It was announced yesterday! ASIFA's 2008 Winsor McCay Award for career achievement goes to John Kricfaluci! I can't think of a better choice! Hearty congratulations, John!I'm just stating the obvious when I say that John's contribution to the industry has been immense. He and Ralph re-invigorated a dying animation industry with "New Adventures of Mighty Mouse " which, together with Disney's "Roger Rabbit, " brought on the 90s animation boom. His "Ren & Stimpy" was ground-breaking in every way, and is still massively influential, even today. Flash animation was just a way to do banner-ads before he got hold of it, and his blog is a stunning teaching tool and oasis of thoughtful cartoon analysis. If I were to discuss his drawing innovations this post would require a couple of hours to read. The man's amazing, what can I say?
The award ceremony is on February 8, 2008. For tickets and information :
http://www.annieawards.org
30 comments:
Here's hoping John K. gives an Annie acceptance speech to rattle this sick industry to its DNA.
I like how on the website it describes him as NOTORIOUS, like some sort of gangster, or rapper hahahahahahhaha...
"like some sort of gangster, or rapper hahahahahahhaha..."
John K. scares me more then DMX. Anway congrats to him for the award.
"Flash animation was just a way to do banner-ads before he got hold of it"
Yes sir. Just like Clampett before him, he saw the potential in a new medium.
I have a new respect for the United Nations organisation.
When is the industry going to give him a proper tribute: a decent budget to work with?
If you can get tickets, be sure to do a post and tell us all about it. I want every sordid detail.
Thanks Eddie!
What a pal.
Hey Eddie,
As you pointed out, it isn't merely an ANNIE award that John will be presented with.
That would've been prestigious enough, but John is actually slated to receive the coveted WINSOR McCAY Award - ASIFA's highest honor, which only goes to individuals who've made significant career contributions to the art of animation.
However he may try to downplay it, the fact remains that it's a richly deserved and long overdue tribute - a sincere gesture from his peers - to a great artist and a great friend.
As for the ceremony itself, and the acceptance speech - well, as another gifted artist, Curly Howard, once said:
"I can hardly wait!..."
Well deserved John. Congrats!.. and thanks for the inspiration!
Ahh, if John were a real manly man, he'd send some Indian chick to refuse the award on his behalf like Brando did. Maybe get Kali to dress up like "Injun Orange"...
(Just jokin', John - congrats on your win!)
It was announced 10 days ago, not yesterday, Eddie! Did you really not know til now?
So what are you going to wear? I'll bet you've never been to an Annie awards thing before, have you?
What fun!
Few hours or few days to write or read it notwithstanding, I'd still love to read your examination/appreciation of John's drawing. Do one why don't you?
Anyway what a proud & happy post from a true friend-very sweet, as is getting a McCay award. Congratulations to John!
"Flash animation was just a way to do banner-ads before he got hold of it"
What?!! Are you kiddin me!!? Just because you hadnt seen much of it (dont know how u missed it, to be honest) doesnt mean John was the first to use flash for cartoons. Respectfully, thats the biggest line of crap I ever heard. Flash was being used for cartoons early early early in its infancy well before John used it with his Weekend Pussy Hunt and etc.
John K did raise the bar and take it to higher levels, no doubt, but he wasnt the first to use outside banners...not even close. Flash was/is still in its infancy as far as potential back then and even now.
Eddie, you need to get ur facts straight. Did you even bother researching a bit? wow! unreal! Very bold statement to make with no merit and a discredit to the many who immediately were making crude or simple cartoons... only because they were coming from the tech side vs. the artists side and didnt know principles very well.
This does not take away from his deserved award. John K. is most worthy of it. I just hate when people spout off misinformation.
Congratulations, John. You deserve it! No disrespect, just setting the record straight on Flash pioneer 'toonists who may have not had the same skill John K had but still put out some decent stuff.
References and links can be supplied if needed.
Jenny: Oops! I stand corrected.
Developer: Oops again! Sorry if I errored but you devoted so much time to insulting me that you neglected to tell us where we can see some of the pre-John Flash cartoons. I believe what you wrote, I'm just curious to see what these cartoons (the better ones) were like.
I'm absolutely delighted that a software developer visits this site. I have so many questions to ask about the history of this stuff!
Congrats to John!
"I just hate when people spout off misinformation."
I do too! So maybe you should do some research too, eh? I bet you didn't know that John was their animation consultant for how to better equip Flash to work for animators, and really was the first to utilize that new system. Who cares if Joecatroons came first? John came first with making Flash what it is today.
