text:
Saturday, October 4, 2008
The Six Degrees Of Michael Waltrip
It was by using the "small world phenomenon" concept that the original Kevin Bacon version of this popular game was created. After the events of this week, there is little doubt that NASCAR's version will have to be called "The Six Degrees of Michael Waltrip."
Just as the original game believes that Bacon is at the center of the entertainment universe, to play the Waltrip version simply requires fans to open their eyes and take a good look around. Michael Waltrip is everywhere.
Let's start the game with ESPN's Brad Daugherty. He was grinning like a Cheshire cat on Wednesday's NASCAR Now. Host Ryan Burr had just introduced him as usual, but Daugherty could barely contain himself. He had something to announce.
It was time for the first connection.
Daugherty explained the new "strategic alliance" that his NASCAR team had just forged. Daugherty's 2009 Sprint Cup team was going to be based in Cornelius, NC. One big race shop would supply all the chassis, the equipment and the technical support for Daugherty's rookie effort. That race shop bears the name of only one man.
His name is Michael Waltrip.
For his day job, Daugherty works in the ESPN Infield Pit Studio. During the Fox portion of the season, the infield studio is called the Hollywood Hotel. Host Chris Myers works with two NASCAR professionals on the pre-race show. One is named Darrell. He has a brother.
His name is Michael Waltrip.
Darrell used to own a Craftsman Truck Series team. That entire series is aired on SPEED. Rick Allen handles the play-by-play for SPEED and his on-air partner is Phil Parsons. Added to the line-up a while back was a third member of the broadcast team.
His name is Michael Waltrip.
Lots of crew chiefs got their start in the Truck Series. One of them is Bootie Barker. Fresh out of Old Dominion University, Barker hooked-up with Truck Series owner Kurt Roehrig to begin his NASCAR career. Bill Davis Racing, Hendrick Motorsports and now Haas CNC are some of the teams that have employed Barker. This week, Barker announced he will be leaving to crew chief for someone new in 2009.
His name is Michael Waltrip.
Barker's TV gig is the popular NASCAR Performance show with Larry McReynolds and Chad Knaus. McReynolds also joins Michael's brother Darrell for the NASCAR on Fox broadcasts. One of the Fox pit reporters is named Steve Byrnes.
On Mondays, Byrnes returns to Charlotte. He hosts a TV program that in one form or another has been on-the-air for over ten years. The program has been through several hosts and a number of panelists. Only one member of the original cast is still on the show.
His name is Michael Waltrip.
SPEED is also the home of the Formula-1 broadcasts. Bob Varsha, the ageless David Hobbs and Steve Matchett call the live races from a studio in Charlotte. Out on the road with the series is reporter Peter Windsor. One of the people he interviews is the head of McLaren's racing operations named Steve Hallam. Mr. Hallam has just announced that after 27 years of Formula-1, he is leaving to work for a new employer.
His name is Michael Waltrip.
SPEED's most popular NASCAR program is RaceDay. John Roberts is the host and retired driver Jimmy Spencer is one of two commentators. The other is the younger brother of Rusty Wallace. His name is Kenny.
This Sunday, Kenny will be racing at Talladega. He was given this opportunity by an owner who used to work on a TV show with him a long time ago on SPEED.
His name is Michael Waltrip.
The Kevin Bacon version of this association game has gone on to become a book, a board game, a charitable organization and a part of modern American culture. Bacon has referred to it in several movies and made several hilarious TV cameos where he quickly tied himself to all those around him.
A while back, rumors spread that Michael Waltrip Racing was done. Out of money, over-extended and doomed to the same path other teams have walked down to their ultimate demise.
Instead, TV viewers find his name everywhere from ESPN to Formula-1. He is calling the Truck Series race for SPEED on Saturday, racing in the Cup event on Sunday and appearing on "his TV show" on Monday. He has just announced a new crew chief and a new director of race engineering for next season.
In Kenny Wallace, Waltrip has one of the most popular NASCAR TV personalities doing RaceDay in the morning, driving an MWR car in the afternoon and then interviewing the winner for SPEED's Victory Lane on Sunday evening.
The only way this game could get any easier is if Waltrip actually won at Talladega with Wallace and David Reutimann pushing him across the line while Rusty and Brad whooped-it-up on ABC from the Infield Studio. Perhaps, infield host Allen Bestwick might join-in as well.
Didn't he used to host a TV show on SPEED with.....
The Daly Planet welcomes comments from readers. Simply click on the COMMENTS button below and follow the easy instructions. The rules for posting are located on the right side of the main page. Thanks for taking the time to drop by.
44 comments:
- Dot said...
You are too funny. How do you think of these things? I have enough trouble just writing my comments.
This is why I love your blog and the commenters who post here (except the rude ones). This is such a fun site.
- October 4, 2008 at 12:10 AM
- Anonymous said...
LOL JD too true & funny - except its more like 1.5 degrees of separation!
You got to figure a way to tie in
Ron Kapp (? spelling/name) the drag racer & the NAPA commercials. Oh yeah & whatever the hotel chain is he is plugging. LOL
Mikey would!
- October 4, 2008 at 12:10 AM
- Vince said...
JD you have way too much time on your hands! ;-)
- October 4, 2008 at 12:15 AM
- Dot said...
@ Jo,
I knew someone would add to the list. Good one. Btw, It's Capps.
- October 4, 2008 at 12:16 AM
- Photojosh said...
This is one of the reasons I'm a Waltrip supporter. He doesn't just pay lip service to being dedicated to NASCAR, he lives it.
Sure, I can see why some people find him annoying with his constant goofiness and sponsor plugs. But for a lot of people, that's just part of his charm. He is a huge part of NASCAR crammed into one person.
- October 4, 2008 at 12:25 AM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Good idea about Ron, I added him and his MW shirt to the story as a pic. Thanks!
- October 4, 2008 at 12:25 AM
- Anonymous said...
Michael Waltrip is one of the most engaging personalities in NASCAR.
That said, I do think his team is facing serious problems. They struggle to keep two of their cars in the Top 35. They are losing UPS as a sponsor and apparently they just barely kept NAPA on a performance-based contigency. The team has already said that they can barely afford to keep running the Aaron's 99 in the Nationwide series and with that series switching to the COT the costs will get much worse. Last year MW had to take on a billionaire as a partner, and in that time MWRacing has shown a championship ability to spend it - opening a massive state-of-the art tourist-friendly shop. All that money blown to keep three of the worst cars in NASCAR going. That money fountain cannot last forever.
I love Michael Waltrip. He is in many ways a lovable loser that all fans can relate to (I am not calling him a loser, just referring to his inability to get to victory lane over his long career). Just so likable and tries so hard. But I don't know if his team's lack of success and huge budget can survive even a good economy, let alone one with the squeeze on it.
And as to the original premise -- NASCAR is a pretty small family-type community. You could pretty much pick any driver with a famous last name and connect everyone to them.
- October 4, 2008 at 12:29 AM
- Sophia said...
This is too funny. I love Michael but agree, the financial pressures seem to be taking over his life and I hate to see that.
He does amazingly well to be positive amongst it all. Is it any reason he still does all the sponsor plugs. The guy is fighting for all he is worth. Hope he finishes up the season doing better.
Schrader is coming back for a few races so one never knows in this sport. now if ONLY they would add Schrader to TWIN so they could rotate and have THREE PANELIST plus Steve. That show would kick butt.
Well, they need to get rid of all the canned video junk that is killing the show the way the flip flop did...but the NAPA commercials with Mikey are a hoot. Some are better than other ones. My fave were the letters he read last year....the one about his head has always been located between his shoulders always made me smile or giggle. :)
- October 4, 2008 at 12:42 AM
- Anonymous said...
LOL! That was a fun game :)
- October 4, 2008 at 1:59 AM
- Vicky D said...
JD what a clever column and so true - Michael Waltrip is everywhere. I love the commercial for Best Western with the two kids talking about passing and drafting and their dad asks them who told them that and there's their friends Mikey & Reut sitting in the restaurant. Thanks for cheering us down here in southeast Texas.
- October 4, 2008 at 6:41 AM
- Anonymous said...
Interesting column. Just shows how much goes on behind the scenes to keep a team going. I wish MWR all the best, no one can say this guy didn't work his butt off to make it in this tough business. Well hmmmm, he still has a pretty nice butt lol.
- October 4, 2008 at 7:28 AM
- ri88girl said...
What a great story! Thanks JD. I love Mikey and I think all fans do even if he annoyes like a baby brother. Someome said earlier that he doesn't just pay lip service to the sport, he lives it and that is 100% true; as does DW.
He has gained the love if not passion of the fans like no other, remember how genuinely worried for his mental health people on boards were when there was fuelgate and the car accident and all that?
I love that he is going to have Bootie as his crew chief. Even if they don't run well, the will be GREAT TV.
While Mikey seems to be going out of his way to help and support this sport, Jr is looking inward, when maybe he shoud step up and Help DEI even if he never dives for them again. It is in someway a statement that this game is six degrees of MW and not nascar's most popuar driver.
- October 4, 2008 at 7:50 AM
- Anonymous said...
Wish more people in the USA had his work ethic!
- October 4, 2008 at 8:29 AM
- Anonymous said...
"I love Michael Waltrip. He is in many ways a lovable loser that all fans can relate to (I am not calling him a loser, just referring to his inability to get to victory lane over his long career)."
Never been to Victory Lane?
4 points wins and many Non points wins.
- October 4, 2008 at 10:27 AM
- HarpAmy/Amy in FL said...
Just a clarification to one earlier poster. MW built his state of the art race shop and entertainment center before he took on Rob Kaufmann. Rob helped him be able to get the state of the art tech stuff that he needed. MW is a visionary and thinks so out of the box and so far ahead that he is respected. What he will talk about now generally gets done in some fashion or another down the road. His race shop is a destination center for the fans and from what I have heard, some fans that I know of that live close to there go there at least a couple times a month as fans can learn so much about building cars and all that goes into them.
I love MW/Em Dub wholeheartedly and am a huge fan and supporter of his and his organization. If it were not for him and his famous hug back in 2001, I don't know if DEI or Nascar could have bounced back as quickly as they did. MW really was the glue that held DEI and Nascar fans and community together back in those days.
I for one am looking forward to the day when MW wins again. At one of the other forums that I read, someone commented that back in 1994 at either Dega or Daytona that Big E won the race but was mixing it up seriously with MW and Big E took notice of MW.
Sorry for the essay on MW, I am just so happy that you wrote this article, JD.
Another connection with Nascar Performance is Chad Knaus. That show has become a Mikey related show by having his crew chief on and the crew chief that he does a show with on Mondays.
I think that it is more like 10 degrees or more.
Mikey eats, drinks, sleeps, and lives Nascar and all that it entails. He is so busy (I have heard) that he does his best to try to squeeze a few hours a week to relax by playing golf. Even playing golf, he is working as this week, he taped his XM radio show, Michael Waltrip Outloud while playing a charity golf tournament.
Another connection is the Three Wide Life with Tony Rizzuti because Tony hosts Mikey's XM show.
Thanks again, JD, for this article.
- October 4, 2008 at 10:40 AM
- Skip said...
On a related note, is there something in the TV contract that states 'thou shalt give Michael Waltrip an in-car camera?' I'm not sure I remember a week when he didn't have one. So far in every chase race it's been 7 chasers and the 55.
Or maybe they just want to have someone who'll be at the back so they can get good in-car video of wrecks unfolding in front of him?
- October 4, 2008 at 11:30 AM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Like a famous man once said..."follow the money."
- October 4, 2008 at 11:53 AM
- Anonymous said...
He also has only 4 wins in just under 720 starts, with 140 DNF's. It was 462 starts, before his 1st. win. some of your comments are true, but a true racer, he is not.
- October 4, 2008 at 11:54 AM
- Anonymous said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- October 4, 2008 at 12:32 PM
- Photojosh said...
"but a true racer, he is not."
The guy has two Daytona wins, was picked by Big E to drive, has raced in NASCAR's top series for 24+ years, won the all star race (when it was the Winston Open) twice, won 11 races in the Nationwide/Busch series, owns his own teams, works all over NASCAR and is a well respected personality in the garage (except by idiots like Boyer).
Not a true racer? I call B.S. on that. Don't want to like the guy? Thats fine, plenty of reasons to find him annoying. But don't say stuff just to hear yourself talk. What's next? You going to say that Ken Schrader or Joe Nemechek aren't "real racers" either? After all, they only have 4 wins in hundreds of starts.
- October 4, 2008 at 12:44 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Anon 12:32PM,
Happy to have you offer your opinion. Not too happy to have you tell us stuff you don't really know.
You can re-phrase and re-post anytime you wish.
- October 4, 2008 at 12:48 PM
- Photojosh said...
I have no idea why I said "24+" years there. My public school math has failed me again. His first race was in 85, so I really should have gone with 23+. But whatever.
The point is that he's had gainful employment in nascar's top series for a darn long time. Not a lot of other racers can say the same thing. And it's not just the name, there are plenty of "names" in NASCAR who can't get a ride. Kerry Earnhardt ring a bell?
- October 4, 2008 at 12:51 PM
- Anonymous said...
I would like to write a very entertaining, & enlightening comment about Mikey.
Unfortunately I just don't think I could improve on Robby Gordon's succinct comment!
- October 4, 2008 at 12:59 PM
- Anonymous said...
Looks like you want to hear yourself more than me. I only posted a few lines. That facts, and I have my opinion, you have yours. this is what this site is about, I thought. (our media members opinions).
- October 4, 2008 at 1:03 PM
- Anonymous said...
Anyone with over 700 Nascar Winston/Nextel/Sprint Cup starts... is a true racer... otherwise the career would have been much shorter. Why does nobody bad mouth Joe Ruttman? Visability, Mikey makes himself a target... but he is truly a bigger man than his detractors. Go #55!
- October 4, 2008 at 1:42 PM
- HarpAmy/Amy in FL said...
If I remember correctly, during the TNT portion, MW did not have an in car camera. IIRC2, I believe that the sponsor buys the time for the in car camera for the car. That is what I remember MW saying once.
MW is sure a lightning rod for comments. Either one loves him or hates him.
- October 4, 2008 at 2:02 PM
- Newracefan said...
Too Funny, Mikey's the main reason I expanded my Nascar viewing, Trucks(he in the booth), NW he's got a car in the field, TWIN and on and on and on. Now I am a fan who attends races and watches practice and qualifying.
- October 4, 2008 at 2:24 PM
- Anonymous said...
I didn't recall Mikey in my years of off and on watching, but after the 2K season and chatting with others I decided that 2K1 would be the season I'd start watching full time.
So I had said that I'd cheer for Dale for the 500. Then I saw a pre-race segment on Mikey on how he had all those races with no win. I felt sad for him so changed it to Mikey. And that's how I became a Mikey fan.
When I was packing up back in 2K4 to move here to TX, I ran across a Sports Spectrum magazine I had kept but never remembered having. Sports Spectrum is basically a Christian version of Sports Illustrated produced by RBC Ministries.
Anywho, this issue had various Christian NA$CAR drivers in it and as I was flipping through it to see if it was something indeed I wanted to keep, I came across an article on Mikey & DW as well as others.
Now if I ever get the rest of my stuff from Cali, I'll have it again :). My mom is storing the stuff I didn't bring with me. But I plan on moving again hopefully in the next year to year and a half so it probably won't be until after that I'll get them back. It's mostly books and magazines so none are anything I "need" right now.
- October 4, 2008 at 3:02 PM
- Jeffin ATL said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- October 4, 2008 at 3:12 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
We need more from you than just that to stay in the comments.
Be happy to hear your opinion about the topic at hand.
- October 4, 2008 at 3:14 PM
- Anonymous said...
Funny stuff and so true, JD!
I believe I heard Tony Rizzuti on "The After Show" that Michael has been voted in by the fans on HotPass, every race since the Chase started. Maybe that has something to do why the 55 has a in car camera.
Michael Waltrip is everywhere....that's fine by me. :)
- October 4, 2008 at 3:42 PM
- GinaV24 said...
Really funny stuff, JD, even if I don't like MW. I think some of it is because he is EVERYWHERE. He's the main reason why I don't watch the truck races on Speed. I just can't deal with listening to him since IMO he doesn't make a lot of sense, but I can see that others really lilke the guy and that's great. To each his own and I'm in the camp that thinks he's on over his head more often than not and not nearly as funny as he thinks he is.
- October 4, 2008 at 5:55 PM
- rich said...
Great idea, JD. Personally, I enjoyed the truck race today and found MW and Phil to play off of each other very well. A pleasant change from Dr Jerry on the Cup broadcasts. Love him or hate him, Michael is indeed a true racer folks.
- October 4, 2008 at 9:20 PM
- Anne M said...
Fun column, JD. I'm really fond of MW, so I'm glad he's everywhere!
I think I have another example:
I've read that Chad Knaus was briefly Michael's car chief in 1997 or 1998 when Chad worked at DEI. (Chad was Steve Park's car chief for a few months and this would have been after that.) A little fact-checking shows that it was probably Darrell rather than Michael, but even so you've got Michael's brother working with Michael's co-star on TWIN, who co-stars on NASCAR Performance with Michael's new crew chief.
(I really wish this would come up on TWIN some night!)
- October 4, 2008 at 9:48 PM
- Anonymous said...
Great article this week. I love all things Mikey and although many haters like to complain about him, Nascar would be rather boring without him. Nothing I'd rather see than Michael win a race this year & cannot wait to see him back in the Nationwide series in 2009!
- October 5, 2008 at 1:42 AM
- Tracy said...
What a hoot. I'll bet there are even more degrees of connection than those of us on the outside don't recognize, but the media people do.
- October 5, 2008 at 6:08 AM
- Zieke said...
I was wondering how those F-1 announcers returned from a race to be on TV the same nite. Why do they try to call a race from a studio? That seems a bit much to expect very good coverage, does'nt it?
- October 5, 2008 at 9:51 AM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Announcers all over the world do the exact same thing. To send a crew all over the globe for a short race would not make financial sense.
Many networks take the "world feed" and voice it over. SPEED goes one step further by inserting Peter Windsor as a reporter live during the event.
- October 5, 2008 at 12:14 PM
- bobb said...
Great article about MW. He has always been one of my top drivers
[begin tongue ib cheek]
even though he is considered BY ONE PARTICULAR DRIVER to be the worst driver in NASCAR.
[end tongue reference]
Wow for someone who is so bad at driving he does a lot of great things for NASCAR and drivers.
- October 5, 2008 at 4:00 PM
- jamie said...
wow, thanx jd.....one article that lists all the reasons my tv is rarely tuned in to non-race nascar programming.
- October 6, 2008 at 1:34 AM
- HarpAmy/Amy in FL said...
The Dow's closing number today caught my attention with it's number. This is the number 9955.50.
Does that number ring any bells? If you need help, I will answer it in a few days.
- October 6, 2008 at 10:14 PM
- Steve said...
I started watching NASCAR when I moved to Nashville in the early 90's. I use to root for Dale Jarrett when he drove the #28/#88. And then switched over to MW and the #15 when Dale Sr. hired him. As far as I am concerned, there is no better recommendation than being hired by Dale Sr.
I was thrilled when MW hired DJ to drive for him. I wish things had turned out better for DJ at the end of his driving career.
MW is the guy down the street and the guy next door. He has taken his talents and efforts and made the best of them. I think he draws so much attention both good and bad because we can look at him and see ourselves.
I say three cheers for Mikey and MWR. It is great to see the whole organization doing better. They have a long way to go to be on par with the super teams, but I think they are making headway.
- October 7, 2008 at 12:12 PM
- HarpAmy/Amy in FL said...
I will give my answer to the Dow's number.
99-David Reutimann's NW Dream Machine number
55-MW's number
50-the number that MW tested as a fourth car at 2007 preseason testing.
Interesting numbers, huh? Or am I just nutz in looking at it that way?
- October 8, 2008 at 12:09 AM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Time to buy a Lotto ticket!
- October 8, 2008 at 10:56 AM


