‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ Creator Stephen Hillenburg Returning to His Show

Paul Tibbitt, a writer and storyboard veteran of SpongeBob SquarePants and director of the Sponge Out of Water feature, wrote this on his Twitter account seven months ago.

Ok everybody. One last time. Steve Hillenburg is coming back to the show in January, Your collective dreams are coming true.

— . (@paultibbitt) December 11, 2014

The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water was released February 6, which I loved. Two weeks ago, Tutor Sauce and Lost in Bikini Bottom aired right before the Kids' Choice Sports, both written by Jack Pendarvis and animation directed by Alan Smart and Tom Yasumi (Fred Osmond storyboarded Tutor Sauce, Bob Camp storyboarded Lost in Bikini Bottom); Vincent Waller remains creative director. Although Hillenburg is back on SpongeBob (and it shows), he isn't the only one responsible for the show's future. Producer Jennie Monica, who has worked on the show since the beginning starting out as an executive assistant, has held this position for a few years and is now more involved in the creative process.
So what does Hillenburg’s return mean and how will it change the show? That remains to be seen. But as far as I know, Hillenburg hasn’t had hands-on involvement or managed day-to-day production on the series for many years since he resigned and stepped down as showrunner, leaving the task to his experienced and capable crew who run the show like clockwork led by Paul Tibbitt. However, he didn’t completely wash his hands clean of the characters and has quietly been involved with SpongeBob Comics, which have been published since 2011 by Bongo Comics. Plus, he didn't leave the show entirely. Still remaining as executive producer, he continued reviewing episodes, approving outlines and storyboards, and offering suggestions.
What do I think about Hillenburg coming back? Well, although SpongeBob still remains one of my favorite shows, I still love the Hillenburg-era episodes more than the ones that were made when Paul Tibbitt was showrunner (that's not to say I didn't like any of them). It's just sometimes the animation looks like shoddy Flash; the physical humor is a bit awkward and laughably ineffective; most of the scripted jokes are pathetically unfunny. There is pretty much no attempt to create memorable lines or running gags; satire and double entendres are almost wiped clean out. The same music tracks are played over and over and over. It's losing its dimensional edge and there's no doubting that. I hope the reason for Hillenburg's return is because he's found the motivation to make something great again. I'd much rather see Hillenburg produce another show than go back to SpongeBob. Still looking forward to seeing him at least go back to what the characters were like prior to making Patrick too stupid for his own good and Squidward downright depressing. Sometimes I just like to think about how brilliant the first three seasons of SpongeBob are. Sorry, Nickelodeon. By now, the damage is done. Not just for SpongeBob, but you as a network. Disney has been dominating when it comes to TV animation, Cartoon Network is finally getting their act back together... You... What do you even have? (They have The Legend of Kor... oh wait, never mind.) Overall, this is a miracle! No more grotesque splinters! Patrick's stupidity will finally be funny again! Plankton will finally be back to being a good antagonist!
Fifteen years after its debut, SpongeBob remains Nickelodeon’s top ratings-earner, and it’s safe to say that it won’t be leaving the air anytime soon. At this point in the show’s history, Hillenburg’s return to a creative position can certainly be viewed as a positive development. Although I don't think he is going to orchestrate every detail of the show, I'm glad he is back as a subordinate consultant and will be giving more input on the show's overall quality.

Today is Bugs Bunny's Birthday - He's 75!

Confidentially...

 

...I am a wabbit.

The internet loves celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, deathiversaries, to the point of overkill. So it is with some trepidation that we break out the cigars, kiss our favorite hunter and join the huge throng of fans.  You wouldn't know it as far as Warner Bros. is concerned - but their biggest movie star is 75 years old today.
Bugs Bunny made his official debut in a Tex Avery cartoon, "A Wild Hare," released on this date in 1940, marking the anniversary of his first cartoon. The short could very well have been in theatres before then. And then there’s the argument that the Hardaway Hare of the late ‘30s was marketed as Bugs Bunny. Avery was the third director to try his take on a wacky rabbit hunting secario (Ben "Bugs" Hardaway directed the first version a few years earlier - and thus "Bugs' Bunny" became the in-house name for the screwy hare), but this was the cartoon that crystalized the ingredients that we recognize as Bugs Bunny - especially his signature line ("What's Up, Doc?") and Mel Blanc's Brooklyn/Bronx wise-guy accent. Regardless, Bugs became Warner Bros.’ number-one animated star (and, arguably, cartoon-dom’s). His image started appearing in trade ads in September 1940 (the one to the right is from 1941). Trade papers reported Leon Schlesinger was rushing “Elmer’s Pet Rabbit” through production and had four other Bugs cartoons in development. Bugs eventually got his own series of “Bugs Bunny Specials,” though title animation on the cartoons themselves placed them with the rest of the Merrie Melodies.
Bugs’ exposure hit new heights in 1956 when Associated Artists Productions bought the TV rights to a pile of pre-1948 Warners cartoons and put the wabbit in practically every American home where a child could control the channel knob (the deal was signed March 1st between Warners and PRM, Inc., a shell company of AAP).

