Archive-Name: animation-faq Version: 1.21 1993/05/24 *** REC.ARTS.ANIMATION Frequently asked questions *** *** Version 1.21 *** May 24 1993 *** Mail all comments to Will Bell (bell@cs.tamu.edu) *** CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. Questions 3. Frequently Discussed Topics that tend to go nowhere 4. Acknowledgements *** INTRODUCTION Rec.arts.animation is a relatively high-volume newsgroup which is intended to discuss animation of any kind. No subjects are taboo, but discussion tends to focus on cartoons of all sorts -- how they are made, how good they are, how BAD they are :-), and any other toon-related issues. As with any other newsgroup, there are several questions that come up repeatedly. This document attempts to provide authoritative answers to some of these FAQ's. Ideas for new questions are welcomed, as are other comments. Please mail suggestions to bell@cs.tamu.edu. This FAQ, as well as many other FAQ's appearing on the net, is posted to news.answers. You can ftp FAQ's mentioned in this document from rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet. If you do not have ftp, send a message to "mail-server@rftm.mit.edu" with the word "help" in the body. The server will send you instructions on retrieving the files via email. This FAQ will be posted every two weeks. *** CHANGES FROM LAST VERSION (none) *** QUESTIONS Q1. Where can I get a copy of the movie *Heavy Metal* on VHS? A1. Heavy Metal (the movie) is not licensed on video cassette in the US. From the horse's mouth: "We are constantly asked where one can buy the video of *Heavy Metal: The Film.* You can't. It's not available. At the time the movie was made the film company, Columbia Pictures, didn't obtain the rights to the music. It's been a long, arduous endeavor, but we are working on it, and hopefully we'll have some good news about a possible video in the future." Julie Simmons-Lynch Editor-in-Chief Heavy Metal magazine Summer 1988 issue The US Pay Cable channel Cinemax shows Heavy Metal approximately every 8 months. The most recent showing was in November 1992. Q2. But I just went to a ComicCon and a vendor had copies with color covers and everything! A2. The movie is widely bootlegged. Some vendors dress them up to make look official, but the fact remains that they are bootlegs. It's also believed that the movie has been released in Japan. This is of course not legal to sell in the US. Q3. I will surely die if I don't get (MyFaveCartoon) on VHS! Where can I buy it? If it's a Warners or MGM cartoon, there's a very large chance it's been released on VHS. Check mass merchandisers such as K-Mart and Wal-Mart, and also check places like Suncoast Motion Pictures (a store that sells only videos). Suncoast usually has a very good selection of toons. The best place to look for hard-to-find video is Whole Toon Access. WTA is a mail-order house in Issaquah, WA which specializes in cartoons on video. They have thousands of titles in their catalog including toons from many independent vendors. If it's available on video, they'll probably have it. To contact them: Whole Toon Access PO Box 369 Issaquah, WA 98027 (206) 391-8747 Q4. Any other mail order vendors I need to know about? A4. Warner Bros Catalog -- sells Looney Tunes material as well as promotional materials for their current movies and TV shows. The last catalog I saw was littered with Batman Returns junk. The merchandise is usually overpriced and unexceptional. (IMHO) Warner Bros. Catalog PO Box 60048 Tampa FL 33660-0048 (800) 223-6524 Disney Catalog -- The Disney Catalog PO Box 28144 Shawnee Mission KS 66201-9144 (800) 237-5751 (any others?) Q5. I'm into anime. Why don't I ever see any anime posts here? A5. They are all in rec.arts.anime, which has its own FAQ. The maintainer of that FAQ has volunteered to answer queries, etc., outside of r.a.anime. Email to pearl@remus.rutgers.edu. Q5a. Any other toon newsgroups I need to know about? A5a. Here are a few and what they focus on : alt.tv.tiny-toon -- Fox-TV Cartoon "Tiny Toon Adventures" (*) alt.fan.disney.afternoon -- Syndicated cartoons in "The