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Animation news, reviews and features from the BCDB blog, 2011 to 2017, kept here to read.

Actor Jonathan Cecil, 72, put the "twit" into Brit

September 26, 2011 · Mr. Clevland

British actor Jonathan Cecil, once called "one of the finest upper-class twits of his era" for his frequent portrayals of wealthy Englishmen, died peacefully Thursday at London's Charing Cross Hospital. He was 72. Besides portraying Peter Ustinov's sidekick Hastings in three Hercule Poirot films, Cecil recorded over 25 books by PG Wodehouse's works for Chivers Audio Books, as well as recordings of other books.

Disney's 3-D "Lion King" still a roaring success

September 26, 2011 · Ethan Minovitz

For the second weekend in a row, Walt Disney's 3-D re-release of its 1994 blockbuster The Lion King topped the box office in United States and Canadian theaters.

Porky In Wackyland (1949) - Looney Tunes

September 24, 2011 · Dave Koch

CotD: Obviously inspired by the works of Salvador Dali, Bob Clampett's 1938 masterpiece "Porky In Wackyland" took cartoons to their limits... and then some. Worth a look if you've never seen it.

Goofy Gymnastics (1949) - Goofy

September 23, 2011 · Dave Koch

CotD: The A lot of great cartoons were released on this date, but we will go with 1949's "Goofy Gymnastics" because it was also used in Who Framed Roger Rabbit...

Disney's "The Lion King" rules again at box office

September 20, 2011 · Dave Koch

The Circle of Life continues as The Walt Disney Studios' The Lion King 3D opened at #1 in theaters this weekend with an estimated North American gross of $30.2 million.

Tom Wilson Sr., creator of icon Ziggy, dead at 80

September 20, 2011 · Paul Anderson

Tom Wilson Sr., creator of comics page and licensing icon Ziggy, died Friday in his sleep of pneumonia at a Cincinnati hospital. He was 80. Spending most of his career in Cleveland, Wilson moved to a nursing home in Cincinnati about eight years ago in order to be near family. Wilson made his mark in animation with the Christmas special Ziggy's Gift, first released on ABC in 1982. Directed by Richard Williams and Eric Goldberg at Welcome Productions, Ziggy's Gift won an Emmy Award the following year for Outstanding Animated Program.

Emmy-winning writer, artist Earl Kress dead at 60

September 20, 2011 · Ethan Minovitz

Writer and storyboard artist Earl Kress, the winner of two Daytime Emmy Awards for his work on animated shows, died early Monday from the liver cancer that he had been battling since earlier this year, cartoon historian Mark Evanier wrote on his "News From ME" blog. He turned 60 last month. Kress shared Emmy wins in 1999 for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program for Pinky and the Brain and in 2000 for Outstanding Children's Animated Program for Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain.

"The Little Boy and the Beast" wins Cartoon d'Or

September 16, 2011 · Big Cartoon DataBase

"Der Kleine Und Das Biest" (The Little Boy and the Beast) by Johannes Weiland and Uwe Heidschötter of Germany, won this year's Cartoon d'Or, the award for the year's best European short cartoon. The five other Cartoon d'Or nominees were Mobile, by Verena Fels of Germany; Paths of Hate, by Damian Nenow of Poland; Pivot, by André Bergs of the Netherlands; The External World, by David O'Reilly of Ireland; and The Gruffalo, by Jakob Schuh and Max Lang of the United Kingdom.

Pokemon: White--Victini and Zekrom comes to U.S.

September 15, 2011 · Ethan Minovitz

Pokemon fans across America will be marking their calendars for a special limited engagement theatrical event this holiday season. The newest full-length Pokémon feature film, Pokémon the Movie: White--Victini and Zekrom, is coming to movie theater screens across the United States for one weekend only: December 3 and 4. As a special treat, fans can catch the debut of the movie's trailer this weekend -- Saturday and Sunday, September 17 and 18th -- on www.Pokemon.com immediately following an on-demand, online screening of the most recent feature-length movie, Pokémon--Zoroark: Master of Illusions.