In keeping with 1940 practice, credits on “A Wild Hare” are sparce (but are now happily restored and available for all to see). Virgil Ross received the only animation credit, but experts today know that Bob McKimson and Sid Sutherland were among the artists under Avery’s eye at the time. Johnny Johnsen, who joined Avery at MGM, handled the backgrounds with nary a mention. And while at this point the studio didn’t give voice credits, C.E. Butterfield’s radio column published by the Associated Press dated September 17, 1940 reveals that “two of Al Pearce’s gang provided voices—Arthur Q. Bryan for the hunter and Mel Blanc for the hare.”                                                                                 

There are certainly greater Bugs Bunny cartoons than this one, but the relationship between Bugs and Elmer Fudd was instantly solidified by Avery and Hogan, providing a solid base to be adapted and parodied for years to come.

So "Bricka-Bracka Firecracka, Sis-Boom-Bah! Bugs Bunny, Bugs Bunny - Rah Rah Rah!" Happy Birthday Bugs. May you live forever - despite all the Elmer Fudd's, Yosemite Sam's and corporate Tasmanian Devil's in your way.

Classic Golden Age Cartoons Screen At MoMA Technicolor Exhibit

Here are several don’t-miss events for New York animation fans: The major Technicolor exhibition, Glorious Technicolor: From George Eastman House and Beyond, now underway at MoMA, is rolling into its final weeks with a full schedule of glorious vivid 35mm IB Tech screenings of Disney and other animation classics for cinephiles. The screening series, which kicked off in June, ends its run on August 5.
Ralph Eggleston, the production designer of Pixar's WALL-E and their new feature Inside Out, helped curate and make the standout selections for the exhibition, which celebrates the 100th anniversary of Technicolor. Eggleston will also will be on hand presenting several screenings, as will Disney Studios restoration guru Theo Gluck and animation historian John Canemaker.
It should be a wide-ranging homage: Eggleston and MoMA film curator Josh Siegel have selected a steady diet of eye-popping works by Chuck Jones, Hanna-Barbera, Friz Freleng, Walt Disney, Ub Iwerks, and more, as well as canonical Disney features like Snow White, Fantasia, and Bambi.
The selections are a potent dose of reverence and remembrance, whose packed slate possibly presents one the last times that this many Technicolor classics will be available to experience on film. Below is MoMA’s breakdown of animation events. Ticket info and directions to the Manhattan museum can be found on their website.
The schedule features a slew of outstanding programs including A Splash of Technicolor: Exploring Color in Cartoons, 1930–1954, Disney Technicolor Cartoons [Program 1 & 2] and Fleischer, UPA, and Looney Tunes Technicolor Cartoons, 1938–1955, which will each feature the following cartoon shorts:

A Splash of Technicolor: Exploring Color in Cartoons, 1930–1954
Wednesday, July 29, 2015, 1:30 p.m., Theater 3, mezzanine, Education and Research Building (Introduced by Academy Award-winning animation filmmaker, Ralph Eggleston)
Friday, July 31, 2015, 1:30 p.m., Theater 3, mezzanine, Education and Research Building
A program selected and introduced (on July 29) by Ralph Eggleston, a Pixar animator, art director (Toy Story, The Incredibles, Up), story developer (Monsters, Inc.), production designer (Inside Out, WALL-E) and Academy Award-winning director of the 2001 Pixar short For the Birds. Program includes:

