ARMS SHIPMENT

I always got a kick out of the boxes that shipped KND toys.

THE DELIGHTFUL DOLLS FROM DOWN THE LANE

Yes...
I think we're all in agreement that it's
a darn shame no
Delightful Children From Down the Lane
plushies or action figures were ever made.

Well, except for these:


Sweet, right?

These were hand-crafted by Tab Leslie,
someone who's been a KND sooper fan
since as long as I can remember!










Yeah... these pretty much rock my world!

Thanks, Tab!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

MAY YOUR HOLIDAYS BE...


DELIGHTFUL!

2011 ASIFA EAST ANIMATION ART AUCTION SNEAK PEAK #5

Aw boy!

The ASIFA-EAST Animation Art Auction is tomorrow!

And wouldn't tomorrow be so much more awesome if you won this:


Yes, it would.

So if you live near NYC,
now's the time to get over to the School of Visual Arts
and camp out overnight so you're first in line for the auction.
Not that being first in line gets you anything.
(except frostbite)
It just sounds hardcore.

Have fun and BID HIGH!
All money made goes directly to ASIFA-EAST
to allow them to keep smothering you
with animation awesomeness through the year!

December 20
ASIFA-East Animation Art Auction
7:00 pm SVA Amphitheatre
209 E. 23rd Street, 3rd Floor
NYC

In other news,
if you wanna get something from the printlab
ya better order it ASAN!
(As Soon As NOW!)
All orders made after today won't be shipped until
December 30th!

2011 ASIFA EAST ANIMATION ART AUCTION SNEAK PEAK #4

This is YOURS!



It's YOUR original Fish Hooks sketch.

It's YOUR original Fish Hooks sketch hand-crafted by creator Noah Z. Jones.

You're not gonna let some sap just take it out of your
grubby little lobster claws, are you?

Then get on down to the auction and
BID ON IT!

TAKE WHAT'S YOURS!

December 20
ASIFA-East Animation Art Auction
7:00 pm SVA Amphitheatre
209 E. 23rd Street, 3rd Floor
NYC

2011 ASIFA EAST ANIMATION ART AUCTION SNEAK PEAK #3

Do you know Sherm Cohen?

He's the storyboard supervisor on Fish Hooks
who leaves me notes like this:


He's also the face of Bud,
the guy at the beginning of every Fish Hooks episode:


And he's also the guy behind Storyboard Secrets,
which is
the
the
THE
go-to video series for anyone who wants
to become a storyboard rockstar.


Seriously...
this guy eats, drinks, and bleeds storyboards.
And he's worked on a lot of awesome shows in his time.
Like, you know...

Spongebob.

So how awesome is it that he's donated some hard rockin' art
from the Spongebob movie to the ASIFA EAST auction?




Go ahead.
Say it.

"WANT"

For more sooper hot Sherm Cohen action
hit up Cartoon Snap over HERE!

2011 ASIFA EAST ANIMATION ART AUCTION SNEAK PEAK #2

It's no secret I love me some
Joe Murray art.

And I know you do, too.
That's why you'll be dropping everything to run,
cash or check in hand,
to this year's auction to bid on these:




Yeah...
these sketches he did just for the auction are,
as the kids say,
pretty tight.

But what about THIS:



You are correct.
That IS an original, one-of-a-kind. hand painted title card from Rocko's Modern Life.
How do I know?
Because all of Mr. Murray's items come with a certificate of authenticity.


Yeah...
I know you gotta have one of these.
So be there:

December 20
ASIFA-East Animation Art Auction
7:00 pm SVA Amphitheatre
209 E. 23rd Street, 3rd Floor
NYC

NUMBUH 362 IS IN THE PRINTLAB

Yup!
A lot of you have been asking for it.
So now you're gonna GET IT!

Rachel T. McKenzie,
aka Numbuh 362,
Supreme Leader of the Global KND.
is making her debut in the mighty printlab!
Just in time for the holidays!

And as an added holiday bonus...
all printlab orders made before January 1st
will include an absolutely totally sooper 100% free
sketchcard of your favorite KND character signed by me,
Mr. Warburton!

For details, get your keister over to the printlab
RIGHT NOW!

VINNIE CAFARELLI

I got word yesterday that my very first mentor in animation,
Vincent Cafarelli,
has passed away.

A true veteran of New York Animation,
he was the guy who gave me my first job.
(along with Buzzco Associates partners Candy Kugel and Marilyn Kraemer)
I've told you the story of how I got started at Buzzco before,
but I never told you that Buzzco always had champagne around.
This stuff, to be exact.


In the middle of the studio was a mini fridge,
the freezer of which was completely iced over
except for two holes we called the torpedo tubes.
Every day around 5:00pm, Vince would shout:

"TOMOTHY! LOAD TWO!"

That was my call to put two bottles of champagne in the freezer.
Work would carry on for a while
until inevitably another shout would come from the back of the studio:

"TOMOTHY! FIRE ONE!!"

So I'd get some paper cups,
pop open a bottle,
and pour some for everyone in the studio.
It was a great way to end the work day.
But it wasn't over for Vinnie and I yet.

"TOMOTHY! FIRE TWO!"
would occur after everyone else had gone home.
That's when I got to sit at the feet of the master.
We'd park ourselves at the conference table and Vince would say,
"Alright! Today we learn about exposure sheets!"
or
"Let me show ya how to animate a fun walk cycle!"

We often just sat around talking about animation.
He told stories about his days in the business.
About the studios he worked at and the animators he knew.
And we talked alot about my future.
Vinnie always told me I was going to be great.
He always had this crazy faith in me.
I loved him for that.

I was at Buzzco for less than a year.
There wasn't enough work to keep me around.
As I've mentioned before,
animation work is sporadic so you're always moving around.
But I still saw Vince often.
ASIFA-EAST meetings were held at Buzzco every month.
And he'd show up for the occasional party or screening.
Sometimes I'd just stop in to say hi.
(but never often enough, which I always kicked myself for)

Now Vinnie's gone.
He was 81 years old but wasn't sick or anything.
He was just doing what he always did.
Animating.
After work last Thursday
Candy asked Vince if he wanted to hit Veselka for some soup.
He declined and said he was tired.
He went home.
He went to bed.
And never woke up.


I got the news from Candy this morning and have been heartbroken all day.
I've cried 17 times while writing this.
But I know something that'll make me feel a little better.


"Fire one, Vinnie."

I don't wanna put words in the guys mouth,
but I'd like to think that if Vince knew he was leaving us,
his face would have broken into that big Italian grin,
and he would have said the same thing
he said almost every time I saw him:

"WHAT A PARTY!"


Much love, Vince.
I miss you already.

If you want to learn more about the man and his work,
Michael Sporn wrote up a wonderful post over at his blog.
Check it out HERE.

2011 ASIFA EAST AUCTION SNEAK PEAK #1

Look out, New Yorkers!

The 2011 ASIFA EAST USED ANIMATION ART AUCTION
is set for December 20th!
Sadly it'll be happening without me.

But I can still use my sooper powers to help rustle up some of the awesomest, high biddingest art by some of the rockingest animation folk I run into, can't I?

Take this million dollar baby, for instance:


Yup... only Phineas and Ferb creator Dan Povenmire
can wield a blue sharpie like that.
And this original, one of a kind drawing can be YOURS.

If you've got the mad bidding skills to make it yours, that is.

Keep it locked here for more sneak peaks, ya'll.
I think you'll like whatcha see.