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Downloads expire after August 2024

HD QUALITY VIDEO:
Tune In Tomorrow

“Tune In Tomorrow”
UPA / 1954

Industrial films are fascinating time capsules charting the evolution of style in animation. Since their budgets were limited, they often leaned on clever and eye catching design to make an impact on an audience, rather than complex movement. This particular film is no exception. It’s loaded with eye popping modern design and bold color. The film’s purpose is to promote CBS Radio Network, and it was made in 1954 just as television was beginning to replace radio as America’s “electronic hearth”.

Many thanks to Advisory Board member Steve Stanchfield for sharing this rare industrial film with Animation Resources. Films like this were ephemeral by design. They served a purpose in a particular time and place, and after that time had passed, they were disposed of. We are very fortunate that Steve uncovers these lost jewels and shares them with us. Steve’s video company, Thunderbean Animation is doing great work transferring and restoring rare animated films. We greatly appreciate his unfailing support of our Animation Archive Project.

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Downloads expire after August 2024

DVD QUALITY VIDEO:
Spider And The Tulip

Kumo To Tulip

Kenzo Masaoka / 1943

"Kumo To Tulip" was made by Kenzo Masaoka during World War II. Masaoka is regarded as one of the pioneers of Japanese animation, having directed the first Japanese sound cartoon in 1933. During his twenty year career, he directed over two dozen animated films, mostly based on fables and folklore. "Kumo To Tulip" was his masterpiece, exhibiting skillful technical effects as well as solid personality animation. The depiction of the spider as a blackface performer was clearly intended to be a racial slur on Americans, but the propaganda content is easily ignored today. The iconic story is based on a fairy tale by Michiko Yokoyama, and the film bears many similarities with Disney’s Silly Symphonies series.

Of particular note is the beautiful effects animation- wind, rain, fire and smoke- all done in a unique, keenly observed style. The contrast in the way the spider and the ladybug move is also impressive. If you look carefully, you’ll see that the backgrounds incorporate photographs and there are several very long camera moves that must have necessitated match cuts or dissolves to accomplish. The film evokes a gentle mood, quite contrary to the spirit of other Wartime films. Animation Resources is proud to bring this early Japanese cartoon to you for your research and study. We hope you find it useful in your work.

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Downloads expire after August 2024

DVD QUALITY VIDEO:
Crocodile Gena

Gena The Crocodile

Roman Kachanov / Soyuzmultfilm / 1969

This charming puppet film features the character, Cheburashka. Created for a children’s story by Eduard Uspensky, the character is best known from this series of films produced by the Soyuzmultfilm studio, directed by Roman Kachanov. Four films featuring the character were released between 1969 and 1984. Gena The Crocodile is the first in the series, released in 1969.

The animation in this film is brilliant, and it’s well worth still framing through to study how the various personalities are put across through the walk cycles and gestures. The puppets limit the flexibility of facial expressions, but the animators more than make up for it through the way the characters move. The principles behind stop motion, hand drawn animation and CGI are all the same. We hope this film is useful to you. If you would like to see more of these films, let us know.

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Downloads expire after August 2024

If you are currently on a quarterly membership plan, consider upgrading to an annual membership to get access to our bonus page with even more downloads. If you still have time on you quarterly membership when you upgrade to an annual membership, email us at…

membership@animationresources.org
…and we will credit your membership with the additional time. These bonus downloads expire after September 1st, 2024.

THIS IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG!

Animation Resources has been sharing treasures from the Animation Archive with its members for over a decade. Every other month, our members get access to a downloadable Reference Pack, full of information, inspiration and animation. The RefPacks consist of e-books jam packed with high resolution scans of great art, still framable animated films from around the world, documentaries, podcasts, seminars and MORE! The best part is that all of this material has been selected and curated by our Board of professionals to aid you in your self study. Our goal is to help you be a greater artist. Why wouldn’t you want to be a member of a group like that?

Membership comes in three levels. General Members get access to a bi-monthly Reference Pack as well as a Bonus RefPack from past offerings in the in-between months. We offer a discounted Student Membership for full time students and educators. And if you want to try out being a member, there is a Quarterly Membership that runs for three months.

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FREE SAMPLES!

Not Convinced Yet? Check out this SAMPLE REFERENCE PACK! It will give you a taste of what Animation Resources members get to download every other month! That’s 560 pages of great high resolution images and nearly an hour of rare animation available to everyone to download for FREE! https://animationresources.org/join-us-sample-reference-pack/

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Wednesday, June 26th, 2024

RefPack058: A Peek At The International Downloads

People who aren’t members of Animation Resources don’t understand how comprehensive our Reference Packs are. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be posting what each section of our current RefPack looks like. If you are a member of Animation Resources, click on this post to go to the Members Only page. If you aren’t a member yet, today is the perfect time to join! Our current Reference Pack is one of our best yet, and General and Student Members get access to a special Bonus Archive with even more material from past Reference Packs.

