Watchcat Year in Review 2: Electric Boogaloo

Will this be the year of the Watchcat?

Let's take a look back at 2018.

Watchcat Films, our Youtube channel began the year with
121 subscribers and has gained 63 new subscribers, we begin 2019 with 184 subscribers. 

Our Watchcat files blog views have also increased in size. We began with 20,250 views and grew to 46,891 views or 26,641 new views in 2018. I guess some people like what we are doing? 

We started 2018 with this New Year's Greeting...

Posted several Watchcat Reviews of different films that we enjoyed this year.

Also started a new segment called "Jim Draws" where Jim drew stuff and talked about it. 

Time was hard to come by to work on episodes this year, but we managed to turn out two. The Halloween episode was boarded like this, https://youtu.be/wGP6iDWodrQ, 
but it was a lot of work to produce and so, creative editing was used to tell a different shorter story.

My thanks to Joel Brinkerhoff for helping me animate Mikey. 

And we finished 2018, by finishing the Holiday episode this time, playing around with black and white.

What about 2019?
Its time to concentrate on writing a complete Watchcat story which could be turned into a graphic novel or a series of shorts. Greg will be writing it this year, complete with a Backstory, Character flaws and development, a 3 act story structure to tell more of a complete story, if one exists as a graphic novel, screenplay or TV series?

Planning to get a table at this year's Burbank Art Festival , May 18 & 19, to help promote Watchcat to the public and hopefully sell some merch. We were there in 2017 and had a 
great weekend.


In 2018, we donated to $200 to Big Cat Rescue. With your ad clicks, we reached our first Google $100 goal and are continuing to do so. 

As always, please click on the ads to help us get to the next $100 goal. We are now only at $9.57 with $1.03 this month so far. I haven't been pushing the ad clicks, because I feel like a broken record or CD, but every click on the ads does add to the fund and shows your support!

Click now to wish us a Happy New Year!

Love to hear from you in the comments section below...

Here's hoping you have a great 2019 in the New Year and thank you for your continued support! 

Become a Follower to this blog or Subscribe to Watchcat Films. If you want to listen to a new podcast about animation, check out Animateducated.

HAPPY

Watchcat Xmas 2018 is here

Sometimes, it is better to give than to receive and Watchcat will be there to keep eye on the holidays this year. Please share this video with your friends, families and have a happy and safe holiday season...

Watchcat has even been there when Santa needed help...

And it was this first Holiday episode that started it all...

Did you like these? Want to see more Watchcat adventures? Let us know with a comment below, or a click on the ads to give us some dough or subscribe to Watchcat Films.

All ad clicks will be donated to a local charity.

Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Twas the Week Before Christmas...

As the Christmas holiday approaches, we here at Watchcat Films have been finishing up a Watchcat Holiday episode which we wanted to post last year at this time.  

But it does takes a long time to produce animation with only a crew of one and working on it only when free time is available.

Hopefully we will have it posted next week, if the faiths allow, so until then enjoy this old footage from Warner Bros Studio back in the day and share it with your friends and family.

Click on the Ads if you like this blog and check out next week's final Watchcat Wednesday of 2018!

Next Post: Watchcat Xmas 2018 is here!

Watchcat Reviews: Spider-Man into the Spider Verse

GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!
Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse review by Gregory J. Bradley

Spider-Man: Into The Spider Verse is an Awesome Film! Go see it! And after you do, see it again, and bring a friend. I know I will! I could just end my review right now, and save us all a lot of time. 

This movie is that Good!!

Not only is it the Best animation film, Best superhero film, and possibly one of the best film of the year, but it’s definitely the best Spider-Man film ever! 

This movie has everything a great classic film needs, a great story of a heroes journey, his mentor, a terrific female character, and a overpowering villain. Now add great animation and soundtrack to match, and that equals a masterpiece! 

This is the Spider-Man of 2018 that we needed, if not the one we deserved. 

I grew up loving Spider-Man comics.
Spider-Man was one of my favorite superheroes outside of Batman and Black Panther. Thanks to Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, they gave me a character that I can identify with in Peter Parker, a nerdy high school teenage kid who lives with his aunt, works part time at a newspaper as a photographer and has trouble getting the girl, and never having enough money. I totally could relate. And in his spare time, he fight bad guys as your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. 

