Category: Disney

Jungle Music

Post author By Chad Frye
Post date May 6, 2016

Today I thought I would use my abilities to indulge my secondary interest in filmmaking, which is film music. I enjoy film music so much that there is a whole category for it here on the ol’ blog.

I saw Disney’s new version of The Jungle Book on its opening weekend three weeks ago and was completely mesmerized. It has to be a pretty tough gig to take a beloved Disney animated feature, and create a new version of it that is ~~live action~~, er, animated as well. Director Jon Favreau did a fantastic job of making something old new again not only with the story, but with the eye-popping visuals.

Aiding the visuals in a huge way was the music by veteran composer John Debney. The original Jungle Book was charming in large part because of the music that aided the storytellers. John skillfully wrote a beautiful jungle score of his own that immediately captures your attention, and then audibly gives the audience a nostalgic thrill by weaving in some of the well-loved songs from the original movie. It was enchanting.

It struck me that this was the fourth feature film collaboration between director and composer. Jon Favreau and John Debney first worked together on 2003’s Elf (a personal favorite Christmas movie), 2005’s Zathura, Iron Man 2 in 2010, and now The Jungle Book. Each outing has proven that they make beautiful music together.

I was so enamored with their latest collaboration that I felt compelled to get it down on paper. Ironically, I celebrate their digital masterpiece by using the traditional art tools of watercolor, gouache, and colored pencils. May I present to you, The Two Jons/Johns:

Jon Favreau as King Louie dancing in the jungle with frequent musical collaborator John Debney as Baloo.

I for one can’t wait to see what their next project together will yield, but you can be sure it will be a swingin’ good time!

Oh, by the way, this is the second time I have illustrated John Debney. The first time was when he worked on one of Jon Favreau’s earlier films Iron Man 2. If you’d like to see that painting, CLICK HERE!

A Mouse, a Duck, and a Dog

Post author By Chad Frye
Post date October 16, 2015

I am a longtime member of the National Cartoonists Society (NCS), and recently the NCS has partnered with the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to help and volunteer where possible. What goes better with cartoons than children? NCS members around the country have been volunteering to draw for the kids at various hospitals in the St. Jude network, and they lend a hand with fundraisers.

If you aren’t aware, the folks at St. Jude are dedicated to the medical care of children, particularly of those facing terrible diseases such as cancer. They take these kids in regardless of whether or not the families can afford to pay, so fundraising for this organization helps them maintain their ability to help these kids through their toughest battles.

A fundraiser local to the Los Angeles area where I live will be taking place on October 24 at the Ritz-Carlton in Dana Point, CA. (Click on that last sentence to see details!) It is a black tie affair with dinner, entertainment, and an auction. That’s where I come in.

As a former artist on Disney’s Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show, I came to love drawing the characters. Who wouldn’t?! Of all the things I have worked on, these guys are most often what kids ask me to draw for them. So to help the kids, I created this 11 x 14″ watercolor and colored pencil piece for the auction they will have for St. Jude’s.

Some lucky bidder will go home in their tux or swanky dress full, happy, and with Mickey and the boys under their arm. Perhaps it will be you!

Mickey, Donald & Goofy are ready to help some sick kids!

P.S. – If you’d like to see the rough drawing that was created in preparation for this final piece, come visit my public Facebook page by CLICKING HERE!

Animals Art: Animation Art: Colored Pencil Art: Painting Art: Watercolor Disney Illustrations

Cornelius the Bear

Post author By Chad Frye
Post date May 25, 2015

“Hey, ho, hey!” That’s the greeting of the NCS LA. To those not in the know, NCS LA means the National Cartoonists Society, Los Angeles Chapter!

Bear Cartoon — Cornelius the Bear in all his plaid angelic glory.

The NCS LA reorganized this year to become a pretty busy group of professional cartoonists. We used to have one gathering a year in December, but since this past December, we have been doing monthly activities where professional cartoonists can socialize with colleagues, learn something, and hopefully soon will involve some volunteer drawing for worthy causes.

Part of what the NCS LA has discovered is some of the history of our group. Our mascot has become Cornelius the Bear because back in the day he saved the life of Los Angeles cartoonist George Herriman, creator of the comic strip Krazy Kat, from a runaway toboggan. Cornelius is no longer with us here in the City of Angels, of course, so he himself is depicted in angelic terms on our official crest. I recently drew my version of Cornelius as seen above wearing the NCS LA uniform of a plaid sports coat.

