Oscar Grillo Commercials

Hello again. Sorry it's been so long. I've been dealing with school.

Anyway, for a quick post, here are some wonderful animated commercials from the talented animator/director, Oscar Grillo. I don't know his exact professional history, but I know that he was in London during the time Richard Williams was producing commercials under the tutelage of Golden Age animators Grim Natwick, Art Babbitt, and Ken Harris. Oscar Grillo eventually founded his own studio to produce commercials of his own. Here are but a few samplings of his work.


The first two here are advertisements for Welsh TV station S4C-TV. These are very interesting specimens, as the animation style is a bit more UPA-esque, with a little mixture of Warner Brothers. These show that stylized or limited animation need not be a hindrance. It doesn't matter how many drawings you have, but that the drawings you do have are used to tell your story or convey your message in a meaningful and entertaining way.

This next one is for Perrier water. I love the design of the genie and the watercolor designs of the backgrounds. The backgrounds remind me of the backgrounds for the 30s Disney and Fleischers cartoons.

This spot is for Heineken Beer. This spot is reminiscent of the early Tex Avery cartoons (in particular the WWII toon Blitz Wolf). I am quite surprised that Disney would allow an ad for Heineken to use their song Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf. Oh well, it makes for an entertaining ad.

This one is my favorite of the group. It is an ad for Oddbins Wine Tasting. Why it's a favorite of mine is that the design of the characters were done by legendary cartoonist/illustrator Ralph Steadman. The music is provided by the renowned Spike Jones and his City Slickers. This spot makes me yearn for an animated version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, with characters based on the Steadman illustrations.

These are but a taste of the work Grillo has done. There are many more on YouTube, along with the ads by Richard Williams and Tony White. I hope you've enjoyed this.

Until Next Time.

Getting Up to Date

Hello everybody!

Sorry I haven't updated in months. Been feeling uninspired, not to mention I was finishing up with school. I'm here now to give you a little update on what's happening.

First off, I'm in Montana right now at my grandmother's house. She doesn't have Internet access, so I have to use the town library and a laptop my sister lent me. I won't be back for a few weeks, but if you've waited this long, a few more weeks will mean nothing to you.

As far as drawing goes, I have been making my way through Paul Richer's classic tome, Artistic Anatomy (below)



I'm going through each of the anatomy plates and drawing them. I'm trying to understand how the parts of the body work and how they work as a whole. After that, I want to go through Dynamic Figure Drawing by Burne Hogarth. Wish me luck with this.

Again, my biggest hurdle is getting enough motivation to just sit down and do it. Wish me even more luck with this.

Next time, I'll try to post a few drawings.

Until Next Time

My Art Training

There is so much to be learned about drawing that it can be quite daunting. It is a constant journey through life. However, as Confucius said, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with that very first step." The dilemma for me is which step do I take. In what direction do I start?

I am currently in a life drawing class, and I realized that life drawing will do me no good if I don't know the other parts, like light, value, and perspective. This is just adding another load onto me. I need to find some organization to this. Since I am mostly teaching myself, there is no structure to this journey. Does anybody have any suggestions?

Perhaps the biggest part of my problem is my motivation. So many distractions surround me, and I allow them to draw mw away from my studies. That will have to be my own personal hurdle.

To all of my artist friends or to those who have any ideas on how to move forward, I eagerly await your answers. Until then, I will be working my way through my many art books. Thank you for reading.

The Illusionist: The Magic of Animation isn't Dead

Hello dear readers (all three of you). I have returned from the netherworld in which we call reality. I am hear to give you a review of the darling of the animation world, The Illusionist. I have heard plenty of good reviews, and some bad reviews. I decided to check it out myself. I went to the only theatre in Seattle that was showing it, paid my fare, and went in. I have to say this: I LOVED it!

This movie was magic to me. It has reaffirmed my love for animation, and given me new hope for the medium.


Synopsis: An aging magician is at the end of his career. Constantly playing smaller and smaller venues, he plays at a pub in rural Scotland. There he meets a young girl, who is astonished by his illusions as he bestows gifts to her. She joins him as he travels to Edinburgh, where he takes up more and more menial jobs just to support the girl's illusions.

