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Topic: "Mr. Fun" Gets His Due: FLOYD NORMAN Officially Declared A "DISNEY LEGEND"!
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Scott Shaw!
IE # 132
Member # 172
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posted
I was told about this a few days ago, but since it's finally turned up at Jim Hill Media:
http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_hill/archive/2007/08/21/toon-tuesday-floyd-norman-to-be- named-as-a-disney-legend.aspx
... and at Cartoon Brew -- and I'm surprised that no one has mentioned it here at AN -- I oughtta be the first one here to post that...
On October 10th, 2007, our very own "Mr. Fun", my friend Floyd Norman, will be honored by the Walt Disney Company (or whatever they're calling themselves this week) to officially be declared a "Disney Legend"!
Now, I know that Floyd is quite uncomfortable with the "living legend" label and considers himself to be just another cartoonist who's been fortunate enough to work in the trenches of animation for decades. That's just the kind of unassuming guy he is. He's too busy making cartoons to worry about such labels.
But to those who know, love and have worked with Floyd, he truly is an outstanding representative of our art, Disney or otherwise. Floyd does it all -- he's a gag man, a story man, a story sketch artist, a storyboard artist, a layout man, an animator, a director, a comic strip writer, a comic book artist, an editorial cartoonist (uniquely offering his POV on the animation biz), a guest-commentator appearing on many DVDs, a pioneer in animated education and a historian -- and does it all beautifully.
Floyd's also a funny, funny cartoonist.
And speaking of funny, ain't it ironic that, on October 10th, "Mr. Fun" -- a nickname given to Floyd by Charlie Grosvenor while working in the Layout Dept. at Hanna-Barbera back in the late 1970s -- will be sharing the dais of honor with none other than Michael Eisner, the subject of Floyd's hilarious self-published book, HOW THE GRINCH STOLE DISNEY?
Now, THAT may be the funniest thing that Mr. Fun has EVER done!
Since congratulations, Floyd. Like it or not, you really deserve such an honor.
Aloha,
Scott!
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monkeydad
Member
Member # 1566
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posted
Congratulations Mr. Fun. Well deserved!
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Gagne Michel
IE # 40
Member # 365
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posted
Floyd, you're an inspiration to many people from this board and in my book, that makes you a legend! Congratulations.
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ApeLad
IE # 231
Member # 3186
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posted
Congratulations Mr. Fun!
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Greg B
IE # 118
Member # 886
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posted
It's about time!
Disney ought to have Mr. Fun do all the intros on the Disney television shows!
After all he's been through and what he's contributed to see a person of color honored such by Disney means there's hope for mankind.
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http://www.boonestoons.com
http://www.spacefool.com
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Sketchpad
IE # 5
Member # 661
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posted
Our 'Disney Legend' and national treasure. Go, Mr. Fun.
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Floyd Bishop
IE # 183
Member # 2322
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posted
Congratulations! I'm imagining the meeting of Mr Fun and Mr Eisner at the after party ending like one of those Three Stooges food fights.
![[cheers]](graemlins/cheers.gif)
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Floyd Bishop
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Mr. Fun
IE # 63
Member # 352
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posted
Mucho thanks, all of you.
In my career, I've been lucky enough to work with a number of real Disney Legends. If you know anything about me, You know I would never put myself in that illustrious company. That group of outstanding, talented individuals who created such brilliant art at the Disney studio. Me? I'm just young Wart sitting at the table with Merlin.
After years of griping about the annoying tag, "Disney Legend" - - the Disney company decides to make it official. Oh well, What can you do?
Anyway, I'll deal with it as long as they don't reveal my secret identity.
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Caracal
IE # 161
Member # 3024
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posted
One of the meanings of the word legend is a guide and he's certainly been a terrific guide on this board. The insights and stories are much appreciated. Congratulations Floyd!
Cheers
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oogieboogie
IE # 265
Member # 2706
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posted
Congratulations! You get a gold pass to the parks, right?
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ApeLad
IE # 231
Member # 3186
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posted
You know he's a legend if he has an entry on wikipedia! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floyd_Norman ![[Wink]](wink.gif) Someone needs to update it with this news.
Mr. Fun, on a side note, did you ever meet Alex Toth during his brief stint at Disney? I bet the people you've met could fill volumes.
