The selection of commercials (below) created at Richard Williams Animation shows the wide range of styles of which the studio was capable. Of particular note in reference to Who framed Roger Rabbit is the Long Life Beer ‘9 Lives’ commercial. It was the zaniness of this commercial that impressed Spielberg and Zemeckis …
The making of Who framed Roger Rabbit was a special time for many of the people who worked on it. Many of them were young and this was the first opportunity to work on a big ‘Hollywood’ production. In many cases, it turned out to be the biggest production they …
Disney has made pinback buttons and cloisonné pins since the earliest Mickey Mouse Club days – and many pins were made at the time of the release of Who framed Roger Rabbit and especially after the costumed Roger Rabbit character came to the theme parks. Pin trading and …
The North American premiere of Who framed Roger Rabbit was held at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City on June 21, 1988. A private preview of Who framed Roger Rabbit was given at the BAFTA theatre in Piccadilly on July 25. It was ‘by invitation only.’ The …
The Richard Williams Animation crew moved to The Forum in Camden Town in early March 1987 and the Disney animators followed in early April. The Forum had been converted from a warehouse to an animation studio – with animation desks designed and built by Sam Sewell. At the start, Disney …
I must start by saying that researching this post was a distinct pleasure. London was the centre of commercial animation for Europe in the 1980s. Much of that was due to the high regard for the quality of the British animation and, in particular, the reputation of Richard Williams …
There were occasional celebrity sightings at The Forum. Bob Hoskins was a favourite visitor of the animators. They were also excited whenever Steven Spielberg and Bob Zemeckis dropped by – but they were there… working… so I don’t know whether that counts as a celebrity sighting. Kathleen Kennedy and Frank …
St. Martin’s Gardens is located kitty corner across the intersection of Camden and Pratt streets from The Forum. It was the site of the former Camden Town cemetery. The land was acquired in 1802 for an additional burial ground for St. Martin-in-the-Fields. It was closed for burials in 1856. Many …
In the Pig Head sequence, Eddie Valiant was kidnapped by the Weasels and taken to Toontown, where he was ‘toonarooed’ – painted with a Pig Head. He is tossed out of the Toontown tunnel entrance and runs back to his apartment to shower off the Pig Head with turpentine. Although …
Much of the animation art available in the auction market in the 1980s had been ‘saved’ from garbage cans and dumpsters or ‘walked out the door’ by the artists who created it or studio collectors. In the old days, cels were washed and reused. Animation veterans talk about surfing down …
