Saturday night I saw what may be the most beautiful short cartoon made in the last 50 years! I refer to a rock video called "Classico"; song by Tenacious D, cartoon byJohn Kricfalusi. I can't begin to describe how gorgeous this film is. John kicked off the color revolution in TV cartoons years ago with the "New Adventures of Mighty Mouse," and the industry's been cruising on that advance for years. Now John's in a tinkering mood again and he's come up with something new, which I'll call hyper-color until somebody thinks of a better name.I can't be too specific because I don't have a copy of the cartoon to study. Nobody does but don't worry. It'll be all over the net soon to promote Jack Black's new film,"Tenacious D."
The film is full of interesting techniques including frequent use of multiple background changes within the same scene; rich, saturated colors using what may be a "glaze" technique contrasted with flat pastels with the effect heightened by skillfully timed cuts; simulated multiplane effects; a new way of using FLASH; and most importantly, a deep understanding of how the right kind of line, shape, movement and cutting enhances color. And did I mention the hilarious gags and way-cool animation? What a colossal achievement!
Yeah- it's pretty cool! World's Fastest Music Video!
ReplyDeletei think i heard about it. (FURIOUS WINK!!!)
ReplyDelete=)
ReplyDeleteYeah - it's a masterpiece! (I've watched it about 12 times now.) Innovative on every level.
ReplyDeleteBut Eddie - you forgot to credit Marlo and Nick Cross, who painted the awesome color backgrounds!
It's two cartoons in one... watch it at speed and it's great fun. Watch it frame by frame and it's like an encyclopedia of funny drawings. It's like a boullion cube of cartooniness. Drop it in your DVD player and 1 1/2 minutes expands to give you a whole evening's entertainment.
ReplyDeleteSee ya
Steve
T'was wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could watch it twelve times - the art on John's blog was so intriguing - it caught me off gaurd when it all moved by so quickly on tape!
- corbett
The drawings John posted on his blog during the last two months were absolutely amazing. I can't wait to see the completed cartoon. Is this really a stand-alone music video or the title sequence for Tenacious D movie? The IMDB link still has John K. credited for the animated title sequence.
ReplyDeleteIt was Fucking great, on every Fucking level!
ReplyDeleteThe first Fucking flash animation that made me Fucking happy & didn't Fucking make me Fucking quieeezzy.
A giant Fucking tip of the giant Fucking hat to John, Marlo, Nick, and everyFucking one that worked on it!
Vincent
Mike: I didn't forget the credits, I was just holding off til I could ask John who did what. My guess is that Kristy Gordon and Nick Cross did a lot of the color. I may have heard the name of another colorist but I can't remember it. If I'm not mistaken Marlo Meekins did two of the audience backgrounds including my favorite background color of the picture, the burnt-orange, sepia toned one of the audience.
ReplyDeleteYou can see that I don't know enough to make accurate attributions yet. Probably John will post accurate credits on his blog. Nick did wonderfull layouts for the film including another of my favorite scenes, the opening shot of the audience looking down at the stage. I just don't know if he also painted it.
Nick just debuted a film of his own called "The Wake of Persephone" which I'm dying to see. My admiration for the man knows no bounds and I expect Wake will be nothing less than brilliant.
Fucking "Queasy"
ReplyDeleteV
I helped too! Yay!!!!
ReplyDeleteI really like that picture you posted. What unusual choices of color? I wouldn't have thought of choosing those colors, but they work. The audience background looks so 1920s.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, when I look at that picture, I start to crave chocolate and raspberries. I don't know if it's the intensity of the color that's doing that. That's amazing that a picture can invoke other senses beside sight...
Hammerson: John did the THX spoof that opens the film but not the main titles that follow. So far as I know Classico isn't in the film but will be used to promote it on the net. I assume it'll also be on the Tenacious D DVD. Check John's blog for more info.
ReplyDeleteIs there a link to a site where we can see this? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteBesides Marlo and myself, the other BG painters were Jay Li and Rex Hackelberg.
ReplyDeleteJennifer, the image on Eddie's blog isn't from the film. It's the characters placed over an Eldon Dedini Playboy comic. This was a reference for the background painter (Marlo the Magnificent!) for the sort of color harmony John was looking for in the scene.
ReplyDeleteThe actual background Marlo painted for this scene will not only have you craving chocolate and raspberries... you'll want to cover yourself in whipped cream, throw a blanket on the floor and roll around on it in shameless abandon!
That's what all of us did at John's house Saturday night after we watched the cartoon!
See ya
Steve
Kali: Did you paint on this film?
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see this
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ReplyDelete>>That's what all of us did at John's house Saturday night after we watched the cartoon!
ReplyDeleteWith cherries on top.
it did totally fucking rock! Bjork and weird al were just warm ups. Classico is a true masterpiece! in one minute john introduced us to a new world that we wanted to experience MUCH MUCH more of. damn, i can't wait for the further animated adventures of tenacious d(and friends). i just feel so honored just to have been allowed to see it and i'm sure everyone else will feel the same!
ReplyDeleteNo Eddie! I'm too young and crappy! I was Marc Deckter's assistant! Every part counts.
ReplyDeleteWE'RE NOT WORTHY! WE'RE NOT WORTHY!
ReplyDelete(It's way too good for mere humans.)
When will the masses be able to see this video?
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see it!
ReplyDeleteMy brain will no doubt light a smoke after my mind gets blown. Especially if it's as good as you say it is, which I'm sure it is.
Yeah I did some BG's and Nick did some beautiful ones. Different styles, but they all worked great together. It's a weird/hilarious cartoon with great drawings, i'm really proud to have had a part in making it. I think it's one of John's best.
ReplyDeletethanks for the compliments, mike and steve.
and
ReplyDeleteI WISH I CAME TO THAT PARTY and got TRASHED!
I'll be back in a few days to entertain all of you fellow nerds.
(Note* we are "cool" nerds)
Eddie, Bauza said you drooled on his head when you looked at the paintings! no better compliment!!!
ReplyDelete["...Nick just debuted a film of his own called "The Wake of Persephone" which I'm dying to see. My admiration for the man knows no bounds and I expect Wake will be nothing less than brilliant."]
ReplyDeleteIt's The WAIF Of Persephone, actually - and it's pretty brilliant. Steve showed it at ASIFA last week. You'll love it.
Mike
About the Background in the illustration above, it is actually from a 1960's Playboy Cartoon by Eldin Dedini. Check out the ASIFA section on Playboy Cartoonists.
ReplyDeleteUncle Eddie,
ReplyDeleteCan you expand on what you meant by the "new way of using Flash".
I think the best way of using Flash, is when you cannot tell Flash was used. I am not sure to what degree finished TV animation might be using Flash these days, rather seamlessly, but I sure see a lot of bad Flash out there. Especially when it comes to multiplane effects, that floating feeling, that sometimes comes in whenever someone has keyframed a movement in flash.
Anonymous: I could be more specific if I could only study the film. It's a good question though. Ask John on his site.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid John "doesn't allow anonymous comments".
ReplyDeleteTalk about an echo chamber. I hate to be the one to point out the emperor has no clothes, but here goes...
ReplyDeleteBeautiful backgrounds. But why are painted background characters so appealing while the Flashified foreground characters so ugly? The animation is embarrassingly bad. The whole feel is disjointed and noisy.
But maybe that's just me.
John K. -> God? WE'RE NOT WORTHY!
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