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loren91 · 9 months

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Young Royals and the three act structure, Part one

Seems like there was some potential interest in a full three-act story structure analysis, so I’m taking this opportunity to indulge myself by going full nerd. I’m going to attempt to make the argument that limiting the show to three seasons is actually perfect for Young Royals, by highlighting the pattern the story follows.

A few things to keep in mind before we start.

This analysis is not about the characters deep inner emotional lives. We are not here to pass judgment on their actions. We are simply identifying the beats of the story in a neutral and objective manner, for the purpose of analysing the structure of the story.

As you will notice, the points I have identified are all from Wilhelm’s perspective. That’s because he’s the point-of-view character, the main conflict is shaped by him and his emotional state. He’s the protagonist. Each subplot however, will follow the same pattern and has its own purpose, but I’ll get more into that another time.

I’ll be referring a fair bit to Lindsey Ellis’s video essay on the subject, because I like how she describes the structure pattern in sequences. So I’m gonna borrow some of her language. Also, note that the examples she uses to describe the tree-act structure are all feature films. Since Young Royals is a series, it’s gonna divert slightly from her description. But that’s what is so great about this structure, it’s flexible. It’s not meant to be set rules, but rather guidelines to help keep your story relevant and engaging all the way through. If you find this stuff interesting, I’d highly recommend watching her videos!

The three act structure is absolutely not the only way to tell a story. There’s many different formats that works just as well! It’s really about finding what structure works best to tell your story. The three acts however is the most common format you’ll find in more commercially viable works, such as Disney films for example.

And finally, I’m not a writer, but an animator, and I have studied film theory/structure. I’ll do my best to motivate the plot points I’ve identified, but if you’re a proper story expert and disagree with me, I’m happy to discuss!

Okay, let’s get to it.

A three-act structure is constructed of just that, three acts, and roughly looks like this. Essentially, a beginning, a middle, and an end. Or the set up, the confrontation, and the resolution. These acts may vary in length, act two usually being the longest and act three usually being the shortest. But what truly defines them is the tension of each act, meaning what drives the conflict forward at that point. A story will have a main conflict yes, but that conflict will take on many forms depending on where we are in the story. Lindsey Ellis describes each act as consisting of multiple sequences, and defines each sequence by its individual tension as well. Though all points of tension should always stay related to the main conflict! So the main points we’re looking to identify in the story are the main act tensions and the main sequence tensions.

Let’s go through season one of Young Royals and talk about each story beat.

Act 1

Act tension - Wille has to attend Hillerska.

Sequence 1

We start with the Set up/Hook. The purpose here is to establish the world and the protagonist along with their internal conflict, such as their flaws and/or desire that makes them feel incomplete - The way Wilhelm’s character is introduced informs us that he is royal, but struggling with his role, because royals have set rules to follow.

“Why can’t I decide how the hell I want to live? I want to live a normal life!”

The thing that sets the story in motion is the point of attack. Something happens that is outside of the protagonist's control/knowledge - That would be the royal court deciding to send Wille to Hillerska without his permission. This gives the protagonist something to react to.

Sequence tension is established - Wille does not want to go to Hillerska. The rest of episode one reinforces Wille’s discomfort at the school.

Next, we get to the inciting incident. An event that disrupts the status quo, and our protagonist has to get involved - The initiation party, particularly when Wille and Simon almost kiss at the end. This leads him to acknowledge his attraction toward Simon and become more proactive in his pursuit of the boy.

The sequence tension is resolved. Notice how in episode two, Hillerska is no longer the main focus for Wille, but Simon is. The seeds for what will become the central conflict have now been planted. The conflict is usually driven by character motivation. This is where we can consider the protagonist's Want vs Need. The want drives the main tension - Wille wants to be with Simon. But we’ll find want he needs later on in the story.

Sequence 2

The purpose here is to build up the creation of the main tension of the story. The main antagonist can also be established here - August keeps getting on Wille’s nerves. Especially when he’s trying to hang out with Simon.

That’s our sequence tension - Wille is working to befriend Simon, but August keeps getting in the way.

The end of the sequence sees the first major plot point, the Lock-in. Where our protagonist makes a decision that changes everything. Usually, something they can’t come back from - In Young Royals that would be the first kiss. Wille and Simon’s relationship has fundamentally changed. The main tension is now established.

Act 2

Act tension - Can Wille be with Simon, despite him being a prince?

Sequence 3

At the start of this sequence, the protagonist has most likely achieved some kind of milestone or learned something - He’s definitely like that.

To keep the story interesting, writers will add so-called pinch points in between the bigger plot points. These usually act as reminders of the antagonist or the pressure our protagonist may feel - Wille feels he needs to break it off with Simon because a prince is not supposed to be gay. As we established in the set up, royals have rules.

Sequence tension - Can Wille deny his feelings for Simon? Queer pining ensues.

Sequence 4

The purpose of this sequence is to build up towards the midpoint. We see the protagonist making attempts to achieve their goal - The want never changed, Wille still wants to be with Simon, despite the pressure. Wille invites him to spend the weekend with him.

Sequence tension - Wille is trying to prioritise his new relationship with Simon, but August is still being annoying.

Then the midpoint hits. A major disruption, either from a character action or a force of nature. Can be positive or negative, just something that changes the aim of the quest without resolving the main tension - This time it’s literally halfway through the season. End of episode three, Erik dies and Wille becomes the crown prince. Everything has changed.

Sequence 5

Everybody has to adjust to the new world order after the midpoint disruption. We’ve reached another pinch point - Again we are reminded that royals have rules, and Wille makes another attempt to follow those rules. By embracing his new role, he breaks up with Simon once again, then sort of pursues Felice and joins the society.

Sequence tension - Wille adjusting to his new title while mourning his brother.

It’s common for subplots to advance around this time - Like Simon giving August the drugs to sell.

Sequence 6

Another plot point, where our protagonist may stop and reflect. Maybe have a heart-to-heart with another character, and perhaps make a decision - This is where we see the football field scene and the end of episode four. Wille reaches out to Simon for help, reconnecting with him. This leads them to pursue a relationship once again. They are put in a false sense of security. They are finally together, thinking all is good. BUT, we in the audience know that August has the video of them and the writers keep reminding us of him and the threat he poses. Even if Wille and Simon don't know it yet.

Sequence tension - Can this happiness last?

Sequence 7

(Here’s where the story leaves the classic structure for a bit, and adds an extra sequence for some more drama, as filler. In theory, they could have skipped this sequence and gone straight to the video being released. This part is mainly here to give motivation for August’s character, making his actions clearer)

So we are essentially given another pinch point, a reminder of antagonist or pressure - August tries to break them apart by telling Wille about the drugs, which leads to the music room fight.

Sequence tension - August is becoming more hostile.

Wille saving Simon from being framed for the drugs is more related to August’s money subplot. And the Lucia hug scene is mainly there for character building purposes. I’ll talk more about that stuff in part two.

The plot has advanced to the culmination of the main tension. The crisis that serves as build-up to act three - August releases the video. At the end of act two, the protagonist faces their biggest challenge yet. They’ve hit their lowest point - The aftermath of the video's release and Wille is totally lost.

Act 3

Act tension - Can they save their relationship after the video?

Sequence 8

Begins with the protagonist making a big decision that creates the new act tension. The tension in act three will be different, but still related to the main conflict - Wille and Simon talk in the locker room, where Wille says he won’t do the statement.

Sequence tension - Can Wille avoid making the statement?

We’ve reached our last major plot point, located at the end of the sequence. Sometimes known as the twist in the third act - And what a twist, Wille does the statement anyway. This narrows down the tension further, to focus on a more character-driven intimate place for the next sequence.

