Medusa is Interrupted

While studying the treasure map, Madame Medusa is suddenly disturbed by loud noise. She pauses for a moment before getting up from her chair to proceed toward the direction the commotion is coming from. (The alligators Nero and Brutus are out of control as they are chasing Bernard and Bianca.)
This terrific story sketch is by Vance Gerry, who boarded a few sequences involving Medusa.
It was Milt Kahl's job to animate this scene. There was no live action footage to help with her walk in perspective toward camera right. A piece of cake for an animator of Milt's stature.
I love the way Medusa pushes herself upward off her chair and transitions immediately into the walk.
Drawing #37 is that transitional drawing, and by itself it looks a bit odd. But in motion everything works absolutely beautifully.

Nothing more enjoyable to watch than Medusa being irritated and angry!

Mickey at the Walt Disney Family Museum

It is so much fun watching kids (and adults) as they sketch their own version of Mickey Mouse at the W. Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.

As I mentioned before I had the pleasure of guest-curating the exhibition, which runs until January.

One of the most fun things I did for the show was recording a commentary track to a large number of Mickey Mouse film clips with none other than Eric Goldberg!

We did this one Sunday afternoon as we dove back into Disney history and the creation of those cartoons. From Steamboat Willie and The Little Whirlwind all the way to Get A Horse.

These clips can be seen and listened to on a large interactive monitor.

 An original cel set up from The Nifty Nineties.

A large section covers Mickey on TV, including The Mickey Mouse Club phenomenon.

An original cel from the animated title sequence.

Mickey in Modern Art includes this amazing painting by Austrian-Irish artist Gottfried Helnwein.

The evolution of Mickey in the Disney theme parks over the years.

Here is my earlier post on Mickey Mouse: From Walt to the World

https://andreasdeja.blogspot.com/2019/04/mickey-mouse-from-walt-to-world.html

Banners with infos about the exhibit all over town.

Hercules in Live Action ?

I found this casting proposal by someone online, but I am not sure if Disney is considering such a project.

Still, this lineup for the lead actors is pretty inspired, but I don't know if these actors can actually sing Alan Menken songs if this would be a musical like our 1997 animated film.

Thinking back, I really had a great time animating this guy. After three Disney villains in a row, Hercules presented a new welcomed challenge.

And I very much enjoyed working with Ken Duncan (Meg) as well as Nik Ranieri (Hades).

Here is a link to an earlier post about my work on Hercules:

https://andreasdeja.blogspot.com/2013/06/hercules.html

Jock by Ollie Johnston

This is rough animation by Ollie. The character of Jock is responding to Lady who is saddened because Jim Dear had called her "That Dog !"
Jock: ("Well, now, Lassie...I wouldna worry mah haid about that.)
Remember, they're only humans after all."

This is Scene 68 from sequence 2.0, and the length is 4-08 ft.

It is a little bit surprising that Ollie chose to animate the eye wink so early in the scene.
What happens during a scene's first few frames doesn't register much to viewers. Your eyes always need a moment to adjust to a new scene.

I love Ollie's simplicity. While Jock is talking, his scull is leading the forward head motion, while the muzzle follows through.
A little bit of animated gold!

Again, my thanks to Wil for letting me post these gorgeous rough drawings.

Be sure to click on each image 2x, in order to enjoy each drawing large size.

More Rare Milt Kahl Drawings

These two beautiful clean up drawings from the short film Mickey's Circus, 1936, were likely drawn right on top of Milt Kahl's rough animation.

This might have been Milt's first production scene he ever animated. It is part of the film's opening sequence in which Mickey is introducing Captain Donald Duck and his seals.

Gorgeous animation - right from the start - and lovely clean up work. Solid and appealing.

This is probably a tossed animation rough, because it isn't numbered. The Llama from the 1943 short Lake Titicaca. One of Marc Davis' favorite Milt Kahl characters.

From 1945 a couple of Milt's roughs for Pablo, The Cold-blooded Penguin.
With all these items attached to Pablo, this would be a challenging scene to animate, and a very difficult scene to in-between. So much line mileage.

Rough drawings of the King in Cinderella.
Milt animated the Duke as well as the King. Reflecting on his work years later, he thought they weren't particularly interesting characters, but that they did their job ok for what the movie called for.
Go figure!
More on this character here in an earlier post:
https://andreasdeja.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-king-and-royal-lackey.html

Thanks yet again to Wil for the scans of these great drawings!