• Fiddlesticks
  1930. USA. Directed by Ub Iwerks. 6 min.
• What Makes Us Tick
  1952. USA. Produced by John Sutherland. Directed by Carl Urbano. 12 min.
• The Aristo-Cat
  1943. USA. Directed by Chuck Jones. Animation by Rudy Larriva. 7 min.
• Wackiki Wabbit
  1943. USA. Directed by Chuck Jones. Animation by Ken Harris. 7 min.
• Trap Happy
  1946. USA. Directed by Joseph Barbera, William Hanna. 7 min.
• Bugs Bunny Rides Again
  1948. USA. Directed by Friz Freleng. Animation by Ken Champin, Gerry Chiniquy, Manuel Perez, Virgil Ross. 7 min.
• Texas Tom
  1950. USA. Directed by Joseph Barbera, William Hanna. 7 min. 
• Dripalong Daffy
  1951. USA. Directed by Chuck Jones. Animation by Ken Harris, Phil Monroe, Lloyd Vaughan, Ben Washam. 7 min.
• Claws for Alarm
  1954. USA. Directed by Chuck Jones. Animation by Ken Harris, Abe Levitow, Richard Thompson, Lloyd Vaughan, Ben Washam. 7 min.

All films courtesy Warner Bros. (Program 71 minutes)

Disney Technicolor Cartoons [Program 1]

Friday, July 31, 2015, 4:30 p.m., Theater 2, T2 (introduced by Theo Gluck, Director, Library Restoration and Preservation, The Walt Disney Studios)

Monday, August 3, 2015, 4:30 p.m., Theater 2, T2

• Mickey Mouse on Parade
  1932. USA. Directed by Walt Disney. Animation by Joe Grant. 2 min.
• Flowers and Trees

  1932. USA. Directed by Burt Gillett. 8 min.
• Lullaby Land

  1933. USA. Directed by Wilfred Jackson. 7 min.
• Goddess of Spring

  1934. USA. Directed by Wilfred Jackson. Animation by Wolfgang Reitherman. 10 min.
• The Band Concert

  1935. USA. Directed by Wilfred Jackson. Animation by Johnny Cannon, Les Clark, Ugo D'Orsi, Frenchy de Tremaudan, Clyde Geronimi, Wolfgang Reitherman, and others. 9 min.
• The Country Cousin

  1936. USA. Directed by Wilfred Jackson. 7 min.
• Music Land

  1935. USA. Directed by Wilfred Jackson. 10 min.
• The Old Mill

  1937. USA. Directed by Wilfred Jackson. 9 min.

All films courtesy The Walt Disney Studios. (Program 62 minutes)

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

1937. USA. Directed by David Hand, William Cottrell, Wilfred Jackson, Larry Morey, Perce Pearce, Ben Sharpsteen. Animated by James Algar, Art Babbitt, Les Clark, Shamus Culhane, Norman Ferguson, Joe Grant, Milt Kahl, Ward Kimball, Hamilton Luske, Fred Moore, Eric Larson, Grim Natwick, Wolfgang Reitherman, Frank Thomas, Bill Tytla, and others.
Courtesy The Walt Disney Studios. 88 min.

Friday, July 31, 2015, 6:30 p.m., Theater 2, T2 (Introduced by Theo Gluck, Director, Library Restoration and Preservation, The Walt Disney Studios)
Sunday, August 2, 2015, 3:30 p.m., Theater 2, T2

Fleischer, UPA, and Looney Tunes Technicolor Cartoons, 1938–1955

Saturday, August 1, 2015, 1:30 p.m., Theater 2, T2 (Introduced by Academy Award-winning animation filmmaker Ralph Eggleston)
Wednesday, August 5, 2015, 1:30 p.m., Theater 3, mezzanine, Education and Research Building
A program selected and introduced (on August 1) by Ralph Eggleston, a Pixar animator, art director (Toy Story, The Incredibles, Up), story developer (Monsters, Inc.), production designer (Inside Out, WALL-E) and Academy Award-winning director of the 2001 Pixar short For the Birds. Program includes:

