Channel Frederator Blog

Thanks to Lou Brooks’ and his Drawger Blog for giving me some advance notice so I can make sure I don’t miss TCM’s airing of the original Artists and Models (1937) on Sunday, February 1, at 2 PM EST. Not only does it pair Jack Benny and Ida Lupino, but cartoonists Rube Goldberg and Peter Arno show up as artists in their only major motion picture appearance. Other now lesser-known illustrators are also featured: pretty girlie artist McClelland Barclay, Russell Patterson, Arthur William Brown, and John Lagatta. Who? Check out the links; I didn’t know who they were either.

For cartoonist cameos in a more recent film (direct-to-DVD), see Comic Book: The Movie! (2004), mostly shot at San Diego Comicon. The cast also includes top animation voice talent like Billy West and Tom Kenny. You will NOT recognize Mark Hamill!

—Anne D. Bernstein

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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 the 1970s, and somehow or other (I think I saw his reel) hooked with with my partner Alan Goodman and me while we were the creative directors at MTV and Nickelodeon in the 1980s. Jerry was great to work with, and ended up making dozens of our 10 second network IDs for almost every cable network we branded, from The Movie Channel to HA! and of course MTV and Nick. Once we got comfortable with each other and he realized we weren’t kidding about creative freedom, he started reaching into the community he was most comfortable with, illustrators with an edge. He introduced [Read more…]