tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48029098782865583162024-03-20T11:11:25.928-04:00Miscellainey(n.) Mis-cel-lain-ey
1. a collection of various items, writings, or
literary works. 2. An amalgam of random parts or pieces.Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-13658631082866813152008-04-13T23:58:00.005-04:002008-12-09T01:31:27.243-05:00The World May Never be the Same<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8RHHIWp3QWmGrBlVketv6JnuVsKYvF7eqdunkE_u2cNfoNjySjazBvnuHIn8seP_R-isiFDOAJDeAVt430_KKX0GBCZiZbi9wnV0iuKTVvKxY5rhFv1j52sEgvjRg4JldPFyDDwZ0XqQ/s1600-h/small_world_small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8RHHIWp3QWmGrBlVketv6JnuVsKYvF7eqdunkE_u2cNfoNjySjazBvnuHIn8seP_R-isiFDOAJDeAVt430_KKX0GBCZiZbi9wnV0iuKTVvKxY5rhFv1j52sEgvjRg4JldPFyDDwZ0XqQ/s320/small_world_small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188946212574733458" border="0" /></a><br />To my beloved readers: those of you who frequent this blog undoubtedly know about my deep esteem and love of Mary Blair and equally my passion for maintaining the integrity of Walt's original ideas and philosophies. Many of you read and gave heartfelt responses to one of my most emotionally infused entries to date regarding the closure of the Disney Gallery last Fall. So often it seems the only bandage for a broken heart is hope: in this case the hope that with one grave mistake lessons will be learned and such errors will never again be repeated. It would appear that the Disney Company has no such conscience. I'm certain that Disney-centric bloggers visiting this page will have already heard the death knell that is the news regarding "It's a Small World" at the original Disneyland park. For those of you who haven't, an angry buzz, nay growing outcry is spreading as a result of a new "revamping" to Mary Blair's original concept and themed ride "It's a Small World", originally produced for the 1964 World's Fair. Now, before I opine on whether all of the clamor is warranted or not, I think it's important to take a turn through the halls of "Small World's" history so we can gain a better understanding of why this project was started in the first place...<br /><br />It was 1956. Disneyland was but one year old when Walt was invited to attend a prestigious conference, at the invitation of President Eisenhower, with the intention of creating some kind of national organization to help promote world peace. This was an arena that Walt had worked in before, and it wasn't the first time the government had turned to Disney to help convey its political messages - The "Goodwill Ambassador Tour" that took Disney and Blair, among other Disney artists, to South America in the early 1940's resulting in the creation of "The Three Caballeros" and "Saludos Amigos" being a prime example. The organization which ultimately materialized as a result of the 1956 conference was the People to People Student Ambassador program, however, Walt was left inspired by the ideas from the conference and began putting his best imagineers, concept artists, and songwriters (eg. Mary Blair, Marc Davis, Joyce Carlson, The Sherman Brothers) to work on what would ultimately become "It's a Small World." The idea, of course, was to represent all of the children of the world, in unity, emitting one message: that our differences, our languages, our nationalities, matter so little when we realize that we are all human beings experiencing largely the same needs, the same dreams, and the same emotions.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RBzGMLwV2oBg857g60vDhK9mQBnCwTfVVoyNkAH2S2CP8sOozgZANTDLYBdz7rk5XX7MFBLms2_qxk03LV50UETCR5oNsvrNTTHgby1gmgxCxnKjiTPPjocY9Tbo7O5fOTWDgAKe7v8/s1600-h/maryblairsmallworld2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RBzGMLwV2oBg857g60vDhK9mQBnCwTfVVoyNkAH2S2CP8sOozgZANTDLYBdz7rk5XX7MFBLms2_qxk03LV50UETCR5oNsvrNTTHgby1gmgxCxnKjiTPPjocY9Tbo7O5fOTWDgAKe7v8/s320/maryblairsmallworld2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188946212574733474" border="0" /></a><br />Fast forward to present. In January Disney announced that it would be closing Small World for refurbishments until early 2009. Originally plans included basic audio/sound improvements, boat and flume remodeling to more easily accommodate disabled guests, and a possible paint job or two. By March, however, rumors began circling that logistical and cosmetic changes were only part of the plan and that the company had begun implementing more substantial storytelling alterations. The restyling, as I understand it, is to include the addition of more "popular" Disney characters such as Donald Duck, Simba, and Lilo and Stitch - to name a few. But the most egregious and downright puzzling alteration is the abolition of Mary's well-known "Rainforest" scene which will be replaced by a new segment: "Up with America." I'm immediately left scratching my head. Can someone please explain to me what U.S. patriotism has to do with the idea of world peace and the message that ultimately we are all one and equal on this earth? How does one possibly derive from lyrics that state "there's so much that we share" the idea that U.S. culture is sovereign from the rest of the world - afterall, not everyone in this small world is American. It's completely antithetical to the entire philosophy behind the ride's original concept, and in my opinion, completely misplaced.<br /><br />A regular staple of my blogging diet, <a href="http://www.imagineerebirth.blogspot.com/">Re-Imagineering</a>, has been closely following and fervently commenting on the "It's a Small World", um, downgrade. They summed up the contradiction of the refurbished segments this way:<br /><br />"In consciously excluding a large scale U.S.A.-land from It’s a Small World (a lone cowboy and Indian in the finale was just enough), the original show writers were asking American audiences to step away from their own national consciousness and take stock in the wider world around them. It’s a Small World was never about nationalistic fervor. It was about finding our common humanity outside our own borders."<br /><br />In addition to some of its own persuasive clamor regarding the refurbishments, Re-Imagineering has posted a string of touching comments from the art and design community, as well as a letter to the Disney Corporation from Kevin Blair, son of Mary Blair, decrying the changes as "idiotic" and "a marginalization" of his mother's work. I don't need to tell you that it's worth the read.<br /><br />Others in the online community are taking a more pro-active approach. A website entitled, <a href="http://www.savethesmallworld.com/">"Save the Small World"</a> has been gathering supporters since its launch, encouraging readers to take a stance against the company and affording ways to do so. It's slogan, "Save the Rainforest, Save the Small World" has been catching like wildfire around Disney blogging sites. It contains the most comprehensive list that I've found including press releases and news articles regarding the rumors and responses from Disney's spokespeople.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAga3ZbRuiXnndhLn0PpvT1h183vCgMg2Uxuc6lwsx3WgbRyjzRdFtVjx4c9-ZpsCa_coMTnYjZWgsEIg3wuZwkbIEcl81NgUGHbOepEsUcd61iSNizn9BdkDi-CY6pe6KlRsHzpDfBg/s1600-h/2r4qvzn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAga3ZbRuiXnndhLn0PpvT1h183vCgMg2Uxuc6lwsx3WgbRyjzRdFtVjx4c9-ZpsCa_coMTnYjZWgsEIg3wuZwkbIEcl81NgUGHbOepEsUcd61iSNizn9BdkDi-CY6pe6KlRsHzpDfBg/s320/2r4qvzn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188946216869700786" border="0" /></a><br />At the end of all of this lunacy, I'm extremely sad to say that I wish I could garner the same outrage I hear from the rest of the community - but I cannot. It's not that I think this is any less heinous than the offended public, but my faith that this company might finally set itself on the track toward the ideals of a greater world, a greater humankind, and a greater sense of beauty in the world are dwindling fast. I have become numb to the thoughtless antics of the so-called artists and engineers that the company has employed to market its poor ideas. I am heartbroken. Some things are so sacred that the occurrence of desecration never allows the observer to move beyond a state of disbelief. This is where I am. I would have believed that the company might install gift shops replete with mass marketed plush and plastic at the end of nearly half of its attractions; I would have believed that they would fire all of their animators and replace them with international CGI artists; I would have even believed that the Disney Corporation would close the Disney Gallery and replace it with a tactic for attracting more consumers to its "Year of a Million Dreams" sweepstakes. But this... well, this I simply cannot believe.Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-35104511350000766832008-04-09T11:43:00.008-04:002008-12-09T01:31:27.764-05:00Let's Dance at Disneyland!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Ukt_-Ih4t8JeSWHHKhxZwpAI7XkXa2LRPfcRLwMINuCHQe7z74xzXFM6eg1zP0L_-Vdu-8pidOpv9bfw54Hiv-G6yvOSKwrE7xgVM0gib_DOaMWrdxfLp4aHEpDzEtEoU2nAlLm64LU/s1600-h/elliottbrothers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Ukt_-Ih4t8JeSWHHKhxZwpAI7XkXa2LRPfcRLwMINuCHQe7z74xzXFM6eg1zP0L_-Vdu-8pidOpv9bfw54Hiv-G6yvOSKwrE7xgVM0gib_DOaMWrdxfLp4aHEpDzEtEoU2nAlLm64LU/s320/elliottbrothers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188949635663668466" border="0" /></a><br />As you may know, I have become increasingly thrilled with iTunes’ release of heretofore out of print vintage Walt Disney Records from the ‘50s and ‘60s. The folks at iTunes seem to be releasing these albums in waves, a few at a time. A few complaints: It has been brought to my attention that they do not necessarily last a long time, so if you see one you have to have, it’s best to jump on it as it may not always be available. Additionally, it can be hard to pin down some of these records, especially if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for. A broad search for “Walt Disney Records” produces little except the latest Hannah Montana album. The best way, I have found, to browse for these vintage albums is by starting with the name of one such album or group that you know (for example “The Mellomen”) and then do a chain reaction search of sorts by clicking different albums in the box called, “Listeners also Bought” for more leads. It really is kind of like finding a needle in a haystack, but when you stumble upon something good, well, it’s almost like being a kid on Christmas morning again.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WEJZWMMOkgJRFSnwwrzH17fY2wFVBJjptAtWp8htcF7UgRGevKzTVpDxtW9MNSEj4QdpOIKatVIa1O3djZBrolre9t10-cDY9HeC8e6yU3eeizNPX8plYR900LHb9AfI4a4ZIpDzDo4/s1600-h/datenitealbum.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WEJZWMMOkgJRFSnwwrzH17fY2wFVBJjptAtWp8htcF7UgRGevKzTVpDxtW9MNSEj4QdpOIKatVIa1O3djZBrolre9t10-cDY9HeC8e6yU3eeizNPX8plYR900LHb9AfI4a4ZIpDzDo4/s320/datenitealbum.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188948755195372770" border="0" /></a><br />The newest wave of Walt Disney Records released brought a bunch of gems. My favorite, hands down, is a 1956 (only one year after the park opened) album, “Date Nite at Disneyland,” with the Elliott Brothers and Disneyland Date Niters Orchestra. Evidently the Elliott Brothers Orchestra was a regular entertainment staple around Disneyland in the 1950’s and ‘60s. They played in the big band/jazz/swing style that was popular at the time, providing evening entertainment for Friday and Saturday “Date Nites” at Disneyland during the summer (And evidently until 1 am?? Can anyone verify this?). It’s the kind of wholesome entertainment you would expect from the time, and which admittedly gets my toes tapping and wanting to strap on my Mary Janes for a twirl on the dance floor. It’s not difficult to imagine the hoards of teenagers coupling off under the striped canvas of the Carnation Plaza Gardens swinging and swaying with the bandstand raging on through the night.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisONP7M_FtsH9miXGTYCnNWr4ZnkK55u3IVmg32BOtSG2OyxCGMWI7puHly3VYu3aYiR4jyDWHuBV0Sv70btydBVrLa1J3GfSIlMII-JuWjmmaVemjZ0fQZ-LSkuO7jsW1tWRJUQ91wa0/s1600-h/date+night+back+cover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisONP7M_FtsH9miXGTYCnNWr4ZnkK55u3IVmg32BOtSG2OyxCGMWI7puHly3VYu3aYiR4jyDWHuBV0Sv70btydBVrLa1J3GfSIlMII-JuWjmmaVemjZ0fQZ-LSkuO7jsW1tWRJUQ91wa0/s320/date+night+back+cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188948750900405442" border="0" /></a> Above image courtesy of the <a href="http://vintagedisneylandtickets.blogspot.com/2008/01/date-nite-at-disneyland-1967.html">Vintage Disneyland Tickets Blog</a><br /><br />Of course the “Date Nite at Disneyland” album is the most comprehensive Elliott Brothers’ Orchestra album I’m aware of. Their opening hit, “Let’s Dance at Disneyland” can also be found on the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Musical-History-Disneyland-Disney/dp/B000AA4MHM">Musical History of Disneyland</a> album. If you want to see the Elliott Brothers in action, there’s a great segment showcasing their talent in the “Disneyland After Dark” Episode on the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Walt-Disney-Treasures-Disneyland-USA/dp/B00005KARE/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1207755926&sr=8-1">Disneyland USA DVD</a> which is part of the Disney Treasures Collection. Now that I mention it, that entire episode is well worth watching. It features some excellent footage of Annette Funicello, Bobby Rydell, the great Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong, and even a very young Osmond Brothers Quartet. Also of note, I found an interesting link to a list of big bands and artists who played at Disneyland at the <a href="http://www.bigbandlibrary.com/bigbandsatdisneyland.html">BigBandLibrary.com</a> website. It’s really mind boggling to think that such jazz greats as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie and his Orchestra have all played there.Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-20984132385684300522007-12-12T11:20:00.000-05:002008-12-09T01:31:27.921-05:00"I hope we never lose sight of some of the things of the past..."<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-ClzVIPDxtGsXIL6TyMQJu5EzxUKYeir0e_Nvc6V92acntQtX3vM_kWV99DRv88o4k2JwywzvBdirTBPLLmbvVWTGYeC7uH_9qiM5TGL6CbWP4iUjz-vvG6ZVrgz_iokDGFDq30w_7g/s1600-h/450px-Disneyland-Gallerysign.jpeg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143128172040158754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-ClzVIPDxtGsXIL6TyMQJu5EzxUKYeir0e_Nvc6V92acntQtX3vM_kWV99DRv88o4k2JwywzvBdirTBPLLmbvVWTGYeC7uH_9qiM5TGL6CbWP4iUjz-vvG6ZVrgz_iokDGFDq30w_7g/s320/450px-Disneyland-Gallerysign.jpeg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Those close to me who are still keeping up with my blog are aware that I've been under quite a bit of pressure lately. Between working two jobs at around 70 hours a week and planning for a three week trip to California this holiday season, I'm also responsible for creating a three tier wedding cake for my best friend's wedding this Friday (yes, that would be two days from now). That said, I am thrilled to be able to give you all something worth your reading pleasure, that didn't require much effort on my part.