Oh, Those Crazy Soldiers!

Here's another great illustration for the WWII "Soldiers and Towels" series. These soldiers seem happiest when they forget all about fighting and just lounge around the pool in their towels (or even without!). In the center of the picture, one guy in the pool is making a mustache with one hand, and with the other, he's doing the "Heil Hitler!" gesture. He has even parted his hair on the right side, like Hitler!

One thing that's interesting about these illustrations, is that very often the people look very much alike. That's probably because the artist only had one or two models to paint from. What I like about this picture is the composition, and the way the light and shadows play on the men's faces and bodies.

Towels Make the Man

Here's another in the WWII towel ad series. Despite the hardships of war, the soldiers still found time to play such games as "Make your buddy drop his towel". Good clean fun! Just look at all those happy, smiling faces!

Once again, it's that time of year when Animan is very busy with outside work. This means a reduction in animation time, which prolongs the release of the next video. But there WILL be a next video--I can't say when it will be ready yet--but I'm hoping June or July.

Towels in WWII

Hi, Friends. Animan has been very busy. I wanted to make some more artwork for the blog, but I haven't had a chance. This is my busy time of year. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!

A few months ago, a friend sent Animan this ad for towels. It was probably published in American magazines between 1943~1945.  I've seen it on a few blogs here and there. 

The soldiers seem to be having a wonderful time, and it almost seems shocking by today's standards! I guess you just had to BE there. 

Animation Kit

Long long ago, there was a place in Disneyland's "Tomorrowland" called "The Art Corner". At one time, they actually sold cels from Disney movies! Nowadays, some of those are appearing on Ebay at earth-shattering prices.

When I was about 14, I learned that The Art Corner was selling an animation kit. I don't know where that information came from, but I went bananas when I found out. Since Christmas was coming up, I told my parents that THIS was the gift I wanted. I still can't believe the price tag: $6.95! My parents were able to get it for me--now that I think of it, this was a long time after the Art Corner's heyday, so I probably got the last Animation Kit in existence! It was pretty bare-bones as you can see in the photo. I didn't get the "How to Draw Donald Duck" or "How to Draw Chip and Dale" books, though. Little did I realize at the time, that this would be the first step toward "Animan-ism".

Now I don't use a drawing table, because then I'd have to scan in all the drawings. My current software (and hardware) allow me to draw directly onto the computer screen. This is light-years beyond the Animation Kit.

Critic's Voice Take Your Choice

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"LEX"

You can order Lex from the Animan Shop.

Trailer!

Something to whet your appetite.

Coming Soon to Animan's World!

Well, Animan has been pretty secretive with his 
newest video--maybe a little TOO secretive. So here is the cast of "Lex Stern M.D.", Animan's newest adventure. It's far from completed, but it'll be finished for sure by March 8. If all goes well, even sooner! For those of you who are curious, all the characters in this video talk--and they don't overdo it, either!                        

Our First Year!

Many thanks to all of Animan's dear friends who helped to make the first year of Animan's World a big success! There were a few problems here and there, but the biggest and best part was the wonderful and loving encouragement offered for Animan and this blog. Heartfelt thanks, Dear Friends!  Here's looking forward to another year of new adventures for all of us.

I tried to find something fitting for the occasion, and came up with this photo I found on the net. It was taken in a Mexican/American border town, and appears to be a human version of viagra. I love the design of this! Note how his cleft chin also doubles as pecs! And that's a nice big package he's sporting there. Not much in back, but that's due to the slim shape of the tablet. Anyway, he seems to be impaled on a sturdy stick, and that's pretty exciting!

Backyard Fun

Hello, friends of the Animan family--and welcome to all you new-cummers!

Animan is hard at work on the next video, and as always, it's taking a little longer than I hoped. In the meantime, here's a background to keep you company in my absence!

An Animan Tutorial

Many of Animan's friends have been patiently waiting for another Animan tutorial, so here it is!

This time, I'll show you a simple way to use the software to create a speaking character. Just click the links below this picture.

 SpeakingTutorialMOV

SpeakingTutorialWMV

This tutorial is 54 minutes long, and it's all in one piece. It will probably take quite a while to download.  But the picture is very clear!

Occasionally, someone will tell me that an Animan cartoon downloaded only partially, and when it hits a certain point, the screen turns black.  Long downloading times can cause computers to "time out". Most of the time though, just downloading the file again will solve the problem.

