The 1935-36 season was good to RKO and good to all its suppliers. The Van Beuren cartoons had demonstrated considerable improvement over anything from the preceding few seasons, and it didn’t hurt that they were all in color – moving from Cinecolor to full Technicolor. Furthermore, Van Beuren would make deals to get rights to well-known characters,...

Although Catú (Jorge Martín, 1933-1997) began his work as an advertising animator in the 60’s, his signature would become representative of the best animated advertising produced in Argentina between the 70’s and 90’s, and many of his works were carved on fire in the brains of several generations. They are in mine, at least. However, very few are...

Donald may be a Duck, but he is relatable to everyone. We’ve all had our frustrations and reached our breaking points, but when Donald reaches his, and his hands fly in the air, the sailor’s outfit becomes a blur of blue. There is a torrent of imperceptible squawking, and we can all relate to this reaction to life’s most infuriating moments. This...

First off, here’s the official press release: Weigel Broadcasting Co. announced the launch of an all-new national television network, MeTV TOONS, dedicated exclusively to the very best of classic animation, from Hollywood-era shorts to made-for-television favorites. In this new collaboration between Warner Bros. Discovery and Weigel – the company...

Sorry – No Thunderbean Thursday today as we devote this space to a special announcement. Come back a 1pm Eastern/10am Eastern – or whatever that time is where you live. Don’t worry – it’s good news! Feel free to hang out on the Cartoon Research Facebook Group until then. No comments on this post. Save them up for later…

Just for fun, emphasis this week (with a few exceptions) is on some of the more obscure early television animation featuring circus themes. For balance, one major force in kids’ TV (Total Television) is included – but their output of episodes relating to circuses turns out to be surprisingly sparse. Other subjects of discussion include a studio...