http://frederatorblogs.com/channel_frederator Cartoon Central on the Internet. Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:03:29 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Rob Richards, host of the Animation Backgrounds Blog (always worth a look), has another interesting blog called Cels and Setups. It's a great guide to collecting, restoring and displaying animation cels. I love pouring over the before-and-afters. Richards is also an accomplished organist. He regularly plays the Mighty Wurlitzer at the ... http://frederatorblogs.com/channel_frederator/2008/09/04/swell-cels/ Art is not for the faint of heart. sarah SUNCHIRP Joanna Davidovich Niko Anesti J.C. Rider II Solomon Mars Ralph Sutter -angie http://frederatorblogs.com/channel_frederator/2008/09/04/raw-art-today-85/ [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG-h0fdHjmY] Bill Melendez, perhaps best known for his work with Charles Schultz's "Peanuts" characters has passed away. In his career, he animated on a wide range of projects, including Disney's "Pinocchio", UPA's "Gerald McBoing Boing", and Ralph Bakshi's "Cool World". His work as animator, director, producer, and even as a voice ... http://frederatorblogs.com/channel_frederator/2008/09/03/bill-melendez-passes-away/ If you are interested in a FLASH of enlightenment, check out these Alan Watts Theater cartoons. They were produced by Trey Parker and Matt Stone of South Park fame. According to Cold Hard Flash, animators Chris Brion and Todd Benson are the folks who keyframed original recordings of Watts. For more ... http://frederatorblogs.com/channel_frederator/2008/09/03/zen-and-the-art-of-animation/ I hate to break it to you, but you missed out on seeing a very cool show at the Natural History Museum in Basel, Switzerland. Oh well, so did I. It was called "Animatus" and it featured the work of Korean artist Hyungkoo Lee, who creates exquisite and intricate skeletons ... http://frederatorblogs.com/channel_frederator/2008/09/03/spinal-twist/ [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWG_R6SjUNY] Jerry Reed, actor, guitar legend, and Scooby Doo Guest Star has passed away. He was 71. Aside from his Scooby Doo appearance, most people may remember him from  his role as the Snowman (his CB handle) in "Smokey and the Bandit". [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnRwQjTYfGI] Learning to play guitar at age 8, on a cheap guitar, ... http://frederatorblogs.com/channel_frederator/2008/09/02/jerry-reed-passes-away/ Find more videos like this on Channel Frederator RAW Reading Ann Bernstein's post about Gene Deitch and his progeny inspired me to go back in my old agency's archives for one of my favorite pieces, called "Easy Groove." Jerry Lieberman was one of the most prolific animation producers in commercial animation in ... http://frederatorblogs.com/channel_frederator/2008/09/02/jerry-lieberman-kim-deitch/ The Comics Journal (#292) is a Deitch Family Extravaganza. The intro claims that the issue contains 120,000 words about this brilliant and complex family...and I wouldn't be surprised! The Gene Deitch section is of interest to animation fans as he discusses his time at UPA, Jam Handy, Terrytoons, and his ... http://frederatorblogs.com/channel_frederator/2008/09/02/dig-that-deitch-family/ [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QPMvj_xejg] You may not recognize the name, but you know his voice. Entertainment Tonight is reporting that Don LaFontaine has passed away due to complications from a collapsed lung. He was 68. -Floyd Bishop http://frederatorblogs.com/channel_frederator/2008/09/02/don-the-voice-lafontaine-passes-away/ What makes a good character design? With so much blandness out there, it is sometimes hard to pin down what makes a great character design so great. A decent character can make the most mundane situation interesting. Computer Arts has posted an article called "20 Character Design Tips". While their article ... http://frederatorblogs.com/channel_frederator/2008/09/01/character-design/