I loved this character when I was a kid, but never dreamed how influential he would become. I'm looking for a good clip of Milt Kahl's animation of Ludwig Von Drake. When I find it, I'll put it up and we can discuss it.
Oh that character was especially brilliant in "A symposium on Popular Music" especially at the end where he begins rocking and rolling. Also all of his little inflections and nuianced acting throughout the short. Can't wait to see what this'll be about.
Ummm.... you're going to say that Kahl's animation is technically well-drawn, but the design is bland and the acting is cliched and if Rod Scribner had animated Von Drake that it would have been a lot better ?
Haha, knowing Milt Kahl and you, I'd say this is going towards a discussion in interesting (unbland) character designs with specific acting and funny animation.
I don't know if it's Kahl or not but in an old Donald In Adventureland cartoon he has a song about colors. Some of the best animation ever. He has so much personality. To this day that cartoon makes me laugh
Von Drake was always cool. I don't know if the particular drawings you put up were by Kahl or not (I'm guessing it's the lunchbox art) but they are still cool to me. Von Drake lives to even this day, in a recent Disney tv cartoon called "House of Mouse" (which also shows old Disney shorts) Von Drake hosted certain segments. Goes to show you can't keep a good character down.
I bet you're gonna show the 'left right, left right head shake+ double blink to a stop,head animation' that everyone has ripped off since, instead of doing thoughtful observed animation like they should. I'm just guessing!
I'm guessing, a discussion of "absent minded white haired doctors with glasses, high foreheads, and two tufts of frizzy hair" as a prefab character type, i.e. Dr. Wily.
I am guessing "when sterotypes are funny". By the way John, I saw "Boo Boo and The Man" for the first time two days ago. That was frickin' hilarous ! Mike Fontanelli's Italian voice killed me ! "Last'a time'a I came'a home with a blood on my a pointy'a shoes, my poppa senda me'a to a bed without'a no speghets !" And also I am still working on that Bosko animation, I just can't this damn "monkeyjam" thing to work.
I Think in acting one of the hardest comedy techniques that works the best is leading the audience into thinking you mean to do one thing when you are actually doing a totally different action(on purpose for the sake of comedy).I believe this character oozes this type of comedy... This character was hilarious in that way... of course in animation its obvious to an animator that this is the intent of the character but to the audience, if its done well, its just funny...
that i guess is what i see and learned from this character...
ah Von Drake! if I recall, a few years ago when the disney channel became free, they showed alot of his cartoons every night. too bad all they show now are "Footloose" wannabe films.
There isn't that much on the net with him that's like so lame for a good character I've too seen and liked this character, I always liked the more slapstick characters, so he did a good job for me, but that's me. Most of the shorts I've seen with Von Drake have him talking about some device that he's made that would back fire in some way that made a great laugh, still it's a hard mission, well good luck all!!
I can remember for years having a Disney book set which explained various sciences and bits of history which featured him and his nephews. It was a really entertaining way to learn!
Maybe it was the thought of becoming like him that was so appealing. Being a fun old person, with lots to say and do and adventures to have, rather than sitting in an old folks' home sputtering pudding on myself.
Milt Kahl used lots of straight lines as a draftsman unlike somebody like Tytla who had flowing curves, and his style became the standard in the sixties in movies like Sword and the Stone and the Jungle Book.
Look at the visual style of the elephants in the Jungle Book.
Personally I think his drawings look a bit cramped, and because the xerox process was very inprecise and eliminated cleanup, it looks messy, too.
"Personally I think his drawings look a bit cramped, and because the xerox process was very inprecise and eliminated cleanup, it looks messy, too."
I am interested in this Xerox process and how it necessitated this angular style. I have read that 'because of Xerography they did it all angular up until CAPS came along', but I have no idea what about it makes the drawings need to be a certain way.
"I am interested in this Xerox process and how it necessitated this angular style. I have read that 'because of Xerography they did it all angular up until CAPS came along', but I have no idea what about it makes the drawings need to be a certain way."
Disney himself didn't like the Xerox process, so he encouraged the animators to draw extra accurately to loosen the artistic burden on the cleanup people. Because there were no inkers to smooth out the lines even further, the cleanup people would have had to bear the full responsibility of making the animator's loose drawings look on model; the animators had to draw right on the money and this necessity produces the hesitant scratchy lines which xerox only worsens. After all, with xerox you're scanning pencil drawings (an inherently scratchy medium). This caused a real degradation in the quality of Disney animation IMO because animators couldn't draw as freely, and it's also why I don't much care for any of the movies after Sleeping Beauty in 1959.
You have to also remember that xerox was first and foremost, because it was cheaper. After the extremely expensive Sleeping Beauty tanked at the box office Disney decided he wasn't going to put that much money into features any more, so he eliminated the inkers and replaced them with an inferior method.
So Walt Disney respected the hell out of Werner Von Braun but then a few years after "Mars and Beyond" he makes total lame fun of the man in this Ludwig Von Drake character. Walt certainly knew how to amuse himself.
