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Newsgroups: rec.arts.animation,rec.answers,news.answers Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!gatech!newsfeed.internetmci.com!howland.reston.ans.net!ixnews1.ix.netcom.com!netcom.com!wbb From: wbb@netcom.com (Will Bell) Subject: [rec.arts.animation] Frequently Asked Questions v. 29 Message-ID: <animation-faq_830334155@netcom.com> Followup-To: rec.arts.animation Summary: Contains Q&A for new users of this newsgroup. Pls read before posting. Keywords: animation faq Supersedes: <animation-faq_827989127@netcom.com> Reply-To: wbb@netcom.com Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest) Date: Wed, 24 Apr 1996 08:22:36 GMT Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu Expires: Thu, 23 May 1996 08:22:35 GMT Lines: 460 Sender: wbb@netcom18.netcom.com Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu rec.arts.animation:50792 rec.answers:20247 news.answers:70275 Archive-name: animation-faq Version: 29 1996/03/05 *** REC.ARTS.ANIMATION Frequently asked questions *** + A "+" in column 1 indicates new information updated between + 1995/12/15 and 1996/03/05. Also, the 1.x numbering scheme + has been dropped, since I can't ever foresee changing the + document substantially enough to get to version 2. *** CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. Questions: Q1. Where can I get a copy of the movie *Heavy Metal* on VHS? Q2. But I just went to a ComicCon and a vendor had copies with ... Q3. I will surely die if I don't get (MyFaveCartoon) on VHS! Where ... Q3a. I heard about this place called the Whole Toon Catalog.... Q4. Any other mail order vendors I need to know about? Q5. I'm into anime (Japanese Animation). Why no anime posts? Q6. Any other toon newsgroups I need to know about? Q7. Where can I get the soundtrack from *The Last Unicorn*? Q8. What are the lyrics to (MyFaveCartoon'sThemeSong)? Q9. What cartoons are on *The Golden Age of Looney Tunes*? Q10 Does anyone have a gif of (MyFaveAnimatedScene?) Q11. What about those of us who are really interested in the actual creating of animation? Drawing, etc? Q12. Are there any magazines, etc. dealing with Animation? Q13. What's the deal with editing on Tex Avery video collections? Q14. Any good books on Animation / Cartoons? 3. Misc. information sources S1. FTP site for Local 839 IATSE (Animators' Union) 4. Frequently Discussed Topics that tend to go nowhere 5. Acknowledgements & Distribution rights *** 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. If you have a suggestion, complaint, or any other comment, please MAIL it to me at wbb@netcom.com. This file is posted automatically by machine, and I sometimes fall behind in my newsreading. There is a good chance I will not see your comments if you post them. So please email me instead. It may take me some time to incorporate your comments into this file. All comments are saved and WILL be included at some point in the future as my time allows. 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 "mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu" with the word "help" in the body. The server will send you instructions on retrieving the files via email. This FAQ is posted about every 15 days. You may also request it via email (give me several days to respond). *** 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 reported showing was in November 1992. (It may have aired since then, but has not been reported to the newsgroup.) Ted Turner has acquired rights to it; a butchered version of it is shown occasionally on TNT and/or TBS. + A correspondent reports that the video of Heavy Metal can be rented + from Le Video, 1231 and 1239 9th Avenue, San Francisco, Ca 94122, + tel. (415) 566-3606. 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. 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. Q3a. I heard about this place called the Whole Toon Catalog that was supposed to have the world's best selection of toons on video? A3a. Sadly, as of December 1995, the Whole Toon Catalog is out of business. 