Chuck Redux

Image of the Day: Creature From Another Planet

"Creature From Another Planet" hand-painted cel art edition of 60, 10.5" x 25"

Chuck Jones' iconic 1953 film, "Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 Century" pits the intrepid Daffy Duck and his sidekick Porky Pig (Space Cadet) against a Martian named Marvin in a spoof of the very popular space opera films and radio/television serials of the period.  Maurice Noble designed the amazing background layouts for the short film (Planet X!)  

Become a Volunteer!

What is Chuck Jones Center for Creativity?

The Center for Creativity was founded by famed animation director, Chuck Jones, in 1999 as The Chuck Jones Foundation.  After Chuck’s death in 2002, the Board of Trustees changed the name to Chuck Jones Center for Creativity and expanded the mission to focus on inspiring the joy of creativity in people of all ages, especially children, through Chuck’s unique perspective and vast body of work.

 

The heart of the Center for Creativity lies in the series of experiential programs offered to the public:

 

·      Classes in creativity through art for young people

·      Classes in creativity for adults (in development)

·      Lively presentations on Chuck Jones’ life and work by members of his family

·      Exhibitions of rarely seen original art from the Center’s permanent collection

·      Research access to the collection for selected scholars and authors

·      Interactive website portal (in development)

 

How can you resist?

Contact:  Pamela Marsden, Program Director, 949.660.7793, Pam@ChuckJonesCenter.org

Volunteer position:  Docent

 

What you get to do:

 

1. Initiate conversations with passers-by, inviting them into the Center for Creativity to see the exhibitions.
2. Ask visitors to sign the guest book and provide contact information.
3. Talk about the Center’s community programs and hand out fliers.
4. Talk about creativity, imagination, and art!

 

Your benefits:

 

1. Draw inspiration from the genius and works of famed four-time Oscar® winner, Warner Bros. animation director Chuck Jones.
2. Build your resume.
3. Bring your sketchpad and draw on the job!
4. Receive invitations to exhibition openings and other special events hosted by the Center.

 

Location:

 

Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, 131 W. Chapman Ave., Orange, CA 92866

 

Hours:

 

Negotiable—Part-time hours available between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday

 

Your qualifications:

 

1. A gregarious, outgoing person who loves to engage people in conversation about creativity.
2. Ability to draw, plus a background in art or education, is a plus!
3. Bilingual in Spanish and English is also a plus!

 

Requirements:

 

1. Ability to commit to a regular schedule.
2. References from at least three people.
3. To protect the children who participate in our programs, we ask that applicants for this volunteer position cover the cost of a criminal background check and fingerprinting.

Volunteer position:  Teaching Artist

 

Opportunity to explore and celebrate individual creativity in people of all ages through the unique perspective of Academy Award®-winning director and animator, Chuck Jones.

 

Locations: 

 

Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, 131 W. Chapman Ave., Orange, CA 92866

Possible on-site programs at area schools (in development)

 

Hours per week:  5-10 to start (varies with seasonal class schedule).

 

What you get to do:

 

1. Share the artistic disciplines and techniques that give you the most joy in a classroom setting.

2. Provide a safe, inclusive environment where mistakes lead to new understanding, trying new techniques is encouraged, and every student experiences his or her creative potential.

3. Base class activities on the work and creative philosophy of Chuck Jones.

 

Your benefits:

 

1. Draw inspiration from the genius and works of famed four-time Oscar® winner, Warner Bros. animation director Chuck Jones.
2. Develop your own creative potential.
3. Build your resume.
4. Receive invitations to exhibition openings and other special events hosted by the Center.

 

Your qualifications: 

 

1. Classroom experience as an art teacher.
2. Artistic talent, especially the ability to draw.
3. History of working respectfully with people of all ages, especially children and teenagers, and from a variety of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
4. Strong desire to support the Center’s mission and serve the community.
5. Willingness to commit to regular volunteer hours and a schedule.
6. Cheerful, calm attitude.  (No chirpiness, though.  We have our limits.)
7. Ability to think on one’s feet, be flexible, and switch focus at very short notice.
8. Comfort with the informal, dynamic atmosphere of a small nonprofit group.
9. Sense of humor. 
10. Familiarity with and affection and respect for Chuck Jones’ work.
11. Fluency in both English and Spanish is a plus.
12. References from at least three people.
13. To protect the children who participate in our programs, we ask that applicants for this volunteer position cover the cost of a criminal background check and fingerprinting.

Volunteer position:  Creativity Aide

 

Opportunity to work with teaching artists who explore and celebrate individual creativity in people of all ages through the unique perspective of Academy Award®-winning director and animator, Chuck Jones.

 

Locations: 

 

Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, 131 W. Chapman Ave., Orange, CA 92866

Possible on-site programs at area schools (in development)

 

Hours per week:  5-10 to start (varies with seasonal class schedule).

