BeatleToons, The Real Story Behind The Cartoon Beatles [Paperback]

Mitch Axelrod (Author), Mitchell Axelrod (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 206 pages
• Publisher: Wynn Publishing Company; 1 edition (October 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964280876
• ISBN-13: 978-0964280878
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,395,125 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beatletoons: Just when you thought you've seen it all..., October 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: BeatleToons, The Real Story Behind The Cartoon Beatles (Paperback)

It's rare that the very first book on a particular subject can stake claim to being the definitive source on that subject, but such is the case with Beatletoons; The Real Story Behind The Cartoon Beatles,by Mitchell Axelrod. Without a doubt, this is the only book you'll ever need to own about the Beatles Saturday morning cartoon series, which made a huge splash in the mid-60's, inspired the 1967 animated feature, Yellow Submarine, then disappeared into virtual obscurity for more than thirty years.

With the recent re-release of Yellow Submarine, Beatle fans around the world are suddenly rediscovering this gem of a weekly cartoon series which predated Submarine by three years and placed the animated mop tops in and out of all kinds of comical situations, ala Hard Day's Night. Author, Mitchell Axelrod has traveled far and wide to provide not only an in-depth look at the making of The Beatles cartoon series, but an inside look at the history of pre-digital animation, when each cartoon frame was sketched and colored by hand and photographed frame-by-frame.

Beatletoons traces the brief but successful history of the series from its inception at the height of "Beatlemania" to its demise with the arrival of the Sgt. Pepper era, when the Beatles new look and new sound became too difficult and controversial to be presented in cartoon form. Using original proposals, letters, and early memos between King Features executives, the book provides a captivating look at the business behind turning the hottest rock and roll group in the world into a marketable Saturday morning cartoon that would appeal to young and old alike.

Author Mitch Axelrod has been an avid Beatle fan since the age of three or four, when the Beatles cartoon series first aired. The series was a huge hit in America and in several other countries, but was never aired in England and was never, until recently, a very big hit with the four Beatles themselves. Perhaps for this reason, Apple Corps, LTD., the Beatles business company, has rarely licensed the cartoon episodes for TV broadcast over the years, with the exception of a brief, but successful run on MTV back in the 1980's. It was around this time that Axelrod began collecting cartoon episodes on video tape and eventually purchased the complete 16mm original film collection of all 76 episodes. From then on, Axelrod devoted himself to becoming a Beatle cartoon afficionado.

When he learned that many of the series animators, writers, and other contributors to the original series were still around and, in many cases, still very much involved in cartoon production, he set off on a mission throughout Europe to track these people down and get their stories. Many, he learned, played major roles in the production of Yellow Submarine, which was recently rereleased, but had even fonder memories of the original TV series. As he shared pints with John Coates, Norman Kaufman, and other unsung heroes of both The Beatles Cartoons and Yellow Submarine, he was treated to first-hand stories about the Beatles' reactions to the series, how animators had to recruit their teenaged children to learn which Beatle played which instrument, etc. And, as the icing on the cake, he even spent a few hours in the offices at Apple, the Beatles business corporation, discussing plans for a future re-release of the cartoon series.

So, Beatletoons is in no way another cheesy cash-in on the Beatles enduring success. The fact that the author shelved it for almost four years while waiting for a publisher who would handle it with the care and dignity he felt it deserved is a tribute to the fact that this book is a labor of love. And the fact that so many of the original participants in the series have lent so much support gives Beatletoons an even greater shot of credibility.

I highly recommend this book to all Beatle fans who think they've seen and read everything that exists about the Beatles. Beatletoons is a quick read that tells the entire story of a lost piece of Beatles history. Be sure to pick one up for the Beatle fans on your list this holiday season!

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Back Story for Brodax' Up Periscope Yellow, December 4, 2004

By 

Al Brodax (Connecticut, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: BeatleToons, The Real Story Behind The Cartoon Beatles (Paperback)

I produced this series for the ABC network. It was a huge hit and cleared the path for my production of the motion picture, YELLOW SUBMARINE. Axelrod's book was well researched and offers the complete story graphically and otherwise of the series. I was very pleased with it. Makes a wonderful X-Mas gift.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Saw the TV show? Now read the book!, June 30, 2001

By 

Mark Dillman "Daddy-o Dilly" (Topeka, KS USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: BeatleToons, The Real Story Behind The Cartoon Beatles (Paperback)

At age 12, I delighted in watching the Beatles cartoon series when it premeired on ABC in 1965. Along with radio and bubblegum cards, it was for me a major connection to the Beatles. As much a fan of animation as I am to rock 'n' roll, it was a thrill to read "Beatletoons" for two reasons: (1) the author's passion for his subject matter which really shows and (2) the extent to which the author shares technical data regarding production and marketing of the TV series without apparent fear of going over the heads of the readers.

These days general overviews of the Beatles seem to be no longer needed (the Beatles recent "Anthology" being the BIG exception). Books that focus on specific aspects of the Beatles are what fans appreciate the most. "Beatletoons" is an excellent example.

The only improvements that I can suggest for future editions, if any, are that the book be printed on a higher grade of paper and with more color artwork from the cartoons.