If your theory is based on Kahl clips many people may be right on the mark regarding design based on angles and the straights vs. curves arguments etc....
The bigger impact this character had on Animation was the invasion of learning into cartoon content.
Although certainly not the first to do it, this character attacked us weekly on "Wonderful World of Disney" and shoveled learning down our throats!
Ludwig is primarily a cartoon version of Sid Ceasar's vagabond "Professor" character (with a little Victor Borge thrown in) -- not a spoof of Von Braun. Ceasar's character was already a familiar burlesque trope when he was doing it.
if you want a spoof of Von Braun, look up Tom Lehrer's brilliant satirical lullabye sometime.
"Oh, yeah, I forgot to add that it's probably the Disney doddering professor type that was also in The Sword in The Stone (Milt Kahl) and Atlantis...Sorry, I meant Tarzan, not Atlantis."
The main character in Atlantis (Milo) was the epitomy of the doddering professor type--only a little younger than usual.
I think I know where this is going... Ducktales and the Saturday morning Disney cartoons of the late 80s early 90s? Possibly how those cartoons copy this character and lose what was good about the original, replacing it with blandness.
I'm looking for a good clip of Milt Kahl's animation of Ludwig Von Drake. When I find it, I'll put it up and we can discuss it.
47 comments:
Oh that character was especially brilliant in "A symposium on Popular Music" especially at the end where he begins rocking and rolling. Also all of his little inflections and nuianced acting throughout the short. Can't wait to see what this'll be about.
Off Topic:
You asked a couple of posts ago who animated Donald's Cousin Gus's walk? After asking around, I found out the answer!
The walk was animated by Woolie Reitherman.
Ask Dr. Stupid!
"Can anyone guess where this is headed?"
Ummm.... you're going to say that Kahl's animation is technically well-drawn, but the design is bland and the acting is cliched and if Rod Scribner had animated Von Drake that it would have been a lot better ?
Is this a trick question?
;-)
"I 'ave never seen a more convuzed duck in ole my years of prractizing psoychoiatry. Ha-haaaa!"
This is my favorite Disney characer along with George Geef in those How To's. Who did he influence?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OE6clPyFOYM
The voice is amazing. It's Paul Frees.
Is this by Milt Kahl ? (I have no idea)
VonDrake clip
Haha, knowing Milt Kahl and you, I'd say this is going towards a discussion in interesting (unbland) character designs with specific acting and funny animation.
Oh, I loved him too...
Really waiting for the Milt Kahl's clip & discussion...
I love Von Drake,
I don't know if it's Kahl or not but in an old Donald In Adventureland cartoon he has a song about colors. Some of the best animation ever. He has so much personality. To this day that cartoon makes me laugh
un-cool characters that kids love! (of course, being a nerd, I find that duck to be awesome)
Von Drake was always cool. I don't know if the particular drawings you put up were by Kahl or not (I'm guessing it's the lunchbox art) but they are still cool to me. Von Drake lives to even this day, in a recent Disney tv cartoon called "House of Mouse" (which also shows old Disney shorts) Von Drake hosted certain segments. Goes to show you can't keep a good character down.
I bet you're gonna show the 'left right, left right head shake+ double blink to a stop,head animation' that everyone has ripped off since, instead of doing thoughtful observed animation like they should. I'm just guessing!
I'm guessing, a discussion of "absent minded white haired doctors with glasses, high foreheads, and two tufts of frizzy hair" as a prefab character type, i.e. Dr. Wily.
Von Drake was usually more talk than action. Maybe that's what John is hinting at.
"Can anyone guess where this is headed?"
I am guessing "when sterotypes are funny". By the way John, I saw "Boo Boo and The Man" for the first time two days ago. That was frickin' hilarous ! Mike Fontanelli's Italian voice killed me ! "Last'a time'a I came'a home with a blood on my a pointy'a shoes, my poppa senda me'a to a bed without'a no speghets !" And also I am still working on that Bosko animation, I just can't this damn "monkeyjam" thing to work.
k
I Think in acting one of the hardest comedy techniques that works the best is leading the audience into thinking you mean to do one thing when you are actually doing a totally different action(on purpose for the sake of comedy).I believe this character oozes this type of comedy... This character was hilarious in that way... of course in animation its obvious to an animator that this is the intent of the character but to the audience, if its done well, its just funny...
that i guess is what i see and learned from this character...
i'm guessing he influenced people to do something bad?
he at least has character.
Could it be that he is the first major use of the angular design / eye stretch expressions that would become the model for everything afterwards?
from the "Disney Gets Almost Specific" post
"...Squash one, stretch the other...
...One at a time. For a take, stretch one up first, and the other follows but doesn't quite make it as high..."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFft9sNsoAA&NR=1
Who animated this one? I love it.
My guess is it's something about his angular design.
ah Von Drake!
if I recall, a few years ago when the disney channel became free, they showed alot of his cartoons every night. too bad all they show now are "Footloose" wannabe films.
