Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Matsumoto Cels

Cell, Galaxy Express 999
Cel collecting is a fun way to have something unique from your favorite cartoons. A cel is a sheet of transparent cellulose acetate used as a medium for painting animation, well, at least until the 1990's (computers are taking over the whole process now...). It was transparent so it could be used over painted backgrounds, then photographed. Basic TV animation needs about 15 frames per second for flowing movements (Disney went sometimes as far as 24 cartoons per second).

Cell, (doctor) Endless road SSX

Cell, Maetel, Galaxy Express 999

Colour chart on cellulose acetate, Space Pirate Captain Harlock

Monday, April 13, 2015

Je suis sans famille, je m'appelle Rémi...

Rémi (wind-up toy), MI, Spain, 1980's
Another classic TV series of my youth, based on the novel of Hector Mallot : Sans Famille (Engl. Nobody's Boy). One of the saddest cartoons ever made, and really in par with the book. But even so, a whole generation watched this on a weekly basis !

Friday, April 3, 2015

Sacrebleu ! French spaceman ?

Spaceman, Cyrnos, France, 1970's

A number of soldiers are always kind of obscure to track - and even harder to pinpoint to a specific manufacturer. This one is no exception. A lot of companies made spacemen in France, like Clairet or Starlux. This one comes from Cyrnos ? Can anyone provide extra information ?

Guess he had a helmet to protect his brains