Okay, to start off, the animation and visual style of this movie are wonderful. It is only once or twice that the animation dropped in quality, becoming very choppy and TV-like. I chalk that up to the film's status as a foreign co-production. It's hard to keep track of quality when so many animation studios are involved. However, these are minute quibbles. For the most part, the animation was astounding. While it was not overly cartoony, it does convey the emotion and attitudes of the character. Each one had their own way of walking, body language that gave them an individual identity. That is always a plus for me.

This has led me to a greater understanding of animation. I think I am truly beginning to understand the use of caricature in the artform. Caricature allows the artists to get at the heart of a character's psyche. Perhaps that is why many animated films are done with a more simplified storyline. It allows the animators to utilize that tool to express characterization. That kind of simplicity truly works for this film. It is not overtly complex in its plot, but it doesn't need to be. It's about the characters and the world they live in.

However, underneath that simplicity lies a rich emotional core. The film is all about magic and illusions. For starters, the protagonist is a magician. There are other performers/illusionists in this film, like a ventriloquist and a clown. Throughout the film, the film exposes the lie and blatantly comes out to say, "Magic does not exist." That adds a double meaning, especially since the film is an animated one. I will say that there was a lump in my throat by the time the movie ended.

I will say at first that the movie started out a little rocky. It was beautiful to look at, but just didn't grab me as I wanted it to. As soon the girl Alice was introduced to us, I began to get more into it. It added that humanity and warmth that I needed. As the film went on, I became more and more entranced and involved in this world. Everything felt real to me. Not a single thing rang false, and that is one of the greatest achievements a movie can make. That, and I felt like I was in an adult world, not Hollywood adult, but almost like the real world. It wasn't physically real, but the emotion was real, and that is the important part in my book.

One of the complaints drawn up against the film is that the relationship between Alice and Tatischeff is creepy and inappropriate. I didn't see it like that. call me naive, but I felt it was more like a grandparent relationship. It reminded me of William Hartnell and Carole Ann Ford's onscreen relationship in the early Doctor Who. It was completely platonic.

Another issue people draw against this movie is that Alice was not a likable character, that she was using Tatischeff. My rebuttal is that she is not using him. She is just that impressionable child who believe the illusions Tatischeff presents her. She came from a village that only recently got electricity earlier in the movie. Besides, Alice is not a bad person. She is just at that age where she is a bit self-absorbed. I have been there. I identified with that. It added dimension to her personality and made her feel like a real person. She's a flawed human being like anyone else. Her sweetness countered those shortcomings.

To sum up, this film is one of the best animated films I've seen. I will say it is one of the best films of the past year. It is a testament to the power of animation to tell a wonderful story. There is still magic out there. I've seen it up on the screen. Do yourself a favor and check this film out. You will be rewarded.

Until Next Time

More Barks and Scrooge!!

Hello Everybody!!!! Sorry for being away so long. Once again, I've been feeling uninspired. Today, I'm bringing you some one-page gag strips by the master Duck artist himself. These are all from Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge.

Writing/Art: Carl Barks

WD US Issue No. 12

WD US Issue No. 18

More good stuff to come!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everybody!!

May everyone get what their heart desires!





May those who are less unfortunate this time of year find hope and healing. I send my love to all of you!

Joyeaux Noel!

Alice in Comicbook Land Pt. 5 (Finis)

We're in the final stretch people. How will Alice fare in the Queen's makeshift trial? Probably not well. And we're off!











Here's a little cursory sum up of the whole comic. For those of you who weren't paying attention the first time.


Thank you for taking the time to read through this. I hope you've all enjoyed it. It was a nice little comic. It skipped other parts of the film (the Walrus and the Carpenter, all of the songs, etc.) but it was entertaining enough. However, Riey Thompson may not have been the best pick for drawing this. His drawing chops probably were not up to the task of drawing a more realistic character like Alice. Still, he did a good job.

Coming up soon: More Carl Barks and Uncle Scrooge!

