Outlaw Animation: Cutting-Edge Cartoons from the Spike and Mike Festivals [Paperback]

Jerry Beck (Author), Todd McFarlane (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2003

The annual Spike & Mike Festival of Animation is the leading venue for the underground animation movement and has helped launch the careers of talents such as Nick Park and Peter Lord of Aardman ("Wallace & Gromit", "Chicken Run"), John Lasseter ("Toy Story", "Monsters, Inc"), Craig McCracken ("Powerpuff Girls") Mike Judge ("Beavis and Butt-head") and many other cutting-edge filmmakers. In this survey of the festival's influential work, animation historian Jerry Beck traces the evolution of the festival from a rock concert "filler" to its own arena-sized event that attracts half a million "toonheads" yearly. This volume is illustrated with frame grabs, rare production stills, original artwork and behind-the-scenes photographs, and features interviews with a number of the top underground animators.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jerry Beck is an animation historian and the author of Warner Bros. Animation Art. The Fifty Greatest Cartoons, and other books and articles. Todd McFarlane is the creator of Spawn, the best-selling comic book, motion picture, and animated series, and the founder of McFarlane Toys, a leading creator of collectible action figures.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (June 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810991519
• ISBN-13: 978-0810991514
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,240,114 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jerry Beck is an animation historian and cartoon producer. His over fifteen books on the subject include The Animated Movie Guide, Looney Tunes: The Ultimate Visual Guide and The 50 Greatest Cartoons. He is also co-founder/co-writer of the popular animation blog, Cartoon Brew.

Beck is a former studio exec with Nickelodeon and Disney, and is currently a consulting producer to Warner Bros., Universal and Disney for their classic animation dvd compilations. Beck has programmed retrospectives for the Annecy and Ottawa Animation Festivals, The Museum of Modern Art and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. He has taught animation history at NYU, SVA, the AFI and UCLA. He is the host/producer of the annual "Worst Cartoons Ever" screening at the Comic-Con International: San Diego.

Beck started his career in film distribution, working at MGM/UA, Orion Classics, Cannon Films and Expanded Entertainment (Tournee of Animation), before starting his own company, Streamline Pictures in 1989, the first U.S. distributor to import anime features such as Otomo's Akira and Miyazaki's Laputa: Castle In The Sky. Beck was instrumental in launching Animation Magazine, and has written for The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. Beck was also the West Coast Bureau Chief for Kidscreen magazine in 2000. He has also created, written and produced animated films for various clients. His latest animation project, Hornswiggle, recently aired on the Nicktoons Network.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars a missed opportunity, March 18, 2004

By 

"richw5000" (Hollywood, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Outlaw Animation: Cutting-Edge Cartoons from the Spike and Mike Festivals (Paperback)

As much as I like Jerry Beck I wish he hadn't sold himself out with this overly sanitized "Spike and Mike approved" version of their festival's history. Here we just get an extended regurgitation of Spike and Mike's self glorifying press release along with many pretty photographs. I used to attend this festival in my college days and have friends who've worked behind the scenes, so I really wished this book showed some actual guts. Where's the sex and the drugs and the seedy backstage goings-on at the festival? Why is there no mention of the festival's universal stunning decline in quality in recent years? Why is there no accounting for all the animators that allegedly refuse to submit work to, much less even speak to, this festival anymore? That's the book I'm still waiting to read! If you're a casual fan not interested in animation history and just want to look at pictures, I guess this book would be for you though.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hurrah for Spike and Mike, January 21, 2004

By 

J. J. Kwashnak "voracious reader" (Monroe, LA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Outlaw Animation: Cutting-Edge Cartoons from the Spike and Mike Festivals (Paperback)

Usually animation books tend to focus upon the producers of animation - the Disneys, the Joneses and the Freelings. But little, except for a few videos and DVDs has focused upon the work of promoters. This book lovingly pays tribute to Spike Decker and Mike Gribble - two men who are probably the most responsible for the reemergence of short animation in a world that had been stupefied by the pap that was passing for Saturday morning cartoons. The book is divided into three neat sections. First a history of Spike, Mike and their Festivals of Animation sets the stage and helps show thee pair's growth and influence upon developing animators. Then Beck looks at what he considers the ten best pieces to come out of the festivals. Many of these animators have gone on to become household names producing regular animation shows on the Cartoon Network. He also highlights many of the other animators by showing off numerous still shots of their work. Finally for the third part he lets the animators speak for themselves, interviewing them on Spike and Mike, and the pair's role in nurturing emerging animators. This is a fascinating book for any fan of modern animation, especially those of us lucky enough to have seen many of the Spike & Mike Festivals. It is sad that we have lost Mike Gribble, but this book shows that his legacy lives on and continues to grow beyond Spike and Mike's wildest dreams.