Eddie,
I wasnt "too busy insulting you" to neglect to post links. You're a bit too thin skinned and sensitive if that post constitutes "being busy insulting". I meant no malice. Also, reread and see where I said "references and links can be provided if needed". So here are 2 references off the top of my head as you requested.
I dont know if some of the other early stuff would still be accessible as the animators have moved way forward since then with new stuff. However, Joecartoon is the most obvious and well known. you can easily google him to get the link. he was doing stuff back in 1997 which is 1 year off the official flash release (1996). George Liquor was done in 1999 I believe, right? There were others but JoeCartoon was the most successful and skilled IMHO at that time. They didnt take Flash to John K's level an I am not claiming that, but they were not using it for banners as you stated. Another guy that was doing stuff much simpler than even JoeCartoon was Scott Bateman (not sure of the precise dates for Bateman, but he was using flash 2 which was released in 1997 as well.
These are some of the better known. I do not want to provide links to others without their permission but the 2 mentioned can be easily found on google and are good representatives of Flash cartoons early on.
**For the purists and the overly protective John K worshipers, relax as I am not discrediting John at all. I understand John K did stuff way better on Flash and more like the TV animation quality etc. - I am not disputing that. I am just saying that he was not the first to do cartoons or things other than ad banners as stated.
Hehe, that anon post dismissing joecartoon as "who cares if joecartoon came first" must have missed the point altogether.
Maybe anon is John...? (cue music) bum bum BUMMMMM
Way to go John on the award! If only those awards meant something to the bigshots who put out all the crap cartoons nowadays. Sadly they ignore it and move on with the filler junk made today. :-(
Too bad John's first flash cartoons were in 1996, BEFORE Joe Cartoon. Newspaper articles on Google News from that time period confirm this. Nice try, developer.
Congratulations, John! I hope someone tapes his acceptance speech or at least posts a transcript of it! Yuo deserve it more than anyone!
WPH was started at the same time as we debuted the Goddamn Liquor Program in early 1997.
I did see a bit of Disney Winnie The Pooh Flash animation just before we started, but no full cartoons that I know of.
Oh my! YOU SPELLED IT KRICFALUCI AGAIN!!! He's your friend!!!!!! How awful! Just kidding, your heart is in the right place hahahahahahaha.
Congratulations Mr K! It's about time.
Developer: According to Wikipedia Joe's breakthrough films were "Frog in a Microwave" and "Gerbil in the Microwave" but they've been removed from the sites I went to. YouTube has some of his more current films and I watched a few of those. I also saw some of the Scott Bateman that's posted there.
I don't know what to say.
for tickets:
http://annieawards.org/eventinformation.html
You don't need a tux, but if you have a suit, you might wear it. It's an animators' party, after all.
The first animation John did for Microsoft Network was back when the program was still called Future Splash Animator. It was the late Summer of 1996. The only character animation that had been done with the program at that point was a few repurposed sprites of Winnie the Pooh, done for the Disney website by Annmarie Ashkar. She joined Spumco in August or September of 1996 to work on the first two internet cartoon series… Weekend Pussy Hunt for MSN, and a little later, The Goddamn George Liquor Program for spumco.com
If you email Joe at Joecartoon, he'll tell you that his Frog in a Blender was inspired by seeing the teaser scene of the Poo Parade we posted on the Spumco website in the late Summer of 1997 or so.
See ya
Steve
I was off by two months. The first Flash animation John did was a test of Mr Sun rising and blinking. That was a little over a week before a signing at the Golden Apple where I met Annmarie. I was able to find a blurb online for that singing- it was Dec 7, 2006. So the first Flash animation was done in the end of November of 2006.
See ya
Steve
Stephen: You mean 1996 ? I get your point though.
hey eddie?
i'm sure you and the spumco gang will be there when john wins the award. if'n i can get out there, will you all sign my spumco comic book ( edition 1 from marvel )?
pwease?
- trevor.
*sigh* Why are the good things always in LA ?
Boo: Sure, if I'm able to go.
Oh, you're going to go, believe it.
Oh my GOD! John K. won the Windsor McKay award?
This was long overdue for him, I'm glad he's getting it. Maybe this will make some network executives try to believe John a little more and maybe invest. Hopefully.
Don't get me wrong, John Kricfalusi is very credible, I'm just saying that it looks like some people seem afraid to invest money for fear that a series will fail or something, I don't know.
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