Sequence 9

Sequence tension - Can they be together despite the statement?

Climax, the last big fight - Simon tells Wille off for being selfish and breaks up. Wille also finds out that both August and his mother betrayed him. The protagonist’s need has emerged from this journey and is now clear to us - Wille needs to decide who he wants to be. The want and the need should be different from each other, but still connected. Wille wants Simon, but in order for that to happen, Wille needs to break out of this cycle of self-preservation and stand up for himself against the royal court.

The climax will most likely lead to some kind of character growth - Wille is now pissed because he’s lost everything and realizes how corrupt the royal court is. As Lisa so beautifully put it, “A flame is ignited in him”. Hugging Simon in public is a display of his character growth.

And finally, Resolution. The point where the story is usually wrapped up neatly, but if left ignored, you get a cliffhanger - Which is exactly what happens in this season. Nothing is properly resolved at this point. Resulting in an open ending/cliffhanger.

Oof, that was a lot. How are we all doing? So these are the main beats of the plot. Makes sense? Let me know if you need any further clarification 😅 I was gonna get into how the rest of the show fits this format as well, but that’ll have to be in a separate post. Here’s part two!

#young royals #prince wilhelm #young royals analysis #young royals season 1 #film theory #story structure #story analysis #young royals and the three act structure #wilmon #simon eriksson #august horn #my meta #my analysis

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asadfangirlbitxh · 5 months

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Blogmas #2 2023

Underrated Disney movies that I love

1) Big Hero 6

This movie always makes me cry like a baby

2) Dinosaur

Before Disney Plus, I swear I had thought I dreamt this movie. Because no one else seemed to remember it. But honestly this movie makes me cry so much. Like definitely worth a watch

3) The Wild

This was clearly Disney's attempt to compete with Madagascar. But it was a cute attempt, nostalgia is definitely helping this but it's definitely a classic

But the iconic dialogue lives in my head.

"who knows how to stere?"

"we are animals"

"so none of us"

4) 101 Dalmatians

Cruella Deville is a bop. And i have to say the movie is so aesthetically pleasing. It makes me happy to see all those little puppies just vibing as the adults scramble to save them

5) Atlantis; the lost empire

This movie made me bisexual

6) The Emperor's new groove

This movie made me the person I am today. It's the perfect combination of heart, humor and just utter ridiculousness. This movie genuinely feels like a warm hug of my childhood after a particularly hard day

7) the Rescuer series

Under movie which I was convinced for the longest time was a fever dream. I love that they made this film. It broke my heart to see both those children and how the adults in their life let them down but it made me the person I am today. I work in healthcare to make sure that no child ever feels like that. So this movie really is worth the watch..brilliantly written just deserves so much more credit

8) The Hunchback of Notre Dame

First of all, the crush I had on Esmeralda is unreal. Like she is so pretty. Also, i love how they showed that she didn't love Quasimodo but not because he was ugly but he just wasn't the person for her. Also the villian death was so Amazing. I was so happy when that mother ducker perished

Also god helped the outcasts deserves an Oscar

9) Brother Bear

Another story that makes.me cry. And i love the portrayal of Native American lore compared to Pocahontas where there was a glamoroisation of the coloniser. The ending always gets me and makes.me an ugly crying mess

Also the iconic "stop.telling people I'm dead" meme

10) Robin Hood

The humor in this movie is unmatched. I had the biggest crush on Robin. He was so smooth and those eyes. Sir! Omg please.

Also i think it's so well written which can't be said for some Disney movies

#blogmas 2023 #blogmas #Disney #big hero 6 #dinosaur #dinosaur 2000 #the wild #101 dalmatians #atlantis the lost empire #the emperors new groove #rescuers down under #the rescuers #the hunchback of notre dame #brother bear #robin hood #disney 100

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wonderfulworldofmichaelford · 9 months

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Is It Really That Bad?

Disney and Dreamworks have been locked in combat since day one, and honestly, can you blame them? The Katzenberg/Eisner feud is pretty legendary, with both men taking potshots at each other in films, and the drama behind stuff like A Bug’s Life and Antz has been done to death. The thing is, in the early years of Dreamworks, it was pretty clear that no matter how hard they tried, Disney was the one who was taking the Ws when it came to the cinemas. Stuff like Sinbad and The Road to El Dorado were flopping pretty hard, and while The Prince of Egypt was a success, the failure of the former two ended Dreamoworks’s hopes of ever competing with Disney in the 2D animated market. What’s a studio to do in a situation like that? Well, someBODY ONCE TOLD ME...

Shrek didn’t just solidify Dreamworks as a contender, that movie changed the course of animation in the 2000s all on its own. With its snarky humor, pop culture references, awesome pop soundtrack as opposed to musical numbers, and celebrity cast, Shrek codified many trends for animation going forward—for better and for worse. But whatever impact the film had pales in comparison to one simple, unignorable fact: This movie came out on top over Disney. It won the first ever Academy Award for Best Animated Picture, and considering how long Disney was in that game that must have really fucking stung. While Disney spent the early 2000s floundering and releasing flops that would only become cult classics later, Dreamworks was riding that green wave Shrek produced all the way to the bank. What’s a studio to do in a situation like that? Well, someBODY ONCE…

Oh no.

Chicken Little was Disney’s blatant attempt at making their own Shrek (with blackjack! And hookers!), but to say that things didn’t pan out well for Disney there is a vast understatement. Michael Eisner made sure to meddle as much as possible, turning a more straightforward adaptation of the fairy tale into a snarky, self-deprecating comedy about baseball and aliens, which certainly is a choice. This choice had some dire consequences; while not a bomb by any means, the film ruined the already-struggling career of The Emperor’s New Groove director Mark Dindal, producer Randy Fullmer left Disney with Dindal and went into making guitars, and ultimately Eisner himself became a victim of the film as well, with it being the final blow to his tenure at Disney after a decade of failed investments. Eisner ended up passing the torch to Bob Iger, who turned out to be a better leader than Eisner who never did or said anything quite as stupid!

Audience reaction to the movie has always been pretty mixed, to say the least. Reviewers on YouTube such as Schafrillas, Doug Walker, and Mr. Enter have used the film as their punching bag at various points, with the latter in particular helping shape the image of Buck Cluck as Disney’s most vile father figure. Audiences these days aren’t particularly receptive to it either, with most people considering it Disney’s absolute worst film, though there are nostalgic viewers with a soft spot for it. I first watched the film myself a few years back, and I was thoroughly disgusted and unimpressed by what I saw; for the longest time, I had it higher than Doogal on my list of the worst films ever. Fucking Doogal! Can a film really be that bad?!

Well, I decided to give it a second chance and find out if maybe my perception was just colored by all the negative reviews. Is Chicken Little really that bad, or is this just a so-so Shrek ripoff that people overreacted to?

THE GOOD

Most of the characters in this movie are actually decent, even if they’re a little cringe. Chicken Little himself is a likable dork, which only makes all the suffering and setbacks he goes through that much harder to watch; I think they made him too likable, y’know? His friend group is pretty solid as well, with Abby being an okay love interest, Runt being a nice guy (or maybe I should say Nice Guy considering what he does with a bimbofied Foxy Loxy at the end), and Fish Out of Water being a cute “lol so random XD” character. They aren’t the best thing ever, but they’re all pretty decent. I can see why Zach Braff likes voicing the title character so much, and it is cool he got to be in the best Kingdom Hearts game, so that’s something!

Though of, course none of them hold a candle to the absolute Chad that is Morkubine Porcupine, a character so fucking cool that he refuses to give this movie the dignity of more than three single words out of his mouth. If he had more dialogue, the whole movie might collapse under the sheer power of his voice. He’s like Black Bolt, except a porcupine, and in a marginally better piece of Disney media.