Richard Williams Commercials

Richard Williams is a fascinating figure in animation history. He was a man with great ambitions for animation, but unfortunately was undone by his lack of financial stability.

During the 1970s, he brought some of the best of the Golden Age animators such as Art Babbitt, Ken Harris, and Grim Natwick to England to teach his animators how it all was done. That helped improve the quality of the animated commercials Richard Williams provided by lightyears. Here are some samples of the work his studio did.







The only issue I have with these is Williams' insistence of animating on ones. Now, in some cases, it could be beneficial such as if you were animating in a more realistic fashion. However, it can be a bad habit if you are animating more cartoony characters such as Goofy and Donald Duck in the Fanta commercials. Doing it all on ones gives the feeling as if they're somewhat floating and not entirely grounded.

I hope to reach that level of expertise that Richard Williams and his animators reached in these commercials.

More of Gulbransson's Magic Line

Today, I give you more of Olaf Gulbransson and his magic lines. They flow so smoothly, like a classical symphony. These are the rest of them from the book on Simplicissimus I have.

Entertainment

"Excuse me, please, don't you have anything depraved here? But not too bad, so a man can take his wife along."

Calm Sea

"You have such charm, Fred! I admire your tastefully composed personality."

Departure

"And bring me back a fig leaf from Italy. I can't afford a suit any more."

The Last Foothold

"I don't believe in God any more, I don't believe in people any more-and now you want to make me sick of cards, too!"

After Dinner

"Of course, you still have to hold that big gawky boy on your lap!"
"Let me alone. You need your paper for your digestion, I need my motherly love."

Baedeker

"The tedesco can't even do that without his book!"

The Power of Music

"When I hear them play, I love them both. After the concert I prefer a prizefighter."

I hope you've enjoyed them.

Bob and Ray and MAD

Hello fellow bloggers and those who like my rambling. We have more MAD goodness. THis time we're going back to even earlier in MAD's history. In the mid to late 1950s, MAD would often bring in guest writers to write articles for them. Among them would be famous humorists such as Wally Cox and Jean Shepherd (the man behind A Christmas Story). Even the famous Danny Kaye contributed one or two things to the magazine.

These particular comic-strip articles (it feels weird calling these things just articles) are from, and starring, the incredible comedy duo of Bob and Ray.

Bob and Ray was made up of Robert Brackett Elliott (b. March 26, 1923) and Raymond Walter Goulding (March 20, 1922 - March 24, 1990).

They were mainly radio comedians, specializing in needling radio's pretentiousness, sentimentality, and silliness, according to author and cultural critic Gerald Nachman. They were sharp satirists who blazed the trail for future comedians such as Mort Sahl, Jonathan Winters, and Bob Newhart. Though they were mainstays of radio, they did do television off and on. They hosted a TV version of their show on NBC from 1951 - 1953.

These comics use the duo's classic character, radio/TV interviewer Wally Ballou (winner of 16 diction awards). He is played by Bob Elliott. The men he interviews are portrayed by Ray Goulding.

Enjoy!

From MAD Issue No. 36 (December 1957)
Illustrated by Mort Drucker




I love the Henry Syverson flavored cartoons in this. Mort Drucker was probably inspired by him, or at least appreciated his work.

From MAD Issue No. 41 (September 1958)
Illustrated by Mort Drucker




I greatly admire these, not the least of which is the astonishing work of Mort Drucker. He perfectly captured the attitude and sensibility of Bob and Ray's humor. His artwork also adds another dimension to it.

Both comics/articles perfectly capture the atmosphere of early television. The first comic is the banality of the studio interview. You see people rushing around in the back, albeit in a more cartoony way, but it wholly encapsulates that spirit. The second one caricatures the whole unpredictable facet of television. Writing and art coalesce into a hilarious send-up of the medium and those that participate in it.

Notice how in the two articles, Ray's characters do not look exactly the same. In the first one, he appears more as the devious, greasy scumbag he plays. In the rocket launch episode, he is shown more as a portly middle-aged man with an overabundant feeling of self-worth. Drucker's cartoons show the distinct difference in nature between the characters, all through his powerful cartooning. As David Apatoff said, Drucker approached each caricature and article with a clean slate. No one Drucker cartoon looks exactly alike.