<br /><br />The ever-talented and endless source of information, Wade Sampson, over at MousePlanet contacted me not long ago regarding a new article he wrote about the now-closed Disney Gallery at Disneyland. As you know, I was truly crushed by the news of the Gallery's closing, evidenced by my post last <a href="http://miscellainey.blogspot.com/2007/08/disneylands-saddest-hour.html">August</a>. As Walt Disney himself said, "I love the nostalgic myself. I hope we never lose sight of some of the things of the past." In the spirit of that sentiment Mr. Sampson has captured warmly and informatively fond memories of the gallery as he knew it. Regarding his article Mr. Sampson had the following to say:<br /><br /><em>"Lainey, you were the inspiration for this column.<br />Your first posting eloquently captured how the Disney Gallery effected<br />your life and later career choices just as the Disneyland Art Corner<br />effected my generation. I still have my blue Disneyland Art Corner<br />artist membership card that I proudly flashed to my elementary school<br />contemporaries to prove that I was going to be a Disney animator. The<br />card came with the Animation Kit sold at the Disneyland Art Corner.<br />Today, it is battered, dog-eared and my crudely scrawled ink signature<br />has faded somewhat and it is now kept in my "treasure box" of memories.<br />When the Disney Gallery opened many years later, it inspired me to study<br />Disneyland with the same passion I studied animation and your posting<br />brought back that rush of memories so I decided to say one final<br />farewell to the Disney Gallery I knew. Hope you enjoy the column."</em><br /><br />I hope all of my readers will read Mr. Sampson's article, as it is just as entertaining as it is informative. The article on MousePlanet can be reached by clicking <a href="http://www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=ww071212ws">here</a>. I want to send my warmest wishes and kindest thanks to Mr. Sampson for the flattering tribute and the nostalgic look back at a special place that means a lot to me and many of my readers.</div><div> </div>Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-55555589523717013382007-11-29T14:47:00.001-05:002008-12-09T01:31:28.466-05:00Stamp of Approval<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138360117793686130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTl1hiiEQU7osOxruH7RaXjG7MArJY4mYcRVhbY2tFuNMdHM9u0BUZ0Z1kQBNPBgi8deN6X3GvWSG9w4vbqj2bqW0HlAsVO2y2_eCe1VfcyYw18CQAmknS1osE-PWdMV9-CBXkV5lNfiE/s320/207090510H.jpeg" border="0" /><br /><br />It's that time of year again folks... Retail stores are bustling, snow is foreboding, and that general holiday sparkle lights up the faces of little boys and girls around the world. Okay I realize it's still November. But with Christmas only 25 days away, it's time to start thinking about that always ever joyful obligation to send out annual holiday greetings. <div><br /><br /></div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138360117793686114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1NeDS4UqAJsoAykzCSZcIIglecAWHJIoaDpsyDS5OHycc3Byp-OqItrIPSRAi1i6Z8_CbbQ_wMMI9B0lBN4qDenw3ENG0L4p5OjmKgl9zlC4fZcMZMwL5AfJnB3g2FbN0x_Ad3Hy1rTg/s320/206250266H.jpeg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div>It's not unknown that I am a lover of all things vintage. Any opportunity to hearken back to the days of yore is approached with the utmost enthusiasm. And Christmas is obviously <em>no</em> exception. That means getting out the old Bing Crosby LP's (or MP3's... whatever.), baking up batches of Grandma's old homestead ginger molasses cookies (recipe as old as 1890!), and of course, hand making beautiful holiday greeting cards. I can't tell you how much I delight in doing this. It's therapeutic in a way - watching Christmas movies (in particular Babes in Toyland) and sitting in front of the coffee table laboring over hand calligraphed envelopes. Ahh... The good life. No detail should be overlooked. This year, it means taking the extra special step of adding a touch of the vintage to even the postage. Thanks to a little suggestion from my lady Martha, purchasing vintage postage stamps can be done at the click of a mouse from the American Philatelic Society webpage. </div><div></div><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138360323952116370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNg3SOlB0yCLpo0LrPP79SQhR2gQUUzI-VRspBuwndnMSxflzw55CfF8HzOY6KJxv75YdnAmR0lh2Ne5d9voBDZcRndKrGPssiSpTWlNh-w21hOw52JXIUKwBYZh5TYRwDOm6_qUWPRhs/s320/seasonsgreetingsstamps.jpeg" border="0" /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138360134973555330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz0ei3BlkQnWsC6mMye1Z40yQZ6rGG5rX1RHDacE-ex76YcySdr-mpSi6KojQvKFhcx8U52T3ol7VOyHFXiOjj6EkgTxBwmGgM_EegxZizKCdWJLgh9rUI0xMdPqbNgylJnrWHC8hyuVs/s320/christmasmailbox.bmp" border="0" /><br /><br /><div>I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting, but what I found was a marvelous world where fabulous designs are encapsulated in the tiny vignettes of a mere inch by inch and a half piece of paper. It's truly fascinating how good design lends itself to such practical applications as a postage stamp. Without question, some of the earlier designs from the 1950's and 1960's are chock full of brilliant flat colored designs which put many of today's holiday stamps available at any local post office to utter shame. At any rate, I haven't exactly decided which combination of stamps I will be using for my holiday cards (yes combination as mid-century letters only cost around 8 or 10 cents to mail). But they were so lovely that I just had to share them with you here. Perhaps I should let you, my readers vote on your favorites. Personally I like the mailbox motif and hobby horse stamps best. Enjoy some unusual holiday eye candy!<br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138360323952116386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5sYyDl5EpI1_1foFUQ-V-saw2TRknRWIKS2-Pw1brqW8StQkIX1lnWcF-yyZyLkalZFX54i9ujXYi2LI2s3c9bGfNOFeaY3PFR1ErNeQ4dlrL4Jb1dkwdPxwcOsGyJxjRNVsF007SYpU/s320/sleighpresentsstamp.jpeg" border="0" /></div><p></p>Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-37935062578914109492007-11-15T19:16:00.000-05:002007-11-15T19:43:26.538-05:00Complaints Duly Noted.A few weeks ago <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Miscellainey</span> got its first real complaint. A milestone in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Miscellainey's</span> blogging history. (And no, I wasn't so shattered that I decided to abandon this blog permanently contrary to popular belief.) I'm always a bit taken aback by negative criticism, in every aspect of my life. It's not generally because I'm so sensitive that any offending response gets taken personally, but more so because I genuinely try to be as objective and careful in my writing as possible and nothing I say (especially in this blog) is meant to arouse controversy.<br /><br />That said, I feel obliged to finally make a response to the comments "Mr. (shall we call him... Smith?)" made a couple of weeks ago. In response to my earlier blog entry "A Half-Baked Idea", which discusses the Symposium on Popular Song's clip "The Boogie <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Woogie</span> Bakery Man", "Mr. Smith" had the following to say,<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Are you really so offended by the depiction of an Asian baker making fortune cookies? Do you really think the talented people who created this cartoon were 'ignorant' and less enlightened than people today? ...You are obviously a sophisticated and intelligent writer--there's no need to hop on the anti-intellectual political correctness bandwagon by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">cowtowing</span> to hypersensitive folks who seek to needlessly demonize good works and the people who created them.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>Now in truth, having re-read what I wrote, I can see how my comments may have been a bit overly cautious and maybe even a bit harsh. But goodness knows I would be the first person to stand up and say that these cartoons should be considered "good works" and that the people who created them were not only smart but incredibly talented. I definitely did not mean to imply as a blanket statement that the animators of days past were less-enlightened than people of today. In fact, and I believe I've said before, today's animators would do well to take extensive notes and pay close attention to their elders of animation-days-past. Frankly a lot of what goes on TV and in the movies animation wise these days is just plain crap. And I'd rather see "Boogie <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Woogie</span> Bakery Man" 100 times in a row than watch a single episode of "A Pup Named <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Scooby</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Doo</span>". (Surely that comment alone will offend someone else...)<br /><br />That said, even Leonard <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Maltin</span> and Richard Sherman issued a disclaimer in their commentary about the film for its depictions and how it would be viewed in today's context. Now, maybe I'm an optimist, but I like to think we've come a long way in our treatment of all races and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">ethnicities</span> over the last 50 years. And hopefully in the next 50 years the next generation can say they've come a long way from where we are now. Personally, I'm not offended by that thought. And I think it's unfair to characterize my sentiment that blanket stereotypes of days past might need to be prefaced with disclaimers as "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">cowtowing</span>".<br /><br />At any rate, I appreciate "Mr. Smith's" willingness to bring forth criticism, as a good dash of objectivity is healthy for all of us, and I also appreciate his recognition that I am, or at least aspire to be, an "intelligent writer". That said, my last intention with this blog is to ever offend anyone. And if I have, I do want to be notified. I may not always agree, but so is life. You can't please all of the people, all of the time.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span>Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-87393461051532800262007-11-14T08:46:00.001-05:002007-11-14T08:47:36.052-05:00Apologies...Friends, I know it's been over two weeks since I've posted and I just wanted to extend my apologies that it's taken me so long to get back here and get some new material up. My life has been overwhelmingly busy and I've had very little free time to devote to a thorough blog entry as I would like. This is the longest I've ever gone without posting but I assure you that I'll get new material up very soon. I'm not going anywhere. Don't worry.Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-91957691351379848752007-10-30T00:01:00.000-04:002008-12-09T01:31:29.075-05:00It's the Great Halloween!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEPig5YM5LPnzduoSwCGdfUxIA-IO70yvXkpt_auzxju2fViaOUMP7yb0yxexTGSJhm9XiD46_932w4ehbK46VHMNY-WFz6qMTPLs0uo3OXY5hbp5kTDsqD71Y4S2k5N63DlLYa8UATc/s1600-h/linusandsally.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEPig5YM5LPnzduoSwCGdfUxIA-IO70yvXkpt_auzxju2fViaOUMP7yb0yxexTGSJhm9XiD46_932w4ehbK46VHMNY-WFz6qMTPLs0uo3OXY5hbp5kTDsqD71Y4S2k5N63DlLYa8UATc/s400/linusandsally.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126980539406551858" border="0" /></a><br />No Halloween would be complete without watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" Watching the film is even better when you have a pumpkin to carve at the same time. I love the Peanuts gang, even though Disney does get it's generous share of airtime on this blog. There's something really nostalgic about watching Schultz's creations around the Holidays. The Peanuts family has been around for over 40 years, always making appearances on prime time TV during the holidays on ABC and other family channels. You no longer need to hope and wait that the Peanuts gang shows up on TV now thanks to the recently released Peanuts "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Peanuts-Holiday-Collection-Christmas-Thanksgiving/dp/0792169182">Holiday Collection</a>" DVD which features all three major Peanuts films: "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!", "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving", and, of course, the classic "A Charlie Brown Christmas."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3b_1K2lP6dLIs5MyFmMwPne7DzKzGYFpxjWag63rTblMcwyKps31x-C9lMB0almZk5z3WcS06fpfuxKPe5ZWkdPOha-yn5O0InSSJU79ERW6gftq-toyGe5GqbK1UjgWwkBoksAHVto/s1600-h/party1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3b_1K2lP6dLIs5MyFmMwPne7DzKzGYFpxjWag63rTblMcwyKps31x-C9lMB0almZk5z3WcS06fpfuxKPe5ZWkdPOha-yn5O0InSSJU79ERW6gftq-toyGe5GqbK1UjgWwkBoksAHVto/s400/party1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126980543701519170" border="0" /></a><br />I've posted some stills from the movie just to get you into the Halloween spirit. As I was grabbing some of these images, I couldn't help but marvel at some of the great color styling. Now, the Peanuts cartoons aren't exactly high tech or chock full of special effects or even, at the most basic level, believable. But that's where the charm is. The story lines are sweet, the characters are lovable, the lessons are endearing. The movements and motions of the characters are not meant to be realistic, by stylized in the familiar Schultz form. That doesn't make the films any less enjoyable. In fact, as I was saying before, the color choices are what are really phenomenal. I particularly love the scene above that takes place at the Halloween party. The use of pink is entirely novel and it compliments, almost too perfectly, the orange and the black.<br /><br />So often we get locked into the concept that palettes are limited to only one or two colors. Often ir's the one or two unexpected yet complimentary colors that make the main color scheme really pop. Schultz's film provides a lovely example of good color styling, and as ever fits perfectly with the childlike and endearing theme of the Peanuts cartoons. Afterall, Halloween's spooky frights should always be sprinkled with some childish delights!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU8JKQeh6h4DpWx2jRLrHjNUMd0106PLNhhimRGlt02SLhSM_50VR4vS760h4OD556gidGTKgXtwawk5kehhApwnoZa9WSSnOO4gLhyGNfWJotxjtaijoPnUH_dOn7h2IFIIDcdjuLX7A/s1600-h/pumpkincredits.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU8JKQeh6h4DpWx2jRLrHjNUMd0106PLNhhimRGlt02SLhSM_50VR4vS760h4OD556gidGTKgXtwawk5kehhApwnoZa9WSSnOO4gLhyGNfWJotxjtaijoPnUH_dOn7h2IFIIDcdjuLX7A/s400/pumpkincredits.