Popeye's creator, celebrated with a Google Doodle

Google doodle featuring E.C. Segar's Popeye Photograph: Public Domain

Elzie Crisler Segar might not be a household name, but the Popeye creator has become the latest person to be honoured with his own Google Doodle.

The internet search giant has depicted the rambunctious cartoon seaman in typically feisty pose on what would have been Segar's 115th birthday.

Popeye the Sailor – who famously attributed his strength "to the finish" to his consumption "of spinach" – first entered the public consciousness in January 1929, in Segar's newspaper comic strip Thimble Theatre.

The cartoonist was born in Illinois, US, on 8 December 1894, and showed a talent for drawing at a young age. Segar worked as a film projectionist while studying a correspondence course in cartooning, eventually moving to Chicago to pursue his career.

According to cartoon expert Ed Black, Popeye originally appeared as a supporting character in Thimble Theatre, which had already been running for ten years with a certain Olive Oyl as its heroine.

Popeye, as Segar had always intended, was written out of the strip once his character's sequence ended, but returned as the main character following complaints from readers. Olive Oyl became the plucky sailor's girlfriend, and has remained so ever since – despite her head occasionally being turned by love rival Bluto.

Spinach is the source of Popeye's muscular prowess – upon eating it, his biceps immediately swell to three times their normal size. Segar chose the vegetable due to an 1870 German study (which claimed it contained the same amount of iron as red meat).

The strength-giving properties of spinach were later revised however, after it was found a stray decimal point had led researchers to believe the vegetable contained ten times its actual iron content.

Segar died aged 43 on 13 October 1938, but Popeye has lived on, appearing in television cartoons, advertisements and, in 1980, a film starring Robin Williams.

[Via guardian.co.uk]

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A video by Kristian Hammerstad. From the album "Perhaps Interior Heart Politeness" on Metronomicon Audio.

PicoSamurai Jazz Quintet – "Pico"

I'm not a huge fan of generative arts (works generated through computer software algorithms or other autonomous processes), but this piece is an exception. The video, at least, whose structured abstractness manages to make sense of the music too. When there's an artful hand behind the computer-generated fractal art or motion graphics

Label: cubicmusic/HEADZ
cubicmusic.com
faderbyheadz.com/

If you like the sound check it at
Japan：
head-phone.in/?pid=13314664
World：
cubicmusic.com/english/shop.html

Happy Land

Created and Animated by Mike Scott
Story and Music by David Scott
Voices by Toko Moeketsi

happyland.co.za

Animated using:
Anime Studio Pro 5.4, iMovie, Audacity, GarageBand

Switch

A short animated film by Jean-Julien Pous and Pierre Prinzbach.
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Under a violent eruption of forms and structures, everything flows towards a constant evolution. “All that is solid” is a visual and poetic journey influenced by art, design, architecture and photography.

Rare Footage of Bakshi working on Fritz the Cat

This 1970 German documentary on Robert Crumb contains rare footage of Ralph Bakshi in his studio during the making of Fritz the Cat. Young Ralph is shown in the studio, walking through New York and looking at one of his animators flip through drawings. The documentary was loaded onto YouTube in three parts (embeded below) and is NSFW (not safe for work, due to naked hippies).

[Via cartoonbrew.com]

2009 Annie Award Nominees

PRODUCTION CATEGORIES

Best Animated Feature

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs – Sony Pictures Animation
Coraline – Laika
Fantastic Mr. Fox– 20th Century Fox
The Princess and the Frog – Walt Disney Animation Studios
The Secret of Kells – Cartoon Saloon
Up – Pixar Animation Studios

Best Home Entertainment Production

Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas – Universal Animation Studios
Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder – The Curiosity Company in association with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Green Lantern: First Flight – Warner Bros. Animation
Open Season 2 – Sony Pictures Animation
SpongeBob vs. The Big One – Nickelodeon

Best Animated Short Subject

Pups of Liberty – Picnic Pictures
Robot Chicken: Star Wars 2.5 – ShadowMachine
Santa, The Fascist Years – Plymptoons
The Rooster, The Crocodile and The Night Sky – Barley Films
The Story of Walls – Badmash Animation Studios

Best Animated Television Commercial

Goldfish: In The Dark – Blur Studios, Inc.
Idaho Lottery “Twiceland” – Acme Filmworks, Inc.
Nutty Tales – Blue Sky Studios
Spanish Lottery “Deportees” – Acme Filmworks, Inc.
The Spooning – Screen Novelties /Acne Media

Best Animated Television Production

Glenn Martin, DDS “Korean Opportunities” – Torante, Cuppa Coffee Studios & Rogers Communications
Merry Madagascar – DreamWorks Animation
Prep and Landing – ABC Family/Walt Disney Animation Studios
The Simpsons “Treehouse of Horror XX” – Gracie Films

Best Animated Television Production for Children

The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack “Candy Casanova” – Cartoon Network Studios
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse – Disney Television Animation
The Mighty B! “Catatonic” – Nickelodeon/Polka Dot Pictures/Paper Kite Productions
The Penguins of Madagascar “Paternal Eggstinct” – Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation
SpongeBob SquarePants “Pineapple Fever” – Nickelodeon

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES

Animated Effects

Alexander Feigin “9” – 9 L.L.C.
Eric Froemling “Up” – Pixar Animation Studios
James Mansfield “The Princess and the Frog” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Scott Cegielski “Monsters vs. Aliens” – DreamWorks Animation
Tom Kluyskens “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” – Sony Pictures Animation

Character Animation in a Television Production

Kevan Shorey “Merry Madagascar” – DreamWorks Animation
Mark Donald “B.O.B.’s Big Break” – DreamWorks Animation
Mark Mitchell “Prep and Landing” – Walt Disney Animation Studio
Phillip To “Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space” – DreamWorks Animation
Tony Smeed “Prep and Landing” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Character Animation in a Feature Production

