This month, we asked a few people involved in creating sound and music for animation what they would want to have with them if they were stranded on a desert island. Alf Clausen is a composer of music for films and television whose credits include The Simpsons (see the review of his new CD in this issue). Howie Mandel is the voice of 'Lil Howie in the Great Adventure CD-ROM series, and of Bobby in Film Roman's Bobby's World animated series. Danny Elfman is a composer whose long list of film scoring credits includes The Nightmare Before Christmas and Mars Attacks! Will Ryan has voiced characters for over 1,000 animated half hours and some of your favorite feature films; and he is currently consulting producer of Jim Henson Productions'The Wubbulus World of Doctor Seuss . Last but not least, Luc Hamet is a French voice-over actor whose credits include the French-language version of Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Alf Clausen
"After composing more than 4,500 music cues and songs for over 150 episodes of The Simpsons in the past 7 years, the last thing I would want to have with me on a desert island is an animated film! However, just maybe I could convince someone to slip the entire Rocky & His Friends television series into my suitcase for viewing when I finally come back to consciousness. What a great series that was! In addition, I would love to have to have the following with me:"

Films:
1. The Star Wars Trilogy by George Lucas
2. E.T. by Steven Spielberg.
3. A Woody Allen collection (for when I'm feeling depressed.)
4. An Ingmar Bergman collection (for when I'm feeling elated.)

Music:
1. The entire CD collection of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra.
2. The entire CD collection of Miles Davis and Gil Evans.
3. The entire CD collection of the Bill Evans Trio.
4. The complete orchestral works of Bartok, Brahms, Hindemith, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Sibelius & Stravinsky.

"I am set! Send me off!"

Howie Mandel
"Can I just take two films and trade the other eight in for a raft?"

1. The acclaimed documentary Nautical Navigation.
2. The Return to Gilligan's Island.

Howie Mandel and Lil' Howie

Danny Elfman
"In scoring animation, one tends to hit actions a little more tightly, although that's not necessarily true; I don't think I scored Batman any different as a live action film than if it were an animated film."

Danny Elfman's films to take to a desert island, "not necessarily in this order."

1. Animation by Andre Sidlofsky.
2. The collected works of Jan Svankmajer, volumes I and II.
3. Vincent by Tim Burton.
4. Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas
5. Mr. Happy, a japanese television animation series.
6. Disney's Pinnochio.

". . . . And about a zillion short, sick and twisted pieces whose names I simply can't remember."