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 merchandise is usually overpriced and unexceptional. (IMHO) Warner Bros. Catalog PO Box 60048 Tampa FL 33660-0048 (800) 223-6524 Most of the merchandise available in the catalog is also available at the Warner Bros. Studio Stores. These are not nearly as widespread as the Disney stores, though their numbers are growing rapidly. The 800 number above should be able to tell you the WBSS nearest to your town. Disney Catalog -- The Disney Catalog PO Box 28144 Shawnee Mission KS 66201-9144 (800) 237-5751 (any others?) Q5. I'm into anime (Japanese Animation). 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 pearl@remus.rutgers.edu. Q6. Any other toon newsgroups I need to know about? A6. Here are a few and what they focus on : alt.animation.warner-bros -- Warner Bros. cartoons (old and new) alt.tv.animaniacs -- Fox-TV Cartoon "Animaniacs" (*) + alt.tv.eek-the-cat -- Fox-TV Cartoon "Eek the cat" + alt.tv.reboot -- the 100% CGI Saturday morning cartoon. alt.tv.tiny-toon -- Fox-TV Cartoon "Tiny Toon Adventures" (*) alt.tv.tiny-toon.fandom -- Looser discussion of toons. 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.animation -- Any and all things Disney, tends to focus more on the animated feature films (*) alt.tv.simpsons -- Fox-TV Cartoon "The Simpsons" (*) comp.graphics.animation -- technical details of computer animation alt.tv.liquid.tv -- MTV show "Liquid Television" + rec.arts.comics.other-media -- animated versions of comic books (*) 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 ranger-list-request@taronga.com to be placed on this mailing list. Q7. Where can I get the soundtrack from *The Last Unicorn*? A7. 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. + A correspondent has suggested German Music Express as a possible + source. 'telnet musicexpress.com' and follow the prompts. Q8. What are the lyrics to (MyFaveCartoon'sThemeSong)? A8. 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! Q9. What cartoons are on *The Golden Age of Looney Tunes*? How about the other tapes? Any other laserdiscs? A9. I have a list which includes all the data for the current MGM/UA and Warner VHS tapes and laser discs. Due to space considerations, it is not included here. To obtain this list by email, send mail to wbb@netcom.com with a subject of "SENDME lt.lis". Q10. Does anyone have a gif of (MyFaveAnimatedScene?) + A10. Most sites that used to offer images, now no longer do so due + to copyright issues. Check alt.binaries.pictures.cartoons. In + the interest of keeping myself totally free from legal burden, + I no longer maintain a list of sites. 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 animate-request@dsd.es.com; sending e-mail with a subject of "subscribe" will automatically join you to it. Q12. Are there any magazines, etc. dealing with animation? A12. A list follows, which is surely not all-inclusive. Thanks to Emru Townsend for the info. A-Ni-Me, Neo-Tokyo Enterprises/Mike Tatsugawa 2425 B Channing Way, Suite 310, Berkeley, CA 74704 $15.00 (includes tax, shipping & handling), published annually Anime Magazine Animaster, The Goodwill Network/Massimo Iorillo P.O. Box 3244, 1499 Yverdon, Switzerland, Europe Anime magazine + Animation Magazine, 5889 Kanan Road, #317, Agoura Hills, CA 91301; tel: (800) 996-TOONS Animato, the Animation Fan's Magazine 17 Spruce St. Springfield, MA 01105 Quarterly animation magazine; $12/four issues; tel: (413) 731-7928 Animator 13 Ringway Road Part Street, St. Albans, Herts, AL2 2RE, England Animation magazine Anime UK 70 Mortimer Street, London, England W1N 7DF, tel: +44 (0)71 637 2588 Japanese animation magazine Big Reel, P.O. Box 1050, Dubuque, IA 52004 Subscription: $25 for 12 monthly issues; tel: (800) 334-7165 Magazine for film collectors fps, PO Box 355, Station H, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 2L1 http://www.cam.org/~pawn/fps.html Small-press animation magazine, contact emru@cam.org In Toon!, PO Box 217, Gracie Station, New York, NY 10028 A magazine for collectors of original animation art; $18/year Toon Magazine, Black Bear Press, 2828 Cochran St. Suite #152, Simi Valley, CA 93065 Contains episode descriptions and summaries for current and older cartoon series (American and anime). Also contains articles on selected series as well as pictures of some of the individual voice actors. Individual issues are available for $7.95 newsstand; the magazine is published quarterly. Q13. What's the deal with editing on Tex Avery video collections? + A13. Michael W. Denney provides the following info: The first pressing of the Complete Tex Avery