This is so perfectly timed! I was watching David's NYU talk twice this week and getting lost in the class notes from her workshops on Sporn's blog -- thank you for packing this issue with meticulous sources so I can continue my own research into her work
"Kozhirre Tetetik" seems like such a goldmine that, even as a Hungarian, I was not aware of
Ah, this is awesome! Love to hear that you're diving into those resources (they're so good) and that our footnotes will be a help from here. Also, absolutely, the Pannonia newsletter is a goldmine -- one we're still digging into ourselves. It's a deep and at times surprisingly candid look inside the studio, like in the Jankovics interview from the October 1980 issue. Highly recommended.
Great article as always, western animators are rarely covered this thoroughly. Really fun to learn about David as an artist and personality, love to see professionals with strong opinions about the medium they work in. Intrigued to dig into her time working in Hungary as well.
Raggedy Ann is a very good film in my opinion. I think its influence is tangible in films like Catnapped (Nakamura's work at large has reminiscing elements, such as the triangle-shaped noses and doll-like appearance of his designs or the rough pencil linework of his later films) or more recently Ponoc's Yaneura no Rudger. Animation that truly stimulates the imagination of children.
Thank you! David was a fascinating individual. We haven't been able to see specific things she did in Hungary yet, but she was the lead (solo?) animator of a film in France (Bonjour Paris from 1953) that's floating around on YouTube. David had negative things to say about its quality, and its director, but it's a very strange blend of Disney- and UPA-esque animation that offers a few hints of where David would eventually go.
As for Raggedy Ann, you're likely right that other people have taken from it -- even before Digital Circus. It's an extremely polarizing movie. Especially today, it really does have hardcore fans, despite all the negativity toward it over the years. Its millions of views on YouTube attest to that.
Interesting. What Bonjour Paris reminds me of most is Paul Grimault's work, which I guess was the reference point in French animation at the time. In fact, apparently she animated commercials at La Comète before emigrating to America in 1955. Couldn't find anything she worked on during her time at Gyula Macskássy's studio, but sources note that it already had an American tinge.
Williams really brought it upon himself to make his films as flawed as they were by striving for perfection. He was a terrible director, insofar as he didn't know how to effectively guide a project to success with the resources he was given. They make for extremely interesting gems, however, and Raggedy Ann is no exception.
I had the pleasure of meeting Tissa David in New York during the production and for years afterward in Los Angeles and London. Grim Natwick had talked about her so much and she became one of my favorite human beings, not just for her talent but for her intelligence and sophistication.
Never heard of this movie, but when I mentioned it to my mom it turns out she watched it growing up all the time. I grew up on Kids Next Door, so learning the show's creator was her student, I feel like the droopy sleeves of 'Numbah 3' carry some of David's instruction. My neighbor's daughters, ages 11 and 7, introduced me to Amazing Digital Circus. Full circle!
No dispute there -- Disney has a lot of classics to its name. Tissa David had strong opinions, like most master artists do, but plenty of people (even her close friends) didn't agree with everything she said!
Fantastic article! I regret I knew very little about Tissa David's work, and I'm grateful to have that remedied, and also to learn a little bit more about Raggedy Ann as well. I really appreciate all the different sources you're able to draw on and tie together into a story, and the thoughtful analysis of how she animated the character.
Thank you! Super kind. We're really glad that we could highlight David like this. Even with her talent, she's not a huge name today -- probably because she worked on lower-profile projects.
If you're ever looking to explore her work further, definitely check out Cockaboody and Eggs (solo animated for the Hubleys), plus some of the Electric Company and Sesame Street shorts (Truth Ruth, Cool Pool Fool, Glad Gladys, etc.). There's way more from there, but those are a great starting point.
This is very well-written. What a career! I hadn't realized that Tissa David was so old when she animated Raggedy Anne. It's a strange movie; at worst, a compelling failure. I wrote about it here.
In my opinion, Joe Raposo should not have had so much influence. The film consists of song after song, while the plot sits in the garage, its wheels up on blocks. I guess it's a precursor to Alan Menken-era Disney (animation mixed with a Broadway musical), but by that point they'd figured out how to make songs support a story, rather than strangle it.
The animation is pretty great. I wonder what motivates someone like David. Often, it seems like sheer technical excellence and craft is the point, and not the movies themselves so much. I could be wrong, but perhaps when you're "in the trenches" on an animated film, you can't get too attached to the end product without going insane. Imagine working for two years on something...and then it gets butchered by short-sighted creative decisions beyond your control. Probably better to focus on the small victories you had along the way. "My walk cycles look good. The bastards couldn't take that from me."
Thanks very much! That's super kind. And we hadn't heard about the rumors re:Raggedy Ann's funding -- fascinating stuff.