text:
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Anybody At ESPN.com Read The Comments?
Since the David Newton stories about Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Newman broke last week, ESPN.com has stubbornly been keeping both of Newton's "exclusives" posted on the front page. My only question is, does anyone at ESPN read the comments?
This is the Martin Truex Jr. page and this is the Ryan Newman story. Both are now so old the computer has made them archive material. That does not matter to the ESPN.com editors, who keep them alive on the front page.
This was the article by veteran NASCAR journalist Monte Dutton talking about the kind of journalism that several of the ESPN reporters have been practicing for the last two years. Prior to 2007, ESPN and ESPN.com did not care about NASCAR and relegated it to a minor sport, just like the New York Times. Each of those organizations apparently has their own sense of sports reality.
Needless to say, NASCAR fans have taken this opportunity to voice their concerns over these stories, which have been denied directly by both of the drivers involved.
ESPN.com does not have the authors of the stories respond in the comments and apparently no one follows-up on the issues raised by the fans in the comments section. So, what is the point of offering this opportunity for the fans to post their views? ESPN.com has recently expanded this practice to Jayski.com, a site that now re-directs viewer comments to the ESPN.com site.
As Dutton said in his article, regardless of whether the drivers in question choose to eventually sign with the team in Newton's story, it does not make him right. Leaving these stories and the comments posted on one of the largest sports websites in the world reminds everyone of that fact 24 hours a day.
The Daly Planet welcomes comments from readers (and responds). To add your opinion, just click on the COMMENTS button below and follow the easy instructions. The rules for posting are located on the right side of the main page. Thank you for taking the time to drop by.
36 comments:
- Richard in N.C. said...
Implicitly Newton is vouching for his source and saying the source is creditible. It would seem without question that Newton should at the very least have updated his story to say that both Mr. and Mrs. Newman have stated that the story is untrue.
- August 6, 2008 at 3:05 PM
- Anonymous said...
If I ever see you use the phrase "This is a TV blog" or "We talk TV, we don't do quotes" (as you did when someone mentioned Lee Spencer writing a similar article to Newton's last week) to defend yourself against a comment someone posts again, I'm going to laugh and laugh.
Slow news day, indeed...what are you going to come up with for tomorrow?
- August 6, 2008 at 4:37 PM
- Tracy said...
ESPN doesn't care what anyone thinks about their credibility, that's the message I'm getting. If they did, as Richard said, they'd add the respective denials from the involved parties, it seems to me. But what do I know? I don't get the whole deal anyway, reporting rumors. It's an instant "who-cares-what-you-report-next-because-I-don't-trust-you" for me.
- August 6, 2008 at 5:08 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Anon 4:37PM,
You must be new to NASCAR. The way ESPN works is to publish a story on ESPN.com at around 4PM and then have that reporter on NASCAR Now at 5PM to introduce that story as an exclusive.
This is normally done on Wednesday, which is exactly the reason I wrote that column today.
Nice try.
- August 6, 2008 at 5:50 PM
- red said...
i open with this disclaimer: i did not watch nascar now tonight.
so, if someone who did watch will clarify: has truex said that he has re-signed with dei? has dei once again stated that truex is re-signed? to the best of anyone's recollection, what was said at the end of nascar now about the dei/truex contact/option situation? i'm reading a variety of 'reports" but all my most reliable sources aren't reporting anything.
(see, i'm trying to separate fact from rumor here and i'm getting nowhere fast but rather than just repeat what i've been told was said/not said, i'm searching for information. kinda like a reporter is supposed to do.)
(if i had access to drivers and owners and agents, that is!)
richard in nc: mr newton should also have updated his story on truex's status as well.
- August 6, 2008 at 6:06 PM
- Anonymous said...
I see some odd pararllel between ESPN's willingness to treat NASCAR rumors which have been denied as legitimate stories and their purhcase of the Jayski.com site, which, while it is very informative, made its reputation by posting unfounded NASCAR rumors.
- August 6, 2008 at 6:16 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Burr tried to sneak it in at the end, but you should check jayski.com for the updates.
- August 6, 2008 at 6:17 PM
- red said...
daly planet editor said...
"Burr tried to sneak it in at the end, but you should check jayski.com for the updates.
yep, been there, done that. nothing yet.
what did burr say, tho'? lee spencer is claiming that "multiple team sources" are stating that "Martin Truex Jr. has decided to remain the driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet next season for Dale Earnhardt Inc."
she also says an announcement is due at watkins glen.
and the wednesday rumor mill keeps on grinding.
- August 6, 2008 at 6:25 PM
- Anonymous said...
Sure, JD, if Newman and Truex sign, it doesn't make Newton right, but their denials don't make Newton wrong either.
The bottom line is that Newton obviously believes in his source and therefore isn't changing his story. Look, Barry Bonds has denied using steroids for year, but you never see reporters who bring it up say, "Bonds has routinely denied steroid use."
And I find it amusing that you think the NY Times should cover NASCAR. They're a left leaning paper and you want them to cover a right leaning sport. Heck, if Obama would've purchased ad space on a car, most of the people in the crowd would've thrown something at it. They can't even get past the fact that Gordon is not from the south and doesn't "look" like he's from the south. The stereotypes that are allowed to pass in NASCAR are ridiculous when you consider the lofty standards you hold media outlets to.
- August 6, 2008 at 6:39 PM
- Anonymous said...
So now that the Truex story has been reported as a done deal by multiple outlets with an official announcement coming Sunday at Watkins Glen, how's that dead horse working for you Daly?
- August 6, 2008 at 6:50 PM
- Lisa Hogan said...
I know, I know, JD
Don't feed the trolls.
But, they are really good for a laugh once in a while. :)
- August 6, 2008 at 6:55 PM
- I am the editor at ESPN.com said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- August 6, 2008 at 8:27 PM
- Anonymous said...
Obviously that post above is not from the actual editor at ESPN.com. If it is, then ESPN needs an editor for the editor. Kind of like the assistant to the traveling secretary.
JD, what I wanted to point out, is that your site is one of the few where the editors/authors actually respond to comments. Most sites just let people comment at will and moderate them for vulgar content. Heck, the Gawker Network (Deadspin, Kotaku, Jalopnik, etc) exists almost solely because of its commenters. Some of their commenters have gone on to have pretty famous blogs themselves. But rarely do moderators/editors/authors respond to commenters. So thanks for being one of the few.
- August 6, 2008 at 8:32 PM
- Rockin Rich said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- August 6, 2008 at 8:36 PM
- I am the editor at espn.com said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- August 6, 2008 at 8:37 PM
- I am the editor at espn.com said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- August 6, 2008 at 8:40 PM
- I am the editor at espn.com said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- August 6, 2008 at 8:43 PM
- Anonymous said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- August 6, 2008 at 8:44 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
They folks at ESPN work for a Disney-owned corporation. It requres them to channel their media responses through a media relations person.
The media guys for NASCAR from ESPN are super. They have been cooperative with me regardless of agreeing or disagreeing with an opinion.
This is a big professional company that uses designated individuals to speak in the media.
This article is about why ESPN would let the comments stay? We already explored both sides of the Newton story issues.
This interesting convergence of TV and online is one of the hottest topics where ESPN is concerned, and one of the things they have been working hardest to address.
Thanks for all the comments, I hope you took the time to read the comments on the ESPN.com pages.
- August 6, 2008 at 8:47 PM
- OK, fine, i'm not the editor, blah, blah, blah said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- August 6, 2008 at 8:53 PM
- Anonymous said...
From thatsracin.com. No sources quoted, just says they've confirmed it:
Martin Truex Jr. will be back in the No. 1 Chevrolets for Dale Earnhardt Inc. in 2009.
Truex will make that decision official Friday at Watkins Glen International, but The Charlotte Observer and ThatsRacin.com confirmed Wednesday evening that Truex has agreed to stay with the team he has been with for his entire Cup career.
- August 6, 2008 at 8:55 PM
- Anonymous said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- August 6, 2008 at 8:57 PM
- IANTE said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- August 6, 2008 at 8:57 PM
- Anonymous said...
Woohoo! Back in business. So, JD, if I may call you JD, what point were you trying to make with your post on this subject? That ESPN.com lets criticism stay on its pages without comment? I know, I know, being tagged by readers of your own story (blog) may seem counter productive, but doesn't it say something that they are allowed to dissent as long as they aren't being offensive?
Again, what was your point exactly?
- August 6, 2008 at 9:49 PM
- Anonymous said...
I'm about to throw out something here that may venture further into the corporate weeds than anyone wants to go.
Is David Newton actually employee of ESPN or a contractor who writes about Nascar for ESPN.com
I raise this question because the Martin Truex Jr. story st least has a contact email that ends with @aol.com
My instinct says this is designed to cover up his actual email address being david.newton-nd or something like that.
I remember from my own days as a contractor for the Mouse that all contractors and temps issued e-mail addresses on Disney servers have a "=nd" tacked onto e-mail to specify "non-Disney" and differentiate them from full time employees. Just curious. . .
- August 6, 2008 at 10:24 PM
- Richard in N.C. said...
I seldom read Newton's commentaries so I have not read his article about Truex, but I have read the article about Newman since I saw Newton on N-Now and it is curious. Spokespeople for Stewart and Newman are quoted as refuting what Newton reports, but the the article ends with a statement that "Attempts to contact Stewart and Newman were unsuccessful." Once the article is left standing with the above statement re direct communications with Stewart and Newman, I believe Newton had some obligation to update his article to report that Mr. and Mrs. Newman had strongly refuted what he had stated. I'm not sure why the last statement of the article was made, but once made it seems to me that Newton had an obligation to later readers to not leave the impression that Newman had not personally contradicted what was written about him.
- August 6, 2008 at 10:31 PM
- Anonymous said...
Maybe the Newmans didn't personally contradict Newton's story to Newton. Wouldn't be the first time a source was THE source and denied it.
- August 6, 2008 at 10:39 PM
- Anonymous said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- August 7, 2008 at 12:12 AM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Well, that was rather diverse. Now, can anyone address the issue of why ESPN wants viewer comments on NASCAR stories if the authors never respond?
- August 7, 2008 at 4:56 AM
- Anonymous said...
Simple. Web people are taught (and thus, repeat to management) the idea that "interactive" features draw users to your site.
They don't care what the viewers actually say once there--they just want to have the feature.
- August 7, 2008 at 6:56 AM
- Anonymous said...
It's the same with Speedtv.com ... They've got comment sections on the articles, but they've also got the message boards ...
The only time that I've seen any of the comments ever getting acknowledged is on the F-1 broadcasts when Bob Varsha will do specific shoutouts to people ...
The last time that anyone other than Varsha & the F-1 gang actually paid any attention to what was commented on at the Speedtv.com boards was when Jim Liberatore (aka "speed1") was still there and he wanted to know how the active viewers felt about his new show "NASCAR Nation" (but that was before he hired Chris Long who turned it into more of a "Hoochie Nation") ...
Comment sections are just a way for companies that have websites to increase their overall web traffic & hit count ... Therefore, they can get more money out of the sponsors / advertisers for the site ...
Basically, JD ... It's all about the Benjamins ...
- August 7, 2008 at 7:13 AM
- red said...
i agree that most comments sections are there simply to create footsteps to the site. and more's the pity b/c an intelligent, involved moderator or commentator can absolutely enhance the conversation. i believe that the presence of said individual(s) would directly add footsteps to the site and the level of conversation would be raised.
this is not exclusive to sports blogs: i experience the same frustration on political boards as well. without someone invoking the stated rules for posting, the comments degenerate into racism, sexism, innuendo and general stupidity.
it is a fine line to walk, to be certain: control the chaos while still allowing free discussion. but it can be done. the sites that consistently and aggressively monitor the comments section tend to have, in my opinion, the most interesting discussions and i bookmark those sites. if espn (or fox or speed) want to have me become part of their "community" on the boards, they need to step up and actively monitor the board. at this point, i rarely open the comments section and i don't post unless someone goes over the line with some racist or sexist comment. otherwise, it's just encouraging the trolls.
- August 7, 2008 at 9:38 AM
- Richard in N.C. said...
red- SUPER. Thank you.
- August 7, 2008 at 1:52 PM
- Anonymous said...
Well, Truex re-signed today, and every major outlet reported that he had come to a verbal agreement with DEI two week ago. Looks like David Newton was right.
Does anyone not expect Ryan Newman to be #2 at Stewart-Haas? Yep, Newton will be right again.
Mrs. Newman and Truex himself may not like it when their own big announcements get scooped by a journalist -- but that doesn't make them not true.
DalyPlanet owes Newton an apology, but I doubt it will come.
- August 7, 2008 at 11:19 PM
- Anonymous said...
Breaking News: 43 cars will start next week according to sources close to David Newton
- August 8, 2008 at 12:18 AM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Anon 11:10PM,
An apology for what?
- August 8, 2008 at 5:01 AM