• Hunky and Spunky
  1938. USA. Directed by Dave Fleischer. 35mm print courtesy the Academy Film Archive; courtesy Paramount Pictures. 8 min.
• Terror on the Midway
  1942. USA. Directed by Dave Fleischer. Animation by Orestes Calpini, Jim Davis. 8 min.
• The Dover Boys
  1942. USA. Directed by Chuck Jones. Animation by Robert Cannon. 9 min.
• The Enchanted Square
  1947. USA. Directed by Seymour Kneitel. Animation by Orestes Calpini, Al Eugster. 35mm print courtesy Paramount Pictures. 10 min.
• Rooty Toot Toot
  1951. USA. Directed by John Hubley. Animation by Art Babbitt, Pat Matthews, Tom McDonald, Grim Natwick. 7 min.
• The Oompahs
  1952. USA. Directed by Robert Cannon. Animation by Roger Daley, Bill Melendez, Frank Smith. 7 min.
• Little Boy with a Big Horn
  1953. USA. Directed by Robert Cannon. Animation by Tom McDonald, Bill Melendez, Frank Smith. 7 min.
• Christopher Crumpet’s Playmate
  1955. USA. Directed by Robert Cannon. Animation by Barney Posner, Frank Smith, Alan Zaslove. 6 min.
• Hyde and Hare
  1955. USA. Directed by Friz Freleng. Animation by Ted Bonnicksen, Gerry Chiniquy, Arthur Davis, Virgil Ross. 7 min.
• Deduce You Say
  1955. USA. Directed by Chuck Jones. Animation by Ken Harris, Abe Levitow, Richard Thompson, Ben Washam. 7 min.

Program 83 min.

Bambi
1942. USA. Directed by James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, David Hand, Graham Heid, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Norman Wright. Screenplay by Perce Pearce, based on the story by Felix Salten. Animated by Ollie Johnson, Milt Kahl, Eric Larson, Don Lusk, Frank Thomas, Marc Davis, Preston Blair, Tyrus Wong, and others.
Courtesy The Academy Film Archive and The Walt Disney Studios. 70 min.

Saturday, August 1, 2015, 4:30 p.m., Theater 2, T2 (10-minute introduction by Academy Award-winning animation filmmaker Ralph Eggleston)
Tuesday, August 4, 2015, 4:30 p.m., Theater 2, T2

The Secrets of Walt Disney's Movie Magic: A John Canemaker Lecture and Screening of Fantasia
The dazzling special effects in Walt Disney’s early Technicolor features, most notably Fantasia (1940), have fascinated generations of viewers, though the secrets behind their creation were long forgotten, even within the studio. John Canemaker, author of The Lost Notebook: Herman Schultheis and the Secrets of Walt Disney's Movie Magic (Weldon Owen, 2014), explores the complex mechanical and optical processes that enabled Disney to delight the eye with dancing snowflakes, flying wraiths, erupting volcanoes, and other visual treats, as detailed in a recently discovered notebook, compiled by photographer and effects specialist Schultheis during his 1938-41 tenure at Disney. A Q&A and screening of Fantasia (1940) follows Canemaker's one-hour lecture. A book signing of The Lost Notebook precedes the lecture in the Titus 1 gallery at 5:45pm.

Fantasia
1940. USA. Directed by Norman Ferguson, and others. Screenplay by Joe Grant, Dick Huemer. Animated by Art Babbitt, Preston Blair, Les Clark, Ugo D’Orsi, Norman Ferguson, Eric Larson, Ward Kimball, Walt Kelly, Ollie Johnston, and others. With Leopold Stokowski, Deems Taylor, Corey Burton.
Courtesy The Walt Disney Studios. 125 min.

Saturday, August 1, 2015, 6:30 p.m., Theater 2, T2 (Introduced by John Canemaker)
Tuesday, August 4, 2015, 6:30 p.m., Theater 2, T2

Disney Technicolor Cartoons [Program 2]
Sunday, August 2, 2015, 1:00 p.m., Theater 2, T2
Wednesday, August 5, 2015, 4:30 p.m., Theater 2, T2

• Lullaby Land
  1933. USA. Directed by Wilfred Jackson. 7 min.
• Wynken, Blynken, and Nod
  1938. USA. Directed by Graham Heid. Animation by Art Palmer, Izzy Klein, George Rowley, Stan Quackenbush, and others. 8 min.
• Ferdinand the Bull
  1938. USA. Directed by Dick Rickard. Animation by Bernard Garbutt, Hamilton Luske, Milt Kahl, Ward Kimball, Don Lusk, and others. 8 min.
• The Brave Little Tailor
  1938. USA. Directed by Bill Roberts. Animation by Fred Moore, Bill Tytla, Don Patterson, Milt Schaffer, Les Clark, Ollie Johnson, Frank Thomas, and others. 9 min.
• The Ugly Duckling
  1939. USA. Directed by Jack Cutting. 9 min.
• Chicken Little
  1943. USA. Directed by Clyde Geronimi. Animation by Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl, Ward Kimball, John Lounsbery, Norman Tate. 8 min.
• The Brave Engineer
  1950. USA. Directed by Jack Kinney. Animation by Al Bertino, Milt Kahl, Fred Moore. 7 min.
• Adventures in Music: Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom
  1953. USA. Directed by Ward Kimball, Charles A. Nichols. Animation by Ward Kimball, Julius Svendsen, Marc Davis, Henry Tanous, Art Stevens, Xavier “X” Atencio. 10 min.
• Pigs Is Pigs
  1954. USA. Directed by Jack Kinney. Animation by John Sibley. 10 min.

