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Archive-Name: animation-faq
Version: 1.21  1993/05/24

*** REC.ARTS.ANIMATION Frequently asked questions ***
*** Version 1.21  ***  May 24 1993
*** Mail all comments to Will Bell ([e-mail])

*** CONTENTS

1.  Introduction
2.  Questions
3.  Frequently Discussed Topics that tend to go nowhere
4.  Acknowledgements

*** INTRODUCTION

Rec.arts.animation is a relatively high-volume newsgroup which is intended
to discuss animation of any kind.  No subjects are taboo, but discussion
tends to focus on cartoons of all sorts -- how they are made, how good they
are, how BAD they are :-), and any other toon-related issues.

As with any other newsgroup, there are several questions that come up
repeatedly.  This document attempts to provide authoritative answers
to some of these FAQ's.  Ideas for new questions are welcomed, as are
other comments.  Please mail suggestions to [e-mail].

This FAQ, as well as many other FAQ's appearing on the net, is posted to
news.answers.  You can ftp FAQ's mentioned in this document from
rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet.  If you do not have ftp, send a message to
"[e-mail]" with the word "help" in the body.  The server
will send you instructions on retrieving the files via email.

This FAQ will be posted every two weeks.

*** CHANGES FROM LAST VERSION

(none)

*** QUESTIONS

Q1.  Where can I get a copy of the movie *Heavy Metal* on VHS?

A1.  Heavy Metal (the movie) is not licensed on video cassette in the US.
     From the horse's mouth:

        "We are constantly asked where one can buy the video of *Heavy
        Metal: The Film.*  You can't.  It's not available.  At the time
        the movie was made the film company, Columbia Pictures, didn't
        obtain the rights to the music.  It's been a long, arduous endeavor,
        but we are working on it, and hopefully we'll have some good news
        about a possible video in the future."

                                        Julie Simmons-Lynch
                                        Editor-in-Chief
                                        Heavy Metal magazine
     Summer 1988 issue

     The US Pay Cable channel Cinemax shows Heavy Metal approximately every
     8 months.  The most recent showing was in November 1992.

Q2.  But I just went to a ComicCon and a vendor had copies with color covers
     and everything!

A2.  The movie is widely bootlegged.  Some vendors dress them up to make
     look official, but the fact remains that they are bootlegs.  It's
     also believed that the movie has been released in Japan.  This is of
     course not legal to sell in the US.

Q3.  I will surely die if I don't get (MyFaveCartoon) on VHS!  Where can I
     buy it?

     If it's a Warners or MGM cartoon, there's a very large chance it's been
     released on VHS.  Check mass merchandisers such as K-Mart and Wal-Mart,
     and also check places like Suncoast Motion Pictures (a store that sells
     only videos).  Suncoast usually has a very good selection of toons.

     The best place to look for hard-to-find video is Whole Toon Access.
     WTA is a mail-order house in Issaquah, WA which specializes in
     cartoons on video.  They have thousands of titles in their catalog
     including toons from many independent vendors.  If it's available on
     video, they'll probably have it.  To contact them:
  Whole Toon Access
  PO Box 369
  Issaquah, WA 98027
  [phone]

Q4.  Any other mail order vendors I need to know about?

A4.  Warner Bros Catalog -- sells Looney Tunes material as well as
     promotional materials for their current movies and TV shows.
     The last catalog I saw was littered with Batman Returns junk.
     The merchandise is usually overpriced and unexceptional.  (IMHO)
  Warner Bros. Catalog
  PO Box 60048
  Tampa FL  33660-0048
  [phone]

     Disney Catalog --
  The Disney Catalog
  PO Box 28144
  Shawnee Mission KS  66201-9144
  [phone]
     (any others?)

Q5.  I'm into anime.  Why don't I ever see any anime posts here?

A5.  They are all in rec.arts.anime, which has its own FAQ.  The maintainer of
     that FAQ has volunteered to answer queries, etc., outside of r.a.anime.
     Email to [e-mail].

Q5a. Any other toon newsgroups I need to know about?

