Pinocchio ~ Disneys Best Feature

It's a familiar story... A wooden puppet, Pinocchio, is brought to life by the Blue Fairy, with the promise that he can become a real boy if he proves himself worthy. Pinocchio is led astray by the wicked Honest John and his companion Gideon, who turn him over to an evil puppeteer, Stromboli. Pinocchio is sent to Pleasure Island, where wicked boys are turned into donkeys, but he escapes with the aid of his friend and conscience, Jiminy Cricket, and eventually redeems himself by saving his father, Geppetto, who has been swallowed by Monstro, the whale. The Blue Fairy rewards Pinocchio by turning him into a real boy.

From the original story by Carlo Collodi, the film is felt by many film historians to be the most technically perfect of all the Disney animated features. And it truly is. It is the quintessential Disney film. It embodies the pure craftsmenship and devotion of artists working ONLY on one feature at a time. It was the time of new ideas and camera shots, angles never put on screen and a young Hollywood ripe with talent. It was when Disney's "Nine Old Men" were in their 20's, and hungry to please.

And please they did. Pinocchio is now out on DVD in a brilliant remastered print. I bought it with great anticipation the day it came out and sat that evening in the La-Z-Boy and marveled at the subtle magnificence of the painted woodwork in Geppettos shop... How it opened with the signature theme song "When You Wish Upon A Star"... with Jiminy Cricket sitting on a window sill by candlelight watching the night sky... The perfect voice casting of each character...the incredible world party soundtrack... the scenarios the puppet would get himself involved in.. one after another, warning that the world is a dangerous place that awaits you the moment you leave your doorstep.

Pinocchio was an innocent, left to partake in a world he had no idea existed and trusting everyone in his path. It also has some of the scariest scenes in animation history. With the Coachman capturing the boys and turning them to Jackasses, Monstro the Whale gobbling the makeshift raft Geppeto used to find his boy... Disney warns that the tamest of stories can become a nightmare with one wrong turn of the road.

Off the heels of the incredible success of Snow White, it was the Disney Company's second feature and remains arguably the hallmark of animation to this day... and in my mind will always be.

The Incomparable Mary Blair

Disney fans know her by name. Her art is integral to the Disney animation legacy. For more than a dozen years, an unassuming, quiet-spoken woman dominated Disney design. The stylishness and vibrant color of Disney films in the early 1940s through mid-1950s came primarily from artist Mary Blair. In her prime, she was an amazingly prolific American artist who enlivened and influenced the not-so-small worlds of film, print, theme parks, architectural decor, and advertising. At its core, her art represented joyful creativity and communicated pure pleasure to the viewer. Her exuberant fantasies brimmed with beauty, charm, and wit, melding a child's fresh eye with adult experience. Blair's personal flair comprised the imagery that flowed effortlessly and continually for more than a half a century from her brush. Emulated by many, she remains inimitable: a dazzling sorceress of design and color.

Admiring her work, Walt Disney appoints her artistic director of Saludos Amigos (1943), then The Three Caballeros (1945). During the next decade, she assumes the post of artistic director for the main projects of animated films. She abandons her favorite technique, the watercolor, for the gouache. It is on Alice in Wonderland (1951) that her influence is most significant. She realizes hundreds of preliminary studies, which are of use as base for the decorators. After the conception of Peter Pan (1953), she leaves Disney studios to dedicate herself to painting. In 1963, Walt Disney asks her to come back to assure the artistic creation of the attraction It's a Small World, intended for the international fair of New York (1964-65). This famous attraction is finally brought back to Disneyland in 1966. Marie Blair continues her creation work for the Californian Park and realizes mural frescoes for the Inner Space Building and the Circle-Vision Building of Tomorrowland.

While Mary Blair may not be a household name to many outside the Disney forums, I feel it is of great importance to recognize such a creative, inspiring talent that has quietly touched so many with wonder and effortless imagination.

Cheers Mary Blair!

Good Grief! We Hit The Seventies!

If you are one of the few who are not a fan of PEANUTS... check out any of the fantastic volumes in the award winning series by Fantagraphic Books. For the past few years, they have published 2 editions of the Complete Peanuts... each book containing 2 years of work... every single daily and Sunday strip. Starting with 1950. It will take 12 years to complete the 50 year legacy Sparky left behind. And you know... it is so interesting to see how the characters have grown and changed yet Schulz kept them fresh and relevant.. this is 20 years in! Little did he know that he had another 30 years in him! Find this and other volumes at your local Borders or on Amazon.com. Share it with your families and friends and remember just how simply sweet life and the perils therein can be.

Peanuts surges into the 1970s with Schulz at the peak of his powers and influence: a few jokes about Bob Dylan, Women’s Liberation and “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex” (!) aside, these two years are as timeless as Peanuts ever was.

