Online Cartoons

The 10 Best Animated Movies for Kids

via01 — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 07:33:53 +0000

Life is a relentless parade of horrors. Adults try to shield the kiddies from that fact, but every year animated film studios work hard to make sure the real world comes crashing in on little Timmy years ahead of schedule.

Want proof? How about…

#10.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

The plot:
Holy fuck, Batman! Two of the caped crusader’s most fiendish foes are on the loose in Gotham City! Can Batman use his gadgets and wits to defeat the dastardly duo of the Joker and the Phantasm, and stop them from carrying out their vendettas?

Why it scarred us:
It turns out he can’t. The two villains successfully pull off a series of mafia hits until the film has a higher body count than Reservoir Dogs. Worse still, both villains escape unharmed at the end of the film, while Batman is pumped full of bullets by the cops for his troubles.

Oh, and did we mention that Bruce Wayne has a nervous breakdown at his parents’ grave?

How it could have been worse:
Phantasm is a surprisingly sophisticated work for a kid’s cartoon, within the beautiful animation and classic noir trappings. The story deftly deals with complex themes such as love, revenge and betrayal, in a way that is accessible to children without pandering to them …

… at least not until the Joker fights Batman on a jet pack.

#9.

The Incredibles

The plot:
In Brad Bird’s 2004 Pixar film, the Not-Fantastic Four battle the Not-Doctor Doom in an adaptation that’ more faithful to the comics than the actual Fantastic Four movie.

Why it scarred us:
We’re putting aside the fact that the “society is oppressing the supermen” message reads like an Ayn Rand bedtime story. Instead, watch the scene where adorable lil’ Dash outruns the big scary men who are trying to kill him. Notice anything? That’ right, the prepubescent boy is killing Syndrome’s henchmen. And, laughing while he does it.

Above: Adorable child (Not shown: murder)

Oh, that adorable little scamp! What crazy manslaughter-related misadventure has Dash gotten into this time? Also, the villain’ list of dead superheroes provides kids with the valuable moral that “if you use your talents to do the right thing, you will die.” Now, we’re not for the dumbing down of American entertainment, but when your film’ funniest moment is a montage of death scenes (where Edna demonstrates the danger of capes) you might want to reconsider marketing your film to children.

How it could have been worse:
Aside from Rand, much of the movie’ script borrows ideas (such as the idea of outlawing superheroes and the reason why capes are impractical) from Alan Moore’s classic graphic novel Watchmen. If the writers had gone all the way with this homage, the story might contain horrifying scenes such as the destruction of New York, a superhero going insane and murdering criminals, and worst of all … Richard Nixon serving four terms as president.

#8.

Song of the South

The plot:
In this charming story from legendary filmmaker Walt Disney, Uncle Remus, an elderly black servant, teaches a child valuable life lessons with the help of his magic talking animal friends, making him, quite literally, a “Magic Negro.”

Why it scarred us:
The juxtaposition of Walt Disney’s trademark idealism with the harsh reality of the South during reconstruction is a little jarring. For a man who has been forced to do menial labor in excruciating conditions for his entire life, Uncle Remus seems downright jolly.

How it could have been worse:
If children were allowed to see it. About four people complained about the film’s content, so Disney responded by repeatedly apologizing, burying the film in the vault and probably burning the original negatives while personally taking responsibility for slavery.

Even though the film seems doomed to languish in the Ol’ Briar Patch, Disney still keeps Walt’s legacy alive by using the likenesses of its beloved characters on clothing, toys, theme park rides, costumes, overpriced figurines, McDonald’s Happy Meal toys, plush dolls, bookends, keychain designs, erotic toys, small caliber weapons …

#7.

Transformers: The Movie

The plot:
No, not the Michael Bay movie. The animated one from 1986. Yes, it still featured huge robots punching the crap out of each other.

Why it scarred us:
Optimus Prime-favorite toy, idol of millions, surrogate father to a generation of latchkey kids-is mercilessly slaughtered by his arch nemesis in the most brutal instance of toy-related violence since we put our sister’s Barbies in the microwave.

It doesn’t help much that the creators, much like everyone else in the ’80s, were on the cheapest hallucinogenic substances they could find. From 500-foot-tall robots turning into portable cassette players, to Optimus’ vanishing truck trailer, this film just might disregard physics enough to drive MC Escher incurably insane.

Also, a bunch of other Transformers die or something, but come on. Optimus dies.

How it could have been worse:
Deep in our hearts, we knew that Optimus wasn’t dead. If a short, fat robot like R2-D2 can survive a direct hit from a ship-destroying laser cannon, then a tough guy like Optimus can pull himself together. Much like Jesus, Prime would return from his tomb in time to save us all (note the parallels between Optimus’ transformations and the Catholic belief in transubstantiation. Or, not.)