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Mr. Fun
IE # 63
Member # 352
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posted
Funny you should mention Alex Toth, Apelad.
I had the chance to work with Alex while at Hanna-Barbera. As you know, Toth was brilliant at doing those super hero and adventure type shows. It really wasn't my cup of tea, but Alex was very generous with his time, and really helped me get through those episodes.
I'll bet you didn't know that Alex Toth did some incredible story work on Disney's "Robin Hood" in the seventies. Want to know what Disney thought of the work of Alex Toth? I found his fantastic sketches discarded in a heap behind some stuff on the second floor.
I guess not everyone appreciates the work of Alex Toth. He indeed was a legend.
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KevinO
IE # 36
Member # 56
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posted
Congrats Floyd, you are well deserving of this honor.
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Ganklin
IE # 14
Member # 1864
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posted
i was recently looking through some alex toth work as reference for a job i'm on right now and in particular his designs during the 70's HB action stuff. he really did have an amazing body of work.
anywho, congrats mr.fun! you're inspiration!
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http://fsummers.blogspot.com/
www.shamoozal.com
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OFFBEAT
IE # 39
Member # 873
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posted
About time! ..says me!
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"Get Rich, or Die Drawing!"
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Greg B
IE # 118
Member # 886
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posted
Ha! I knew Mr. Fun had to have had something to do with that tv special "Hey Hey Hey It's Fat Albert!".
I just asked about it on this board in another thread. Reason being one of Cosby's childhood buddies lived in my hometown and talked about their childhood all the time. When the special aired on tv we all were cracking up with laughter.
I remember the one scene that got my sister and I. It was a shot of the classroom and all the kids were disorganized and in one corner there was a kid drawing a picture of Batman on the wall. I had just gotten into trouble drawing a cartoon of Batman on the wall and having started a Batman Riot in kindergarten they talk about to this day. I hope that special is on DVD somewhere.
Mr. Fun I hope you get to host the Disney tv shows like Eisner did. I think you would be more FUN than him.
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http://www.boonestoons.com
http://www.spacefool.com
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Joris
Member
Member # 3048
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posted
congrats!
(that's all I can add after all that has been said before...)
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Mr. Fun
IE # 63
Member # 352
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posted
That's right, Greg. That original "Fat Albert" special was shown on NBC in the summer of 1968, I think. In many ways it was a breakthrough film. The Filmation television series that eventually followed had little of the originality and art style we were looking to bring to animation back then.
To the best of my knowledge, the special was only aired one time. NBC has probably lost or destroyed the darn thing. I hear even Bill Cosby doesn't have a copy.
Herbie Hancock wrote an original score for us, and we shot the whole thing in our studio on a brand new Oxberry camera purchased especially for the movie. Boy, those were the days.
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Greg B
IE # 118
Member # 886
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posted
Mr. Fun!!! That was one of the best animated shows EVER. The style was raw urban and gad, if I told you who saw that special you would scream!!!
Everybody in our town watched that special. Bill Cosby was big then as he is today. Everyone just loved him. Someone somewhere has got to have a copy. Not to have a copy would be a crime! Did you guys ever keep any of the original artwork?
That special got me to drawing like no tomorrow. Reason was because the style was so raw one could see how animation was done that there was a real artist's hand at work.
Wouldn't the National Archives/copyright offices have a copy?
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http://www.boonestoons.com
http://www.spacefool.com
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ApeLad
IE # 231
Member # 3186
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posted
I read about Toth's Disney time in "By Design", that's why I wondered if you met him while on Robin Hood. Apparently he wasn't too happy there--his favorite moment in his three months was eating at the commissary!
Anyway, congrats again!
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Mr. Fun
IE # 63
Member # 352
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posted
The credit for the design of the "Fat Albert" special should go to Ken Mundie. That raw urban style was achieved in a unique way.
As I mentioned in my column, Ken's concept of animation production was unconventional. The artists animated on sheets of acetate with China markers. The stacks of acetate were painted on the opposite side, as is normal in conventional animation, and then photographed on the Oxberry Camera with live-action footage being projected up through the bottom of the camera's platen. Thus, animation and live-action was being composited during photography. No expensive opticals were required.
So you see, we were doing our "urban" thing way back in the sixties.
