Comments on: Magoo Express Designs by Sterling Sturtevant http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2007/05/05/magoo-express-designs-by-sterling-sturtevant/ The official blog of the new Chronicle book CARTOON MODERN: STYLE AND DESIGN IN FIFTIES ANIMATION. Sat, 26 Jul 2008 05:28:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Woodrow Phoenix http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2007/05/05/magoo-express-designs-by-sterling-sturtevant/#comment-1108 Fri, 25 May 2007 07:12:54 +0100 http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2007/05/05/magoo-express-designs-by-sterling-sturtevant/#comment-1108 One possibility you haven't considered is that it might have been Sturtevant herself who decided late in the day to change the design. It happens; you spend hours/days designing a character, you're perfectly happy with the end result. You go on to the next thing. Then you do ONE sketch that nails everything you tried to get and spent days on earlier. So you go back and quickly change what you did. And you don't mind because the new version is so much better. One thing that supports this theory is that if you look at the variety of Sturtevant's designs, the final Gigi is like the kind of work she generally did, whereas the previous design is much more abstracted. It doesn't have the kind of personality she usually displays - and which is evident in the final, quirkier, funnier character. The range of styles over all the sketches shows that progression to greater and greater stylisation as she pushes the design. Maybe Gigi 1 was just Sturtevant trying a different approach - coming from an angle other people were exploring at the time - that ultimately didn't work for her. It's great to see them, as always. Thanks! If the other development sketches are this nice maybe you could post a few more? Please?! One possibility you haven’t considered is that it might have been Sturtevant herself who decided late in the day to change the design. It happens; you spend hours/days designing a character, you’re perfectly happy with the end result. You go on to the next thing. Then you do ONE sketch that nails everything you tried to get and spent days on earlier. So you go back and quickly change what you did. And you don’t mind because the new version is so much better.

One thing that supports this theory is that if you look at the variety of Sturtevant’s designs, the final Gigi is like the kind of work she generally did, whereas the previous design is much more abstracted. It doesn’t have the kind of personality she usually displays - and which is evident in the final, quirkier, funnier character. The range of styles over all the sketches shows that progression to greater and greater stylisation as she pushes the design. Maybe Gigi 1 was just Sturtevant trying a different approach - coming from an angle other people were exploring at the time - that ultimately didn’t work for her.

It’s great to see them, as always. Thanks! If the other development sketches are this nice maybe you could post a few more? Please?!

]]> by: Pete Emslie http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2007/05/05/magoo-express-designs-by-sterling-sturtevant/#comment-1084 Sun, 06 May 2007 08:46:14 +0100 http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2007/05/05/magoo-express-designs-by-sterling-sturtevant/#comment-1084 That initial design looks a lot like the popular approach at the time to drawing a caricature of Greta Garbo. Bill Perkins mentions T. Hee and I'm almost certain he did a Garbo caricature that closely resembles that. Here is <a HREF="http://www.postershop.ch/Za-Nino/Za-Nino-Greta-Garbo-Swedish-American-Film-Actress-a-Caricature-1242692.html">somebody else's caricature</a> that also seems to suggest that possibility. Perhaps that was the original personality they were going for and then changed direction along the way. Actually, the final design puts me in mind of the French actress/dancer, Zizi Jeanmaire, which would make more sense if Gigi is supposed to be French. (Similar name too!) That initial design looks a lot like the popular approach at the time to drawing a caricature of Greta Garbo. Bill Perkins mentions T. Hee and I’m almost certain he did a Garbo caricature that closely resembles that. Here is somebody else’s caricature that also seems to suggest that possibility. Perhaps that was the original personality they were going for and then changed direction along the way.

Actually, the final design puts me in mind of the French actress/dancer, Zizi Jeanmaire, which would make more sense if Gigi is supposed to be French. (Similar name too!)

]]> by: Bill Perkins http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2007/05/05/magoo-express-designs-by-sterling-sturtevant/#comment-1083 Sat, 05 May 2007 11:56:55 +0100 http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2007/05/05/magoo-express-designs-by-sterling-sturtevant/#comment-1083 Great (like all of your posts) posting Amid. I studied with T.Hee at Cal Arts in the late seventies and remember him talking about Sterling. She did some great stuff and as well your site is a gold mine for those of us that are fans of this particular era in Animation. The "50's" design designation has always irritated me - good design is good design period. But I'm resigned to accepting it is evocative of a period in time. Oddly enough people don't comment on how the majority of Disney heroines (for example) are rooted design wise in Cinderella and the like . Nothing wrong with that. it is what it is, but its not QUESTIONED. In your book however Bill Hurtz (I believe) does comment on how anything "different" - that calls attention to itself - is labeled "Designy". The only thing I can suppose is, again referencing Disney Heroines, is that they look the way there "supposed" to look and therefore not questioned. Anyway I'm ranting, this is great stuff, keep up the posts and the great work. Great (like all of your posts) posting Amid. I studied with T.Hee at Cal Arts in the late seventies and remember him talking about Sterling.