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126980539406551842" border="0" /></a>Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-24662218428572408442007-10-29T23:21:00.000-04:002008-12-09T01:31:29.216-05:00A Very Mary Weekend<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBmKep0z-w4B1q6SzABYw9EQ4e3YuyWkyiFXOdzj-aU_bH9Og1LmZNpjBvJY_alaSeNSIdwZRa56QXYiw27ESSefOZkq6MKx5vCrQZHJdaGksU6cOjb1Xhk-6C938cVX_3JgZ7wyxfEk/s1600-h/susie_coupe_small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBmKep0z-w4B1q6SzABYw9EQ4e3YuyWkyiFXOdzj-aU_bH9Og1LmZNpjBvJY_alaSeNSIdwZRa56QXYiw27ESSefOZkq6MKx5vCrQZHJdaGksU6cOjb1Xhk-6C938cVX_3JgZ7wyxfEk/s400/susie_coupe_small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126967602965056274" border="0" /></a><br />For those of you readers who haven't yet heard (I almost don't know how you couldn't have at this point, especially if you frequent this blog), San Francisco's Cartoon Art Museum opened its "Art and Flair of Mary Blair" Exhibit Saturday! Gallery Manager Andrew Farago was kind enough to send an e-mail my way announcing the exhibit and if you haven't figured it out by now I'm absolutely thrilled to see it as soon as get back to California this holiday season (what a great Christmas present!). Mr. Farago has an enjoyable <a href="http://andrewfarago.livejournal.com/22017.html#cutid1">live journal</a> up, with a recent post dedicated to the Mary Blair exhibit and some tantalizing images (above image courtesy of Mr. Farago's live journal). According to the journal entry, the exhibit will showcase over 50 pieces of Ms. Blair's original work, many of which have never been available to the public before. I'm encouraging readers who have seen the exhibit to give a lively review here. I will most certainly be doing the same once I see the exhibit in December. While much of Blair's work can be seen in the well-known John Canemaker book, "The Art and Flair of Mary Blair", nothing compares to seeing an artist's works up close and in person. I really do hope readers will make a special trip to see the exhibit and show Mr. Farago and his team over at the Cartoon Art Museum some appreciation for this long overdue tribute to my favorite queen of concept.Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-23803884670818737482007-10-29T11:30:00.001-04:002007-10-29T11:33:33.638-04:00A Half-baked AddendumI'm thrilled to post this addendum to my original "Half-baked" post below. Reader Scott Teresi was kind enough to upload the "Boogie Woogie Bakery Man" segment from the Symposium on Popular Songs to YouTube for us to enjoy! If you haven't already dug up your copy of the Disney Treasures Rarities and other Shorts DVD to see it, you can view the segment below. Thanks again to Scott Teresi!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/G6mH_4Kzyzc&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/G6mH_4Kzyzc&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-16329384256172880262007-10-24T22:53:00.001-04:002008-12-09T01:31:29.728-05:00A Half-baked Idea<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjasP6dcNhXq2cj7WuvSxr0XuyQ_DToGcGA3yH5Dpi3IcM0ajozhtg2YNaThwSW5kb1Smv3Djq10YeQSStaep6AvQipwSPrAn4G7p1SHEc50TIaXP2uKVK06NBZVzLDJF-W-mfuUf-XWFY/s1600-h/bakerymanandwoman.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125116122741517586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjasP6dcNhXq2cj7WuvSxr0XuyQ_DToGcGA3yH5Dpi3IcM0ajozhtg2YNaThwSW5kb1Smv3Djq10YeQSStaep6AvQipwSPrAn4G7p1SHEc50TIaXP2uKVK06NBZVzLDJF-W-mfuUf-XWFY/s400/bakerymanandwoman.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />As a little girl growing up in Southern (okay, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">central</span>) California, I went to Disneyland. A lot. What little knowledge I had about Disney World stemmed from but one sacred treasure: My "Disneyland/WDW Official Album" on cassette tape. I can't tell you how I wore this tape out. The concept that I could be transported to that most magical of places just with the push of a FischerPrice radio play button enthralled me as a child. But as I was saying, what little knowledge I had of Disney World came from my own imaginative machinations when I heard songs that were from Orlando's magic kingdom. One such song that I loved was the "Boogie Woogie Bakery Boy" segment from the Kitchen Kabaret (part of The Land at Epcot, as I later discovered). The concept was brilliant and entirely clever: a reincarnation of the Andrews Sisters Boogie Woogie Bugel Boy but with a new and goofy meaning. The first part of the lyrics are below to give you an idea of the cleverness:<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">We'd like to sing about a friend who has really gone far</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">He started with some dough and then he rose to be a star</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">He's hot when he uses the bread and cereal group</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">An oven-right trooper he can never be duped</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">It's known that he's no clown</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The boogie woogie bakery boy the bread with the sound -</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">He's cute, he toots,</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Toodle-oodle Toodle-oodle, Noodle-Noodle</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">(Mac-a-roni)</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">He's fast, He's fast</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Pasta pasta, pasta pasta</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">(Say spaghetti)</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">He bakes with so much fun</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">With a hey bagel bagel and a hot crossed bun.</span><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-sYQFtQwJQw" width="425" height="355" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed><br /><br />Readers curious to see what this segment was like can now be transported back in time and experience the Kitchen Kabaret though the craze that is YouTube (In order to get to the Cereal Sisters singing the Boogie Woogie Bakery Boy segment fast forward to 4:40). Sadly for me, I never was able to make the journey to Disney World to see it myself before the show was was yanked like so many other Yesterland memories. But the song stuck with me.<br /><br />Fast forward - September 2007. There I was soaking in every detail of my Disney Rarities and Celebrated Shorts Disney Treasures DVD when I came upon the Symposium on Popular Songs (1962) hosted by Ludwig Von Drake. Suddenly before me came a familiar and entirely NOT politically correct segment meant to awaken the sounds of the wartime era with yet again, the Andrews Sisters. The segment, like the other songs in the cartoon short, was done in stop-motion animation - a form of animation where otherwise innatimate physical objects and shapes (mostly paper cut outs in this instance) are moved slightly and captured frame by frame.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8rA3e4yPSOXTiRXP3V0yHaP1zGZyW48iiIi9NM1wlWk8JiM_xEpbXR_UUievS2c0m46tX4wbMYulYoDpAPNixSI0FpcW0j5shUGxNf-3bMDKtauGrf1Ytlk4JFBhVRn2v8wMXBzuJM0/s1600-h/andrewsisters1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125116071201910002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8rA3e4yPSOXTiRXP3V0yHaP1zGZyW48iiIi9NM1wlWk8JiM_xEpbXR_UUievS2c0m46tX4wbMYulYoDpAPNixSI0FpcW0j5shUGxNf-3bMDKtauGrf1Ytlk4JFBhVRn2v8wMXBzuJM0/s400/andrewsisters1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The Andrews Sisters reference was obvious (see the screen capture above), and there they were again singing in that Boogie Woogie, Beat Me Daddy Eight-to-the-bar style about the "Oriental Bakery Man". The gist of the lyrics (and please I beg you, as hard as it is, try <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">not</span> to be shocked and offended by them and/or the animation which are entirely insulting to persons of Asian descent, bearing in mind that this <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">did </span>come out in the 1960's when people were still ignorant to the concept of political correctness, or were maybe just plain ignorant) are below:<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">He's my boogie woogie, chattanooga, sentimental, oriental, fortune cookie bakery man</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">And he bakes a sentimental oriental fortune cookie</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">in a boogie woogie bakery pan</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Look Look Look Looky Looky Looky</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Nice fresh hot oriental cookie</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">No one bakes then better than the sentimental, oriental, fortune cookie bakery man.</span><br /><br /><br />Wait - you ask, so that segment is an Andrews Sisters imitation of a boogie woogie sung about a guy who bakes things? Hmmm... where have I heard something like that before?... Well it seems there's not too much of a "which came first, the chicken, or the egg?" quandry here. In my opinion it seems entirely likely that the concept for the Epcot show was totally swiped from the Symposium on Popular Songs, however with the offensive language about "orientals" dumped and replaced with the more generic (and clearly less derogatory) bakery man.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn39wuNLX9j51yRPfSjZu3wtnSkD7XS_bsKy8UlbtxMQSbMCqCp1DBmIsUsFdTz0YrB0D1_b61pP8klnh78dL-s-CEBH_-sjpbmzn0m6bybdsmzSYQITqZjEaTBbrNxdy1TrcHt3NETIA/s1600-h/bakermanbaking.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125116101266681090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn39wuNLX9j51yRPfSjZu3wtnSkD7XS_bsKy8UlbtxMQSbMCqCp1DBmIsUsFdTz0YrB0D1_b61pP8klnh78dL-s-CEBH_-sjpbmzn0m6bybdsmzSYQITqZjEaTBbrNxdy1TrcHt3NETIA/s400/bakermanbaking.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I really wish I was technologically savvy enough (probably my 11 year old brother could do this) to rip that segment from a Symposium on Popular Songs onto my computer so it could be uploaded to YouTube for your viewing pleasure. I might find a way one day, but for now it appears you'll all have to be content to put on (or go buy it if you haven't already because it's a MUST HAVE) your Disney Shorts DVD number 2 and watch the Symposium on Popular Songs segment in order to compare it to the attached YouTube clip from Kitchen Cabaret. Interestingly many people have poo-pooed the Kitchen Cabaret show (I'm sure it was no Captain Eo), saying it was a cheesy attraction that needed to go. This almost always seems to be my reaction to Disney rides/movies that have been completely ripped off from another film or idea that has previously proven successful. In the end it usually ends up being half-baked. (heh. pun intended.)Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-77254133009114067322007-10-16T21:24:00.000-04:002008-12-09T01:31:29.870-05:00Mary Blair is Everywhere!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JrP_vYjdczDbAWh0kCACIAFOGl_1UstkjAafxH_mumiX2bdL-rNE8mNYzq2zQC-DklOZVcjUr2aRtNyzu2g1-_byulTyIp8zjiHzCXbSsRaATVcmD7vfP13haykA1r7kmxq4myB6MLo/s1600-h/ALICE_flowersSM.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JrP_vYjdczDbAWh0kCACIAFOGl_1UstkjAafxH_mumiX2bdL-rNE8mNYzq2zQC-DklOZVcjUr2aRtNyzu2g1-_byulTyIp8zjiHzCXbSsRaATVcmD7vfP13haykA1r7kmxq4myB6MLo/s400/ALICE_flowersSM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122114442143063218" border="0" /></a><br />I know folks, it seems like you just can't escape the wonderful world of Mary when you come to this blog, but Mary Blair fever has spread (to my utter delight) across the net and the latest blogger to give homage to my favorite leading lady of illustration is Rob Richards over at <a href="http://animationbackgrounds.blogspot.com/">Animation Backgrounds</a>. I have been thrilled to no end over these last few days with Rob's focus on my favorite animated feature (and no less because Ms. Blair had such a huge hand in the concept), Alice in Wonderland, in his background series (above picture must be credited to Rob, and I hope he will allow this as my post here serves to bring him due praise for his work and to encourage readers to make their way to his blog).<br /><br />For those of you who haven't discovered the treasure trove of visual delights on Rob's blog, I urge, no, beg, you to stop by and take a good look at the hours of tedious laboring he's done to digitally recreate some of the most spectacular animation backgrounds (many of which are never fully visible by simply watching the flims alone). Fortunately for me, the latest focus on Alice has lead to some great discussion of Mary Blair's influence over the color styling for the movie and the likeness to her original concepts. In Monday's post, Richards observantly points out Mary's penchant for using two hues or tones of the same color in her own dress attire! (A lady who brings her sense of color and fantastic design to her own fashion - now there's a woman to love!) So please stop by Rob's blog (and send him well-wishes as he's in the recovery stages of minor surgery) and indulge in the Alice backgrounds that were strongly influenced by Ms. Blair's palette.Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-14032896365376209282007-10-16T21:17:00.001-04:002008-12-09T01:31:30.680-05:00Jantzen - Something to Remember<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_EQT_je20qn7srRRXkCikv_ujphuxxRkg7Vy87moauF9yVqw3STRnpIMsS4mjzSQG0ES7J-EJ7lVwKsqplG-AMDC0U75TE8717FnJHtrrIKLv072pw6wdaOK5uRN4S6ZJpqdECJcQTI/s1600-h/jantzen55romper01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_EQT_je20qn7srRRXkCikv_ujphuxxRkg7Vy87moauF9yVqw3STRnpIMsS4mjzSQG0ES7J-EJ7lVwKsqplG-AMDC0U75TE8717FnJHtrrIKLv072pw6wdaOK5uRN4S6ZJpqdECJcQTI/s400/jantzen55romper01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122113750653328546" border="0" /></a><br />Why don't they make them like this anymore? Remember when bathing suits were fashionable? Typically my blog posts don't wander into the realm of clothing and fashion, but in that these ads have some fantastic illustrations and great colors, I'm posting about them today. Further, great design need not be limited to the fantastic and intangible realms of fantasy and animation. Great design should extend to all areas of life, including, as it were, the every day swimsuit.<br /><br />A bit of a tangential remark here, I spent months searching desperately for an attractive, fashionable, vintage-esque one-piece bathing suit before the summer this year, with very little success. Evidently, skin is in, as it seems is the constant trend. In my opinion, the "less revealing" one piece Jantzen suits of the 1940's and 1950's are far more flattering and sexy than the barely there string bikinis that have deluged today's beach scene. But it may have a lot to do with the way these ads portray the product - the catchy colors and slogans (and maybe also the 18 inch waists of these bomshell models) - that makes them so appealing. Vintage ads have so much charm and the potential to lend valuable insight to graphic designers of today.