What are you waiting for?

JOIN TODAY!
https://animationresources.org/membership/levels/

The world of animation is much bigger than it might appear to us at first glance. We are all familiar with the films we grew up with, but Hollywood wasn’t the only place that produced great cartoons… Poland, Japan, Russia, China and Europe all have their own traditions and a rich history of animated film making. Animation Resources’ archive contains many foreign films that are rarely seen in the United States. We feature a sampling of interesting animation from around the world in each Reference Pack.

SD VIDEO:

Mr. Rossi At Camping

Bruno Bozzetto / Italy / 1970
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Bruno Bozzetto is an Italian animator known for his parody of Fantasia titled Allegro Non Troppo. His other feature films include a superhero parody called VIP My Brother Superman and a spaghetti western parody titled West And Soda. Bozzetto’s work is often satirical and political in nature, championing the common man and lampooning government inefficiency and oppression.

Bozzetto’s most famous character is Signor Rossi, an everyman figure he featured in many animated shorts and three feature films, Mr. Rossi Looks For Happiness, Mr. Rossi’s Dreams, and Mr. Rossi’s Vacation. In the short film we are sharing today, Mr. Rossi takes a camping trip and ends up dangling from a mountain crag.

Bozzetto’s work is not as well known in the United States as it should be, but it is recognized and appreciated across Europe. Recently, Animation Resources has been working to acquire more of his films for the Animation Archive, and we hope to share them with you in future Reference Packs. We think you’ll find a lot to inspire you in Bozzetto’s work.

REFPACK058: Mr Rossi At Camping 1970

MP4 Video File / SD / 6:50 / 129 MB Download

SD VIDEO:

Two Czech Theatrical Commercials

Adi The Raccoon 1931 / Hannibal In Virgin Forest 1932

Animation Resources’ digital archive recently received a batch of early Czechoslovakian animated films. Among them were these two animated commercials. We tend to think of commercials as being primarily from the television era, but in the 1930s, a great deal of advertising animation was produced for theaters. These two shorts are interesting examples, and they illustrate how influential Disney and Fleischer cartoons were, even in Europe.

The history of animation in Czechoslovakia goes back to the 1920s. I believe the two films we are sharing with you here are by Karel Dodal, who not only produced advertisements (some featuring Felix the Cat), but also puppet and experimental films. The first advertisement, "Adi The Raccoon" looks very much like a contemporary American Mickey Mouse ripoff. The second one, "Hannibal In Virgin Forest" shows the influence of the Fleischer Betty Boop and Bouncing Ball cartoons. The notes that came with these films were sparse and all in the Czech language, so we don’t know much about them. If you have information you can share with us, please drop us a line.

REFPACK058: Adi The Raccoon 1931

MP4 Video File / SD / 03:54 / Silent / 59 MB Download

REFPACK058: Hannibal In Virgin Forest 1932

MP4 Video File / SD / 04:30 / 62 MB Download

SD VIDEO:

The Scayrecrow

Ashley Thorpe / UK / 2008

In our podcast "Different Artists, Different Paths", we suggested that independent animation should reflect the ideas of the artists who make it and not just imitate big studio products. The best independent films are completely different from what big studios produce— original ideas that follow no established formula. We pointed out that big studios have deep pockets, and there is no way to succeed if you try to compete on their playing field with expensive, labor intensive effects and full animation with lots of inbetweens and overlapping action. We talked about the importance of experimenting and exploiting technology to employ new techniques that haven’t been tried before. We mentioned how independents should build their audience by sharing smaller form content for free to generate interest that drives the financing and crowdfunding for larger projects. And last, but not least… we explained that independent animators need to be willing to invest "sweat equity" into their projects and find like-minded associates to team up with to make their films succeed. As an example, we shared Ashley Thorpe’s feature film, Borley Rectory. Today we share one of the experimental shorts he made leading up to his feature, "The Scayrecrow".

Although on the surface this film sometimes feels like a live action film, it is actually animation, composed and visualized from the ground up. As you watch it, you have to keep reminding yourself that none of this exists in reality. It’s convincing without being overly realistic. Visually, the film is gorgeous with artfully composed shots and effective cinematics. It’s efficient too, with cascading images to make up for low frame rates and animation and live action used for the things they each do best. The collage technique creates an effective mood to put the story across.

