Book Description
Max Fleischer (1883-1972) was for years considered Walt Disney's only real rival in the world of cartoon animation. The man behind the creation of such legendary characters as Betty Boop and the animation of Popeye the Sailor and Superman, Fleischer asserted himself as a major player in the development of Hollywood entertainment.
Out of the Inkwell: Max Fleischer and the Animation Revolution is a vivid portrait of the life and world of a man who shaped the look of cartoon animation. Also interested in technical innovation, Fleischer invented the rotoscope-a device that helped track live action and allowed his cartoons to revolutionize the way animated characters appeared and moved on-screen.
In the 1920s, Fleischer and his brother Dave teamed up to create a series of "Out of the Inkwell" films, which led to a deal with Paramount. Their character KoKo the Clown introduced new animation effects by growing out of Fleischer's pen on-screen. As the sound revolution hit film, the studio produced shorts featuring the characters interacting with songs and with the now-famous bouncing ball that dances across lyrics projected on the screen.
Max Fleischer's story is also one of a creative genius struggling to fit in with the changing culture of golden age cinema. Out of the Inkwell captures the twists and turns, the triumphs and disappointments, and most of all the breathless energy of a life vibrantly lived in the world of animation magic.
Customer Reviews:
One of the great true Hollywood stories........2007-07-02
This is a fascinating memoir of Max Fleischer, "the" great pioneer of 20th Century motion picture cartoon making, written by his son Richard Fleischer* [*himself the director of such films as "20,000 Leagues under the Sea," "Compulsion," "10 Rellington Place" and "Fantastic Voyage"]. This isn't one of those exhautive (or exhausting) biographies that regurgitate facts and statistic about a great artist no matter how redundant, erroneous or incongruous; rather this is a loving tribute to an incredible man, artist and father.
Max Fleischer was the genuine article. He created Koko the Clown, Betty Boop and "follow the bouncing ball" and brought them lovingly to life on the big screen. His studio also produced the Popeye the Sailor and Superman cartoon shorts. He was an extraordinary inventor who held patents on a number of revolutionary filmmaking gadgets and gizmos. Though he inspired uncommon respect and loyalty from those in his employ, he was not a great businessman. Max was an honest and far too trusting man, who unwittingly got into bed with those nefarious folks at Paramount.
This is a great unfilmed Hollywood story, one I'd love to see brought to the big screen by Francis Ford Coppola (a la "Tucker: The Man and His Dream" - the two stories have much in common). Max Fleischer's life story is filled with drama and passion. He was an uncommon man of talent and ambition. His was an American dream that came true, and then became a nghtmare. Still, through it all, he remained optimistic. Bravo Max, and bravo Richard Fleischer for telling your father's story with such care.
An Animation Giant.......2005-06-16
Everyone knows Walt Disney and his animated creation Mickey Mouse. When cartoons were just starting to become standards of entertainment, however, Disney had one real competitor, whose name is not as well known to the public but is well regarded by cartoon fans: Max Fleischer. The creator of Betty Boop and the animator of Popeye the Sailor and Superman, Fleischer also invented gadgets that made animation easier and more realistic. In _Out of the Inkwell: Max Fleischer and the Animation Revolution_ (University Press of Kentucky), Fleischer's son, Richard, has given us a short memoir and biography of an amazing artist and technician. It is appropriately full of filial admiration, as Max Fleischer seems to have been a genuinely admirable man and a loving father. His son even starts his book by contradicting the saw that it is difficult to be the son of a famous man. "I grew up as a famous man's son, and I didn't find it difficult at all. In fact, it was great." The animator was famous enough, for instance, that just by mentioning his name, his son could get into the movies free. Fleischer never had a Fleischerland theme park, or the entertainment connections that Disney had, but his place in animation is secure, and this fond biography allows us to appreciate his contributions to the art.
Animated cartoons by 1915 were very primitive; they moved, but in a jerky and unrealistic way. In a combination of his love of drawing and gadgetry, Fleischer realized that a motion picture camera could be rigged to take pictures that could be traced in ink. It wasn't easy; the process involved tracing sixteen pictures for a second of film, and then photographing each drawing onto motion picture film. It seems obvious now, but no one had ever thought of it before, and Fleischer took out a patent for the Rotoscope. Eventually Paramount produced a series of his "Out of the Inkwell" cartoons consisting of Ko-Ko the clown, coming to life on the animation board in front of Fleischer, interacting with him in live action, and then being captured into the ink bottle again. No one had ever seen anything like it, and it was a worldwide hit. Disney was the spur for Fleischer's most enduring creation. Mickey Mouse pushed Ko-Ko off center stage, so Fleischer responded by giving Ko-Ko a new dog, tough, cigar-chewing, and piano-playing. It didn't work, so the dog was replaced by a half-dog, half-human love interest for Ko-Ko. She was ugly, with saucer eyes an enormous bouncy behind, but Paramount thought she was great. Fleischer refined her, took away her dog's snout and ears, gave her a sexy figure, and a new name: Betty Boop. She was a sensation; Cab Calloway and Louis Armstrong played for her cartoons, there were tie-in dolls and dishes and fan clubs, and a daily comic strip. Betty made over a hundred pictures, with her initial career winding down at the end of the thirties. The Motion Picture Production Code killed her; her harmless sexual image was stripped of its garter and plunging neckline, and her hemline dropped. She became less fun, and audiences less enthusiastic, and the series ended so that America could be safe from Betty's smut.