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSxktz8OkLu1YVzPjN_7ye2-2OH-jBR0CtMaUGI5V-stGTNQzQ_7P07f23Yd060J8ykW8RJs3OHuH0nw6WrdwMcAk_RiMwrxtcXQozaRNVawXGUOn6RlpXAkMBLXtRXwo0Hs1pDY-3mk/s1600-h/43jantzenswimsuits.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSxktz8OkLu1YVzPjN_7ye2-2OH-jBR0CtMaUGI5V-stGTNQzQ_7P07f23Yd060J8ykW8RJs3OHuH0nw6WrdwMcAk_RiMwrxtcXQozaRNVawXGUOn6RlpXAkMBLXtRXwo0Hs1pDY-3mk/s400/43jantzenswimsuits.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122113729178492018" border="0" /></a><br />The above ad is credited to illustrator Pete Hawley. More information about this artist and his work abounds at <a href="http://todaysinspiration.blogspot.com/2006/01/thats-pete-hawley.html">Today's Inspiration</a> blog. The pictures posted come from two fantastic sites that I'm just having a love affair with lately: <a href="http://www.adclassix.com/index.html">AdClassix.com</a>, a great website that sells original vintage magazine ads and <a href="http://www.plan59.com/">Plan59.com</a>, a company originating just a few miles away in Fairfax, Virginia, that also features mid-century ads and illustrations. Ads are copyright of the Jantzen clothing company.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPyvtF0Ppk4sUdywRDkMpGiREQNs7QEpL4aPlruH-ZR0AEHNP9mLzHLXm6jzMyhfDeEOXPQYgolYtTN4hLxFjk_0pLUT5me8qtlq-Ob0lvYnwpFsD2Xs0aWbmv1arsnyRVGnnjDSEWho/s1600-h/images54jantzen.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPyvtF0Ppk4sUdywRDkMpGiREQNs7QEpL4aPlruH-ZR0AEHNP9mLzHLXm6jzMyhfDeEOXPQYgolYtTN4hLxFjk_0pLUT5me8qtlq-Ob0lvYnwpFsD2Xs0aWbmv1arsnyRVGnnjDSEWho/s400/images54jantzen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122113746358361234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmvWWocMQl67XN4nbd_0Z5bSAhBT36Uk6vpwHK8HSLeACDVrjKlMieNhj1-LSMYlTv2YEOBZQ3SdN8fZBrgzrnCY8pvU2rseTXbIpNlV_Nnqi31ohXznRWC0zvVyIkkw8wFk2Bi8sicA/s1600-h/55jantzenswimsuits2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmvWWocMQl67XN4nbd_0Z5bSAhBT36Uk6vpwHK8HSLeACDVrjKlMieNhj1-LSMYlTv2YEOBZQ3SdN8fZBrgzrnCY8pvU2rseTXbIpNlV_Nnqi31ohXznRWC0zvVyIkkw8wFk2Bi8sicA/s400/55jantzenswimsuits2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122113733473459330" border="0" /></a>Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-522204708260390522007-10-08T12:39:00.000-04:002008-12-09T01:31:31.027-05:00Tricks and Treats from Mary Blair<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEL39QDMQBDN6hSIo_rq6dWtNY1imykrYiwH5Yv7d-J3BTji0iEDv3G3PbrM9iqD12vcq12Y-j94rEbbEKtNfekRM1YTFJw5hvTKBKFIf_U7-ZeuyCubQpUVGOhHqPZFxxDQ27nhDvfE/s1600-h/Ichabod.jpeg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5119006689707023122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEL39QDMQBDN6hSIo_rq6dWtNY1imykrYiwH5Yv7d-J3BTji0iEDv3G3PbrM9iqD12vcq12Y-j94rEbbEKtNfekRM1YTFJw5hvTKBKFIf_U7-ZeuyCubQpUVGOhHqPZFxxDQ27nhDvfE/s400/Ichabod.jpeg" border="0" /></a> The crisp Autumn air, leaves crunching underfoot, all things culinary revolving around that heretofore <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">underappreciated</span> vegetable: the pumpkin, cozy wool sweaters, hot apple cider... who knew October could bring more thrills? Evidently it does...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-aEKKDtA3A0lzrKxyLpC2j653c_gq4Fok2pgJjue6oL4w4sXlmgg6Or-LFTjvluJUgdw0tZXqSWagz9WT_MExIVSBtXZPAC4A0NmgCZCfDpm9qb4td0CAKnzWx8ACg-FGVdvF7IqOois/s1600-h/WDAPP14.jpeg"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJo01DwYnn5kiAZl26W2ztc5eKb9-QgZqTzjgmIXgHKH6PRQaoMMhex36Ckccd1g3B1p5BsEzCn70JAkkepg40WOIHj94lS1cJgfk2y9yfppCz8cMiCmBXhw2NVQtFqgSlKo8tpxFHxMk/s1600-h/WDAPP15.jpeg"></a>I had put some of these Mary Blair concepts in a post draft with the intention of utilizing them to some degree in the spirit of October and Halloween and then was ecstatic to find <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Didier</span></span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Ghez's</span></span> (Disney History Blog for those of you who are unfamiliar) <a href="http://disneybooks.blogspot.com/2007/10/this-just-in-from-pete-docter-art-and.html">post</a> announcing the Mary Blair Exhibit planned for October 27, 2007 - March 18, 2008 (Coincidence the last day is my birthday? I think not...) So now I have a great reason to merge these two great ideas into one post for today.<br /><br />"The Art and Flair of Mary Blair" exhibition will be a retrospective of my favorite artist and yours, Mary Blair, held at The Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco. According to the Disney History Blog post,<br /><br /><em>This once-in-a-lifetime exhibition includes an array of Blair's groundbreaking concept art for classic Disney feature films... and theme parks and attractions... The Art and Flair of Mary Blair showcases the full scope of Blair's career as an artist and illustrator, including early watercolor paintings, commercial illustrations for such clients as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Hanes</span></span>, Pall Mall, and Baker's Chocolate, a selection of Blair's fine art, unpublished family photographs, and children¹s book illustrations, including pages from the classic Little Golden Book I Can Fly.</em><br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5119345880454257506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIOANyhfUu9jh67vQEZ8Fj1XfpJsvDYgr7-jxAFNx3xAwIHMSdSVN7az6p18tEuPhk3EGdpxJ11nY3FMNfILzYQPLS85ZCZVwVHziyB22qk8Z3LWwbJZZvAQQLyD4Bkdg9CoOe32GE4Hs/s400/WDAPP14.jpeg" border="0" /><br />Could I be more excited? I think not. This <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">occasion</span> definitely calls for a special trip up to San Francisco this Christmas, making the elation of Christmas in California that much greater. But for now anyway, the fruits of fall are ripe for the picking. In that spirit, I have posted these fantastic concept paintings for <em>The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad</em> by Mary Blair available for sale from the <a href="http://www.animationartgallery.com/">Wonderful World of Animation Art Gallery</a>. (This website, by the way has a great collection of Mary Blair concepts, but not without the price of a pretty penny.) As usual, Mary Blair delights us with a much darker side of the imagination - equally whimsical yet frightening. This just goes to show you her ability to tap into a variety of styles and moods was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">unparalleled</span>. I'm sure the paintings are stunning in person. If you have a spare 10 grand lying around you might be interested in buying. The rest of us will have to get our fill by visiting The Cartoon Art Museum this Fall.<br /><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5119345558331710290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7gMgbgG8HPEl3-ZWs0DL1Ymhl8zCnmc5T5YSf60tiyLcCJsULgLh1lWBJ82Agx5cr4C60I58VCEv9izhUk_exwdVmFRfhQMHopW6Ti_SpyKjTk9N1H9k6N8IQp8K6G-ynzzV2syMBos/s400/WDAPP15.jpeg" border="0" /><br />Addendum: The Cartoon Art Museum's Live Journal has updated its announcements to include the description of the Mary Blair exhibition <a href="http://cartoonart.livejournal.com/">here</a>. </div>Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-36421941241403671492007-09-27T22:24:00.001-04:002008-12-09T01:31:31.577-05:00Do Brasil!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQhEP4_6lrYJq2USfmIQ6iyo374VoPRULFzNh47BgFl5uipvF4Mu8-yBnM98LowSNPyHj1b6qgvGH-nmF9UzkMubQibnXuEwUdu2dd83pcEhSmL01LHu_r62rFxCWleVHM9debonBFhc/s1600-h/417px-Saludosposter.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5115075991472298690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQhEP4_6lrYJq2USfmIQ6iyo374VoPRULFzNh47BgFl5uipvF4Mu8-yBnM98LowSNPyHj1b6qgvGH-nmF9UzkMubQibnXuEwUdu2dd83pcEhSmL01LHu_r62rFxCWleVHM9debonBFhc/s400/417px-Saludosposter.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />My grandmother introduced me to "The Three Caballeros" when I was just a little girl. At the time I think I was too young to appreciate this oddity of a Disney film, preferring, as most children do, films like 101 Dalmatians and Sleeping Beauty. But I grew to love it. And looking back on it I can understand why Grandma loved it too. The movie captures something of the time splendidly: not just for the 1940's women in their Jantzen swimwear and red lipstick, but especially for the music - the big band style bossa nova songs, mixed with the sultry sambas, all of them somehow still reminiscent of the wartime era.<br /><br />As you may know, "Caballeros" and the film's prequel, "Saludos Amigos", were commissioned by the U.S. Department of State during WWII to build positive relations with and find allies in South and Central America. As the Wiki article notes, the most popular U.S. figure there was Mickey Mouse. Ironically, the Mouse was never included in either film, but instead Donald Duck was the highlighted star with appearances by Goofy and the newest character, Jose Carioca.<br /><br />But as I mentioned before, what really stands out about the films is the fantastic use of music - something, I would definitely say, the Disney films of late have been lacking. It's so easy to talk about how good animation/concept art plays a crucial role in a successful animated feature - and it does. But Walt knew that music also had the ability to heighten the senses and draw viewers into a film. Music played a crucial role in all of Disney's film, even cartoon shorts. Admittedly I may be a bit biased here in the selection of films I'm featuring in this post to serve as an example of the importance of music in animated film as I happen to love, and I do mean love, bossa nova.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmzBxH-eYZXa_J49_OdQIPlKEQh7MAMctoatgamCP_GmY2kKBtIr2jI8Khn12KMKHGcWp9GqbdVIAynuczVw0ws1dqkEp_Dnxp4uQ_OafSzhgwDkGrUvqwMOm4_mQ6KkrlMQ1Mj1hu3eg/s1600-h/aquarellaopening.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5115075995767266002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmzBxH-eYZXa_J49_OdQIPlKEQh7MAMctoatgamCP_GmY2kKBtIr2jI8Khn12KMKHGcWp9GqbdVIAynuczVw0ws1dqkEp_Dnxp4uQ_OafSzhgwDkGrUvqwMOm4_mQ6KkrlMQ1Mj1hu3eg/s400/aquarellaopening.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />But for Walt, this was a totally new style of music and type of film. Where on earth would he find music to accompany such a unique film? According to Daniella Thompson's extremely informative <a href="http://daniellathompson.com/ary/aquarela.html">website</a> on Brazilian composer Ary Barroso, this is ultimately how Walt selected the (now) most famous of the movies' songs, "Aquarela do Brasil", better known to us now as simply, "Brazil":<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">In August 1941, Walt Disney visited Brazil on a U.S. State Department Good Neighbor Policy mission. In Belém do Pará, he complained to journalist Celestino Silveira that the hotel band was playing only North American tunes. Silveira asked the musicians to play Brazilian music, and the pianist played “Aquarela do Brasil,” reportedly badly. On the flight from Belém to Rio de Janeiro, Disney discussed the creation of the Zé Carioca character and the kind of song that should accompany it. He remembered “Aquarela” and asked Silveira if he knew the composer. Silveira told him that he could present him the next day. The following day, Disney and Barroso met at a cocktail party given by the U.S. consulate at the hotel Glória in Rio. They conversed about the song, and right there it acquired the title “Brazil.”</span><br /><br />In addition to "Brazil", Disney incorporated the song "Na Baixa do Sapateiro", or "Bahia", into "The Three Caballeros" in 1944. "Brazil" has been covered by the likes of Carmen Miranda and bossa-nova legend Joao Gilberto, and evidently was voted the best Brazilian song of the Century.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOjENRBoielF4f7yBjMT7Xp_tduh7KTofZc7LCIjD2ybMTJkmXW-U4wqw4Rub8-vA0UJtWVuMsWWyh7UcsJ_ChxZ9IGeWSbKH232RQnWmhrB26dun6GRI4buguhuo3ht5nL8wQkZdwlI/s1600-h/disneybrazilposter-1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5115075995767266018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOjENRBoielF4f7yBjMT7Xp_tduh7KTofZc7LCIjD2ybMTJkmXW-U4wqw4Rub8-vA0UJtWVuMsWWyh7UcsJ_ChxZ9IGeWSbKH232RQnWmhrB26dun6GRI4buguhuo3ht5nL8wQkZdwlI/s400/disneybrazilposter-1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Where can you hear these tunes you ask? Well, have I got a treat for you. I stumbled upon a veritable goldmine while researching the net for this post. And don't be put off by the seemingly low-brow nature the name of the website conjures: <a href="http://www.kiddierecords.com/">KiddieRecords.com</a>. The truth is, this is a fantastic resource that converts and uploads a variety of mid-century children's records: album art, inserts, mp3 and all. So not only can you find and download music from series such as Howdy Doody and movies such as "The Three Caballeros", but you can also enjoy high-quality scans of the album art as well. It's an visual and audio treat all in one!<br /><br />You can enjoy music from <a href="http://www.kiddierecords.com/archive/week_18.htm">"Saludos Amigos"</a> and <a href="http://www.kiddierecords.com/archive/week_34.htm">"The Three Caballeros"</a> by clicking the appropriate link and opting to either stream the music or download the albums in their entirety. The LP album art from both movies is courtesy of the KiddieRecords.com sites and copyrighted by Disney. I would also like to point out that iTunes has really impressed me of late by adding heretofore rare and hard-to-find Disneyland Records and soundtracks to its downloads. Clicking on the <a href="http://ax.phobos.apple.com.edgesuite.net/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/browserRedirect?url=itms%253A%252F%252Fax.phobos.apple.com.edgesuite.net%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252FviewAlbum%253Fid%253D211193417%2526s%253D143441">iTunes</a> link will direct you to the "Saludos Amigos" album which is really a composite of "Saludos Amigos" and "The Three Caballeros" music. Be warned: this isn't the music directly from the movie's soundtrack (as far as I've found out that's only available on the LP's through the KiddieRecords.com site), it's a remake of all the songs and produced, again, in that 1940's style.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNGofnoOeej7sdxnU7Z7-smbij_udUglvDFcR6kO_4vAE1WM_H9GzkOMmby5hqthzT9n6kSNmpErhu-0E-UnS9YRVuzIiIluvzFBGCYQ4Kepq2bcVegxTJfeweB2_uBATQ96Ca-sXzlw/s1600-h/week_18-1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5115076000062233330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNGofnoOeej7sdxnU7Z7-smbij_udUglvDFcR6kO_4vAE1WM_H9GzkOMmby5hqthzT9n6kSNmpErhu-0E-UnS9YRVuzIiIluvzFBGCYQ4Kepq2bcVegxTJfeweB2_uBATQ96Ca-sXzlw/s400/week_18-1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngjlwgkmP3FsNipkFGDhr_BcUgtURm4XnIFSEGEKHgplETgX6XbUKp2_vSZgw82jX47qqsFgiZQ_gakzOdVZl5YWEzB2tXZDeZeDfC_MKKVmlANlVAatR8O6ZpKYmrlfkaiJteD20eEQ/s1600-h/week_34.