This movie pays tribute not only to the history of Spider-Man, but a very touching and meaningful tribute to his co-creator, the Late Stan Lee, with one of his best cameos,
while also giving millennials a new teenager to cheer for in Miles Morales, an African-American, Puerto Rican kid Who lives in Brooklyn. (He’s the first biracial Superhero, it’s about time.) The story does a great job with creating interesting three dimensional characters and fantastic world building. We care about Miles and his struggles with being the new Spider-Man while dealing with his complicated relationships with his father and uncle. How nice it is to get an origin story that feels fresh and real. It is through this character that we understand the importance of the movies message, which is that anyone, no matter what race or sex you are, can wear the mask.

The Animation on this movie was Amazing! It looks like a live action comic book, with such incredible colors pushed to dazzling effect. It was a feast for the eyes, without ever being overwhelming. I’ve never seen animation looked quite this good before.  

And the voice talents of Shameik Moore as Miles  Morales and Jake Johnson as a older different Peter Parker were some of the excellent casting choices that makes this movie such a delight. The movie was masterfully directed by
Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and
Rodney Rothman, who also co wrote the screenplay with Producer Phil Lord and Cris Miller. I have to give them thanks for deciding do a Miles Morales’s Spider-Man Story. 
When I saw the cover of the first 
Miles Morales:Ultimate Spider-man #1 comic book in 2014, the first black Spider-Man, I couldn’t believe it!! I was so excited, I couldn’t wait for him to hit the big screen. And a special shout out to Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli who created Miles Morales in the comics. Like Peter Parker, they created such a fascinating, realistic and relatable character. One that is worthy to carry on the Spider-Man mantle for the new generation.

And just like Black Panther earlier this year, you now have African-American kids who can go to this movie, and see themselves being represented.
Because of Miles, they can now say,  I could be Spider-Man.

Like this Review? Click on the ads to show your support.
Thank You!

Animation Show of Shows!

Its December and there are a lot of animated films to see over the holidays that should not be missed.

For 20 years, The ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS has been presenting new and innovative short films to appreciative audiences at animation studios, schools and, since 2015, theaters around the world. Over the years, 38 of the films showcased in The Animation Show of Shows went on to receive Academy Award nominations, with 11 films winning the Oscar. Every year, Ron Diamond visits a lot of film festivals to find the only the most interesting and amazing animated films from around the world.

Take a listen to Ron Diamond on the Ambassador Goodtime Ear Tango Radio Hour, starting Tuesday, Dec 4th @ 10pm and then everyday at 4pm and night at 10pm on WU Radio, Woodbury University. 

This interview can also be heard on the Animateducated YouTube channel. Subscribe today, don't delay!

Next Week: Watchcat Reviews, Spiderman and the Spiderverse...  

Like what you see, click on the ads to show your support, leave a comment, subscribe to Watchcat Films, don't be shy.

A Sad Watchcat Wednesday

Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of Spongebob Squarepants died on Monday after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. He was 57. 

Hillenburg graduated from Humboldt State University in 1984 with a degree that emphasized marine resources, and taught he marine biology at the Orange Country Marine Institute in Dana Point, now known as the Ocean Institute. 

While working there, he created colorful teaching tools that showed off his love of all things oceanic, writing and illustrating stories that birthed the future residents of Bikini Bottom. He soon found himself pursuing a degree in experimental animation at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, earning an MFA in 1992.

Hillenburg worked on Nickelodeon's "Rocko's Modern Life" as a writer and director before moving he pitched, produced and directed the animated series that would become "SpongeBob SquarePants." 

Hillenburg was honored at last year's 45th annual Annie Awards with the Windsor McCay award for his career contributions of the art of animation by long time friend and the voice of SpongeBob, Tom Keeny. 

Hillenburg helped opened doors to unknown animation artists and creators, showing that you didn't have to be a Wheeler Dealer type to make an animation series. You only needed a little oddball idea with a lot of heart and humor to make something bigger for everyone to enjoy. 

Stephen Hillenburg was someone we never met up close, but on that night, we saw him receive his award and we stood to honored him as an audience.

