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Hola Minions!
I certainly hope all is well.
Today’s podcast is the first of a two part series on….
The History of Animation according to me.
Why am I doing this? A good question to which I have a good answer.
I recently came to a big decision concerning my technique for producing animation. For the longest time I’ve been clinging to my traditional animation shtick, and it has served me well. But now I need to scale down the fancy stuff and streamline my whole process. This is a must if I ever expect to increase my cartoon output. I want to tell stories that are more involved and work with a bigger cast of characters.
I believe that by adopting a Ghettomation attitude I can knock out more toons without sacrificing quality.
I decided to research the history of Animation to learn how our cartoon forefathers handled technique, technological change, and social conventions. That way I could find ideas on ways to scale back on my own process and learn what not to do from their past mistakes.
When you want to make a giant leap forward sometimes it’s a good idea to look back first.
For as long as man has been creating art, he has also tried to depict motion.
Instead of the smoking gun, for animation there is The smoking pot.
The images found on five thousand year old clay pot in Iran shows a sequence of a goat jumping up to take a nibble from a plant.
Piper vs. Superfly Snuka!
Animate like an Egyptian!
Here we see the a four thousand year old Egyptian Mural that clearly attempted to capture the motion of two wrestlers going mano y mano.
Phantasmagorie by Emile Cohl.
The earliest known paper drawn cartoon is the 1908 French short.
His exalted Holiness Winsor MCcay
Cartoon Genius
Exceptionally awesome promotional poster wouldn't you agree?
Winsor MCcay is considered one of the first true animators . In the early 1900′s he took full advantage of the recently invented motion picture camera and used his love for drawing to animate films that were pure genius. MCcay’s animated films have stood the test of time and to this day are considered masterpieces. I think the word exquisite describes MCcay’s work perfectly.
Gertie the Dinosaur
MCcay stunned audiences with this wonderful animated piece that showed a character with personality, solid anatomy and weight! While other animators were using quarters and nickels to trace out heads and bodies for their cartoons, He was light years ahead of his peers producing elegant pieces that blew the pocket change brigade out of the water.
How A Mosquito Operates,
Set mind to blown.
Little Nemo.
Some really good drawing and acting in this work!
The Sinking of the Lusitania.
Brilliant depiction of the terrible maritime disaster that shocked the world.
Walt Disney’s Steamboat Willy
It all started with a mouse that was a big F.U. to Universal.
Steamboat Willy marked the beginning of a new era early on, barely in the infancy of animation. Cartoons could finally talk. Disney Studio held vast influence over the development of the animation process for decades..
The Fleischer Brothers
Best Superman Animation adaptation ever.
These guys created very unique cartoons that I am a total sucker for. With their studio in Florida they were able develop independently of all the other cartoon studios for many years!
Warner Brothers
The cartoon asylum known as Termite Terrace produced the unforgettable Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes.
I think I now know what I must do.
Speaking of awesome…..
Jim Lujan’s nominee for the Man vs. Art Pantheon of Awesomeness.
Andy Kaufman
Link: 
Andy did you hear about this one?
Ode to Andy.
There can only be one “first time”. You can only be a pioneer if something is undiscovered. There was only one first man on the moon. That man was Andy Kaufman and the moon was the world of undiscovered comedy. How do you take 25% awkwardness, 25% embarrassment, 25% chaos, and 25% fearlessness and turn into 100% genius? You can only do that if you are a groundbreaker willing to put your neck on the line discovering something new. Andy was that man.
Never before. Never again. Never quite the same.
He changed comedy and upped the game for comedians and actors alike. Andy took comedy to place where there was no roadmap. He built his own roads out of disorientation and pulling the rug from under our feet. The audience was stunned and could not look away. Some were repulsed and others instantly addicted. He showed people there doesn’t have to be a punchline to be funny. The punchline is the confusion created by no punchline. You either got it or were gotten by it. There was no hipster irony to his comedy. It was pure. The world didn’t know what this guy was doing….I have a feeling he was the only who really did. That’s the beauty of it. Not only did he march to his own drum, he built the drum and played it while singing “The Impossible Dream”.
But alas, the true secret of Andy is….there can only be one. Andy was and is the one. Genius. Fearless.
Awesome.
Jim Lujan
Ciao Minions!
R
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But First….A little business.
Free swag!
Citizen Sanchez Mini Comic and Official Man Vs. Art Minion Pin!
Attention all Minions! ManvsArt.com announces the first officially licensed swag! That’s right, you get one copy of Raul Aguirre Jr’s first mini comic book “Citizen Sanchez!” An eight page trip into the origin of the Citizen Sanchez Saga! You’ll laugh! You’ll cry! You’ll demand your money back even though it was free! Each book comes signed,numbered, and sealed in a mini bag and board that my wife, the Lovely and Vivacious Hortencia Aguirre put together!
As an added bonus each book comes with an official ManvsArt.com Minion Pin! Be the envy of your friends by publicly declaring you are a fearless Man vs. Art Minion and damned proud of it! All you need to do is subscribe to the Man vs. Art podcast through I-tunes, email, or any of the other options in the right hand column AND then send Che and me an email containing your mailing address to manvsart@manvsart.com.