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Many of you who know me quite well know that I am a sucker for impact investments, investments not only generate a reasonable return but also come together with a 'double bottom-line' be it to the environment and/or society in general. The best example is like any investment that deals with green/alternative renewable energy.
I recently revised our business plan to go full organic because of the benefits of organic farming which I wrote about a while a go and also the simple fact that organics fetch a 30% premium vis-a-vis conventional crops.
I made this decision after visiting a neighbouring organic farm and eating the raw veggies and seeing their practices that require absolutely no synthetic chemicals like pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and bla.
Being an agropreneur, I have to do extensive research on how to maximize profit while not interfering with the integrity of the food and after months of research I have landed to one conclusion; organic farming, innovation and technology are the only tools which can help solve our food crisis.
Food Crisis
Most of the food in this planet is conventionally grown i.e. they cannot grow without synthetic chemicals like fertilizer and herbicides which are manufactured from crude oil and natural gas. Crude oil is one of the most volatile commodities traded by people all over the world and whenever oil prices go up, food prices follow as well as everything else.
When food production is tied to a speculator's feelings in wall street, you are going to have problems.
In Kenya, we suffer heavily due to crude oil price volatility like in the last 4 months where we have seen fuel prices rise by over 40% to record highs. This trickled down fast to inflation which soared for another 12th straight month to stand at 19.72%.
Back to organics….another important aspect of organic farming that convinced me was the fact that there are no GMOs allowed in the art, just plain old food 🙂 We need more farmers, entrepreneurs, government and consumers to think organic as we fight this war with Monsanto's genetically engineered foods.
Before you go, may you please vote for this blog here http://ardyis.cta.int/individual-vote
Anthony Mwangi, The Young Agropreneur
I am participating in a youth and agriculture blogging competition where I could win 1500 Euros and most importantly the opportunity of partnering with the organisation in encouraging the youth to venture into agriculture 🙂


