Category Archives: Uncategorized

I’m sure everyone has read the terrible news that Michael Sporn passed away this weekend. I can’t articulate how unspeakably sad I’ve been. I never met him, and I was hoping to, now that I’m located in New York City, but I guess it wasn’t meant to be.

Michael was always a friend and supporter through the blogs, and it was flattering that such an important figure held my writing in high esteem. (I mean, one of his Splog posts started, “You gotta love Thad Komorowski.” How kind can a guy get?) Only in recent years was I able to fully appreciate the man’s wealth of knowledge, and the fact that his love of the art form covered all kinds of animation and he was able to regularly and cogently express why.

We didn’t lose just a great filmmaker, writer, and preservationist – a big part of the art form just died. But, the invaluable animation resource he maintained daily for eight years will at least live on, as will his many wonderful films. Perusing and enjoying either for a few hours would be a great tribute.

Essential animation reading this weekend: Mike Barrier and Milt Gray’s 1976 interview with Warner Bros. stalwart Phil Monroe. Monroe animated for four of the best animation directors of all time in a few short years: Frank Tashlin, Friz Freleng, Bob Clampett, and Chuck Jones. This interview is required reading for anyone interested in the working methods and habits of these very different filmmakers.

Monroe’s name is rightfully largely associated with Jones, not just because of his longevity with the unit, but because his own drawing style was so greatly influenced by Jones. His animation for the other units has a particularly “Jonesy” look and feel to it (the opening business with Elmer and the bear in The Hare-Brained Hypnotist, the wolf as a homeless woman in Pigs in a Polka, or Porky cracking Daffy’s neck towards the hotel manager in Porky Pig’s Feat), and it’s strongly apparent in this Mike Maltese written comic book story. From Barnyard Comics #14, October 1947. (Note the very Maltesian theme of mistaking skunks for cats and vice-versa.)

I’ve been having some trouble in my life lately and I wanted to turn my blog off (because it really is too much work for free), but after all the pleas for its return, I guess I shouldn’t be so “selfish”.

Yeah I know I haven’t made a new post in awhile. I’m busy. I forgot I even still had a blog until four minutes ago. Posts will be even more infrequent in the new year.

Here’s to a great 2009.