A5a. Here are a few and what they focus on :

     alt.tv.tiny-toon -- Fox-TV Cartoon "Tiny Toon Adventures" (*)
     alt.fan.disney.afternoon --  Syndicated cartoons in
 "The Disney Afternoon" (Goof Troop, Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck,
 Tale Spin) and DuckTales (and others?)
     alt.tv.ren-n-stimpy -- Nickelodeon cartoon "The Ren & Stimpy Show" (*)
     alt.fan.ren-and-stimpy -- a lesser-distributed newsgroup.
     rec.arts.disney -- Any and all things Disney, tends to focus more on the
        animated feature films and on theme park issues (*)
     alt.tv.simpsons -- Fox-TV Cartoon "The Simpsons" (*)
     comp.graphics.animation -- technical details of computer animation
     alt.tv.liquid.tv -- MTV show "Liquid Television"

     (*) Indicates the group has its own FAQ which you can ftp from
     rtfm.mit.edu. (/pub/usenet)

     Discussion about the Disney Afternoon also takes place on a mailing
     list as well as the newsgroup listed above.  All of the "true fans"
     are on the mailing list. :-)  The most ground-breaking news from the
     list is posted to the newsgroup.  Send mail to Stephanie da Silva
     ([e-mail]) to be placed on this mailing list.

Q6.  Where can I get the soundtrack from *The Last Unicorn*?

A6.  The soundtrack exists, but is not released in the US.  Here's the
     pertinent info.
        "Das Letzte Einhorn"
        released by Virgin Records (in then West Germany, I believe)
        copyright 1982,  CD # 610 388-222
        running time: 38 min.

Q7.  What are the lyrics to (MyFaveCartoon'sThemeSong)?

A7.  I have lyrics for Disney Afternoon and some Jay Ward cartoons.  Mail me
     requests.  I am trying to build up a repository of lyrics and then
     stash them at some ftp site.  Contributions gratefully accepted!

Q8.  What cartoons are on *The Golden Age of Looney Tunes*?  How about the
     other tapes?  Any other laserdiscs?

A8.  I have a list which includes all the data for the MGM/UA and Warner
     VHS tapes, as well as all the MGM/UA laser discs.  Due to space
     considerations, it is not included here.  Email me and I will send
     you this list.

Q9. Does anyone have a gif of (MyFaveAnimatedScene?)

A9. These sites are known to have cartoon/animation gifs:
 garfield.catt.ncsu.edu 152.1.43.23    (much Disney Stuff)
 tezuka.rest.ri.cmu.edu  128.2.209.227
 wuarchive.wustl.edu 128.252.135.4
        utpapa.ph.utexas.edu    128.83.131.52  (Tiny Toons Stuff)

Q10. Any good books on Animation / Cartoons?

A10. Here are a few.  Thanx to J.J. Kwashnak for compiling most of the list:

     Adamson, Joe; "Tex Avery: King of Cartoons"; printed in 1975;
        A biography of Tex Avery. It has a filmography listing credits
        with a short description and rating of each cartoon. There is
        an interview with Tex Avery and a fair number  of black and
        white stills for films, character sheets.

     Beck, Jerry and Will Friedwald; "Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies" 1988;
        Ultimate reference of Warner Brothers cartoons.  Chronological
        filmography of releases with synopsis and full credits.

     Blanc, Mel; "That's not All, Folks";
        Mel Blanc's biography (I guess, I've not read it.)

     Brion, Patrick; "Tom & Jerry: The Definitive Guide to their Animated
        Adventures"; New York, Harmony Books, 1990.  A translation of the 1987
        French edition.  An extremely thorough and beautiful treatment of the
        Tom and Jerry series from 1940 to 1967.  Includes complete production
        information on each film, including music used, animators, etc.  Very
        large and gorgeous--lots of color pictures.  [Ed. Note:  If you are
        a Tom & Jerry fan, you must own this book.  It is a very well-done
        production.  I found it at a used bookstore for $10 -- lists for $40!
        Or, PSB suggests this source: Edward R. Hamilton, Bookseller, Falls
        Village, CT 06031-5000--he doesn't do phone orders, so write for a
        catalog.]

     John Canemaker, Felix: "The Twisted Tale of the World's Most Famous Cat"
        Chronicles the rise of Felix during the silent era, his fall and rise
        again as a television star.  Lots of great art, a bibliography and
short
        filmography.  New York, Pantheon Books, 1991.

     Carbarga, Leslie; "The Fleischer Story" 1988;
        A chronicle of the rise and fall of the Fleischer brothers, the
        pioneering animators responsible for Betty Boop, Koko the Clown,
        Popeye among others.  Contains a complete filmography.