That image of Cornelius was used on a flyer I put together advertising to our membership a field trip we took a few weeks ago to Revolutions 2, a fantastic museum exhibit of original illustration art at the museum in the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, CA (go see it before it closes in early August if you haven’t already – it’ll knock your socks off!). Illustrator William Stout showed us around the exhibit, and was able to tell tales of his own art that is in the display. Afterwards, we went to lunch at a place where Walt Disney and his animators used to hang out (yes, that’s my Walt on the flyer, too).

The flyer for the first NCS LA field trip. (RSVP info removed since the event is over!)

If you are a professional cartoonist creating comic books, comic strips, illustration, animation, editorial cartoons, or any other genre in cartooning here in Los Angeles, or will be visiting our fair city in the future, please get a hold of me to find out when and where our next gathering will be! We’d love to welcome you here!

Animals Art: Inking Art: Photoshop Caricature Chad About Town Character Designs Disney

Jake

Post author By Chad Frye
Post date February 4, 2015

Now, I have not worked on the Disney show Jake and the Neverland Pirates, but I do remember seeing Jake and his merry band of pirates being developed by some of the fellas who worked in the cubicles around me on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse a few years back. It turned into a very charming show that also happens to have very charming toys.

Recently a friend asked if I could draw Jake for his daughter, and was happy to oblige. Perhaps you might enjoy seeing Jake as well….

Jake is a spin-off from the world of Disney’s “Peter Pan.”

Animals Art: Drawings Disney

Goofy Art

Post author By Chad Frye
Post date January 19, 2015

You know, lately I have been working on a lot of art that I cannot share at the moment. There are a couple of extensive projects I have going on all at once, and all of it has to be kept under wraps until it doesn’t have to be secret anymore. As a result, I have been lax in posting any new art here on the ol’ blog. So, how about something old that hasn’t seen the light of day before?

I was looking through my archives and came across this fun little character watercolor painting of Disney’s Goofy. I don’t know about you, but Goofy always puts a smile on my face. He is full of an optimistic innocence that can just make me giddy and feel good. I always have fun sketching him, and apparently one day back in 2009, I put paint to paper to create this version of the lanky one.

So enjoy, and always remember it is okay to just be goofy!

Even if you don’t know him, just smile and wave back to be safe.

Animals Art: Painting Art: Watercolor Disney Illustrations

Ronald McDonald House Event

Post author By Chad Frye
Post date December 11, 2014

This past Saturday, December 6, approximately forty professional artists from the world of comics and animation descended upon the Warner Bros. Ranch studio in Burbank, California, to draw pictures for the kids and families coming to a holiday party sponsored by the Ronald McDonald House organization. It was such a blast to spend three hours of our day putting smiles on the faces of these kids.

It was hard to to draw with some clown looking over my shoulder, so I stood up to pose for a picture with the boss man himself!

You see, throughout the year Ronald McDonald House helps out families that have kids with some serious health problems. Each December Warner Bros. graciously opens their property to a wonderful party for those families who have needed Ronald McDonald House that year. They come and can ride on carnival rides, they are fed all kinds of goodies, they can meet Santa, they meet Ronald McDonald, there is face painting, free Christmas hats made by a senior citizens group, they can meet child actors that come, and they get lots of toys all for free.

The best part is, they come to the artists for free drawings of whatever they would like, or whatever the artist is able to draw. Sometimes the two don’t exactly match. I’m not afraid to tell folks I don’t know how to draw a particular character, but sometimes they pull up an image on their phones which makes me obliged to accommodate their requests.

Enough chit-chat. How about I let some photos do the talking…

I had a few requests for Baymax from “Big Hero 6”. This customer was satisfied with his drawing.

Chris Hubbard, a story artist for Disney drawing a Sulley and Mike for a child.

A trio of ladies with their Disney sketches from yours truly.

This was my view from the end of the table. Next to me there in the hat is storyboard artist Dan Kubat with whom I worked last year.

After I finished this Jack Skellington, Hannah informed me that I had drawn one for her last year, too. She eased my mind by letting me know I drew him differently this year. Whew!

Artists Rafael Navarro & Geoffrey Wheeler.

The crowds around the artist’s tables were enthusiastic, and very polite. You didn’t mind one bit drawing for these folks.

I had quite a few requests for Olaf from Disney’s “Frozen.” Hadn’t drawn him before that day. Olaf would have enjoyed the summery weather we had.

Yes, the kids could get free drawings from the great Dean Yeagle!

Storyboard artist Gavin Freitas working feverishly to meet the demands of his clients!

Art Leonardi (at right), known for his work on the classic Pink Panther cartoons, always organizes the artists for this event together with his daughter Lisa Leonardi-Knight.

More happy customers!

Here is a group shot of all the artists that came to draw for the kids!

And my very last drawing of the day had to be the most challenging. Elsa from Disney’s “Frozen”. Since I had never drawn Elsa before, I had been turning down requests for her all day, until that very last one when this girl’s mother pulled up a picture on her phone.

