Working It In

This cartoon was featured in last year's lineup. Here's the comments I made about it back then:

"It's interesting to note that Santa's house looks an awful lot like Sleeping Beauty's Castle at Disneyland. And those elves aren't unlike the happy human fodder who work for the Disney magic factory even today. See if you can spot the four places where Walt indulges in that campy '30s racism he's so famous for (a hint: two blacks, two asians and a Jew)."



A point of interest: if you go to the Hollywood Reporter slideshow on my website and select the Special Sections gallery, then choose the fifth image ("Buzz Biz") and download the PDF file, on page 5 of that PDF file you will find an advertisement for this cartoon, as well as "Mickey's Good Deed," both released in 1932.

I think I've run out of holiday spirit for the week. We've got a party on Friday and a party on Saturday, and I'm hoping these will charge me back up with good cheer, but right now I have no desire to go shopping or wrap presents or any other festive thing. What I have in store for me today is the laundry.

I can't get over this being my second Christmas unemployed. Things are going well but I really feel the lack of direction in my life. Starting up my own studio would be a positive move, but I just don't have the motivation to make it happen right now.

I've started working up the steps necessary, the licenses and permits needed, sketching out a marketing strategy, but I'm not jumping out of bed in the morning thinking, "Got to get working on the business." There was a time when I felt that way about working at the Reporter, but that's a fading memory these days.

So I'll go sort the laundry and get the loads going. At least we'll have fresh clothes for the parties to come.

Maybe tomorrow's post will be a little more festive.