January 31, 1944

January 31, 1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

January 30, 1944

January 30, 1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

January 29, 1944

January 29, 1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

January 28, 1944

January 28, 1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

The note he's holding reads:

Do assistant work for one more week.
C.G.M(?)

January 27, 1944

January 27, 1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

Big Cartoon Data Base notes that "Irv Spence worked mainly on the jitterbugging sequence, according to animator Mark Kausler."

January 26, 1944

January 26, 1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

January 25, 1944

January 25, 1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

Layout artist Harvey Eisenberg. A complete Eisenberg story fromTom and Jerry # 68.

January 24, 1944

January 24, 1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

Was assistant animator Stod Herbert a lyricist, too?

A Google search for "Stod Herbert" turned up, in addition to credits on several Ralph Bakshi features, this item from the sheet music collection at the San jose library:

Title: Baby What I'm Gonna Do To You
Composer(s)/Lyricist(s)/Arranger(s): Deranja, Jack; Ciarocchi, Gene; Herbert, Stod
Music type: Piano
Notes:

Not much beyond the name to connect animation Stod to the Stod of song. (Searches on the ACAP and BMI websites came up empty,) Still, this drawing makes me wonder.

January 23, 1944

January 23, 1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

January 22, 1944

January 22, 1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

January 21, 1944

January 21, 1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

January 20, 1944

January 20, 1944, originally uploaded by Cartoon Diary.

I assume this drawing depicts a screening on the MGM lot of uncut newsreel footage. The story of this bloody battle is told in this monograph, or for a shorter summary, click here.

January 19, 1944

January 19, 1944, originally uploaded by Cartoon Diary.

"Fort Roach" closed down sometime in early '46. More here.

January 18, 1944

January 18, 1944, originally uploaded by Cartoon Diary.

January 17, 1944

January 17, 1944, originally uploaded by Cartoon Diary.

January 16, 1944

January 16, 1944, originally uploaded by brotherbix.

January 15, 1944

January 15, 1944, originally uploaded by brotherbix.

January 14, 1944

January 14, 1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

January 13, 1944

January 13, 1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

January 12, 1944

January 12, 1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

January 11, 1944

January 11, 1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

January 10, 1944

January 10, 1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

Lotta Living has two nice images of Melody Lane menus from c. 1933 and c. 1942.

January 9, 1944

January 9, 1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

January 8, 1944

January 8, 1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

January 7, 1944

January 7, 1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

More from Irv Spence's cartoon diary

January 6,1944

January 6,1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

January 5, 1944

January 5, 1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

January 4, 1944

January 4, 1944, originally uploaded by Filboid Sudge.

January 3, 1944

January 3, 1944, originally uploaded by Cartoon Diary.

January 2, 1944

Spence- 1:2, originally uploaded by Cartoon Diary.

January 1, 1944

Spence1:1D, originally uploaded by Cartoon Diary.

Cast of Characters

Spence1:1C, originally uploaded by Cartoon Diary.

Introduction

Spence1:1B, originally uploaded by Cartoon Diary.

Happy New Year.

Spence-1:1A, originally uploaded by Cartoon Diary.

A new year and a new blog. Just what the world needs. And what better way to begin a new blog than by using someone else's work?

Today, and I hope for each day of the new year, I'll post a page from MGM animator Irv Spence's cartoon diary for 1944. These images are scanned from xeroxes an incalculable number of generations removed from the originals. Apparently, no amount of shoddy reproduction can suck the life out of these drawings or dampen the spirit of commitment to a New Year's resolution.

It's something to try to measure up to. Enjoy.