Activities on the Art of Jay Ward blog

As you may have noticed, updates on this blog are few and far between.  As new information or artwork comes in, I will post on this blog but in the meantime, check out my sister blog, artofjayward.blogspot.com where I continue to post new info and art on the Jay Ward studio.  Lately, I've been posting regularly on Bill Scott's gag cartoons on life at Ward's and will continue to do so for the next few weeks.  Bill Scott, Jay's partner and head writer, producer and all around voice artist (Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-right, Super Chicken, George of the Jungle, etc) came up through the animation ranks and, as a cartoonist armed with biting wit, made humorous observations on their difficulties with ad agencies, networks, their status in the industry, and even each other.

This week, a series on ad agency shenanigans:

Check out this and previous postings at artofjayward.blogspot.com.  And if you haven't bought the book, The Art of Jay Ward Productions, a limited number of copies are available HERE for half off the cover price of $49.95.  For those of you without calculators, that means just $25.  Christmas is coming, I'm just saying...

Where have I been?

Marketing, promoting and selling The Art of Jay Ward Productions, that's where!  Most of the spring and early summer was spent making the rounds of the various LA animation studios with Ward artist Sam Clayberger in tow as well as several book signings with June Foray. 

June Foray at the Larry Edmunds Bookshop in Hollywood

We even had an evening at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica with Sam and Allan Burns, whom you may remember as the co-creator and co-producer on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.  For those who haven't read the book, Allan's writing career really got started at Jay Ward before he moved into live action comedy writing.

Sam Clayberger and Allan Burns at the Aero Theater

If you haven't yet purchased a copy of The Art of Jay Ward Productions and would like to, I have a limited number of artist signed copies.  These are signed by the aforementioned Sam Clayberger and Art Diamond, who has declined to make public appearances at signings so his signature on the books is very rare.  You can buy them here.

And for those who've wondered what happened to my Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol posts, I stopped because there didn't seem to be any more to say.  However, a few weeks ago, some very interesting material surfaced, material that I wish I had had for the 50th anniversary of the book, which you can still buy here for a limited time.  Stay tuned for an upcoming post revealing just what was discovered.

IT'S HERE!!!!!

At long last, The Art of Jay Ward Productions is here!  The book is jammed with art and photos, 980 to be exact, and fills 352 pages.  It's also heavy, weighing in at over 4 lbs!  Some images from inside the book can be seen at the visual essay I composed for Cartoon Brew, check it out here.  You can order it at www.artofjayward.com.

Pre-order The Art of Jay Ward Productions!

Although the book won't make its official debut until November 15th at the CTN Animation Expo, you can now pre-order the book at www.artofjayward.com.  Local purchasers can be the first to get their hands on this long-awaited book by pre-ordering the book and picking it up at Renegade Animation's Glendale office, see the book's website for more info.  If you order it before Oct. 15th and use the code EARLYBIRD, you'll save $10 off the publication price.  More page images and order information can be found here. 

The Art of Jay Ward Productions

Here's a peek at my forthcoming book, The Art of Jay Ward Productions.  The book came in at 352 pages, 980 images, 12 x 9", hardcover with dust jacket, and will make its debut at CTN-X, November 15, 2013 in Burbank, beginning with a Q & A with two of the surviving artists, followed by a book signing.  Retail price is $49.95.

The book is arranged chronologically and each show has its own chapter.  It starts with a brief, early history of the Ward studio, a chapter profiling all the key artists and then the individual shows take over the book: Rocky and Bullwinkle, Fractured Fairy Tales, Peabody and Sherman, Aesop & Son, Dudley Do-right, Fractured Flickers/The Nut House, Hoppity Hooper, Commercials (including both General Mills and Quaker Oats), George of the Jungle, Super Chicken and Tom Slick.  The final chapter profiles many of the unsold series that Jay Ward Productions developed and pitched.

Within each chapter, there are myriad, never-before-seen concept sketches, model sheets, storyboards, backgrounds and even a few cels.  I'll be taking pre-orders in October and will announce it here and on other animation blogs, like Animation Scoop and Cartoon Brew.  Stay tuned to this blog for more updates.