Sally Brown — school phobia, malapropisms, unrequited love for Linus and all — elbows her way to center stage, at least among the humans, and is thus the logical choice for cover girl... and in her honor, the introduction is provided by none other than Broadway, television and film star Kristin (Wicked) Chenoweth, who first rose to Tony-winning fame with her scene-stealing performance as Sally in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

Two long Summer-camp sequences involve Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty, who has decided that Charlie Brown is madly in love with her, much to his clueless confusion. Snoopy shows up at camp as well, as does Peppermint Patty’s new permanent sidekick, the one and only Marcie.

The eternally mutable Snoopy mostly shakes off his World War I Flying Ace identity and turns into Joe Cool, college hipster extraordinaire. And in three long sequences he writes a fan letter to his favorite author, Miss Helen Sweetstory, then goes on a journey to meet her, and finally enlists Charlie Brown’s help when her latest opus, “The Six Bunny-Wunnies Freak Out,” falls afoul of censors.

Also, Woodstock attends worm school, falls in love with a worm (perhaps the most doomed unrequited Peanuts love story ever!), and is nearly eaten by the neighbors’ cat... Peppermint Patty is put on trial for another dress code violation and makes a very ill-advised choice in terms of lawyers... Snoopy turns Linus’s blanket into not one but two sportcoats... Lucy hits a home run... and the birth of one Rerun Van Pelt!

Do YOU remember Rerun?

When Sparky Ruled The Earth

Charles M. Schulz.. was the reason I wanted to become a cartoonist. He was completely amazing with his observations and abilities to pick out the little idiosyncrasies in life. To verbalize them through childhood, where everyone could identify. For 50 years, Sparky drew 6 strips a week and a deluxe Sunday panel. Not once using anyone Else's' ideas or suggestions. He drew on his thoughts, inner self and childhood. I think we all identify with Charlie Brown. Kids can be truthful yes.. and often cruel.

Thank You Walt!

This is why I wanted to become an animator. This cartoon, is perfect in its imperfectness. A landmark in film making and the beginning of a long withstanding dream. Have you seen it? I am sure you can pull it up on youtube and enjoy it for free. Or check out Walt Disney Treasures amazing deluxe dvd package "Mickey Mouse~In Back and White".

Why Disney needs to stop trashing up their icons.

What has happened to Tinkerbell???? This is so wrong. I could take a few sequels here and there, but then... when they began to suck... Disney should have pulled the plug. In fact, most of the sequels were way below sub par. One of the few I can think of remotely enjoying from beginning to end was the Lion King 1 1/2. (The one where the story is retold faithfully from Timon and Pumbaas point of view). It was worthy of a theatre release.

But the majority of the uninspired sequels has dumbed down the legacy of Uncle Walt's vision. He NEVER made an animated sequel. One could argue that there were so many untapped stories to be made that he wouldnt have to. But now, as in music... everything is cannibalized. Very little is original.

The idea of making the Peter Pan sequel "Return to Neverland" in 2002 was intriguing.. it was well done and probably the best of its genre... because Tink remained the same. They were true to the original. The premise was great. The animation was top notch... (Check out Hooks Ship gliding over London) but even it lagged after 45 mins. So then we begin to see all the merchandise breakout and Tink is every where with her pouty-snotty-brat pixie attitude and low and behold... we now have the BRATZ doll version of Tinkerbell. With politically correct faerie friends of all races and creeds. But look at it!!!!! When did Disney family values and wholesomeness dilute to this clap trap? Cease the reins again! Quit making horrid Broadway versions of all your movies!!! (And Dreamworks... you're next with SHREK-The Musical???? Really? Really????) And quit recasting voices of classic cartoon characters with John Goodman and Phil Collins. John Goodman is NO Phil Harris!!!!

Quit modernizing the Classics. The only hope is that if Disney continues the trend.. and they will, is that families one day see the craftsmanship and superb art of Disneys 9 Old Men in the likes of Pinnochio (on dvd) this March and turn away from Saturday Morning garbage like Thats So Raven! and enjoy the heyday and magnificence that Walt demanded and gave to us.

Hold On! I'm Coming Back!

Unknown Legends Become Unknowingly Legendary

I know! I Know! It's been a long time since I have posted here and I need to do something or lose this forum... so here is my book mark for good things to come in 2009.

I have been working on furthering the development of my graphic design company into a full fledged media marketing mammoth!

Surrounding myself with good people and better clients over the past two years has catipulted By Design into a whole new arena. We now have colleagues in web design, optimization, publishing, television and digital advertising as well as a host of other offerings. This may well prove to be the kick off year long in the making.

I am also proud to share one of the newest additions to our stable: The Unknown Legends. The five man band has quietly rocked throughout the town of Monroe MI and has now quite the following. By Design is proud to be a sponsor of this fine new band and its 17 original new songs. You can see them throughout the county, on youtube and their my space at www.myspace.com/unknownlegendsjam then...look for their new tv show to air on Monroe Public Access Television this summer!

Much more soon and welcome back!!!