TMR TV -Episode 7 - Ralph Bakshi and "Coonskin"

The guys from the Middle Row got the chance to sit in on the NYC Comic Con panel about a new book detailing his career. "Unfiltered: The Complete Ralph Bakshi." In this interview Bakshi defends his work on "Coonskin"

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Coonskin
• ralph
• bakshi
• cool
• world
• unfiltered
• nyc
• comic
• con
• 2008
• street
• fight
• podcasts
• middle
• row

[Toadbaby7]

Most misunderstood film ever. Ralph Bakshi is a genius.

[Caesarfilms]

Bakshi is a true genius, and if you read "Unfiltered," you realy see that he has really been misunderstood by most people.

[Misterioso]

@MysteryGuyler You don't recall the scene where Bambi lost his his mother and wandered in the falling snow until his father confronted him the news? What about the roaring forest fire as each animal tried to escape or the sheer depth of texture in the backgrounds? I could go on, I dislike Walt Disney but I do admire his animators of the 30's & 40's.

We'll need to agree to disagree, however I respect your opinion.

[MysteryGuyler]

@Misterioso "Poetic?" Bambi was just a bunch of animals running around for 60 minutes. It's a beautiful film, don't get me wrong, but definitely nothing significant in story or character. Pretty much every Disney film is like that.

While I'm not that big of a fan of Bakshi's movies, at least he went out there to do something different and communicate his thoughts rather than doing the same bland thing over and over again, like Disney. Better to get a reaction than no reaction at all.

[Misterioso]

@amaxamon Calm down. Why are you so reactionary? That is an indication of stupidity you know.

[amaxamon]

@Misterioso Then fuck off and stop bothering us! And since there isn't any racism in his films I'm left to assume that you have problems you're not dealing with and feel guilty about. Get your head straight on your race issues before you start pointing your finger at works of art and wrongly calling them racist. Now FUCK OFF!!

[Misterioso]

@amaxamon Robert Crumb strongly disliked what Bakshi did to Crumb's creation. Bakshi is a filthy racist who creates backgrounds and limited but yet terribly dated animation. Perhaps the single worst animator ever. An embarrassment to the field. Bakshi is nothing more than a conservative pile of excrement who will do anything to earn a buck. I prefer good animation.

[amaxamon]

@Misterioso You lost me at "Bambi." Fuck Bambi!! Bakshi is a poet in the same way Langston Hughes was a poet. If you don't get it, walk away and stop making a fool of yourself in public. Bakshi didn't "steal" Fritz from Crumb, he optioned the rights and made a film -- that's how it's done, if you didn't know. Crumb's been bitching about it ever since. I've met and corresponded with Bakshi in the past, he's a decent man, and was a hardworking, groundbreaking, brilliant animator.

[Misterioso]

@amaxamon Rene Laloux didn't animate his films. Roland Topor, Moebius & Philippe Caza did. In the case of Topor, I agree it is static. However there is plenty of motion in the rest. Bakshi lacks poetry, which is something I find essential in animation. Bambi is a good example of this. Fritz the Cat features decent cel animation however the story is terrible. Also take into account Bakshi stole the idea from Robert Crumb and you become aware of what kind of person we're dealing with.

[amaxamon]

@Misterioso Secondarily, find Bakshi's references and compare them to the final films. The reference material is just that: reference. He added costume details, designed and fully animated faces, camera movements etc. Apart from the experimental photographic technique used in LotR's, he has always used full animation.

[amaxamon]

@Misterioso Someone who likes Rene Laloux thinks Bakshi's animation is static?!? If Bakshi isn't real animation then the Fleischers didn't animate, Disney didn't animate, anyone who uses a live action reference isn't an animator. Toss all those great paintings that used live models! Forget any painter who uses photographic references. Artistry is subjective. I appreciate his artistry, which goes beyond mechanically fluid movement into something deeper.

[Misterioso]

@amaxamon Opinions are essential and impossible to escape. Notice you have forced yours upon me as well. I detest CGI animation. Like you I prefer traditional animation. Some of my favorites are Hans Fischerkoesen, Jean Image, Rene Laloux & Priit Pärn. Life isn't based on respect, this type of thinking is superficial. I've seen all of Bakshi's works, only a few of which he truly animated. His characters stand still, the movement is clunky and overall lacing in artistry.