So Long, wee Earl Kress

Tom Ruegger has a post up on Earl Kress who just passed away from cancer. A nubbin of a man but with a good heart, Earl had been around animation so long that he used to TYPE scripts on a TYPEWRITER. He wrote animated moves and performed voices and pretty much did everything in the animation industry that a creative guy could do. I'll always remember him sitting in his office at Warner Bros. cranking out scripts wearing a repetitive stress brace on his wrist and forearm. While making shows we'd always say "On film forever" to remind ourselves to pay attention to the details.  Earl leaves behind a big old batch of work that will be 'on film' in one form or another for years to come. Rest in peace, Mr. Kress.
Here's a piece from an Animaniacs Christmas episode Earl wrote called "Little Drummer Warners." 

h/t: CillalisTheSeller

UPDATE: The Animation Guild remembers Earl. 

Jury Duty and Traffic

Jury duty is at least interesting. Morning traffic from my house to downtown Los Angeles is like sitting on a high branch with bees in your shorts—unpleasant and precarious. Yesterday, I saw a man flip out because some guy had edged in front of him. He whipped his car into the next lane just so he could violently cut back in front of the guy. All the time, he's leaning on the stinking horn. Perhaps all the shootings blamed on road rage really have nothing to do with crazed drivers, but are the actions of bystanders administering street justice to savage dopes. I hope so.

Tom Ruegger Remembers

In the beginning......there were a number of people responsible for the creation of Tiny Toons and Anamaniacs. Tom Ruegger says who the heck they were.

Image: Commentarama

Sprint to the End of Health Care

Not necessarily forever, but I'm nearing the completion of my COBRA-extended Motion Picture health care at September's end. I'm still in physical therapy for my shoulder, undergoing more skin cancer treatments, and have teeth cleaning on the near horizon. While I'm at it, I should probably shoe horn in another physical. Starting in October, I will simply will myself to remain healthy. An underutilized, cost-effective method, force-of-will treatments will be the norm for the foreseeable future.

As for my shoulder, it's perhaps a month away from being fully healed. I can do most things except trick pool shots or scrub above my lumbar vertebrae in the shower. But I'm getting there. And no one really minds that I'm strolling around town with dirty vertebrae. This is Los Angeles where such things often pass without comment.

Not-Very-Memorable Clunkers

Ling Carter lists three TV pilots that mercifully never saw the air.
Image: The Atomic Bomb Decision

SpongeBob Strongarm

A former lead artist on the popular animated series has been accused of setting up an attack on his art dealer. I've always said you need to diversify your animated career.
Image— It Thing

In the Better Late Than Never Category...

...I nominate me for the following tardy acknowledgement: Paul Rugg has introduced Freaky Friday, a day dedicated to things Freakazoid! Go see what has come to pass.