No, in a universe where robots can always be bolted back together, you only need to worry if a human character dies. But what kind of idiot would make a Transformers movie and fill it with useless human characters?

#6.

The Lion King

The plot:
This classic Disney animated film tells the story of a young, lion prince’s quest to rule the pride lands. Thrown in is a meerkat and a warthog performing a catchy song about the importance of apathy.

Why it scarred us:
It’s pretty much Hamlet. Seriously. A young prince’ uncle murders his father and steals his rightful place as king, inspiring the young leader to vow revenge.

Sure, there are differences. The “something rotten in the state of Denmark” was actually a flatulent warthog, for instance. But, one seriously must wonder how the pitch meeting for this one went.

“It’ Hamlet, but with lions, songs by Sir Elton John and fart jokes.”

“Brilliant!”

How it could have been worse:
The film ends somewhat differently than its source material. SPOILERS: In a radical and unpredictable departure that no one could have seen coming, the adorable lead animal defeats the villain, gets the girl, reclaims his throne and lives happily ever after.

#5.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

The plot:
Police detective Eddie Valiant must protect a falsely accused rabbit from a corrupt legal system in this noir thriller. Think of it as Chinatown but with more Mickey Mouse and less incest.

Why it scarred us:
Sudden puberty onset syndrome.

What? Don’t look at us like that. Most movie stars are so airbrushed nowadays that there’ not much difference between Jessica Alba and Jessica Rabbit anyway.

So anyway, this film features Jessica teasing, seducing and posing up a storm in a way that Snow White only did when the cameras weren’t rolling. If your nephew watches this movie, you may want to check him for facial hair afterwards.

How it could have been worse:
Ask Japan. The weird pen-and-ink boob fetish has been taken to its logical conclusion in that land where even real, live porn actresses can’t compete unless they dress up like Sailor Moon.

#4.

Cars

The plot:
The talented animators at Pixar Studios bring us the latest installment in their epic “things-that-don’t-really-talk-talking” series. This one tells the heartwarming story of a desert wasteland populated entirely by cars (no, not Los Angeles).

Why it scarred us:
Where are the humans? WHERE ARE THE HUMANS?!

Did global warming finally do us in, ironically leaving only the instruments of our destruction behind? Did they give birth to Skynet? If there aren’t any humans, then who makes the cars? Are there little assembly lines where cars manufacture other cars? Do they reproduce sexually? If a car is manufactured from used parts, is that cannibalism?

Call us paranoid, but when we see sentient machines roaming a barren Mad Max-style landscape, the healthy fear of technology we gained from ’80s B-movies kicks into high gear.

How it could have been worse:
They could have delved into the logistical workings of a car society. What is the geopolitical landscape of the car world? Are there car wars? We assume that there are military vehicles, too. Are they in a constant state of combat? Does the Orwellian car government manufacture conflicts to give the tanks a sense of purpose? What is the history of car warfare? In the car World War II, was Daimler the Allied forces? Were Fords and Volkswagens the Nazis? What about current events in the car Middle East? Are there car “car bombs?” What are the dynamics of the car caste system? Do rich and powerful Mercedes control the government? Are disenfranchised cars left in disaster areas to fend for themselves because George “BMW” Bush doesn’t care about cars with spinning rims?

Also, how do they talk? I mean, they’re cars for god’s sake. You’d think an editor would catch that.

#3.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

The plot:
In this Disney animated musical, the kind-hearted Hunchback Quasimodo rescues the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda with the help of his singing gargoyle friends. But, can a Hunchback win the heart of a gorgeous princess?

Why it scarred us:
No, no he can’t. The gallant, blonde, muscular, hero gets the girl instead of the deformed Quasimodo.

Never mind the fact that Quasimodo saved your life on multiple occasions. Never mind that you’re this decent man’s last hope for finding affection. No, let’s all fall for the pretty one. Well, you know what? There’s more to life than looks! Maybe you’ll realize that when you have to take care of your unemployed husband, while I make a killing on Wall Street using the knowledge I gained from those math books you laughed at me about! WELL, WE’LL SEE WHO’S LAUGHING THEN, WON’T WE LIZ? WE’LL ALL SEE THEN!

Also, there’s the small matter of the villain singing a song about how he intends to rape and murder the female lead.

How it could have been worse:
They could have kept the novel’s ending, in which Esmeralda dies, and Quasimodo chooses to be buried alive in her tomb so that they can be together.

Though at least he got the girl in that one.

#2.

Watership Down

The plot:
Look at the bunny! Who’s a cute little bunny? Who’s a …

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Why it scarred us:

RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!

How it could have been worse:

Let’s just move on to the next one, shall we?

#1.

Pom Poko

The plot:
A family of raccoons, forced from their home by evil construction workers, take a stand to reclaim their homeland …

Why it scarred us:
… using their magical raccoon testicles.