Disney Afternoon" (Goof Troop, Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck, Tale Spin) and DuckTales (and others?) alt.tv.ren-n-stimpy -- Nickelodeon cartoon "The Ren & Stimpy Show" (*) alt.fan.ren-and-stimpy -- a lesser-distributed newsgroup. rec.arts.disney -- Any and all things Disney, tends to focus more on the animated feature films and on theme park issues (*) alt.tv.simpsons -- Fox-TV Cartoon "The Simpsons" (*) comp.graphics.animation -- technical details of computer animation alt.tv.liquid.tv -- MTV show "Liquid Television" (*) Indicates the group has its own FAQ which you can ftp from rtfm.mit.edu. (/pub/usenet) Discussion about the Disney Afternoon also takes place on a mailing list as well as the newsgroup listed above. All of the "true fans" are on the mailing list. :-) The most ground-breaking news from the list is posted to the newsgroup. Send mail to Stephanie da Silva (arielle@taronga.com) to be placed on this mailing list. Q6. Where can I get the soundtrack from *The Last Unicorn*? A6. The soundtrack exists, but is not released in the US. Here's the pertinent info. "Das Letzte Einhorn" released by Virgin Records (in then West Germany, I believe) copyright 1982, CD # 610 388-222 running time: 38 min. Q7. What are the lyrics to (MyFaveCartoon'sThemeSong)? A7. I have lyrics for Disney Afternoon and some Jay Ward cartoons. Mail me requests. I am trying to build up a repository of lyrics and then stash them at some ftp site. Contributions gratefully accepted! Q8. What cartoons are on *The Golden Age of Looney Tunes*? How about the other tapes? Any other laserdiscs? A8. I have a list which includes all the data for the MGM/UA and Warner VHS tapes, as well as all the MGM/UA laser discs. Due to space considerations, it is not included here. Email me and I will send you this list. Q9. Does anyone have a gif of (MyFaveAnimatedScene?) A9. These sites are known to have cartoon/animation gifs: garfield.catt.ncsu.edu 152.1.43.23 (much Disney Stuff) tezuka.rest.ri.cmu.edu 128.2.209.227 wuarchive.wustl.edu 128.252.135.4 utpapa.ph.utexas.edu 128.83.131.52 (Tiny Toons Stuff) Q10. Any good books on Animation / Cartoons? A10. Here are a few. Thanx to J.J. Kwashnak for compiling most of the list: Adamson, Joe; "Tex Avery: King of Cartoons"; printed in 1975; A biography of Tex Avery. It has a filmography listing credits with a short description and rating of each cartoon. There is an interview with Tex Avery and a fair number of black and white stills for films, character sheets. Beck, Jerry and Will Friedwald; "Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies" 1988; Ultimate reference of Warner Brothers cartoons. Chronological filmography of releases with synopsis and full credits. Blanc, Mel; "That's not All, Folks"; Mel Blanc's biography (I guess, I've not read it.) Brion, Patrick; "Tom & Jerry: The Definitive Guide to their Animated Adventures"; New York, Harmony Books, 1990. A translation of the 1987 French edition. An extremely thorough and beautiful treatment of the Tom and Jerry series from 1940 to 1967. Includes complete production information on each film, including music used, animators, etc. Very large and gorgeous--lots of color pictures. [Ed. Note: If you are a Tom & Jerry fan, you must own this book. It is a very well-done production. I found it at a used bookstore for $10 -- lists for $40! Or, PSB suggests this source: Edward R. Hamilton, Bookseller, Falls Village, CT 06031-5000--he doesn't do phone orders, so write for a catalog.] John Canemaker, Felix: "The Twisted Tale of the World's Most Famous Cat" Chronicles the rise of Felix during the silent era, his fall and rise again as a television star. Lots of great art, a bibliography and short filmography. New York, Pantheon Books, 1991. Carbarga, Leslie; "The Fleischer Story" 1988; A chronicle of the rise and fall of the Fleischer brothers, the pioneering animators responsible for Betty Boop, Koko the Clown, Popeye among others. Contains a complete filmography. Donald Crafton; "Before Mickey: The Animated Film 1898-1928"; Cambridge, Mass., MIT Press, 1982. The