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5115076000062233346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngjlwgkmP3FsNipkFGDhr_BcUgtURm4XnIFSEGEKHgplETgX6XbUKp2_vSZgw82jX47qqsFgiZQ_gakzOdVZl5YWEzB2tXZDeZeDfC_MKKVmlANlVAatR8O6ZpKYmrlfkaiJteD20eEQ/s400/week_34.jpg" border="0" /></a>Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com55tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-81714983440223072482007-09-26T00:55:00.000-04:002008-12-09T01:31:32.510-05:00An Illustrated Life Indeed<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDdzXVCdNq1OWDUTSYAM3nheKKCoper3lmVxXIM3jTJwXDjx4i58ZpTa4wWBXtN9gasitnM-mfkwR4qdTrFAGJ0davumYC3sGW_AwA6cMzi_2SJsnCrQKKwWZotcSb6FvgGjVSbKvB8bs/s1600-h/harper_soleandangelfish.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDdzXVCdNq1OWDUTSYAM3nheKKCoper3lmVxXIM3jTJwXDjx4i58ZpTa4wWBXtN9gasitnM-mfkwR4qdTrFAGJ0davumYC3sGW_AwA6cMzi_2SJsnCrQKKwWZotcSb6FvgGjVSbKvB8bs/s400/harper_soleandangelfish.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114373386362280530" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Image courtesy of </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.treadwaygallery.com/HarperExhibit/exhibit.html">TreadwayGallery.com</a><br /><br />I write this entry with the knowledge that this subject has already been touched on by the more popular illustration blogs around the net. But that said, it was only after my endless whining and lamenting to a close friend that everything I want to do has been done before that I was gently reminded that this blog is as much for my own fulfillment, if not more, as it is for my readers and visitors. So, despite posts on <a href="http://drawn.ca/2007/06/12/charley-harper-1922-2007/">DRAWN!</a>, <a href="http://www.cartoonbrew.com/books/charley-harper-an-illustrated-life">Cartoon Brew</a>, and <a href="http://illustrationfriday.com/blog/?p=283">Illustration Fridays</a> concerning Todd Oldham's book, <span style="font-style: italic;">Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life</span>, I post nevertheless.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMlOpNyQvyT78FsovCOvHFHGcQNcdAW4x14LtwHE6UTNZSeYv_xTVDFxs90BjSMui37YVZKgoeEsTmvxuN79HNOTFPCEjJ_3b4KA-uHGnrigMoymZag95H_u_CX_3SNtDO5nUeB-WnSU/s1600-h/charleyharper.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMlOpNyQvyT78FsovCOvHFHGcQNcdAW4x14LtwHE6UTNZSeYv_xTVDFxs90BjSMui37YVZKgoeEsTmvxuN79HNOTFPCEjJ_3b4KA-uHGnrigMoymZag95H_u_CX_3SNtDO5nUeB-WnSU/s400/charleyharper.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114376672012261986" border="0" /></a><br />I'm ashamed to say I did not know of mid-century illustrator Charles (aka "Charley") Harper before I saw <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Charley-Harper-Illustrated-Life/dp/0978607651">the book</a> in all its chromatic glory lying inconspicuously on a shelf cohabited by a stack of cable knit sweaters while at work at Anthropologie a few weeks ago. (But in my defense, as I stated in my first blog entry, this blog is an educational tool for me as well.) I cannot tell you how delightful it was to feast on the visual candy that the cover alone offers. It's a large book, 17 x 12 inches, and comes in a white cardboard box that mirrors the book's cover art. Inside is a comprehensive anthology of Harper's work dating from 1950 and covering Harper's artistic high-points, notably from his well known <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Giant-Golden-Book-Biology-Introduction/dp/B0006AXCJK"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Giant Golden Book of Biology</span></a> and his illustrations for Ford Times magazine.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXeapDoKnKePogVFfhmjLUC_-sran8fR3HyCCkHVMhLCDLDH6-PBew19-LlnMEBaZZUafIvicCmOCFCj4wM3HQMuCctB7ODo_6Rvr-MOn44L_O8copPOZ88LjQnSCfjfB46xUqWhjQWE4/s1600-h/51ejX8q06JL._SS500_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXeapDoKnKePogVFfhmjLUC_-sran8fR3HyCCkHVMhLCDLDH6-PBew19-LlnMEBaZZUafIvicCmOCFCj4wM3HQMuCctB7ODo_6Rvr-MOn44L_O8copPOZ88LjQnSCfjfB46xUqWhjQWE4/s400/51ejX8q06JL._SS500_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114372518778886642" border="0" /></a><br />Be warned: the book costs a pretty penny. The retail price is $200 (it can be found on Amazon for closer to $150), but it's still a bargain compared to The Giant Golden Book of Biology which is evidently fetching over $400 on Amazon these days. That said, An Illustrated Life is one of those books that is as much a collector's item as anything, meant to be treasured and well-maintained. As such, it's a must-have, despite the $200 price tag (I'll be adding this to my Christmas list).<br /><br />Sadly, however fittingly, Charley Harper passed away at the age of 85 this past June, the same month as the book release. Harper was a man of influential proportions, inspiring, according Cartoon Brew's Amid Amidi, artists such as Cliff Roberts, Scott Wills, and Nate Pacheco. His work has been described as "highly stylized" in a manner Harper himself dubbed "minimal realism." The use of shapes in their simplest forms, as an expression of geometric figures, delineates Harpers' work from other illustrationists of the time. In a fantastic interview with <a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://content.ornith.cornell.edu/UEWebApp/images/pub_world_of_birds.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Publications/Birdscope/Spring2006/world_birds.html&h=445&w=300&sz=35&hl=en&start=5&sig2=mhSbGykprBKPQ0Voqb2o-w&um=1&tbnid=iMNm2rG12SKFjM:&tbnh=127&tbnw=86&ei=M035RtyOO5uSeNus-ZcO&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbirds%2Band%2Bwords%2Bharper%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4GGIR_enUS217US217">Cornell's Lab of Ornithology</a>, Harper describes the process he uses to create a painting in this way: "I start with a sketch. For the Lab's painting, I cut out a lot of bird shapes and pushed them around until I was sure they were where I wanted them to be. This let me try different combinations and different compositions very easily, and then, when I finally decided where to put them, I stuck them down with rubber cement. That gave me the basis for the painting."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZoL53YbvYW5usan0l7V3IqgbINKhFWH-noGe09G2NLFJDygfRPHTaOwmKHZ3iUg-wxOpCY3U4otmhTtKTq5-OmA4QJkeGtkjYqVkhyphenhyphenKvhRP-Lxv_wdJy1wb4cBtSYGGJc1k0KTpYmTXA/s1600-h/arar01_harper.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZoL53YbvYW5usan0l7V3IqgbINKhFWH-noGe09G2NLFJDygfRPHTaOwmKHZ3iUg-wxOpCY3U4otmhTtKTq5-OmA4QJkeGtkjYqVkhyphenhyphenKvhRP-Lxv_wdJy1wb4cBtSYGGJc1k0KTpYmTXA/s400/arar01_harper.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114372523073853954" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> Image courtesy of Men's Vogue Online </span><br /><br />What fans may not know is that Charley had an incredibly ticklish sense of humor when it came to word play - word play that often performed a valuable role in the painting process as well as for the sheer humor illicited from its being used as a caption accompanying his paintings. This makes for twice the treat for fans like myself who have always loved the practice of melding poetry with image. What's more, is Harper's admittedly awful puns are so silly and absurd that they're really quite funny. Take, for example, the captioning (again courtesy of the Cornell Lab Interview) that accompanied his painting of a group of terns entitled "Tern, Stones, and Turnstones" originally published in Beguiled by the Wild, the Art of Charley Harper. It reads: "If you’re terned off--I mean, "turned" off--by puns, don't go away. The ol' punster has terned (make that "turned") over a new leaf. I promise not to punctuate this paragraph with such punishments as no stone unterned, no U-terns--no more awful puns. Just the facts: a Roseate Tern and some Ruddy Turnstones share a pebbly beach along the … WAIT! I CAN'T STAND IT ANY LONGER! Ternabout's fair play. No terning back now. The ol' punster has passed the point of no retern. --Charley Harper"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-_OJ7FuXQKqWiRPfhAXzeI5mBeQq7oUIlNHeQc3ERZQzCqJn0BI9g9g9WtHrj2F7wxCXP2kNN6Ho_4wyFAMaFikFXMPIPT8aXk8H6bvNAEQ3BEYkwdq6aKT4klsFb6mCsbGHdePZvKc/s1600-h/harper_cook.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-_OJ7FuXQKqWiRPfhAXzeI5mBeQq7oUIlNHeQc3ERZQzCqJn0BI9g9g9WtHrj2F7wxCXP2kNN6Ho_4wyFAMaFikFXMPIPT8aXk8H6bvNAEQ3BEYkwdq6aKT4klsFb6mCsbGHdePZvKc/s400/harper_cook.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114372651922872882" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7oW2rgWZZuaJ8cI-hLQUxJEvaRpwrpm41Efq5N4X7rzQ28qWfxIP7v26HbmcAsnQ7f4PC52TGy32SFvbMHGXNA1-QMLmElWi1FuLhg27AS_jLTbEclC_PIzwa7ElGNEe5gkmWJDRrAA4/s1600-h/bettycrockersdinnerfortwo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7oW2rgWZZuaJ8cI-hLQUxJEvaRpwrpm41Efq5N4X7rzQ28qWfxIP7v26HbmcAsnQ7f4PC52TGy32SFvbMHGXNA1-QMLmElWi1FuLhg27AS_jLTbEclC_PIzwa7ElGNEe5gkmWJDRrAA4/s400/bettycrockersdinnerfortwo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114372523073853970" border="0" /></a><br />Harper is also credited with illustrations from the Betty Crocker Cookbook, Dinners for Two. The Duotone illustrations are very reminiscent of prevailing mid-century art, but with a bit of a twist. <a href="http://www.scrubbles.net/mt-archive/000686.html">Scrubbles.net</a> has a nice devotional to Harper's work (cookbook image above courtesy of Scrubbles.net) and describes Harper's interlude with the Crocker cookbook in the following way: "The drawings exude a sophisticated whimsy -- and they're quite funny (in a sometimes sick way). Who else would decorate the meat section with a 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' scene?"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJn-CbjFc41cslP47QFqJN4dnh6GHrqvsJOqkMoC68OzSm5YPAaob_YykOE1_-i0Hr5l9H9N6vpZwjwDZk08yabeN9xAzEBGN1GkAVWRjjNHAb_E_bFJu1mLAKmNW3Ft-B1Z2X26IfIU/s1600-h/024.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJn-CbjFc41cslP47QFqJN4dnh6GHrqvsJOqkMoC68OzSm5YPAaob_YykOE1_-i0Hr5l9H9N6vpZwjwDZk08yabeN9xAzEBGN1GkAVWRjjNHAb_E_bFJu1mLAKmNW3Ft-B1Z2X26IfIU/s400/024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114372518778886626" border="0" /></a><br />Image courtesy of <a href="http://www.treadwaygallery.com/HarperExhibit/exhibit.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">TreadwayGallery.com</span></a><br /><br />Fortunately for us, an array of Harper's work is available in all its full-color splendor thanks to An Illustrated Life. Oldham's book is truly reverent of Harper's life and work and provides a wonderful point of reference for illustrators and illustration enthusiasts who love mid-century design (or all good design for that matter).Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-21801473278375569912007-09-19T23:48:00.000-04:002008-12-09T01:31:32.724-05:00And Speaking of the 1940's...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLhW8jjHTIFIOCgqzE-J07bMWb-YGxDREPW1sX2WEF9BrSLK54M1wCj21TNMyeJjyuIEwgsVaJqI55wZYtORQIFOS2LOeSUMm4RhWzxlybKAUJ6fFaQfajyr_7AkrcKxaLluqP6Oj2_I/s1600-h/1392852035_5c833e77fc.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLhW8jjHTIFIOCgqzE-J07bMWb-YGxDREPW1sX2WEF9BrSLK54M1wCj21TNMyeJjyuIEwgsVaJqI55wZYtORQIFOS2LOeSUMm4RhWzxlybKAUJ6fFaQfajyr_7AkrcKxaLluqP6Oj2_I/s400/1392852035_5c833e77fc.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112133193295196754" border="0" /></a><br />I wanted to encourage my small but loyal throng of readers to definitely check out Jenny Lerew's blog, <a href="http://blackwingdiaries.blogspot.com/">The Blackwing Diaries</a>, this week as I am completely thrilled with her recent post of illustrations from the storybook she acquired, Walt Disney's Fantasia's "Dance of the Hours", published in 1940. It's about time I paid my respects to Ms. Lerew as her blog has been very inspiring to me, and is foremost on my daily routine of blog stops. As a story artist at Dreamworks and CalArts graduate, Jenny has a <span style="font-style: italic;">wealth </span>of knowledge on all things illustration/animation/concept art with a love and respect for animation of days past that is really refreshing to find (her blog should be your first and last stop for anything Fred Moore related). She always posts beautiful and rare finds, often from her own collection of keepsakes.<br /><br />Fortunately for us, Jenny has taken on the laborious task of scanning and uploading images from her "Dance of the Hours" book which are really not to be missed. The above image comes direct from Ms. Lerew's blog, which I hope she will make an allowance for as the use is really intended to be a promotion for the post in its entirety which can only be viewed from Jenny's page. As always, this, along with other fabulous images, are coupled beautifully with her always intriguing anecdotes and intelligent story background. Thank you Ms. Lerew for keeping us both well-educated and well-entertained with your always insightful posts.Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-60142803211524641852007-09-19T22:37:00.000-04:002008-12-09T01:31:33.192-05:00The ABC's of Illustration<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqbxwWr8nGEVtGJQ6hfo9c06A2ValuD4btE7YO1anW2sZK3uHwlV3nKwmel4H63ceEc_Y35ungUHY7bV6wB25zM2FHm2GzSx3eDmGcMdZD9H_UUmt9xp-t79pFpUQ0gmJVTwKiRzYDLsw/s1600-h/DSCN4985.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqbxwWr8nGEVtGJQ6hfo9c06A2ValuD4btE7YO1anW2sZK3uHwlV3nKwmel4H63ceEc_Y35ungUHY7bV6wB25zM2FHm2GzSx3eDmGcMdZD9H_UUmt9xp-t79pFpUQ0gmJVTwKiRzYDLsw/s400/DSCN4985.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112124160978973202" border="0" /></a><br />For those of you who were worried I'd left and was never coming back... have no fear, I'm here with a vengeance to make-up for my lapse in posts! Since I last posted I picked up this ditty: <a href="http://www.greerchicago.com/shop/?act=product&product=421&color=0">ABC Alphabet Cards</a>. Kitsch, I know. Useless, I know. But totally adorable and worth having, yes. The cards are made by Cavallini Papers & Co., Inc. They really make the most splendid printed items: napkins, notebooks, and other useless frivolities like these cards which I admittedly bought just for the sheer pleasure of the adorable illustrations. The illustrations are vintage inspired with the "milk" for "M" painted delicately in an old glass bottle and the "garage" for "G" housing an old 1940's car inside.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfgQ9UMxeTLR0sUnAEsX9bpZehwuZ8EaCpRVjl2uBOyI_DZ3FlObLNIcYt2K7ZdY4FQfj1KrZIxizn-MN4MkzPGVBfuEDgoi_ApGioayJ9u2qeLIxD-hAye3fN4JVR0Mq3gRxT-qRCus/s1600-h/DSCN4986.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfgQ9UMxeTLR0sUnAEsX9bpZehwuZ8EaCpRVjl2uBOyI_DZ3FlObLNIcYt2K7ZdY4FQfj1KrZIxizn-MN4MkzPGVBfuEDgoi_ApGioayJ9u2qeLIxD-hAye3fN4JVR0Mq3gRxT-qRCus/s400/DSCN4986.