Watchcat Birthday!

This Watchcat Wednesday lands on Gregory J. Bradley's Birthday, Co-Creator of Watchcat!

WCHD_Greg from Toondini on Vimeo.

Last weekend was the 10th annual CTNX Animation Expo and even though we didn't have a table this year, we handed out lots of Watchcat post cards in hopes of gaining more viewers.

We hope you are enjoying this blog and are amazed we have had 46,222 views and are up to 182 subscribers to our Watchcat Films channel on Youtube. 

A new Christmas short is in the works and will premiere sometime before the holiday season begins. More details to come. We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and are thankful for your viewership!

Interested in animated interviews, check out my new YouTube channel, Animateducated and subscribe.

Give us a few clicks on the ads or leave us a comment below. Thanks!

Top Cats

On this Watchcat Wednesday you can hear some interesting stories  from the "3 Tooners", aka Tony 
Benedict, Jerry Eisenberg and Willie Ito. Three of the last remaining Animation artists from Hanna Barbera era.

Each one has his own story to tell and they have all have remained friends after all these years. 

Listen to the Ambassador Goodtime Ear Tango Radio hour to hear some great stories about working at Disney, Master Animator Iwao Takamoto, an Errand boy who became a famous actor, Drawing with both hands at the same time and many more...

Part 1 of the show will play from Tuesday, Nov 13th until Monday, Nov 19th. Part 2 begins on Tuesday, Nov 20th until Monday, Nov 26th. Tune in at 4pm or 10pm to WU Radio.

Its CTNX's 10th anniversary and you can visit it this weekend starting on Friday, Nov 15th! Here's how to attend.


And sadly, we say goodbye to Stan Lee who passed away at 95 on Monday.

Watchcat Wednesday Upcoming Interviews

Well we hope you exercised your right to vote as a part of your privilege of being an American citizen yesterday.

I got a chance to spend some time interviewing "the 3 Tooners", also known as Tony Benedict, Jerry Eisenberg and Willie Ito. 
These three gentlemen were involved with the creation of many animated series including "The Flintstones", "The Jetson", "The Yogi Bear show", "Top Cat" and "Johnny Quest" just to name a few.

They are the last remaining artists from Hanna Barbera Productions and you can hear their animated stories in the first of two interviews beginning next Tuesday night Nov 13th at 10pm pst on the Ambassador Goodtime Ear Tango Radio hour. Here's a link to how to listen to it.

Until then, you can still listen to the Casey Robin interview playing all this week at 10pm on WU Radio. Check out this link to learn more about Casey and her interview.

November is here and its hard to believe that next week, begins CTNX and its 10th year anniversary as an animation expo. We will be attending again this year wearing our Watchcat T-Shirts, handing out more Watchcat postcards and looking for future guest for the Ear Tango show.

Stay Tuned...

Watchcat Wednesday Halloween episode

Its the Halloween Episode and you can listen to the music version beginning Tuesday Oct 30th on Woodbury University WU Radio. The show will play for a week every day from 4pm -5pm pdt and 10pm to 11pm pdt.

Below are the interviews from the show, including Preston Meyers's Kilpetto's Evil Toy Shop, Mike Wellins with his Freakybuttrue Peculiarium and Museum in Portland, OR and an interview with the makers of "Noir".

Jeremy Foley Ear Tango Interview

Listen to an interview with Jeremy Foley online at WU Radio starting Tuesday 10/23 to Monday 10/30, every night at 10pm PDT on the Ambassador Goodtime Ear Tango Radio Hour. 

Jeremy Foley began his career in front of the camera as a young actor. His first big film was "Dante's Peak" which lead to other films and TV series. He learned a lot while on set and eventually started to work on his own projects creating behind the camera.

"Mobsters" was a web series he helped produce and direct, here's a link to it from his website.   

Eventually, he began directing his own short films, beginning with a script his soon to be wife Sarah wrote called "Fated". Its a very interesting story set in a world where people are watched over and helped out to achieve their full potential. But there are some people who will never be able to do this even with extra encouragement. My explanation only tells a little bit about the story, but see the film on iTunes and watch the trailer below. 

