FELIX SIGHTING!

IT'S NEW TO ME, FELLAS: Some worthy soul has uploaded a FELIX cartoon I directed back in 1996 and have NEVER SEEN myself 'til 2:30 this morning!! I mean never. The last show of the season ended in a rush; my assistant was called back to THE SIMPSONS, so I did the screenplay & storyboard alone in a month. The season ended, I was out on the street and deliberately avoided seeing the cartoon, thinking I'd only cringe. But aside from some dialogue that didn't come off, even I'm rather...pleased. (The cartoon, GROSS GHOST, begins at 7:50.)

Four cartoons done in about six months, and no film back from Korea 'til after the season was finished. No chance to learn from my mistakes. It was a silly situation. I dearly wish I could have gotten into a "groove" and steadily improved as I directed more, but that was not to be.

The cartoon being of ghostly nature, I incorporated images from the HALLOWEEN STOMP cd cover...

MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC...and RUSSIAN CARTOONS

Compiled on my YT channel: a playlist of my favorite SOUNDIES & MUSICAL CLIPS, 129 and still counting. Tune in today!

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And: a playlist of RUSSIAN CARTOONS thru the 1930s-40s. Over three hours! Enter if you dare, Comrade.

PENCIL TO INK TO PAINT

In answer to a few requests, three more examples of penciled, then finished pages. This comic adaptation was completed in 2011 for the AFRICAN AMERICAN CLASSICS volume of GRAPHIC CLASSICS.

Stay Sweet,
MK.

COPYRIGHT 2015 BY MILTON KNIGHT

IT"S BACK TO JAPAN...

...for a 1930s "making of..." promo covering one of the country's first color cartoons, made by Noburo Ofuji (1900-1961), pioneer of the country's art.

It's likely that what we hear is not the original soundtrack, as the lengthy cycles were probably carried by the authentic music score. Ofuji alternated between cel and cut out techniques, both with his unique decorative stylings. (Thanks to "bumbumdbear".)

If the date attributed is correct, Ofuji's cel work changed little over 10 years, as seen here in the complete 1948 cartoon, THE BEAR DODGER.

PENCIL, INK

From a 2003 HUGO comic.

2015 BY MILTON KNIGHT

SLAPSTICK OF OLD JAPAN

Ancient Asian art dealt in humorous scenes in styles that are so bold and fresh, I find it striking that these examples were done an average of two and a half centuries ago. it  These are not normally classified as cartoons, but it's just the kind of draftsmanship I admire & try to emulate.

Street-tradesmen Brawling. Koyusai, 1781.

The Travelers and The Monkeys. Kawanabe Gyosai, 1875. This is said to be spun off AESOP'S FABLES illustrations by Sir John Tenniel (the ALICE IN WONDERLAND artist), but Gyosai has clearly made it his own!

From a print set called COMIC FAMOUS PLACES OF OSAKA by Yoshitoyo. The populace at fish market is attacked by octopi and eels, while others conduct business as usual.

Best,
Milt