Fleischer had other notable successes, like the original Superman cartoons, and the first animated Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. It did not ensure him financial success; the author tries to clarify the murky funny-business by which Paramount summarily canceled their contract and asserted rights to all of Fleischer's creations. By the sixties he was broke, but his family arranged for him and his wife to be cared for in the Motion Picture Country House, set up for Hollywood figures that needed a place for retirement. The King Features Syndicate brought out a new line of Betty Boop products in 1972, and it seems as if she will live forever. 1972 was the year, though, that Fleischer died, and he didn't get to experience her reappearance in pop culture. Richard Fleischer has brought a loving tribute to his dad, and a reminder, in times where computer animation seems so effortless, of just how much work it took for the pioneers in the field to make the drawings dance.
Average customer rating:
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Musical Growth and Development: Birth Through Six
Dorothy T. McDonald , and
Gene M. Simons
Manufacturer: Schirmer Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Music
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Instruction & Study
| Theory, Composition & Performance
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ASIN: 0028730704 |
Book Description
Phil Gordon plays poker with the best players in the world. He has won -- and lost -- in tournaments and cash games around the globe, all the while studying the game and learning from every hand dealt. As the resident expert and cohost of Celebrity Poker Showdown, Phil has quickly become one of the most sought-after teachers of No Limit Texas Hold'em. It's a tough game. But anyone can become a winning player with the right amount of courage, patience, aggression, observation, and, perhaps most important, dedication to becoming a better player.
After fifteen years of keeping notes on the things he's learned, the greats he's played with, and the celebrities he's taught, Phil Gordon has poured every single thing he knows about No Limit Texas Hold'em into this little green book. Taking a page from Harvey Penick's bestselling book of golf wisdom, Phil plays the role of both teacher and student, offering up insightful tips on how to think about poker and how to develop a singular style of play. Through philosophy, psychology, strategy, math, and the knowledge gleaned from playing poker with everyone from T. J. Cloutier and Phil Ivey to Hank Azaria and Ben Affleck, Phil breaks down the game into enlightening instructional tidbits and illustrative anecdotes that inspire the kind of persistence and motivation necessary to improve your game.
A book to rank with Doyle Brunson's Super System and David Sklansky's The Theory of Poker, Phil Gordon's Little Green Book deserves a spot on the shelf of every serious student of the game.
Customer Reviews:
Great Little Green.......2007-09-22
I have read quite a few books by the pros. However, this one is clearly the best so far. He speaks in terms that are understandable and he explains things well. I recommend this book for anyone in their early years of competing.
Gives you good advice.......2007-09-01
When you start playing Texas Hold'em, this is a good book to read now and then.
If you never read a poker book, this is a great first read........2007-08-29
If you've never read a poker book, this is one of the first books you should read. It will tell the novice how to start thinking about the game. If you ar fairly new to the game, then you will find this book a wealth of information. An intermediate player will find alot in this book as well, although it may never be 'cool' to quote Phil Gordon. Unfortunately, I think Mr. Gordon explains Pot Odds poorly. SUMMARY: For the player who wants to improve but doesn't want to get too deep into poker theory, there is no beating Phil Gordon. The Audiobook version is great for long car rides or subway commutes.
Thumbs up for Gordon's green book.......2007-07-04
Found this to be very educational and easy to follow. Actually listened to it typically driving out to a poker tournament and was able to apply some of the topics immediately.
good mix of theory and play.......2007-05-23
If you like the scenario type reading this book will help you. I get bored with just calculations so knowing the though process was helpful.
Average customer rating:
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Maverick: A Dissident View of Broadcasting Today
Bob Quinn
Manufacturer: Brandon/Mount Eagle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Television
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1950's & 1960's
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Transportation
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ASIN: 0863222889 |
Customer Reviews:
Maverick is a misnomer.......2003-12-08
In fact, far from being a 'maverick' view of broadcasting (that presentation can only have been a misjudged marketing ploy) this book is the result of the author's ( a renowned Irish film maker) forty years experience as an insider and outsider in Irish film making and broadcasting circles. It articulates clearly and with insider knowledge the crisis of broadcasting brought on by the phenomenon of 'the market'.
An indication of its powerful insight into public broadcasting in Ireland is the fact that discussion on it has been effectively censored by the best-known personalities in the incestuous world of Irish Public television and radio. The reason? Many of them are shown in this book as having a vested interest in the trivialisation of broadcasting.
