Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Monday, June 29, 2009

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Friday, June 26, 2009

Lions and Hyenas,Galina Barinova, 1988

Russian animation about the struggle for survival. No subtitles, sorry.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Walking,Ryan Larkin, 1968

Ryan Larkin was a student of groundbreaking Canadian animator Norman McLaren, and a profoundly gifted animator in his own right, as this short makes abundantly clear.

This film was nominated for an Academy Award.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The Mascot, Ladislaw Starewicz, 1933

Classic stop-motion film by Starewicz. A toy puppy is brought to life by a mother's tear. His mission to fetch an orange takes him on a strange adventure indeed.

The sequence "The Devil's Ball" is an excerpt from this film.



Tuesday, June 23, 2009

A Playgound for Baboush, Noureddin Zarrinkelk, 1971

More wonderful animation by Noureddin Zarrinkelk. Produced in 1971 for The Iranian Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults.

Monday, June 22, 2009

We are experiencing technical difficulties.

Normally, I schedule the cartoon to automatically post at 6:30 AM every day. However, for some reason, this has not been happening. I don't think anyone has noticed, but just in case you have found this disruption in daily routine distressing, rest assured the cartoon still goes up EVERY DAMN DAY. Just not at the crack of dawn like it usually does. For the time being, I have to press a button to make it go.

Prince Amir-Hamzeh, Mad Mad Mad World, and Super Powers, Noureddin Zarrinkelk, 1977, 1975, and 1982

So when I'm looking for cartoons from around the world, sometimes I have a deuce of a time finding out what's going on, or who made the thing and when. I endeavor to get as much information as possible. (Google Translate is my friend.)

Sometimes it takes a bit of sleuthing, but when I find out about a great animator I would never have found otherwise, it makes this blog way more rewarding than I ever imagined it would be.

Noureddin Zarinkelk is the most prominent figure in Iranian animation. While earning his pharmeceutical degree in the late 1950's, he also studied the fine art of Persian miniature painting. He studied animation at the Belgian Royal Academy of Fine Arts, and went on to study with revered master animator Jiri Trnka.

Here is his film Prince Amir-Hamzeh, from 1977 .




And here are two anti-war cartoons, The Mad Mad Mad World(1975) and Super Powers(1982).

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Hello Dad, I'm In JAIL, Christoph Simon, 1988

I LIKE IT HERE! IT'S NICE!

Music by Was/Not Was, vocals by Jello Biafra.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Brittania, Joanna Quinn, 1993

British animator Joanna Quinn's satirical take on her homeland.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Fun on Mars, Sally Cruikshank, 1971

A short by the delightful Sally Cruikshank, made when.. well, here's what she says:

I made this film when I went to the San Francisco Art Institute, after graduating from Smith a semester early. It was my reaction to California. "Sweeping the Clouds Away" is sung by Charles "Buddy" Rodgers, who was Mary Pickford's husband. huh? who? The doctored photo was of an astronaut on the moon-- I thought he looked like a duck and made him one. From 1971... yikes!



A DVD of her work can be purchased on her site, which I've linked above.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

excerpt from One/Self, Fish Girl, Emily Hubley, 1997

Emily Hubley is the daughter of John and Faith Hubley, who frequently used the voices and drawing talents of their children in their films.

Emily Hubley went on to create animation for, among other things, the film version of Hedwig and the Angry Inch.



Emily recently directed a full length film, The Toe Tactic, that combines live action and her great animation. Check the site for screenings in your area.

Thanks to an anonymous commenter for the tip!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

short for This American Life, Chris Ware, 2009

A short that Chris Ware created for This American Life Live.

I have always wanted to see Chris Ware's spare, melancholy, immaculately rendered world come to life.

Quimby The Mouse from This American Life on Vimeo.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Lift #5, Pilot Studios, 1989

Fifth film in the "Lift" series, from Russia's Pilot Studios.



Speaking of Pilot studios, you guys want to see something sad, but also kind of awesome?Here's a collection of photos from 2006, when Pilot Studios decided to get rid of all their old animation cals and drawings. The news sparked a dumpster diving frenzy when people realized what was happening. I know I would have dived directly into the middle of that pile. The garbage truck would have hauled me off.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Harvie Krumpet, Adam Elliot, 2003

FAKTS!



The life of Harvek Milos Krumpetski. Winner, Best Animated Short Film, 2004. Depressing and uplifting and funny at the same time.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Jumping, Tezuka Osamu, 1984

Incredible short animation by Astro Boy creator Tezuka Osama.