text:
Google updates Android Market with new features
Also in the U.S., you can now purchase books from Android Market on your phone. Like movie rentals, books are linked to your Google account, so they're instantly available across all of your devices – computer, phone, or tablet – without the need for wires or downloads.
We'll be delighted to find we've overhauled Android Market to make it faster, easier, and more fun to discover great apps, movies, and books. They've created more space to feature some of the most interesting content of the week on the home page.They've added more top charts, with newer, more relevant items, and we've made it easy to swipe through these charts as you browse the store. They've also introduced new collections of great content, like staff picks and Editors' Choice apps.
The new Android Market will be rolling out in the coming weeks to Android 2.2 and higher phones around the world. You don't need to do anything - the update is automatic on supported phones. If you're in the U.S., you'll also be able to download the Videos app, rent movies, and buy books once you receive the new Android Market.
Your phone is about to get a lot more interesting! Enjoy the new Android Market.
Your phone is about to get a lot more interesting! Enjoy the new Android Market.
(via GoogleMobile
Labels Android, Android Market, Google


text:
JFrog has announced its Bintray social platform for the storage and distribution of software libraries. The cloud-based platform is offered to developers free of charge as a means of streamlining the process of making libraries publicly available with the services needed to deploy a piece of software.
JFrog CTO Yoav Landman is not afraid of making grandiose claims and says that Bintray is the "holy grail" that has been missing from the software lifecycle. "For the first time, we have an open, interactive platform that strengthens the relationship between the software publisher and the consumer community and amplifies the developer identity," he said.
Bintray is in public beta just now and currently includes support for major repository formats: Yum, Debian, and Apache Maven. The product also makes peer experiences and tips, consumer feedback, statistics, and rankings obtainable.
CEO of JFrog Shlomi Ben Haim says that Bintray has an open and interactive interface that presents user libraries that can be stocked with binary downloads, followed by other users and shared within the community.
"In today's world, no one consumes anything without listening to the community voice first — and the same goes for developers. Bintray is the first platform that offers a social hub to host and distribute binaries. It is JFrog's natural next step in revolutionizing the way binaries are consumed and distributed.
"With JFrog's first product Artifactory, we changed the way binaries are sourced and managed; now we're improving the way they are published. Not only will this community vehicle improve the distribution of software packages, it will also improve the distribution of information," he added.


text:
Edited on Tuesday January 14 to add:
First and foremost, thank you so much Holly for hosting this giveaway! You look stunningly fabulous in the Glam Slam, and your photographs are inspiring.
Not that there was ever any question, but Holly has great taste in clothing! Our Glam Slam has been quite popular this season, and we are almost sold out. Unfortunately, we will not be able to restock the coat this season.
With regards to dogwalker's sizing question, I do believe that S would be suitable for your daughter, leaving room for a thin sweater.
Thank you so much to everyone for your kind comments and entering the giveaway! "


text:
Filter events
Hostellerie am Schwarzsee
Restaurant Schwarzsee Stärn
Restaurant Gypsera
Hotel-Restaurant Bad
Restaurant Mösli
It's simple - we will not publish anything without your permission.
Log in
Forgot your password | Create an account
Create an account in order to benefit from an easier handling of your favorites in our network. Please use the buttons previously presented if you wish to log in with Facebook or Google+.
Do you already have an account?
Forgot your password? We can send you a reset mail. Please fill in the form below.
Send request
Reset your password by filling in the form below:
Password and password confirmation must be identical.
Your account has been successfully created! Please confirm your address in the confirmation e-mail that has been send to you.
Thanks for contacting us. A reset e-mail has been sent to you.
An error occurred while processing your request. Please try again later or contact your system administrator.
Thanks for confirming youre-mail adress.
Your password has been reset!
Authentication successful! Welcome!
Whether you plan a trip to Paris or wish to visit Shanghai or Sydney next year – with our tailor-made suggestions for activities and accommodation suited to your profile you can be sure to make the best out of your stay!
Whether you plan a romantic getaway or a memorable family vacation, whether you are a night owl or a morning lark – you will be thrilled by the accuracy of our suggestions.
Take a look at our additional and tailor-made suggestions around your destination, before you trace your itinerary on the map or on the proposal grid. They are synchronised in order to respond to your consultation preferences.


text:
Indication: Athlete's Foot
Contains approximately 80 pellets
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are not meant to diagnose' treat or cure any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before starting any exercise or nutritional supplement program or before using these or any product during pregnancy or if you have a serious medical condition.
Active Ingredients
Arsenicum Iodatum 200CK
Inactive Ingredients
Sucrose' Lactose
Adults and children: Dissolve 5 pellets in the mouth 3 times a day until symptoms are relieved or as directed by a physician.
Keep out of reach of children.
Do not use if pellet-dispenser seal is broken.
Stop use and ask a doctor if symptoms persist more than 3 days or worsen.
If pregnant or breast-feeding' ask a health professional before use.
Ratings & ReviewsReview This Item Be the first to review this item.
Questions About This ItemAsk a Question
Please ask any questions you may have about this specific product in the field below.
Your question(s) and our corresponding answer(s) will not be confidential and will be posted publically on this specific product page.
Additionally, PureFormulas is unable to directly recommend products in relation to specific health conditions. Please contact your trusted healthcare practitioner for direct product recommendations.
If you have any general questions regarding orders or our policies and programs, please contact our Customer Happiness Team @ 1.800.383.6008
If you are pregnant, nursing, taking any medications or have any medical condition, consult your doctor before use. Your healthcare professional is the best source for guidance before beginning an exercise or nutritional supplement program.


text:
District superintendent Phyllis Kohel said Saturday that a final decision on school closures will not be made until tomorrow
Milford Middle School will serve as one of three emergency shelters for Sussex County residents forced to evacuate in advance of Hurricane Sandy.
Milford Middle School will begin accepting evacuees at noon on Sunday. Pets are welcome.
While the Milford school board has cancelled its Monday meeting, district superintendent Phyllis Kohel said Saturday that a final decision on school closures will not be made until tomorrow.
Gov. Jack Markell issued mandatory evacuation orders this evening for numerous coastal and flood-prone areas throughout the state, including dozens of communities in Kent and Sussex County. The evacuation period begins at 8 p.m. tonight.
Other Sussex County evacuation shelters include Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes and Indian River High School in Dagsboro. Evacuation shelters in Kent County include Smyrna Middle School and Dover High School.
"The prospects of Sussex County dodging a bullet this time are looking less and less by the hour," Joseph Thomas, director of the county's emergency operations center said in a release issued Saturday evening. "Now is the time to move as we get closer to this storm coming ashore. If you've experienced flooding from any storm in the past, you're going to have flooding from this one. For anyone who doesn't get out now, it may be days before help can get to you."
Capacity at each shelter will be limited and should only be used if refuge cannot be found with friends or family, county officials said.
Anyone who plans to seek refuge at a state shelter should take adequate closthing, medications, sleeping material and food for themselves and their pets.
Shelter will be staffed by the American Red Cross of the Delmarva Peninsula.
Areas of Sussex County included in the mandatory evacuation include:
Slaughter Beach
Prime Hook Beach
Broadkill Beach
Lewes Beach, east of the Rehoboth Lewes canal
Flood-prone areas within ¾ of a mile of the coast in the following communities :
Henlopen Acres
Rehoboth Beach
Dewey Beach
North Bethany
Bethany Beach
South Bethany
Fenwick Island
Flood-prone areas south of Route 24 (John J. Williams Highway) including Angola, Long Neck and Oak Orchard
Flood-prone areas along Route 26 (Vines Creek Road and Atlantic Avenue)
Flood-prone areas along Route 54 (Lighthouse Road)
Flood-prone areas in close proximity to the Nanticoke and Broad Creek Rivers


