Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Tyer Under Control
It just hit me today - I've been watching 'Wotta Knight' for years oblivious that it contained the last bits of animation Tyer did on the Popeye cartoons. I have always wondered who the mystery animator was in this cartoon. It's incredibly controlled for Tyer - but his style earmarks are there if you look closely.
Oh yeah, definitely looks like Tyer was trying to cut loose but being reined in.
ReplyDeleteSo it was him! I knew something was strange in those sequences! I'm starting to think that Tyer was demoted from the animation director to an animator during his last days at Famous (since he animated on at least 2 Tom Johnson-directed shorts).
ReplyDeleteIt seems like he was gradually nudged out of Famous by animators returning from military service.
ReplyDeleteThis would be the most controlled animation Tyer did under Izzy Sparber, who normally let him run free in his previous Popeye cartoons (and the Herman short "Cheese Burglar"). It could be that as head animator, Tyer had carte blanche to do his own animation under Izzy, but not when he was working under Johnson (Tyer's work at Famous was always more restrained, even as head animator, when he had to get final approval past Se4ymour Kneitel).
ReplyDeleteThat's very different!
ReplyDeleteWow! I would never have guessed it was Tyer!
ReplyDeleteTyer also did the layouts and some animation for Johnson on "The Mild West". You talked about this on your blog some time ago.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling that 'The MIld West' was to have been de facto directed by Tyer but was given to Tom Johnson to finish upon his return from the service.
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