Fated - Official Trailer from jeremy foley on Vimeo.

After "Fated", Jeremy found his next film idea in a short story that his father wrote years earlier. "The Faceless Man" is a surreal story about a man who wakes up with a mirror for a face and has to deal with his new situation. Check out the entire film below.

Tune into: 
The Halloween Episode
Tuesday 10/30 - 11/5

https://woodbury.edu/academics/resources/wu-radio/

Listen in and get into the Halloween spirit with songs, stories and an interview with the creators of "NOIR", an upcoming feature about real monsters in Hollywood.

The "Ambassador Goodtime EarTango Radio hour" plays music and interviews based on a theme. New shows can be heard every Tuesday night and repeated every night at 10pm pdt thru WU Radio. 


All interviews will be posted to the new Animateducated 
YouTube channel for all to hear at a later date. Subscribe now and listen!

The Ear Tango show is on at 10pm pdt.

The "Ambassador Goodtime EarTango Radio hour" plays music and interviews based on a theme. New shows can be heard every Tuesday night and repeated every night at 10pm pdt thru WU Radio. All interviews will be posted to the new Animateducated YouTube channel for all to hear at a later date. Subscribe now and listen!

This week's interview is about David Dodd Hand, who was Walt Disney's right hand man. He later created his own animation studio in England and here's one about a cat.

There's a new YouTube channel Animateducated features an interview with Mindy Johnson about her new book, Ink & Paint: The Women of Walt Disney's Animation.

Also listen to Animator and Producer, Jane Baer tell how she first got into Disney and started working on Sleeping Beauty.

Check out the video podcast below...

If you enjoyed this, subscribe to animateducated to see more when they are posted.

Show your support for the watchcat files by clicking on the ads or leaving a comment below.

Twas a busy week

I'm working on a new radio show that hit the ear waves last week called "The Ambassador Goodtime Ear Tango Radio Hour" on WU Radio. 
Take a listen every night at 10pm PDT, with  new shows premiering on Monday night. 
              Here's a link to the show.

Upcoming shows

Show 01: Animation: Author Mindy Johnson and Animator/producer Jane Baer.

Show 02: Superheroes: "The Helm", author J.R.R.R. (jim) Hardison. (now playing until 10/14)

10/15 Show 03: Hands: Author David Hale Hand's new book about his dad, who was Walt Disney's right hand man. 

10/22 Show 04: Hollywood: Actor, Writer and Director, Jeremy Foley talks about life in front and behind the camera.

10/29 Show 05: This is Halloween:
Stop by WU Radio in costume on 10/30 between 2pm - 3:30pm and get a treat.

All interviews will be posted to YouTube channel, Animateducated. Subscribe now and listen in later.

Every beginning of October, the 24 hour animation contest rolls around and animation school across the world participate in this event which grows larger every year.


Woodbury University this year, participated with 8 teams taking on the 24 hour challenge and here's more about those teams and their films.

And here's the announcement of this year's Winning teams...

And what about Watchcat???
Check in next Watchcat Wednesday and find out!

Good news, Bad News

So October is finally here and since Halloween lands on a Watchcat Wednesday this year, I wanted to premiere a Halloween episode of Watchcat. 

Well, a lot of things have been keeping me from that goal lately and the original idea turned out to be over a minute long. Even with some help on it, I haven't been able to get it together.
  And that's where you gotta get creative and I think I did just that by producing a much shorter idea. I can't really post much about it right now, because its so short and simple, that I would ruin the surprise. However, here are some of my reference images...





Our last post got over 1,081 views and hoping new viewers might check back more often.

Watchcat was started to see if I could animate a cat who fights crime in his neighborhood. We wanted to make several episodes and be able to string them together to tell a bigger story. We also wanted to upload it to Youtube to see if we could build an audience.

This weekend passed 5,300 views on our Watchcat Films Youtube channel, up to 156 subscribers and I'm pretty sure we would have more if our cat farted, barfed or pissed on something. But our subscribers are classier than that and deserve a lot more.

This blog is now up to 45,055, views and getting more everyday.

Viewers are showing their support by clicking on the blog ads more than ever before, or whenever I beg them to click on the ads. We received $6.62 in September.

