Congrats to ADDTF for one solid year of reading comics naked.

Also, welcome back ADD and In Sequence.

Did I miss anyone?

 
Lindo Pulgoso

I rarely get mail through the blog, and for reasons which should become obvious, I never get requests for assistance. However, today I received an email which asked "I was surfing the web trying to find the name of this character, a dog that came out with Granny before Tweety."

Dear reader, I'm flattered that you came to me for help. However, I'm not the expert you may think I am. In fact, when it concerns the worlds of comics and animation, I'm really a complete moron. Especially in comparison to all the other kids in the "comics blogosphere". Flat Earth is a learning experience for me, and I almost never know the subject I present until I complete a fair amount of research.

That said, I believe you're asking about Roscoe the dog, who made what I assume his is first and only appearance in Granny's premiere, the 1943 Merrie Melody entitled Hiss and Make Up. The short shows Granny giving Roscoe the dog and Wellington the cat an ultimatum, that if they don't behave they will be thrown out into the cold. The duo take turns causing a ruckus, framing the other with the crime each time in the hopes that they will get their adversary booted.

If that doesn't ring a bell, let me know. All the information found above is from Jerry Beck and Will Friedwald's indispensible Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, which covers every Warner Bros. short cartoon throughout that studio's history, and then some. If you ever have another animation question, I suggest you contact Mr. Beck, who has a page for Frequently Asked Questions. Or, check out some of the classic cartoon message boards, like the animation history forum at the Animation Show or the Termite Terrace Trading Post. There you'll find more knowledgable people then myself discussing Woody Woodpecker release schedules, the music found in Fleischer cartoons, and Granny's dog, presumably.
posted by Steven at 1:39 PM

 
Oh, The Places I'll Go...



If you came here for the comics and couldn't care less about my personal life, I would suggest passing over the remainder of this post.

I very nearly didn't have a reason to post the picture shown above. A little over a month ago I discovered that I would not be graduating this year. I had a screenwriting class in my second term of first year, and though I received 95%+ for nearly every assignment, I chose not to do the final in order to devote more time to my regular animation classes since I was faltering slightly in those areas, and if you fail even one of the core classes you fail them all. My screenwriting teacher was very understanding and said that I could hand in my final at a later date for the credit. Time passed, I finished the script and contacted him about it. That's where my old friend Bureaucracy popped back in for one last kick at the can.

It seems as if the incomplete that I had received for the class was good for only a limited time, and I had never been notified that I had to re-register for the class after that due date. You'd think they'd want my money. Because of this, I would have to retake the class in its entirety or find an equivalent, online or otherwise, which meant I would not be graduating this year as planned. Which isn't to say I didn't try to skirt around the issue. I had in fact accumulated enough marks in the class to pass it, and had only completed the final script to get a sense of closure. However, the argument was made that it was a core learning requirement, and could not be bypassed. I offered to knock a new one off for them in a few hours, but the school officials wouldn't bite. Although I had a few options available to get the credit during the summer, I'm currently working 70-hour weeks in the very industry for which I had been denied graduation, so it seemed like an easy decision to make. I decided to wait until the timing was better.

A few days ago I spoke to one of the officials at the school in a final effort to wrap this up quickly, though by that time I was resigned to my fate with the knowledge that I would complete it sometime in the future. During the conversation she informed me that the course was changing to three years starting in the fall, and afterwards they would no longer be able to allow someone with only two years in the school to graduate. Bottom line, if I didn't get this sorted out by the Fall I would have to take not only that single class, but also another entire year of school to graduate. It was clear that I would never graduate from the course. Ever.

What could have been an escalation of this nightmare was actually probably the very thing that saved me. Knowing that that I had sweated my balls off getting to this point, and that I was simply a victim of the school's unyielding rules and my own ignorance of said rules, the teachers and administrators passed me. When I was told, it was so completely matter-of-fact that the person on the phone immediately launched into giving me directions to the convocation. I asked her to hold on for a second, choked back my tears, took the directions, and I've been on and off since. I can't believe it's over. I can't believe I did it.

To everyone else it's no big deal, and I can understand that. I think it's easy for someone fresh out of high school to take education for granted. But I've had a decade of life without school under my belt before taking this on, and it was a difficult decision and transition to make. The hardest part of all was believing that I could push myself as much as I had to to keep my head above water, something I'm still in disbelief over. These two years have been the most challenging and difficult time of my entire life. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank those people who helped me along.

Thanks to my baby brother, the Green Mandarin, for being the best roommate I've ever had and for keeping me laughing through the many all-nighters.

