Channel Frederator Blog

On his blog, Ironic Sans, photographer David Friedman has undertaken an ongoing look at how Manhattan has been depicted in animation. “Animated Manhattan” is up to Part 20, and he’s covering all the bases: TV series set in The Big Apple (The Critic, MTV Downtown); famous cartoon characters paying a visit (Tom and Jerry, The Simpsons, Family Guy); feature films (Madagascar, An American Tail); and memorable independent shorts like Jimmy Picker’s 1983 Oscar-winning musical extravaganza Sundae in New York. (Ed Koch was born to be turned into a claymation character!)

For a bonus Picker Pick, here’s Earth Angel, where an alien falls in love with the Statue of Liberty and croons 50s style to his green gal:

For some behind-the-scenes with Plasticine, go here to watch a 20-minute doc of Picker’s appearance at the Quickdraw Animation Society in Canada.

—Anne D. Bernstein