Andreas Deja “The Princess and the Frog” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Eric Goldberg “The Princess and the Frog” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Travis Knight “Coraline” – Laika
Daniel Nguyen “Up” – Pixar Animation Studios
Bruce Smith “The Princess and the Frog” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Character Design in a Television Production

Bryan Arnett “The Mighty B! – Catatonic” – Nickelodeon/Polka Dot Pictures/Paper Kite Productions
Ben Balistreri “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends” – Cartoon Network Studios
Craig Kellman “Merry Madagascar” – DreamWorks Animation
Bill Schwab “Prep and Landing” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Character Design in a Feature Production

Daniel Lopez Munoz “Up” – Pixar Animation Studios
Shane Prigmore “Coraline” – Laika
Shannon Tindle “Coraline” – Laika

Directing in a Television Production

Bret Haaland “The Penguins of Madagascar – Launchtime” – Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation
Pam Cooke & Jansen Yee “American Dad: Brains, Brains & Automobiles” – 20th Century Fox/Fuzzy Door/Underdog
Jennifer Oxley “The Wonder Pets: Help The Monster” – Nickelodeon/Little Airplane Productions
John Infantino, J.G. Quintel “The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack: Candy Casanova” – Cartoon Network Studios
Rob Fendler “Popzilla” – Animax

Directing in a Feature Production

Wes Anderson “Fantastic Mr. Fox” – 20th Century Fox
Pete Docter “Up” – Pixar Animation Studios
Christopher Miller, Phil Lord “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” – Sony Pictures Animation
Hayao Miyazaki “Ponyo” – Studio Ghibli
Henry Selick “Coraline” – Laika

Music in a Television Production

Guy Moon “The Fairly OddParents: “Wishology- The Big Beginning” – Nickelodeon
Kevin Kiner “Star Wars: The Clone Wars “Weapons Factory” – Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.
Michael Giacchino “Prep and Landing” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Music in a Feature Production

Bruno Coulais “Coraline” – Laika
Michael Giacchino “Up” – Pixar Animation Studios
Joe Hisaishi “Ponyo” – Studio Ghibli
John Powell “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” – Blue Sky Studios

Production Design in a Television Production

Mac George “Prep and Landing” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Andy Harkness “Prep and Landing” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Janice Kubo “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends” – Cartoon Network Studios

Production Design in a Feature Production

Christopher Appelhaus “Coraline” – Laika
Ian Gooding “The Princess and the Frog” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Tadahiro Uesugi “Coraline – Laika
Christopher Vacher “9” – 9 L.L.C.

Storyboarding in a Television Production

Sunil Hall “The Mighty B!: Catatonic” – Nickelodeon/Polka Dot Pictures/Paper
Brandon Kruse “The Fairly OddParents: Fly Boy” – Nickelodeon
Robert Koo “Merry Madagascar” – DreamWorks Animation
Joe Mateo “Prep and Landing” – ABC Family/Walt Disney Animation Studios
Kite Productions
Adam Van Wyk “The Spectacular Spider-Man: Final Curtain” – Culver Entertainment

Storyboarding in a Feature Production

Sharon Bridgeman “Astro Boy” – Imagi Studios
Chris Butler “Coraline” – Laika
Ronnie Del Carmen “Up” – Pixar Animation Studios
Tom Owens “Monsters vs. Aliens” – DreamWorks Animation
Peter Sohn “Up” – Pixar Animation Studios

Voice Acting in a Television Production

Danny Jacobs - Voice of King Julien - “Merry Madagascar” – DreamWorks Animation
Nicky Jones - Voice of Chowder - “Chowder: The Dinner Theatre’” – Cartoon Network Studios
Tom Kenny - Voice of SpongeBob - “SpongeBob SquarePants – Truth or Square” – Nickelodeon
Dwight Schultz - Voice of Mung Daal - “Chowder:The Party Cruise” – Cartoon Network Studios
Willow Smith - Voice of Abby - “Merry Madagascar” – DreamWorks Animation

Voice Acting in a Feature Production

Jen Cody - Voice of Charlotte - “The Princess and the Frog” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Dawn French - Voice of Miss Forcible – “Coraline” – Laika
Hugh Laurie - Voice of Dr. Cockroach Ph.D. – “Monsters vs. Aliens” – DreamWorks Animation
John Leguizamo - Voice of Sid – “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaur” – Blue Sky Studios
Jennifer Lewis - Voice of Mama Odie – “The Princess and the Frog” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Writing in a Television Production

Daniel Chun – “The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XX” – Gracie Films
Kevin Deters, Stevie Wermers-Skelton – “Prep and Landing” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Valentina L. Garza – “The Simpsons: Four Great Women and a Manicure” – Gracie Films
Billy Kimball and Ian Maxtone-Graham - “The Simpsons: Gone Maggie Gone” – Gracie Films
Billy Lopez – The Wonder Pets – Save the Honey Bears” – Nickelodeon Productions/Little Airplane Productions

Writing in a Feature Production

Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach – “Fantastic Mr. Fox” – 20th Century Fox
Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy – “Up” – Pixar Animation Studios
Timothy Hyde Harris and David Bowers – “Astro Boy” – Imagi Studios
Christopher Miller and Phil Lord – “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” – Sony Pictures Animation

JURIED AWARDS

Winsor McCay Award – Tim Burton, Bruce Timm, Jeffrey Katzenberg

June Foray Award – Tom Sito

Ub Iwerks Award – William T. Reeves

Special Achievement – Martin Meunier and Brian McLean

Certificate of Merit – Myles Mikulic, Danny Young and Michael Woodside