text:
Anyway, I digress again. So, my husband took the kids out for a walk so I could do a little writing in peace and quiet. I sat down and stared at the blank screen for awhile. Then I played
Somehow, in between changing loads of laundry and eating not one, not two, but THREE donuts, I managed to write four pages. I was just finishing up when the kids all come storming in the house from their walk. My oldest son thrusts this in my face....
It's a snake skin! A SNAKE SKIN! From a real live SNAKE! He put it in my face! I fell off my chair.
Then my daughter showed me the jawbreaker that dear old dad got my son. Yes, I know it looks like a racquetball. My son insisted he could put this whole thing in his mouth at once because (and I quote) "They did it on Ed, Edd and Eddy." Oh, well if a CARTOON character on quite possibly the dumbest cartoon ever made, did it, then by all means, shove that racquetball sized jawbreaker in your mouth. I'll start dialing 9-1-1.
To finish off my evening, my little Princess girl tried taking the tiny braids out of her hair by herself. This one didn't fare so well. I couldn't undo the knot, so she got an impromptu haircut tonight.
Thus ends my weekend of fun.
P.S. Trish asked me to pick out one more winner for a copy of her book because we were so close to 900 comments. So......(closing my eyes and scrolling away) Brea in Texas, you're the ninth recipient of Trish's book! An email will be sent to you shortly. Congratulations!
And thank you to Trish for answering questions and offering 9 books to my readers! :)


