Channel Frederator Blog

Tom Sito reminded everyone via Facebook that today would have been Milt Kahl’s 100th birthday.

Though he started as an assistant, Milt was eventually responsible for many of the toughest assignments, which were many of the human characters from the Disney films. His skill as a draftsman was key to his mastery of animation.

What really set Milt and many of the other animators of that time apart from so many people in the industry today is the way they mentored young artists with tough love. If something didn’t move or look the way it should, Milt would let you know it for sure. Here’s Brad Bird’s take on Milt Kahl.

What an incredible talent and supporter of the craft. Great work combined with a great work ethic and the willingness to pass on the craft is what being a great animator is all about, and Milt Kahl had that in spades. Happy birthday, [Read more…]

Written By is a magazine published by the Writers Guild of America West. The Summer 2008 issue just came out and the theme is “Age of Animation”. The Cartoon Cover boy is Matt Groening, and you can read an except of his interview here. (One interesting tidbit that I didn’t know is that Bart’s name came from a bad novel that Groening wrote in high school. Bartholemew Simpson was the narrator who was “haunted by the fact that he looked like a beaver.”)

The issue is well worth purchasing: it includes interviews with Seth McFarlane (by Family Guy showrunner, David A. Goodman) and Brad Bird, an opinion piece by Mark Evanier, excerpts from unproduced animation scripts., and of course coverage of the history and present state of animation union organizing (by both the WGA and local 839). [Read more…]