 

What you get to do:

 

1.  Assist teaching artists with weekly classes in creativity through art:

 

1. Set up and clean up room.
2. Assist with materials.
3. Work with students, as directed by teaching artist.
4. Make sure that children leave class only with authorized adults/family.
5. Keep attendance sheet.
6. Act as the other responsible adult.
7. Note and write down “success stories” and other positive comments relayed by parents, young artists, and other family members.

 

2.  Take photographs and shoot videos during art classes at the Center (videotaping not required, but is a definite plus).

 

Your benefits:

 

1. Draw inspiration from the genius and works of famed four-time Oscar® winner, Warner Bros. animation director Chuck Jones.
2. Develop your own creative potential.
3. Build your resume.
4. Receive invitations to exhibition openings and other special events hosted by the Center.

 

Your qualifications: 

 

1. History of working respectfully with people of all ages, especially children and teenagers, and from a variety of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
2. Strong desire to support the Center’s mission and serve the community.
3. Willingness to commit to regular volunteer hours and a schedule.
4. Cheerful, calm attitude.  (No chirpiness, though.  We have our limits.)
5. Ability to think on one’s feet, be flexible, and switch focus at very short notice.
6. Comfort with the informal, dynamic atmosphere of a small nonprofit group.
7. Sense of humor. 
8. Familiarity with and affection and respect for Chuck Jones’ work.
9. Classroom experience as a teacher, assistant, or volunteer is a plus.
10. Artistic talent, especially the ability to draw, is a plus.
11. Fluency in both English and Spanish is another plus.
12. To protect the children who participate in our programs, we ask that applicants for this volunteer position cover the cost of a criminal background check and fingerprinting.
13. References from at least three people.

Volunteer position:  Program and Fundraising Assistant

 

Opportunity to join a team of imaginative people with a nonprofit organization devoted to exploring and celebrating individual creativity through the unique perspective of Academy Award-winning director and animator, Chuck Jones.

 

Location: 

 

Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, Administrative Office, 3065 Edinger Ave., Tustin, CA 92780

 

Hours per week:  10-15 to start—will increase as programs and fundraising expand.

 

Your responsibilities:

 

1. Assist staff with class administration and marketing:

 

1. Update and send schedules and registration forms via e-mail.
2. Confirm registrations by e-mail.
3. Maintain registration and contact rosters.
4. Help answer questions via telephone and e-mail.
5. Write down “success stories” and other positive comments when talking to parents of students.
6. Coordinate with teaching artists and Center staff.
7. Distribute questionnaires and track responses.
8. Order art supplies.

 

2. Assist with special events (art exhibitions, presentations, fundraisers, etc.):

 

1. Bring brochures, fliers, DVDs, books, nametags, art, and other materials.
2. Help with setup and cleanup.
3. Greet guests.
4. Keep guest book.
5. Offer refreshments.

 

3. Prepare thank-you letters to donors for signature.

4. Enter donor information into GiftWorks donor database.

5. Drop off mail at Post Office.
6. Other responsibilities as they come up; cheerful flexibility is essential!  

Your benefits:

 

1. Build your resume with valuable transferable skills that will be useful to any organization.
2. Draw inspiration from the genius and works of famed four-time Oscar® winner, Warner Bros. animation director Chuck Jones.
3. Develop your own creative potential.
4. Receive invitations to exhibition openings and other special events hosted by the Center.

 

Qualifications: 

 

1. History of working respectfully with people of all ages and from a variety of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
2. Strong desire to support the Center’s mission and serve the community.
3. Willingness to commit to regular volunteer hours and a schedule.
4. Cheerful, calm attitude.  (No chirpiness, though.  We have our limits.)
5. Ability to think on one’s feet, be flexible, and switch focus at very short notice.
6. Comfort with the informal, dynamic atmosphere of a small nonprofit group.
7. Sense of humor. 
8. Familiarity with and affection and respect for Chuck Jones’ work.
9. Basic computer literacy:  Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel.
10. Fluency in both English and Spanish is a plus.
11. References from at least three people.
12. To protect the children who participate in our programs, we ask that applicants for this volunteer position cover the cost of a criminal background check and fingerprinting.

 

Contact:  Pamela Marsden, Program Director, 949.660.7793, Pam@ChuckJonesCenter.org

 

Image of the Day: No Barking

"No Barking" bow-wowed in theaters on February 27, 1954.  It was the final installment in the Frisky Puppy series and considered by Jerry Beck and Will Friedwald to be one of Chuck Jones' mini-masterpieces.  The entire cartoon was animated by the phenomenally talented animator Ken Harris.  It was the only Jones cartoon where the Clampett/Freleng character, Tweety Bird, made an appearance (albeit a cameo.) 