Please write SWAG in the subject line. If you can, please throw out a review on Itunes for us. Karma folks!
You guys have really been a wonderful group of listeners and readers that I felt it was time to hook you guys up with something sweet. Supplies are limited, so act now kiddos!
What have you got to lose? Besides, it's free!
Man vs. Art gets busy!
I recently appeared on the Art&Story podcast in a round table discussion with Jerzy Drozd, Mark Rudolph and Kevin Cross. These dudes are Comic Fu masters as well as funny as hell. It was a great show! We talked about writing in the thumbnail stage for comics and storyboarding. Give it a listen you’ll find it MEATY!
Also Jim Lujan and Kevin Cross have invited me to become a co-host on the Ghettomation podcast! The podcast for DIY animators by DIY animators! Wanna hear 3 animators talk about the orgasmic heaven and infernal hell that making animation is? Check out Ghettomation kiddos! In this latest episode we talk about music and the importance it plays in animated cartoons!
You guys have to check out Jim Lujan’s latest film.
New Wave Dentist.
And now the episode 21 podcast notes!
The three types of art.
In a nutshell all art can be placed into three distinct categories.
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Bad Art
will prompt zero emotional response in the viewer. Like a song you hear in an elevator that goes in one ear and out the other, a picture on a wall that stimulates you the same way as if the wall had been blank, a movie on a plane you force yourself to watch just to kill time. Usually starring Rob Schneider incidentally.
It's going to be a long flight.
-
Good Art
Art that produces an emotion that you have felt before; a painting of a lake that reminds you of fishing with your grandpa, a love song that takes you back to the first time you saw your babe.
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Great Art
Art that produces an emotion that you have NEVER felt before. Take for example Michelangelo’s La Pieta. His depiction of the Virgin Mary cradling the body of her son is so powerful and heart wrenching. You can really feel the pain and sadness that a parent feels at the loss of a child.
La Pieta by Michelangelo. Agony in marble.
Passion Ration
As many of you know, I am very passionate about art. In fact it gets pointed out to me quite often. I guess a majority of it stems from my refusal to completely grow up. I may be a big burly manly man. To which my friend Javier Hernandez adds Bombastic. I don’t know whether to punch him or hug him for that one. Which come to think of it, that is probably what he means! But I still have a deep connection to the little punk inside of me that marvels at all things art related that are RAD, and BAD ASS. Most cartoonists I think have this similar affliction to a certain degree, I mean look at how 99.9% of us have toys and action figures on our desks.
Nothing says "Hey ladies come and get it!" like a good set of desk toys!
Man vs. Art almost becomes Man vs. Ice Tomb!
Here is a series of pics from my trip to Europe in 2005. I just barely avoided falling through the ice atop a glacier on Mt. Titlis in Switzerland. Truly a near death experience. I managed to bang up my leg and I suffered a severe nut crunch as a result. Luckily one of my fellow travelers, a kind Australian Gentleman happened to be a Surgeon. He examined me and made sure I hadn’t done any real damage to my boys.
As payment for the emergency medical exam he wanted one of my watercolors I had painted of the Greek Isle of Hydros a few days before.
The Man vs. Art Pantheon of Awesomeness welcomes it’s newest inductee…..William Shatner!
Have you studied for your Kobayashi Maru?
William Shatner is the epitome of the artist who never says die! For over four decades this guy has failed as much as he has succeeded. He has put out as many stinkers as he has brilliant gems! What’s more William Shatner has even humiliated himself a few times. But he always bounces back and we still love him!
What makes Shatner awesome is this. Despite the failures he has never given up. Ever since I can remember Shatner has been working!
- bit parts on the Twilight Zone
- commanding the Enterprise in the OG Star Trek series,
- his brilliant musical career. Mr Tambourine man anyone? How about Lucy in the sky with diamonds?
- TJ HOOKER,
- Rescue 911,
- the Star Trek Movies,
- Tek World,
- Spy Hard
- Over a decade as the priceline.com shill,
- Comedy Central’s Celebrity Roast
- History channel specials
- Critically acclaimed performances on The practice, Boston legal,
- His own talk show for crying out loud!
Some folks like me, admire him, other folks hate him. You can’t argue with the fact that yes William Shatner is a joke. But you know what? I think he is laughing the hardest. All the way to the friggin’ bank.
William Shatner I welcome you to the Man Vs. Art Pantheon of Awesomeness!
For you are Awesome in every sense of the word. Or as my friend Luis Escobar puts it, “You are Awesome with Awesome sauce!”
Full of Shatner!
A musical tribute to William Shatner by who else? William Shatner!
Rocketman! Here William Shatner is the first person to not just sing a song nor act a song but to overact a song! If that’s at all possible!
William Shatner and Ricardo Montalban?! Holy crap! That’s like adding chili and cheese to fries!
Phew! That’ll suffice for now!
Ciao!
R.