As always, PLEASE be careful downloading--I'm sure you don't want a bunch of invasive cyber garbage flowing into your computer. 

Here's a Pretty How-De-Do

Soon, Animan's World will celebrate its first year as a blog. A lot has happened this past year. 

When you buy an Animan video, it makes sense that you would want to share it with your friends. That's part of the video experience. That's all included in the $7 price tag. 

But putting all the video links up on a site where thousands can access them instantly is quite another matter. It's mean and cowardly. The videos ARE copyrighted. Unfortunately, I am not able to micro-manage or control this sort of dishonesty.

Today's post is NOT intended for Animan's good and loyal friends. It is intended as a rebuttal against the share site mentioned.

A number of things are mentioned in these screencaps taken from such a site. Animan will respond to some of them.

"I think that we should make a thread about his works, they are awesome and btw, to see if someone shares his videos"

TSK TSK.  I should feel flattered that you admire my videos so much. Have you ever given any thought to the person who worked so hard to create them?  If you did, you wouldn't "share" them behind his back.

"The people that had paid for them were not going to share them cause they only cost $7 or so."

It's $7.  Animan's KUDOS to those of you who didn't give in to the freeloaders.

"I think the corn got in the way of the porn".

LOL. A sense of humor depends on the person, where they were born and what time period they live in. Even Shakespeare gets corny when it's played back over and over.

"….hearing the characters talking about 'fucking pussy' was really off putting."

Animan has resolved that words about female genitalia will no longer be heard in Animan videos.  Not because some crabby appletons on an unrelated blog moaned and pissed about it behind his back, but rather because someone brought it up on Animan's World, in a forthright, friendly and diplomatic way.

"The fact the sites do what they did is tacky as hell, but we're not about to change the fact that they do it."

You express my feelings about your site perfectly.

"It would be great if you upload them. Im sure everyone will be very appreciative, i know i will"

Well ANIMAN is NOT appreciative.

"carmen

camp

bigbeachadventures

they will all drop at 6pm PST today."

HOW UTTERLY SICKENING.

THIS IS VERY DISCOURAGING.

IN CONCLUSION

I have many artist friends who joyously set out producing fabulous gay art--but they STOPPED, because the drawings they wanted to sell were pirated and offered for FREE on blogs. Brilliant careers cut down by stinginess and greed. What a pity. Isn't it ridiculous that people who love the art think nothing about pulling the rug out from under the artist who CREATED it? THen they complain that there's "not much good stuff out there". 

I only started making these videos so that there could be something just for us gay folks. Something that maybe didn't exist before, and that might make our world a little better and brighter.

If this were a perfect world, everything could be free. Unfortunately, Animan has to pay for food and rent like the rest of us.  The more money Animan can make from his hard work on the videos, then the less outside work Animan needs to do, and the more time he can have to lavish on making the videos.  If they get shared for free, the money STOPS. The animation machine STOPS. The videos STOP. That's how simple it is!

Animan acknowledges that there are thousands of friends and fans who DON'T try and cheat him behind his back. You are the ones for whom I make the videos. Those who cheat the process and then complain and bitch about the videos have no voice in Animan's World.

If Animan videos survive, and flourish, it will be due to those of you who offer your kind support and encouragement, and help Animan to afford to have the time to make the videos, and make them bigger and better. 

If Animan videos vanish someday, it will be due to those of you who unkindly offer them up for free to the masses You will be the ones who kill the goose that lays those golden eggs you seem to want so badly.  

Animating a Walk Cycle

In the old days of animation, everything was "hand-drawn". If a character was walking, every different pose was made as one drawing. Now we are in the digital age, and there are lots of short-cuts. One of them is, to build the character as a cut-out puppet, and move the different pieces, in order to create the illusion of animation. This is what is called "Flash" animation, because users of Flash kept their data files small by using this method.
Although Animan doesn't really like this style as much as as the hand-drawn way, it's great for making characters walk, run or whatever. The way a person walks tells us a lot about what kind of a person they are, or how they're feeling. Making walk cycles with cut-out puppets allows the animator to keep tweaking the animation until it has just the right feeling. Here's a video showing how it's done!

Italian Beefcake, Anyone?