Particularly badass because it was all shot in ONE CUT. Yeah. BADASS.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Tyger, Gulherme Mercondes, 2006

A contemporary take on William Blake's famous poem.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Hokusai: An Animated Sketchbook, Tony White, 1978

Today, you are going to learn a bit of art history.

Don't worry, it will be cool.

In the late 1970s, animator Tony White... Ah, I'll let him tell you.
This was my first ever... and still my favorite... short animated film! I created it in my spare time while I was still a director/animator at the Richard Williams Studio in London during the late ...
This was my first ever... and still my favorite... short animated film! I created it in my spare time while I was still a director/animator at the Richard Williams Studio in London during the late 1970's.
... The film itself was inspired by the wonderful sketchbooks of Hokusai. When I saw them I realized that this artist was indeed a true animator at heart... he just didn't have the knowledge or the technology to be one in his lifetime. I therefore sought to bring his drawings to life for him, as homage to his genius.


Thursday, June 11, 2009

I Met the Walrus, Josh Raskin, 2007

An incredible interpretation of an encounter between a music legend and a very resourceful young fan.
In 1969, a 14-year-old Beatle fanatic named Jerry Levitan snuck into John Lennon's hotel room in Toronto and convinced him to do an interview. 38 years later, Levitan, director Josh Raskin and illustrator James Braithwaite have collaborated to create an animated short film using the original interview recording as the soundtrack. A spellbinding vessel for Lennon's boundless wit and timeless message, I Met the Walrus was nominated for the 2008 Academy Award for Animated Short.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Doctor Legua's abominations, 2006, I don't know why

Sometimes I see something so awful and wrong that I have to share, just as Ian felt the need to share with me. Think of this as a cautionary tale on the dangers of 3D software abuse, because that's really the only thing that justifies this stuff at all.

I don't know who the hell Doctor Legua is, but he is NOT A REAL DOCTOR.


You said you was high class, but that was just a TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE LIE.


In case you think it's just Disney characters that have been mangled by his madness, let me assure you this is not the case:


OK, so in conclusion, I have no idea who this Doctor Legua is, but fuck that guy. I have to go pour bleach into my eyes now. THANKS IAN.

Monday, June 8, 2009

If you have any recommendations...

...you're welcome to let me know.

I love scouring the four corners of the intertubes for your daily animation fix (and mine, of course. I can't really pretend this is much more than an excuse to stuff as many cartoons into my eyeballs as humanly possible.) It's a lot of fun, and I've already seen many new things and learned a lot.

But if you are here, I imagine you love animation too, and you may have seen something that I haven't, or know something I don't. I'm posting something every day, and there are an infinity of days, so chances are all recommendations will be taken into account and most likely posted if they are available (some things aren't.)

In the next few weeks or so, I also have a few pieces that I really enjoy, but have been having a deuce of a time finding out who made them. I've been pretty good at sleuthing out the information so far, but a lot of things are posted on video sites with no information on the authorship of the content, and often the posters may not know themselves. So if'n you know stuff, you can tell me.

Bear in mind I'm a loving enthusiast, not an expert, and definitely not a snob. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments, or email me at yourdailycartoon@gmail.com. It would be divine to get some mail that wasn't from:

a)the wife of a deposed dictator with a business proposition for me,
b)some kind soul concerned about the size and quality of my erection,
c)someone who would like to show me pictures who are beauty and sex with ponies.

I am totally pretending that more than five people look at this blog. Let me dream.

The Tree and the Cat, Yevgeniy Sivokon, 1983

Continuing yesterday's theme of cats and love, here is a beautiful fable from Russian studio Kievnauchfilm.Directed by Yevgeniy Sivokon. Animated by Aleksandr Tatarskiy and Igor Kovalyov.



Thanks to Ian for hooking me up.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

9, Shane Acker, 2005

Oscar nominated short animation by Shane Acker.

A feature length version is scheduled for release on 9/9/2009.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Erection, Guido Manuli,1981

Good Clean fun from Guido Manuli, who hangs around with that Bruno Bozzetto character.

Probably , uh, not safe for work. If you choose to watch it at work anyway, please refer to yesterday's cartoon for further instructions.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Get a Job, Brad Caslor, 1985

But.. but it will cut into your valuable cartoon watching time!

Monday, June 1, 2009

Miracle of Flight,Terry Gilliam, 1974

I have been watching Terry Gilliam's animations since I was a very, very young child. Because of this, I had no hope of becoming a normal, productive member of society.