The author's insights ( based on a four- year tenure on RTE's governing body) into the political and economic attitudes of such as Garret Fitzgerald, ex- premier of Ireland, Des Geraghty, head of the most powerful Union in Ireland, two Director-Generals of RTE are quite unique. The self-serving culture of Irish public broadcasting and its total subservience to the pressures of commercial and political expedience, have rarely been so clearly and worryingly dissected.
This book could only have been written by an artist who is a maverick only in the sense that he has not yet submitted to 'branding'
Average customer rating:
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Not a Pretty Picture: Ethnic Minority Views of Television
Bob Mullan
Manufacturer: Avebury
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Cultural
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Discrimination & Racism
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ASIN: 1859724981 |
Average customer rating:
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Television Across the Years: The British Public's View
Michael Svennevig
Manufacturer: University of Luton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Television
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ASIN: 0900485787 |
Average customer rating:
- Some good speeches, some bad
|
Views on the News: The Media and Public Opinion (The Chet Huntley Memorial Lectures)
Manufacturer: New York University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
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ASIN: 081473510X |
Customer Reviews:
Some good speeches, some bad.......1998-10-07
The quality of the speakers in this collection varied. Some, like those by Fred Friendly and Tom Brokaw, were interesting and thought-provoking but the decline in talent from lecture to lecture was obvious - the last one was by conservative ideologue and media mogul Rupert Murdoch, defending sleeze (sp?) on TV. The editors also did a poor job - all they had to do was transcribe some speeches. The fact that they wound up with spelling and grammatical errors just goes to show how quickly this work was thrown together. My advice - read the offerings by Wicker, Chancellor, Friendly and Brokaw and skip the rest.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from American Journalism Review, published by University of Maryland on June 1, 2002. The length of the article is 838 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Flagging the problem: contrary to the thoughts of MSNBC, incorporating the American flag in a newscast is wrong. (Broadcast Views).(Brief Article)
Author: Deborah Potter
Publication:
American Journalism Review (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 2002
Publisher: University of Maryland
Volume: 24
Issue: 5
Page: 64(1)
Article Type: Brief Article
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
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Re-inventing itself: SVT. (Sveriges Television of Sweden): An article from: Video Age International
Manufacturer: TV Trade Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
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ASIN: B0008YZ8CI
Release Date: 2005-07-28 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Video Age International, published by TV Trade Media, Inc. on February 1, 1994. The length of the article is 702 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Re-inventing itself: SVT. (Sveriges Television of Sweden)
Publication:
Video Age International (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 1, 1994
Publisher: TV Trade Media, Inc.
Volume: v14
Issue: n2
Page: p 14(1)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Video Age International, published by TV Trade Media, Inc. on September 1, 1993. The length of the article is 1302 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Syndication growth, RAI's new phase, Berlusconi's IPOs. (includes related article on independent TV stations in Italy; Silvio Berlusconi plans to go public with two of his companies)
Publication:
Video Age International (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 1993
Publisher: TV Trade Media, Inc.
Volume: v13
Issue: n8
Page: p12(3)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from American Journalism Review, published by University of Maryland on June 1, 2004. The length of the article is 914 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Virtual news reports: CNN and local TV stations were guilty accomplices in allowing a government-produced VNR on the air.(Broadcast Views)
Author: Deborah Potter
Publication:
American Journalism Review (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 2004
Publisher: University of Maryland
Volume: 26
Issue: 3
Page: 68(1)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
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Wake up to reality.(//bites: BRIEF NOTES ON NEWS AND VIEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD) : An article from: Arena Magazine
Andrea Cally
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
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ASIN: B000BD9XYA
Release Date: 2005-09-12 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Arena Magazine, published by Thomson Gale on August 1, 2005. The length of the article is 462 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Wake up to reality.(//bites: BRIEF NOTES ON NEWS AND VIEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD)
Author: Andrea Cally
Publication:
Arena Magazine (Magazine/Journal)
Date: August 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Issue: 78
Page: 25(1)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life, published by Institute on Religion and Public Life on April 1, 2004. The length of the article is 416 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: A Wisconsin reader writes that his cable television now shows pay-per-view gay and lesbian films.(While We're At It)
Publication:
First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life (Refereed)
Date: April 1, 2004
Publisher: Institute on Religion and Public Life
Issue: 142
Page: 69(1)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Books:
- Politically Incorrect Jokes from the Net
- Producing Great Sound for Digital Video
- Queer Cowboys: And Other Erotic Male Friendships in Nineteenth-Century American Literature
- Reality Check (Turning Seventeen)
- Red Ain't Dead: 150 More Ways to Tell If You're a Redneck
- Relax--You May Only Have a Few Minutes Left: Using the Power of Humor to Overcome Stress in Your Life and Work
- Right Honourable Insults: A Stirring Collection of Insults and Invective
- Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Legacy
- So You Want to Be a Producer
- Spencer's Adventures -- The Great Toilet Paper Caper
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Popeye the Sailor: 1933-1938, Vol. 1