There’s a great sequence at the end of the movie that has a Pee-wee’s Big Adventure-esque film within the film about Chicken Little’s exploits… except he’s a ridiculously buff rooster voiced by Adam West in a film that looks like an insane version of Star Fox from the brief clips we see of it. Runt is in there as a hardcore, ugly warthog and Abby is an overly-sexualized space bimbo, but I’m not even particularly bothered by the fact they gave the girl chicken breasts because Adam West’s chicken breasts are so much more massive.

The entire scene, as brief as it is, is delightful thanks to West being West, and it honestly makes you wish that the whole movie was just a ridiculous space battle adventure… And everyone’s wish was granted when they released a pretty good video game based on this silly concept!

Of course, as is typical of any Disney movie, the best part is without a doubt the villain: Buck Cluck, Chicken Little’s own father.

In his youth, he was a strapping sports star, and because of this he feels a deep sense of shame at his son’s wild antics and is completely unable to relate to him. He constantly puts him down in front of others to try and salvage his own reputation, throwing him under the bus at every opportunity and refusing to support him. And even after Chicken Little pushes himself to the limit and becomes a baseball star all so he can earn even the slightest smidgen of his father’s respect, Buck is quick to cast him aside once more all so that he can try and keep the dignity among the townsfolk he mooched off of his son’s victory. Buck Cluck is the proto-Mother Gothel, a distant and absent parent for the ages, and one of the most despicable foes the studio has ever produced. Hell, I might even go as far as to say he’s one of the greatest villains of all ti-

Wait, hold on. I’m being informed that Buck… isn’t intentionally a villain? He’s supposed to be… sympathetic…?

THE BAD

I’VE COME TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT! BUCK “THE CUCK” CLUCK’S A BITCH-ASS MOTHERFUCKER!

Ok, ok, let’s be serious for a second. I’m gonna get a bit controversial here, but Buck Cluck isn’t nearly as evil as people make him out to be.

Let me explain: While the film’s narrative completely and utterly fails to make his redemption feel earned at all, it’s not like he was ever really intentionally or even physically abusive like Frollo, Gothel, or Lady Tremaine were. Buck Cluck has a very real problem a parent can have, in that he has a hard time relating to his son while being a single parent that is likely still dealing with the loss of his wife. The issue is the movie doesn’t bother trying to flesh him or his feelings out and tries its damndest to make him look like a good guy all while he emotionally neglects his child.

All this being said, his vocal performance from The Princess Diaries director Garry Marshall is actually pretty great, he gets a few good jokes here and there, and it’s actually really endearingly goofy when he overcompensates with loving his son in the third act. While I’m never going to stop treating the character like he’s Chicken Hitler, I want it to be clear that my jabs at him are very much in the same vein as someone like Huey Emmerich. The difference, of course, is that Huey is an intentional case of making a character you love to hate, while Buck is accidental. And that’s why this segment is here, in “The Bad” part of the review: The movie failed this man so bad that he is put alongside characters like Shou Tucker, Ragyo Kiryuin, and Fire Lord Ozai in animated parent rankings. How do you fuck up that badly? Mainly by deleting the scenes where he actually gets development or characterization beyond being a lousy parent, that’s how!

These writing issues don’t just affect Buck, though; literally the entire movie is as messy as that Kentucky fried bastard’s characterization. The main issue is with the story itself. Now, when you have a movie called Chicken Little, you kind of expect an adaptation of the fable of the same name. And since this is Disney, you wouldn’t be stupid to assume that’s what they’d do, considering adapting fables, myths, and fairy tales is basically their bread and butter. But that is decidedly not what they did here; instead, they decided to make Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius by way of Shrek, because movies like that were popular at the time, and what we’re left with is a film populated by mean-spirited jerkasses who do nothing but dump on our likable main character as he takes part in a story to win the love of his dad via baseball that suddenly, out of completely nowhere, turns into an alien invasion movie about halfway through. Absolutely none of these elements work well together, and the film comes off felling like it was stitched together from unrelated scripts and turned into an unholy Frankenstein of bad ideas.

Not helping helping the disjointed story are the desperate attempts to seem cool. I like Morkubine Porcupine, he’s one of the better gags in the film, but he is so plainly a desperate attempt at creating an ensemble darkhorse that it hurts (the fact it actually worked in spite of this is nothing short of miraculous). The humor is very much aping Shrek, with lots of snarky humor and mean-spirited characters which ends up not working because it’s too cruel, and even ignoring that the pop culture references (a staple of Dreamworks at the time) just all come out of nowhere. Why is the fish reenacting King Kong? Why are these animals watching Raiders of the Lost Ark, and why is Indy still a human? Why did Disney think referencing the lemming suicide myth was a good idea when they literally perpetuated that myth by driving lemmings off a cliff for a movie?

Then there’s the animation. It is so blatantly obvious that this is Disney’s first time making a fully computer animated movie without Pixar’s help. A lot of characters look really unpolished, and even worse is that a lot of the characters are extremely overanimated. If you wanna see what I mean, watch Abby at the end of the dodgeball scene when she’s talking to Chicken Little. She just never fucking stops moving! Once you notice it, it becomes really distracting.

But by far the worst thing this movie does is the constant needle drops. This movie would make The Super Mario Bros. Movie blush with its overuse of licensed music, and it sure feels like Suicide Squad took notes from this because they cram so many tracks in here it’s not even funny. Sometimes they even just have thew characters sing them because… who fucking knows. Barenaked Ladies gets a pretty fat W with their song “One Little Slip” playing over our introduction to Chicken Little, but after that we either get the most obvious songs possible for any given seen (“It’s the End of the World as We Know It” plays over the alien invasion at the end, because of course it does) to “what the actual fuck is this doing here in the movie” (“Wannabe” by the Spice Girls is sung by Runt and Abby during a karaoke session, proving that canceling the Spice World review was not enough to save me from this band).

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IS IT REALLY THAT BAD?

Alright guys, here comes my hottest take ever: Chicken Little… isn’t that bad.

Now, don’t get me wrong! This movie is still not really good at all. It’s disjointed, mean-spirited, confused, and stuffed to the brim with the tropes and trappings of every bad animated movie of the 2000s. But all of that is also what helps make this so genuinely fascinating! When Dreamworks did stuff like this, it was whatever, that studio is a rising contender in the animation game… but this is Disney! This is THE animation studio, the biggest around, and they’re making every single mistake possible because they want to try and beat Dreamworks at their own game, and they are failing at it! It’s honestly so funny that they tried to make their own version of Shrek without any sort of understanding of what made Shrek work.

But even beyond that, even though this movie is bad, it’s not really worse than Shark Tale is, and that is a premier so bad it’s good film. Really, this movie is the opposite of that film in many ways. Where that film had a world that was too overly nice and propped up the shittiest main character animated at the time, this movie has an insanely cruel world where the sweet, charming, heavily traumatized child is incessantly beaten down and belittled to the point you half expect him to try and dive headfirst into a deep fryer; where that film had a single generic plot that was at least remarkably consistent, this film has two separate plots that don’t go together at all and just end up making both halves of the film feel stupid and pointless; and where in that film Oscar is desperately seeking love from his peers due to his sheer selfishness, Chicken Little just wants the love and respect of his father. Pile on that the mountain of similarities, from the overuse of lame pop culture references for the sake of pop culture references gags to the bland love interests, and you have the Awesomely Bad Animation Double Feature of your dreams.