text:
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Appealing Character Design Goes A Long Way
Since there are so few of these artists who can make almost anything look good, animation developed the concept of having specialists in appeal that we call character designers. A good character designer, unlike a stylist actually thinks about his appeal. It's partly a science of balancing shapes and contrasts in order to make an assortment of characters who vary from each other in design. You can see in Ed Benedict's baseball players above that he is consciously experimenting with arranging different shapes together. They aren't good merely because they look simple or flat or designy - there is a lot of careful thought in them. Ed has natural appeal in his drawings and strong principles in general, and top of those 2 rare abilities he is visually creative - which is different than being able to draw well. The 9 Old Men are all very strong in principles, but rarely show much imagination in their designs. They recycled the same designs over and over again for decades, with very slight variation.
There is a modern mindset that every artist is a potential designer, which I find absurd. In 80s and 90s Disney feature films, it looks as if they let each animator design his own character and most of them are pretty bland, awkward and uninspired. Plus they don't work with each other in the same films.
Then there is the Hip TV Executive mindset that thinks that as long as you have not been tainted with experience in the animation business, then you have a revolutionary new design style. The executives of course can't tell what is actually new or not, because they are ignorant of cartoon history, and worse than that, they can't even tell a good drawing from a bad one. And they view actually appealing professional drawings as being "too old school".
Now to me, no matter what the budget of your cartoon is - whether it is a $400,000,000 fully animated feature, or a low budget TV cartoon, there is no excuse for any cartoon to have bad design.
I imagine the thinking behind cartoons that are supposed to be educational is that they have to taste bad - like stewed cabbage or boiled broccoli, because if they actually looked pleasing they'd be bad for you like ice cream is. Is there another explanation for how cartoons can look this unappealing?Here are some really expensive nasty designs. Unbelievable. I feel like I live in an alternate universe where nothing makes sense.
A good designer is rare, but nowhere near as expensive as all the other animation costs.
If you start with good appealing design, and then you have good animators or even somewhat mediocre animators, then at least your cartoons will have some kind of instant appeal. I'm just using Ed here as one example of appealing design. There are many other design styles possible but the same principle applies.
Mel Crawford is one of those artists (who is not so much a designer) who has a very appealing unique personal style. When you take an appealing artist and give him appealing character designs you get the best of both worlds.
But even lesser artists still can make appealing work with good designs. Hanna Barbera made their reputation on their look more than anything else.
These artists are not at the level of Crawford, but they are good enough to allow Ed's design appeal to still come through.
The animation in HB cartoons was limited, but Ed's design style was so strong and appealing that it carried them for a decade before they threw away their reputation and switched to ugly design and worse animation.
As a kid I watched as HB went from appealing cartoony designs to copying Filmation's ugly semi-realistic characters with flesh colored eyes. I was shocked. To this day, I can't understand how big studios can have so many people in charge that can "yes" to having their expensive cartoons look ugly or bland. Just hire a real designer. There are a handful left in the business.
71 comments:
- mike f. said...
For me personally, the #1 criterion as to whether or not I'll sit down and watch a cartoon is the design. To this day I've never seen ANTZ, ATLANTIS, ARTHUR, AMERICAN DAD or ANASTASIA, (I'm just limiting the list to the A's for the sake of brevity) because I can't get past the abysmal designs. Some modern ones are downright hideous and inexcusably unprofessional: SHARK TALE, ICE AGE, SHREK and HISTERIA immediately spring to mind.
Who is approving this sh*t? Surely not the artists. It reeks of creative decision making by aging executive dullards, and young, trendy "market research" drones who are not only noncreative, but actually ANTI-creative, contemptuous of professional cartoon design. They are, unfortunately, a dime a dozen in the current industry.
(I also blame the video game industry, which is WAY too influenced by tattoo culture and so-called graffiti "artists" - and the kind of dated, ugly naive "art" that pimply-faced, heavy metal wankers used to draw in their schoolbooks with Bics in the seventies when they were 14.)
I'm compiling a book that touches on this subject. It's tentatively titled: How Hippies and Lawyers Ruined EVERYTHING in the World. (Currently I'm on page 47,398 and counting...)
- gabriel said...
I am agree with the good design, but, the appeal is something so subjective, no?
- oppo said...
"There is a modern mindset that every artist is a potential designer, which I find absurd. In 80s and 90s Disney feature films, it looks as if they let each animator design his own character and most of them are pretty bland, awkward and uninspired. Plus they don't work with each other in the same films."
In modern Disney features, it is hard to tell who did what. In The Lion King, there are 9 people credited as character "designers", and 13 supervising animators, so that makes 22 people defining the lookas of characters in a movie that lasts 83 minutes from the start to the beginning of the credits.
And you think they could have done better than this:
Though I wonder what scenes Ken Duncan animated.
And strangely, I still like this film.
- Leeann H said...
I faintly remember that not only Disney animators recycled their styles, I think they copy-pasted some animation too... certain scenes of The Jungle Book and Sword In The Stone come to mind. :(
- oppo said...
And by the way, I actually like stewed cabbage or boiled broccoli, so maybe that explains something.
- Elana Pritchard said...
People are retarded, haven't we all figured this out by now?
Well, not the people at
bunch of geniuses if you ask me, hehe...
What if you draw giant eyes and flesh color them? Sorry, I'm being obnoxious...
- Justin said...
hey John,
new to your blog and it's fantastic. enjoyed this post and this series you're doing on solid drawing and appeal.
the commercials for the grinch, frosty, rudolph etc. are just popping up now on tv. do they support your position? they're not all amazing designs but decent.
it's sad but i don't think enough studios today could create something with as much staying power as though shorts have.
- Bill Perkins said...
orthingtHi John.
Again, a terrific and intelligent post. Like you and a lot of folk I loved the early H and B stuff for the same reason - the look of it, It had appeal. Great to see the early comic books. Mel Crawford, Ed benedict.. all giants in the field.
- Bill Perkins said...
Hi John.
Again, a terrific and intelligent post. Like you and a lot of folk I loved the early H and B stuff for the same reason - the look of it, It had appeal. Great to see the early comic books. Mel Crawford, Ed benedict.. all giants in the field.
- Malcolm said...
Is there any modern cartoon character design you find appealing?
(you would give me a big laugh if you just bluntly said "no")
- PaulaBlanko said...
i agree with your opinion,John.
But i think what the worst character design is the design of the "George of the Jungle" cartoon,the characters look ugly,and when i say "ugly" i'm saying UGLY,they are so flat and simple,look like the aritsts doesn't like to draw,are hideous.
The art of educational cartoons have a "borning" appeal,cause the educationalk cartoons can't be fun,must be around learning.
I love your art 'cause is fun,humorous,and grotesque,the cartoons were created to funny functions,not educative,it's just my opinion,the parents and school must be educative,not cartoons.
PD:You are one of my personal gods.
I would buy Mike's book in a heartbeat.
So, who is in this handful of good designers in the indursty? Is Craig Kellman included in that?
- Putty CAD said...
I'd be interested to know what you think of the characters in Wall-E.
My 6 year old daughter absolutely loved Wall-E and Eve and also the little cleaning droid! I think this was mainly due to the emotion and expression on screen rather than the actual design of the characters.
I find despite our age difference we have very similar tastes and I've recently introduced her to Ren and Stimpy seasons 1&2, which I'm glad to say she loves! Her favourite episode seems to be Powdered Toast Man! LOL :D
- Zoran Taylor said...
Mike, are you suggesting that hippies actually had the persuasive power over culture to ruin something? Hippies were just kids who followed the actual counterculture like sheep, pretending to understand it. What are we talking about here? Did every designer in the world go gaga for the cover of Magical Mystery Tour, and that was the start of "The Garish Era"? As far as I'm concerned, the same problems that eventually killed cartoons started after WWII, and it just TOOK TWENTY YEARS for the disease to spread, during which time appeal survived despite itself. It was the last thing to go. "The Hippies" were too busy mourning the death of America to worry about cartoons. Let me repeat that: THE HIPPIES WERE TOO BUSY MOURNING THE DEATH OF F***ING AMERICA TO WORRY ABOUT F***ING CARTOONS. And then there was Filmation.
Now as for Lawyers, you may have a point there.
- Roberto González said...
As usual, I agree with the theory. When you use examples I usually find myself saying "yes", "yes", "yes" and then "No!". What's so unappealing or bad in Shifu's design? I loved the look of that character, it's one of the most appealing 3d designs I've seen recently. The whole movie in general had quite good character design but I especially liked the look of that particular character.
In the Where's Huddles picture- How many Walter Matthaus can exist in one place?!
- Jeff said...
Great post.
- JohnK said...
Hi Roberto
what design do you see there?
I see a formless unbalanced blob with no silhouette (besides the ears) and no discernible features. Just like the rest of the characters.
The colors are ok. Is that what you like?
- PCUnfunny said...
"To this day I've never seen ANTZ, ATLANTIS, ARTHUR, AMERICAN DAD or ANASTASIA"
You have spared yourself decades of intense pyhsco thearpy my friend.
"I also blame the video game industry, which is WAY too influenced by tattoo culture and so-called graffiti "artists""
3-D rendering has also ruined great cartoony video game characters.
Fun, cartoony Donkey Kong and Mario
Now thanks to 3-D rendering:
Boring Donkey Kong
Boring Mario
- mike f. said...
[As far as I'm concerned, the same problems that eventually killed cartoons started after WWII, and it just TOOK TWENTY YEARS for the disease to spread...]
Thanks for making my point for me. I wouldn't usually bother answering an adult male who wears bunny suits, but I'll make an exception - in the charitable spirit of the season.
"Hippies" is just shorthand for baby boomers. The baby boom began in 1946, (which is why it's known as the POSTWAR baby boom.) EXACTLY 21 years later they reached adulthood, and began to flood the job market through sheer numbers. End of Golden Age, beginning of Scooby Doo and Filmation. Any more questions?
- Bob said...
what's with educational cartoons???
- LeoBro said...
"Spirit" (pictured in this post) is an interesting example of what you're talking about. It's a story with a strong theme, and I assume the designers deliberately avoided a cartoony style. Unfortunately, they also avoided appeal.
"Bambi," in contrast, is another somber story that was treated in a non-cartoony style, but still has great visual appeal. It would be interesting to compare them to see why that is.
P.S. I really appreciate how much time you spend not only writing these posts but collecting all the images. They really make your points clear!
- Roberto González said...
That particular picture of Shifu has a somewhat confusing shilouette and unimpressive facial expression, but the character in the movie looked good to me.
This is another one I like better.
Probably not the best picture either, but I quite like this one, especially Shifu's pose. The line of action is visible and the form of the head seems a little off-model considering how on model CGI usually is. Here his face is more like an oval, in his usual design it looks more rounded. Maybe it's the perspective too, but it's a nice use of the perspective then.
He has some distinctive features, he's a unusual specie (red panda) with a peculiar tail and ears, and the nose and whiskers are somewhat special.
It's not super-specific but it's certainly a hell of a lot better than most of the things we usually see in CGI. This character looks both like a serious adult and a baby animal, which makes it funny and appealing to me. He'd look better without some of the details, but it's not so over-detailed as Shrek.
Po looks pretty generic, for some reason the main character is always the most generic one in these movies.
And yes, I also liked the colors in the movie.
"Just hire a real designer. There are a handful left in the business."
Hi John,
long time reader of your blog, and I've been a fan of your stuff since I was a kid, blah blah...
You've made it clear almost all modern animation/design leaves you cold. You mention there being a few decent designers left in the business.
Is there *any* modern stuff you happen to quite like? and who are these (almost mythical) designers you think are half-decent? ;-)
- Niki said...
I've actually begun studying the shapes of different characters I like from the good kooky looking shows. I started with Genndy Tartakovsky because we have a similar style, or look really. I won't call it 'style' really until I can proudly call my self an artist, but that's besides the point, do you have a list of artists you admire Mr.John?
If possible, please inform every one to study their 1st grade "shapes" books.
- Niki said...
Sorry to bother you again but in stand for appeal.
--> this What's up with the evil death-spikes on just every curve? or where it's suppose to curve. I mean, I like the show for the fights and the idea and it wouldn't be annoying if it weren't on every comic book action cartoon, but if I were an good alien I would hate to get accidentally shanked by this girl who thought it was fun to booty bump random people. that again all.
- Justin said...
That horse shot has horrible perspective.
All of the legs are exactly the same size!
How can they let that kind of thing make it into a feature film?
- Aaron said...
maybe the importance of silhouette is changing to something else as the computer and 3D programs become the new pen and pad. we have to ask ourselves, "why was the silhouette so important in animation to begin with?" The answer is because that's how we quickly distinguish one character or object from another. maybe we need to look at characters and think about how they stand up as a sculpture now. 3D animation and an emphasis on different elements doesn't mean animation has to be garbage now, but for the past decade or so the focus has been different, but everything will come back together soon. The golden age of 2D animation is probably over, but the golden age of 3D is still up ahead, and when it hits, what a time it will be.
And mike f. what's your beef with graffiti artists?
- Aaron said...
one other thing. I don't think the hippies ruined anything just like I think the hip hoppers didn't ruin anything just as I think John K didn't ruin anything. There's always these genuine movements with good ideas and good heart, but it's just a tiny tiny segment of the population and then the execs and the marketing people say, I can use these ideas to make the average Joe feel like he's a part of something and then he'll give me all his money. then the idea becomes bastardized diluted and spread all over America until some other segment of the population will blame the originators for ruining our culture.
- Mr. Semaj said...
When we talk about cartoons in general, I stay as far as I can from the pre-schoolers' stuff (Dora the Explorer, et. al.).
Not that I care for any of those programs, because they are, after all, for babies.
- Aaron said...
donkey kong country for snes is amazing! so who cares
I had to ask my date for kung-fu panda three or four times if she wanted to keep watching... they all had the same faces, (those horrible round lifeless eyes,) and unappealing celebrity voices!! Ugh! It made Over the Hedge look great in comparison.
- Hans Flagon said...
The first example, Caillou, cannot be entirely blamed on the animation designer, as I think it is fairly loyal to the illustrations in the childrens books it is based upon; its like saying the Madeline cartoons had bad design, when they are merely trying to ape the books somewhat. That being said, from what I can glean on Wikipedia, there may be more charm in the book illustrations, it is a bit more like Herges Tintin. But Bland. And not made for movement or expression.
Schulz Peanuts were not ideal for animation either, but Bill Mendelez made do. I seem to remember liking the Little LuLu that HBO did for following John Stanley and Irving Tripp as close as they did, as opposed to say Filmations take on Archie Andrews. One of these days I'm going to write an essay on when staying on model is not a soul sapping experience, and possibly a good thing.
What you are seeing now is characters designed for Flash animation. Not forcing traditional animation using Flash with sweat tears and talent, but using Flash the lazy way. Or some other labor saving computer method.
The execs love the 3D, because they can get their Happy meal toys designed at the same time as the CGI characters, and they don't even have to redraw them, just move them around like puppets for the electronic babysitter sequel while mom gossips on the cell phone.
- Putty CAD said...
"3-D rendering has also ruined great cartoony video game characters."
I love the new Mario, Sonic etc. the characters have evolved over time and really suit the modern gaming environment while retaining their original features. The actual cartoon shows they made of these game characters were quite awful though (I couldn't open the DK pic but if it was from the 3d cartoon series that was pretty ugly).
- BadIdeaSociety said...
While Ant and Spirit have no enduring popularity among the general public, Dora the Explorer is everywhere I walk in the states. I am not suggesting it is a great cartoon or even a good design, but there are lots of kids who think that she is a cute character.
The studio executives would make a movie of crayon-drawn stick figures glued to popsicle sticks voiced by Mike Myers if they thought people would watch it and buy the products.
In all seriousness, what could possibly keep you or your former Spumco from continuing to make cartoons.
- Adele K Thomas said...
I cannot STAND ANTZ or SHREK, they make me visually sick...Im not the greatest artist...but i know what I what I wont be letting my future kids watch...and if they want to watch, i wont be watching it with them! :D
- Bill said...
Shifu or whatever the short white Gremlin thing is always looked like a Yoda rip-off to me. I will agree that ANTZ has some horrible blocky designs but I thought that some of the Kung Fu Panda designs were okay, by that I mean the birds and their variants. Most of the "warriors" seemed to have near permanent scowls or unlikable serious expressions. The main villain was pretty bad too, he was basicly a grey male version of the female tiger warrior. I blame flash for unappealing characters though, many flash characters are blocky or just an overly abstract shape with eyes. Theres also the wannabes that try to copy anime that wind up making unappealing characters too. I find older and oddball animes like Spaceship Sagittarius to be pretty appealing, its this mainstream anime style that lacks decent expresions and contains a handicapping formula, it stinks that so many teens try to mimic the mainstream look.
- Jonathan Harris said...
"I love the new Mario, Sonic etc. the characters have evolved over time and really suit the modern gaming environment while retaining their original features."
Wow, I think that's the first time I've seen someone say they like the new Sonic! For me he's gone from a character that had both cute and cool elements and actual charm to a flat, soulless, "tude"-ridden shadow of his former self.