MAGICAL

RACCOON

story source: http://www.cracked.com/article_15070_10-best-animated-movies-traumatizing-kids.html

Cartoon character

via01 — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 23:44:26 +0000

Oh Lord, Tigger has hit someone! A child, no less. Strange how life in all its grittyness has a habit of breaking into our artfully-created dream worlds, of which Disney World is a classic example.

Michael Fedelem, who allegedly thumped teenage Jerry Monaco “junior” at the theme park, overstepping his “bouncy” image, may have overheated inside his artificial suit. He may just have got terribly bored with the whole saccharine-coated environment of Disney, made unbearably gooey by a peculiarly American sentimentality.

It would be wrong to attempt in any way to justify behaviour that the Monacos say ruined their holiday, and Disney was right to point out that “physical altercations between cast members and guests are not tolerated”. But if disapproval is one thing, surprise is another. The cartoon world is saturated with an incredibly violent culture, based on the principle that the way to solve disputes is not through turning the other cheek but, as in Tom & Jerry, through hurling your opponent through a wall, knocking out his teeth, setting his tail on fire, dropping a vast weight on his head, hitting him with a mallet, firing him from a cannon, or pushing him out from such a height that his body creates a curious silhouette on impac.

Not all cartoons work on such a dynamic. Think of good old Scooby Doo. But many of our favourites are hopelessly addicted to combat. If the men and women who stagger round in those big furry suits occasionally act a little like cartoon characters do on screen, frankly, that’s no more than to be expected.

story soruce: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-cartoon-character-431209.html

Creating a Cartoon Logo

via01 — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:04:00 +0000

Once I know what I am going to create, I research the Internet, books and many other sources looking for design inspiration. Once I have gathered all of my inspiration I decide on a style for the cartoon logo or character. I begin to sketch with a mechanical pencil (7mm lead) on everyday copy paper. I draw, erase and redraw many times on each part of the design. The hand to the right shows that I erased and redrew the hand multiple times.

I place a small light box on top of my drawing table and draw on the light box. This photo shows the drawing area of my cartoon studio and includes my drawing table cluttered with inspiration. The small white box is my light table. Notice the great pedal plane cruising above.

I loosely sketch each part of the character beginning with the head. I darken the design by retracing over it several times as I become happy with the look. The pencil sketch to the right is the final rough for this design.

I then scan the pencil design using an Epson Stylus Photo RX600 scanner/printer. I scan at 300 dpi. on gray scale mode. I use a Mac G5 dual 2.0 processors and two Mac G4′s for all of my computer work. This is the computer corner of my cartoon studio where all cartoon logos are manipulated.

Once scanned, I open the design in Photoshop CS where I begin to clean it up. I lighten, erase and thicken lines to get the design exactly as I want it. When finished the design is black and white and as clean as possible. This is the final drawing and looks exactly like it has been inked.

The next step is to convert my pixel TIFF to a vector art image. I use Illustrator CS2 to accomplish this step. I place the TIFF, choose the comic art setting, and let Auto Trace do the rest. A TIFF file that has been converted to a vector image is saved as an AI or EPS file.

The new file looks very much like the TIFF above. I ungroup the image and move any nodes, using the pointer tool, that do not look correct. Each part of a vector image can be clicked on easily and color can be added with the click of a mouse. I can also make any changes to the design that I need at this stage. Notice that I changed the flowers on the cow during this stage. I also added a thicker outline around the cow to make it stand out more and repositioned the tail slightly.

Once the cartoon image is created and colored I am ready to begin the process of creating the lettering and any background that might be needed. I scroll through hundreds of fonts picking any that I feel might work for this design. I then take the handful of fonts and create the logotype using each font face. I throw out any that I do not like. I look for fun, cartoony and unique lettering. When I have a typestyle that I really like I normally try to change the font in a way to make it unique to that client. I may stretch a letter, curve the words or combine two different fonts.

If a background is needed I create it in Illustrator. I create circles, squares, fades and other effects until I have one I am happy with.

The design to the right is a bogus cartoon logo design I created for a t-shirt company. I used a circle with cow spots for the background and used two different fonts. The top font was curved using the fit text to path tool in Illustrator.

The last step I perform is to export the completed design as an EPS file. I convert the text to curves to avoid any font conflicts with possible printers. I then actually reopen the design in Illustrator and make any last minute color changes and might add a little shading to the design. Once completely done, I can save the design as Illustrator and EPS vector files. I then open a vector file and save that file as TIFF, PNG, JPEG, GIF and BMP pixel files. I burn all of the files to a CD and present it to the client.

This cartoon cow was created as a possible t-shirt design for a very well known t-shirt company. The design was not purchased but was later sold to an up and coming search engine website.
Source:: http://www.ecartoonlogos.com/creating-a-logo.htm