The genre of film making, the way the story is presented, and the techniques and tools used to make the film all work together to create an efficient animated film that follows no established model. The technique used to produce it is the epitome of "form following function" and the result is a film that is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. "The Scayrecrow" is a brilliant example of "thinking outside the box" and if the art of animation is to progress, it needs to push the boundaries of what an animated film can be.

REFPACK058: The Scayrecrow 2008

MP4 Video File / SD / 12:26 / 156 MB Download

SD VIDEO:

Chingo Muchabei Ep. 18 & 21

Daikichiro Kusube / TMS – A Production / Japan / 1971

For many years, Chingo Muchabei was believed to be lost. It had a very unlucky history. It was based on a manga drawn by Kenji Morita for Shonen Magazine in 1967. TMS picked it up for a 26 episode series in 1967, but because it was in black and white, the network kept delaying its debut in favor of color series. Eventually, in 1971 it ran alongside old re-runs as a contractual obligation for a couple of months and then disappeared completely. Three and a half decades later, the film elements were found in storage and the series ran on Japanese television again.

Chingo Muchabei is a slapstick comedy series based in 17th century Japan. The titular character is a freelance samurai who peddles umbrellas to support himself. The heir to the lordship of the province, Bokemaru is believed to be dead, but in fact he lives and Chingo Muchabei serves him. Lord Toyotomi discovers that the true heir to his province is alive and sends a bumbling ninja named Kaburezukin to kill him. But Chingo Muchabei foils him at every turn, using his umbrellas as weapons.

This series depends more on dialogue than other Japanese TV cartoons we’ve shared, so the stories are difficult to puzzle out. But the two episodes we are presenting this time involve Sumo Wrestling and a haunted house full of Yokai Monsters, which are themes that always seem to make for good subjects for cartoons. The historical time period isn’t adhered to completely. You’ll see modern ideas thrown in for the sake of gags, and the tone of the show is pretty goofy with lots of fun expressions.

We will bring you more early anime in upcoming Reference Packs.

REFPACK058: Chingo Muchabei Ep. 18

MP4 Video File / SD / 25:58 / 224 MB Download

REFPACK058: Chingo Muchabei Ep. 21

MP4 Video File / SD / 25:57 / 240 MB Download

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Friday, June 14th, 2024

RefPack058: A Peek At The Featured Downloads

People who aren’t members of Animation Resources don’t understand how comprehensive our Reference Packs are. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be posting what each section of our current RefPack looks like, starting today with the Featured section. If you are a member of Animation Resources, click on this post to go to the Members Only page. If you aren’t a member yet, today is the perfect time to join! Our current Reference Pack is one of our best yet, and General and Student Members get access to a special Bonus Archive with even more material from past Reference Packs.

What are you waiting for?

JOIN TODAY!
https://animationresources.org/membership/levels/

Every other month, Animation Resources shares a new Reference Pack with its members. They consist of an e-book packed with high resolution scans and video downloads set up for still frame study. Make sure you download the Reference Pack before it’s updated. When it’s gone, it’s gone!

REFPACK058: June – July 2024
PDF E-BOOK

Willard Mullin Dailies 1941-1946

New York Daily World-Telegram
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Before the era of live TV broadcasts with instant replay to capture every nuance of the action, low light photography for night games, and long telephoto lenses to capture the plays close up from a long distance, sports fans depended on the newspaper for their daily sports fix. Sports columnists rattled off play by play of the previous day’s games in great detail, and put the scores in context with complex statistics. But those were just words… the fella responsible for putting a face to the facts and figures was the sports cartoonist.

Today, only a tiny handful of sports cartoonists remain working, but in the post-war era, every paper had a great artist who filled the sports pages with caricatures, likenesses of famous figures in the news, and funny gags involving the team mascots. A few years ago, Richard Sandimir wrote in the New York Times…

They blended the skills of a caricaturist and the mind-set of a columnist. They were entertainers and ink-stained jokesters. They were newsroom denizens and deadline artists who churned out five or six cartoons a week that received prominent display. If they possessed power, it was that they drew players, owners and managers in ways that reporters could not with their words. Sports cartoons were usually more amusing and informative than critical, which reflected the times when the sports section was the fun-and-games department.

One sports cartoonist stood out above all the rest… Willard Mullin. In his twenties, Mullin worked for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, but in 1934 he joined the staff of the New York World-Telegram where his work was syndicated across the country by the Scripps Howard News Services. He worked there until 1966 when he began drawing cartoons freelance for magazines and ads. He was widely published throughout his half century long career, with cartoons appearing in many publications, such as Colliers, Life magazine and Time, as well as numerous team programs and advertisements.