Do you really find this or this as appealing as this? I hate Yuji Uekawa's illustrations with a passion, and I'm just sick of these boring 3D renders (and what the hell's up with that fur texture!?) I also hate that they only ever do images of single characters floating in space these days. We used to get great group shots and scenes like the one above, but not anymore.
And, even as a fan, I have to admit that Mario is the practically epitome of blandness (though he's better than the protagonists in all these generic FPSs they keep churning out these days, and at least his games are still fun).
- PCUnfunny said...
I love the new Mario, Sonic etc. the characters have evolved over time and really suit the modern gaming environment while retaining their original features"
Sonic looks horrific. He went from being cutely designed to looking unessecarily vicious and just plain ugly with his ridiculously skinny body and demon eyes.
"And, even as a fan, I have to admit that Mario is the practically epitome of blandness"
He always has been bland but at least he looked good. Why did they lengthen his legs and make him slim ? He looks so damn boring. He looked better when he was chubby and short. Look at that DK '81 poster I posted. Mario just oozed with character, a popeye-esque hero who wants to save his girl.
- PCUnfunny said...
Oh John this is OT but I was watching that Mel Blanc documentary on the new golden collection. Kirk Douglas was interviewed ! He looks very good for his age and I am touched he made an interview because he hasn't made any since his stroke. He must have really liked Mr. Blanc.
- PCUnfunny said...
Sorry for the triple posting John but I missed this comment. ;)
"(I couldn't open the DK pic but if it was from the 3d cartoon series that was pretty ugly)."
I posted the one that has been used since DONKEY KONG COUNTRY. Again, a case of ruining a once good character design.
- Tony C. said...
Thought this could be useful for a rant. Shrek on Broadway! Lousy character design made into even worse costumes.
- Zoran Taylor said...
Sorry Mike, right or not, I'm afraid I'm talking about the same goddamn animators who did the really good stuff. Warners had stiff animation by the mid-fifties. Are you telling me ten-year-olds did that? Yogi Bear had appealing designs and voices but nothing animation and conservative everything else - fifteen-year-olds? It had to be the same ilk that was churning out masterpieces half a generation earlier, by then worn out and ready to settle down. By the time boomers entered the job market the studios that used to be able to afford to apprentice the young'uns had run themselves into the ground. Meanwhile, cartoons being produced as early as 1960 had lower standards of design and animation than anything that had preceded them. The boomers chewed up the shit they were already being fed and spat it back out on network TV. And since animation had already declined to the point of being "square", the people who rose to the top must've been total phonies - you know, the bosses.
I would be fascinated to know how many nappy-bearded patchoulioids were employing the decent, hardworking animators of the day. I'm not afraid of being wrong, I just really want to know - weren't they generally just really sterile, unhip people? Not to mention probably somewhat older than those they employed? Or was the whole "don't trust anyone over 30" aesthetic so pervasive by the late-60's that already you couldn't find a joint in town that wasn't under the ownership and management of some 21-year-old phony hipster? This is a serious question.
And the costume is designed to be Ren, but it is kind of bunnyish, I'll admit. I can't wait to tell my friends that a cartoonist questioned my maturity for being dressed as a character he animated! On Halloween, no less. Geez, aren't we cartoon fans here? Fun? Frivolity? Remember?
- introvert said...
I always found it funny how the only reason Sonic's design worked in the original sense was because it so closely resembled that of Mickey Mouse. (They even worked it so his eyes reflected Mickey's original design where what looked like they cover his whole face)
The whole "new tude" aspect of his current design makes me anticipate what they'll do to Mickey Mouse next in order to appeal to the new "edgy and modern" generations of young people. (It won't have any appeal, but it's still funny to think about!)
Mario never really had a design though. The only reason he was designed like that initially was due to graphical limitations. It was either coincidence or accident that they had to make him look iconic in order to even be recognizable within that limited set of pixels. (I love how his very creation and notoriety came about as an unintended result from a game that was supposed to be about Popeye. I like to beleive that the indirect relationship between the two has something to do with why Mario is so iconic in the first place.)
I hate it because Mario can easily work as a great design if someone with any sort of skill would actually design him! Mario's "nice" and "easily digestable" design just makes me sick. Just looking at it feels like I'm taking a generous helping of milk of magnesia.
- Hans Flagon said...
The way new 'tude affects mickey mouse is, they simply do not trot him out. They have a trademark to uphold after all. He doesn't even host a show or have the drab of personality he had in the fifties. For kids today, Mickey is a guy in a suit that means they are spending time at a really cool theme park.
Disney saves 'tude for other projects, like High School Musical, or Princesses buying bling or otherwise becoming consumer whores.
- PCUnfunny said...
"Warners had stiff animation by the mid-fifties."
Mike is talking about ignoring the basic priniciples of animation entirely, he wasn't talking about conservative animation. The state of 50's animation in general contained the basic principles of animation but by comparison of the 40's, it was stiff but good nonetheless. By 1967, when the baby boomers became adults, animation didn't even have the principles anymore. SCOOBY DOO and other crap during that time had at best head nodding as character animation.
- PCUnfunny said...
The only designs I liked in Kung Fu Panda were the ducks and some other birds. Everyone else was just Saturday Morning rubbish.
- Zoran Taylor said...
I know what he means, PC. I'm just saying that the seed of corruption had already been planted. Even The Flinstones and Rocky and Bullwinkle saw a decline in design value during their respective runs. And there were much bigger forces at work in the world at large that made industry sag. Entertainment faced an entirely predictable fate.
The only part of this that I even disagree with is the notion that the same sort of person who would embrace the flamboyance, innovation and daring of a guy like, say, Jimi Hendrix would decide to make cartoon characters into lifeless, immobile invalids. It just doesn't make sense to me. Where were the corrupt, opportunistic middle-aged jerks? Surely they weren't all dead or broke already. Only in a perfect world!
- Harveyjames said...
John, can you show us how you would improve the Kung Fu panda character designs?
- mike f. said...
[Where were the corrupt, opportunistic middle-aged jerks?]
Is that how you choose to characterize them?
Could you possibly be talking about the generation that lived through a worldwide depression and a world war, defeated nazism, Stalinism, McCarthyism, and set the American stage for civil rights in 1947 by crossing the infamous major league baseball color line?
Maybe they took a well-earned breather after virtually creating the Golden Age of film, radio, television, animation, jazz, popular song, theatre, comic strips, illustration, fashion, magazines, automobilia, etc...
Or maybe they just retired to their bunny outfits and had hissy fits about things they didn't live through, and don't know anything about?
What do you think?
- John A said...
There was a time when art was considered a "discipline"- People worked hard at their craft and instructors would push students to be better artists or leave the profession.(think of all the amazing illustrators that were around in the begining of the last century, see anything like them around today?) In recent decades however, Art school have become a haven for spoiled rich kids who spent their adolecence being told how "special" they are. Most of these trust funders didn't like their work being criticized, especially if Mummy and Daddy were paying to send their useless asses there. So the instructors dumbed down the curiculum so the talentless hack could get a degree, only now they have zero skills as an artist. So what happens to them? they become art directors and creative exectutives, of course.
- PCUnfunny said...
"I'm just saying that the seed of corruption had already been planted."
It really wasn't though, it was just plain neglect and laziness and the old timers had nothing to do with it.
"Even The Flinstones and Rocky and Bullwinkle saw a decline in design value during their respective runs."
Golden age characters did too. Alot of characters who were great in the late 30's and in the mid 40's started to become slowlly watered down in the 50's onward. The most unfortunate victims by far were Lantz and Warners. Why did it happen ? My guess is artists just didn't know where else to go so they just went downwards.
- PCUnfunny said...
"The only part of this that I even disagree with is the notion that the same sort of person who would embrace the flamboyance, innovation and daring of a guy like, say, Jimi Hendrix would decide to make cartoon characters into lifeless, immobile invalids."
I know people with excellent taste in film or music who have an awful taste in animation.
- Aaron said...
"Mario never really had a design though. The only reason he was designed like that initially was due to graphical limitations. It was either coincidence or accident that they had to make him look iconic in order to even be recognizable within that limited set of pixels."
That's what design's all about. Mario's no coincidence. They done a good job.
- Jonathan Harris said...
"The whole "new tude" aspect of his current design makes me anticipate what they'll do to Mickey Mouse next in order to appeal to the new "edgy and modern" generations of young people. (It won't have any appeal, but it's still funny to think about!)"
Too late, dude.
Though I must admit I somehow never made the Mickey/Sonic connection. I feel stupid now.
- Mattieshoe said...
Super Mario Galaxy brings back alot of Mario's appeal. the animation is more cartoony, the features seem more exagerated, and many of the characters have the kind of cute appeal that's been missing from the series since 1993.
Also, the colors and designs in Super Mario galaxy are spectacular. I'll find myself being killed more often just beacuse I'm marveling at all the Eyecandy. (It also bring the gameplay back to it's roots, but that's not the sort of thing worth discussing on a cartoon blog)
- pappy d said...
Don't try to convince me that bunny-boy is not your people.
Corporate executives have a legal & moral responsibility to get the best return on investment. They are not obliged to amuse the children of America & Mike. Congress can mandate air time for you, but what shows they put on is a function of how much you can nag & whine to your parents for toys & pre-sweetened cereal. Market research has shown America that their children are 80% amused by any old crap if it's brightly colored. Why spend 8 to 10 times as much just to amuse them 20% more? Instead of watching the well-animated commercials as the highlight of a half-hour's entertainment, they might get up & go outside & play or do some other economically fruitless activity.
In short, what's been going on since the dawn of kidvid is a steadily improving business plan. In business, if you can see your own moral qualms for what they are: instinctual human fallacies, suddenly a world of opportunities opens before you.
Bill & Joe deserve a lot of credit for giving guys we all admire from the 30's & 40's a relatively easy job & a chance to make scale & have health insurance for once in their lives. Today the business is being run by people your age & younger but it started with the generation that gave us Hitler, Stalin & McCarthy.
Please pardon the profanity in my last post. Sometimes there's no other word.
- PCUnfunny said...
"Today the business is being run by people your age & younger"
True BUT people like Mike F. and my best friend's father were the few people who didn't wallow in the ignorance and laziness that came with their generation.
- PCUnfunny said...
I admit both Super Mario Sunshine and Mario Galaxy did have alot of visual appeal, some enemies actually looked very cartoony and exceptionally appealing.Still the main cast such as Mario, Bowser, and Princess Peach look down right boring. I think Nintendo execs are to blame, they want a those boring designs.
- pappy d said...
I've got nothing against any generation. We are all basically ignorant. It's only when you're willfully ignorant that it's a bad thing.
- PCUnfunny said...
"I've got nothing against any generation."
I never said you did. ;)
- Mattieshoe said...
"Still the main cast such as Mario, Bowser, and Princess Peach look down right boring."
Well, "Boring" is one way one might see it.
They're definitely conservative, but much more streamlined and appealing then what we saw in Super Mario Sunshine.
Mario is mor exaggerated, his head is bigger in proportion to his body and his nose is more bulbous, and Bowser is less lumpy and crappy and much more aesthetic.
- PCUnfunny said...
"They're definitely conservative, but much more streamlined and appealing then what we saw in Super Mario Sunshine.
Mario is mor exaggerated, his head is bigger in proportion to his body and his nose is more bulbous, and Bowser is less lumpy and crappy and much more aesthetic."
That's just padding, it's not an improvement at all. They are still boring looking.
- Whit said...
Many people working in New York think "Superjail" is great animation. Is this because the work happens to be there?
- Joe Moran said...
Hey John,
Check this out: http://www.archive.org/details/WhatMake1952
Just found the Prelinger Archives and thought you and the crew might be interested. Some great stuff!!!
Happy ho-ho, too!
Joe Moran
Kansas City, Mo.
- FleaCircusDirector said...
Mr. Semaj said...
"When we talk about cartoons in general, I stay as far as I can from the pre-schoolers' stuff"
With regards to good design it's probably even more important to ensure that it's present for the pre-schoolers.
- Борис Цвекић said...
Well, you actually clarified to me what is wrong about certain cartoons. For some of them I knew it was "there" but I couldn't tell exacly what's wrong.
BUT-I must say my oppinion about Disney cartoons.
Example: Pocahontas maybe doesn't have an appealing design, but I'll ALWAYS remember the scene when John Smith and Pocahontas first meet, beneath a tree, with leaves flying in circles and that enchanting music. And again, these leaves are "holding" the entire story, creating the sense of desparation and hope at the same time.
They just have the ability to produce strong emotions using symbols and music. They could do it with two potatoes instead John and Pocahontas, they sometimes don't NEED top character design. Stitch sitting sad over Ugly duckling book. The Ugly duckling cartoon itself...
The only cartoon that produced such an emotion to me was WB cartoon "The iron giant".
Shrek, Anastasia, Shark tale etc just try to earn as much money simply on pure designs and gags Disney studios once found "appealing".
Suddenly, everyone can produce a high quality cartoon with those big eyes, mega-sceneries, and heart-breaking story. And then BAM - Disney releases "The emperor's new groove". The simple-drawing, Cartoon Network-ish masterpiece, that injects directly to your bloodstream. You just LOVE every character in it.
Sometimes the pure graphical representation of the character isn't as important as what you're planning to do with the character. That is the main advantage of Disney studios so far. And Warner Brothers'...
- ben r said...
Nico Marlet's Shifu design nasty?
That's blasphemy John! Antz and Spirit okay, but KFP had beautiful original designs, no?
- Pokey said...
JK, That Where's Huddles [1970] shot has Josie and Melody of the Pussycats! LOL :-).
Design and music jumped..even bubblegum pop deserved better than this Sat AM crap!
[And I ain't gonna go into the usual guilty parties AT HB--design, music, etc, after the 1960s that totally were responsible by name!!]
Your Pony Pal, Pokey too
A compendium of the original Gumby and Pokey clay animation with the original soundtracks [many of which were licensed into Ren and Stimpy.]
- TedM said...
Your right John. It's a shame what happened to HB in the 70's and 80's. HB could have been up there with Warner Brothers and Disney.
- j.m. Stickney said...
Hello. I've just recently found your blog right after I decided to attempt an animation character design job, and I'm glad I did. I've allready taken many of your tips and opinions into account, and I feel like I'm bypassing a lot of useless struggle.
However, I don't always agree with what you have to say. And I love that, because it forces me to push my own opinions and ideas under the same microscope. My biggest difference, probably, is that I think what people have lost is a sense of discerning taste. With so many 'modern (flash based)' projects, the designs most likely to be used are ones that can be constructed the fastest, with the least effort. (I remember watching that Total Drama Island stuff [ONCE. Only once.], and to show characters leaning back and forth, they slanted and bounced the image. That's not animation, that's not acting, that's someone who has to make a five second talking head in about thirty seconds because they have a quarter of the usual production time, and they can get crap past the boss because he can't tell what looks good anyways.) Companies like it because they think they can make four times as much product if they make it in a quarter of the time, and there isn't an immediate and tactile corollary between higher quality and higher returns.
However, I've seen it used well with other flash based series (MLPFIM is a half-example), because they use flash's abilities to save time on the background, and then spend their effort improving the quality of smaller, more important scenes. Increasing the quality of an animation doesn't always mean having the most perfect design, but it does mean catching the audience's attention, keeping it, and making them come back for more. While a large chunk of that needs to be done with narrative, as in what the characters are doing, the thing that will hold the audience's attention from the 1-30 second range is the animation, and the impact of the design in defining what is being done.
Maybe the cause of this is an outdated business process and moel that doesn't account for the right levels of quality and newer technology. Maybe it's because we tend to associate animation with just the 'drawing characters doing things' job, instead of the reasons why we are drawing things, and how we are doing them, or just how good they look. Maybe it's because neither side in animation makes a design good. What may be a designer's dream in appeal, personal aesthetic, and practicality may be boring or unapproachable to audiences, and what audiences want to see on the screen may be tasteless or a rigger's nightmare to draw. The ones that are the best are probably the sucessful ones, that are controllable and expressive with the best balance of quality(first) and effort (a very close second) yet can compose themselves in an appealing aesthetic that adds to the overall story. Design often isn't the most important part in animation, but it's like a bassline or drum- it's what will make the rest of it so good.
And plus, it's good to tell the difference between what's a modern style, and what's a good design weathered by time. We know the top stuff of the 50s is good, because if it were bad, no one would like it fifty(sixty?) years later. (Plus, those good designs from the 50s were the 'modern' style in their day, too. Just because something is contemporary doesn't mean it's modern (or good or bad, for that matter) But we can't know what products being made now will be good in fifty or sixty years. Best we can do is stick to laws and constants we know work through time, and get as much diversity going to pick out the faults and weak ideas.
Anyways, it's been a ton of fun trying to figure out the 'best' thing to do. Looking forward to a battle of the generation bands again.