As for David's goals, from what we've read, she really believed in this film initially. The production fell apart after a while, and, at that point, it often becomes a matter of those small victories. There's only so much you can do. She was a pro who could deliver even in the toughest circumstances (she'd kept going into work even as Budapest was being bombed), and she absolutely did it here.
Wow... I don't follow film and animation like I did when I was in high school and college, but I am so intrigued by the fact I didn't know this animation existed or who Tissa David is. And this is giving me heavy Over the Garden Wall vibes. Pat McHale had to have had some inspiration here.
The Canemaker book is something I read earlier this year for the first time and thought it was a real treasure trove. I went to it after reading his Felix the Cat and Winsor McCay books and (despite being published first) felt like a good place to end up at. So many glorious pages of story board and model sheets.
I am glad you included some post-movie reminiscence, as the book itself (which I think came out just before or during the premiere) had everyone still riding the high of their work. The book definitely made me love Tissa David! Great work as always.
Thank you! And it's a great book, for sure -- Canemaker rarely disappoints, and having such a detailed account of such a historically important project (with all those veterans involved) is priceless. We picked up a copy earlier this year and have not regretted it.
But yeah, it does have that one problem: it's missing what happened next. Thankfully other sources picked that up, so the team's reactions weren't lost to time. If you're interested in reading a little more, Sporn wrote a post about what the book missed on his blog: http://www.michaelspornanimation.com/splog/?p=7444
Great article! I'd never heard of the movie! I love the idea of using a metronome over a stopwatch, something I'd never thought of but makes so much sense, especially in a musical production. She really nailed the off-kilter timing and shifting of weight. And animating all that drapery straight ahead is incredible-- what a master!
This was my sister's favorite animated character and film. I really dug the research that went into this article. Concept and design work on this film are hard to find.
This is so perfectly timed! I was watching David's NYU talk twice this week and getting lost in the class notes from her workshops on Sporn's blog -- thank you for packing this issue with meticulous sources so I can continue my own research into her work
"Kozhirre Tetetik" seems like such a goldmine that, even as a Hungarian, I was not aware of
Thanks again by heart
Ah, this is awesome! Love to hear that you're diving into those resources (they're so good) and that our footnotes will be a help from here. Also, absolutely, the Pannonia newsletter is a goldmine -- one we're still digging into ourselves. It's a deep and at times surprisingly candid look inside the studio, like in the Jankovics interview from the October 1980 issue. Highly recommended.
Great article as always, western animators are rarely covered this thoroughly. Really fun to learn about David as an artist and personality, love to see professionals with strong opinions about the medium they work in. Intrigued to dig into her time working in Hungary as well.
Raggedy Ann is a very good film in my opinion. I think its influence is tangible in films like Catnapped (Nakamura's work at large has reminiscing elements, such as the triangle-shaped noses and doll-like appearance of his designs or the rough pencil linework of his later films) or more recently Ponoc's Yaneura no Rudger. Animation that truly stimulates the imagination of children.
Thank you! David was a fascinating individual. We haven't been able to see specific things she did in Hungary yet, but she was the lead (solo?) animator of a film in France (Bonjour Paris from 1953) that's floating around on YouTube. David had negative things to say about its quality, and its director, but it's a very strange blend of Disney- and UPA-esque animation that offers a few hints of where David would eventually go.
As for Raggedy Ann, you're likely right that other people have taken from it -- even before Digital Circus. It's an extremely polarizing movie. Especially today, it really does have hardcore fans, despite all the negativity toward it over the years. Its millions of views on YouTube attest to that.
Interesting. What Bonjour Paris reminds me of most is Paul Grimault's work, which I guess was the reference point in French animation at the time. In fact, apparently she animated commercials at La Comète before emigrating to America in 1955. Couldn't find anything she worked on during her time at Gyula Macskássy's studio, but sources note that it already had an American tinge.
Williams really brought it upon himself to make his films as flawed as they were by striving for perfection. He was a terrible director, insofar as he didn't know how to effectively guide a project to success with the resources he was given. They make for extremely interesting gems, however, and Raggedy Ann is no exception.
I had the pleasure of meeting Tissa David in New York during the production and for years afterward in Los Angeles and London. Grim Natwick had talked about her so much and she became one of my favorite human beings, not just for her talent but for her intelligence and sophistication.
Thank you for sharing these wonderful memories! It's an honor to receive this comment.
Never heard of this movie, but when I mentioned it to my mom it turns out she watched it growing up all the time. I grew up on Kids Next Door, so learning the show's creator was her student, I feel like the droopy sleeves of 'Numbah 3' carry some of David's instruction. My neighbor's daughters, ages 11 and 7, introduced me to Amazing Digital Circus. Full circle!