Courtesy The Walt Disney Studios. Program 76 min.

Melody Time

1948. USA. Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney, Hamilton Luske. Screenplay by Winston Hibler, Ted Sears, Homer Brightman, and others. Animated by Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl, Ward Kimball, Eric Larson, John Lounsbery, Robert Cannon, Mary Blair, and others. With Roy Rogers, Trigger, Dennis Day, The Andrews Sisters, Bobby Driscoll. Courtesy The Walt Disney Studios. 72 min.

Sunday, August 2, 2015, 6:00 p.m., Theater 2, T2

Monday, August 3, 2015, 6:30 p.m., Theater 2, T2

Hayao Miyazaki Is Canceling Retirement Again and Directing A CG-Animated Short

Hayao Miyazaki in his studio in Studio Ghibli documentary "The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness"

Hayao Miyazaki, the legendary Japanese retired/unretired anime/animation director, writer and manga-ka who is indelibly associated with hand-drawn filmmaking, revealed that he is putting his sixth attempt at retirement aside in order to take on directing his first wholly computer-animated short film project developed and created at his Studio Ghibli in Tokyo, according to reports by Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and other trades.
Celebrated for his hand-drawn approach to film such as Spirited Away, winner of the 2003 best animation Oscar and Japan’s highest-grossing movie of all time, Miyazaki also confirmed rumors that he has begun experimenting with CG animation.
"I have just begun work on a new anime," Miyazaki announced at a press conference held at the studio on Monday, THR reports. “It's a wonderful project. I’m working with some of my usual staff, as well as some staff from the computer graphics world.”
Miyazaki-san's new venture, Kemushi no Boro will be a roughly ten-minute computer-animated short, centered on the story of a caterpillar named Boro, displayed for screening exclusively at the Studio Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo. The director describes the film as "a story of a tiny, hairy caterpillar, so tiny that it may be easily squished between your fingers." He first noted his concept for the story nearly two decades ago, before Princess Mononoke was released. Miyazaki said his producer Toshio Suzuki has predicted the film will take about three years to make according to a report on Anime News Network, but the director added that he's working hard in hopes of completing it sooner. It is not clear what stage the film's production is at, or how much longer it will take to finish it.
Miyazaki, 74, has announced his retirement from feature film directing on several occasions, most recently after the completion of The Wind Rises. When asked about how he has been spending his time since "retirement," the globally acclaimed filmmaker said, "I'm still working very hard. The only difference is that I come to the studio 30 minutes later than I used to and go home 30 minutes earlier."
The director also used the opportunity to denounce Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's plans to expand the role of the Japanese military and urged the leader to make a clear and unambiguous apology for Japan's role in World War II.
"It must be made very clear that aggressive war was a complete mistake, and that we have deep regret for the great damage it caused the people of China," Miyazaki said. There are many people who want to forget this, but it is something that must never be forgotten."
“[Hayao] gets bored when his goal is maintaining [the Ghibli Museum], so he needs things to fiddle around with,” his son Goro Miyazaki said at an event last month as explanation for why his 74-year-old father was making a CG film.
Goro is also working with computer animation nowadays as he directs the Ghibli TV series Ronia The Robber’s Daughter. Last fall, when the elder Miyazaki was asked for his thoughts about his son switching from hand-drawn to CGI, he responded that the technique was beside the point.
“I think talent decides everything,” Miyazaki said. “More than the method, what’s important is the talent using it. There’s nothing inherently wrong or right about a method, whether it be pencil drawings or 3-D CG.”
In that same interview, Miyazaki said he felt lucky that he’d managed to avoid using a computer throughout his career. From the looks of it though, it’s never too late to teach an old dog some new tricks.
Previous exclusive shorts for the museum (nine to date) include the My Neighbor Totoro semi-sequel Mei and the Kittenbus, and a story similar to Boro‘s vibe: Monmon the Water Spider.

