The illustrated classic, complete with a new preface by Matt Groening.Winner of three Academy Awards and numerous other prizes for his animated films, Chuck Jones is the director of scores of famous Warner Bros. cartoons and the creator of such memorable characters as the Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Pepé Le Pew, and Marvin Martian. In this beguiling memoir, Chuck Jones evokes the golden years of life at "Termite Terrace," the Warner Bros. studio in which he and his now-famous fellow animators conceived the cartoons that delighted millions of moviegoers throughout the world and entertain new generations of fans on television. Not a mere history, Chuck Amuck captures the antic spirit that created classic cartoons-such as Duck Dodgers in the 241/2 Century, One Froggy Evening, Duck Amuck, and What's Opera, Doc?-with some of the wittiest insights into the art of comedy since Mark Twain.
Amazon.com: Chuck Amuck: The Life and Times of an Animated Cartoonist is a sort of autobiography of Chuck Jones, the brilliant Warner Brothers animator who created such enduring characters as Wile E. Coyote and Marvin the Martian. Like his best cartoons, Jones skips around to the fun parts, giving a bit of childhood here, a few words of drawing advice there, and a good yarn wherever one fits. Jones also manages to work in a detailed yet somehow never boring description of the long and silly process of making a cartoon. Jones is refreshingly generous about spreading credit around to others. He fondly remembers art teachers, tips his hat to fellow directors and mentors Friz Freleng and Tex Avery, and gives the reader a new appreciation of the layout men who create the backgrounds for animated features. Most engaging are Jones's accounts of office life at Warner Brothers, which sounds like just as much fun as you hope it would be. Jones recounts stories of drawing tables wired to wake up sleeping animators when the boss approached and Cal Howard, a gag writer who ran an illegal commissary out of his metal-lined desk. The book is filled with sketches and color plates of much-loved moments from Warner Brothers cartoons and even includes a quick Road Runner and Coyote scene that comes to life when the pages are flipped. Highly recommended for kids who like to draw and adults who have not lost their appreciation for Looney Toons. --Ali Davis
and so, having re- re-disposed of the monster tremendous text for classic bugs bunny enthusiasts. brings a new found appreciation for the masterminds behind the character development and the environment they "grew up" in.
Fantastic...A MUST for ALL Looney Tunes and Chuck Fans! Simply put, this is the best book ever written about Looney Tunes, and what it took to make them. Chuck shares entertaining behind the scenes info about the Termite Terrace and the people who worked there. Chuck say's that it was quite normal to see the animators look like they were going to wack each other with a mallet. Chuck also tells stories about those notorious poducers, Leon Schlesinger (whos lisp was used in Daffy voice) and Eddie Selzer. When Eddie said "I don't want any gags about bullfights, bullfights aren't funny!", Jones and Mike Maltise had something. Result: Bully For Bugs. When he said the same thing about camels to director Fritz Freleng, the result: Sahara Hare. Though Eddie is quoted as saying about Pepe Le Pew, "Nobody'd laugh at that s**t!", he happily accepted the Oscar for "For Scent-imental Reasons", a Pepe Le Pew cartoon. That (and many more) hilarous titbits are spread throughout this superb book, including high-quality backgrounds and scenes for "Duck Dodgers in the 24th and 1/2 Century" and many others. Also included are many drawings and many photos of the directors, animators and producers. The most illistruated and well thought out book about cartoons ever made.
As Wile E. Coyote would say "Genius, pure genius" The world lost an animation genius recently with the death of Chuck Jones. Luckily, there is a book like this that celebrates the animation genius he was. Arguably, Jones was the father of some of the best Warner Brothers cartoons ever made, including "Duck Amuck," "Duck Dogers in the 24th and 1/2 Century," and my personal favorite "What's Opera Doc?" He also is responsible for giving us such great pieces of pop culture as the original "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."
Part autobiography, part instruction, part tribute, this book shows us the man behind the screen, or should I say behind the pencil? We often wonder where a genius comes from - Chuck seems to say from anywhere. His mark on the development of the cartoon is undeniable, and monumental. But just as you cannot appreciate art fully until you know about the painter, so it is with Chuck's cartoons. I have a greater appreciation for the work that goes into developing these 8 minute masterpieces. Yes, it's true that Jones gave us some of the clunkers in the 60's as the Warner Brothers studio (and the MGM studio) animation division gasped what seemed to be its last breath. But it's all the more amazing that Chuck could produce such works given what little he had to work with. The world would be poorer were it not for the gives Chuck has given us, including Wile E. Coyote (super genius!),and the Road Runner, Pepe Le Pew, Marvin the Martian and many others. His style was distinctive, his contributions monumental and behind it all, he was a fascinating and talented man. This book stands as a tribute to this genius now that he's no longer with us.
A Joy to Read Rather than an autobiography, this book is more a collection of musing from one of America's greatest storytellers (he just happened to tell his stories with pictures shown in rapid succession!) From his love of Mark Twain to his contempt at studio management, we see not how his life unfolded, but rather how Mr. Jones created his vision. Though there is no drawing instruction, I have to agree with the plethora of lists that this should be on the shelves of every animator, professional or aspiring, as it illuminates what goes into a great cartoon before penicl ever touches paper.
The Life and Times of Charles M. Jones Chuck Jones is one of the best known people in the animation business. He's been in the animation business for over 65 of his 88 years(as I write this review, he'll be 88 on the 12th of this month!).
This book lists all of the cartoons he's been involved with (Warner Bros, MGM, Dr. Suess specials, and many others). Also, he talks about growing up, how real life inspired his cartoons, what it was like working in Warner Bros studio, pays tribute to partners Tex Avery, Friz Freleng, Mike Malthese, and Abe Levitow, and talks about other projects he's done (like his How to Draw From the Fun Side of Your Brain). And as the other reviewers have pointed out, there's an animated cartoon of the Roadrunner and the Coyote on the pages of this book.
Since this book was originally published, he's produced one video in the 1990's (Chariots of Fur) and the historical and whimsical book Daffy for President (available through the US Postal Service).
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