There isn't that much on the net with him that's like so lame for a good character I've too seen and liked this character, I always liked the more slapstick characters, so he did a good job for me, but that's me. Most of the shorts I've seen with Von Drake have him talking about some device that he's made that would back fire in some way that made a great laugh, still it's a hard mission, well good luck all!!
I found this animation and just had to share. It creeps me right the heck out, but it's timed to music so you might enjoy.
inspiration for:
Marlon Hoek! ...or... Dr Stupid !
I can remember for years having a Disney book set which explained various sciences and bits of history which featured him and his nephews. It was a really entertaining way to learn!
Maybe it was the thought of becoming like him that was so appealing. Being a fun old person, with lots to say and do and adventures to have, rather than sitting in an old folks' home sputtering pudding on myself.
Milt Kahl used lots of straight lines as a draftsman unlike somebody like Tytla who had flowing curves, and his style became the standard in the sixties in movies like Sword and the Stone and the Jungle Book.
Look at the visual style of the elephants in the Jungle Book.
Personally I think his drawings look a bit cramped, and because the xerox process was very inprecise and eliminated cleanup, it looks messy, too.
I'm not sure where this is headed, but wasn't Dr. Stupid based on the Mr. Know-It-All segment from Rocky & Bullwinkle?
"Personally I think his drawings look a bit cramped, and because the xerox process was very inprecise and eliminated cleanup, it looks messy, too."
I am interested in this Xerox process and how it necessitated this angular style. I have read that 'because of Xerography they did it all angular up until CAPS came along', but I have no idea what about it makes the drawings need to be a certain way.
Could anyone explain this?
"I am interested in this Xerox process and how it necessitated this angular style. I have read that 'because of Xerography they did it all angular up until CAPS came along', but I have no idea what about it makes the drawings need to be a certain way."
Disney himself didn't like the Xerox process, so he encouraged the animators to draw extra accurately to loosen the artistic burden on the cleanup people. Because there were no inkers to smooth out the lines even further, the cleanup people would have had to bear the full responsibility of making the animator's loose drawings look on model; the animators had to draw right on the money and this necessity produces the hesitant scratchy lines which xerox only worsens. After all, with xerox you're scanning pencil drawings (an inherently scratchy medium). This caused a real degradation in the quality of Disney animation IMO because animators couldn't draw as freely, and it's also why I don't much care for any of the movies after Sleeping Beauty in 1959.
You have to also remember that xerox was first and foremost, because it was cheaper. After the extremely expensive Sleeping Beauty tanked at the box office Disney decided he wasn't going to put that much money into features any more, so he eliminated the inkers and replaced them with an inferior method.
So Walt Disney respected the hell out of Werner Von Braun but then a few years after "Mars and Beyond" he makes total lame fun of the man in this Ludwig Von Drake character. Walt certainly knew how to amuse himself.
If your theory is based on Kahl clips many people may be right on the mark regarding design based on angles and the straights vs. curves arguments etc....
The bigger impact this character had on Animation was the invasion of learning into cartoon content.
Although certainly not the first to do it, this character attacked us weekly on "Wonderful World of Disney" and shoveled learning down our throats!
J;)
I've always disliked him, and always will.
Ludwig is primarily a cartoon version of Sid Ceasar's vagabond "Professor" character (with a little Victor Borge thrown in) -- not a spoof of Von Braun. Ceasar's character was already a familiar burlesque trope when he was doing it.
if you want a spoof of Von Braun, look up Tom Lehrer's brilliant satirical lullabye sometime.
thanks a ton dume3!
glen keane really doesnt seem to go well with that process, haha
The first time I saw what Ward Kimball looked like, I thought he looked like Von Drake!
Oh, yeah, I forgot to add that it's probably the Disney doddering professor type that was also in The Sword in The Stone (Milt Kahl) and Atlantis.
Sorry, I meant Tarzan, not Atlantis.
You've definitely got my attention with this cliffhanger. Is it about xerography?
"Oh, yeah, I forgot to add that it's probably the Disney doddering professor type that was also in The Sword in The Stone (Milt Kahl) and Atlantis...Sorry, I meant Tarzan, not Atlantis."
The main character in Atlantis (Milo) was the epitomy of the doddering professor type--only a little younger than usual.
I think I know where this is going...
Ducktales and the Saturday morning Disney cartoons of the late 80s early 90s? Possibly how those cartoons copy this character and lose what was good about the original, replacing it with blandness.
I would agree with some, and say specific, offbeat, expressive, character acting.
I just watched that "pickle clip" posted above, and I saw more than the stock three expressions in a mere 11 seconds.
Is it that Disney and others kept recycling this same character type in various watered down versions?
Wasn't Ward Kimball handling the Ludwig duties?
I seem to remember a story about Ward complaining about having to work on Ludwig. I could be wrong.
I have a clip of Von Drake over on my throwback blog. CHECK IT OUT! CLICK BELOW....
http://sacks10.blogspot.com
FInally found some Von Drake cartoons, I hope these will help.
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=kaijueguy&search_query=von&search=Search
Post a Comment