So yeah, I think the rating it has is about what it deserves. This is easily one of Disney’s weakest entries for sure, but it’s not without its moments and it has some amusing jokes, charming characters, and Adam West as a buff space chicken. If you go in with lowered expectations, you might be amused, but honestly I get why this film is so absolutely despised. It really isn’t great at all, and is firmly in the “so bad it’s good” category. You can’t really expect much more from a movie that presents a character whose biggest crime was just being an asshole getting their personality overwritten with a girly-girl one that the comic relief fat guy insists is perfect as a hilarious joke and then leads into a dance party ending where the whole cast sings Elton John.

...Or you could expect more if it weren’t for that son of a bitch Buck Cluck. Fuck that guy.

#Is it really that bad #Chicken Little #Disney #review #movie review #Zach Braff #animation #animated movie #Disney animation

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shelbbswrites · 11 months

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I rewatched the animated The Little Mermaid for the first time in the longest time last night — in preparation for seeing the live-action film, of course. And the serotonin I get from watching movies I watched religiously as a child is unmatched.

Ariel is a determined, passionate, curious, gentle, loving, and sometimes reckless young woman. And Eric? One of the best Disney Princes, and I KNOW this live-action movie will make that even more valid.

I’m so glad I got to look up to her and plenty of other Disney Princesses as a child. I recognize my immense white privilege in knowing I never had to look for representation in a Disney Princess. It always existed.

I am so glad that with these new movies, Disney is evolving — as it always should have — to include representation as it exists in the world. It genuinely fills me with such joy to know so many little humans will go to the movie theaters and look up to the big screen and see Halle Bailey as a Disney Princess — as Ariel. Representation matters SO MUCH.

#disney #ariel #princess ariel #the little mermaid #little mermaid #prince eric #ariel x eric #shelbbswrites

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gone2soon-rip · 2 years

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DAME ANGELA LANSBURY (1925-Died October 11th 2022,at 96). British American actress and singer who played many film, theatre and television roles. With one of the longest careers in the entertainment industry, her career spanned over 80 years, much of it in the United States; her work also received much international attention. Upon the death of Olivia de Havilland in July 2020, Lansbury became the earliest surviving Academy Award nominee and one of the last stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema.Lansbury was born to an upper-middle-class family in central London, the daughter of Irish actress Moyna Macgill and English politician Edgar Lansbury. To escape the Blitz, in 1940 she moved to the United States, there studying acting in New York City. Proceeding to Hollywood in 1942, she signed to MGM and obtained her first film roles, in Gaslight (1944) and The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945), earning her two Oscar nominations and a Golden Globe Award. She appeared in 11 further MGM films, mostly in minor roles, and after her contract ended in 1952 she began supplementing her cinematic work with theatrical appearances. Although largely seen as a B-list star during this period, her appearance in the film The Manchurian Candidate (1962) received widespread acclaim and is cited as being one of her finer performances leading her to her third Academy Award nomination. Moving into musical theatre, Lansbury finally gained stardom for playing the leading role in the Broadway musical Mame (1966), which earned her her first Tony Award and established her as a gay icon.Amid difficulties in her personal life, Lansbury moved from California to County Cork, Ireland in 1970, and continued with a variety of theatrical and cinematic appearances throughout that decade. These included leading roles in the stage musicals Gypsy, Sweeney Todd, and The King and I, as well as in the hit Disney film Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971). Moving into television in 1984, she achieved worldwide fame as fictional writer and sleuth Jessica Fletcher in the American whodunit series Murder, She Wrote, which ran for 12 seasons until 1996, becoming one of the longest-running and most popular detective drama series in television history. Through Corymore Productions, a company that she co-owned with her husband Peter Shaw, Lansbury assumed ownership of the series and was its executive producer for the final four seasons. She also moved into voice work, contributing to animated films like Disney's Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Don Bluth's Anastasia (1997). She toured in a variety of international productions and continued to make occasional film appearances such as Nanny McPhee (2005) and Mary Poppins Returns (2018).Lansbury received an Honorary Academy Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the BAFTA, a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award and five additional Tony Awards, six Golden Globes, and an Olivier Award. She also was nominated for numerous other industry awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress on three occasions, and various Primetime Emmy Awards on 18 occasions, and a Grammy Award. In 2014, Lansbury was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. Her Murder,She Wrote,co star,Ron Masak,who played the cadillac driving sheriff of Cabot Cove, Mort Metzger,died just nine days later,on October 20th. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Lansbury

#Angela Lansbury #Dame Angela Lansbury #British Actresses #American Actresses #Actresses #Murder She Wrote #Jessica Fletcher #The Manchurian Candidate #Bedknobs & Broomsticks #Beauty and the Beast #Disney Legends #Notable Deaths in October 2022 #Notable Deaths in 2022 #Ron Masak

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ithillyienseowyn · 10 months

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See I've been thinking about this for quite a bit now in the midst of everyone trying to divide and conquer what version of The Little Mermaid is the 'best one' {TM} and then I think to just how linear and straight forward the animated actually is {not hating, far from it, and its something I definitely caught in the midst of my whole let me go prove my x y and z to everyone's a b c and d mentality}.

And I've been thinking about HOW and WHY the LA feels like such a gut wrench all consuming feeling, {mind you its all I've thought about for a whole half month}.

And I think its because they took care to expand so much of the story that wasn't just your standard animation and musical by pulling bits from the original HCA story, as well as pulling the whole bit of Ariel's mom dying from Ariel's Beginning and taking bits and pieces from Return to the Sea, add on to how AUTHENTIC the romance actually feels without being the straight forward linear beat for beat that the animated one is. Like they really took that and decided yeah no Ariel and Eric will still have that linear from the animated but we are going to really LEAN INTO the whole fact that they are actually strangers to acquaintances to friends to lovers. I'm kissing the ground for them making them friends in between literally everything but I think because that whole aspect rocked me so hard was because of how those two really just became besties on set as filming progressed. Which makes the whole bit with them saying goodnight even more insane because yeah dude realized he's in love but it had the whole vibe of {oh shit... I'm in love with my best friend?} and that's not even adding in the fact that you could actually FEEL everything Ariel and Eric were feeling as the relationship progressed... like this movie and Rob Marshall really said YOU THE AUDIENCE DONT JUST GET TO WATCH A SIMPLE DYNAMIC BETWEEN TWO YOUNGSTERS GROW YOU GET TO BE THE THIRD WHEEL TO THIS ROMANTIC JOURNEY NO NOTES. {Not to bring this up again but....the whole suddenness of how he grabs for her hand during the Kiss the Girl scene rocked me so hard the moment it happened that it literally nearly took me out.} That's why when they have the extra time separated after the battle with Ursula it just gets you in the most UNEXPECTED WAY and makes you see all the obstacles that are against them. In hindsight they could've made it so basic by not constantly throwing things at the both of them. But they deliberately chose not to so...

All that being said it really makes me think on just how much those two actually go through this whole entire movie because god the ending and them finally together and reunited feels so EARNED and DESERVED.

And I know it shouldn't shock me but I'm still thrown by the fact that out of all the disney live actions this movie is the longest out of all the live action runtimes.

I really don't want people thinking that I'm discrediting the classic when I say this but the difference to me is that yes I loved the animation as a kid but I also had a myriad of other Ren Era classics that I loved a tad bit more, it really depended on the day but sit me down with any of those era films and I will quote half of the movie {if not the whole thing} so this live action being one of my fave faves from the tip of the Ren Era is this weird euphoric feeling?

