By Leo N. Holzer
Special to Upcoming Pixar

Was Joe Ranft too good to be true or truly too good?

Ever since his untimely and tragic death on Aug. 16, 2005, I’ve pondered that question. I’ve talked to his colleagues and friends as well as read dozens of stories and blog posts.

I’ve discovered several funny anecdotes, but everyone who crossed his path thought he was a great guy. He’s highly regarded by professional colleagues like John Lasseter, Pete Docter, John Musker and members of the story teams at Pixar as well as people he grew up with like Madeline Miesen and Pete Moe. The list goes on and on. I’ve never heard or read a negative word about “the great one,” “the gentle giant” Joseph Henry Ranft.

My interest in Joe Ranft was sparked after talking with him a few times on the phone as he promoted “A Bug’s Life” and “Toy Story 2” and seeing him in some of the behind-the-scenes bonus material on Pixar’s DVD releases. He was engaging, enthusiastic, side-splittingly funny … someone you’d love to meet in person or get to know as a friend.

When I heard about his death, I joined others at the celebration of his life held on Sept. 17, 2005 at Pixar and mourned. Amid the tears — and a bit more laughter than I had expected — I learned a lot more about Joe Ranft. The celebration wasn’t just a review of his talents and achievements, but memories from colleagues about Joe’s personal integrity, his good nature, his exemplary life.

Who needs Viagra??? Just get a bar of Camay Soap! Check out this set of five smokin’ hot animated spots from the 1950s that our friends at Something Weird Video just unearthed (first one embed below; then watch #2, #3, #4 and #5). The animators were not shy about letting us see the leading lady’s [...]

Production artist Nicolas Marlet will be among those taking part in an artist panel at Alhambra’s Gallery Nucleus on Sunday March 28th, talking about and showing some of their work from Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon. Other artists in attendance will be: Alessandro Carloni (Head of Story), Pierre Olivier Vincent (Art Director) and Simon [...]

A trailer for the children’s film Moomins and the Comet Chase, the first stereoscopic 3-D feature out of the Nordic region. It’s being produced by Finnish studio Filmkompaniet Alpha, who previously made the feature Moomin and Midsummer Madness in 2008. The characters are based on Tove Jansson’s classic book and comic characters Moomins which have [...]

Elk Hair Caddis is another mini-masterpiece from those crazy kids at Denmark’s Animation Workshop: Peter Smith, Alice Holme, Anders Brogaarde and Magnus Moller. Peter Smith told us: One of the goals with this piece of animation was to explore some of the boundaries of the 3D media, and how close we could bring it [...]

Computer animation from Russia in 1968 (yep, that’s forty-two years ago!): A group of Russian physicists and mathematicians with N. Konstantinov in the head of it created mathematic model of the cat and its moving and realized this model in the program for the computer “BESM-4″. Computer printed hundreds of frames on the paper using alphabet [...]

Only on Cartoon Brew do you get scoops like this: Just in time for Passover: Brew reader Afonso Bruno snapped this pic of the new rodent-head shaped ham slices now available in Paris supermarkets. It’s right up there with our previous posts on Disney food tie-ins like Aristo-Cats Cat Food, Old Yeller Dog Food and [...]

An enticing trailer for Lipsett Diaries, a short directed by Theodore Ushev (Drux Flux, Tower Bawher). It’s rare to see animated imagery with such substance and beauty—so intensely powerful—and it’s only the trailer: [Lipsett Diaries] depicts the maelstrom of anguish that tormented Arthur Lipsett, a famed Canadian experimental filmmaker who died at the age of 49. [...]

Here’s the teaser for a godawful looking low-budget European co-production… waitasec…my bad…this is DreamWorks’s Megamind. By now, I’ve come to expect very little from DreamWorks product, but this one strikes me as being even blander and clumsier than their usual bland and clumsy style. It looks like a slapped together patchwork of CG cliches, so [...]

Let’s Pollute by Geefwee Boedoe Yesterday, the Annecy International Animation Festival announced the selections for its 34th edition, which takes place June 7 through 12. This is a milestone year for the world’s oldest continuously running animation festival as it marks its fiftieth year of existence. The Annecy site has the complete list of selections for [...]