This is really wild -- thank you for sharing this!
Some Disney films are in better taste than others. Or put another way, some Disney films are more tasteless than others.
No dispute there -- Disney has a lot of classics to its name. Tissa David had strong opinions, like most master artists do, but plenty of people (even her close friends) didn't agree with everything she said!
This is my HD restoration of the film from 2021.
New member and first article of this kind I've received. In a word "Awesome!" I look forward to what's yet to come into my Inbox.
Peace.
Thank you so much! Fantastic to hear that you're enjoying the newsletter. There's a lot more to come from here.
Fantastic article! I regret I knew very little about Tissa David's work, and I'm grateful to have that remedied, and also to learn a little bit more about Raggedy Ann as well. I really appreciate all the different sources you're able to draw on and tie together into a story, and the thoughtful analysis of how she animated the character.
Thank you! Super kind. We're really glad that we could highlight David like this. Even with her talent, she's not a huge name today -- probably because she worked on lower-profile projects.
If you're ever looking to explore her work further, definitely check out Cockaboody and Eggs (solo animated for the Hubleys), plus some of the Electric Company and Sesame Street shorts (Truth Ruth, Cool Pool Fool, Glad Gladys, etc.). There's way more from there, but those are a great starting point.
This is very well-written. What a career! I hadn't realized that Tissa David was so old when she animated Raggedy Anne. It's a strange movie; at worst, a compelling failure. I wrote about it here.
https://coagulopath.com/raggedy-anne-and-andy-a-musical-adventure/
In my opinion, Joe Raposo should not have had so much influence. The film consists of song after song, while the plot sits in the garage, its wheels up on blocks. I guess it's a precursor to Alan Menken-era Disney (animation mixed with a Broadway musical), but by that point they'd figured out how to make songs support a story, rather than strangle it.
The animation is pretty great. I wonder what motivates someone like David. Often, it seems like sheer technical excellence and craft is the point, and not the movies themselves so much. I could be wrong, but perhaps when you're "in the trenches" on an animated film, you can't get too attached to the end product without going insane. Imagine working for two years on something...and then it gets butchered by short-sighted creative decisions beyond your control. Probably better to focus on the small victories you had along the way. "My walk cycles look good. The bastards couldn't take that from me."
Thanks very much! That's super kind. And we hadn't heard about the rumors re:Raggedy Ann's funding -- fascinating stuff.
As for David's goals, from what we've read, she really believed in this film initially. The production fell apart after a while, and, at that point, it often becomes a matter of those small victories. There's only so much you can do. She was a pro who could deliver even in the toughest circumstances (she'd kept going into work even as Budapest was being bombed), and she absolutely did it here.
Wow... I don't follow film and animation like I did when I was in high school and college, but I am so intrigued by the fact I didn't know this animation existed or who Tissa David is. And this is giving me heavy Over the Garden Wall vibes. Pat McHale had to have had some inspiration here.
It's definitely possible! This film has had an influence on key people over the years, even if it's so rarely discussed.
The Canemaker book is something I read earlier this year for the first time and thought it was a real treasure trove. I went to it after reading his Felix the Cat and Winsor McCay books and (despite being published first) felt like a good place to end up at. So many glorious pages of story board and model sheets.
I am glad you included some post-movie reminiscence, as the book itself (which I think came out just before or during the premiere) had everyone still riding the high of their work. The book definitely made me love Tissa David! Great work as always.
Thank you! And it's a great book, for sure -- Canemaker rarely disappoints, and having such a detailed account of such a historically important project (with all those veterans involved) is priceless. We picked up a copy earlier this year and have not regretted it.
But yeah, it does have that one problem: it's missing what happened next. Thankfully other sources picked that up, so the team's reactions weren't lost to time. If you're interested in reading a little more, Sporn wrote a post about what the book missed on his blog: http://www.michaelspornanimation.com/splog/?p=7444
Great article! I'd never heard of the movie! I love the idea of using a metronome over a stopwatch, something I'd never thought of but makes so much sense, especially in a musical production. She really nailed the off-kilter timing and shifting of weight. And animating all that drapery straight ahead is incredible-- what a master!
Thank you! She really was. Glad we could introduce you to her methods and her work on this film!
This was my sister's favorite animated character and film. I really dug the research that went into this article. Concept and design work on this film are hard to find.
Thanks very much for the kind words -- glad you enjoyed.
You are welcome. Keep up the great work.
What a brilliant article! It is a true master that you covered so fantastically.
Thank you, Jon! We're huge Tissa David fans and have wanted to do a piece like this for a while. Glad you liked it!
Necessity is the mother of invention.
——Gulliver’s Travels (written by Jonathan Swift)
الضرورة أم الاختراع.
——رحلات جاليفر