This movie is so special to me :') :')

#misc #text #tlm text #my feelings and thoughts on #this specific movie oscillate every 10 minutes #i spent 908% of watching this wishing they would kiss like 7-10 times during all the close calls they had

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t4tails · 7 months

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this is a random question but what watchthrough are you on rn? I remember you watched Batman stuff at some point, then Scooby Doo, Barbie, Adventure Time...? Which one is it currently? Are you still watching any others?

okay batman is my biggest and longest going one, sinceeee march? im very much planning on coming back to it but am on a little hiatus/am going very slow due to my lack of interest in batman beyond (IM NOT GOING TO SKIP IT THO dont ask lol) and also bc im currently watching all of the disney animated studio movies <- yes i know im insane

scooby doo was may/june while i was doing schoolwork so i didnt have to pay attention that much. see all scooby films ranked here

barbie was july and only took me like 4 or 5 days because i mostly didnt sleep. eazy peazy. see them all ranked here

adventure time was a couple weeks ago for my sister, it only took me a week and i liked it :) im up to date with everything up to the current eps of fionna and cake now

#og post #ask #anon

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riddlerosehearts · 6 months

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time for a ✨ very late intro post ✨

hey everyone! i probably should've made a post like this for my pinned ages ago, but better late than never, i guess? i'm going to stick part of this below a readmore because it got a bit long oops. you don't have to read this by any means but it's here now if you're interested!

★ i'm starlight or star! i'm in my 20s.

★ i'm bisexual and genderfluid!! sometimes i'm a woman, sometimes i'm a man, and sometimes i am agender. please either use they/them or check my blog description for my pronouns.

★ i'm also autistic.

★ my ask box is always open whether we're mutuals or not and i love talking about my favorite characters and ships and sharing my thoughts in general! my DMs are also always open but asks are a little easier for me to reply to. either way though i promise i don't bite and i love chatting 💖

★ i have an anime sideblog over at @ritsukageyamas, a blog dedicated to the emperor's new groove at @kuzcoskingdom, and a stim blog where i make my own stimmy gifs and post stimboards over at @glitteringstardust! i've got a handful of other sideblogs too but i'm not really using any of them atm. if/when i become more active on them in the future i'll add them here.

★ i also have a harry potter sideblog at @genderfluidweasley, which i made simply because i was deeply into the series for 15 years of my life before jkr published that awful essay of hers and as such there's a part of me that will probably always be nostalgic for it. i hate jkr a lot and don't support her or the HP franchise financially, but sometimes i wanna reblog posts about it and i don't want people who follow me on here to have to see them if they're understandably uncomfortable with it. i'm just listing it here so anyone who chooses to read this post will know about it.

★ sometimes when i happen to be in the mood, i make gifs and edits on here too! but mostly i just reblog a ton of stuff and ramble about whatever. occasionally i liveblog things.

★ i'm very sporadically active on twitter, but you can follow me over there too if you want.

★ main fandoms and other assorted info under the cut!

★ i'm a huge animation nerd!! i especially love walt disney animation and pixar films. some of my favorites include beauty and the beast, tangled (as well as tangled the series), frozen (mainly the first movie in particular LOL), toy story 1-3, onward, and coco. i love all kinds of other animated films too but you can expect to see lots of disney/pixar stuff in general on here as it's basically my longest lasting special interest.

★ i am also deeply in love with kingdom hearts and it's one of the things you can expect to see a lot of posts about. riku is one of my favorite fictional characters of all time and i would die for sorikai.

★ if you couldn't guess by my url i'm also brainrotting hard over twisted wonderland lately and will likely continue doing so for the foreseeable future. i have soooo much love for so many of the characters i literally can't even pick a favorite dorm. but riddle and idia are practically tied for the spot of my fave character and i ship riddle/floyd and idia/vil very hard.

★ i am very into pokemon but especially the hoenn, unova, alola, and paldea regions and the pokemon mystery dungeon series. love pokemon adventures/pokespe as well.

★ so the above things are kinda the main fandoms you'll see on here but my brain is also constantly hopping between other interests and getting me in the mood to reblog and talk about different things!! some of those other things can include uhhhh the PJO universe, utdr, twewy, the original sherlock holmes stories + granada TV series, LOTR, ace attorney, avatar the last airbender, neopets, and also just. so many other things. unfortunately i shove 90% of what i like onto here instead of having sideblogs for the most part.

★ anyway--please please let me know if you need something tagged and i'll do my best to keep it in mind!!

★ uhhh let's see what else. i'm an episcopalian christian who goes to a very cool and progressive church, but i don't talk about that on this blog hardly ever.

★ i don't have a dni, i just block people who make me uncomfortable and even then i don't block people very often! so just be chill and respectful and you're probably fine.

★ hmm i guess that's all BUT whenever i update or edit this post in any way i'll mention that in the tags!

★ so anyway thank you so much if you actually read this and i hope you enjoy your day!!! 💖

#realized i should probably make one of these since i haven't had a carrd in ages lol #soooo here it is i guess #last updated 1/21/2024 #(month/day/year format)

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ciaossu-imagines · 2 months

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So, as mentioned, I'm doing both the personalized prompts from the reader appreciation day of the event! Still continuing on with the second prompt, this time for the lovely Nix, who has been exceptionally supportive of this blog for a long time now and who I appreciate so much!

BLACK: what face claim from an anime, comic book, or cartoon do I associate with you?

Okay, I’m not going to lie. For the longest time, whenever I thought of you, I automatically pictured you as your icon picture. But given that it’s a very fancy cat, when I started pairing you with Shoichi in my head, I had to actually think of sort of an anime (or at least human) face to put with you, and the one that automatically came to mind and made sense to me was Sawako Kuronuma – it just fit the vibes you give off in my head!

WHITE: what flame type and box weapon do I think you’d have in the khr!verse?

No hesitation, pure out, you’re a Rain Flame to me. You have been since shortly after I got to know you through your constant support of the blog; again, it’s just something about the vibes you give off and after reading your full match-up description, that was just something that really solidified the flame type for me. As for your box weapon, it might disappoint because we do have a cat box weapon already, but I really do think it would be a Rain attribute feline for a box weapon, particularly an Abyssinian because of their reputation as being the most intelligent of the different cat breeds.

RED: what aesthetics do I associate with you?

Hot cups of tea in hand while rain pours down. Oversized cardigans. Fingers against instrument strings. Lo-fi. Studying. Bullet journals. Pretty stationery and fancy pens. Holding hands under the stars, walking home together. Close friends. Shared laughter in empty streets. Family, always having a place to come home to, no matter how old you get.

BLUE: what are three songs I’d put on a playlist for you?

ASTURIAS - issac albeniz guitar version

PIANO SONATA NO. 5 IN F-SHARP MINOR, OP. 81: III. FINALE. VIVACE - antonio pompa-baldi

THE PEOPLE WHO RAISED ME - gregory and the hawk

YELLOW: what fictional world out of all my fandoms would I picture you in?

The answer is pretty obvious, but of course it's Katekyo Hitman Reborn given that is the fandom we share, the one you request for and such! So it's the one I've thought of the most for you and the one where I have the most developed headcanons for you!

GREEN: who would I pair you with out of all my fandoms?

So, of course, the obvious KHR answer is Shoichi! Though I also self-ship with him, the ship of Nix/Shoichi lives so firmly in my mind that if I find myself self-shipping too much with him, I’m like ‘nope, veer off into one of your other self-ships because ya gotta leave Sho enough time to spend with Nix as well’, hahaha! In K, it’s Fujishima! In Nanbaka, it’s Musashi! In Iruma-kun, it’s Balam! In Bungou Stray Dogs, it’s Poe! In Servamp, it’s Syuhei Tsyuki! In Saiyuki, it’s Hakkai! In Eyeshield 21, it’s Taka Honjo! In Ronin Warriors, it's Rowen! In GetBackers, it’s Juubei! In Black Cat, it’s Train! In Gangsta., it’s Theo! In Bleach, it’s Hisagi! In Mystic Messenger, it’s Saeyoung! In Ikemen Revolution, it’s Sirius!

