San Diego Comic-Con Museum
Balboa Park, San Diego
February 3, 2023
Meredith went to a preview showing of the Comic-Con Museum’s new exhibit, The Animation Academy: From Pencils to Pixels. She enjoyed the exhibit immensely; it was both informative and fun. It spans the entire history of animation, explaining technological advances at each stage, including information about the creators and creative process, and offering numerous video loops. The 1914 short film Gertie the Dinosaur is playing at one of the first stations. It is amazingly well done from a technical standpoint and remains gently humorous a century later.
Meredith found the side-by-side Gumby labs fascinating. On the left are the tools for creating the modern stop motion animation. On the right is a work bench with tools and a video showing the original clay techniques.
There are hands on stations where museum visitors can draw and otherwise learn and create. Period merchandise is displayed also, such as Mickey Mouse watches and vintage cartoon lunch boxes.
There are many nuggets of information about the ideas behind favorite characters:
- Two Hanna-Barbera characters were inspired by The Honeymooners: Yogi Bear drew on Art Carney’s Ed Norton, and Jackie Gleason’s character Ralph Kramden inspired Fred Flintstone.
- Art Clokey’s wife Ruth suggested that he start with a gingerbread boy, as he was trying to find the right shape for a clay figure that could be easily reproduced and manipulated; that is how Gumby started.
- Mark Twain’s description of a coyote he saw in the old West inspired Wile E. Coyote: “ A long, slim, sick and sorry-looking skeleton… a living, breathing allegory of Want. He is always hungry.”
There is a good deal more to the animation exhibit. We recommend it highly.
Meredith took time to see a few more small exhibits at the museum. On the upper level visitors can see cover art from 50 years of Comic-Con souvenir guides. Tucked away in a side room, also upstairs, are impressive Cardboard Superhero statutes made by teenage artists.
The Comic-Con Museum does not keep a permanent collection. Visit soon to see these exhibitions! The museum is closed Monday; open other days from 10 am to 5 pm.