set contains two edited cartoons. This was a mistake by MGM/Turner and the second pressing is supposed to be correct. I wouldn't recommend buying a copy without first verifying it is the unedited version. In "Droopy's Good Deed" look for the exploding hat, if the man continues counting out the money in black-face with a southern accent you have the unedited version. + Further information from MGM/UA home video: + + "Unfortunately, it doesn't look as if the uncensored versions will + see the light of day. There are no plans from Turner, despite + several consumer petitions, to re-release these cartoons in their + full length. The rumor [ that a second unedited pressing of the box + set was or will be made ] is untrue." + + So, the edits are there but there is nothing anyone can do about + them. Incidentally, the letter I received from MGM/UA makes it sound + as if they don't *quite* know what they are talking about and I + wonder whether they are getting these edits confused with the new ban + on "Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips". Regardless their answer is a pretty + definite negative. Q14. Any good books on Animation / Cartoons? A14. For Disney books, I refer you to part 03 of Tom Tanida's excellent FAQ for rec.arts.disney (see above for instructions on how to get this list). Whole Toon has a large list of animation books available, including many Disney books and several non-Disney books. Some suggestions from the net: 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. Giannalberto Bendazzi; CARTOONS , One hundred years of cinema animation; Publisher: JOHN LIBBEY & CO. LTD 13 Smiths Yard, Summerly Street, London SW18 4HR, England, Orders: +44 279 417134. 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. Freberg, Stan; "It Only Hurts When I Laugh"; 1994; Times Books. Deals mainly with his involvement with cartoons but does have stuff about his work in radio and advertising. 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. *** MISCELLANEOUS SOURCES OF INFORMATION S1. Local 839 IATSE FTP site (following info provided by them) The Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists and Affiliated Optical Electronic and Graphic Arts, Local 839 IATSE is pleased to announce the availability by anonymous FTP of information files about our organization. Ftp to ftp.netcom.com and check out the directory /pub/mpsc839. Information available includes the collective bargaining agreement between Local 839 and most animation concerns in SoCal; the complete schedule of the American Animation Institute, an educational program administered by Local 839; excerpts of recent back issues of THE PEG-BOARD, Local 839's monthly newsletter; and more. For further information, email mpsc839@netcom.com. Jeff Massie is the human behind this alias. *** 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 (rang@laputa.ics.uci.edu) Priscilla Stearns Barlow <psb2@midway.uchicago.edu> Enrique Conty (jester@ihlpl.att.com) + Michael W. Denney (mdenney@pathway1.pathcom.com) + Bob Edwards <dryland@ns2.emirates.net.ae> J. J. Kwashnak (jkwashna@pearl.tufts.edu) Tad Morgan (tmorgan@as.arizona.edu) + Cliff Nesteroff <jnestero@cln.etc.bc.ca> Tony Palombella (palomb@beagle.colorado.edu) Vince Taluskie (taluskie@utpapa.ph.utexas.edu) Emru Townsend <emru@cam.org> Dana Uehara (duehara@yosemite.atmos.ucla.edu) *** REDISTRIBUTION RIGHTS This document may be distributed freely throughout the net so long as all identifying information and this disclaimer appears intact. This document, or any derivative works thereof, may not be sold or redistributed for profit in any way without express permission of the editor. If you are compiling a CD-ROM and desire to include this FAQ, please consult the editor to negotiate appropriate permissions and releases. Normally I will require stipulations on header formats and a free copy of the end product if appropriate. This document represents the collective effort of many USENET animation fans. We appreciate your honoring of this policy. *** NOTICE If you are reading this off of a CD-ROM, you should be aware that the vendor of your CD-ROM has not asked for permission to use this FAQ; if they had I would have supplied them with a version missing this paragraph. I strongly encourage you to avoid vendors who shamelessly milk the net without even asking first.