Bad News

My biggest complaint is that we still don't have a solid story about this character. I discovered after making the first two episodes, which were edited together to make one, that our cat  goes after the bad guys and that's it. No flaws in his character, he's got powers, but how or why was never explained. I have suggested to Greg to come up with a graphic novel story, because making 2 to 3 minute animation shorts is very time consuming, since I'm the only person animating it. And whatever we do next, we need a solid character, not just one that chases the bad guys here or there. We need to show what is he afraid of, where does he come from, why is he doing this? And most importantly, Why do we care about this character?

The Good News

Animating a character in development with humor in very short pieces of :15 to :30 second is doable. Currently changing our animation design a bit to experiment with using a different animation technique called Cut Out animation in hopes to making the animation more efficient. This pipeline will be used for our upcoming Halloween short. So keep clicking those ads and get ready for Halloween.

Please show your support by clicking on the ads or subscribing to our YouTube channel Watchcat Films.

Next WeeK: follow this link Superheroes on a new radio show.

Famous Birthdays for this Watchcat Wednesday

Sept 26th: On this Watchcat Wednesday, Windsor McCay was born in 1869. Considered the Father of Animation, this American cartoonist and animation pioneer created the first true animated character in the form of Gertie the Dinosaur. 

McCay premiered the film at the Palace in Chicago on February 2, 1914.

Gertie was drawn by hand and that includes drawing the entire background as well. This was way before cel animation was invented.

And speaking of a modern day cartoonist 

Happy 60th to cartoonist and illustrator Bob Staake!

And back in 1888, T. S. Eliot was born. Most famous for his writing and it seemed that he fancied cats as well.

illustrations of T.S. Eliot and the poem “The Naming of Cats” © Nathan Gelgud

Check out one of his poems...

In 1939, T.S. Eliot also wrote his most whimsical masterwork called Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.

This book was later adapted by the British musical composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and became the longest running musical in history, simply known  as "Cats".

And now more about Noir

Here's Jimmy McCammon's LAaf pocast featuring a talk with screenwriter/directors Lee Anthony Smith and Gregory J. Bradley, who's credits include the action thriller WAR and their upcoming horror crossover NOIR. Click this Link to Listen to Part 1 and Part 2.

News about Watchcat is in the works. Click on the ads to help support this feline adventure. Every little click helps. 

On this Watchcat Wednesday

For this Watchcat Wednesday, we have to travel back to France in 1940. Three teenagers were out looking for their lost dog and found him near the Lascaux cave. Inside, they discovered that the cave walls were filled with paintings and drawings of animals, human figures and abstract symbols. 6,000 images have been catalogued and were estimated to be made over 17,300 years ago. 

Below is a replica of the cave, which was created so tourist would not destroy the original site.

7,300 years earlier, Saber-toothed cats roamed the land and back in 2012, one returned to his old stomping grounds near the LaBrea Tar Pits in Los Angeles.

 

Actually, this Saber-toothed cat puppet named "Nibbles" was created by Jim Henson's Creature Shop in 2010 and weighs about 75-pounds. The robotic head is controlled remotely by another puppeteer who can blink the eyes and change facial expressions. 

Nibbles was seen hanging out over at the LA Natural History museum as a part of their Ice Age Encounter.

And on September 12th, 1962 : In response to the progress made by the Soviet Union in the space race, President John F. Kennedy announced that America will place a man on the moon and safely return him before the year 1970.

Can you imagine being in that crowd, listening to the President explain how the US will send a man to the moon?

 

So, if you are in Berkley, CA tomorrow, you can see some films about cats at the 1st Annual Cat Film Festival.

 

And Fenilely...

Funny cat puns from Illustrator Katie Ruby, check out more of her purrfect puns, follow this link to see more.

The Watchcat Files hopes that everyone in North and South Carolina prepares for the worst as Hurricane Florence heads their way. This Hurricane path is the first one ever and so please take this one seriously and hang on tight. Anyone who follows this blog in that area, please let us know how you are doing.

Leave us a comment below or click on the ads to show your support. We are up to $3.66 so far this month in ad clicks and every click helps.

Thank You!