Mort Drucker's work fits Bob and Ray as much as George Cruikshank matches the world of Charles Dickens.

Sadly, after the 1950s, MAD no longer used outside writers, preferring to stick with their own staff. Real shame.

More MAD goodness to come, amongst other things.

Jack Rickard: Under appreciated MAD genius

Hello Everybody!! I'm finally back!! This time I bring the MAD goodness of Jack Rickard. To me, he is an under-appreciated artist. When I hear discussions of the MAD cartoonists, many people cite Don Martin, Sergio Aragones, and Mort Drucker. I want to add another Jack Rickard into the discussion. He was just as talented and creative as the other men. I guess because he died earlier than the others (he died in 1983) is why.

Below I have an article from MAD Issue no. 104 (July 1966) that proves my point.

These are absolutely beautiful drawings!! They're also funny and bitingly satiric. He can accurately satirize the human body and its language. That is a true gift.

Here we see him show us the psychology of two students at Mediocrity University through body language alone. These are two people only concerned their next hit of dope or the next rock concert. They live for today only. You can also see they are quite annoyed to be interviewed by the dean and some bimbo from MAD.

I especially love this piece. Jack Rickard gives us three different type of people. There is no generic look for people in his work. Each drawing stands out as an individual. Why can't we have people like this working in animation. There would be so much more variety in character design.

Actually it looks like he might be influenced by Paul Coker Jr. by the way he uses line.

I hope you've enjoyed. I'll try to get more of my MAD collection online. Later days!

Olaf Gulbransson: Master of Line

Today kiddies, I bring you more German cartoon goodness!! This time, we have the undisputed master of line, Olaf Gulbransson! This is the man that Al Hirschfeld looked to for inspiration.

Olaf Gulbransson was born in Oslo, Norway on May 26, 1873. At 17 years old, he began to contribute illustrations to Norwegian magazines such as Tyrihans, the Norwegian satirical magazine. During this time, he studied at the prestigious Academie Colarossi in Paris. He began to contribute to Simplicissimus in 1902. In 1929, be became a professor at the art academy of Munich. I would love to have him as my teacher.

He was a well-known artist, even gaining an exhibition at the art academy in Berlin in 1933. Two days later, the Nazi party shut it down. He continued to contribute to the magazine until it's cancellation in 1944.

He died in Tegernsee, Germany on September 18, 1958.

I shall be translating from the original German.

Impossible

"You have no children, Mr. Guschelhauer?"
"No, we aren't acrobats, you know."

In the Night Spot

"Miss, do you too have something in your character that you constantly have to fight against?"

A Friendly Suggestion

"We can now bring the stories in the Bible into agreement with the natural sciences. According to the latest research, Adam did not accept the apple from Eve; our first mother therefore gave it to a gorilla. An thus Darwin's theory is proven."

Isadora Duncan

"Orpheus and Eurydice. Rhythmic study based on Euripides' Bacchae. Bacchus and Ariadne, a dance based on Titian's painting of the name. "Mein kleine Danz is finished"."

Tivoli

"Min, I wish you could have the same sensation that I do of seeing the inventors of the splendid grammatical construction facere non possum ut non or quin walking amongst these ruins in the flesh." *

A Fit of Debility

"Look at that!" ... "Eh, old man, now I've got to help you up again?"

The Height of Fashion

Inspired by Rabindranath Tagore, fashionable Berlin practices contemplation of the navel.

*Appendage: This is the town of Tivoli outside of Rome. The Latin construction admired by this Gymnasium teacher means "I cannot help (doing something)".

All of these cartoons and translations come from a book called Simplicimuss, a collection of 180 cartoons from the magazine, collected and edited by Stanley Aplebaum.

I hope you enjoyed this first batch of Gulbransson cartoons. Stay tuned for more!!

Alice in Comicbook Land Pt. 4

Here we are again with Alice's adventures in Looneyville! Hope you enjoy the ride!










See you next time!!