Fred Seibert's Blog

“Christmastime for Jews” by Robert Smigel

Great minds are thinking alike. First, Ben Ross and the UltraKawaii team came up with this video. Then our friend Alan Katz sent me this song, which Ben will be animating this weekend:

Pick Me!

(Sung by a dog who wants to be the Obama family’s pup, to the tune of “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean”)

Barack, you just won the election
America gave you a smooch
Now we all await the selection
Just who will you choose as First Pooch?

Pick me, pick me
With kids of all ages
I’ve played, I’ve played
Pick me, pick me
I’m already neutered and spayed!

Malia and Sasha, such sweeties
One look and their hearts will be mush (the kids looking at the dog who’s singing)
We’ll snuggle while you’re signing treaties
For laughs, I can pee on a Bush! (peeing on George W)

Pick me, pick me
Your papers and slippers
I’ll fetch, I’ll fetch
You can sic me
When folks like Joe Lieberman kvetch!

Pick me, pick me
No collies, or schnauzers
No danes, no danes
Pick me, quickly,
I’m glad I’ll be yours
Not McCains!
(Big howl)

 
“Victor the Delivery Dog” title sequence, by Niki Yang

Well, not really. But ever since I got into the cartoon business the classic way of introducing a short animated film keeps animating me.

In anticipation of our belated debut of the Random! Cartoons shorts (December 6 on Nicktoons, in case you were wondering), I just posted 31 of the title card sequences over on our site. (Yes, there are 39 different shorts, but some of the sequences are animated, some just haven’t made their way to me yet.) Most of them were designed and illustrated by the shorts’ individual creators. I think you’ll enjoy the wide range of approaches they’ve taken as much as we do.

And as a bonus, here are some frame grabs from our original shorts program, What A Cartoon!, from before I was smart enough to save the original artwork.

Mailed the week of September 1, 2008

They swear to us it’s coming soon. Really. 

Random! Cartoons logo designed by Michael Lapinski
Inspired by Darron Moore

Frederator Postcards Series 1, 1998
Frederator Postcards Series 2, 1999
Frederator Postcards Series 3, 2000
Frederator Postcards Series 4, 2003
Frederator Postcards Series 5, 2004-2005
Frederator Postcards Series 6, 2007-2008

1997 Hanna-Barbera Cartoons Calendar

By the time this calendar was published in late 1997, I’d left Hanna-Barbera for Frederator. But, not without a lot of pride in the great, original series that were finally getting under way from our first shorts program, like Dexter’s Laboratory, Cow & Chicken, and Johnny Bravo. And, lo and behold, to this day Cartoon Network Studios has kept up my tradition of cool calendars for their friends.

…..

1997 Hanna-Barbera Cartoons Calendar

Credits from the back cover:

Concept/Art Direction/Design: Patrick Raske / Barbis & Raske

Creative Directors: Julie Prendiville Roux /Jeff Gelberg

Contributing Art Directors: Mardel Castetter, Jim Scott / Night Network, Inc.

Production Manager: Ken Weisbrod
Production Coordinator: Karin Kittel
Production Artist: Andrew Theo
Executive Assistant: Dennis Delrogh

Printing: ColorGraphics, Jon Sobel

TM & ©1998 Hanna-Barbera Inc. A Time Warner Company. All rights reserved. All characters and related elements depicted herein are trademarks and copyrighted by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. or Cartoon Network Studios, Inc.

Cow and Chicken
Created by David Feiss

Johnn Bravo
Created by Van Partible

Dexter’s Laboratory
Created by Genndy Tartakovsky

Whenever I get a little free time (like now, on vacation) I pull crap off of my shelves and scan it for posterity. Like these two Hanna-Barbera Cartoons calendars from the 90s (I posted 1995 on last summer’s vacation).

Over the years I’ve collected all sorts of stuff that have pop culture images printed on them (skateboards, glasses, calendars, et cetera) and when I got to Hanna-Barbera it seemed to me the studio was in need of some image repair. Calendars were my obsession of that moment, so we put together some incredible design talent and photographers (SpotCo and Mark Hill for 1994, HB in-house talent in 1995) and spiffed ourselves up a little.

Find more videos like this on Channel Frederator RAW

Jon Kane and I have worked together for a way long time, and I’m honored whenever I’m lucky enough to get his attention for one of our, ahem, efficiently priced jobs. So it was in 1998 when we were launching Oh Yeah! Cartoons and I thought it would be great to package it with a different vibe than other cartoon show. Calling Kane!

Jon’s company Optic Nerve was one of the leading commercial production shops in New York. Jon conceived the spots, [Read more…]

Frederator Studios Development Presentation from fredseibert on Vimeo.

It doesn’t seem possible, but the networks don’t just beat a path to Frederator begging us for shows. Our team works hard behind the scenes, often for years at a time, to convince folks that our creators’ series deserve a shot. The creators write elaborate presentation pieces to give executives an idea of what’s in store for characters and stories in a series, and they go in person often to get everyone comfortable with what will be eventually a very expensive investment totally sometimes in the hundreds of millions.A few weeks ago we contracted with one of my favorite directors, Jon Kane of Optic Nerve in New York (sometimes better known as the DJ behind FischerSpooner) to put together a video for some of our current presentations. Whenever I work with Jon it makes me wonder how I can lure him into cartoons.

Those in the know know that the first season of Dan Meth and Mark Vitelli’s Nite Fite launched yesterday after a  feverishly hard working spring of production. That’s right, the first spin-off of the much heralded and massively popular The Meth Minute 39, it’s the first animated talk show on the web. And one a sponsorship from Starburst candy, a major coup. I wanted to shout out a lot of the folks who’ve helped get us going. It’s a much bigger group than you’d imagine for 20 shorts, with not only Frederator in the mix, but online networks, a major corporate sponsor, and dozens of distributors, so settle in. (And when I miss anyone, please let me know so I can update my mistakes.)