Aardman Animations Coming to The Academy and SIGGRAPH in August 2015

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences celebrates the work of acclaimed British stop-motion house Aardman Animations with three special programs featuring the studio's Oscar-winning and nominated Wallace and Gromit shorts on Friday, August 7th and Sunday, August 9th.

Wallace and Gromit Restored - The Marc Davis Celebration of Animation
[Friday, August 7, 7:30 p.m. | Samuel Goldwyn Theater - Beverly Hills]
As part of the Academy’s Marc Davis Celebration of Animation series, Aardman Animations co-founder David Sproxton and Wallace and Gromit cinematographer Dave Alex Riddett will discuss the making of the studio’s Oscar-winning shorts "The Wrong Trousers" and "A Close Shave," and the Oscar-nominated shorts "A Grand Day Out" and "A Matter of Loaf and Death." The program also will include the world premiere screening of the restorations of all four films, the result of a collaborative effort between the Academy Film Archive and Aardman Animations.

Cracking Animation: Behind the Scenes at Aardman
[Sunday, August 9, 9 a.m. | Los Angeles Convention Center - Downtown Los Angeles]
The Academy returns to SIGGRAPH Conference with a panel featuring filmmakers Sproxton and Riddett, who will trace the arc of Aardman’s voyage over the last three decades, present clips of the studio’s work, and discuss the evolving production techniques and future prospects of stop-motion animation.

A Grand Day Out: Wallace and Gromit Family Matinees
[Sunday, August 9, 1-5:30 p.m. | Linwood Dunn Theater - Hollywood]
The Academy presents matinee screenings of all four Wallace and Gromit shorts for families, as well as an animation workshop for children ages 8 to 13. The 90-minute hands-on workshop will offer a small group of participants the opportunity to learn some of Aardman Animations’ stop-motion techniques.

COMIC-CON 2015: A List of Animation Events I Am Most Excited About Plus One

San Diego International Comic-Con starts tomorrow and, as always, there is going to be a number of animation-related events happening. For the occasion of this annual pop-culture celebration, I have presented a list of recommended events similar to the one I did for this year's Annecy Animation Festival. Since there are so many events that you can't attend all of them, I went through the Comic-Con schedule program and cut it down to the fifteen animation events I am most excited about this year.
Preview night has ended, tomorrow is the official day Comic-Con opens. According to the list, some of the many things to witness include director Sanjay Patel revealing Pixar's new short Sanjay's Super Team; the impressive legacies of Looney Tunes legends Bob Clampett and Chuck Jones are told by their daughters; and a documentary-in-the works about influential Disney animator Floyd Norman, who just celebrated his 80th birthday. And these three are just for the first day.
The only event on here that isn't animation-related is a writer's session of CBS's sitcom The Big Bang Theory.
THURSDAY JULY 9

The Super Story Behind the Pixar Short Sanjay's Super Team
Director Sanjay Patel and producer Nicole Grindle present a peek behind the curtains at Pixar Animation Studio's latest short, Sanjay's Super Team. The filmmakers will discuss the production process as well as the unique inspiration for this incredibly personal film that features superheroes like you've never seen them before.
11:00am-12:00pm, Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront

