New Super-Spoof Trailer for The Lego Movie: "Man of Plastic"

Warner Bros.' block-busting return to animation, The Lego Movie, hits cinemas on Friday, so the studio have been rolling out loads of - in the words of their own advertising - "awesome" clips, trailers and TV spots for the film! With DC's super-roster at their fingertips, WB have free rein to Legoify big-name superheroes - hence why we've got this really funny new trailer, spoofing Man of Steel. Plus, hey, a bit of Hans Zimmer's marvellous score makes anything better. Check out that, and more, below.

Super New TV Spot and Posters for The Lego Movie

Likely the best big-screen Justice League film we're going to get in the foreseeable future is assembling! Block by block. Warner Bros. have rolled out two super new posters and an awesome TV spot for The Lego Movie (directed by Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and 21 Jump Street's Phil Lord and Chris Miller), featuring the Lego versions of the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel!

Guest Post: DC Animation Releases Flashpoint Animated Feature on DVD

By Juha DeGraw

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox will be the next animated film in the DC universe. The 2011 comic by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert followed The Flash (Barry Allen) as he awakens in an alternate reality where he's stripped of all this powers and the superheroes he knows from his own timeline are completely different.

Out of Comic-Con: Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill and Cobie Smulders Join The Lego Movie

Warner Bros.' Lego Movie just gets more exciting and fun-sounding by the day! Morgan Freeman is voicing Lego Gandalf; other great names like Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell and Liam Neeson are in there. One of the most interesting and fun notes, though, was that Arrested Development's Will Arnett is voicing Lego Batman; news out of Comic-Con is that some other big name stars are going to be helping him assemble a Lego Justice League in the film.

Pictures of the Day: Aladdin Meets DC Heroes and The Simpsons Meets Breaking Bad

I, like many a Disney fan, enjoy randomly bursting out singing A Whole New World. Do you know who apparently shares this passion? Superman. Check out this hilarious mash-up of Aladdin and Batman/Superman (from here) above; I think I may have just found a new iPod wallpaper! I like to think this is the kind of jesting that goes on in the Justice League.

Speaking of cool mash-ups, we've got another cool Breaking Bad one for you! Last time we showed you Threadless's cool Dexter's Lab/Breaking Bad crossover and today TV's best drama meets its most iconic cartoon family, with Breaking Bart (via Breaking Bad Memes).

Related news: What If: Fan-Made "Indiana Jones: The Animated Adventures" Artwork

Classic Cartoons #10 - Popeye the Sailor

Our last Classic Cartoon was Superman, AKA The Mad Scientist, the first in the critically revered Superman short film series from Fleischer Studios. The Superman shorts were the Fleischers' last hurrah, as, despite critical adulation and an Academy Award nomination for the first in the series, the high budget meant that the Fleischers soon ran out of funds, and Paramount, their financiers and distributors, soon ran out of patience. Amidst personal squabbles between brothers, Max and Dave, Paramount acquired the Fleischer Studios, and fired the brothers, renaming it Famous Studios in 1942.

However, the Fleischers had experienced much success prior to this. In their heyday, Fleischer Studios was the most significant competitor to Walt Disney and his cartoons. In fact, at one time, one of the Fleischers' series eclipsed Disney and Mickey Mouse in terms of popularity: Popeye the Sailor. Based on the Thimble Theatre comic strip, the Popeye cartoons were huge successes and inspired popular culture for years to come.

The first appearance of Popeye - as well as his love-interest, Olive Oyl, and his nemesis, Bluto - was actually in this Betty Boop cartoon from 1933. Indicative of things to come though, Boop was merely a cameo, whereas Popeye was the focus. Popeye would later get his series of theatrical cartoons - starting with I Yam What I Yam later that year - and the famous theme song, the outdated - but wonderful and hilarious - rubber hose animation and the beloved characters made Popeye the Sailor, both today's Classic Cartoon and the series it spawned, huge hits.

Don't forget, as well, that Sony Pictures Animation are moving ahead with a CG Popeye film, directed by Hotel Transylvania helmer, Genndy Tartakovsky.