So, that was the great event! Looking forward to joining the group again next year with the hope that we won’t see some of these same kids again because they healed!

Animals Art: Animation Art: Drawings Chad About Town Disney Random Doodles

Bancroft Bros. Interview Glen Keane!

Post author By Chad Frye
Post date December 6, 2014

My friends, the wonder twins Tom & Tony Bancroft, have been doing a series of podcasts over recent months that deal with art, comics, animation, and all of the above! Often they interview fascinating colleagues like Aaron Blaise, Don Hahn, and most recently – Glen Keane!

First, Tony & Tom are terrific cartoonists & animation guys themselves. Both worked at Disney for many years where they were animators on films like Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King, Mulan, Emperor’s New Groove, and Brother Bear to name a few. Tony was even the co-director of Mulan. While they live on opposite coasts today, the Bancrofts utilize the wonders of technology to create their various podcasts.

Glen Keane is regarded by many to be the greatest animator working in the business today. His career has included bringing to life many Disney favorites such as Arial, the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Tarzan, John Silver, and more recently was the driving force behind Disney’s Tangled. His latest effort is the glorious short called Duet that played theatrically, but also has an interactive version for Motorola phones.

I encourage you to listen to the approximately hour long interview where the Bancrofts talk a bit about Glen’s career, and talk to Glen about some real concepts, philosophies about the approach to animation and storytelling. Oh, and towards the end, they ask Glen a goofball question of mine. Just click on the image above to go to the podcast! And down below, please watch Glen’s Duet if you have not already seen it!

Art: Animation Cartoons Disney Videos

From the Flat File: 2009 – Thinking About Pooh

Post author By Chad Frye
Post date November 18, 2014

This past weekend my mind wandered to a show I started working on for Disney about seven or eight years ago. It was the CG animated My Friends Tigger & Pooh. It was such a delight to draw Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, Rabbit, Kanga, Roo, Lumpy, and anyone else who came to the 100 Acre Wood during those two and a half seasons that we created their adventures. You, however, only were able to watch two of those seasons. We actually were halfway through planning the third season before the network decided that the first two were enough.

We did something in our show that seemed to polarize the Pooh fans, though. Christopher Robin was not included. Instead, we introduced a little girl named Darby to the stories. Darby was voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz when she was just a wee lass. She has gone on to bigger things working in movies with directors like Tim Burton and Martin Scorsese, but once upon a time she delivered great enthusiasm in her conversations with Pooh and Tigger.

Despite all of Darby’s cuteness and charm, fans missed Christopher Robin, including Queen Elizabeth who purportedly had an aide call the Disney Channel suggesting that Christopher Robin be returned to the Wood. Regarding the young boy’s absence, “the Queen is not amused,” was the rumor floating around the studio. So, while Darby remained, Christopher Robin did return for a few episodes, though one time the gang spent an episode calling a frog “Christopher Robin” thinking that the boy had turned into the amphibian, naturally.

Another element of this series was that Darby led Tigger and Pooh as the “Super Sleuths.” It was a fun device where something would happen, and the residents of the woods needed help solving the problem. Every episode they would don their Super Sleuth outfits, then go off to “think, think, think” in an attempt to find the answer, often causing more chaos in the process.

After my work on the show ended in 2008, I created a series of watercolor sketches (such as this one) based on the show just for the fun of it.

You know, while working on the show, my mother sent me a drawing that I did at the age of 5 of Disney’s Winnie the Pooh. It was so surreal to see I had an interest in him all those years ago, and then was making a living drawing him. I tease you with that, however. Little Chad’s art is not available to share with you here at this time, but eventually it will find its way here on the ol’ blog.

My Friends Tigger & Pooh really was a delightful show, and had some really wonderful scripts by our writers led by Brian Hohlfeld and Nicole Dubuc. It was a treat working with everyone, and especially getting to see the great Jim Cummings work his magic as Pooh, Tigger, and the Beaver, Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime) who was Eeyore, Ken Sansom who (though now deceased) was Rabbit for many years, Rob Paulson (famous for Pinky from Pinky & the Brain) who did a raccoon, Max Burkholder (from TV’s Parenthood) as Roo, Dee Bradley Baker who was an amazing dog (Buster), as well as even Mark Hamill (yes, Luke Skywalker himself) who did a recurring character of a turtle.

It is available on DVD. Settle down with your little ones, put on your thinking caps and watch all the charming adventures of Darby, Tigger, Pooh and the gang!

Animals Art: Animation Art: Colored Pencil Art: Painting Art: Watercolor Disney Flat File Archives Illustrations