Mullin produced six cartoons a week, and they were printed large across a full page in the sports section. They usually were centered around the likeness of a famous athelete or a humorous depiction of a team mascot. Mullin was called upon to draw every form of animal as a team mascot, except perhaps elephants and donkeys, which were relegated to the editorial pages. He was famous for creating the character known as the Brooklyn Bum. Sporting a tattered and patched suit of clothes, a stub of a cigar and a big belly, the Bum perfectly represented the rough and tumble Brooklyn Dodgers.

Mullin was a genius at depicting the human form in motion. His characters seemed to spring off the page with life and vitality. Mullin’s characters ran the gamut from heroes to everyman characters. His influence extended far beyond the newspaper world to cartoonists like Jack Davis and the Disney animator John Sibley. For animators, Mullin’s sketches are a revelation because they appear to be already in motion. His knowledge of anatomy merged perfectly with the spirit of the action to create gesture drawings of the highest order. Best of all, his drawings are steeped in fun. They encapsulate the spirit of casual camradery shared by all of the sports fans in the bleachers on a sunny afternoon.

Between 1947 and 1952, Mullin created a comic book for Spalding which was given away to customers of sporting goods stores. We featured that in an earlier e-book. This time we are presenting daily comics from the 1940s, the absolute peak of Mullin’s career. These fragile scraps of newsprint were crumbling as we scanned them. Parts of the edges on some had chipped away. You’ll notice missing bits, but plenty of wonderful drawings remain intact. We hope you find them useful.

REFPACK058: Willard Mullin Vol. 3

Adobe PDF File / 124 Pages / 827 MB Download

SD VIDEO:

The Milton The Monster Show

Episode 1 / Four Stuffy Durma Shorts 1965

The Milton The Monster Show was produced by Hal Seeger and aired on ABC for two seasons starting in 1965. There were 26 half hour episodes made, and along with the Milton The Monster cartoons, there were shorts featuring Fearless Fly, an insect superhero, Flukey Luke a cowboy whose dumb luck allowed him to solve mysteries, Stuffy Durma, a hobo who had stumbled into becoming a millionaire, Muggy Doo the boy fox, and Penny Penguin.

Hal Seeger began his career working as an animator at the Fleischer Studios, drawing newspaper comics and writing scripts for live action films. In 1962 he formed a studio to produce cartoons for television, and his first series was based on the Fleischers’ Out Of The Inkwell cartoons starring Ko-Ko The Clown. He was tapped by ABC to be the Executive Producer of The Porky Pig Show in 1964 and that led to Milton The Monster in 1965 and Batfink in 1967. A couple of years after the end of Milton The Monster, Filmation stole the concept, crossed it with The Archies and sold it to CBS as The Groovy Ghoulies.

I’m including the premiere episode of Milton The Monster here for you to see, but I have to admit, it isn’t very good and there isn’t much to glean from it as an artist. But there was one segment in four of the episodes that really stand out… Stuffy Durma. Seeger jobbed out the animation of these shorts to the legendary Terry-Toons animator, Jim Tyer. From the look of them, Tyer animated them all by himself. It’s very simple television animation, but it’s full of delightful Tyer touches that raise it up above the other segments in the show.

Tyer utilizes some interesting techniques in the Stuffy Durma cartoons. One particularly brilliant idea is eye pupil lip-sync. As the character speaks, his pupils expand and contract and form expressions and eye blinks on their own. Viewers of cartoons tend to look at the eyes and hands of a character when it acts, so animating the pupils takes the curse off of the long holds required for TV budgets and makes the character always feel alive. Tyer also makes fun of the flat character designs by animating head turns as literally flat. And fast movements are emphasized by elongated stretches that create flow with a bare minimum of frames. Fun short cycles are used and reused over and over, and the models of the characters are allowed to morph into funny exaggerations. Even though the cel count is very low, Tyer squeezes out a lot of bang for the buck when it comes to fun.

It’s easy with limited to animation to get carried away with the mechanics of breaking off limbs and mouths and eyes and forget the joy of movement. This is especially true of library based Flash cartoons. With Stuffy Durma, Tyer reminds us of the value of special poses, even ones that only appear on the screen for two frames in fast action. If you are trying to create quick, inexpensive internet cartoons, there isn’t a better group of shorts to study than this.

REFPACK058: Milton The Monster Ep01 1965

MP4 Video File / SD / 22:16 / 292 MB Download

REFPACK058: From Wrecks To Riches

MP4 Video File / SD / 6:02 / 99 MB Download

REFPACK058: Suit Yourself

MP4 Video File / SD / 6:10 / 87 MB Download

REFPACK058: Hobo Hootenanny

MP4 Video File / SD / 4:53 / 81 MB Download

REFPACK058: Nuggets To You

MP4 Video File / SD / 6:23 / 78 MB Download