Drew Taylor & Jim Hill Discuss Pixar's 'Luca' Deleted Scenes, Goofy Shorts, and Disney Animation History

New Goofy Shorts and Animation News

• 🎬 Eric Goldberg has created a trio of new hand-drawn Goofy shorts for Disney Plus, debuting August 11th, with titles like "How to Wear a Mask" and "Learning to Cook."
• 💡 The shorts, produced by Dorothy McKim, lean heavily into the style of 1940s Goofy cartoons and incorporate original sound effects from Jimmy McDonald.
• ⚠️ The resurgence of COVID-19 variants has led to renewed mask mandates, making the timing of the Goofy shorts particularly relevant.
• 🗓️ Clifford the Big Red Dog was removed from its September release schedule due to Delta variant concerns, highlighting ongoing industry challenges.

Mickey Mouse and Hannah-Barbera Reboots

• 🐭 Drew Taylor is working on a story about Mickey Mouse animation history, focusing on the short "Runaway Brain" and its theatrical debut with "A Kid in King Arthur's Court."
• 🌟 Kelsey Grammer voiced a character in "Mickey's 60th Birthday" and appeared in other Disney specials, including one with the cast of Cheers.
• 📺 Jellystone! on HBO Max reboots Hannah-Barbera characters with a modern, often gender-swapped, sensibility, featuring characters like Cindy Bear as a doctor and Jabberjaw as female.
• 📺 The show's creator, C.H. Greenblatt, has a deep affection for the source material while offering fresh takes on characters like Yogi Bear and Boo Boo.

'Luca' Blu-ray and Deleted Scenes

• 🌊 The Blu-ray release of Pixar's Luca includes special features like a documentary on its Italian inspirations and numerous deleted scenes.
• 💡 These deleted scenes reveal more complex, complicated versions of the story that were ultimately cut to preserve the film's simplicity and essence.
• 🐉 One deleted storyline involved the town being attacked by a giant sea monster or Kraken, a concept deemed too high-stakes for the film's narrative.
• 🏳️‍🌈 The film's release during Pride Month sparked a queer reading of the story, which Disney has reportedly objected to, though the speakers anticipate future acceptance and merchandise.

Animation History and Production

• 🎞️ The DuckTales Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp was the last Walt Disney Animation Studios film produced using cel animation, released after the success of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and "The Little Mermaid."
• 🇫🇷 Parts of "The DuckTales Movie" were produced by outside studios in France and Australia, a practice that paved the way for future productions like "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" and the deal with Pixar.
• 💡 Kathleen Gavin is highlighted as an unsung hero instrumental in these productions and in establishing Disney's secret lab.
• 💻 The film also marked the first use of the CAPS system (Computer Animation Production System) for CGI elements, notably in "The Little Mermaid" and "The DuckTales Movie."

Phil Tippett and 'Mad God'

• 👹 Phil Tippett's stop-motion film Mad God, after 30 years of work, has a trailer that is described as visually stunning but also nightmarish.
• 🦖 Tippett's pioneering work in Go Motion for films like "Dragon Slayer" provided a more fluid and energetic alternative to traditional stop-motion.
• 🤖 Tippett famously remarked that early CG tests made him feel "extinct," a line later used in "Jurassic Park."