     Donald Crafton; "Before Mickey: The Animated Film 1898-1928";
        Cambridge, Mass., MIT Press, 1982.  The definitive scholarly work on
        the early animated film.  Lots of illustrations and a bibliography.
        The book ends where most begins--with Walt Disney's work.  Great of
        pre-film entertainments, Emile Cohl, Winsor McCay, Bray's invention
        of the cel technique, Paul Terry's Aesop's Fables, Fleischer's Out of
        the Ink-well series, Felix the Cat.  Crafton's writing is extremely
        readable considering his amazing scholarship.

     Finch, Christopher; "The Art of Walt Disney --- From Mickey Mouse
        to the Magic Kingdoms" 1973;
        A biography of Walt Disney and a history of his studio, parks etc.
        It has a good collection of color photos.

     Grant, John: The Encyclopedia of Walt Disney's Animated Characters,
        Second edition 1993.  Dealing exclusively with Disney, it is crammed
        with colour pictures of characters from the features, shorts and TV
        series.  Alsi included are synopses of the features and a very complete
        filmography.  Has a few eyecatching typographical errors, but very few
        errors of substance.  US$40.

     Jones, Chuck; "Chuck Amuck --- The Life and Times of an Animated
        Cartoonist"; 1990;
        An autobiography of Chuck Jones. It has a fair number of sketches,
        stories etc about the Warner Brother studios. Includes a filmography.

     Lenburg, Jeff; "Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons" 1991;
        The most comprehensive reference for theatrical cartoons and feature
        films, and television, listing individual episode titles.
        Entries include creators, directors, studios, voices, plot summaries
        and other trivia.

     Maltin, Leonard; "Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated
        Cartoons"; 1987;
        A history of the major american animation studios, focusing up
        until the 1960's studios.  Detailed filmography.  Good overall
        history of the US animation houses. Considered THE history of
        American Animation

     Schneider, Steve; "That's All Folks" 1988;
        Detailed history of the Warner Brothers cartooning.  Chapters focus
        on individual characters and a complete chronological filmography
        is included.  Lavishly illustrated.

     Sennett, Ted; "The Art of Hanna-Barbara" 1989;
        Coffee Table book thoroughly chronicles characters and series
        created by Hanna Barbara.  Lavishly illustrated with publicity
        stills and production art.  No filmography or episode titles.

     Solomon, Charles; "Enchanted Drawings: The HiStory of Animation" 1989;
        Huge art book, looks at the field chronologically as opposed to
        focusing on certain studios.  Incredible assortment of drawings
        and cels.  Expensive.

     Thomas, Frank and Ollie Johnston; "Disney Animation: The Illusion of
        Life";  "Good for the animator and non-animator alike."  575pp.

Q11.  What about those of us who are really interested in the actual
      creating of animation?  Drawing, etc?

A11.  The address for the animator's mailing list is
      [e-mail]; sending e-mail with a subject of
      "subscribe" will automatically join you to it;

*** FREQUENTLY DISCUSSED TOPICS THAT TEND TO GO NOWHERE

"Below are a list of topics that when brought up frequently start heated
flame wars.  When discussing them, please remember that they are a matter
of personal opinion and not some absolute set of value judgements that
everyone should subscribe to -- after all it is the diversity that makes
Usenet the interesting place it is.  When flame wars get out of hand, the
moderate parties often drop out or unsubcribe to the group as a result."

*  US Animation vs. Japanese Animation (anime)
*  Tiny Toons are/aren't ripoffs of Looney Tunes
*  "(MyFaveCartoon) is the best cartoon in existence.  Flame me."
*  "(YourFaveCartoon) is a piece of <random expletive>.  Flame me."

(others?)

*** ACKS

The following people contributed to this document:
 Roger P. Ang ([e-mail])
 Priscilla Stearns Barlow <[e-mail]>
 Enrique Conty ([e-mail])
 J. J. Kwashnak ([e-mail])
 Tad Morgan ([e-mail])
 Tony Palombella ([e-mail])
 Vince Taluskie ([e-mail])
 Emru Townsend <[e-mail]>
 Dana Uehara ([e-mail])

--
Will Bell -- [e-mail] -- Live from the heart of Scenic Central Texas
"As a math atheist, I should be excused from this."  (Watterson)