Mike Milo’s Journal

Rough…

and Cleaned Up…

Apparently, the Disney board is going to officially consider the purchase of Pixar, according to the LA Times (reg req).

Wow, what a change since the Jobs-Eisner wars of 2004… This makes me nervous for a few reasons the largest of which are 1) I’d hate to see Pixar screwed up by Disney and 2) I’d hate to see Pixar screwed up by Disney.

The Pixar and Disney relationship worked because each company was exactly what the other was not. In my opinion, a purchase of Pixar, while probably good for Steve Jobs, is bad news for everyone else. Why? In my humble opinion:

• Pixar will loose because it will be stifled and constricted to conform with the souless mantra of today’s Disney
• Disney will loose because it will kill the very thing it currently values so much
• The animation industry will loose because a primary example of critical and monetary success will be gone, once again bringing in to question its value as an entertainment medium
• The public will loose because we won’t be dazzled by movies like Finding Nemo anymore.

Now, I’m no fan-boy of Jobs, but I’ve got to hand it to the man. His turn around of Apple and the success of Pixar are an amazing testament to his abilities. Abilities despite his faults, I might add. In this case, I’m hoping that his reportedly massive ego will keep him from selling Pixar and that the whole thing will simply result in a lucrative distribution agreement that will keep the movies flowing for benefit and enjoyment of all.

A Goth Mall from a freelance project I am working on…

Animator and director NORM McCABE passed away on January 17, a month shy of what would have been his ninety-fifth birthday.

From 1934 until 1999 he worked for Schlesinger, Warner Bros., U. S. Army Air Corps Training Film Unit, MGM, Swift Productions, Five Star Productions, Telemation, Pacific Title, Hanna-Barbera, Filmation, DePatie-Freleng, Ruby-Spears, Filmfair, Marvel and Universal. In 1995 he received the Animation Guild Golden Award.

I had the great fortune of working with Norm on my first TV series job at Warner Bros. He was always a gentleman and an all around good guy. I will never forget him coming into my cubicle one day many years ago while I worked on WB’s Tazmania and telling me that my animation layouts were the best he’d seen since the old days. This from a Looney Tunes Director? I was in Heaven! Still the greatest artistic compliment I’ve ever recieved!

I haven’t seen him in 10+ years but I will miss him. He was one of the few original Looney Tunes animators left.