Tezuka’s Phoenix on YouTube
Here are a few clips from the Phoenix cartoon. I’ve not seen it but it looks pretty good. Unlike the Americanized Astro Boy movie this one is drawn with respect paid to Tezuka’s style. Most of this clip looks like it comies from the story Karma.
B. Stone
Tezuka Osamu’s Phoenix
An excerpt from Phoenix, volume 6: Nostalgia
From Phoenix, Volume 7: Civil War (part one):
From Tezuka in English . com:
“…Among the 12 volumes (of Phoenix) are some of Tezuka’s most inspired, most experimental and most intimate stories. Each story is complete in itself, all taking place at different time periods. The settings alternate, beginning in the ancient past, with vol. 2 taking place in the distant future, vol. 3 in the less ancient past, vol. 4 in the less distant future, drawing ever closer to the present….”
For more about Tezuka’s Phoenix click here.
Scanlations are great for manga that’s not yet available in English but for a work like Phoenix please try to find the books, it makes for a better reading experience and it assures the future of quality print translations. The Phoenix books were translated and published by Viz. Visit their site by clicking here. It’s O.K. to spend your money on comics, they’re worth it!
B. Stone
Way Past Cool
In the above clip and, as far as I know, in all the cartoons Sonic is voiced by Jaleel “Don’t call me Urkel” White.
B. Stone
The Theater Will be as Bright as Day
I scanned the following illustrations by Richard Floethe from a 1937 “Heritage Illustrated Bookshelf” edition of Pinocchio. It’s a beautiful clothbound, slightly oversize, book that I found at a book sale.
The ghost image you see here is from the illustration on the page facing the text. I got it by messing with the levels in Photoshop.
From the artist’s website:
Richard Floethe — (1901 – 1988) was a prolific artist of considerable stature. He was born in Essen, Germany and received his art training at the Munich State School, the Dartmund Art School, and at the Bauhaus in Weimar. While at the Bauhaus, he studied design with Paul Klee and color theory and composition with Wassily Kandinsky. He came to the United States in 1928.
Click the Girl in Red to visit Floethe’s site. There are several galleries spanning his career which lasted almost until his death in 1988.
B. Stone
Arthur Rackham’s Aminals
Below are a few funny animal drawings spanning Arthur Rackham’s career.
From Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll, 1907:
From A Midsummer Night’s Dream: With Illustrations by Arthur Rackham, William Shakespeare, 1908
From Aesop’s Fables, William Heineman, Ltd., 1912
From Mother Goose: The Old Nursery Rhymes, Arthur Rackham, 1913
From The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame, 1940
B.Stone
Uncle Wiggily and the Apple Dumpling
The early Uncle Wiggily books were illustrated by Louis Wisa but this one, from 1939, is illustrated, as far as I can tell, by August Lennox. If anyone has contrary info please let me know, the illustrator isn’t credited anywhere in the book. Anyway, I got this book for 1.50 at a book sale! If you ever see any Uncle Wiggily books around they’re totally worth picking up. Thanks to Daney Martin for turning me on to the wonders of Wiggily!
Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy, the kind muskrat lady, who lived with Uncle Wiggily Longears, was in the kitchen clattering away with the pots and pans and kettles. All the while she was singing away like this:
“Merrily today I bake,
Perhaps ’twill be a chocolate cake,
Or E’en a pudding – who can tell?
Uncle Wiggily likes them well,
Puddings, pies – I both can bake;
Now, lets see; what shall I make?”
B. Stone
More Fischerkosen
I just can’t get enough of animator Hans Fischerkosen’s funny aminals. If you’ve never seen or heard of Fischerkosen’s work check out our other posts about him here and here. Here’s an ad he did for Phillips featuring several of the same characters from his amazing short Weather Beaten Melody.
No aminals in this one just tons of beautiful nightmarish imagery. Love those ghosts so much!
B. Stone
Kimba vs. Simba
At least the new bastardized Astro Boy movie credits Tezuka, Disney didn’t.
B. Stone














































