From: rjung@aludra.usc.edu (Robert A. Jung)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.tiny-toon
Subject: Who animates what (was Re: Your Mission)
Date: 9 Apr 1992 23:44:50 -0700
Organization: Southern California Lynx Enthusiasts
NNTP-Posting-Host: aludra.usc.edu

In article <1992Apr10.020042.5918@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu> klein@kira.egr.msu.edu (Jeffrey Klein) writes:
>In article <1992Apr9.235538.9829@wam.umd.edu> vgriscep@wam.umd.edu (VGR (Craig Pell)) writes:
>>My first followup doesn't seem to have gotten through, so I'll say it
>>again, vehemently:  Kennedy subcontracts other animation studios!

  Could be, could be. Didn't someone once reported that Wang Film also
subcontracts their stuff? The thing that makes this whole "spot the studio"
stuff hard is that we viewers don't have this information -- we see a whole
half-hour animated by "Kennedy" (with Kennedy, we're mangling the word
"animate", of course), but have no way of knowing which subcontractors (if
any) do what.

  I'd be a bit surprised if it turns out that Tokyo Movie Shinsa subcontracts
their work. Most of their material is _very_ consistent with each other,
which makes them one of the few TTA animation studios with an IMO clearly-
recognizable style.

>>Startoons *has*, unquestionably, done some bits of TTA in the first season.
>>They are *not* a "new" studio.  I thought everyone knew this the first time
>>"Henny" was shown.

  Nope.  B-)

>>    No, I have no proof.  But since I also have no flames, please hear me
>>out....
>>    I don't want to sound didactic here, but I have a pretty decent eye.
>>Anyone who can spot the difference between Wang and TMS animation ought
>>to be able to spot Startoons.  Startoons uses very sharp lines, and smooth
>>yet well-contained movements.  Another telltale characteristic is the
>>eyes;  on females the lashes are curved and apprear to be heavy black brush
>>strokes (two lashes, usually). ...
>>    Babs is the easiest mark of Startoons.  Her tail is always pointed like
>>Buster's.  She frequently stands on her tiptoes, legs straight, skirt never
>>"drifting up" (a la the TMS "conservatism" mentioned some time ago).

  See, _this_ is what I want to hear. Since we don't (always) have credits
on who animates what, we need information like this to work with. Spotting
Startoons' work may be easy for you, but not for the rest of us -- spill yer
beans already, so we can spot the details (and subsequently say "Yep, you're
right" or "No way!" [way!] in reply).

>>    As for the tags ... I know this will get a hellish amount of debate,
>>but I am practically certain that *all* the tags are Startoons --- *except
>>those with Buster and/or Babs* (oh, and Byron).  All Buster/Babs tags appear
>>to be Wang, who can improve themselves when they need to.

  Well, as the earlier message (and call to WB) shows, BZZZZT! ("But we do
have some lovely parting gifts..."). I like Tokyo and I like Wang, but I
would be _very_ surprised if Wang ever reaches TMS' style. Wang Film has a
different look of its own, and (when it isn't jumpy or rushed) is enjoyable
in a different way from TMS (sorta like Pepsi cola and chocolate ice cream
for me, I guess).

>Didn't someone whose sister-in-law works for StarToons post here a few
>months back?  It would be nice to get some solid info.

  Yeah!

>Byron looks like StarToons rather than Wang - the three-dimensionality
>and weight of this piece just don't look like Wang, nor the sniffing
>motion.

  The biggest problem with the Byron tag is that there's not enough to
look at. Just a portion of the forehead, and a sniffing nose. Way too little
material to work from there, IMO.

>Oh yeah, and Buster And Babs Go Hawaiian is an EXCELLENT show. >:^)

  It's "nice", but I _really_ think that if the readers of alt.tv.tiny-toon
got togehter, we could write a better (less TTA-chiche-filled, more solid
humor and plot/characterization) story ourselves. Too bad we don't have an
agent to promote it to Warners...

                                                --R.J.
                                                B-)

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~~~~~~~~~~~ These opinions are all mine, but you're welcome to 'em. ~~~~~~~~~~
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