Let the Match Begin!

Another great Milt Kahl scene from the film Bedknobs and Broomsticks.

The King is getting rid of his royal coat as he announces the start of the soccer game.

A couple of steps forward and a hop at the end help to punch the dialogue' accents.

And what great treatment on the folds of that coat. The way Milt draws and times its overlapping action gives the coat a real sense of weight. 

Vision Awards 2003

This was one of Frank and Ollie's last public appearances together. On June 28, 2003 they both reveived VISION AWARDS at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. This is an organization that fights blindness, it awards "visionaries" in the fields of entertainment, the arts and technology.
I was lucky to receive an invitation to sit at the Disney table that night. I remember when it was time to honor Frank and Ollie, film clips were screened showing many of their animated accomplishments.
After a standing ovation the host stepped off the stage and approached our table. Talking into a mic Ollie had a few words of gratitude and Frank stated that "Pencil animation still holds a special kind of magic".
These photos were taken during guests' arrival. In the image above Ollie's son Ken shows the way.

Frank enjoys talking to a group of fans, some of them famous like actress Rosanna Arquette on the left. Note the colorful horn on Frank's walker.

Frank with actress Diahann Carroll, a fellow award recipient.

Frank Thomas died in 2004, Ollie Johnston in 2008.

Shere Khan meets Kaa

An original cel set up from The Jungle Book. Iconic! Beautiful background art and Milt Kahl's cutting-edge animation.
A German journalist told me years ago that part of the reason why he adores this film is the fact that you, as the audience, are spending time in the lush Indian Jungle for the duration of the movie.
What could be more soothing on the eyes? I had never thought about it in that way, I just love this movie.

A Weekend Treat

One of those tossed drawings that Milt Kahl actually used to sharpen his brown pencil on.
And God knows who saved it from his trash bin a little while later. What an amazing sketch, full of life and elegance.
I don't know if this is a pose from his own animation, or if it was done for someone else' scene.

Tex Avery Animals

I love these stylized animal designs from Tex Avery's 1954 short film The Farm of Tomorrow.
I don't know who in Avery's unit came up with the designs, but they are terrific caricatures and graphically solid as a rock.
This is what Wikipedia says about the film's plot:

A series of gags showing how much more productive farms would be if farmers started crossbreeding their animals to create weird (but very useful) hybrids. A number of items include,

• a chicken slot machine
• sheep with long underwear-like wool
• corn jumping like Mexican jumping beans
• cow with a beaver tail

In other words...what's possible today!

Busch Lithographs

These are Wilhelm M. Busch lithographs which are currently being offered on Ebay. The first two images are observations during Busch's life drawing classes. Boy, what would I give to have been one of his students way back. If any German reader had that experience, please leave us a comment on what that was like!

I do prefer this approach to drawing the human figure over the popular US style that is being taught in many art schools, which layers flashy shadows and highlights over the body like a special effect.

With Busch (as well as with Kley) the economy of the line rules. 

Being a 2D animator my preference shouldn't surprise you.

This sketch had to be inspired by Heinrich Kley, because of the fantasy aspect. 

A farmer on a wagon that's pulled by a donkey making his way through the the legs of a giant nude woman. I leave any sexual innuendo for you to interpret.

Many years ago...

Another blast from the past. Here I am still working in the original Disney Animation Studio in Burbank. And what I am holding is an early design for the Horned King from The Black Cauldron.
Below is the rough model sheet that was approved by a whole group of people, including myself. (I drew all of these poses, and they kind of hold up after all these years. But they don't reveal any personality, other than this guy being mean...and that's not enough for portraying an interesting villain.) The model sheet is dated March of 1981.

You know, these books by Lloyd Alexander are terrific. Here is one live action re-make I would love to see.

More of my early Cauldron stuff here:
https://andreasdeja.blogspot.com/2011/11/early-black-cauldron.html

Animation takes Time

This is an early Comparative Size sketch by Frank Thomas for the Mr. Toad project. At that time this story was planed as a feature length film.  Frank signed off on the final sheet below on June 17, 1941. Then WW II happened, and quite a few Disney projects were put on the back burner. Mr Toad didn't reach movie screens until October of 1949, as a featurette, combined with The Adventures of Ichabod Crane.
I love the film which is set in a world where humans and anthropomorphic animals co-exist. All based on the stories by Kenneth Grahame, in a book called The Wind in the Willows, dating back to 1908.
Frank animated brilliantly the confrontation between Toad and Cyril, the horse, and Rat and Mole.
Beautiful, funny, character rich acting.
I remember when Frank called me on the phone, because he had found out that a few of his animation drawings from this film were up for sale, and he knew I was collecting vintage animation art. But they turned out to be clean up drawings, which are less interesting to me. Anyway, compare the two images, I think Frank's final sketch is quite an improvement over the first one.

An Oprah Story

Look who I was hanging out with at the recent D23 Legends lunch!
I actually had met Oprah before, way back in 1995. Disney had just purchased ABC, when management called me to let me know that Oprah would be stopping by my office. All of a sudden I found myself trying to make small talk with one of the most famous people in the world. There were also Disney management folks present as well as a few members from Oprah's team.
So this is how the visit went:
Oprah right away notices the maquette of Scar on my book shelf. "Did you draw Scar?" she asks me.
I said:"Yes."  "Tell me, all my gay friends say that Scar is gay...is he gay?"
O-k-a-a-y-y-y, how do I answer that, I thought for a split second. Well...truthfully of course.
I remember saying something like this:"I can see why people might assume that, but I never thought of Scar being gay. In an early version of The Lion King we had a lengthy sequence in which Scar is coming on to Nala, and offers her to rule the kingdom with him. She refuses and scratches his cheek."

There you have it, Scar is straight. And while I am at it, so are Gaston and Jafar...at least as far as I know.

Sullivant influences Disney

Here are a couple of examples that show the graphic influence T.S. Sullivant had on the design of certain Disney animal characters. 

The first one is the brown cow from the 1950 short film The Brave Engineer. The train had to come to a sudden and abrupt stop because the cow happened to stand on the railroad tracks. With a nonchalant attitude she turns away and moves on. Milt Kahl animated this scene with all the comedy you can get out of a Sullivant design. Oversized muzzle, and hip bones that stick out for days.

This sketch by story artist James Bodrero depicts a young  Gauchito on a horse. The final 1945 short film The Flying Gauchito includes a flying donkey instead.
There is a certain size and shape Sullivant applies to a horse's head, and you can clearly see the influence when compared to Bodrero's beautiful sketch.

Most artists working in the animation industry during its golden age just loved Sullivant's work. 

There really is nobody like him.

Now who is going to publish that coffee table book on his work?!

Eyvind Earle at the Walt Disney Family Museum

Don't miss this massive exhibition at the W. Disney Family Museum. The image above is the cover of the exhibit's catalogue. It is actually an art book featuring many of Earle's original works for Disney, but also personal art like his many stunning Christmas cards illustrations. There are also sculptures, early student drawings as well as gallery art.
More infos about this gorgeous exhibition here:

http://waltdisney.com/exhibitions/awaking-beauty-art-eyvind-earle

My own exhibit is still at the Museum until October 4.