Looney Tunes Legacy: Linda Jones and Ruth Clampett on The Life and Art of Animation
Chuck Jones and Bob Clampett are two of the most important animators in cartoon history. Their daughters, Linda Jones (Emmy Award-winning producer, founder of Linda Jones Enterprises) and Ruth Clampett (founder of Clampett Studio Collections, former head of Warner Brothers art program) keep their dads' legacies alive. These powerful Hollywood businesswomen also made collecting the art of animation and film accepted and embraced around the world and own all rights to sell official Warner Brothers cartoon art, Vintage WB movie art, DC comics art, and the art of Harry Potter. They'll talk about growing up with two geniuses and how they built empires of their own making geek art cool. Moderated by Leslie Combemale (ArtInsights Animation and Film Art Gallery).
2:30pm – 3:30pm, Room 24ABC
Floyd Norman Documentary
Filmmakers Michael Fiore (producer of the upcoming feature Home Invasion) and Erik Sharkey (director of Drew: The Man Behind the Poster) will show clips from their original feature-length documentary and reunite Floyd Norman (legendary Disney and Hanna Barbera animator and story artist) with many animators and artists that he influenced and worked with over his 60-year career. Panelists will include notables featured in the documentary includingPaul Dini (animation writer/producer), Gary Trousdale (co-director of Disney's Beauty and the Beast), Leo Sullivan (animator, producer, publisher), Ken Mitchroney (writer, director, story artist), Adrienne Nichelle Brown-Norman (illustrator, Disney Publishing), and Tom Sito (animator, professor of animation, USC). The documentary also features interviews with such notables as actress Whoopi Goldberg, cartoonist Sergio Aragonés, Disney music composer Richard Sherman, producer Don Hahn, Maleficent), Ralph Guggenheim (former Pixar VP of animation), and film critic/historian Leonard Maltin. The documentary is supported by a musical score composed by Ryan Shore (composer, Disney's Penn Zero and WB's Scooby-Doo!). The filmmakers will moderate a Q&A session and celebrate Mr. Norman's 80th birthday.
9:00pm – 10:30pm, Room 9

FRIDAY JULY 10
Inside The Big Bang Theory Writer's Room (NOT ANIMATION-RELATED)
The Big Bang Theory writers once again open the curtain and take you behind the scenes of TV's #1 comedy. From huge guest stars to the shocking moments in the season finale (Was that a ring, my Precious? Will what happened in Vegas stay in Vegas?), find out what it takes to make the hit series each week. Join the show's executive producers and writers as they take you inside the writers' room for a lively discussion and special video presentation. From Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television, The Big Bang Theory returns for Season 9 this fall, Monday nights at 8/7c on CBS. The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Eighth Season will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 15.
10:00am - 11:00am, Ballroom 20
Disney Animators: The Power of 2D
A luminary panel of former and current Disney animators spanning from Lady and the Tramp to Moana talk about the importance of 2D animation in the history of Disney, as well as the part it plays in guiding advancement of its future. Panelists are Willie Ito (Lady and the Tramp, Inkpot Award-winning animator), Dale Baer (Robin Hood to Moana), Randy Haycock (The Lion King to Moana), Tom Sito (The Little Mermaid, author of Moving Innovation), Adam Dykstra (Tangled, Tarzan), and Mike Polvani (Hercules, 2D Animation School founder). Changes in technology, artistic expression, and the value of cooperative interplay between 2D and 3D artists to create the best animation will be discussed. There will be a Q&A moderated by Leslie Combemale (Animation expert, ArtInsights Gallery).
1:30pm – 2:30pm, Room 24ABC
ILM 40th Anniversary
For forty years, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) has set the standard for visual effects, creating some of the most memorable images in the history of modern cinema. From advances in the photo chemical process, optical compositing, motion control, and models and miniatures to the company's pioneering efforts in computer graphics, digital compositing, film scanning and recording, morphing, digital environments, performance capture, character animation, and modern digital pipelines, ILM continues to break new ground in visual effects for film, television, themed attractions, and new forms of entertainment. The presenters will discuss the company's work from its earliest days and breakthroughs along the way.
2:00pm – 3:00pm, Room 7AB
Spotlight on Jerry Beck
Animation historian Jerry Beck (The 50 Greatest Cartoons, The Hanna Barbera Treasury, The Spongebob Squarepants Experience) discusses his career as a writer, researcher, animation producer, blogger (for Animation Scoop and Cartoon Research) and cartoon DVD curator (Looney Tunes Golden Collection). He will screen several rare animation clips and discuss the reasons some of your favorite animated films have never been released on home video. He'll also announce news of several exciting archival animation projects he's been working on. Join Jerry for this Q&A session moderated by Danny Fingeroth (author, Stan Lee Universe and Superman on the Couch).
6:00pm - 7:00pm, Room 4
Worst Cartoons Ever
For the thirteenth year, Jerry Beck (Cartoon Research) has once again compiled a new election of the most terribly written, ugliest drawn ,and unintentionally funniest animated films ever made. Cartoons include Mighty Mr. Titan (a physical fitness superhero) and Super President (a one-man weapon of mass destruction). Be sure to enjoy some of the worst there is out there in this hilarious salute.
8:15pm - 9:15pm, Room 6BCF

