Rankin/Bass-historian

Monday, June 01, 2009

Skate Box for Josh!

Dennis is the man! Trick skate box custom made for Josh's graduation present!

The finished product ... several hours later.

MAD MONSTER PARTY wood carved ANIMAGIC

Arthur Rankin, Jr. gave me these wood carved salad untensils some years back as a Holiday gift! I took them out for the new DVD material and Paul Baker photographed them. The figures of FANG and DRAC were cerved by the ANIMAGIC figure makers and given to Mr. Rankin as a gift during the making of MAD MONSTER PARTY in 1967. He found them in his Bermuda home and thought I would appreciate them. These are very cool and slightly smaller than the ANIMAGIC figures that were used in the feature film.

I can't wait to see all of the materials that are going to be used for the LIONSGATE Disc. I am glad they are trying to get the people that actually worked on the film. I am tired of seeing animation documentaries with people that I really don't even know who they are or why they are in the doc. What is really upsetting is knowing that some of the animators are still around and could have been interviewed, but were not. There are also many voice actors that could add something to the releases.

MAURY & KAREN LAWS

Maury Laws and his beautiful wife Karen were visited by SPARKHILL this past weekend! Maury is the legendary musical composer and conductor for RANKIN/BASS PRODUCTIONS. His interview is back in Hollywood and part of the upcoming DELUXE MAD MONSTER PARTY DVD release by LIONSGATE. Visit Maury's website at www.maurylaws.com Maury and Karen have always been wonderful friends and I am so glad that Maury could be part of this project. His score for the film is one of his best!
Photograph by Paul Baker

Sunday, May 31, 2009

My Oak Lawn, IL house

As much as I love my house and living in Oak Lawn, Illinois, it looks like I will be putting my house up for sale this week. My son Josh wants me to move to Elk Grove Village, Illinois so that he can go to CONANT HIGH SCHOOL and continue skating at OLYMPIC and the other parks he skates at.

I spent four happy years here and made many, many improvements on the home with my friend Dennis Riordan and professionals. It was also great living a block away from CHICAGO RIDGE MALL (WESTFIELD) and a few blocks away from JR's HOT DOGS and PALERMO'S PIZZA.

My Daughter Sara's high school graduation was today...

Saturday, May 30, 2009

DOROTHY IVES

I spoke with my friend DOROTHY IVES (Burl's widow) on MEMORIAL DAY and it was great to catch up BUT was sorry to hear she lost her daughter Barbara about a year ago. We are both very commited to keeping Burl's memory alive and there are a few projects on the horizon. Check www.burlives.com

PHYLLIS DILLER

Hopefully my very dear friend, PHYLLIS DILLER, will be able to do an interview for the DELUXE MAD MONSTER PARTY DVD. She is the one that turned FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER into FANG! We are also trying to get the participation of ALLEN SWIFT and GALE GARNETT...the entire living voice cast for the classic film! BORIS is well missed!

MAURY LAWS did his interview today for SPARKHILL

MAD MONSTER PARTY SPARKHILL/LIONSGATE interview in the can!

The NEW DELUXE MAD MONSTER PARTY DVD is coming to a store near you this Halloween from LIONSGATE! I think the documentary by SPARKHILL is going to be something special. MAURY LAWS is doing his interview this weekend too. We covered alot of ground and are sharing some cool stuff for the disc! Many will be involved with this one. This is the way a RANKIN/BASS DVD should be!

TWANG!

PAUL BAKER from SPARKHILL with some bright lights!

Just made an EL KABONG noise on my guitar for the doc

Paul Baker adjusts the lighting. He knew his stuff and we got alot done for the doc!

Josh at Olympic Skate Park

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!