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112124165273940514" border="0" /></a><br />I haven't quite figured out how to justify the purchase by making a practical use out of them. Of course in my head I like to think about saving them away until I have a little boy or girl and can add them to the assortment of other vintage inspired toys in his or her little nursery. Items like these really satisfy my need for both the whimsical side of art and creation and the more obsessive compulsive side of me which loves to see patterns and organization. This dichotomous obsession is probably also responsible for my love of illustration plates (such as the botanical prints featured in <a href="http://miscellainey.blogspot.com/2007/08/contrary-to-popular-belief-this-blog.html">one of my earlier posts</a>).<br /><br />Further, anytime one can make learning time play-time as well, and vice versa, I'm an immediate fan. (Granted I <span style="font-style: italic;">have</span> moved beyond my ABC's at this point.) But for children, the pairing is simply novel. Make education fun and children will remember what they're learning. So for the day I guess I'm reliving my childhood by learning my ABC's in a new and whimsical way. I hope you enjoy some of the illustrations as much as I do.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAXbaWThmpzMCqzmYAFPaBHB7iMiRcGt7A7vKmVTMqPjJJM4zQNpL9dXZjXyAm58brXGMLkz5tnnNu8Vt8VYlTjn2BgIT75Z8Z5qRU7z41UsmKBde-12DzhglX_WqGQ2HQm6ESyfw0IY/s1600-h/DSCN4991.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAXbaWThmpzMCqzmYAFPaBHB7iMiRcGt7A7vKmVTMqPjJJM4zQNpL9dXZjXyAm58brXGMLkz5tnnNu8Vt8VYlTjn2BgIT75Z8Z5qRU7z41UsmKBde-12DzhglX_WqGQ2HQm6ESyfw0IY/s400/DSCN4991.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112124169568907826" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-6KzNEHMZU24ORAL2vUdmPMPeP_6zHA2aWq3vTErdLJg94QuSKawIy68c8AyS6T7E9iq17fdBNzF7GPSJaEzOMkknE93XRCRqLefskHO9Lh8Npg1o_JBoYKDeHaYeSu5b-4TOnoE1TE/s1600-h/DSCN4999.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-6KzNEHMZU24ORAL2vUdmPMPeP_6zHA2aWq3vTErdLJg94QuSKawIy68c8AyS6T7E9iq17fdBNzF7GPSJaEzOMkknE93XRCRqLefskHO9Lh8Npg1o_JBoYKDeHaYeSu5b-4TOnoE1TE/s400/DSCN4999.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112124178158842434" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zmqpH2k87oAA2YapAzpSV3K4MCSrtCEasdUJyRYWd-akyeUKWU5oDzPpsEBCpQfmusozoVImMmxucaEupdPAXNRu6f14ormd0MG7w4jo8aA-hnlvmeH09jCD1ULAjAIa9xNTXtdC0bw/s1600-h/DSCN4991.JPG"><br /></a>Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-10998493093585212662007-09-11T01:48:00.001-04:002007-09-11T01:51:58.114-04:00How Walt Disney Cartoons are made<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><object height="350" width="425"><param value="http://youtube.com/v/mhfp6Z8z1cI" name="movie"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://youtube.com/v/mhfp6Z8z1cI" height="350" width="425"></embed></object></p><p>This is really entertaining, and even a bit educational, for those of you who haven't yet seen this video on YouTube. Here we see Walt Disney looking young and dashing in this documentary which doubled as a great press opportunity to advertise Walt's first full length feature film. What's really amusing is just how dated the film proves to be. The monotonic voice of the spokesman is made even funnier thanks to the repeated allusion to the ink & paint department's "pretty girls." (and they were even lucky enough to have an air-conditioned and well-lit room to perform their work in too!) The film also has some rare glimpses of the animation process back in the 1930's in action and a view of Snow White's test run in the movieola projector. Enjoy!</p></div>Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-65001343117897573922007-09-05T23:34:00.000-04:002008-12-09T01:31:34.558-05:00Of Paintings and Pumpkins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjoteoHiIcc3s_rANGixvWXhpaV6TdMxUk9-3tWVc1P9zye5mfePx8K2AekhFN71Y2GQDIswZyomUkxgFSos86xon_29i47OrNZAKkqkwPauEN2jIZmS4o4eyeNSEKrmSvfxcKZHOQt0/s1600-h/51Bgyw93t+L._SS500_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjoteoHiIcc3s_rANGixvWXhpaV6TdMxUk9-3tWVc1P9zye5mfePx8K2AekhFN71Y2GQDIswZyomUkxgFSos86xon_29i47OrNZAKkqkwPauEN2jIZmS4o4eyeNSEKrmSvfxcKZHOQt0/s400/51Bgyw93t+L._SS500_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106952470624677074" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDSYYPzUHnL8m3sYE8jHVdqVs2jaBuavCBqvVS-PKHkgx14nvrTDG9_-msKbvr-thMwN-M_vKAj4K4APOCLHgt0lP9mjX0vfprN6QCc_w7J2q2PZYCYHapNDgHaOlte4a5-7DYfTrQOe0/s1600-h/DSCN4930.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDSYYPzUHnL8m3sYE8jHVdqVs2jaBuavCBqvVS-PKHkgx14nvrTDG9_-msKbvr-thMwN-M_vKAj4K4APOCLHgt0lP9mjX0vfprN6QCc_w7J2q2PZYCYHapNDgHaOlte4a5-7DYfTrQOe0/s400/DSCN4930.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106952543639121138" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2a0W-47g8SX_yaM9qr_kIZfwb7RZZCLWkkTCGgS0i1p64WYFL3bLqmAIDdwFqzcQn0fexEdaBCiW6FC8AVm61Qs0fTdI7CR6BWNnMJMCFbiqdb8KIULgUSjHsWm3AiJz8j0OOpHHH8_M/s1600-h/DSCN4932.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2a0W-47g8SX_yaM9qr_kIZfwb7RZZCLWkkTCGgS0i1p64WYFL3bLqmAIDdwFqzcQn0fexEdaBCiW6FC8AVm61Qs0fTdI7CR6BWNnMJMCFbiqdb8KIULgUSjHsWm3AiJz8j0OOpHHH8_M/s400/DSCN4932.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106952586588794114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR2FLQjcYQVtDvbY-q5nRx4vTj44ku3zMwN6WH04bSE90A6LDW6n_edkFi6Kj1D2bAXcfs8o7b4tX1YEL-R0b9BVPBKcC1C38OBVfXQ0znQEeXTqPumEzDxfbHIBVKlgcBWDBqekjJOtw/s1600-h/DSCN4940.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR2FLQjcYQVtDvbY-q5nRx4vTj44ku3zMwN6WH04bSE90A6LDW6n_edkFi6Kj1D2bAXcfs8o7b4tX1YEL-R0b9BVPBKcC1C38OBVfXQ0znQEeXTqPumEzDxfbHIBVKlgcBWDBqekjJOtw/s400/DSCN4940.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106953492826893602" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHFCE07BuBzN9dcisGNbodozWtA4g04hJibNwe00chyphenhyphenBncZBvUPWnP1g9VWpc6gUMFlnKy307c4GWEkUZXF-G-U5J-FtB5rzOVJta9169OmnGZyspJsNlGmiAMhXt9Qw6CarTcN7I5UQ8/s1600-h/DSCN4936.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHFCE07BuBzN9dcisGNbodozWtA4g04hJibNwe00chyphenhyphenBncZBvUPWnP1g9VWpc6gUMFlnKy307c4GWEkUZXF-G-U5J-FtB5rzOVJta9169OmnGZyspJsNlGmiAMhXt9Qw6CarTcN7I5UQ8/s400/DSCN4936.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106954360410287442" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNmm158BszBPzy1JR1VbkmdQ11wJBwJyQXEYZlJu_E5L7JT0GRi1Oh0dIzKRazO4ff82njyawZgT6SP6zGRboL3SAnosl9Elsjl88S318gMJZl0eWbZgDB_5fk7xBjbnXJBeDNRbbJrg/s1600-h/DSCN4942.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNmm158BszBPzy1JR1VbkmdQ11wJBwJyQXEYZlJu_E5L7JT0GRi1Oh0dIzKRazO4ff82njyawZgT6SP6zGRboL3SAnosl9Elsjl88S318gMJZl0eWbZgDB_5fk7xBjbnXJBeDNRbbJrg/s400/DSCN4942.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106953565841337650" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3fr-o-PRDSR7XJVXFSyR_5Ft7hoQzntJHmMf2uY8MXYy3yH9BQnZNw_-uei4taaR8y4a7wL1SFsOED6TymGtrw-bXrlVQbktK3e51em8B9SZTwTayl4y4PyGaxZ4n5H5qBciXXOXyps/s1600-h/DSCN4922.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3fr-o-PRDSR7XJVXFSyR_5Ft7hoQzntJHmMf2uY8MXYy3yH9BQnZNw_-uei4taaR8y4a7wL1SFsOED6TymGtrw-bXrlVQbktK3e51em8B9SZTwTayl4y4PyGaxZ4n5H5qBciXXOXyps/s400/DSCN4922.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106955193633942898" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4ta97xS8TubihpU2407LeSBeBkYfSkCwXlTWVHbDryApfxFUQDJWDpQB5KaplTAo6Ya8X5xRugGPk2tu8kuSYJWQ630t0svMBCvgwNzSDDqYiBxLGH8vJ8ALF4Rghw7t0j2DNmU4laI/s1600-h/DSCN4944.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4ta97xS8TubihpU2407LeSBeBkYfSkCwXlTWVHbDryApfxFUQDJWDpQB5KaplTAo6Ya8X5xRugGPk2tu8kuSYJWQ630t0svMBCvgwNzSDDqYiBxLGH8vJ8ALF4Rghw7t0j2DNmU4laI/s400/DSCN4944.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106953647445716290" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84nZot3dQvyWHIoNGE3kriEmx5r8xNADtx5dr8sQQN79xiq0KcHXs9x4pP3KYW9we5iwblR5kz2A3SYytaPF4kcZfmgRUfb6rlQOHVHgUB_mDBQiMzABMIiZxQjmQ3nH_rNEXYphiy98/s1600-h/DSCN4949.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84nZot3dQvyWHIoNGE3kriEmx5r8xNADtx5dr8sQQN79xiq0KcHXs9x4pP3KYW9we5iwblR5kz2A3SYytaPF4kcZfmgRUfb6rlQOHVHgUB_mDBQiMzABMIiZxQjmQ3nH_rNEXYphiy98/s400/DSCN4949.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106954377590156642" border="0" /></a><br />I've been dying to put these up. Just dying - ever since that inconspicuous brown box from Amazon.com arrived on my doorstep a week ago. And it's really a crime that I didn't do this sooner, but what are you going to do? What box, you ask? My long awaited copy of Walt Disney's book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cinderella-Cynthia-Rylant/dp/1423104218"><span style="font-style: italic;">Cinderella</span></a> retold by Cynthia Rylant and last, but most importantly, illustrated by Mary Blair. Just when I think my faith in the Walt Disney company couldn't sink any lower (*ahem* see post: "<a href="http://miscellainey.blogspot.com/2007/08/disneylands-saddest-hour.html">Disneyland's Saddest Hour</a>"), they blow me out of the water with something like this. Amen sisters.<br /><br />But all joking aside, this really is a fantastic book. First of all, it's authored by Newberry Medal winner Cynthia Rylant. In true Disney fashion, this book appeals to both children and adults alike. The prose is both simple and poignant - a testament to Rylant's remarkable writing skills. The back of the book reads simply "In silence, Love found them."<br /><br />Rylant's beautiful storytelling ability is bested only by Mary Blair's illustrations. Words really can't describe them. They are simply lovely, as all of her work is. As we all know by now Mary Blair is without a doubt my favorite concept artist. Perhaps even my favorite artist of all time. Clearly John Canemaker's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flair-Mary-Blair-John-Canemaker/dp/0786853913/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-1067818-0307257?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189052217&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Art and Flair of Mary Blair</span></a> is a book collection essential for fans of her work, but that book doesn't contain the wealth of concept paintings from Cinderella alone that Walt Disney's <span style="font-style: italic;">Cinderella</span> does.<br /><br />Seeing Blair's illustrations right alongside the story's words, it becomes clear why Mary Blair was such an outstanding storyboard/concept artist. Despite the flatness of colors and the simple forms Blair is able to accurately capture something so many artists miss: the <span style="font-style: italic;">mood</span>. Blair had an uncanny talent for harnessing the contrast of dark and light to create an incredibly accurate mood that words alone cannot adequately portray. In other words, <span style="font-style: italic;">they translate</span>.<br /><br />Over and over again what I hear about animation, cartoons, and story-telling in general is that the images must <span style="font-style: italic;">translate</span>. If an image doesn't translate, it's pretty much DOA - Dead on Arrival. A successful illustration must translate, and then it must <span style="font-style: italic;">re</span>late. It's no wonder that Disney, despite the flatness of her designs and lack of realism in her paintings, was a huge fan of Blair's work. Her job wasn't to animate objects in a believable manner, it was to conceive, <span style="font-style: italic;">conceptualize,</span> a story and to set the tone and mood for the animators to follow. Disney certainly knew what he was doing when he hired Blair. Her illustrations helped bring two of Disney's most successful films to fruition: Peter Pan, and, of course, Cinderella (I'd like to argue for <span style="font-style: italic;">three</span> successful films and include <span style="font-style: italic;">Alice</span> in this list, but sadly, at the time it premiered it was pretty much a flop. See: Through the Looking Glass- Reflections on <a href="http://miscellainey.blogspot.com/2007/08/walt-disney-family-museum-website-has.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Alice</span></a>).<br /><br />I commend Disney for overseeing the release of this lovely book, I really do. It's refreshing to see quality children's books being published, especially with dazzling illustrations. And, just when I thought I couldn't take any more excitement, <a href="http://www.cartoonbrew.com/books/new-this-week-mary-blairs-cinderella">rumors</a> have been stirring about that Disney Press has both <span style="font-style: italic;">Alice in Wonderland </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Peter Pan</span> books with Blair's illustrations in the works. I tell ya folks, I couldn't be any happier than a five year old kid on Christmas.Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-27706344555958469992007-09-03T22:35:00.000-04:002008-12-09T01:31:35.173-05:00Back to the Old Drawing Board<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0j4w6JpgPFx2axnbu4puot6jgCkaazJnsKnEajjfOMJYZ2PAom8KiQnemi8YvIrJ2d8e9ZTalFz1AX3KnFIu5KmaQpB2okwWOdsReRcpykUL1lq_lnHjex9D3eOK0p19_xUT8cbeOI4/s1600-h/vincent2drawingboardka6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106172719312088194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0j4w6JpgPFx2axnbu4puot6jgCkaazJnsKnEajjfOMJYZ2PAom8KiQnemi8YvIrJ2d8e9ZTalFz1AX3KnFIu5KmaQpB2okwWOdsReRcpykUL1lq_lnHjex9D3eOK0p19_xUT8cbeOI4/s400/vincent2drawingboardka6.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Today's post comes about from a smattering of posts around the bloggosphere that I've noticed lately concerning a very fundamental, but oft overlooked truth about creating art. Whether illustrating children's books, animating cartoons, or creating charactures (list not exclusive), it is absolutely crucial that an artist be well-educated (and well-practiced) in drawing. Friend and skilled draughtsman <a href="http://brentsdrawingboard.blogspot.com/">Brent Eviston</a> (his art featured above) beautifully describes the importance of having a thorough understanding of the foundations of drawing in this way:<br /><br />There are numerous master painters throughout history who have insisted on seeing only aspiring apprentices drawings, not paintings, in order to see whether they had any future in art. I believe that this is because of the immediacy and honesty of a drawing. The immediacy of a thought translated directly into line and the honesty of a medium which, unlike paint, cannot be easily covered or edited. Every line drawn rests on the surface as a record of exactly what the artist was thinking.<br /><br />When you think of it this way, all the other fluff you add to a drawing like color and texture is really just, well, fluff.