Animation News and Commentary: Release Dates, Pixar, and Studio Ghibli

Travel and Personal Updates

• 🚗 Drew Taylor shares his experience of driving 3,000 miles from Connecticut to California in January, facing cold weather and long travel days.
• 📚 Among the items hauled back were animation-related books, including "Art of Toy Story" and "Art of The Lion King," representing a full-circle moment for Taylor.
• 🏛️ The drive included passing by architect Michael Graves' Denver Library building, prompting a discussion about his other designs, like the Team Disney building.

Animation Industry News and Releases

• 📺 New Looney Tunes shorts are debuting on HBO Max, featuring Taz for the first time in this series.
• 🎬 Season 3 of Matt Groening's "Disenchantment" is now available on Netflix, with 10 new episodes.
• 🎬 Studio Ghibli's "Earwig and the Witch" is set for a theatrical release on February 3rd, followed by an HBO Max debut, with discussions on its transition to CG animation.
• 🎬 "Myth: A Frozen Tale," a VR short from Walt Disney Animation Studio, will be available on Disney Plus on February 26th.
• 🎭 The "Ratatouille: The Musical" event was a highly successful fundraiser for the Actors Fund, raising $2 million.
• 🎤 Josh Gad teased Patty LuPone's involvement in "Central Park" season 2.
• 💔 The animation community mourns the loss of Dave Creek, an artist who worked on "Bob's Burgers" since its inception, following a skydiving accident.
• 🎬 The "Bob's Burgers" movie release is anticipated to be bittersweet due to Creek's significant contributions.
• 🎬 "The Boss Baby: Family Business" has been pushed back to September due to distribution and vaccine rollout concerns.
• 🎬 "Raya and the Last Dragon" is still slated for a simultaneous Disney Plus Premier Access and theatrical release on March 5th.
• 🎬 "Black Widow" may also adopt a similar release strategy, moving from a May 7th theatrical date.
• 📺 "The Great North," from the creators of "Bob's Burgers," is set to premiere on February 14th, with a second season already in production.
• 🎬 "Big City Greens" has been renewed for a third season and secured an overall deal with Disney Channel and Disney Plus.

The Art and History of Animation Releases

• 💡 The discussion touches on the history of Disney animated feature release dates, noting a shift from February releases (like "Snow White," "Pinocchio") to Thanksgiving weekend (e.g., "Frozen," "Moana").
• 🗓️ "Zootopia's" March 4th release and subsequent success is highlighted as a potential model, influencing "Raya and the Last Dragon's" March 5th date.
• 🎬 Early Disney animated films like "Snow White" premiered in December and January before a February general release, a strategy that funded the studio's growth.
• 🏞️ The summer release strategy, popularized by "The Lion King" and continued with films like "Pocahontas" and "Hercules," became a strong period for animation, especially for Pixar.
• 🌟 The success of "The Rescuers" in the summer of 1977, riding the wave of "Star Wars," is noted as a significant turnaround for Disney animation.
• 🎨 The unique, handcrafted aesthetic of Laika's stop-motion films is praised, with a desire for their continued financial stability and audience reach.
• 📺 A comparison is drawn between Laika's quality and the perceived lower quality of some Rankin/Bass stop-motion specials from the 60s and 70s.

Podcast and Network Updates

• 🎙️ Updates are provided on the "Light the Fuse" podcast, focusing on the John Wick franchise, and the "Jim Hill Media" podcast network, including "Disneyers with Lenta" and "Marvelous Disney."
• 🎟️ The end of Disneyland's annual passholder program is discussed, with anticipation for a new membership program.
• 📢 Listeners are encouraged to rate and review "Fine-Tuning" and other podcasts on Apple Podcasts and subscribe on Bandcamp.