The Danish Poet, Torill Kove, 2006

Evolution, Michael Mills, 1971

The Old Man and the Sea, Aleksandr Petrov, 1999

Oh My Darling, Borge Ring, 1977, and Anna and Bella, 1984

I have been negligent in checking on the other animation blogs I frequent, like Mayerson on Animation and of course the venerable Cartoon Brew, so I missed the news that Academy Award winner and recent Winsor McCay Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Borge Ring lost his home to a fire on February 1st.

From the site, HELP BORGE RING set up for them by their daughter Anika:

Oscar Winner, Borge Ring is an artist who has spent his life animating stories to delight audiences around the world. His wife Joanika is a sculptor and art teacher in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta.

After Borge retired a few years ago due to old age (he's turning 91 this month) their house became a main source of income, serving as a bed & breakfast and a place where people could hold special events.

Sadly, on February 1st, 2012, Borge and Joanika's chimney caught fire sending sparks onto the thatched roof, which quickly ignited. Within hours on this frigid February day, their home and their life's work together was burned to ashes, leaving them out in the cold with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.

Borge, Joanika, and their two cats are fine, thank goodness.

I've sent a donation. It's a small way to give back to someone whose work I enjoy and respect.

Ring was nominated for the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film in 1978 for Oh My Darling.



He won the award in 1985 for Anna and Bella (which I could have sworn I featured before but I haven't. Unpossible, I know.)

His trophy was destroyed in the fire.



If you would like to leave a message for Borge, you can do so here.

Here is another link to the HELP BORGE RING site

House of Small Cubes, Kunio Kato, 2008

Dumbo, Ben Sharpsteen +, 1941

If you were to ask me "Oh hey, Kinky Boot Beast, if that is your real name, what is the best Disney cartoon?"

And I would say THIS ONE RIGHT HERE!

Not my favorite when I was a kid. I was scared shitless of those pink elephants.

Oh, yeah, this is the whole darn thing.



Directed by too many people to add to the marquee up there - Ben Sharpsteen was the supervising director. Sometimes it takes a lot of people to make something this great.
Sam Armstrong
Norman Ferguson
Wilfred Jackson
Jack Kinney
Bill Roberts

Why Man Creates, Saul Bass, 1968

Thanks Ian.

Charade, Jon Minnis, 1983

Mona Lisa descending a Staircase, Joan Gratz, 1991

The Lost Thing, Shaun Tan, 2010

The Lost Thing is nominated for a WON! the 2011 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.


Congratulations!

Ryan, Chris Landreth, 2004

Chris Landreth's short animated interview with gifted animator Ryan Larkin.

Winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, 2005.

Sundae in New York, James Picker, 1982

Tin Toy, John Lasseter and William Reeves ,1987

The film that launched Pixar looks a little primitive by todays standards, but was pretty mindblowing at the time.

Yes, the baby looks really scary.

The Sand Castle, Co Hoedeman, 1977

Ok, I will now step halfway out of Canada with masterful DUTCH-canadian animator Co Hoedeman's Oscar winning 1977 film.

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Double Feature, John and Faith Hubley, 1966

And now another musical interlude, featuring Herb alpert and the Tijuana Brass and the funky, Oscar-winning animation of the Hubleys.

Logorama, Nicolas Schmerkin, 2009

This action packed number is one of the nominees forthe WINNER of the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. (Good work, folks!)

Chock full of logos and swearing!

(THANKS IAN.)

Read the text of Nicolas Schmerkin's acceptance speech here


ETA: Congratulations, y'all.

Leisure, Bruce Petty, 1975

Part 1


Part 2

Peter and the Wolf, Suzie Templeton, 2006

Oscar winner for Best Animated Short Film, 2008

Part One


Part Two


Part Three


Part Four


(Thanks, Betsy!)

The Hole, John and Faith Hubley, 1962

Oscar winning short by John and Faith Hubley.

Part one:


Part two:

Great, Bob Godfrey, 1975

Oscar winning animated musical about the ambitious British engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel.