The technologically disadventaged require several attempts to do ANYTHING on a computer! (It’s in my contract.)

The above image was greatly enhanced by “Summerteeth” creator Erik Knutson who took my sketch and morphed it through his Flash program. It shows how much I’m getting involved with this BitBoy project!

The animatic has been finished by GIMC, the Korean partner studio, and I’ve sent along my comments. The original storyboard was too long and they did a great job of cutting it down close to the required length. Unfortunately, my comments may have lengthened it again! Casting is the next item on the list of processes to go through. It was originally thought the casting would be done out of Hollywood. Upon further study, we’re going to seek to cast all the voice talent in Seoul. Hopefully, this will give us a final product closer to the authentic Korea concept. Besides, I might get a trip to Asia out of the deal.
Once the voices are locked in, the production process picks up speed and rushes towards animation and completion. Luckily, creators Kong and Jun together with Director Choi have been working on background and character designs for the show. These elements will be necessary to move into layout and animation after Director Choi times out the final dialogue recording onto the exposure sheets.

Larry “BitBoss” Huber

Our favorite researcher/producer Jerry Beck has posted a bit of tangential cartoon history on his latest Cartoon Brew post, just in time for our Superman week. The Superman cartoons director and co-producer Dave Fleischer was ousted from the series after nine cartoons, and while he went on to a career in at Screen Gems and Universal, he also briefly appeared in a couple of Republic features. Jerry gives some background and links to clips on YouTube.

–Fred

Thank you for sending me the enclosed 8 X 10 picture of you from your last concert series.

I have been following your career since your first single “Cheeks Don’t Lie” hit the mall. When you followed that with “Oops, you really did it now”, you had my heart forever.

I have seen your video for “Be My Little Baby Boy” now at least five billion times. I always find something new in each viewing.

The reason I am writing is you sent me the photo without a signature and the inscription I requested. To remind you it should say “To Cyrus, You are the rat that completes me”. If you could sign that for me, that would be great.

I’m sure it was just an oversight.

You biggest fan,

Cyrus

Straight from Knoxville, TN, Joel stopped in to Frederator Studios yesterday to pay a visit, have some lunch, and soak up the Burbank smog. Who is Joel Trussell? Well, about 7 months ago, we were starting up the Channel Frederator podcast, and came across a very nifty Flash music video called War Photographer. We popped it on Episode 2, and it got an enormous response Joel is the visual mastermind behind the project.

Joel, it was so great to meet you in person, and I hope you can take the leap and move out here. I have no doubt there would be room for you in Burbank (or an adjacent and equally hot suburb.) And by the looks of the picture, you’ve already got yourself an office! Ooops… ummm…Fred? Maybe you and Joel can duke it out next time you’re in town.

So I after making my last few tweaks I am proud to say I have finally finished doing the turnarounds for all the characters appearing in the short and I have to say thanks to ERIK CHICHESTER for his help in fleshing out my designs and being the voice of reason and getting me to stop when the characters were done. Thanks bud! If not for Erik I would still be maniacally re-drawing my first pass. One of the characters, ANGRY ERIK (see below) was designed in his honor. Anyway, as you all may know, turnarounds are what helps the animators and board artists know what your character looks like from all angles.

Sometimes character designs work only from one angle, and sometimes a character that looks great from one angle looks horrible from another, and worse still, sometimes things in the front don’t really line up with things in the back, then you have to cheat.

So this has been probably the most time consuming aspect of all for me. Also there are so many darn characters in our short and I wanted to make sure that none of their designs looked generic or random. I wanted even the smallest background character to feel like he was meant to be there. Like he was a real, considerately fleshed out character.

Other problems that arose while I was doing this was I would occasionally slip into another style and when all was said and done I had to go back and redesign certain characters who didn’t fit in with the look of the whole cast. Then as I mentioned in a previous post I had to make some further changes after the actors performances added more character information.

So I ended up scrapping a lot of the earlier designs but someday you’ll be able to see those sketches and more on the BRONK and BONGO season 1 DVD extras.

Bloggingly yours, Alan and Manny.

Bronk and Bongo, now fortified with more posts!

As many of you cartoonatix already know, Max Fleischer completed only nine Superman films before he lost his Miami studio — the guy had to sit back and watch as Paramount snatched his crew and set up shop back in New York. Eight more post-Fleischer shorts were produced before the Super series was shut down in 1943. Although none of the Superman cartoons was anything less than terrific, the later shorts are, overall, a bit talkier, a little slower paced and generally less frantic. But in the right hands, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Today’s installment, “Underground World” is not only one of the best Paramount/Famous episodes, it’s one of the very best Superman cartoons period. The picture is about 80 percent suspenseful build-up, and 20 percent crazy action finale. Seymour Kneitel directed, relying heavily on the gorgeous background work to tell the story of a strange expedition underneath the North woods. Radio vets Joan Alexander and Bud Collyer are back voicing Lois and Clark/Superman (this was apparently Collyer’s last performance in the series.) Anyone who has read the great new book “Superman: Sunday Classics 1939-1943″ will recognize the plot here as a loose adaptation of one of the very first story arcs from the Superman comic strip. They even stole the kicker gag!

“Strictly Super Week” wraps up tomorrow. ReFrederator continues to fight for truth, justice and the American way!

Dave Kirwan

Pen Ward’s answer to the question: What’s a funny way for a Thunderbird to create lightning? Unfortunately, I lacked the temerity to try and slip the “gastric” method into the storyboards.

If there’s one thing that makes Dan Danger run screaming like a little girl, it’s…danger. To quote Dan, “I am NOT going to my happy place. I am NOT going to Bunny Land!!”

This short is hysterical. Which isn’t surprising, because it was created by “Fairly OddParents” creatorButch Hartman and former FOP Producer, Steve Marmel. It was produced as a Frederator short for “Oh Yeah! Cartoons” in 1998.

Says Butch Hartman, “When we (Steve Marmel and Myself) decided to create a new action hero, we thought it would be funny if he was terrified of action. Plus, you can’t spell “Danger” without “Dan”!” How right you are, Butch.

Thanks so much for the great work!!

Melissa

A lil’ homage’ to Bugs Bunny