<br /><br />There is a sad phenomenon happening in many of the art schools around the country. Lately, it seems, colleges and universities are more intent on cultivating "creativity" and "free-thinking" than students who are armed with the fundamental skills that launching an art career requires. And please, before you start labeling me as one of those hyper-conservative, stodgy old-fogey types who's hell-bent on poo-pooing anything new or revolutionary, understand that I value creativity and free-thinking as much as the next liberal. But sheer creativity does not an artist make. There have been plenty of "creative" and "free-thinking" inventors, scientists, doctors and politicians. And many of them contributed invaluable tools, laws, and medicines that would never have been possible had they lacked the necessary "creative" and "outside of the box" thinking that those contributions required. But the same is true for all of them as it is for artists: behind every successful "creative genius" lies a person armed with specific learned tools of the trade - tools that make the implementation of creativity successful and that give ideas the necessary structure to flourish.<br /><br />It's something so instinctual, something so ingrained in us since childhood, yet still so easy to just gloss over. Just as a student can't be expected to calculate mathematic derivations without first knowing how to add, subtract and multiply, neither can we expect an artist to successfully create a believable landscape in oils unless he or she understands the basic principles of line, perspective, and light. And too often for artists drawing becomes a chore ("ugh I should be keeping my sketchbook with me and doing short studies while I'm riding the metro in the morning"). But just as doing higher order trig functions requires years of practicing times-table drills, so does creating successful art require putting in hours of quick sketches and gesture drawings.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.animationarchive.org/2007/08/biography-training-of-golden-age.html">ASIFA Hollywood Animation Archives </a>had a fantastic post up last week about artist Carlo Vinci. Behind this man, a master of animation, was someone skilled across the board in a host of types and styles of art formally trained at The National Academy of Design in New York City. The moral, as the article points out, is this:<br /><br />If you're an animation student, focus on your core art skills, regardless if you plan to do hand drawn, CGI, cut out or puppet animation. Computer programs will come and go...Demand that your school provide you the same quality of education that Carlo Vinci had. Work hard. Study to become an ARTIST...Vinci's job was to animate, but his occupation was ARTIST. The same was true of most of the other great talents in animation- Marc Davis, Milt Kahl, Grim Natwick... The reason they were great animators was because they were great artists.<br /><br /><br />Vinci, best known for his animation of The Flinstones, was also responsible for producing outstanding drawings like the one featured below (courtesy of the ASIFA website).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRSW5bCfQnFhc_b_BePizuhhpbjhiFezADzWeh1jJePT06ZGas5bg54iDRq3ciO5MIYHgD7EYxiSTNg9zFlWLsNkiLv1bDCZcnNYwyzMdy-wfPSc7Thk7ULA8uZaJtaryNr5cXcJ5NFak/s1600-h/vincipainting11.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106172719312088210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRSW5bCfQnFhc_b_BePizuhhpbjhiFezADzWeh1jJePT06ZGas5bg54iDRq3ciO5MIYHgD7EYxiSTNg9zFlWLsNkiLv1bDCZcnNYwyzMdy-wfPSc7Thk7ULA8uZaJtaryNr5cXcJ5NFak/s400/vincipainting11.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I was really inspired this week by some fantastic figure drawings by <a href="http://cartooncave.blogspot.com/2007/08/heather.html">Pete Emslie</a> on his Cartoon Cave blog (see my noteworthy links). He posts some fantastic examples of gestures (see below for some of the drawings courtesy of Pete's blog) as well as more detailed portraits of one of his regular models, Heather. What's particularly fascinating is seeing Emslie's transition between close-to-life drawings and the caricatured product. I strongly encourage you to look at the drawings on his website to see how important that base in good technical drawing skills is to producing well-constructed caricatures and cartoons.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBprFXFKUfbvBRGQoQWXOhUH4qUBIQZkGIAx8dSSDpqbsAERbKCFR2lbcy2trjR_D9k_OaUXp5g8C-pY85kLqDuj_yiBvW6pzYtjN5PHxY2DwxdgcB3B_x6sq8ekik-b8o-GwO1T3ve4/s1600-h/Heather+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106172715017120866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBprFXFKUfbvBRGQoQWXOhUH4qUBIQZkGIAx8dSSDpqbsAERbKCFR2lbcy2trjR_D9k_OaUXp5g8C-pY85kLqDuj_yiBvW6pzYtjN5PHxY2DwxdgcB3B_x6sq8ekik-b8o-GwO1T3ve4/s400/Heather+1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzw86GWfXpzo6ZkTESaNGicKteO-rpyeLulN6ZFOED7_JtlWQQ0MU-ycceQ_qG8XPc5_3teEiEHzq56N7vsycZeCDxxslsAG1HIRXKNxxniuTarTnb82VjNEQwX0PZwADdZKPPcyMQUu4/s1600-h/Heather+Gestures.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106172715017120882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzw86GWfXpzo6ZkTESaNGicKteO-rpyeLulN6ZFOED7_JtlWQQ0MU-ycceQ_qG8XPc5_3teEiEHzq56N7vsycZeCDxxslsAG1HIRXKNxxniuTarTnb82VjNEQwX0PZwADdZKPPcyMQUu4/s400/Heather+Gestures.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />There really is no substitute for a solid background in drawing and the fundamental concepts of line and construction in an artists repertoire of tools. Similarly, there are no shortcuts to having outstanding drawing abilities save taking the time to sketch on a regular basis to keep yourself sharp. So this week, for all of you artists reading, take some time to give your art, whether paintings, graphic designs, cartoons, or illustrations, a solid scaffold to run on and get back to the old... well, you know.Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-16924113619301647932007-08-28T15:17:00.001-04:002008-12-09T01:31:35.724-05:00Brer Rabbit Car Commercial<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TbMZKxZ6Ips"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TbMZKxZ6Ips" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />I thought I'd share with you all this 1955 American Motors commercial that I found on YouTube a while back as it's really quite amusing. Many of you may know that Disney dabbled in TV commercials when the studio's budget was tight back in the 40's and 50's. At the time, Disney was recovering from the financial setbacks of World War II while also trying to launch Disneyland's opening and its new television series <em>Disneyland</em>. To help offset the costs, Disney began producing TV commercials like the one feature above.<br /><br />A great <a href="http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=pageone&article_no=2986">article</a> from Animation World Magazine written by Jim Korkis documents Walt Disney's production of these commercials and includes interviews with Disney veterans about this era. According to Korkis, Disney produced two kinds of commercials: those "featuring the classic Disney characters primarily for sponsors of the Disneyland television program like American Motors and Derby Foods" and others "for a variety of other accounts, often creating memorable new advertising character icons from Tommy Mohawk for Mohawk Carpets to Fresh up Freddie for the 7-Up soft drink."<br /><br />Korkis' interview with Harry Tytle reveals the frustrating nature of these commercial contracts, citing Disney's sentiment that there was "no residual value" and that they were entirely at the "whim of the client." But these commercials brought in big bucks for the company at a time when capital was needed to help launch Disney's success.<br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104169013989288946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7GiEwBduO3bELYW6Dbgd9SBYkk0r9aVbwZEYcXTUMtX1RADA58jebOjL9TBioAhTYl1grwoHMPDryD1EH83ZiYnK1YO3WbJTWZhMpRF-YbbnKl3LU2X4b1WmSOigLqcgWol-d7AZgXI/s400/250px-Brer-Rabbit.jpg" border="0" /><br />It's interesting how different these commercial characters were as opposed to their feature-film counterparts. I've posted a black and white picture of Brer Rabbit above from the film for comparison. In the film, Brer Rabbit has much rounder, soft features and is less stylized in the modern mid-century fashion than the commercial character is. The commercial animation and designs were likely a product of Tom Oreb's. They do resemble the work Oreb did for similar cartoons like the <a href="http://www.cartoonbrew.com/advertising/mickey-styled">Mickey Mouse American Motors commercial</a> and the Peter Pan peanut butter commercials. (A character model sheet for the Peter Pan commercial is pictured below copyright of the Walt Disney company and courtesy of the Animation World Magazine.) </p><p><br /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104169018284256258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjA4HPzdvllHFDrSNES_ETtw_yfd-4ozln6enLwwcAibxNLCE5pw-hyrJVNAhyphenhyphenIOfi9zsmBHTXN3a2wm4HvCAGHMsjwMNOfjf-an9ggbK22iuhbVdcOx7wk_iYLCgvLBgBqH24rfirho/s400/korkis03_oreb_panb.jpeg" border="0" /><br />The American Motors "Nash Rambler" commercial really struck me as unusual, particularly because Disney never released the movie Song of the South to home video or DVD as a result of the racial controversy surrounding the film. Offhand, it seemed like an unusual choice to use the Brer characters, particularly since the film had been released in theaters some nine years earlier. Additionally, other major feature films such as Peter Pan, Cinderella, and Alice in Wonderland were hitting theaters during these years.<br /><br />As it turns out, the choice to use <em>Song of the South</em> characters was maybe not so random as it first appeared. Evidently, as a promotional tool, the Disney company had launched a <em>Song of the South </em>based cartoon strip entitled <em>Uncle Remus & His Tales of Brer Rabbit </em>in 1945 before the movie was released. This cartoon strip was popular enough to continue running for <em>30 years </em>after its original launch, making the characters well-known. An example of the cartoon strip is posted below courtesy of <a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.lambiek.net/artists/m/murry_paul/murry_panchito1945.jpg&imgrefurl=http://lambiek.net/artists/m/murry_paul.htm&amp;h=192&w=435&sz=27&hl=en&start=16&sig2=y0iAyq3wOHTesT79HQfV2A&um=1&tbnid=QYrSiYL6UBFC6M:&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;tbnh=56&tbnw=126&ei=C6PVRuSnDKKEeKndqM8M&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsong%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bsouth%2Bcomic%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4GGIR_enUS217US217%26sa%3DN">Lambiek.net</a> whose webpage goes further into depth on Paul Murry, the illustrator of the <em>Uncle Remus</em> Sunday comic strip, and other comic strips he illustrated.</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104169018284256274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhf_RLz9QgShHAPAE2PzDxBflfvyWIGL0M1N3I2X4HY-IqxKk6CsbYFlRJMBLXGmHd-pSq_cRAhwz67xBLxyseD9FXMlK55xo-o93gCoYZ9O56z3a1LnDsXoDLvKNNa74ldFvQFudIUc/s400/murry_paul_brerrabbit.jpeg" border="0" /></p>Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-877433208564000852007-08-27T01:05:00.000-04:002008-12-09T01:31:35.916-05:00A Note of Thanks to 2719 Hyperion!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigojGhuvADRdOoE-MHjeUVizseJyAVPsBvP9SRzmFWzBjXnEmtjrIs87OghBsvEzIDk8s4IRuuuUEzzIGMPaCER-pBWp9FkGnBbqaDVVvdO4BM8dhkk2sts4Rn5g2fZISaW4TW9k2OVwk/s1600-h/gse_multipart29328.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103247180863581122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigojGhuvADRdOoE-MHjeUVizseJyAVPsBvP9SRzmFWzBjXnEmtjrIs87OghBsvEzIDk8s4IRuuuUEzzIGMPaCER-pBWp9FkGnBbqaDVVvdO4BM8dhkk2sts4Rn5g2fZISaW4TW9k2OVwk/s400/gse_multipart29328.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I just wanted to send a warm thank you to Jeff Pepper over at <a href="http://2719hyperion.blogspot.com/">2719 Hyperion</a> for featuring my blog on his Sunday post<a href="http://2719hyperion.blogspot.com/2007/08/find-your-way-to-miscellainey.html"></a>! I'm extremely honored and humbled by his kind words. My little blog here is just getting underway and it's so encouraging to know others are taking notice and enjoying my material! For those of you who haven't made your way to 2719 Hyperion yet, this is the place for Disneyphiles to be. Jeff continues to delight with lots of inside material on both current Disney news and peeks into Disney history. His blog is a great forum for animation and cartoon enthusiasts alike. One of my favorite posts from August is entitled <a href="http://2719hyperion.blogspot.com/2007/08/another-drive-down-road-ahead.html">"Another Drive Down the Road Ahead"</a> which features the little-known Disney short "Magic Highway USA" - another great mid-century, sci-fi type cartoon. I definitely encourage readers enjoying my blog to make 2719 Hyperion a regular stop as it's always one of mine. Thanks again to Jeff and everyone who has stopped by and commented here at Miscellainey as a result of Jeff's post!Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-82260404636310315612007-08-26T22:22:00.000-04:002008-12-09T01:31:37.796-05:00Neverland Nostalgia<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsO4NOfjYDU3RBomG3NMxpbj69ZLvQg6-SokeS_7agaRltJ-FtlgOmR3DhkvD0xnmJ3k2886UyEnW1MA4VlCtbP-vKwGT02S8XGQj8ABIczxzl463hqLE0TPOUM7dWMINExKrKCrwk6gU/s1600-h/PeterPanBook.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsO4NOfjYDU3RBomG3NMxpbj69ZLvQg6-SokeS_7agaRltJ-FtlgOmR3DhkvD0xnmJ3k2886UyEnW1MA4VlCtbP-vKwGT02S8XGQj8ABIczxzl463hqLE0TPOUM7dWMINExKrKCrwk6gU/s400/PeterPanBook.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103232109823339378" border="0" /></a><br />Happy Sunday everyone! I thought I'd post some end of the week eye candy: images from my 1952 Peter Pan Big Golden Book. As you can see from the title page, the credits simply say "Illustrations by the Walt Disney Studio" with pictures adapted by John Hench and Al Dempster.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXq5E8YDN_T09HXJBs5tc1ADSJpKqpr9TnClyK-H-KA51a-jbYWp272Fp91bgiQpGaaNSc7IiTEjVVrCdN1BVrWG6wEJxGLdwLpjV51aixturUsECC9KJpDHHikqHduz_G60CHGeB4LI8/s1600-h/OpeningPage.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXq5E8YDN_T09HXJBs5tc1ADSJpKqpr9TnClyK-H-KA51a-jbYWp272Fp91bgiQpGaaNSc7IiTEjVVrCdN1BVrWG6wEJxGLdwLpjV51aixturUsECC9KJpDHHikqHduz_G60CHGeB4LI8/s400/OpeningPage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103233651716598690" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifBD9sWfgOoL1DQQuIFfG2OZnWWPG5MZFxPlOTmDtBOaEJxnkW4QdegNhEjSzxlaQHmbqLUohb2zvOXenkDfOsS2D-Ez2N3El77CMXRvykRtafcJ4bHrr3b12MeOaj8wCAXDTC6for15U/s1600-h/Page1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifBD9sWfgOoL1DQQuIFfG2OZnWWPG5MZFxPlOTmDtBOaEJxnkW4QdegNhEjSzxlaQHmbqLUohb2zvOXenkDfOsS2D-Ez2N3El77CMXRvykRtafcJ4bHrr3b12MeOaj8wCAXDTC6for15U/s400/Page1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103232105528372066" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaW3yVvQmFLTLs1ExnT9sXOTL2Ju0zDM2-OdX5vrnsEpo1WHaz1c47IRXKH8i4N6I3vA9cs-illvE6EgyEcM67rYE1IBYZSLWRprDOBLTqMJje6DbVCiIOKjWd2msTIVv12-voP3xIAr0/s1600-h/LostBoys.