Digesting the Expo
Presenting Col. Shuffle and Aces Wild at the CTN Expo, the weekend of Nov. 19-21, Burbank, Ca., after a three day poker game (That’s Jerry Beck on the left, and yours truly on the right). I was just about ready to go home when this was taken; I actually sold four cels from “It’s ‘The Cat'” to friends and strangers at the mighty Expo. Jerry had copies of his books on “Madagascar 2” and “The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes” for sale, which he autographed. In addition to the cels, I sold some scrap film and some Little Orphan Annie collections, one of which was bought by Moebius (Jean Giraud), famous French cartoonist. He watched “It’s ‘The Cat'” on my little monitor and enjoyed it quite a bit. I did not anticipate that this year’s Expo would be an even bigger hit than last year’s. The crowds were really lined up for all the panels and programs. I couldn’t go to any of them, because I was just trying to do business. Speaking of business, you can still buy cels from “It’s ‘The Cat'” anytime, free shipping and DVD included, just go to www.itsthecat.com, and go into the Gallery section. Click on Film Art, and you will be in production cel heaven. While you are there, consider giving something original for the Holidays! Help out my producer Greg Ford, and maybe get “There Must Be Some Other Cat” out a few days sooner. A special thanks to Milton Knight, for contributing to the Greg Ford Fire Fund. You’re now an Ailurophile!
Otto Messmer’s expertise in drawing all kinds of cartoon cats is in evidence in the dailies this time (3-9 to 3-14-1936) but Fooy Tu Yu tricks Felix away from the pound and out of the diamond and throws him into a safe! In the 3-15 Sunday page, Felix is still stuck in the sixth century where even the food is in armor.
Krazy is from 8-26 to 8-31-1940 this time. More puns and mixed associations this week, due to Krazy’s “Kat Langwitch” and twisty reasoning. I love the cow in the 8-30, and Herriman’s staging in the last panel of the 8-31; Ignatz standing on a platform just below the lip of the plateau, as Pupp laments the uselessness of his jail.
Patrick is from approximately 5-31 to 6-4-1966 this time. We learn that Elsa’s last name is “Primstone”, and that she collects movie magazines. Of course, Patrick has no scruples about smashing a bug with one of them. For the next several batches of strips, there will be educated guesses about the exact dates of a few of them, since I didn’t write the info down when I clipped them from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Dad was a little more relaxed about buying every issue of the paper in the summer time. I’m not even sure if these comics are from 1966 or not, they may be a couple of years earlier than that. I met two of my readers at the Expo who really seem to like Patrick, and were a little bit amazed that I clipped them so carefully in my childhood. Comic strips really had me dazzled in those days, they were free (for me), and I really looked forward to each day’s installments of the stories, especially L’il Abner, which also ran in the Post-Dispatch. I’m very happy to have readers who come back to read the strips each post. It’s a little harder to post as frequently over the holidays, but I’ll try!
Charles Brubaker says:
I’m enjoying the “Patrick” strips, so keep ’em coming!
Martin Juneau says:
Oh i’m glad you enjoy your CTN Expo weekend and glad you succeed to sold some of your cartoons cells. I having watching the original pencil sketch of the cartoon short you made and it’s very lively and amusing. A good retrospective of the surreal 20’s cartoons and music style. Great work and good luck for your contribution!
Tim Walker says:
Mark….It was great seeing you at CTX. How’d you like the book ? Let the Cat meow forever!!!! Best…Timmie the pooh
Mark says:
Hi Tim!
Great to see you at CTNX too! I’m going to do a special promotion for your new book on my next post, if anyone’s reading this, it’s called DRAWINGS FROM THE LEFT (or Parkinsons Pictures). It’s self-published and consists of drawings of new characters from the left side of Tim’s brain and hands. In 2007, after many years in the animation biz drawing and writing with his right hand, Tim was diagnosed with Lateral Parkinson’s Disease on his right side. After many anxious days, he grabbed his trusty red pencil and brush pen and made his first drawing with his left hand on June 11, 2007. It’s hard to tell his left drawings from the right-handed ones! I think it was more than just motor skills transferring to the left hand, Tim has such a love and desire to draw cartoon characters that he couldn’t HELP but draw with his left hand. There is a strong “stone-age” influence in Tim’s characters, but also Batman comes in there, dwarfs, squirrels and naked ladies, to name but a few influences and favorite subjects. I’m going to get a link from the mighty Mr. Walker and set that up here as well. These will make great gifts for the Holidays! There are back cover blurbs from such luminaries as Dan Haskett and Bob Kurtz!
David Nethery says:
Mark,
It was great to see you at CTN and I am enjoying the cel from “It’s the Cat” very much. Still have to get a good frame for it, but I’ve got it prominently displayed in my little workspace/studio (aka “the spare bedroom) .
I had sworn off collecting any more animation artwork , but seeing your delightful film again and those gorgeous hand-inked cels right there on the table in front of me was too much. Had to get it. I’m glad I did. I would highly recommend these cels to anyone who appreciates good cartoon artwork. The inking is really beautiful on these and probably the last of their kind since hardly anyone is doing hand-inked work anymore.
I was so happy to see the pencil test for “There Must Be Some Other Cat†that you were running at CTN . Great work. I only wish there was more of this sort of thing being done. Thanks to you and Greg Ford for keeping it alive.
-DN
Charles Brubaker says:
All this talk of animation cels had me deciding to finally buy one from the gallery. Hope it can help you finish the next film.
Mark says:
Thanks Dave and Charles!
I will send the funds along to Greg Ford, thanks for supporting our little efforts to keep the hand-inked cartoon short alive! I’m glad you liked the PT for “Some Other Cat”, Dave. Coming from such a fine animator as you, that’s praise indeed. Anybody else reading this care to purchase a cel? They make beautiful gifts.
Mark
Tim Walker says:
Hey Mark…..Thanks for the kind words. Theres going to be a book signing in March in Studio City at Decor Art Galleries, I’ll keep you posted, in a few years I hope to specialize in HEAVY CAMERA SHAKES. Long live the PENCIL. Tim
Sonia says:
Hi Mark! I bought a cel at CTN 2009 and stopped by your desk at the recent CTN too. I love to see the cat short film again and again, it’s very delightful!