More Videos

In keeping with the artistic and educational nature of this blog I present the following videos, fun little gems that I encourage you to check out. The first one is called The Dot And The Line, which was a book published in 1963 by Norman Juster. In 1965 Chuck Jones, of Bugs Bunny fame, adapted the book into a ten minute MGM cartoon. It subsequently won an academy award for an animated short film. It's a masterpiece of puns and visual humor.

This cartoon is a trippy, mind-bending ride called Psychedelic Pink, one of the best Pink Panther cartoons made in the sixties, and an example of the 60's mind-altering mindset of the time. Unfortunately, there's a totally fake-sounding laugh track that someone felt necessary to put in, but it is enjoyable anyway. A psychedelic experience refers to an experience where one's mind is freed by the normal discipline and order of society, and experiences different sights and sensations. Psychedelic experiences were a big fixture of the 1960s, and this cartoon is a perfect example of that.

BALANCE
This seven and a half minute film is also a masterpiece. Extremely simple in concept, filled with all sorts of symbolism. Five figures stand on a horizontal slab suspended in a void. If one moves, the slab begins to tilt, endangering the others, who must react to re-establish the proper balance. A new element into their carefully balanced world causes havoc for everyone on this precarious surface. One wonders how did they get there? Are they stranded there for eternity? Thought provoking, this film is.

And finally, a very special treat for fans of Mad magazine, the magazine that helped me learn to draw and inspired me as an artist: an interview with the legendary Mort Drucker, arguably the very best caricature artist ever. His art in Mad magazine over the decades captured movie stars and celebrities perfectly, with enough exaggeration to make them amusing without being insulting. Having your likeness drawn by Mort Drucker was a rare honor. I realize Manga is all the rage these days, but artists as talented and prolific as Drucker should never be forgotten. To learn more about Drucker, click this link.