Young Worshippers, by Ralph Hulett ... with Special Christmas Links

The staff and officers of the Animation Guild wish you a merry Christmas ... and offer you, as an added bonus, gleaming Christmas linkage.

Three children charmingly portray the wonderment of the shepherds and an angel at the lowly manger.

Roger Ebert shares his favorite ten animated features of 2009.

True, the once neglected art of animation has undergone a rebirth in both artistry and popularity. Yet having escaped one blind alley, it seems headed into another one: The dumbing-down of stories out of preference for meaningless nonstop action. Classic animated features were models of three-act stories: Recall "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" or "The Lion King." The characters were embedded in stories that made sense and involved making decisions based on values. Now too many stories end in brain-numbing battles, often starring heroes the age of the younger audience members ...

The New York Times looks at Sita Sings the Blues:

Nina Paley’s new film, which arrives in New York on Friday trailing festival love, is certainly ambitious and visually loaded. There are songs, bright colors and a story taken in part from one of the biggest, oldest epics in the world. But it is also modest, personal and, in spite of Ms. Paley’s use of digital vector graphic techniques, decidedly handmade ...

While we're on the New York Times, the "paper of record" admits to an oopsie:

An obituary on Dec. 17 about Roy E. Disney, who helped revitalize the famed animation division of the company founded by his uncle, Walt Disney, referred incompletely to the release of “Fantasia,” noted for its use of animation to interpret classical music. It was considered a “groundbreaking 1942 film” in the sense that it was released nationally that year. But a longer version was shown in a special engagement in 1940 in New York and again in 1941 in Los Angeles and a few other cities.

Terry Gilliam does terrific work, but he really has to stop saying things like this. He can afford to work for zip; others can't.

I’ve offered my services to Pixar. I said I’d even sweep the floors and mop up -- and no one’s called me back yet! ...

The Nikkster points out that the Top Three films on Wednesday were animated. (Well, she listed the Top Three, anyway, and I point out they're animated. Likewise for #7.)

1. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (Fox) Wed $19M [3,656 runs] -

2. Avatar (Fox) Wed $16.4M [3,456 runs] Cume $124.8M - Week 1

3. Princess And The Frog (Disney) Wed $2.4M [3,475 runs] Cume $53.2M - Week 5

4. Blind Side (Alcon/Warner Bros) Wed $2.2M [2,760 runs] Cume $171.1M - Week 6

5. Up In The Air (Paramount) Wed $1.7M [1,895] Cume $11M - Week 4

6. Morgans? (Sony) Wed $1.0M [2,718] Cume $9.9M - Week 1

7. A Christmas Carol (Disney) Wed $1.0M [1,245] Cume $133.7M - Week 8

Last item: Here early on Christmas day, we link to ASIFA's cavalcade of Disney Christmas cards. (It's only right.)

© 1955 by the Estate Of Ralph Hulett. Click on the thumbnail to see a full-sized image. See Ralph Hulett Christmas card designs at TAG's art gallery, open weekdays 8:30 am-5 pm. Here are more Ralph Hulett Christmas cards.