Two of my favorite little moments from recent television animation history are:
A quick throwaway gag from an early “Simpsons,” when Krusty the Klown teaches the children of Springfield how to noodge their parents into taking them to a local waterpark by singing “I want to go to Mount Splashmore! Take me now-now-now-now-now!”
A vignette from the late, great “The Critic,” where we discover that a Jay Sherman standee used to annoy bookstore patrons by repeatedly screeching “Buy my book! Buy my book!”
Well, forgive me for challenging both Jay Sherman and Krusty here … but you really should go buy a copy of Allan Neuwirth’s “Makin’ Toons: Inside the Most Popular Animated TV Shows & Movies” (April 2003, Allowrth Press) now-now-now-now-now!
Let me be blunt here, kids. “Makin’ Toons” is a flat-out great book. An entertaining read from cover to cover. Filled with wonderful stories about great animated films like “Aladdin,” “Shrek,” “Monsters, Inc.” and “Ice Age” as well as your favorite cartoon TV shows (I.E. “The Simpsons,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Samurai Jack” and “South Park”).
Honestly, I don’t know how Neuwith did it. But he got modern animation masters like Andreas Deja, Eric Goldberg, Roger Allers and Craig McCracken to open up and tell stories that (me personally) I’ve never heard before. Great inside-the-industry stories like:
The struggle to find just the right voice for Ursula the sea witch in Disney’s 1989 animated hit, “The Little Mermaid.” Howard Ashman had wanted the role to be played by “Dynasty” diva Joan Collins. “Mermaid” directors — Ron Clements and John Musker — tried to get sitcom vet Beatrice Arthur (of “Maude” and “The Golden Girls” fame) to audition for the role … only to have Bea’s agent turned the role down flat, insisting that his client would never play a witch.
So the “Little Mermaid” production team ended up holding auditions for the role of Ursula. And a broad selection of broads came by Disney Studios to try out for the part. Among them was the late Nancy Marchand (best known nowadays as the lethal Livia from HBO’s “The Sopranos”), Charlotte Rae (AKA Mrs. Garrett from the long running NBC sitcom, “The Facts of Life”) and Roseanne. After much debate, Clements, Musker and Ashman settled on Broadway vet Elaine Stritch as the ideal person for the part.
The only problem was, Ms. Stritch evidently didn’t like to take direction from Mr. Ashman. So Elaine (in spite of the fact that she reportedly turned in a wonderful performance as Ursula, playing Ariel’s nemesis as a boozy old broad) was let go … and — after yet another round of auditions — Pat Carroll (the Ursula that we all know and love today) eventually won the part.
As you burrow this book, you’ll also come across other great Disney-related vignettes (EX: the other comic actors that Musker and Clements had in mind as possible voices for the Genie in “Aladdin”: Steve Martin? Martin Short?). Plus wonderful stories about how other non-Disney animated features like “Shrek” and “Ice Age” eventually came together.
And the TV animation stories … we’re talking in-depth behind-the-scenes stories about shows like “The Powerpuff Girls,” “Dexter’s Laboratory,” and “Beavis & Butthead.” Neuwirth cuts a broad swath through contemporary television animation, getting great quotes from the real movers and shakers. People like Mike Judge, Genndy Tartakovsky, John Kricfalusi, Stephen Hillenburg; all of the industry’s heavy hitters are here.
Honestly, I can not say this often enough, people. Allan Neuwirth’s “Makin’ Toons” is a great book. If you’re serious about wanting to know about what’s actually going on inside the animation industry today and/or you just want a really fun read, you need to go pick a copy of this book “… now-now-now-now-now!”
(Now think of Jay Sherman as you read this last little bit of my review …)
Buy Allan’s book! Buy Allan’s book! Buy Allan’s book! Buy Allan’s book! Buy Allan’s book!
FYI: Just in case you’re wondering, I don’t know Allan Neuwirth. Honest. I’ve really never met the guy.
So — honestly — this really isn’t a case of industry back scratching. You know, where one writer says nice things about another writer with the hope that — further on down the line — the second writer will eventually say nice things about the first writer’s new book. Which then can be used for promotional blurbs on the back of that book.
But that’s really not what’s going on here. Honest and true, I’m not blowing smoke up your skirt. I just think that Allan Neuwirth’s “Makin’ Toons: Inside the Most Popular Animated TV Shows & Movies” is a flat-out great book. Which is why I’m rabidly urging you to go pick up a copy today.
Enough said, okay?
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You really should get this book, and you can even help support JimHillMedia.com in the process! Order your copy of “Makin’ Toons: Inside the Most Popular Animated TV Shows & Movies” from Amazon.com by clicking the link to the right. Your cost will (unfortunately) remain the same (though it is currently 30% off!) But – if you go there through us – we get a tiny cut of what you spend. So help keep Jim Hill behind the computer where he belongs and and pick up your copy of “Makin’ Toons: Inside the Most Popular Animated TV Shows & Movies” through the link to the right. |
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