Thanks to my two fatties, Tsuki and Mo, for jumping up on my desk while I was drawing and laying in the middle of the page when I needed a break.

Thanks to Fergs, for being the dog of little brain and enormous heart. I still miss you and your lopsided run, darling.

Thanks to my pallies, the Rose City Dance Squad, who can rock out with their cocks out like nobody's business. You mess with the Rose, you get the Thorns.

Thanks to my Aunt Kathy, the coolest person in the world. I think of you every day. You're Wonder Woman, I'm Spider-Man.

Thank you to my animation teachers, Keith and Neil, who thought I was sucking up for a job when I told them how much I appreciated their instruction.

Thanks also to the few bad teachers and administrators I encountered, whose example will make dealing with the sharks and sleazballs of the animation industry in the coming years a relative breeze in comparison.

Thanks to the many people involved in shaking the bureaucratic machine up enough to get me through to graduation under the wire. I really appreciate the care and effort you showed considering what you had to work with.

And thanks to everyone reading this now, quite possibly the only people on the list aside from the cats who will read these words. I started this blog not long after school began, and the things I've learned while researching have helped me in my academic studies. In addition, being so far away from those people who I could talk to about such things, I felt I needed something to alleviate the loneliness and keep the other sections of my mind working while drawing. It wasn't easy juggling both at times, but I did it out of love for the medium and a sense of fun, and I hope that showed. Thanks for participating. I truly appreciate it.

I'd like to wrap this up by thanking two incredibly important people, without whom I would have broken down long ago.

Mom, you know you're an inspiration to me. Don't think for a second that I didn't notice and appreciate the effort you spent in raising a small gang of boys, working, and going through school all at the same time. My taking this chance was just a way of following in the footsteps of someone always striving to improve her own life and the life of others, no matter what it takes. From the bizarre Irish choloclate bars in your care packages to unsheathing the claws when dealing with the school, you've had my back the whole way through, Rose City-style. You've always been proud and supportive of me, no matter how listless my life has been, but that's never been enough for me. I couldn't give half a damn about a stupid piece of paper saying that I've graduated if it didn't mean showing it to you. I love you immensely. Thank you so much.

J., if the goal of graduating was to make my Mom proud, the learning experience involved was to make me a better man for our future together. I will never, ever be good enough for you, but that won't keep me from trying. And I cannot possibly possess the megalomania necessary to match the unbounded enthusiasm you have for my potential. I am often awed by the amount of talent and passion that has been shown by those who have made their way through the artform over the years. The only time I have ever felt as if I was worthy to even stand in their shadow has been when I hear your sweet voice encouraging me. At every turn, when I had absolutely no faith in myself, you were there with plenty to spare. No, I love you more. Thank you, sweetie.

Regular blogging will return tomorrow. Now let's get naked! Kegger!
posted by Steven at 5:35 PM

 
Free Comic Thursday - Torchy

Today's comic is a short but sweet 4-pager by the recently deceased Gill Fox. During his lengthy career, the versatile Fox practiced cartooning in various forms, including but not limited to army, sports, superhero, humour, and even political topics, for which he was nominated for a Pulitzer. Mark Evanier has a tribute on his blog, including a link to an interview from Alter Ego with Gill Fox, as well as a link to another obituary.
posted by Steven at 7:50 PM

 
Brewskies

I feel stupid having to repeat myself over and over, but Cartoon Brew is super rad.

Remember that Chuck Jones mural that was set for demolition? It's been saved.

Guest columnist Mark Mayerson provides an interesting look behind the scenes of television animation. It certainly helped me understand my own work a whole lot better.

Plus arrests, sushi, less-than-flattering obituaries and everything else you need to delve into the world of animation, sans the hookers and cocaine.
posted by Steven at 4:18 AM

 
Glass Houses, Part II

Flat Earth Patron Saint of Forwards, Kev, sent me this link to an 80-page transcript in .pdf form of a discussion between Ira Glass and Chris Ware. An excerpt can be found here if you'd like to sample before you buy.
posted by Steven at 3:39 PM

 
Awwwwww

This isn't new or anything, but Ivan Brunetti's renditions of classic comic and cartoon characters is too cute to live. Sure to brighten the darkest day.
posted by Steven at 4:50 PM

 
Flat Earth Hunk O' The Month

The third and final comic blogger to be honoured with this prestigious award, directly after hunks-past-their-prime Billy K. and Sean Collins, is Montreal's own David Fiore. Congratulations, David! Your delightfully fulsome muttonchops put you over the edge.

Sorry boys, he appears to be taken.
posted by Steven at 6:51 PM