One of my earliest posts about Hurricane Katrina shuddered at the probability that we’d be still devastated on 2010 anniversary of the tragedy, and it’s still looking that way. We can’t forget what we allowed to happen to our countrymen. Please donate whatever you can to continue to help them. I know it’s a tough time for everyone, and donations are the last things on our minds. But, it’s the sign of a great people when we can help ourselves and our brethren.

I’ve searched for projects to help that can reflect my own focus. First, it was artists in The Hurricane Poster Project.  The Tipitina’s Foundation continues to help the musicians that are at the heart of so much of America culture that has spread throughout the globe. And no matter you’re political persuasion you can find donation points that will satisfy your beliefs (just search Hurricane Katrina relief donations, 2009).

Please, do what you can. It doesn’t have to be much. Our fellow citizens deserve our attention and caring.

It’s great news that New Orleans didn’t have a Katrina rerun. But the Gulf Coast’s still hurting bad, will be for a long time. Try not to slack off, and donate if you can.

The New Orleans 100

Since August 2005, I’ve put up nine posts about the problems our country’s faced since the horrors that nature and man have reaped. Unfortunately, I assume there will be many more. As many on the ground have observed, it’s going to be at least a decade before we begin to repair at least the surface damage.

I’ve suggest, and you’ve followed up on, a number of ways to help the devasted area, whether it’s a straight donation or buying records or posters who funnel your payments to help centers. And you should continue to do do: CNN’s set up a special page that can help you figure out the best place for you to participate.

There’s really a dilemma. Things are terrible, and things are improving. The New Orleans 100 was set up by All Day Buffet to highlight the good works that are making New Orleans and the area better, with links to lots of the organizaitons you can help. Take a look, maybe something will strike your fancy.

Americans deserve better than we’ve done for them so far. Please help.

(via Twink Fly Me To…)

If you love modern American popular music, you probably know it wouldn’t exist as we know it without New Orleans.

I’ve written quite a bit since 2005 about the tragedy that befell the United States while Hurricane Katrina hit and our government bungled the chance to save a great American region.

And I posted once about the graphic art that’s been created to help donate funds to help the rebuidling, but I’ve only glanced upon the personal part of me that resonates with New Orleans, and that’s the musical culture.

Briefly: Tipitina’s was set up by some music fans to provide a place for piano legend Professor Longhair to perform in his later years. Bad business met good intentions and the place almost went under until a good samartian resurrected the joint in the mid-90s. Katrina almost put it down for the count with the rest of the area but our samaritan instead set up Tipitina’s Foundation to help the city’s most important asset, it’s musicians. You can read more in detail about the foundation’s work here.

The point? Please donate to Tipitina’s Foundation. The tragedy is not over by a long shot –it won’t be for most of our lifetimes– and any help you can give will help. If you love music, this should be an easy check to write.

The theme around here is Book Report Week, so excuse us as we peruse some library shelves for musty dusty classics that have been transmogrified into jolly, vintage cartoons.

First off is the 1934 version of “The Headless Horseman”, an Ub Iwerks’ ComiColor interpretation of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” — released a full 15 years before Walt Disney got around to the same subject matter. This trip out, the whole story has been squished down into eight and a half minutes, focusing on the love triangle of Ichabod, Bram and Katrina, with just enough time for a new twist ending! The Carl Stallings music track is lively, but notice how the Iwerks team is still doing all their storytelling through pantomime (these guys just plain didn’t like dialogue!) I kinda dig the way Katrina is designed, not as a standard issue flapper, but plump and pretty just like Washington Irving’s pus sized original. And what do you think about that great swivel close-up of Icky in the schoolhouse? Snazzy stuff!

More page turners on the way from ReFrederator!

For your free subscription to ReFrederator, click here, or visit iTunes!

Dave Kirwan

The theme around here is Book Report Week, so excuse us as we peruse some library shelves for musty dusty classics that have been transmogrified into jolly, vintage cartoons.

First off is the 1934 version of “The Headless Horseman”, an Ub Iwerks’ ComiColor interpretation of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” — released a full 15 years before Walt Disney got around to the same subject matter. This trip out, the whole story has been squished down into eight and a half minutes, focusing on the love triangle of Ichabod, Bram and Katrina, with just enough time for a new twist ending! The Carl Stallings music track is lively, but notice how the Iwerks team is still doing all their storytelling through pantomime (these guys just plain didn’t like dialogue!) I kinda dig the way Katrina is designed, not as a standard issue flapper, but plump and pretty just like Washington Irving’s pus sized original. And what do you think about that great swivel close-up of Icky in the schoolhouse? Snazzy stuff!

More page turners on the way from ReFrederator!

For your free subscription to ReFrederator, click here, or visit iTunes!

Dave Kirwan

In a post last year it was remarked that Katrina’s devastation would be visiting us for years -decades- to come. On this first anniversary it’s all too evident that it’s true. Sure the Latin Quarter is a little bit back but the rest of New Orleans, and much of the Mississippi Coast is still in ruins.

I know we’re in cartoons and we like to block out a lot of the world. But please, donate something to help. Cartoons are a very American art form and this tragedy is one that Americans need to pay attention to, and to pay for in any way they can.

Give some money, buy some art or some music. Please try and do whatever you can.

Why, look! It’s that lovable and unfairly forgotten cartoon character, The Powerful Katrinka! Die hard comic strip buffs remember her from Fontaine Fox’s wonderful Toonerville Folks, a newspaper feature that lasted almost fifty years (and disappeared over fifty years ago.) But she also starred in a handful of animated adventures way back in the thirties — films that put her thick accent and superhuman strength to good, comic use.

The closest The Powerful K has come to an actual comeback in recent years was last summer when a handful of commentators made inappropriate references to her while talking about Hurricane Katrina (remember she was KATRINKA — two k’s.) Too bad. She’s a great pen and ink personality, and one of that relatively small clique of cartoon characters who had to drag around both an extra article and adjective to clue audiences in to who they were (THE Powerful Katrinka, THE Little King, THE Nearsighted Mr. Magoo — not to be confused, I suppose, with THE Weak Katrinka, THE Big King and that other Magoo, THE one with 20-20 vision.)

Rest assured, Katrinka and all her Toonerville Trolley pals will be on board for the new podcast, ReFrederator (a cartoon a day!)

Dave Kirwan

As some of you know, I love posters, and if you’ve read this blog regularly, you might also know I’ve been extremely concerned about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the complete devastation and abandonment of one of America’s richest regions.

So this site had to catch my eye sooner or later. Several of the country’s graphic designer have created amazing hurricane relief posters, with the entire revenues going to victims of the tragedy.

So buy some posters. You like design or you wouldn’t be reading this blog. You can enjoy them and contribute at the same time. Thank you for your attention.

“Now is the time…”

So begins Allen Toussaint’s inspiring and rocking remake of his composition that gave The Pointer Sisters their first pop hit, and Lee Dorsey a heck of a catalog track. I’ve loved every version of this song, and while I was never a huge fan of Toussaint’s solo recordings, with he’s got me cold. (Turn this one up loud.)

And it’s even more incredible when you realize Arrayit[/media] was recorded days after the 67 year old Toussaint was found after everything he had –his home, his studio, his arrangements…everything in his life– were destroyed in Hurricane Katrina.

My wife was so moved by Irma Thomas’ performance and addition to the lyrics on that she began trying to line up the record company to put out a music video that could be used to draw attention to the plight of the hurricane victims (Ms. Thomas had just finished mortage payments on her club before the storm completely destroyed it).

Buy this CD, it can help. Or any of the other benifit recordings. Or better, please send another donation.