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australopith
IEcm
Member # 2746
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posted
Fer gosh sakes, Mr. Fun... I'll be doggoned. It couldn't o' happened to a sweller guy. (In modern English, you deserved this a long time ago— what a pleasure to see it happen at last.)
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Mr. Fun
IE # 63
Member # 352
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posted
The great Alex Toth didn't do well at Disney. He didn't fit in. Too much of a maverick, I guess.
Hmm, didn't I just write a column about that?
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andim8
IE # 232
Member # 626
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posted
Congrats on becoming a Disney Legend.
What a great honor. you deserve it!
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rdelgado
Member
Member # 552
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posted
I am proud to call Floyd Norman a friend, and when I met him on Disney's Dinosaur, I never imagined that I was meeting a living legend, a part of such a rich history, and even though Floyd deserves every accolade he will receive, the best thing I can say about him is that he is a legend as a human being as well. Floyd, you're a true gentleman, and your humility and grace inspires me.
Ricardo Delgado
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Scott Shaw!
IE # 132
Member # 172
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posted
Hey, could one of AN's mods please fix that link I made in my first post in this thread? There's an unwanted space between "be-" and "named" that's preventing it from working properly. Thanks!
Aloha,
Scott!
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rocktoonz
Member
Member # 594
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posted
Congratulations Mr. Norman! You truly are an inspiration, such an honor among the thousands of talented folks employed by the Disney studio. I still enjoy my copy of your ASIFA DVD featuring interviews of you and Bill Melendez. I also remember woking with Ken "Wild Wild West" Mundie over at Filmfair on commercials using those frosted cells and markers, pastels, etc. Really painterly and loose with dissolves, it worked very well. I think Corny Cole also worked on that first Bill Cosby special, amazing loose animation... I did'nt know about the crafty live-action bottom lit platten technique.
There is so much we can all learn from you, thanks for your generousity...Time for Disneyland!
[Sorry, you must be subscribed to the site to have a signature link. You can showcase your blog in AN's Gallery if you like.]
[ August 22, 2007, 04:14 AM: Message edited by: Charles ]
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www.cheekypress.com
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bronnie
IE # 93
Member # 25
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posted
Bravo Floyd!
It's about time!
Such an honor could not be more heartily deserved!
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I am not young enough to know everything- Oscar Wilde
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Greg B
IE # 118
Member # 886
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posted
Today is like Christmas Day!
My eyes have been bugging all day since SHAW! broke the news!
My Mom and Dad would have flipped out at this news.
All I can say is WOW!
That and I wanna see Mr. Fun in person one day. I've passed him on several occasions but dinna know who he was until I saw his picture. I wanna see Mr. Fun as host of the Wonderful World of Disney. I think that would be so cool.
Also Mr. Fun, I've sent the news to a political pal of mine I mentioned to you and Charles.
This is another historic event on AN!
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http://www.boonestoons.com
http://www.spacefool.com
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Charles
Administrator
Member # 7
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posted
Joining in the chorus of congratulations and well wishes to Floyd Norman, Mr. Fun.
If you're not aware of what it means to be proclaimed a Disney Legend, it is no small thing. Indeed it's very significant. Your name is afixed in bronze in a pantheon of sorts, a courtyard located next to the corporate headquarters building aka the temple of the seven dwarfs on the Disney lot in Burbank. Mr. Fun will be in illustrious company for all eternity, or at least a lot longer than any of us will ever be around, his name and fame living on forever like that of Achilles.
Really happy for you Floyd. Thanks for being a major player on AN all these years and for fighting the good fight.
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Doodles
Member
Member # 565
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posted
Congratulations, Mr. Norman! It's a well-earned title for you.
Say, about those Alex Toth sketches you found: Please tell me they were saved from going into the trash... ![[help]](graemlins/help.gif)
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JATG
IE # 29
Member # 65
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posted
Big time congrats to Mr. Fun! What an honor!
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Greg B
IE # 118
Member # 886
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posted
Now you tell me, is that the kind of face you could love to say "Hi Mouseketeers!" every week on Wonderful World of Disney?
Say Mr. Fun, how's the Mrs. feel about the recognition? Kids, grandkids must be bursting with pride!
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http://www.boonestoons.com
http://www.spacefool.com
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