NATIONAL NEWS
"Boneheads"
by Cordell BarkerACME FILMWORKS IS OFFERING THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY AN AMAZING LINE-UP OF ANIMATION TALENT The company represents over 40 of the world's top animators who have distinguished themselves by doing outstanding personal films. Ron Diamond who head the company has produced several ads and the company sample reel is a knockout. Among the people he represents are Sara Petty, Pam Stalker, Wendy Tilby, Caroline Leaf, Paul and Menno DeNooijer, Piotr Dumala, Raimund Krumme, Cordell Barker (an image from his "Bone Heads "PSA for cancer control is pictured) Paul Dreissen, David Fine, Alison Snowden, John Kricfalusi, Bill Plympton, Candy Guard, Christopher Hinton, Barrie Nelson, Joanna Quinn, Gary Bardin, the Lauenstein brothers, and other outstanding artists.
While I was visiting Acme a representative from John Kricfalusi's company came by to pick-up something. Apparently JK is working on a TV commercial, however there was some discussion about it being just a bit too outrageous for the client and could he tone it down just a little? If the ad ever gets made it will be a killer...
The company can offer clients a wide variety of styles and techniques including photo collage, character animation on cels or paper, pastels on paper, collage, colored salt on neutral backgrounds, scratch on ceramic tile, clay and wire animation, model animation, typography, title design and more. For further information call Ron Diamond (213) 464-7805
ANIMATION WORLD IS NOW ON LINE This is the new electronic magazine published by the folks at Acme Filmworks in Hollywood. Harvey Deneroff is the editor and Frankie Kowalski is the associate editor. To contact them: http://www.awn.com. Companies interested in advertising in this new publication can contact Wendy Jackson at (213) 468-2554 or fax 464-5914.
SHOW OF AARDMAN ANIMATION DOING EXCELLENT BOX OFFICE The show has opened in several cities and is doing great box office. At the Nuart in Los Angeles it came close to breaking their box office records. Since the program includes Park's latest Oscar winner the show will not be seen in the Bay Area until after Spike and Mike's Festival of Animation completes its run here. It is coming to Landmark Theatres in the Bay Area.
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times, gave the show a rave review. He did note that not all of the films in the program by other directors are of the same standards as Wallace and Gromit shorts, but he loved the show. It includes Creature Comforts, British Electricity Association ads featuring characters from Creature Comforts, A Close Shave, Pib and Pog by director Peter Peake and other work.
MAY 5 IS NATIONAL CARTOONISTS DAY A press release from the National Cartoonists Society says it coincides with the 50th anniversary of the group. This year they will present the Reuben Awards at the Waldorf-Astoria in NYC on Sat. May 18.
BESS CUTLER GALLERY IS GETTING EXCELLENT PRESS COVERAGE FOR THEIR EXHIBITS OF JAPANESE ANIMATION ART Animerica, a monthly magazine, called her "SoHo's Queen of Pop Subculture Art" and they mentioned that the gallery also sells work by R. Crumb and other underground comic artists as well as work by Japan's major animators. An article from the Village Voice said prices of original works of art range from $80 to $300 or more and that much of the art is sold unframed. People can handle the art as it is plastic wrapped and stored in stacks throughout the gallery. New York Magazine picked the gallery as a "Critic's Pick's" for its display of art by Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira). The critic commented, "seen in an established gallery and not in an animation cel dealership, Otomo's place in pop culture becomes clear." Among the recent promotions for the gallery was a signing of original works by Koichi Ohata (Cybernetics, Genocyber, Guardian, M.D. Geist, etc.).
The gallery is at 379 West Broadway, New York, NY 10012 (212) 219-1577.
ASIFA-EAST PRESENTED A PROGRAM WITH NEW YORK'S OSCAR NOMINATED ANIMATORS including Faith Hubley, Michael Sporn, Jimmy Picker and Bill Plympton.
The chapter's newsletter reports their tribute to Shamus Culhane lasted 3 1/2 hours and was a remarkable evening. Highlights included interviews with Shamus on film, remembrances by Hal Seegar, John Culhane and others and the screening of a lot of rarely seen films.
ASIFA-CENTRAL (CHICAGO) WINS AN AWARD FOR THEIR WEB SITE The award is from Inway. They are given to the top 500 web sites each year. ASIFA-Central placed 16th out of 25 in the Professional Resources category. Congratulations! Check out their site at asifa@art.niu.edu at Internet.
ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD and ASIFA-NW (Portland) showed the ASIFA-East Annual Animation Festival winners reel in April. In late March UCLA's Department of Film and TV held a tribute to John Whitney in Melnitz Hall. Robert Abel was among the speakers who gave praise to his remarkable talents.
WHY THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT IS BOYCOTTING DISNEY While researching news about a boycott of Toy Story (it turned out to be a hoax), I was shown a letter to Pixar by the American Family Association. It said the Toy Story was a hoax, but they were supporting the Florida Southern Baptist Convention's boycott of Disney. An inquiry to the AFA about the real boycott resulted in their sending me several press releases and articles regarding their actions.
The most recent release is dated January 12, 1996 and the headline is DISNEY BLASTED FOR USING THE "F" WORD IN DONALD DUCK CARTOON It seems a parent discovered the word in Clock Cleaners, a short from 1937. Why nobody noticed the word in the film for the last 59 years remains a mystery, presuming the word is really there (understanding Donald's voice is almost an impossible thing to do, so I guess most Disney fans never bother to listen closely to what is being said).
The next press release, dated Nov. 16, 1995 got down to the basics of the boycott. The release reads the convention "passed the resolution unanimously to protest a number of Disney practices including a new company policy extending insurance benefits to the live-in partners of homosexual employees, but not unmarried partners of heterosexual employees; allowing homosexual celebrations in its theme parks; producing objectionable films; and promoting cruise and theme park vacations that involve alcohol use and gambling." The groups are also upset that Disney hired a director on the film Powder who is a convicted child molester. They also say the company has hired a large number of homosexuals as executives and in other positions and that the studio is involved in anti-Christian and pornographic movies and the publication of a book aimed at homosexuals.
A press release dated Dec. 7, 1995 explains one anti-Christian ace by Disney. They dropped a 17-year-old tradition last year of presenting a Christmas pageant in a shopping center owned by the company. It was replaced by a secular event. Another anti-Christian act by the company was the studios making the film Priests.
As for the pornography charges an article in the AFA Journal dated May, 1995 mentions Disney distributing a film called Kids that they call "nihilistic pornography," and the release of Exotica, a film that includes a stripper dressed as a Catholic school girl. The film Jefferson in Paris is reported to "speculate that Thomas Jefferson fathered children by a 13-year-old slave."
Although many reasons are given for boycotting Disney, I suspect that the AFA and other groups would turn their other cheek if the studio was simply guilty of having the "F" word in a cartoon or having made films that depict the clergy as less than perfect. I believe the real reason the Florida Southern Baptists, the AFA and other groups are upset with Disney is the company's recognizing the rights of homosexuals. Anti-homosexual statements are made in every press release and article sent me.