She did some great stuff and as well your site is a gold mine for those of us that are fans of this particular era in Animation. The “50’s” design designation has always irritated me - good design is good design period. But I’m resigned to accepting it is evocative of a period in time. Oddly enough people don’t comment on how the majority of Disney heroines (for example) are rooted design wise in Cinderella and the like . Nothing wrong with that. it is what it is, but its not QUESTIONED. In your book however Bill Hurtz (I believe) does comment on how anything “different” - that calls attention to itself - is labeled “Designy”. The only thing I can suppose is, again referencing Disney Heroines, is that they look the way there “supposed” to look and therefore not questioned. Anyway I’m ranting, this is great stuff, keep up the posts and the great work.

]]> by: Matt Jones http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2007/05/05/magoo-express-designs-by-sterling-sturtevant/#comment-1081 Sat, 05 May 2007 09:27:25 +0100 http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2007/05/05/magoo-express-designs-by-sterling-sturtevant/#comment-1081 Top notch post as usual Amid. Really interesting. The original design also struck me as being lifted straight out of ROOTY TOOT. It's a slick design but the re-design is actually MORE appealing. Wonderful to see this 'behind the scenes' stuff. Top notch post as usual Amid. Really interesting. The original design also struck me as being lifted straight out of ROOTY TOOT. It’s a slick design but the re-design is actually MORE appealing.
Wonderful to see this ‘behind the scenes’ stuff.

]]> by: Michael Sporn http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2007/05/05/magoo-express-designs-by-sterling-sturtevant/#comment-1080 Sat, 05 May 2007 09:04:32 +0100 http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2007/05/05/magoo-express-designs-by-sterling-sturtevant/#comment-1080 My immediate thought on seeing the first two drawings posted was that they looked too similar to the character in ROOTY TOOT TOOT. I certainly agree that the redesigned character not only works better but is original (especially given the name GIGI.) Both look like variants of Cyd Charisse at the time. My immediate thought on seeing the first two drawings posted was that they looked too similar to the character in ROOTY TOOT TOOT. I certainly agree that the redesigned character not only works better but is original (especially given the name GIGI.) Both look like variants of Cyd Charisse at the time.

]]> by: Jerry Beck http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2007/05/05/magoo-express-designs-by-sterling-sturtevant/#comment-1079 Sat, 05 May 2007 08:47:31 +0100 http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2007/05/05/magoo-express-designs-by-sterling-sturtevant/#comment-1079 MAGOO EXPRESS is an interesting Magoo. It's more a genre spoof than the usual misadventure they placed him in. The color scheme in the final picture is particularly interesting, mainly gray's and browns, blacks and dark blues. They may have changed Gigi's design to match the comic situations they placed the character in - her original design was too "cool" and aloof. They made her a little more contemporary with a shorter hair cut. With her white skin, orange hair and red dress, Gigi (and Magoo) really pop against the unusually muted backdrops. MAGOO EXPRESS is an interesting Magoo. It’s more a genre spoof than the usual misadventure they placed him in. The color scheme in the final picture is particularly interesting, mainly gray’s and browns, blacks and dark blues. They may have changed Gigi’s design to match the comic situations they placed the character in - her original design was too “cool” and aloof. They made her a little more contemporary with a shorter hair cut. With her white skin, orange hair and red dress, Gigi (and Magoo) really pop against the unusually muted backdrops.

]]> by: chuck http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2007/05/05/magoo-express-designs-by-sterling-sturtevant/#comment-1078 Sat, 05 May 2007 04:33:51 +0100 http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2007/05/05/magoo-express-designs-by-sterling-sturtevant/#comment-1078 Can't get enough of this kind of stuff. thanks again! Chuck Can’t get enough of this kind of stuff.
thanks again!
Chuck

]]> by: Luca Tieri http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2007/05/05/magoo-express-designs-by-sterling-sturtevant/#comment-1077 Sat, 05 May 2007 03:41:36 +0100 http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/2007/05/05/magoo-express-designs-by-sterling-sturtevant/#comment-1077 These sketches are awesome! We have to learn a lot from them. These sketches are awesome!
We have to learn a lot from them.

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