John Canemaker: Marching to a Different Toon

Director: John Canemaker
USA. 1978-1998.
60 minutes. Color.

For more than two decades the Emmy and Oscar®-winning animator John Canemaker has created films that charm, enlighten and touch audiences. His amazing work features a distinctive personal style emphasizing emotion, personality and dynamic visual expression. His "toons" (which have been featured in everything from The World According to Garp to Pee-wee's Playhouse) are often daring, frequently hilarious and always compassionate. Showcasing Canemaker's wide-ranging talent and emotional resonance, Marching to a Different Toon includes his animation classics: the whimsical Confessions of a Stardreamer, the astonishingly lovely Bottom's Dream, the clever and witty Confessions of a Stand-Up, the enchanting The Wizard's Son, and the wondrously beautiful Bridgehampton.

Canemaker is also a noted author who has written nine books on animation, as well as numerous essays, articles and monographs for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, among other publications. In 2007 he was awarded the Jean Mitry Award at the Il Giornate del Cinema Muto in Italy for his work researching and promoting the history of classic animation.

Bonus Features

Selections from Canemaker's collaborative work, including Behind the Scenes, The DNA Concerto, early TV spots for Gay Men's Health Crisis, and excerpts from the award-winning documentaries What Do Children Think of When They Think of the Bomb and Break the Silence: Kids Against Child Abuse. These magical and moving films are enduring treasures of animation that will delight viewers for generations to come.

 

Reviews

"WONDERFUL. Enormously refreshing, because it's a constant reminder of all the possibilities inherent in the art of animation. John is genuinely one of a kind!" - Roy Disney

"John Canemaker is a man of many talents. Whether as an artist, an author, a teacher, historian or designer, he is an inspiration to us all. His energy and curiosity have opened up new fields for cartoons and animation in general." - Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, pioneer Disney Animator (PINOCCHIO, BAMBI, 101 DALMATIONS)

"To express admiration and affection for the multi-talented Mr. John Canemaker is, and must be multi-layered too: he is a writer, artist, historian, teacher, and biographer of the good and great in animation; and he is, surprisingly and uniquely, an animator in his own right." - Chuck Jones