"I know it's very difficult to find a good story to animate, but they shouldn't be throwing millions of dollars around to produce these so called epics; Gone With the Wind animated features. Story comes first. Every frame should push the story. There are so many good possibilities in animation. I'm sure there are good stories to be found. Why do they insist upon `the cutting edge?' What do they mean by it? In essence animation is about satire, exaggeration, puns and poking fun at human foibles. Real good adult humor is subtle humor. A good, fun, zany satire is wonderful. This is the field animation should work in instead of being bad live-action."

One producer that Noble admires is Bill Melendez. He said, "Bill Melendez has stuck to his simple approach to things. I think his simple animation, his very direct simple dialog, his simple backgrounds and the choice use of the little guy at the piano here and there result in a very consistent product. Melendez is a very keen guy. He is one of my favorite people." Noble considers A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) one of the nicest things ever put on film.

Noble concluded by saying, "I'm known as the old rebel. I'm invited to come talk here and there. I keep preaching the idea of full animation. Go easy on the computer. Let's have stories and graphics and satire and fun. The general level of acceptance of inferior animation is unfortunate. Look at some of the subtle animation done years ago. My favorite picture is Dumbo. It is so complete. Not a bit of wasted footage. It runs the gamete from tears to outrageous slapstick with the crows. Each section is so well done. The business needs more cartoons like this. Dumbo is a classic."

"The whole thing is geared to have fun and not to be too serious. That is the essence of what made a cartoon fun in the old days. It's not old hat. A good laugh is a good laugh whether it's an old one or a new one. It's just how you do it. I've been very lucky to have had so much fun."

Karl Cohen is President of ASIFA-San Francisco. His first book, Forbidden Animation: Censored Cartoons and Blacklisted Animators, has recently been published by McFarland Publishers. He also teaches animation history at San Francisco State University.