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaW3yVvQmFLTLs1ExnT9sXOTL2Ju0zDM2-OdX5vrnsEpo1WHaz1c47IRXKH8i4N6I3vA9cs-illvE6EgyEcM67rYE1IBYZSLWRprDOBLTqMJje6DbVCiIOKjWd2msTIVv12-voP3xIAr0/s400/LostBoys.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103232088348502834" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhke89KHpP5JgaljjAP9d9DBR6FRpaW21XDh7Lww1MgBMAUjpxcOfP_towLt4VLKYOxgOqM77zlKYFrZNhE6-OUKLyOV_9fyXpN6j2B5BYOoSIWItYNqcN3LX849RpfUM9FFk6p9gCPt8I/s1600-h/Mermaids.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhke89KHpP5JgaljjAP9d9DBR6FRpaW21XDh7Lww1MgBMAUjpxcOfP_towLt4VLKYOxgOqM77zlKYFrZNhE6-OUKLyOV_9fyXpN6j2B5BYOoSIWItYNqcN3LX849RpfUM9FFk6p9gCPt8I/s400/Mermaids.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103232092643470146" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNLk0fdE2A-gcS7-phhpEmIvaLORE6xvaGN6aS8CUIPg1QBjbSnZO8BZsccFFFUIZbye_8unvgrUv5A8NAFp713UY0s6-Cao2Au0pKS1PNOW_Q0-Di9WcpZJ7a8Brw8I2uTCzywIW_2U/s1600-h/pirates.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNLk0fdE2A-gcS7-phhpEmIvaLORE6xvaGN6aS8CUIPg1QBjbSnZO8BZsccFFFUIZbye_8unvgrUv5A8NAFp713UY0s6-Cao2Au0pKS1PNOW_Q0-Di9WcpZJ7a8Brw8I2uTCzywIW_2U/s400/pirates.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103232315981769602" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88NrFtynAxqmzvkSbdRf9rzwGm8uQ5tg9HgtfCv4cTEjjxHvqghy9RZmr6MCyK-zByUATZf029Jc7uMUjR8wwsmQzUZ-t1I4poe7anj8kN5Ej6M13mhA9T7S73eI1VMAdqu-A-Afppi4/s1600-h/DSCN4894.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88NrFtynAxqmzvkSbdRf9rzwGm8uQ5tg9HgtfCv4cTEjjxHvqghy9RZmr6MCyK-zByUATZf029Jc7uMUjR8wwsmQzUZ-t1I4poe7anj8kN5Ej6M13mhA9T7S73eI1VMAdqu-A-Afppi4/s400/DSCN4894.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103235146365217714" border="0" /></a>Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-71989391182230157332007-08-20T00:05:00.001-04:002008-12-09T01:31:38.937-05:00Disneyland's Saddest Hour<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNq7k2R8Rx1ErRuxu9jR8Y2Ov3jkK4IW-R29rTntJ04WPfwhzlVGjqBdosDMBQNDVpXrcgGDxJyDF9z4rkCUVeF510gwgAfaQlJs_QglEjLU0GR5nNAeLZ1uVF5kn_THlym95wsNNeJK8/s1600-h/450px-Gallery_Steps.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNq7k2R8Rx1ErRuxu9jR8Y2Ov3jkK4IW-R29rTntJ04WPfwhzlVGjqBdosDMBQNDVpXrcgGDxJyDF9z4rkCUVeF510gwgAfaQlJs_QglEjLU0GR5nNAeLZ1uVF5kn_THlym95wsNNeJK8/s400/450px-Gallery_Steps.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100998357462231842" border="0" /></a><br />Friends, easily coming in as the saddest news I've received in the last week is Disneyland's little publicized closing of The Disney Gallery located above the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction in New Orleans Square on August 7. I know it may seem trivial, but this closing has come as one more in a series of knives in the gut from Disney which on some level is about as heartbreaking as the loss of a close loved one. My emotions are a slurry of disbelief, sadness, and anger.<br /><br />As it has been pointed out by fellow <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">disneyphiles</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">bloggers</span>, The Disney Gallery was perhaps one of the only corners of the park which provided valuable respite in the often overcrowded magic kingdom. But aside from the calm solitude of the Disney Gallery, was something truly irreplaceable. The Disney Gallery was one of the few remaining locations where classic and unadulterated Disney magic was present. And to the few park visitors who opted to skip out on another ride on Splash Mountain or a trip to the Emporium to grab one more overpriced stuffed Pooh bears and visit the Gallery instead awaited a real treasure trove - a place for "insiders."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfbVLTwx_Vi0pYMdNkBqaowPi5-lIy3eEmGMoUwnl1RdPNeFYgVdVq6_YDPOg6qOJAvqh9fRkeYFoUuhZLJTBbZaXCu9-OEIrwYMhttJbOwZYfPTyMBZ1T_CGw7DQlXg1ekcOix_DGBg/s1600-h/Redmond_Gallery.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfbVLTwx_Vi0pYMdNkBqaowPi5-lIy3eEmGMoUwnl1RdPNeFYgVdVq6_YDPOg6qOJAvqh9fRkeYFoUuhZLJTBbZaXCu9-OEIrwYMhttJbOwZYfPTyMBZ1T_CGw7DQlXg1ekcOix_DGBg/s320/Redmond_Gallery.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100996665245117170" border="0" /></a><br />Many of you know may know that the Gallery location was originally intended to home a private apartment for Walt. The above painting by Dorthea Raymond illustrates the original concept of that apartment, which unfortunately for Walt but fortunately for park visitors was slashed after Walt died and before the space was completed. Since that time, the space has housed a magical world where original art and one of a kind collectibles and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">souvenirs</span> (I hesitate to use that word as the mere thought of it conjures up all kinds of bad Disney marketing images like mountains of Buzz <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Lightyear</span> light-up spinner wands) could be found.<br /><br />Merely being present in the location brought a sort of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">camaraderie</span> among the Gallery visitors far above the bustle below. I'd like to recount such a special visit that I had there at least three or four years ago while I was still an aspiring animator/illustrator. I spent one afternoon voraciously studying art pieces on display for Disneyland’s 50<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">th</span> Anniversary celebration at The Disney Gallery in Disneyland (this has always been infinitely more exciting to me than Space Mountain). I think I had my eyeball nearly as close to the glass of one such drawing as humanly possible in order to see every pencil stroke – each one so fluid, yet with perfect precision – and was marveling over the idea that Ward Kimball or Marc Davis’ hands had actually floated over these pages to create the flawless lines when I was approached by a gentleman of about 40. His name, as I recall, was Joe Hadar, a Disney animator who was being let go by the company, as many animators were at that time, and who had decided to spend one of his last days before leaving his job at Disneyland, and here in The Gallery no less.<br /><br />Evidently the curious sight of this young girl taking so much time to take in every drawing caused him to inquire about my penchant for studying such small details that most visitors, especially at my age, would have walked by without a thought. When he found out I was an aspiring animator he became very enthusiastic, leading to a nearly hour-long conversation. That encounter was truly inspiring. Here was a world fast being overtaken by the art of computer animation, an art which had more or less put him out of a job temporarily, but he was passionate as ever to have found a young person that cared about the labor and care of the original hand-drawn art created by the masters before us. He insisted that I needed the book <span style="font-style: italic;">Nine Old Men</span>, which I've mentioned in an earlier post, and even offered to buy it for me. He told me that in that business one needs as many friends and contacts and possible, and offered up his phone and e-mail should my endeavors require it. My heart breaks for young people like me who will never get to experience that specialness the Disney Gallery held.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7UV-IaM2lMbu6L9-zZtfVzkZi665oENSoHEbZRs-Is0TFejBwe0Cw9kS7CvUWURmbEoTZ6ziwBzlsNZMZafmklj9IYH_awlQTe5ypC3BicQWHAdRdbXTB5PR4yfcG4mbxreUhFicHqM8/s1600-h/Gallery_Front_Room.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7UV-IaM2lMbu6L9-zZtfVzkZi665oENSoHEbZRs-Is0TFejBwe0Cw9kS7CvUWURmbEoTZ6ziwBzlsNZMZafmklj9IYH_awlQTe5ypC3BicQWHAdRdbXTB5PR4yfcG4mbxreUhFicHqM8/s400/Gallery_Front_Room.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100998005274913554" border="0" /></a><br />For those people who have never been, this probably seems silly or overemotional. But I can't help but feel like something sacred and sanctified has really been taken out of the park. Metaphorically, it was the heart of what Disney was all about. Located in practically the bustling epicenter of Disneyland, The Gallery was a sanctuary of original concept drawings and paintings, ideas, stories, sculptures and illustrations that can't be replaced. I think David <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Koenig</span> does a lovely job expressing this sentiment in his <a href="http://www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=mt070814dk">article on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">MousePlanet</span>.com</a>.<br /><br />Out of desperation to see the Disney company get its act together and give what few remaining fans are left a little something for their willingness to continue supporting Walt's dream despite the blasphemy that has unfolded from the company in the last 10 years, some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">bloggers</span> are are rallying on the web on sites such as <a href="http://imagineerebirth.blogspot.com/">Re-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">imagineering</span></a>, one of my personal favorites (a great posting of nothing but some famous words by Walt up right now, do check it out...), to try and organize the effort to get the company back on track. I wish it were that easy. This new closing has really drained what little hope I had that maybe Disney was on the right track following <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Iger's</span> inception.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisiL-VHdtCZDbWofZpQoAGQmJnS4bfxegQb2xTYPpUs5jHPtd-KPWhZvZ9nmHgrfxcZk89VwtQIHUZgXgDEmt43sNv9Du8_4cnno_XOlqSIASGDBirg4lOzWru4UAbd4KQ0sh7YiIF3iQ/s1600-h/teacupslayoutenhanced.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisiL-VHdtCZDbWofZpQoAGQmJnS4bfxegQb2xTYPpUs5jHPtd-KPWhZvZ9nmHgrfxcZk89VwtQIHUZgXgDEmt43sNv9Du8_4cnno_XOlqSIASGDBirg4lOzWru4UAbd4KQ0sh7YiIF3iQ/s400/teacupslayoutenhanced.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100629153483533026" border="0" /></a><br />Anyways, I apologize for the negativity that this lengthy blog post has espoused and will welcome any words of positivity and encouragement as always from readers in the comments section. Posted above is the last item I bought at The Gallery. It's a fantastic layout diagram of the teacups for Disneyland's Mad Tea Party. I encourage you to click to enlarge the image to see all the notes and scribbles. I just love it. Again, this is one of those items that you just couldn't find anywhere else. Shame on Disney for closing one more amazing park experience that didn't "bring in big bucks" or attempt to shuffle guests into one more <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">souvenir</span> stand afterwards. This really is one of Disneyland's saddest hours.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqDytMsDMGiZT8gfZ3HNj-4W2xWCd0KnuOug9x3YbVVi3NHhlSS5NbfA0CAY_yNhybGY5Fd_6_bSxLbDkZxJ4ErHNxh7_o0qvJrkzCHBsW4atWKe4dtCITxu4I5uJRYziPNTygVVmiy4/s1600-h/DisneyGalleryAttrLowBand.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqDytMsDMGiZT8gfZ3HNj-4W2xWCd0KnuOug9x3YbVVi3NHhlSS5NbfA0CAY_yNhybGY5Fd_6_bSxLbDkZxJ4ErHNxh7_o0qvJrkzCHBsW4atWKe4dtCITxu4I5uJRYziPNTygVVmiy4/s400/DisneyGalleryAttrLowBand.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100998000979946242" border="0" /></a>Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802909878286558316.post-25948286935598411942007-08-17T12:29:00.000-04:002008-12-09T01:31:39.411-05:00"The Girls" Have Got It<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099707612415601330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTE1TJpWlDIOm6FPLVgv_3vAOUfqWboW0GgowGjXw7hxfJlEYKBV6AseDXwy5vVSRoiP_Lq-faNr9qsh1s-pTKZ0a2XRqc99WNXyOJUBKUPt7gdkNdINrtl11O7m15IAqYN8pmN81FerQ/s320/coctopusoperator.jpeg" border="0" />Many of you in the animation and illustration fields surely already know about her. For any of you who don't, I want to introduce you to Amanda Visell. Her work is utterly precious and often, at the same time, a bit curious (she has a penchant for robots who eat odd things like toast and little children.) However, all of Visell's paintings capture a thorough understanding of color and the play of dark against light, much in the same way Mary Blair's concept paintings do - a likeness you will no doubt see immediately.<br /><br />Visell's paintings make it so easy to fall into the story being illustrated, or, without a story, to create your own imaginary circumstance for her silly paintings - like how on earth an elephant, giraffe, octopus, and aligator ended up in the bayou playing banjos and washbords together. Not surprisingly, the people at Disney plucked her up to contribute to their "Inspired by Disneyland" exhibit not long ago and much of her art has been featured there. Her work was also featured as part of the Pirates of the Caribbean 40th Anniversary collection at Disneyland as well. I've posted two of these paintings courtesy of <a href="http://www.micechat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52932">MiceChat.com</a> but I encourage you to look at the whole collection on their website.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099707616710568642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwvtHw6q87jIxnIk4J8mVsoBKghwfFQk8ABp4tzcfLfx_A477ft9aE_E6LcvBzVzoZ5IQAbuEmQBLAWbap6F5UR_3vvnmGEErc3aeqXT_ysqBnFSDUDTlQuQH_VeYHM7XaNxbCPWUnmM/s320/pirateposter2.jpeg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099707616710568658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEv_4i42IyCiNdJesTrzHqJUxueq3u-STOJsR-OYi0WC7Q210onNQVjA1L4ONauSmlzSUo2ztC4BzPqspkNGINtU-n3uttZDP3T48cZ17pllcjvGxk-wH4NsJPBaD2snI3V8-aVIejSA/s320/sleepypigs.jpeg" border="0" /><br />Amanda Visell has teamed up with friend Michelle Valigura to create a fantastic <a href="http://www.thegirlsproductions.com/">website</a> (they call themselves "The Girls") as well as a <a href="http://thegirlsproductions.blogspot.com/">blog</a> recently added to my noteworthy links (a more comprehensive collection of Visell's work can be seen there.) The other two paintings in this post are copyrighted by Amanda Visell and are courtesy of her blog which I strongly recommend you check out. Lastly, Visell has recently published a book entitled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Popping-Through-Pictures-Paintings-Amanda/dp/097933070X">Popping Through Pictures </a>which I'm eager to get my hands on.<br /><br />All in all I'm a huge fan. Amanda has cited inspirations from Mary Blair (is it any surprise I'd like her work?) and the 60s style of illustration and cartooning. Her works are whimsical and utterly enchanting.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099707608120634018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2Lm-x3ufVi5hJKnqIgGhS3GjiYnASvCOHuefcsgMtri3eFIDCJLTwqfM9RxTbP4IezHSh1-ZU1zbWoR0hDIRt2ir2b1UbG9oC0G8bxB5-J8NckkYgSzcOAEdr_pxN7xrMsTQ819sh30/s320/paintingtherosesred.jpg" border="0" />Lainey Schallockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348023138181679083noreply@blogger.com32