Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
PIXAR'S UP
I loved this film! You have to see it in it's 3D version too. It reminded me alot of another great film...Clint Eastwood's GRAN TORINO. The focus is on an elderly gentleman CARL FREDERICKSON (Ed Asner) and a wonderful character named RUSSELL (Jordan Nagai)...a modern day CHARLIE BROWN. Make sure you bring some tissues...the montage towards the beginning is REALLY well done. PIXAR has another ACADEMY AWARD winner here. I rank it high up there with THE INCREDIBLES. PIXAR is light years ahead of all the other PIXAR wannabes and the one half hour of trailers before the feature were proof of that. Don't animation companies realize that it takes heart and warmth in these films (like RANKIN/BASS films have) to make them a masterpiece as PIXAR does? There was a trailer for an AWFUL upcoming DISNEY computer animated film called G FORCE, that the theater showed three times?!?!? The trailer ended with hamsters saying "Poop in his hand"? I heard small kids in the theater repeating that line after the trailer. Total garbage. Anyway, do not miss UP! TOY STORY 3 in 3D is next and they are redoing TOY STORY 1 and 2 in 3D!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
PAUL FREES
Legendary actor PAUL FREES was in most everything RANKIN/BASS did and one of the greatest voice actors of all time! Arthur loved his sense of humor and Paul said the only two Producers he would get on a plane to do work for at the end of his career were JAY WARD and ARTHUR RANKIN.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
TONY
My friend TONY PETERS did pass away in New York this past Sunday. Tony designed many wonderful things for RANKIN/BASS in the early days of the studio. He gave me the picture above and designed these elves and this style of ANIMAGIC. I devoted a chapter in my book THE MAKING OF THE RANKIN/BASS HOLIDAY CLASSIC: RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER to him and he was proud of it and said his grand children were too. He will definitely be missed. He loved to talk about his work on the GRANTRAY-LAWRENCE cartoons too. He developed ROCKET ROBINHOOD and also worked on the classic MARVEL SUPER HERO cartoons. I love the work he did on THE NEW ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO, TALES OF THE WIZARD OF OZ, WILLY McBEAN & HIS MAGIC MACHINE and of course RUDOLPH! Tuesday, May 26, 2009
FINALLY here!
These were a GREAT pick me up to a not so good day! I was hoping they would contain the opens and closings to the shows and they do! THE PETER POTOMUS SHOW was REALLY cool. The open was from a fair print BUT never saw the color version with the audio together and the close looks really good (re-mastered). It has Ricochet and Droop-a-long, so it was from the syndicated version BUT it looks AWESOME as does the QUICK DRAW McGRAW open/close! Still watching the discs BUT was glad to see THE PORKY PIG SHOW open and close. It was from a pretty damaged print BUT still great to have. Hopefully, there will be future volumes and full sets of these series!TONY PETERS
Not a good day... Just learned that TONY PETERS may have passed away over the weekend. Will find out more details shortly. I also learned my Dad is very ill. I talked to Burl Ives' widow last night...Dorothy and she lost her daughter Barbara about a year ago too. Hope things get better. Monday, May 25, 2009
Early JIM HENSON by IDEAL TOYS
I love the early work of JIM HENSON. One of the RAREST things I have in my collection is this 1965 IDEAL TOYS Kermit the Frog puppet. I have never seen another one. I bought it from my friend Ron Murphy's brother, who had it since 1965. I love that he is wearing the red turtleneck, as he did on THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW. He also has the early round feet.FAITHBOY
I ran into DAVE GOLDSMITH, a viewer of my blog, and his wife at the last TOY SHOW in St. Charles, IL and he gave me one of his new FUNKO nodders that he Produced with my friend Brian Mariotti from FUNKO. YOU GOTTA HAVE FAITH, BOY! 
RICKENBACKER
I love these guitars. I have loved all the RICKENBACKER guitars I have had and THE BEATLES put them on the map. I am probably most comfortable playing my 12 string. One of my favorite subjects to talk about. We are getting lots of rain on this MEMORIAL DAY holiday.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Two MEMORIAL DAY weekend jam sessions with THE STARVING ARTISTS
Guitar superstar Tom Margarites came out from Northbrook, Illinois to join us for a STARVING ARTISTS jam session! The first one of the day. 
The CHICAGO CUBS lost their 7th game in a row during our first practice of the day! 
Tom and his new set of wheels...
Tom 'Bono' Margarites and Dennis Riordan Josh's Skate Rail
Dennis is building Josh an 8 foot Skate Box w/ a metal edge. It will weigh about 90 lbs. Josh wanted one for his graduation present and this is not the kind of thing you can buy at a store. We saved big money at MENARD's tonight. 
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