of my major animation heroes. This issue also featured a poster-sized wall chart by Joe Adamson (author of "Tex Avery: King of Cartoons") that highlighted the major cartoon stars from each Hollywood studio during the Golden Era. This chart went on my wall in '75 and stayed on my wall, wherever I happened to be working, until the early 90's when it started to disintegrate. I took it down, put it in a drawer, and I never saw it again. Until today! I was looking for some papers in a drawer and instead I found, lo and behold, the long-lost "Cartoon Constellations" chart by Joe Adamson! I spent the last few hours scanning and restoring my old copy of it, cleaning up some of the scratches and pushpin-holes that it's collected over the past 36 years. I can't find another copy of it on the web, at least at the moment, so I thought I'd share it with you. I've always found it very inspirational.
Showing posts with label Chuck Jones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chuck Jones. Show all posts
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Cartoon Constellations Chart from "Film Comment" (1975)
Monday, September 6, 2010
My Favorite Bugs Bunny Cartoon -- At the Hollywood Bowl
My wife Annie took me to the Hollywood Bowl the other night. We saw and heard Herbie Hancock perform on his 70th birthday. It was a great experience.
Every time I go to the Hollywood Bowl -- which is not that often -- I'm reminded of my very favorite Bugs Bunny cartoon.
Different people have different favorite Bugs cartoons. Some put "What's Opera, Doc?" at the top of the list. The Elmer/Daffy/Bugs Hunter trilogy often ranks in the top ten. "The Rabbit of Seville" is very popular. For me, the best Bugs Bunny cartoon of all time is "Long-Haired Hare." In my opinion, it's one of the only "perfect" cartoons ever made.
Without spoiling its "perfection," I'll say that I greatly appreciate how the final frames of "Long-Haired Hare" recall the opening frames. It's Chuck Jones' direction at its best, plus the added thrill of a caricature of Jones as the villain. The script is by Mike Maltese. Bugs is at his (1948) apex, doing a great "Leopold Stokowski" impression, dressing up as a bobby soxer, and justifiably "getting even" like never before or since. I also will always love Bugs' delivery of the line expressing his admiration for the Hollywood Bowl: "Acoustically poifect."
Bugs Bunny, Looney Tunes (c) Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.
Every time I go to the Hollywood Bowl -- which is not that often -- I'm reminded of my very favorite Bugs Bunny cartoon.
Different people have different favorite Bugs cartoons. Some put "What's Opera, Doc?" at the top of the list. The Elmer/Daffy/Bugs Hunter trilogy often ranks in the top ten. "The Rabbit of Seville" is very popular. For me, the best Bugs Bunny cartoon of all time is "Long-Haired Hare." In my opinion, it's one of the only "perfect" cartoons ever made.
Without spoiling its "perfection," I'll say that I greatly appreciate how the final frames of "Long-Haired Hare" recall the opening frames. It's Chuck Jones' direction at its best, plus the added thrill of a caricature of Jones as the villain. The script is by Mike Maltese. Bugs is at his (1948) apex, doing a great "Leopold Stokowski" impression, dressing up as a bobby soxer, and justifiably "getting even" like never before or since. I also will always love Bugs' delivery of the line expressing his admiration for the Hollywood Bowl: "Acoustically poifect."
Bugs Bunny, Looney Tunes (c) Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.
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