Dan Meth & Mark Vitelli. Dan and Mark created and wrote Nite Fite. Thanks guys, for your great show.

I know you know Dan from The Meth Minute 39 (and his site and blog) as an animator of rare distinction, but you also know Mark through his work on MM39; he’s not only the sound designer for most all of Dan’s cartoons, but is a trusted creative advisor as well. The guys write all the episodes in the studio (Dan writes the sponsorhip spots back at our studio), and Mark takes their rantings and ravings and tightens them up to a full ka-pow of funniness before Dan and his crew get hold for the animation.

Carrie Miller. Indefatigable Carrie has produced The Meth Minute 39 as well Nite Fite. And I can say, with feeling, no one could have survived the process without her. Not only big smarts and schedules, but charm, good humor, and diplomacy –least of all needed with her Frederator colleagues– have charged Carrie’s work all the way through.

The animation team. For the first time in our New York studio, Dan and Carrie have put together a crack crew of animators and artists to help us reach our creative peaks and deadlines. Dagan Moriarty, Daisy Edwards, Adam Rosette, and Al Pardo are not only talented, but great companions to have in the studio.

Mike Glenn. We don’t really see Mike that often because he works the night shift in the post production dungeon, but he’s been our packaging editor, and dependable rock, throughout all of Dan’s projects here.

Kevin Kolde, Eric Homan, and Roy Langbord.  And Angie Polk. Kevin and Eric work primarily on our Hollywood based projects, but they’ve been amazing supporters of Dan’s and Carrie’s. Kevin particularly, as we worked out way out of garage style production. And Roy, our attorney and advisor, saves us from ourselves. Angie’s my assistant in NY, but so much more for everyone.

And over at Next New Networks, our distributor, promoter, and boosters nonpareil.

George Stewart runs media sales and has been a MM39 believer from the beginning.  He introduced us to our early champion, Digitas’ John McCarus who, in turn, roped in more of his colleagues that I can mention (don’t hate me for not including the whole list, it’s a lot of great folks), to believe in Dan and his characters.

Digitas brought along our sponsor, Starburst candies, which is part of the unbelievably big Mars Incorporated. I only mention their size, because it was a real leap of faith on everyone’s part to be part of Nite Fite and Next New Networks, and for everyone who took the leap, we salute and thank you. (And, you should check out Penalty and Lloyd on Starburst’s site. It not only looks awesome over there, but there’s a bunch of other cool goodies too.)

Rachel Garcia is also in NNN media sales, and it would be hard to properly explain how much she’s done to keep this project on track without making her blush or making her collapse from exhaustion looking over the looooong list of things she’s accomplished for us. But, I should highlight that hand in hand with Sarah Passe at Digitas, were we able to keep the magic group of 20 informed and happy with all our creative work over these last few hectic months.

Tim Shey is one of the NNN founders and runs programming at the company.  He’s been an indomitable spirit guiding the NNN-ers through the programming, promotion, and distribution of the Nite Fite series. “I’m with Penalty!” “Well, I’m with Lloyd!”

Scott Moschella and Jeaux Janovsky run  the Next New side of Channel Frederator and Nite Fite. They’re internet geeks to top all IG, and work out all the wherefores of how the MM39’s and NF’s find their way throughout our communities and beyond. Jeaux has personal relationships throughout the internet cartoon universe, and keeps them all stoked about everything Dan creates. Scott’s worked closely with Tim, YouTube, and everyone else here to get the NF site where it needs to be. Vanessa Pappas now runs the entertainment team, and her brains are going to guide us through this first season better than any of the rest of us ever could.

Diane deCordova heads up the super-distribution strategy and team COO Jed Simmons put together and was responsible for the 20,000,000 views the MM39 has garnered this year. From Veoh to YouTube to Break to UGO to to to to to… the list goes on. We’re super because of you, thanks guys.

Andres Palmiter is the Next New Networks secret sauce. His daily contacts with the distribution partners around the world are key to super-distribution success. The fact that he’s personally so in love with Dan’s work isn’t a small thing either.

The developer team of Paul Blakey, Todd Morningstar, Alex Milyavskiy, run by Marc Goldberg, is always happy and unarguing when asked impossible things by everyone.

I’m not neglecting Lee Rubenstein or Graham Smith or Jeremy Kutner for their site contributions (and, of course, so much more).

Justin Johnson’s promos. Can I really compliment him any more than I have? And Alan Kaufman?

There’s a few dozen other NNN’s too, and in different ways big and small they’ve all been important to the launch of Nite Fite. The order of thanks isn’t meant to slight anyone, but truly, thanks Liam, Herb, Emil, Michelle, Patty, Erik, Lindsey, Michael, Ramon, Erin, Ian, Max, Dustin, Corinne, Rob, Mary, Steve, Donny, Ben, Ben, Jared, Gene, Charlie, Pete.

There’s always someone who blows up the conventional wisdom and then the world is never the same. Ralph Bakshi is the one in animation, and we can all thank him every day.

Jon M. Gibson and Chris McDonnell have written Unfiltered: The Complete Ralph Bakshi and filled it with insights and tons of art that will remind a lot of people why they thought it would be cool to be in the cartoon business, suggest to others why they wonder why they got in, and introduce everyone else to the person some of us always describe by “What can you say about Ralph?”

I should add I was thrilled Jon & Chris mentioned the couple of shorts of we did with Ralph in the 90s at Hanna-Barbera. It was an honor he chose to work with our then experimental program (I guess it’s in keeping with the man) and helped introduce our wacky idea to the world. Thanks Ralph.