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Now, that's scary!! Happy Halloween, everyone!
"Trick or Treat" a limited edition hand-painted cel. Chuck Jones's original line drawing was transferred to an acetate sheet and hand-painted by expert cel painters.*
*Cel painters: there are so few left in the world, they are truly an endangered species!
It's interesting, isn't it, when you get to see how a director works out the question of a blank reel of film? That's what's happening here in this rough layout drawing for Chuck Jones's "Knight-Mare Hare" which rode into theaters on October 1, 1955 as Jones positions his characters for future movement.
Besides Merlin wearing a beanie cap, I am tickled by the list of Bugs Bunny's royal friends in this cartoon: Count of Basie, Duke of Ellington, the Earl of Hines, the Cab of Calloway, the Satchmo of Armstrong. (It just makes me giggle.)
"Maurice--Can you get a sort of malevolent face out of this bldg.?", asks Chuck Jones of famed layout designer, Maurice Noble, regarding Noble's design for Scene 3 of the 1954 Jones directed "Claws for Alarm" (production #1288.) Porky and Sylvester star in this spooky animated cartoon that finds them spending the night in a haunted hotel in the ghost town they've found themselves in. Porky blithely overlooks all of the creepy aspects (nooses, mooses, and mouse eyes,) but Sylvester is wise to what's going on and guards Porky throughout a hilarious sequence of frightening events. A classic!
"Well, I am a little fat-ee-gued," yawns Bugs Bunny as he slips into a slumber in Count Bloodcount's castle in this 1963 short animated film by Chuck Jones. "Transylvania 6-5000" flew into theaters (on bat wings) on November 30, 1963 (after Jones had left the studio to head up MGM's animation department.)
Wish I could've found the whole cartoon, but this will give you a little 'taste'...
"Water, Water, Every Hare" flowed into theaters nationwide on April 19, 1952. Directed by Chuck Jones, it continues the story of "Hair - Raising Hare" (in its own way, of course) of 1946. This time the evil scientist needs a brain for his mechanized monster & who better to assist than, Gossamer. I won't repeat the most famous line from this film, but can you?
"Splitting Hares", a 16 field hand-painted cel art edition of 201.
"Broomstick Bunny" flew into theaters (on a broom, of course!) on February 25, 1956. The second outing for the Chuck Jones character, Witch Hazel (the first being 1954's "Bewitched Bunny",) and here we find her deathly afraid of becoming beautiful. Bugs, of course, is onto her machinations and utters one of my favorite lines, "Who undoes your hair?" all the while finessing his way around her legerdemain and potions (particularly those beauty ones.)
Close to 100 friends of Chuck Jones Center for Creativity made their way to Orange this past Saturday evening as the Center launched its inaugural fund-raiser, "Creativity Season." There was much merriment, great food, good spirits (of the liquid kind too!,) and lively repartee: what more could a non-profit devoted to inspiring creativity ask for? Okay, simple answer: money. Friends of the Center showed their true colors by bidding & winning Silent Auction items; some items were so 'hot' that they were bought by opting to 'buy-it-now'. And that was just the beginning! We thought we'd share a few photographs from the evening's festivities with you.
The amazing James C. Mulligan (we all call him Jimmy!) worked all night to complete the mural on the back of the Center's building in Old Towne Orange. Guests stood in awe of his prodigious talent (some even got to hold his paint for him while he worked!)
As you can see the resulting work of art is a show-stopper! Thank you Mr. James C. Mulligan for donating your talent to the Center. We appreciate you!
During the evening, guests were invited to work on canvases that had been prepared with a Chuck Jones line drawing & the results were outstanding. Mrs. Sharon Smith got the paint ball rolling on this canvas that featured Bugs Bunny at his artist easel.
Chris Scardino, one of the Center's teaching artists, lent his expertise to Glenn Locke as the project continued and guests painted a canvas depicting Road Runner and Coyote.
Animation director and Chuck Jones "Dover Boy", Chris Bailey, helped out by filling in the blank canvas Bugs is working on (shown here with Linda Jones Clough, Chuck's daughter.)
Throughout the evening, raffle prizes were drawn. Mrs. Beverly Brown won a hand-signed Chuck Jones-designed Christmas Card!
The Board of Trustees of Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, from left: Marian Jones, Craig Kausen (Chairman,) Linda Jones Clough and Todd Kausen. Not shown is Valerie Kausen.
The live auction got off to a lively start & before you knew it, bidding wars were cropping up everywhere you turned. Our auctioneer, Bill, really put his heart and soul into making the auction a memorable event. Much needed funds were raised!
None of this would have been possible without the tireless effort of the staff of the Center, Cheryl Posner, Executive Director (third from left) and Pam Marsden, Program Director, (on the right) shown here basking in the glory of the new mural with Tracy Tanner (far left) President of the Chuck Jones Council for Creativity (the volunteer community ambassadors for the Center,) without whose awesome talent this event would not have been nearly as wonderful, with Council member Stephen Russo (and the photographer for all of the photos in this post.
Thank you to everyone who joined us Saturday evening and who gave freely to help us insure that these much-needed creativity programs will continue into the future. Huzzahs all around!
Would you like to join us AS OUR GUEST for the inaugural "Creativity Season" Fundraising Event at the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity this Saturday, October 23rd?
Tell us your story of how you have been inspired by Chuck Jones and his work (in 100 words or less) and you'll be entered into a drawing to get 2 complimentary tickets to "Creativity Season," October 23rd in Old Towne Orange. Winners will be selected and notified Friday evening, October 22nd.
For details about the event, click here.
Don't know what to do on Saturday, October 23rd from 6 to 9 PM? Head on down to the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, 131 W. Chapman, Orange, California for their first annual fund-raiser, CREATIVITY SEASON! Tickets are still available, but space is limited so click here and get yours now!
Muralist and actor (and all around bon vivant), Jimmy Mulligan, will be our special guest. He was at the Center this past Saturday and working with a terrific group of kids, painted this:
Plus he talks about the experience here:
