The ASIFA-Hollywood Blog has a bunch of pictures and reports with an animation slant from last week’s San Diego Comic Con. Animated News scored some photos too which should be posted here next week.

Jerry Beck’s got the low down on many of the features of the upcoming 3rd volume of Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes Golden Collection and it looks like it’s going to be an animation history fanatic’s dream. Full details at Cartoon Brew

We reported recently on a Finding Nemo pool tile mosaic in Hawaii. Now, the Orange County Register (free subscription required to read article and view photos online) reports that a Finding Nemo design won yesterday’s sand sculpture competition at the San Clemente Ocean Festival.

The Ice Age 2 teaser trailer featuring the ever hapless yet eternally determined Scrat is now online. Thanks to “snowdaytripper” for the heads up.

The Orange County Register begins a four-day series of articles today about the origins and history of Disneyland. The series will conclude on Sunday, July 17, the actual 50th birthday of the famed theme park. Also check out new coverage at o-meon (“Countdown to Disneyland’s 50th: Be our Guest”).

Roy Disney has just posted a personal message on the Save Disney site indicating that it’ll be closing down on August 7, thanking fans for their support and giving some more details on his new position at The Walt Disney Company as consultant and Director Emeritus.

The Save Disney website reports that, “The Walt Disney Company, Roy E. Disney and Stanley P. Gold announced today that they have agreed to put aside the differences that have characterized their relationship over the past several years.” It appears that there is a little give-and-take on each side and the new arrangements arrived at […]

In keeping with the Disneyland theme… The Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters Interactive Experience which allows players online to interact with the Disneyland attraction is now up and running… to infinity and beyond.

In keeping with the magazine theme… The Summer 2005 issue of the Disney Magazine is devoted to the 50th anniversary of Disneyland and one part of it contains Roy E. and Patty Disney’s reminiscences of the opening week back in 1955. Looks like the company hasn’t completely sworn Roy off.

In keeping with the Hawaiian theme… On your next trip to a large, cosmopolitan magazine stand you may want to check out Hawaiian Style Vol. 2 No. 3. This issue contains an article on three Hawaiian tile artists and shows pictures of a custom pool project featuring all the major characters from Finding Nemo created […]

This is not even linked to from the Disney DVD & Video Official Site yet but the Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch teaser site is now open and it appears this direct-to-video title has been given a PG rating just like its predecessor. There’s not much there now besides an order link […]

Yesterday’s Orange County Register (free subscription required to read article online) had an article all about Dave Suding, a Laguna Beach resident, who has worked on Disney animated features from Sleeping Beauty all the way up to Mulan. The article even tells of a near-collision Suding had with Walt himself.

Last Tuesday night Walt Disney Feature Animation held a life celebration for longtime story artist Joe Grant at the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale, CA. Having lived a long and fruitful life until 10 days shy of his 97th birthday it was no surprise that hundreds of Joe’s friends, family members, and professional colleagues showed […]

The nationwide Regal Cinema chain is once again offering its summertime Free Family Film Festival which screens select G and PG-rated movies, most of which are animated. Movies shown vary somewhat from theater to theater but an example is the Edwards Fresno Stadium 22 theater which will be showing Anastasia, Charlotte’s Web, Muppets From Space, […]

The Disney Database has posted the UK press release for Lilo and Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch which lets out a little more information about this direct-to-video title including plot and music info.

Numerous photos of last night’s tribute to longtime Disney story artist Joe Grant have been posted at the ASIFA-Hollywood Blog. This event was well-attended by many who knew Joe as friends, family, and professional colleagues. Expect a report on the event tomorrow at Animated News.

Good for a few minutes of weekend fun, Grocery Store Wars presents the produce section of a supermarket parodying Star Wars. Watch Cuke, Princess Lettuce, Chewbroccoli, and the rest of the gang battle the evil powers of mass-produced, non-organic fruits and vegetables and the Death Melon. Thanks to James D. for the heads up.

Animated News reporter Christian Ziebarth happened to be in Hawaii for the Maui Film Festival recently and has written about his experiences:

TV Shows on DVD has posted the box art for season 6 of The Simpsons on DVD. It’s entirely different from the box art for the first five seasons yet somehow very familiar. Thanks to Kristin for the heads up.

Nine new images from August 30’s direct-to-video Disney title Lilo and Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch can be viewed here:

Song of the South.net reveals that Universal Cartoon Studios is producing a direct-to-video animated film based on the animal characters of Uncle Remus, including Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear, and Brer Wolf. If this title is well received it could make it easier for Disney to release their Song of the South to DVD in America […]

Wish we’d known about this sooner. Tonight at the ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood Walt Disney Feature Animation will be hosting a retrospective of its seventy-five years in the business as well as a look ahead. “Learn the process of evolution from legacy 2D films to cutting edge CG technology, with a sneak peak at some […]

Whatever might be said of the storyline for Tarzan II (see diametrically opposing reports at Ultimate Disney and Jim Hill Media) 90% of the time the quality of the animation matches that of the original. Five screen captures, with a special focus on characters that seem to have snuck in from other movies, can be […]

Follow the ‘More’ link to view photos from last night’s Los Angeles premiere of Hayao Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle which took place at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. At the same time, across the street from the El Capitan, George Lucas was receiving his Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. Charles Solomon, […]

Chuck Oberleitner details at his o-meon site some of the legal difficulties the big animation studios have found themselves in lately. First off, Disney lost its bid to have the recent SaveDisney lawsuit thrown out of court and, secondly, Dreamworks Animation is facing its own shareholder discontent. Thirdly, Oberleitner reveals that the goverment may now […]

Michel Gagne has announced at his art site that his online fan favorite Insanely Twisted Shadow Puppet will be appearing on Nickelodeon this Halloween season as eleven short pieces.

The ASIFA-Hollywood Blog has been updated with a report and photos from Day 2 of the Chuck Jones Gallery Opening. Bill Melendez of Peanuts fame was the star of the day and talked about union strikes and getting drafted into the army.

Just a reminder that Day 2 of the Grand Opening of the Chuck Jones Gallery at Fashion Island in Newport Beach is later today from 1pm to 4pm. Special guests of honor today will be Bill Melendez (director and producer of the animated Peanuts films) and Snoopy. Some photos from yesterday can be found here:

The 1942 animated classic Bambi will be shown on ABC’s Wonderful World of Disney tonight (Saturday), broadcast in high definition and 5.1 surround sound. For those with HDTV sets please note that the film will be shown in its original aspect ratio, 1.33:1, making it appear to be ‘pillar boxed’ on 16:9 monitors. For those […]

This has just come to our attention (thanks to Larry Loc’s ASIFA-Hollywood Blog), but later today and tomorrow, 1pm to 4pm each day, the Chuck Jones Gallery at Fashion Island in Newport Beach will be having a grand opening celebration. The first day will focus on Warner Bros. characters, Bugs Bunny being the guest of […]