Chris Meledandri and his Universal-based Illumination Entertainment (Despicable Me) have acquired the rights to Charles Addams famous cartoon family for Tim Burton to direct as a stop-mo 3D feature film. Michael Fleming at Deadline Hollywood has the scoop. The article also outlines Universal’s future animated feature release plans: the April 1, 2011 release of I [...]

Orlando Attractions Magazine has scored some of the first video of the newly wrapped Monorail advertising for Disney’s upcoming film TRON Legacy. I don’t know about you, but I’m loving it: Now, some people have been complaining about this being a blatant ad that takes people out of the park and reminds them of the real [...]

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Tron-o-Rail Debuts at EPCOT
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May 21st is the 30th anniversary of the premier of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. It’s also the first day of this year’s Star Wars Weekends event at Disneys Hollywood Studios. The host and guest list for each of the four weekends has just been announced. The celebrity hosts over all four weekends are [...]

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Star Wars Weekends 2010 Guest List Announced
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If there was one face closely associated with the early days Disneyland other than Walt Disney himself, it was Fess Parker. Walt had tapped Parker to play Davy Crockett in the 1950s TV show and also used Parker as Crockett to help spread the news about the new theme park. Fess appeared in photo shoots, [...]

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We Mourn The Loss of Fess Parker, Disney’s Davy Crockett
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The magic minds behind the Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s keystone attraction “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” have released a short clip of behind the scenes snippets from filming involved involved in creating the attraction. Watch it for yourself: This sneak peek has revealed a number of interesting details about the attraction. For instance, what [...]

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Harry Potter Sneak Peek reveals new details
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ABC’s popular sci-fi mystery drama “FlashForward” returns for the 2nd half of its first season tonight. The show has undergone a bit of a makeover with some of the behind the scenes production team shifting around. So look for some new direction as far as the vision of the show. To get excited about the FlashForward’s [...]

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FlashForward Returns Tonight
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Get ready to lace up those dancing shoes, because Dancing with the Stars kicks off its tenth (yes, tenth) season on Monday, March 22! There’s already been some notable departures this season – dancers Julianne Hough, Jonathan Roberts, Kym Johnson, and Lacey Schwimmer are not returning, and co-host Samantha Harris is leaving. Samantha will be replaced [...]

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Dancing with the Stars: Season 10 Preview!
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When I started watching American Idol, back in season one, I admit I was attracted mainly by the train wreck quality of the performances. But Kelly Clarkson has proved something in the formula works, if you forget that dreadful movie. Thank the maker they haven’t tried that again. This year, there is a new wrinkle with [...]

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American Idol Experience Dream Ticket Winner in Top 11
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All Sawyer! All the time! “Recon”, this week’s Lost episode should have been my favorite! We got to see Sawyer in LA. And find out that he is NOT a conman! Of course, we also see him get busy with two different girls, eat frozen dinners and a 6pack of beer by himself and have [...]

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Lost Season 6: Recon (Episode 8)
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This week Peter Greenberg’s Worldwide radio show is coming to you from Walt Disney World. The three part series features a bevy of guests and list of lessons that even the most seasoned traveler can learn from. You can listen to all three parts online. Aloha Mickey Mouse and Friends Hawaiian Collection! Buy any 2 and save [...]

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Travel Expert Peter Greenberg at Disney World
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Slashfilm was lucky enough to be invited to tour the set of Tron Legacy a few months ago. The film’s release is still a ways off in December, but Disney has said it’s okay to start leaking a few things out here and there. This week they have four amazing set photos. Not everything is [...]

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Tron Legacy Set Preview Pics
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A video capturing the choreography of commotion surrounding a lawyer for Najibullah Zazi, who eventually pleaded guilty to terrorism charges in Brooklyn's United States District Court.

A filmmaker creates his own version of the yule log, using clay, glass, a light box and oil paints.

A short film in which the change in season is reflected in the fleeting shadows along city streets.

A film capturing the bittersweet journey back from summer.

A film celebrating the art of walking through crowded city streets, seemingly looking at nothing while seeing everything.

A '70s-vintage film of New York City is reconstituted for the present.

The (seemingly long-overdue) transformation of winter into spring, in an animated film.

An animated film about sleep and the 'rhythm of life.'

A filmmaker turns his eye on his toddler in this animated short.

A filmmaker grabs some headlines, and some glue, to create a collage of recent world events.