Friday, March 30, 2007
Tangent: Live The Fabulous Lifestyle Of A Hollywood Cartoonist
The other day, a student at Woodbury volunteered to help build out our database. His name is Jo-Jo. He told me how much this blog, along with Eddie Fitzgerald's and John K's, has opened his eyes to how great cartoons were in the 30s, 40s and 50s. He had a sketchbook full of Preston Blair drawings and enthusiasm for Fleischer, MGM and Warner Bros cartoons. So I asked him what kinds of music he listens to..."David Bowie mostly."
My jaw hit the floor. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I gave Jo-Jo the best tip he'll ever get...
Cartoons aren't the only things that were better back in the first half of the 20th century.
Mike Fontanelli stopped by later and pointed out that somebody should write a book titled "The Golden Age of Everything". Sure, there are things today that are incredibly great... computers, the internet, iPods, frost-free refrigerators, etc... but music, dance, illustration, writing, movies and cartoons were all better back then. Cartoonists should be aware of this, and they should absorb all of the greatness of the past. It will make them better cartoonists.Today, I'm going to talk about music...
I know that someone out there is going to post a comment saying that there's still great music being made, it just isn't mainstream. I'm fully aware of the fact that there are talented musicians working today. But in the 30s through the 50s, incredible talent was a given. Performers, from the top of the heap to the bottom- from most popular to least- were all capable of making you do a double take and say "wow!".
When I ask kids what kinds of music they listen to, I usually get the response, "All kinds." But "all kinds" usually turns out to mean a million shades of the same color... current rock music. There are so many names today for the same kind of music. For the life of me, I can't tell the difference between rave, techno and electronica. In the past, there really were a million kinds of music... pop vocals, hot jazz, country western, big band swing, folk, rhythm & blues, bluegrass, mambo, dixieland, rock n' roll, sweet orchestral, be bop...I could talk for hours about this subject, but the best proof is seeing what I'm talking about...
"Four Or Five Times" (Soundie/1941)
(Quicktime 7 / 5.5 megs)
"Under The Double Eagle" (Tex Ritter's Ranch Party/1959)
(Quicktime 7 / 5 megs)
"Gray Goose" "Pick A Bale Of Cotton"(1950s)
(Quicktime 7 / 10 megs)
"The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise" "Amuka Riki" (Grand Old Opry/1959)
(Quicktime 7 / 12 megs)
If you are a student planning to be a professional cartoonist, listen to music that relates to your work- read books that inspire cartoony ideas- watch movies to learn cinematic techniques that can be applied to cartooning- LIVE THE FABULOUS LIFESTYLE OF A FAMOUS HOLLYWOOD CARTOONIST!
By the way... Jo-Jo is a big Fats Waller fan now!
Let me know in the comments if you'd like more posts about other tangential subjects related to cartoons.
Thanks
Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood
Animation Archive
Labels: inspiration, music, tangent, theory
Stumble It!
posted by Stephen Worth @ 12:52 PM
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14 Comments:
I have never seen a Les Paul and Mary Ford clip before. Thank you thank you thank you thank you. I love Les Paul's music. Here I thought the recorded versions of the songs had some of Les Paul's tape effect techniques, but he really DID play that fast. He was a shredder before the rock world coined the term. I am 32, but my music collection has contained old country, bluegrass, Les Paul and Mary Ford, classical (Vivaldi is my favorite composer, and Itzhak Perlman is one of my heros) among more contemporary "artists." Thank you, and more more MORE.
Nice post, but what about Rockabilly or 50s R&B/Rock & Roll?
I can't stand any "rock" music made after the 50s. And before anyone says, "Hey, But what about..." the answer is no.
I think you're right that the overall quality and variety in music was higher then. I can't say I'd like to listen to early 20th century music ALL the time, though, as much as I love early jazz/swing and pre-rock'n'roll popular music.
I'm not sure you're right about movies, though. I think there are best eras for most genre of movies, but there are some great modern examples of every genre.
What an amazing post! I already treasure these!
Ahhhhh.............. I dunno. That's all great stuff, and I truly dig it, but I still gotta go with the Bowie.
yeah, you're right maybe... but the guy actually stopped liking David Bowie?.
I liked David Bowie, and then I discovered Fats Waller. And now I enjoy Fats Waller AND David Bowie.
Am I wrong?
I was into Lightning Hopkins and Buddy Holly, then I discovered David Bowie. Now I like Lightning Hopkins, Buddy Holly AND David Bowie. So no, Diego, as far as I can tell, you're right on target.
Plus, if anyone listens to "Rock n' Roll Suicide" unmoved, they are unhuman or lying.
Well, that was condescending.
What, you think the average reader here is 10 years old and doesn't know what Jazz, Country or Blues is?
Oh, and David Bowie is good and I've listened to quite of a bit of material from everyone you've linked!
Der Bingle.
All of the above plus...
Dajngo Reinhart!
Slim Galliard!
Charlie Parker!
Dizzy!
...plus..?
Why is this becoming the "Impose Your Tastes & Interests On Others" blog???
What does Milton Caniff have to do with animation? That belongs on a comic strip blog.
This is not an "animation blog". This the blog of a evolving digital archive of filmographic, biographical and media files. The material in the archive is specifically intended for use as reference by artists studying and working within the field of animation. Every artist has his own "clip file" of animation, illustration and comic art to use as reference- The ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive is the ultimate artist's clip file.
Much of the material you see here has been contributed by animators. (John Ellis, the gentleman who contributed the Caniff art to be scanned, is a stop motion animator and effects artist himself.) This blog is just the tip of the iceberg. We have thousands of images and movie files in the database.
If you have access to material artists may find useful, please get involved with the archive project and contribute to it. The archive is shaped by those who build it, not those that post anonymous complaints about articles they don't happen to find interesting.
Thanks
Steve
I also refer you to the following links...
The Application of Inspiration
How To Properly Use Reference
and this quote from Bob Dylan...
It's only natural to pattern yourself after someone. If I wanted to be a painter, I might think about trying to be like Van Gogh, or if I was an actor, act like Laurence Olivier. If I was an architect, there's Frank Gehry. But you can't just copy somebody. If you like someone's work, the important thing is to be exposed to everything that person has been exposed to. Anyone who wants to be a songwriter should listen to as much folk music as they can, study the form and structure of stuff that has been around for 100 years. I go back to Stephen Foster. -Bob Dylan
Can I just pop in to say that Larry Collins is my favorite guitarist of all time?
But you know, somehow I don't think he'd be nearly as great if they'd had Ritalin in the '50s.
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