PURPLE: what gif reminds me of you?

PINK: if you were an AU, what type of AU would you be?

It would have to be a musical AU, haha! Either everyone's cursed to have to sing like they were in a musical until something solves the curse, everyone's in a theatre troop or club and are doing a musical, or it's just plain out a high-school musical/disney film situation where nobody seems to realize they're actively in a musical but musical numbers and dance routines just happen and everyone reacts like they're perfectly normal, haha.

RAINBOW: if i were to write a khr sequel, following Tsuna’s demise, and could only use my reader’s as characters, who would you be?

I see you making good use of all that medical learning by being part of the Vongola's medical staff!! Either you're a medical doctor who helps everyone out with their physical injuries or you're serving as a therapist, helping everyone with their mental health and finding family, friends, and love along your journey!

#unrequested prompts #nix

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naivesilver · 9 months

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Tuning the strings: Pinocchio connections masterpost 2

So as some of you might know, almost two years ago I made a list of performers/voice actors/etc. that had appeared in more than one Pinocchio adaptation. It was well-rounded and comprehensive at that point in time, but since then the franchise has received an impressive amount of additions, and I was therefore duty bound to update this collection with all the information we have now. Which means - pack your bags, back into the Pinocchioverse we go!

(As for the first list, pictures were added where available, but it some cases it was simply not possible. I do hope the captions are clear enough to clarify who is playing what and where LMAO)

Tom Kenny: Mussolini (2022 Guillermo Del Toro movie), Geppetto (Pinocchio: A True Story), Pinocchio (Pinocchio and the Water of Life)

Dmitriy Iosifov: Buratino (1975 Adventures of Buratino film), Modjafocco/Fire-Eater (Pinocchio: A True Story)

Jon Heder: Cat (2012 animated movie, English dub), Tybalt (Pinocchio: A True Story)

Fabrizio Vidale: Auctioneer (2012 animated movie), Priest (2022 Guillermo Del Toro movie, Italian dub)

Oreste Baldini: Cat (Bentornato Pinocchio), Master Cherry (Pinocchio & Friends), Schoolteacher (2022 Disney movie, Italian dub)

Franco Mannella: Fox (2022 Disney movie, Italian dub), Fox (Pinocchio & Friends)

Edoardo Stoppacciaro: Harlequin (2019 movie, English dub), Jiminy Cricket (2022 Disney movie, Italian dub)

Rachele Paolelli: Gardener (Bentornato Pinocchio), Agnese (Pinocchio & Friends)

A special treatment must also be reserved to Luigi Ferraro, already present with two roles in the original post, who has now gained a third as the voice of the Black Rabbits in the Italian dub of the Del Toro movie. In a similar situation is Emanuela Rossi, who instead dubbed the Disney live-action as Sofia the Seagull for her third role. These two raise the number of performers with three adaptations under their belt as well, as do Oreste Baldini and Tom Kenny (whose efforts in favor of the Pinocchio franchise have been enumerated often on this website).

Some additional notes:

just like the last time, we have our fair share of actors who reprised the same role, or as close as the adaptation allowed: if Franco Mannella was the Fox twice over the course of 2022 alone, Rachele Paolelli dubbed the Fairy's servant in two different cartoons, even if only one of them was a snail, and Emanuela Rossi managed to snag the role of Pinocchio's talking-bird-lady-friend again, albeit another species if compared to the one of ten years ago;

Dmitry Iosifov takes the temporary (and permanent, if nothing new resurfaces soon) crown for the longest gap between Pinocchio performances, with an astonishing 47 years wait between his title character role and the Fire-Eater dub;

in the first post I focused on noticing the amount of times Pinocchio actors showed up in two of the most prominent shows in Italian TV history, but since then I noticed a different, even more worrisome trend, which is that Geppetto producers seemed instead hell bent on casting Star Trek VIPs - I have counted 4 thus far, and I lost my original notes on the topic, so there's no telling how many I forgot because of that LMAO;

(a honorable mention goes out to Geneviève Bujold, who was supposed to play Captain Janeway and show us the final frontier of space but was ultimately rejected, while her role as Leona in the 1996 Adventures of Pinocchio movie cannot possibly be forgotten);

as of the posting of this list, there are only two confirmed voice actors for the upcoming Lies of P game, neither of which has had any previous Pinocchio presence, but there is still a chance this will be amended once the full cast is out, so stay tuned for more ig.

I am certain to have forgotten something, but as this appears to have already turned into a series, I am ready to make my corrections at some point in the future ajfhakjfhajkfh see you next episode, I guess!

#pinocchio #guillermo del toro's pinocchio #the adventures of pinocchio #I left this shit hanging for like a week Idk what got into me exactly #(looking for the star trek list. that's what I was doing)#pinocchio connections

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murdockmeta · 10 months

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Mike Murdock Headcanons

Has the goofiest laugh. He rarely laughs for real but when he does its something like *loud snort* hyUH hyUH hyUH

He likes watching animated shows, stuff that's usually meant for kids, like adventure time, kim possible, steven universe, over the garden wall, gravity falls ect

This extends to movies, he does watch Disney movies and he will sing every damn song, he can quote tangled off the top of his head

If you ask he will tell you his favorite ghibli film is princess mononoke (he did have a crush on her when he was younger) but it's actually my neighbor totoro and he tears up every time he watches it

He's bisexual, he does not discriminate at all

Enjoys lots of anime like hunter x hunter and jojos bizarre adventure and full metal alchemist ect

wants to fuck hisoka from hxh SO bad, he's attracted to so many anime men it's embarrassing

Wears the most ridiculous t-shirts ever:

One has a shitty print of Jesus holding a Cadbury egg, he wears it around Easter. One has "boyfriend to some, girlfriend to others." One has "my girlfriends husband fights for your freedom" and then there's one of Kermit the frog surfing on the great wave off kanagawa and one that says "the men's bathroom is for gay sex and the women's bathroom is for doing coke" the list GOES ON he has DOZENS like this

Has an ass tattoo he got on impulse. It may or may not be a shamrock because he's a fucking idiot

Torrents basically everything

Likes to draw

His favorite subject in school was science

Has stolen every pair of sunglasses he owns

Has his ears peirced

Doesn't get the catholicism stuff and doesn't consider himself catholic

Has cross-dressed for funsies

Used to smoke cigarettes but not anymore, does smoke weed on occasion

Has tried most recreational drugs

Super messy but he always knows where everything is

Longest he's spent in jail is 10 months, it was originally a year but he got out early on good behavior

Drools in his sleep

Has traveled all over the country

Knows a bit of Spanish along with a couple other languages but isn't fluent in any

Took the LSAT cause he thought it'd be funny if he scored higher than Matt

He didn't but he'll swear up and down he did

Has freckles all over his back/shoulders

Has started so many bar fights it isn't even funny

Will go to a protest simply with the hopes he'll have the chance to punch a cop

Always a 50/50 chance he'll be chewing gum, this increase to a 115% chance if Matt's around because Mike knows he HATES it

Is like. So good a Mario Kart it's concerning

He can sing, actually, but rarely does he try. He'd rather belt out things horribly off-key or sing under his breath

Is the older brother

Uses "man" and "dude" way too much (this is basically canon)

Has an accent that gets so thick when he's tired you can barely understand him

Yes i have more but this is all for now, thanks for reading, I love this fictional man like he's my actual husband

Also If some of those sayings on the shirts sound familiar or you like them go check out Girl of Swords shop on bonfire.com :)

#mike murdock #daredevil comics #mike murdock headcanons #here queues... daredevil!