This is Rossano Brazzi! He co-starred in the movie "South Pacific" (1958). Unfortunately, there were no scenes like this in the movie! This was a publicity shot, probably taken at Hanalei Bay in Kaua'i. All Animan can say is, "Hubba Hubba"!
My dad had a stack of old Playboy magazines from the '60's. I used to "borrow" them--not for the photographs, because those didn't do a thing for me--but rather for the full-color illustrations and comics which were magnificent.
One day, I ran across a series that spanned several issues, "Sex in the Cinema", and this picture was in it. I just flipped out! This is a pretty daring publicity photo for the '50's--a handsome male movie star in a skimpy little swimsuit, with plenty of body hair.
One day, Dad gave away his Playboy collection and I was crushed. I should have kept that one issue! I searched all over the web to see if anyone had posted this photo. Nope. Finally, I located some old Playboy magazines on Ebay, and at last found my beloved picture. Now he is here in all his splendor, so the world can enjoy this gorgeous man.

Popeye and Bluto

Here is a screengrab of Popeye and Bluto in a dance pose from "Morning Noon and Nightclub", which I found on YouTube. It's nice to imagine what a pose like this could lead to....! 

Sexy Bluto

In the beginning days of the old Popeye cartoons, Bluto looked like a big, round mountain with a little head on it. As long as he was always standing up, then there were no problems. But as the stories developed more, Bluto had to be more flexible, and so his body was modified accordingly. Here are two poses that look like something out of an Animan cartoon!

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IF YOU'RE NEW TO ANIMAN'S WORLD, YOU MIGHT WANT TO CHECK OUT

THE FREE VIDEOS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE:

http://animancartoons.blogspot.jp/2012/03/download-freebies.html

By downloading these videos, you warrant that you are of legal age to view sexually explicit material.

Cool Animation!!

I just can't resist sharing this with you. Here is an animated commercial from Germany, probably made in the 1950's. It may have been shown in theaters. It shows how even the most exquisite music gets destroyed when your radio has bad tubes! Just change to Telefunken tubes and all will be well. Great, classic, carefully done, hand-drawn animation, with a great soundtrack. All RIGHT!!!

My Shot in the Arm

Last year, a dear friend of Animan sent me a link to this video. I had always known the name Rita Hayworth, and that she was a great film actress in the golden days of Hollywood. What I didn't know is that she was one of the finest dancers ever captured on film. (Just see for yourself!) When Fred Astaire danced with Ginger Rogers, it was magical; but when he dances with Rita Hayworth, it's two great dance masters dancing side by side!
Some video genius has taken clips of her most wonderful dances, and cleverly and masterfully edited them together here so that they fit the Bee Gee's' song "Stayin' Alive"to perfection.
Every time I watch this, my body gives me a charge of adrenalin. The dancing is spectacular in itself; and the visuals match the song perfectly. So it's two types of delicious entertainment at the same time.
Even Animan feels a little blue sometimes, and when he does . . . this video makes him smile again.! =D

Welcome to the Pool

Friends of Animan know that I insist on never posting sexually explicit pictures on this blog, because all too often, blogs that do that can easily end up on the cyber-trash heap. Today however, Animan is going to bend that rule just slightly. 
On the left half of this picture, is an old 1949 magazine ad for an autombile as big as a Sherman tank. (It's amazing, all the great commercial art to be found on the web...) So, I decided to "Animanize" it--and the result is on the right half. The "improved" part of the picture is so small, you'll probably have to look for it.  I wasn't able to completely remove or cover up all the horizontal color stripes that appeared on the original scan, but I did freshen up the color a bit, turning this luxurious but rather dull location into a "swimsuits-optional" resort, guaranteeing that Dad gets all the attention he deserves!

JIMIPARADISE interviews Animan! Click here!

Check Out This Cool Site!

Have you ever watched a Disney animated film and thought, "Boy, I wish I could save this moment! I'd frame it and hang it on my wall...."  Well, with the digital technology available, it's no longer a dream. Of course, going through a whole movie and saving all the frames is a bit tedious. Or....you can simply go to http://disneyscreencaps.com/  and you'll find thousands of frames from all the Disney (and lots of non-Disney) animated feature films.
Here's one of my favorite moments from "Sleeping Beauty". The screencap was a bit dark, so I boosted the exposure just a little, and increased the sharpness. I love the way the prince has been drawn--he's a bit angular, but he blends right in with the style of the movie. The colored lines delineating the characters have been executed with the usual Disney panache and flair. If you have a favorite moment from a Disney animated feature film, I suggest you check out this site!

Copyright  Walt Disney Pictures