Comments on: Jules Engel - 1001 Arabian Nights (1959) http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2006/08/25/jules-engel-1001-arabian-nights-1959/ The official blog of the new Chronicle book CARTOON MODERN: STYLE AND DESIGN IN FIFTIES ANIMATION. Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:42:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Stephen Worth http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2006/08/25/jules-engel-1001-arabian-nights-1959/#comment-880 Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:27:55 +0100 http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2006/08/25/jules-engel-1001-arabian-nights-1959/#comment-880 Jules definitely used a brush... they were just teasing him saying that he didn't because he used techniques that they weren't used to. I have a Grim Natwick studio gag drawing that's similar... It shows an animator going down to ink & paint to see his scene and being horrified to find that the I&P girls are cutting his drawings out with sciscors and decorating them like easter eggs. Not everyone was ready for the modern cartoon revolution! See ya Steve Jules definitely used a brush… they were just teasing him saying that he didn’t because he used techniques that they weren’t used to. I have a Grim Natwick studio gag drawing that’s similar… It shows an animator going down to ink & paint to see his scene and being horrified to find that the I&P girls are cutting his drawings out with sciscors and decorating them like easter eggs. Not everyone was ready for the modern cartoon revolution!

See ya
Steve

]]> by: Amid http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2006/08/25/jules-engel-1001-arabian-nights-1959/#comment-879 Mon, 28 Aug 2006 00:17:00 +0100 http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2006/08/25/jules-engel-1001-arabian-nights-1959/#comment-879 That statement by Engel seems a bit unlikely. If you look at his finished paintings, he very obviously uses a brush. Perhaps he was referring to the airbrush because he definitely didn't use that. I was showing one of Engel's original UPA bgs to Bob McIntosh, and he immediately noticed the airbrush and said that Jules didn't do that. When he needed to have airbrush, Bob said Jules would ask Herb Klynn to do those parts of the painting for him. Next time I see Bob I'll ask him about the possibility of Jules never using a regular brush. That statement by Engel seems a bit unlikely. If you look at his finished paintings, he very obviously uses a brush. Perhaps he was referring to the airbrush because he definitely didn’t use that. I was showing one of Engel’s original UPA bgs to Bob McIntosh, and he immediately noticed the airbrush and said that Jules didn’t do that. When he needed to have airbrush, Bob said Jules would ask Herb Klynn to do those parts of the painting for him. Next time I see Bob I’ll ask him about the possibility of Jules never using a regular brush.

]]> by: Stephen Worth http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2006/08/25/jules-engel-1001-arabian-nights-1959/#comment-878 Sun, 27 Aug 2006 19:35:10 +0100 http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2006/08/25/jules-engel-1001-arabian-nights-1959/#comment-878 I just posted some Engel keys for the Alvin Show on the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive site. I had a chance to talk with Engel about both the Alvin Show and Magoo's Arabian Nights. I showed Jules a stack of layout drawings from Arabian Nights, and he looked at one of them and laughed. It had a scribbled note on it from the layout artists on it that said, "J- use a brush on this one!" Jules explained that they used to tease him, saying he was the only painter in the history of art who never used a brush... just rollers, colored pencils and sponges. See ya Steve I just posted some Engel keys for the Alvin Show on the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive site. I had a chance to talk with Engel about both the Alvin Show and Magoo’s Arabian Nights. I showed Jules a stack of layout drawings from Arabian Nights, and he looked at one of them and laughed. It had a scribbled note on it from the layout artists on it that said, “J- use a brush on this one!” Jules explained that they used to tease him, saying he was the only painter in the history of art who never used a brush… just rollers, colored pencils and sponges.

See ya
Steve

]]> by: Oscar Grillo http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2006/08/25/jules-engel-1001-arabian-nights-1959/#comment-877 Sat, 26 Aug 2006 22:52:55 +0100 http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2006/08/25/jules-engel-1001-arabian-nights-1959/#comment-877 Amazingly I was going to write almost word by word what Mike Sporn wrote above. This film was for us, young animators of the time, a horrible disappointment. The commercials of the time were better than this film!..I don't even like these preliminary sketches, well below of what Engel was capable to do. Amazingly I was going to write almost word by word what Mike Sporn wrote above. This film was for us, young animators of the time, a horrible disappointment. The commercials of the time were better than this film!..I don’t even like these preliminary sketches, well below of what Engel was capable to do.

]]> by: Stephen Worth http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2006/08/25/jules-engel-1001-arabian-nights-1959/#comment-876 Sat, 26 Aug 2006 10:10:50 +0100 http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2006/08/25/jules-engel-1001-arabian-nights-1959/#comment-876 Hi Great stuff. I especially like the three guys on the horse. I've got some Engel concepts like this from Format's Alvin Show. I'll post them on the archive blog this evening and link back here. See ya Steve Hi

Great stuff. I especially like the three guys on the horse. I’ve got some Engel concepts like this from Format’s Alvin Show. I’ll post them on the archive blog this evening and link back here.

See ya
Steve

]]> by: Michael Sporn http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2006/08/25/jules-engel-1001-arabian-nights-1959/#comment-875 Sat, 26 Aug 2006 06:09:21 +0100 http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2006/08/25/jules-engel-1001-arabian-nights-1959/#comment-875 This film came out the same year as Sleeping Beauty. For someone, in 1959, who had only seen Disney product and whatever B&W images TV offered, the two films were a blow to the imagination. Sure, all those great UPA films had been done earlier, but those shorts didn't make it to the general public in NY (although presumably they played in the early 50's.) Daring animation styling was available only in B&W commercials. The two features were an influence, indeed, and I have a soft spot for both of them. Engel's work is excellent, but it is preliminary work and couldn't have made it to the final at that point in time. It took the work of Dunning and Hubley to loosen things up. That didn't really happen until the 60's. This film came out the same year as Sleeping Beauty. For someone, in 1959, who had only seen Disney product and whatever B&W images TV offered, the two films were a blow to the imagination.

Sure, all those great UPA films had been done earlier, but those shorts didn’t make it to the general public in NY (although presumably they played in the early 50’s.) Daring animation styling was available only in B&W commercials.

The two features were an influence, indeed, and I have a soft spot for both of them.

Engel’s work is excellent, but it is preliminary work and couldn’t have made it to the final at that point in time. It took the work of Dunning and Hubley to loosen things up. That didn’t really happen until the 60’s.

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