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squideo · 7 months

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The Coolest Animated Characters of All Time: Icons That Stole Our Hearts

Animation offers a vast variety of options for character design, each created to attract a particular demographic. Not every character becomes an icon, however, which is why Squideo is breaking down the animation character designs of ten of the coolest animated characters of all time.

01. Mickey Mouse

The icon of the Walt Disney Company, Mickey Mouse is arguably the most recognisable character in the world. Created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks in 1928, Mickey Mouse is one of the oldest entries on this list (but not the record holder) and helped make Disney the company it is today. As is often the case for successful creations, there is some dispute how Mickey was created; but we’re glad to have him.

Mickey Mouse set the style for all future Disney animation designs. The rounded character, use of bold colours and a distinctive colour palette for each character; it all started with Mickey. Disney has its own unique animation style, crafted over its 100 year lifespan. The animation style has changed over the years with the incorporation of new technology, especially 3D computer animation, but remains distinguishable from other animation companies.

02. Winnie-the-Pooh

First featured on screen in 1966, the character of Winnie-the-Pooh was created in 1925 by British author A. A. Milne and illustrated by E. H. Shepard. The rights are held by Disney, yet other adaptations have been made. Perhaps the antithesis to the Disney version is the Soviet Union’s version of the famous bear, released in 1969 and followed by two additional films, which removes Christopher Robin but adds a narrator.

With the exception of the 1925 and 1969 versions of Winnie-the-Pooh, the character design remained consistent in the Disney productions which helped this Winnie-the-Pooh become the most identifiable version of the character. In that classic Disney style, Winnie-the-Pooh is soft and cuddly, and easily spotted with his amber and red colour palette.

03. The Simpsons

Sticking with yellow-hued characters, it’s time to look at one of Earth’s most popular families. First appearing in 1987 as a short in The Tracey Ullman Show, The Simpsons went on to get their own franchise in 1989 that is running to this day. It’s the longest-running American sitcom and animated series with 34 seasons and 750 episodes (as of August 2023).

Beyond the prominence of the colour yellow, The Simpsons are recognisable for their geometric appearance. Bart, Lisa and Maggie’s spiky hair, Homer’s chevron hairline and Marge’s rectangular dress. The design is easy to reproduce and remains recognisable even if the style changes. The Simpsons have hosted many guest artists for the couch gag, from Guillermo del Torro to Sylvain Chomet, yet no one would mistake what they were watching for any other animated show.

04. Bibendum

Bibendum, known as the Michelin Tyre Man in the English-speaking world, is the oldest entry on the list. First created for this French company in 1894, this character has become an icon the world over and remains one of the oldest trademarks still in use. Its popularity has been referenced in books, film, television and songs. The character even starred in a 2009 animated short film, Logorama.

The character has changed over the years to reflect the times, but every version remains identifiable as the Michelin Tyre Man. Despite tyres turning black in the 1910s, the character has retained the whiteness of the earliest tyres in production. After 120 years, it would be hard to change the essential makeup of this character without destroying the Michelin brand.

05. Mulan

The eighth addition to the Disney Princess line-up, and the first who was not a real princess, Mulan hit the screens in 1998. This animated character reinvented the formula of a Disney Princess film, by making Mulan into a hero who saves herself, her family and her country. The romance is relegated to a subplot, and the film doesn’t end with a wedding.

Despite Mulan only having two feature films to her name (1998, 2004), the character has appeared in multiple Disney shows and videos games, most famously appearing in 2016 Wreck It Ralph with the other Disney Princesses. Her tenure as a Disney Princess hasn’t gone without controversy, however. A redesign in 2013 prompted a public backlash as the character’s skin was lightened, causing a swift reversal by Disney.

06. Scooby-Doo

These mystery solvers have been on television since 1969, branching out into films (animated and live-action), video games and comics. The core gang have stayed in place with the titular Scooby-Doo joined by his friends Shaggy, Velma, Daphne and Fred. Some additions have been made to the original Hanna Barbera line-up, such as the divisive Scrappy-Doo.

Like the other oldies on the list, the Scooby-Doo characters have seen significant redesign over the years. From making them children in A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (1988) to giving the human characters tiny eyes in Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (2010), but the biggest change came with Velma (2023) which sought to diversify the originally all-white cast.

07. Totoro

Despite being the subject of only one feature-length film, the character Totoro from My Neighbour Totoro (1988) has become a cultural icon in Japan. Brought back in ani-manga books, a novel and – most recently – a stage adaptation, Totoro has fame outside of Japan too. In fact, its popularity led to a cameo of Totoro in Toy Story 3 (2010).

Created by Studio Ghibli, Totoro has been adapted as the production company’s mascot much like Mickey Mouse has been at Disney. Using hand drawn animation, bright colours and individually coloured frames, the rich visual style is a sharp contrast to the Western examples featured in this list.

08. Tom and Jerry

Created by the renowned William Hanna and Joseph Barbera duo 17 years before they formed their own company, Tom (originally called Jasper) and Jerry were originally the product of MGM when these characters first debuted in 1940. The journey has continued in the hands of numerous producers and three studios, making fans with their slapstick comedy for over 80 years.

Tom’s angular ears and fur are set against Jerry’s rounded character, making them opposites in both personality and appearance. While the animation style has shifted slightly over various incarnations, the original 1940 characters are still identifiable in 2021’s Tom and Jerry in New York. The only real difference is the lightening of both characters’ fur and the addition of Tom’s sinisterly evil eyebrows.

09. Betty Boop

Made by Fleischer Studios in 1930, Betty Boop’s appearances in television and film hasn’t increased much since the decade of her creation. In spite of her limited filmography, Betty Boop has become one of the most iconic animated characters of all time – replicated in merchandise, comic book films and two films in the 1980s.

Betty Boop is a personification of the 1920s and flapper style. At first, the character was meant to be an anthropomorphic French poodle but Betty Boop was soon modelled after singer Helen Kane instead from who the classic catchphrase came: “Boop Oop a Doop.” Heavily censored by the Hays Code in 1934, Beety Boop’s appearance drastically changed – but it was that early incarnation that has lasted into modern times.

10. The Smurfs

Created by the Belgian comic artist Peyo in 1958 under the name Les Schtroumpfs, The Smurfs is one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time. Popularised with English-speaking audiences when The Smurfs’ TV series launched in 1981, these iconic blue characters with their distinctive white hats (called ‘Phrygian caps’) quickly entered the mainstream.

These characters are so popular in Belgium that in 2005, UNICEF used The Smurfs to create an advert for their fundraising campaign for Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo – both former Belgian colonies. They’ve since been reimagined in the 2010s using 3D computer animation, bringing The Smurfs to another generation of viewers.

Work With Us

Ready to create a cool animated character of your own? Watch the video below to get a better understanding of how Squideo can help promote your business, then get in touch with us to find out more!

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spawn-universe · 1 year

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Comic book creator Todd McFarlane talks Spawn reboot, working with Ozzy and competing with the giants

Credit Calgary herald

Todd McFarlane has not forgotten the vow he made to Calgary back in 2017.

At the time, the comic book artist, producer and toy entrepreneur was a guest at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo and was asked about the long-gestating reboot of Spawn, which had spent years in developmental purgatory. He told the audience at the Stampede Corral that the film would hold its premiere in Calgary if he gets it “off the ground.

Fast-forward six years later McFarlane says the film is back on track. A-list writers Scott Silver, who co-wrote the 2019 hit Joker, and Malcolm Spellman, who created the Disney+ superhero series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, are currently working on the screenplay. Jamie Foxx has long been attached to play the lead role, a superhero/antihero that McFarlane first created at the age of 16 in his parents’ basement near Crowchild and 24th Avenue N.W.