This image is a 12 field hand-painted cel art edition (Director's Cut) that captures the moment Tweety Bird first appears and utters his trademark line, "I tawt I taw a puddy tat." 

Image of the Day: The Wearing of the Grin

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, an original production background from the 1951 Chuck Jones directed short animated cartoon, "The Wearing of the Grin" starring Porky Pig.  (Ironically, the film was released in theaters on July 14th of that year, Bastille Day.) 

Celebrating Dr. Seuss' birthday with the Grinch and a roomful of first graders

On March 1, Pamela Marsden (the Center for Creativity's Program Director) and Cheryl Posner (Executive Director) visited Arica Dowd's first-grade class at Orange County Educational Arts Academy in Santa Ana to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday.

After telling the pajama-clad students about Chuck Jones' friendship with Dr. Seuss--and how that friendship led to the creation of the 1966 animated holiday classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, based on Dr. Seuss' 1957 children's book--Pam read the book out loud, much to everyone's enjoyment.  And then, we all watched the cartoon together.

What a wonderful way to celebrate a birthday!

  

Dr. Seuss characters, names, and all related indicia are trademarks of the 1984 Ted Geisel Trust and Turner Entertainment Inc. copyright 2010.  Please don't steal this image.  No animation directors or storytellers were harmed to create this blog entry.

Image of the Day: Fast and Furry-ous

Original model sheet from production 1091: "Fast and Furry-ous" of 1949.  The first Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner appearance directed by Chuck Jones. 

Image of the Day: The Phantom Tollbooth

"It's an Alphabeautiful Mathemagical New Musical Movie!" That is the tag line used in advertising "The Phantom Tollbooth" a 1970 feature length film directed and produced by Chuck Jones.  (It was his only feature length film.)  A combination of live action (Chuck makes a cameo appearance in the beginning live action sequence) and animation, "The Phantom Tollbooth" is about a young boy, Milo, who is bored with his life when suddenly a magic tollbooth appears in his room & propels him into a marvelous quest to save the Princesses Rhyme and Reason.  This is the second adaptation of a book by Norton Juster that Chuck Jones made into a film, the first being his Academy Award-winning "The Dot and The Line" of 1966.

The artwork (mixed media on board, approx. 4" x 8") pictured is a pre-production concept work by Phyllis Graham, the wife of the revered teacher and artist, Don Graham, from whom Chuck Jones took many a life-drawing class in the 1940s and 1950s.  It has been selected by the curator of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences gallery to be a part of an upcoming exhibition of the art of Chuck Jones opening May 14, 2010 in their Beverly Hills facility. 

Image of the Day: Tunnel Vision

"Tunnel Vision" a hand-painted cel art edition of 250 by Chuck Jones. 

“I see nothing in the Coyote that I can’t find in almost any human being.  Most of us share his desire for something small and special, be it diamonds, doughnuts, or Road Runner.  Wile E. Coyote devotes enormous ingenuity and energy to chasing the Road Runner.  People wonder what good it would do him to catch the Road Runner, as there’s obviously very little food on that scrawny frame.  A rabbit would seem to be more nutritious prey, but Wile E. considers roadrunner to be a luxury item on the coyote’s food chain.  There are delicacies as yet unknown to the human palate, and one of them is this apparently succulent avian." --Chuck Jones

Image of the Day: Soundstage

"Soundstage" a 16 field (13.5" x 33") pan cel art edition of 750

Chuck Jones on Pepé le Pew:  "If you can't do it yourself, animate somebody who can--Pepé le Pew, for example.   Pepé's sexual confidence is absolute.  he sees rejection as no more than a temporary setback, and every pursuit as an interesting variation on the road to inevitable success.  (For myself, as an eighteen-year-old I took every expression from every girl as a rejection.  If I couldn't find a rejection I liked, I would invent one.)

"Pepé is the individual I always wanted to be, so sure of his appeal to women that it never occurs to him that his attentions might be unwelcome, or even offensive.  I tried to make Pepé's confidence a part of my own personality, hoping to share in his sexual success.  On the screen it worked." 

Image of the Day: Left at Albuquerque

"I shoulda taken a left turn at Albuquerque," laments Bugs Bunny as he finds his bearings on the way to the Carrot Festival in the Coachella Valley.  Perhaps one of the most iconic sentences ever written for the screen, this line sets up the action to come for the Chuck Jones directed 1953 crowd-pleaser "Bully for Bugs."  Chuck Jones remarked that they wouldn't have made a film about bull-fighting if Eddie Selzer, the producer, hadn't stuck his head into Chuck's office during a meeting and said, "No cartoons about bull-fighting."  If Selzer thought a bull-fighting cartoon wouldn't be funny, they had no choice but to make one. ("Left at Albuquerque" hand-painted cel art edition of 250, available at your Chuck Jones Gallery, click through on the image for more details.)