SATURDAY JULY 11
Are You Ready, Kids?: Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants
The cast of SpongeBob is back! All your Bikini Bottom favorites are on hand to perform Idiot Box at a live table read as chosen by the fans online. Featuring Tom Kenny (SpongeBob), Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick Star), Rodger Bumpass (Squidward), and Dee Bradley Baker (all other Biukini Bottomites.. Following the performance will be a Q&A with the cast and creative director, Vincent Waller. Plus, a sneak peek at a new episode and fan trivia with prizes. Hosted by Claudia Spinelli, VP of current series animation for Nickelodeon. All landlubbers welcome.
10:00am - 11:00am, Room 6A
The Simpsons
Going into its record-demolishing 27th season! Join this panel for a sneak peek behind "Treehouse of Horror XXVI" and much, much more with creator Matt Groening, executive producers Al Jean and Matt Selman, supervising director Mike Anderson, long-time director David Silverman and the woman behind Bart Simpson, Nelson Muntz, and Ralph Wiggum, Nancy Cartwright. Ay carumba indeed.
12:00pm - 12:45pm, Ballroom 20
Seth MacFarlane Animation Block
A Comic-Con first! The Renaissance man of entertainment will participate in a panel featuring sneak peeks at the upcoming seasons of fan favorites Family Guy and American Dad plus an exclusive look at his newest project, Bordertown! Joined by the casts and executive producers from each show, including Seth Green, Alex Borstein, Mike Henry, Scott Grimes, Dee Bradley Baker, Wendy Schaal, Rich Appel, Steve Callaghan, Matt Weitzman, Brian Boyle, and from Bordertown, Missi Pyle, Nicholas Gonzalez, and Mark Hentemann.
1:00pm - 2:45pm, Ballroom 20
Spotlight on Stan Lee
Comic-Con special guest Stan Lee discusses his past, present, and future projects, followed by a Q&A session.
1:45pm - 2:45pm, Room 6A
Wander Over Yonder: The Galactic Domination Tour
Join creator Craig McCracken along with the stars of the series for a special sneak peek at the epic new season of Disney XD's Wander Over Yonder. What happens when Wander (Jack McBrayer), the friendliest face in outer space, comes up against the vilest villain in the universe, the mysterious Lord Dominator? And what does this fearsome new foe have in store for a suddenly outmatched Lord Hater? And just who the heck is this Dominator guy anyway? So many questions! Find out some answers with exclusive clips from the upcoming season and an audience Q&A. The panel will also feature sneak peeks of Pickle and Peanut and Future-Worm!, two new animated shows coming to Disney XD.
2:30pm - 3:30pm, Room 5AB
Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created MAD and Revolutionized Humor in America
Bill Schelly (author) talks to Gary Groth (publisher) about Harvey Kurtzman, editor, artist, and sole writer of the original MAD comic book and magazine-one of the greatest publishing successes of the 20th century. They will cover Harvey's cultural impact, legal battles with MAD publisher William M. Gaines, and much more.
3:30pm - 4:30pm, Room 26AB

An Inside Look at Google Spotlight Stories
Karen Dufilho-Rosen (executive producer, Google Spotlight Stories) moderates a panel featuring Jan Pinkava (director, Windy Day, creative director, Google Spotlight Stories), Glen Keane (director, duet), Shannon Tindle (director, On Ice), Patrick Osborne (director, Pearl), Felix Massie (director, Rain or Shine), Max Keane (production designer, duet), Lou Romano (art director, On Ice), Scot Stafford (creative director, sound and music, Google Spotlight Stories), and Rachid El Guerrab (technical project lead, Google Spotlight Stories), who share their insights and experiences regarding the creation of this new, narrative format for 360-degree, immersive, interactive stories made especially for mobile devices.
4:30pm – 5:30pm, Room 24ABC

SUNDAY JULY 12

The Last Day of Summer: TV Guide Magazine's Farewell to Phineas and Ferb
After more than 200 best days ever, the ride's over for Phineas and Ferb and their pals, not to mention Perry the Platypus and archnemesis Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz. For a final trip to the Tri-State Area, TV Guide Magazine chief content officer Michael Schneider gathers the creators/executive producers of Phineas and Ferb, Dan Povenmire (voice of Doofenshmirtz) and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh (Major Monogram), along with stars Vincent Martella (Phineas), Alyson Stoner (Isabella), and Dee Bradley Baker (Perry) to seize the day, one more time.
10:00am - 11:00am, Room 6BCF