The 1992 comic book debut, which came out on McFarlane’s Image Comics, sold more than 1.7 million copies and the Spawn series holds the Guinness World Record for the longest-running, creator-owned, superhero comic book title. There was a 1997 live-action film with Michael Jae White, which grossed more than $100 million, and an Emmy-winning animated series that ran on HBO from 1997 to 1999. The reboot has been in the works in one form or another for years.

“On the movie front, hopefully – fingers crossed – by the middle of this year we should be making a big announcement that we found our studio, we made our deal and potentially, as part of that deal, they’ve given us our production start date,” says McFarlane. “Really, all fans care about is ‘When can I go see it?’ But at least I’ve got to be able to say ‘This year. We’ve got the money, we’ve got the backing and we’ve even got a start date.'

When it does come out, McFarlane still wants to hold one of the premieres in his hometown.

“Let me tell you right now, if I possibly can, I’m putting it into the contract,” McFarlane says. “It might be the dealbreaker. And I get two premiere spots. I live in Phoenix, I think the Phoenix people will come out in droves because they did the first time we did Spawn. I think they will come out in droves and have a good time in Calgary. That’s it. There it is: If you don’t give me that, then I pull this entire deal. I’m going to see if I can negotiate that.”

McFarlane was back in Calgary this week visiting family. On Sunday, hundreds of fans showed up at Video Game Trader in Lake Bonavista for an autograph session. In 1981, the William Aberhart High School grad left Calgary at the age of 18 on a baseball scholarship to Eastern Washington University, where he studied art and design. Within a few weeks of graduation, he got his first comic book job for Marvel. He would go on to illustrate for both Marvel and DC, drawing for Batman: Year 2, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk and co-creating the Spider-Man villain/anti-hero Venom.

But he is arguably still best known for creating Spawn and for co-founding Image Comics in 1992, which also became home to Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore’s Walking Dead comic-book series. In 1994, he revolutionized the toy industry with the realistic action figures he created for McFarlane Toys. In 1999, he won an Emmy for the animated Spawn series and earned a Grammy nod for directing Pearl Jam’s animated video for Do The Evolution. The following year, he won a Grammy for directing the video for Korn’s Freak on a Leash.

Late last year, he returned to the medium to direct the video for Ozzy Osbourne’s Patient Number Nine, which resulted in a lengthy feature in Rolling Stone magazine about McFarlane’s work in music videos.

“The request came from (Ozzy’s wife) Sharon Osbourne,” McFarlane says. “I knew her from the past. We had done some stuff with toys and comic books with her and had always done well. In the pre-preparation for shooting, I was dealing mostly with the record label and Sharon. I’m sure she showed everything to Ozzy to get the sign-off. The day of the shoot, that dude was a pro. It’s one thing I’ve always been super impressed with for all the music videos I’ve been involved with. When you say ‘Action,’ all of them are performers. They know what to do when they are on stage. This switch goes on and they just do it. At that point when we shot it, I think it was about a week before his back surgery. He just had pretty extensive back surgery and was living in severe pain. You could see he was in pain and his mobility was limited and all that. So he paced himself, which is what a smart person would do. But when I said ‘Action,’ he turned into the 25, 30-year-old Ozzy.”

On top of the promising developments in the Spawn reboot, McFarlane has continued to find success in both the comic book and toy worlds. He credits the relatively small group of people he works with for the company’s David-versus-Goliath success.

“I’ve got a good core of people,” he says. “We’re scrappy. We’re the Bad News Bears of our industry.”

In 2021, Spawn beat out behemoths DC Comics and Marvel to become the No. 1 selling comic book. That same year, his Spawn spinoff titles – Scorched, Gunslinger Spawn and King Spawn – broke sales records. Last year, the crossover Batman Spawn title became a bestseller.

McFarlane Toys’ beat out Fortune 500 companies such as Hasbro and Mattel with the bestselling action-figure line of 2021. The company is currently licensed to create figures for Black Adam, Shazam, The Flash and Batman movies for the DC Multiverse, James Cameron’s Avatar, Dune and even Ted Lasso.

“Their size is their blessing and their curse,” says McFarlane about the giant corporations he competes with. “I could say the same thing about my smallness: it’s my blessing and my curse. Here’s the blessing: I can move quick, I can move fast. Here’s their curse: They are so big and bloated, they can’t move fast. If I see an opening, I can see that opening way faster than they can get into it. I’m not trying to compete, let’s say on the toy front, directly with what the giants are doing. I’m not trying to slay the giants, that’s not the victory. The victory is saying: Where have they left the gap?”

#image comics #todd mcfarlane #spawn #history making #breaking records #spawns universe #mcfarlane toys #ozzy osbourne #king spawn #gunslinger #the scorched #spawn movie

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darkfictionjude · 4 months

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I thought you & some of the readers might find this interesting, things that happened in 1994 (according to Wikipedia):

February 12: Edvard Munch's painting The Scream is stolen in Oslo

March 12: A photo by Marmaduke Wetherell, previously touted as "proof" of the Loch Ness Monster, is confirmed to be a hoax

April 5: Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of Nirvana, commits suicide at age 27 at his home in Seattle. His body was found three days later.

April 27: South Africa holds its first fully multiracial elections, marking the final end of the last vestiges of apartheid. Nelson Mandela wins the elections and is sworn in as the first democratically elected president the following month.

May 10: Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa's first black president.

May 10: A solar eclipse occurs in The United States.

May 18: The Flavr Savr, a genetically modified tomato, is deemed safe for consumption by the FDA, becoming the first commercially grown genetically engineered food to be granted a license for human consumption.

June 12: Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Lyle Goldman are murdered outside the Simpson home in Los Angeles. O. J. Simpson is later acquitted of the killings, but is held liable in a civil suit.

June 15: The Lion King, the highest-grossing hand-drawn animated film of all time, is released by Walt Disney Feature Animation.

June 17: NFL star O. J. Simpson and his friend Al Cowlings flee from police in a white Ford Bronco. The low-speed chase ends at Simpson's Brentwood, Los Angeles mansion, where he surrenders.

June 17: The 1994 FIFA World Cup starts in the United States.

July 12: The Allied occupation of Berlin ends with a casing of the colors ceremony attended by U.S. President Bill Clinton.

August 12: Woodstock '94 begins in Saugerties, New York. It is the 25-year anniversary of Woodstock in 1969.

August 12: All Major League Baseball players go on strike, beginning the longest work stoppage in the sport's history.

September 13: President Bill Clinton signs the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which bans the manufacture of new firearms with certain features for a period of 10 years.

September 14: The 1994 World Series is officially cancelled due to the ongoing work stoppage. It is the first time a World Series will not be played since 1904.

September 17: Heather Whitestone is crowned the first deaf Miss America; she is crowned Miss America 1995.

September 19: Andrew Wiles proves Fermat's Last Theorem, solving the 357-year-old mathematical theorem first proposed by Pierre de Fermat in 1637. He would publish it in 1995.

October 1: The World Wide Web Consortium is founded by Tim Berners-Lee, becoming the main international standards organization for the World Wide Web.

November 5: George Foreman wins the WBA and IBF World Heavyweight Championships by KO'ing Michael Moorer becoming the oldest heavyweight champion in history.

December 3: Sony releases the PlayStation video game system in Japan.

And that is why it’s such an interesting year to set the story in. So much happens in all areas of the world. I knew some of these but it’s nice to know how much the world began to change here. And yes I will pat myself on the back for picking 1994 as the set year for the story 🥳

Thank you nonnie this was very cool 💜 (rip to Kurt — I should add more nirvana to the game playlist).

#non asks #trivia #1994 #we wretched creatures

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