David McGowan
@animatedstardom.bsky.social
Author of Animated Personalities: Cartoon Characters and Stardom in American Theatrical Shorts, out now from University of Texas Press. Reseach interests include animation, classic Hollywood, stardom, & home video/streaming. Lecturer at UAL. Views my own.
The Essential Polish Animation Blu-ray is part of the sale for anyone who was planning to pick it up.
Radiance Films@filmsradiance.bsky.social · 3w agoTime for a Flash Sale ⚡ From Standard and Limited Editions to new UHDs and Box sets, we’ve got sitewide discounts on over 150 titles all this week! Shop now at radiancefilms.co.uk Sale ends 30 September
US readers: It appears that the Kindle version of my book Animated Personalities: Cartoon Characters and Stardom in American Theatrical Shorts is currently available for just 50 cents! Not sure what's going on there, but definitely quite the discount! www.amazon.com/Animated-Per...
Animated Personalities: Cartoon Characters and Stardom in American Theatrical Shorts
Amazon.com: Animated Personalities: Cartoon Characters and Stardom in American Theatrical Shorts eBook : McGowan, David: Kindle Store
amazon.com
About to start! Still time for anyone to jump in if you're interested!
David McGowan@animatedstardom.bsky.social · 5mo agoI will be talking about the star image of Baby LeRoy - Hollywood's youngest actor to be signed for a long-term contract - as part of the Peripheries of Stardom & Performance Symposium tomorrow. It's taking place online - 3pm BST, 10am EDT - and free to join (info below)!
I will be talking about the star image of Baby LeRoy - Hollywood's youngest actor to be signed for a long-term contract - as part of the Peripheries of Stardom & Performance Symposium tomorrow. It's taking place online - 3pm BST, 10am EDT - and free to join (info below)!
Performance and Stardom SIG@scms-starperformer.bsky.social · 6mo agoThe BAFTSS and SCMS Performance & Stardom SIGs are delighted to invite you to their Inaugural Virtual Symposium: “Peripheries of Stardom and Performance”. The symposium will take place on Zoom on Thursday, May 7 and Friday, May 8 at 3:00-5:00 PM BST (10:00 AM-12:00 PM EDT), with 2 sessions each day.
While putting together materials for an upcoming publication, I came across a 1935 fan magazine article announcing a Mickey Mouse competition. I think, from a 2026 perspective, I'd actually be happiest winning fourth prize (suitably framed, of course)!
I'm annoyingly pleased with myself about this (though it did involve having to watch Double Impact).
For readers in the US, the ebook version of my monograph Animated Personalities: Cartoon Characters in American Theatrical Shorts is discounted to just $2.99 for, presumably, a limited time. Kindle: t.co/zczewqrxZW Kobo: t.co/D62Uct2CCh Nook: t.co/kIpfBIg1Hp Apple Books: t.co/mOQIiGiZTJ
It's a bit of a nostalgic love fest, rather than aiming to break particularly new ground, but I very much enjoyed this BBC Radio 4 documentary about the production of The Muppet Show in the UK. Well worth a listen if you're a fan of Kermit and the gang! www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Radio 4 - Archive on 4, How the Muppet Show Began in Britain
Louise Gold celebrates The Muppet Show’s anarchic birth in Britain in the mid-1970s.
bbc.co.uk
Good riddance 2025, a year with an absolutely punishing workload, and little more than a shrug from my (supposedly part-time!) employer. No real change as we enter January, but hopefully I might finally clear the backlog by the end of 2026...
The Shrek films have just been added to the UK Disney+ catalogue. It really feels like up is down in this new streaming landscape...
#Noirvember has come to an end and I still have so many noir films that I'd planned to watch but didn't find the time. Will need to do an emergency Janoirary and possibly Noirch in the new year!
My pre-ordered copy of Joanna Quinn & Les Mills' new book, Beryl, just arrived! I still can't quite believe that Joanna agreed to present a keynote for us at the Society for Animation Studies conference this year, & I'm looking forward to learning even more from the book.
A nice treat arrived in the post - a copy of the issue of Screen with my article on Rocky IV inside. It's been so long since I've received a physical copy of anything that I've published, with so much academic work being digital only these days.
A long held scholarly wish has finally been fulfilled. Today I'm visiting the Margaret Herrick Library to do some Hollywood-based research!
I was very fortunate this afternoon to attend an event with Paul Dooley (best known to me as Wimpy from the live-action Popeye movie) at the Hollywood Heritage Museum. He's 97 years old and still going strong!
I'd always wanted to visit Portmeirion since seeing The Prisoner (1967) on DVD a quarter of a century ago. I finally got to go last weekend, and it did not disappoint!
I got to spend a couple of days with Biddy Baxter when I was working at the BBC. As the link indicates, she had a reputation for being quite short with people & my colleagues has experienced this on previous visits. Somehow I met her approval and she was very nice to me when I had to deal with her!
Biddy Baxter: Blue Peter's formidable editor dies aged 92
Blue Peter's long-serving editor turned the children's show into a television institution.
bbc.co.uk
My Blu-ray copy of Essential Polish Animation has arrived. Looks fantastic!
I had a good time at the preview of the new Naked Gun movie last night, thanks to @empiremagazine.bsky.social. I know the studio is leaning heavily into this in the marketing, but it really was nice to once again see a silly comedy on the big screen with a packed and appreciative audience.
A few days late, but here are some photos that I took from the 36th Annual Society for Animation Studies Conference. First up, UAL's own Kim Noce in PANEL 3C: MICRO TALKS. #SAS36 @unioftheartslondon.bsky.social
Starting this year's Society for Animation Studies conference strong with a fascinating keynote by Malcolm Cook! #SAS36 @sasanistudies.bsky.social @malcolmcook76.bsky.social
The 36th Annual SAS Conference begins TOMORROW, July 7 (hosted by London College of Communication @unioftheartslondon.bsky.social). Use #SAS36 to tag any conference-related posts and/or follow to see what is happening. Info about the conference is at bit.ly/46qkcDZ. Have a great conference!
Malcom Cook giving the first keynote of #SAS36! His presentation explores useful animation and the petroleum industry.
Opening of #SAS36! Thanks to David McGowan and the team at London College of Communication at @unioftheartslondon.bsky.social!