definitive scholarly work on the early animated film. Lots of illustrations and a bibliography. The book ends where most begins--with Walt Disney's work. Great of pre-film entertainments, Emile Cohl, Winsor McCay, Bray's invention of the cel technique, Paul Terry's Aesop's Fables, Fleischer's Out of the Ink-well series, Felix the Cat. Crafton's writing is extremely readable considering his amazing scholarship. Finch, Christopher; "The Art of Walt Disney --- From Mickey Mouse to the Magic Kingdoms" 1973; A biography of Walt Disney and a history of his studio, parks etc. It has a good collection of color photos. Grant, John: The Encyclopedia of Walt Disney's Animated Characters, Second edition 1993. Dealing exclusively with Disney, it is crammed with colour pictures of characters from the features, shorts and TV series. Alsi included are synopses of the features and a very complete filmography. Has a few eyecatching typographical errors, but very few errors of substance. US$40. Jones, Chuck; "Chuck Amuck --- The Life and Times of an Animated Cartoonist"; 1990; An autobiography of Chuck Jones. It has a fair number of sketches, stories etc about the Warner Brother studios. Includes a filmography. Lenburg, Jeff; "Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons" 1991; The most comprehensive reference for theatrical cartoons and feature films, and television, listing individual episode titles. Entries include creators, directors, studios, voices, plot summaries and other trivia. Maltin, Leonard; "Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons"; 1987; A history of the major american animation studios, focusing up until the 1960's studios. Detailed filmography. Good overall history of the US animation houses. Considered THE history of American Animation Schneider, Steve; "That's All Folks" 1988; Detailed history of the Warner Brothers cartooning. Chapters focus on individual characters and a complete chronological filmography is included. Lavishly illustrated. Sennett, Ted; "The Art of Hanna-Barbara" 1989; Coffee Table book thoroughly chronicles characters and series created by Hanna Barbara. Lavishly illustrated with publicity stills and production art. No filmography or episode titles. Solomon, Charles; "Enchanted Drawings: The HiStory of Animation" 1989; Huge art book, looks at the field chronologically as opposed to focusing on certain studios. Incredible assortment of drawings and cels. Expensive. Thomas, Frank and Ollie Johnston; "Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life"; "Good for the animator and non-animator alike." 575pp. Q11. What about those of us who are really interested in the actual creating of animation? Drawing, etc? A11. The address for the animator's mailing list is animate-request%itchy@dsd.es.com; sending e-mail with a subject of "subscribe" will automatically join you to it; *** FREQUENTLY DISCUSSED TOPICS THAT TEND TO GO NOWHERE "Below are a list of topics that when brought up frequently start heated flame wars. When discussing them, please remember that they are a matter of personal opinion and not some absolute set of value judgements that everyone should subscribe to -- after all it is the diversity that makes Usenet the interesting place it is. When flame wars get out of hand, the moderate parties often drop out or unsubcribe to the group as a result." * US Animation vs. Japanese Animation (anime) * Tiny Toons are/aren't ripoffs of Looney Tunes * "(MyFaveCartoon) is the best cartoon in existence. Flame me." * "(YourFaveCartoon) is a piece of . Flame me." (others?) *** ACKS The following people contributed to this document: Roger P. Ang (rang@laputa.ics.uci.edu) Priscilla Stearns Barlow Enrique Conty (jester@ihlpl.att.com) J. J. Kwashnak (jkwashna@pearl.tufts.edu) Tad Morgan (tmorgan@as.arizona.edu) Tony Palombella (palomb@beagle.colorado.edu) Vince Taluskie (taluskie@utpapa.ph.utexas.edu) Emru Townsend Dana Uehara (duehara@yosemite.atmos.ucla.edu) -- Will Bell -- bell@cs.tamu.edu -- Live from the heart of Scenic Central Texas "As a math atheist, I should be excused from this." (Watterson)