When most people think of Disney animation, visions of Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are likely the first few that spring to mind. However, many of Disney Animation's best and brightest have dipped their toes in other genres, and collaborated with unlikely friends as well.
Many iconic filmmakers have cut their teeth in the trenches of Disney's dark age, but it's shocking to see how many once-unknown animators became the visionaries of today. One such example features not one, not two, but four icons of the industry uniting together. And it's all thanks to one neurotic canine.
Have you seen "Family Dog?"
Long before Courage the Cowardly Dog graced our screens, Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories anthology brought us Jonah, a bug-eyed bull terrier who contends with the eccentric Binsford family and a strange assortment of suburban terrors in the episode, "Family Dog." For a zany cartoon, the episode had a certain flavor of twisted that was delightfully bizarre.
If this piece of '80s nostalgia looks at all familiar in its design, or some of its story elements ring a few bells, it's likely because of the talent that came together to make it happen. Although the series featured a bevy of talented directors, including Martin Scorsese and Robert Zemeckis, "Family Dog" was packed to the brim with animation icons.
Helmed by Pixar's Brad Bird, produced by Steven Spielberg, and featuring character design by the legendary Tim Burton with music by Danny Elfman, the short was easily one of the series' stand-out episodes. It was so striking that it eventually got its own animated series, opening the door for more icons of the industry.
Along with Bird and Burton still pitching in, the show also featured production credits from Frozen's Chris Buck and Paul Dini of Batman fame to give it an animated oomph. While the series has long been off the air, it's amazing to see where some of our favorite filmmakers did some of their debut work.
As a longtime Tim Burton fanboy, I couldn't believe this nugget of animated madness slipped past my radar. There are definitely elements of Frankenweenie and Mars Attacks speckled in this delightful project, and it shows just how far some of these animators have come in their careers.
In an age where nostalgia is king and audiences want to see more than Disney's current state of animation, it might be time to let the old guard back into the studio. We can only dream...
Did you ever see this strange and unusual creation?