Updated: August 28, 2007 CONTACT THE ARTIST

3/14/07: UNCLE MILTY'S CARTOON SHOWCASE!
Cartoonist, animation buff and site visitor Dan Variano has uploaded a number of examples of my animation studio work on YouTube...some of them versions never seen on TV! Come see the show:

SONIC PILOT FILM SEQUENCES: Footage from the film produced to sell the ADVENTURES OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG series. I wrote the ëcactus cannoní sequence, storyboarded & did layout on the rest, animated scenes throughout. Additional scenes animated by renowned Disney/MGM animator Ed Love (from my layouts & designs)! No music or sound efx.

SSSSS SQUAD: Rushes from the first official Sonic episode, replete with splices and cel mistakes; without music and sound efx. Storyboard & layout by me, as well as the designs for exterior & interiors of Robotnikís lair.

MARS NEEDS FELIX: Overseas rushes from my first directed short for THE TWISTED TALES OF FELIX THE CAT series. Without music, sound efx and (thankfully) dialogue added by producer Film Roman later on.

Two more shorts I directed for the Felix series:

FELIXíS GOLD SCORE

FOREVER RAFTER

BAD PLUMBING: A short from Saban's MOUSE & THE MONSTER series, storyboarded by yours truly.

ALBERT & EINSTEIN: A public safety spot directed & animated (and just about everything else) for Baer Animation. No sound.

8/28/07: Also on YouTube:
Now that it's on DVD (see below), one SuperYoshi has posted my ADVENTURES OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG interview HERE!

COOL WORLD

"The best characters(..)are the hyperactive, violent cartoon figures who constantly intrude."-Michael J. Weldon, The Psychotronic Video Guide.
In New York, summer of '89, Ralph Bakshi commissioned two development paintings for an unspecified project. I did them, and that was the end of that...until my 1991 move to Los Angeles . Three days after my arrival, visiting a friend at the Bakshi studio, Ralph hired me to design and animate background characters for this film, by then well into its chaotic production. Here is a selection of designs and layout drawings done during my stay; some were used, some were not.

Click image for a full view of the first page of a gift from Ralph Bakshi: a volume of Roy Crane's comic strip, Wash Tubbs.

THE ADVENTURES OF
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
In addition to doing storyboards, background layout, and various other duties on this program (a DIC production), I also designed its own incarnation of Dr. Robotnik, who I had conceived as animation's sexiest fat man. ("Robotnik's buttocks weave sensuously", read one of my storyboard directions.)
The overseas animators were rarely up to the challenge. But "Heir of Blair", a fan of the program, did write to the
YESTERDAYLAND MEMORIES site (no longer up):

"Does anyone remember the episode where Robotnik is playing the organ, and his butt is wabbling like jello!! I LAUGHED SOOOOOOOOOOOO HARD with my friends when I saw that."

I concieved the action on that scene. Little things like this help make the life worthwhile...

More that makes the life worthwhile: On her Robotnik fan site, a lady waxes emotional over my original concept and The Injustice and Mistreatment of Robotnik...

My first email from Dan Variano (cornflakealoisius@hotmail.com):

Hello, Mr. Knight.

I saw this clip from The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog a while ago, and when I saw it, the first thing to come to my mind was your model sheet of Dr. Robotnik.

(2/9/07: Dan has posted a newer, compact version of this sequence!)

Just by looking at that scene, I can tell you had a big partanimating/drawing it. The weird thing about that scene is that it has absolutely nothing to do with the episode's storyline, and it has better, funnier animation than the rest of the episode. Because it feels so out of place, I assume it was originally created for another episode. Is there some sort of story behind this scene?

-Dan

My answer:

Hi, Dan;
Yes! I wrote, laid out and animated that sequence for the show's pilot film, and was 'til now unaware that it had been incorporated into a televised episode. Thanks for letting me know! I am pleased that you were actually able to spot my work in motion.
Best Wishes,
Milt

Moral: IT PAYS TO ANIMATE STATESIDE.
(Unless you're getting it for free.)

2/9/07: Series producer Kent Butterworth tells me this: When the agent from Sega was questioned on the 'appropriateness' of Robotnik's prominent rear end, he responded: "Sex $ells!" (I like him!)

To read NIGHT LIFE IN MOBIUS, a story synopsis I submitted for this series, CLICK HERE!

Now out from Shout! Factory: THE ADVENTURES OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, the first in a projected 3 DVD set of the complete series. As an extra, Yours Truly makes an on-camera appearance, firstly in an interview covering those Wonderful Days of DIC, and secondly, to give a mini-lesson on How to Draw That Hedgehog! Interested parties can get more details Shout-ed from the Horse's Mouth HERE!

THE TWISTED TALES OF FELIX THE CAT
Directed 4 shorts:
"Mars Needs Felix", "Forever Rafter", "Felix's Gold Score",
"Gross Ghost". Film Roman, 1995.

DAY OF THE DEAD
Hired for a week's worth of development sketches for this feature that never happened. (Warner Bros Feature Animation, 1995.)

ATTILA THE HAM

Click on the thumbnail and see a selection of drawings done for the end credit sequence of the upcoming feature from Modern Animation, ATTILA THE HAM. (Click his name to visit its blog.)

CONTACT THE ARTIST

PERSONAL ANIMATION PROJECT!

HOME