Interview: Robb Pratt, Disney Storyboard Artist and Bizarro Classic Director

A while back, I shared with you a wonderful little short film called Superman Classic from Disney animator and storyboard artist, Robb Pratt. I fell in love with the tone and animation of the films and the, well, classic visual style of it; as well as a very witty and classically Superman-esque script. So, I was very excited two weeks ago when Robb released his follow up, Bizarro Classic. Longer, funnier, wonderful music, and, in my eyes, even better than Superman Classic, I was completely enamoured with Bizarro too!

In fact, I was so enamoured with Bizarro Classic that I sent Robb an email, telling him how much I'd enjoyed his Classic shorts, and asking if he'd mind doing an interview for the blog. Robb, a very kind and modest person, thankfully said yes.

You can read our extensive interview after the jump break, in which we talk about his work at Disney, on films like Tarzan and Hercules, his work at Disney Channel, his current work at DisneyToon Studios on Planes, how direct-to-DVD productions compare to normal features, and his Superman short films. Enjoy!

Classic Cartoons #9 - Superman/The Mad Scientist

Today's classic cartoon is the first from a series of widely successful short films produced by the Fleischer Studio in the early 1940s, the Superman short films. The Fleischer Studios, founded in 1921 by brothers Max and Dave Fleischer, were the most significant competition for the Disney studio during the Golden Age of Animation.

Most notable for their Betty Boop and Popeye cartoon shorts, the Fleischers' Superman cartoons are also revered. The short that started that off, eponymously titled Superman - or The Mad Scientist - was even nominated for the 1942 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Subject, losing out to the Disney propaganda short, Der Fuehrer's Face. The Fleischer shorts are also purportedly the inspiration for Superman flying - up until then he had only lept, but the brothers deemed this 'silly looking'.

Incredibly high budget - at about $50,000, twice the cost of an average Fleischer cartoon - and filled with spectacle and awe - if a little old by today's standards - Superman and the subsequent shorts in the series were, and are, great testaments to storytelling and animation, and you can definitely the Fleischer inspiration in Robb Pratt's brilliant new Superman short films.

Bizarro Classic by Disney's Robb Pratt

I was just thinking about Robb Pratt's Superman Classic earlier today actually - after recently watching some of the Fleischer Studios' Superman shorts - so, I was very pleased to come online and find Cartoon Brew sharing Robb's follow up short, Bizarro Classic!

Robb is a Disney veteran who has animated on Tarzan and Pocahontas, and he directed, produced and co-animated both this and Superman Classic, fully realising the funny, clever and visually striking "Super Fan Film" to create a fantastic homage. Again starring the voices of John Newton (TV's Superboy) and Jennifer Newton as Superman/Bizarro and Lois Lane respectively. The short is swiftly followed by an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the short, showing the animation process.

Robb's enthusiasm and adoration for both the subject matter and the medium is evident, and, whilst I love the visual style, I'd love to see what he could do using Disney's new Meander animation program, used on John Kahrs' Paperman.

I'd love to see more from Robb in this realm, be sure to check it out!

A Collection of Things 3

I've once again decided to compile some of the best pictures, videos and articles that I've found in recent weeks, enjoy:

Firstly, we have (below) and in a similar vein to the Pixar Wars characters that we saw a few weeks ago, but a whole lot more detailed, Buzz Lightyear as Boba Fett. Courtesy of James Kennison from You'remockingmearen'tyou.com (awesome Toy Story themed name by the way) who uploads a new buzz drawing every day. Very original and very interesting.

We have 2 brilliant short films this week, we have (directly below) a DC Comic themed fan-boy short film, Superman Classic. It's a very entertaining and detailed short film and is brilliantly devoted to the source material. The film comes from Robert Pratt, a Disney animator who worked on Pocahontas and Tarzan. I love it and it's good to see lots of different types of short films. Robert is also currently working on Cars spin-off , Planes.



On the above note, we have another animated short film, from Pixar animator Cat Hicks, Wild Dogs (below). The films was created while she was studying at Ringling College of Art and Design, it is great, funny and not to mention brilliantly animated for a college film. Cat tweeted this past week that the short will soon air on  BBC, so keep your eyes peeled.



We also have a career montage and (hilarious scripted) acceptance speech from Brad Bird (below) upon recieving the Winsor McCay award alongside Matt Groening and Eric Goldberg. Worryingly, there may be some truth in this faux acceptance speech.