Channel Frederator Blog

Amanda Visell is a wonderful artist with many talents who runs the multi-talented Girls Productions along with the equally talented Michelle Valigura deep in the heart of Pasadena, California. Her paintings are pretty darn good at evoking wide smiles, as well as her Channel Frederator Interview Answers.
Thanks for taking the time to do this Amanda!

How long have you been animating/drawing/painting?
Forever.

Who are some of your influences?
Mary Blair, Eyvind Earle, Lou Romano. I like a lot of old disney conceptual artists.

Where were you born?
Puyallup, WA
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via Tall Grass Radio

This was a 1962 Cheerios spot originally seen on “THE BULLWINKLE SHOW” by Jay Ward Productions. For all of the animated commercials made, there were perhaps none more popular, more influential or more memorable than the creations of Jay Ward Productions.

Known mainly for Rocky and Bullwinkle, Jay Ward spent nearly twenty-two years creating a number of animated campaigns for the Quaker Oats Company. His studio put together spots for Scooter Pies, Aunt Jemima, Mr. Chips Cookies and the popular Quisp and Quake cereals.

The characters of Quisp and Quake were created by Bill Scott who also created and was the voice of Bullwinkle. Jay Ward’s longest running series was the promotion of Captain Crunch. In 1962, Ward brought Captain Crunch, actually Cap’n Crunch thanks to an early voice over ‘flub’, to the television sets of America, a place where he remains today even though Ward’s association with [Read more…]

I had imaginary friends when I was little. I used to play 4 Square with them. Don’t ask…
However, I’ve never had a decapitated head for a friend. YET, at least.
Chris Nabholz gives us a very well done short which walks a thin line between Quaint and Disturbing. Chris took some time to answer a few of our Channel Frederator Questions.
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It’s COMING.

Look for it on Youtube & Channel Frederator RAW. SOON.
CH.Frederator Quick FIX. We bite.
-Jeaux Janovsky

With no promotion the first cartoon social network we know about –our own Channel Frederator RAW– is up over 80 members. We’ve been working out the kinks but I don’t really want to let the whole world about it until we’re at 100 members. So try and sign up now and you can join THE FIRST HUNDRED CLUB we’re setting up.

I’m excited about RAW for a few reasons.

First, it’s an easier place for people to submit their cartoons for Channel Frederator. And not only do they get submitted, but our community gets to check them out first and help make sure our crack programming team doesn’t overlook any gems. The cartoons so far have been so good we’ll probably have a few up on the front page of the channel really soon. There’s even a great widget to put the most recent CF/RAW videos on your Facebook page.

Next, it’s a great place for professionals [Read more…]

Nickelodeon’s new show “Tak and the Power of Juju” is set to premiere this Friday August 31st at 8:00.

“Tak and the Power of Juju” is Nickelodeon Animation Studios’ first in-house CG TV show, based on the “Tak” video games.

While I caught one or two on my cable’s On Demand service, I’m anxious to see the show premiere on Nick. The world of Tak looks like a fun one, ad the story possibilities are seemingly endless.

-Floyd Bishop

Watch as Walt Disney explains the multiplane camera. In 1937, he released “The Old Mill,” the first short subject to utilize the multiplane camera technique.

That’s a very impressive accomplishment, especially for such an innovation created seventy years ago. But wait! Not so fast! Have a look at this…

That’s a much more impressive effect, in my opinion. That bit of film was created by Max Fleischer’s camera, the Rotograph.

The Rotograph, patent #2054414, was invented by animator Max Fleischer in 1936 (although the documents for the patent were submitted in 1933, according to the scans available from the Patent Office). The camera set up is essentially an enormous, revolving, circular miniature set built in forced perspective.

It amazes me that this technology was invented and used to such stunning effect over 70 years ago. Imagine what the Fleischer brothers and Walt Disney would and could do with computer technology!

Keep innovating!
-Floyd Bishop

Mary J. Hoffman presents us with a creepy, crawly modernized cautionary kid tale where she teaches us to NEVER use a Green Crayon… UNLESS it’s for vengeance.
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While searching for an animation resource for young, beginning animators, I found Cartoonster.

Cartoonster features several basic animation lessons, and does a great job of explaining the animation process for the very young and the very new to animation.

With beginning lessons like those found on Cartoonster, you’ll be well on your way to making cartoons in no time. Before long, you’ll be pressing “Control + S” like the Mukpuddy crew!

-Floyd Bishop

I’ve always been a sucker for any surface printed with contemporary pop art, and in the early 90s my obsession was calendars. So when the chance came as President of Hanna-Barbera Cartoons I started a tradition of cool calendars (continued at Cartoon Network Studios today). They were a great place to showcase the work we were up to as the “new” HB, and gave me the ability to indulge whatever images our creative staff was into at a particular moment in time.

I’ve started scanning and posting the ones printed during my tenure. Hope you like them too.

–Fred