101 DALMATIANS

Home theatre isn't really a new concept - Pongo and Perdida had one in the 60s!

I love the modern look of all the 101 background art, very linear with color washes. This BG was printed and distributed as a backing for cels sold at Disneyland's once-upon-a-time Art Corner - imagine Disney cels for a dollar!

I've recreated the piece digitally as usual, erasing the tail-wagging pup. :)

That's Hot!

OK, the Paris Hilton quote is SO 2007... but this B/G from 101 DALMATIANS is indeed hot. Red hot! The background is a major contributor to the energy of Pongo's flaming pursuit of bad guys Horace and Jasper.

Great and stylish!

Don't forget, animation fans, that you'll have a rare opportunity to see the newly restored version of 101 DALMATIANS on the big screen at Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre, playing two weeks at the end of January.

See you there!

DALMATIANS at Christmas!

Here's a view you've never seen, a screenful of sooty Dalmatian puppies in this recreated pan of Roger and Anita's living room, complete with Christmas tree!

OK, I couldn't eliminate all the animated pups from this background. But many of the puppies were "fixed position" and only a few were animated anyway. (The effect worked very well.)

So, forgive me the minor indiscretion of a few foreground (animated) pups remaining?

Happy Holidays!

101 DALMATIANS: Dinsford

101 DALMATIANS part four

Once again we re-visit artwork from 101 DALMATIANS. First is a street scene, around the corner from the Darling brownstone. The second and third pieces are re-created pan backgrounds, interiors of the Darling living room.

101 DALMATIANS:The Dilapidated DeVil Mansion

Readers are familiar with my enthusiasm for the groundbreaking style in 101 DALMATIANS. The advent of the xerox drawing-to-cel process (which replaced hand inking) was exploited to great advantage, creating a fresh, modern look.

Shown first is the wonderfully moody rendering of the DeVil mansion exterior.

Next, the upstairs hallway. Love the stylish pen-and-ink design with color wash, typical of this film.

Perhaps my favorite background in the whole film is the blue bedroom. This re-created pan B/G is fairly bursting with detail and extravagant, imaginative design.

Woof!

101 DALMATIANS: The Puppy Rescue

These composite B/Gs are from the scene where the puppies are rescued by Pongo and Peredita, from the inept Horace and Jasper. Gorgeous color palette!

101 DALMATIANS

101 DALMATIANS was Disney's first feature to showcase the new Xerox method for transferring animators' drawings to cels. The animators loved it! For the first time they could see their actual drawings on the screen, rather than the "tracings" of the ink and paint department. The technology created a new, very modern look. Even the backgrounds took advantage of xerography; elaborate layouts were transferred to cels and placed over watercolor washes. Here are a few terrific, stylish backgrounds, including a wonderful pan B/G of a London street. I promise we'll revisit this film and its art.