text:
Large Lotus Background
Who knew you could mix Hero Arts Stamps, Tim Holtz Ink Stains and Ranger Mini Misters and get a delicate background like in the card above!??! Thanks to Hero Arts' Shari Carroll we now know what a washed-out look is.
My Favorite Things Daisy Die Cut
To make your card POP try My Favorite Things Die-Namics!
Hero Arts NEW Summer Release has FABULOUS Framed Message Stamps to try!
I hope Shari Carroll's creation has inspired you to think outside the box :)
Join our following, and share something fun you're going to do this summer and one lucky winner can win this Hero Arts Stamp Set! I will announce the winner by random draw next week! Good luck crafters ; )
Stay Crafty!
:) Fran
Pin It
SUBSCRIBE TO: This Blog | Our Newsletter
WE'RE SOCIAL: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Google+
TAKE THE CHALLENGE: Simon Says Stamp Challenge! | Vintage Simon Says Stamp & Show Challenge


text:
- Home
- Game
- #
- .hack//G.U.
- KAARU no TEEMA (.hackZERO) ~ Phantom Pain - Karl's Theme (.hackZERO) ~ Phantom Pain
KAARU no TEEMA (.hackZERO) ~ Phantom Pain
Kanji information is from the KANJIDIC dictionary database.
Animelyrics.com now has an OpenSearch plugin that you can install into your browser (FireFox, Chrome and IE/Edge supported)
My Little Pony Ties
Lyrics copyright to their respective owners or translators. No copyright infringment is intended or implied.
Layout and other content copyright Anime Lyrics dot Com / Anime Globe Productions
This is some text here


text:
Enlarge / Alternate Images
Kit Includes:
Kur Salt Scrub Treatment PackageAn all-in-1 treatment package. Kur Salt Scrub helps remove dead, dry skin to expose younger looking, healthy skin. Easily removed with warm, moist towels or a client shower. Massage FX Lotion provides great glide and absorption for post service massage. Approximately 8 treatments.Salt Scrub Ingredients:


text:
Orchestral and Choral works > Orchestral works
Joseph Haydn
Sinfonias from ca. 1761-1765
Editor: Ullrich Scheideler
211.00 €
Complete Edition with critical report, Reihe I, Band 2, paperbound
Pages: 239 (XIV, 225), Size 25,5 x 32,5 cm
Order no. HN 5011 · ISMN 979-0-2018-5011-5
Musicians throughout the world are familiar with and treasure our blue Urtext editions – top quality editions of great classical compositions. Urtext and Henle are synonymous. The musician is offered a musical text which solely reflects the composer's intentions.
- Sinfonia D major Hob. I:15
- Sinfonia G major Hob. I:3
- Sinfonia E flat major Hob. I:36
- Sinfonia C major Hob. I:33
- Sinfonia B flat major Hob. I:108
- Sinfonia A major Hob. I:14
- Sinfonia B flat major Hob. I:16
- Sinfonia D major Hob. I:34
- Sinfonia D major Hob. I:72
- Sinfonia g minor Hob. I:39


text:
The Atomic City Sportsmen Club (ACSC) would like to extend its thanks to all who contributed to our 2013 golf tournament held on June 29 at the Centennial Golf Course.
To The Editor:
The Atomic City Sportsmen Club (ACSC) would like to extend its thanks to all who contributed to our 2013 golf tournament held on June 29 at the Centennial Golf Course.
Our thanks and appreciation go out to:
• Centennial Golf Course staff for their continued support and donations. Special thanks go to J.W. Wallace for his leadership. • The Oak Ridger newspaper for their continued support of our communty involvement.
• Hole sponsors: American Income Tax Services, State Farm Insurance (Ruby Miller's office), J&M's Butcher Shop, Fade To Black, GEM Technologies, Spurgeon Chapel, Oak Valley Baptist Church, ORNL Federal Credit Union, Censible Styles, East Tennessee Family Services, Charles Hensley, Dr. Fred Barry, Joe Gaddis, Terry Frank, Wesley W. Singer, Clarence Hinton, Chris Hammonds, Bill Moore, and Ben Stephens.
• Donations: Victor Williams, Hayden Plumbing, Jimmy Robertson, Don Robie, Sheldon Green, Sanford O'Neal, and Walter Ghosten.
• Door Prizes: Downtown Hardware, Workout Anytime, MPI, ORUD, Autozone, Advance Auto Parts Inc., Chris Hammonds, Jimmy Robertson, Jackie Jackson, Bill and Abbie Moore.
ACSC is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization and proceeds from the golf tournament will be used to fund our scholarship program as well as other community activities.
Again, we offer a special thank you to all who helped make the Atomic City Sportsmen Club's golf tournament a well-received and enjoyable event.
W.D. Venable
ACSC Program Chair


text:
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Posted by João Padinha at Thursday, October 14, 2010
Labels: wink
1 comment:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
Younger I played futebol(soccer), been reading all my life, listening to music, following the arts. Try to write some little bits, take photos too.
Most of the time I'm an IT guy for my company.
I'm the father of two boys( they share my first name).
Love dogs, have 2 and a she-cat.


text:
Sugar low: Nanny state absurdity
March 18. 2014 4:37PM
A state law from 1971 bans restaurants from serving sugar in open containers. The law even specifies the size hole sugar can be poured from — "not more than 3/8 of an inch in diameter." A bill to repeal that regulation is being opposed by state representatives who use this argument: terrorists might poison sugar bowls.
With that, the nanny state has jumped the shark.
Sugar is the only condiment New Hampshire forbids by law from being served in containers with holes larger than the magically safe size of 3/8 of an inch. Restaurants can serve you a bowl of tartar sauce, ketchup, or mustard, but not a side bowl of sugar for your tea or coffee. Bars can set out bowls of peanuts, popcorn or pretzels, but fine restaurants may not set small ramekins of sugar on their tables. They have to serve it in packets or pourers, just as diners and pizza joints do.
Why? Because ... terrorists have dirty hands, or something. Thank goodness for our wise legislators who have learned to thwart both disease and terrorism with little round sugar container lids.