Eric Goldberg's Hobbes animation test

clockman
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Eric Goldberg's Hobbes animation test Mar 17, 2022 1:12:15 GMT

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Post by clockman on Mar 17, 2022 1:12:15 GMT

Quite a few years ago, I don't remember exactly when, I was watching a video about Bill Watterson's refusal to license Calvin and Hobbes. It's well-known by now that many big names, including George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Jim Henson, contacted Bill about making a C&H movie, to which he declined every single one.

However, according to the video I watched (don't remember what it was called sadly), apparently Disney animator Eric Goldberg (best known for animating the Genie) did an animation test of Hobbes getting up, stretching, and laying back down. From the limited information I got about this animation, I don't know it's been confirmed real or not, so I don't know where this rumor started.

Does anyone know where I can find more information about this?

Last Edit: Mar 17, 2022 18:08:49 GMT by clockman

Loopy
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Eric Goldberg's Hobbes animation test Mar 17, 2022 13:41:34 GMT

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Post by Loopy on Mar 17, 2022 13:41:34 GMT

It's from Bedhead Bernie's video of the unmade Calvin and Hobbes movies.

It's probably near imposible to find the animation test unless somebody from Disney or who knows Eric could leak it, but I wouldn't lie Hobbes 2-D animation done by a Disney animator is a holy grail to me.

On the topic of a full-lenght Calvin and Hobbes movie I don't think it would work, maybe as a short in a faithful style similar to the Peanuts movie could keep the spirit of the comic while being fully animated.

clockman
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Eric Goldberg's Hobbes animation test Mar 17, 2022 15:25:25 GMT

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Post by clockman on Mar 17, 2022 15:25:25 GMT

Thanks for posting that video Loopy. I came across it long ago, but was unable to find it until now. For some reason, it doesn't come up when you look up Calvin and Hobbes on YouTube.

I also remembered hearing an apocryphal rumor about a C&H series with Charlie Adler as Hobbes, Tress MacNeille as Miss Wormwood, and Bill Watterson himself as both Calvin and his dad, but I didn't remember where I heard this rumor from until now. (It was mentioned in the same video.)

Last Edit: Mar 17, 2022 15:37:01 GMT by clockman

darkrage6 Super God Posts: 3,801	Eric Goldberg's Hobbes animation test Mar 17, 2022 16:34:01 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by darkrage6 on Mar 17, 2022 16:34:01 GMT C&H could work as an animated TV series but not as a film.

clockman
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Eric Goldberg's Hobbes animation test Mar 17, 2022 23:01:05 GMT

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Post by clockman on Mar 17, 2022 23:01:05 GMT

Honestly, I think the biggest concern at the moment isn't finding this animation test (that's gonna be significantly harder), but confirming whether it's real or not.

It'd be cool if one of us could get into contact with Goldberg.

clockman
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Eric Goldberg's Hobbes animation test May 24, 2022 22:12:13 GMT

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Post by clockman on May 24, 2022 22:12:13 GMT

Sorry for the double-post, but I think I may have found some support for this rumor from none other than Goldberg himself. Here's a quote from his book Character Animation Crash Course.

Just for yocks, imagine you got the secret dream assignment of many animators: do a 30-second test of Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes. If you can figure out a better place to get your poses than in Watterson's beautiful, practically animated-already drawings, then good luck to you.

That book was published in 2008, two years after Dagan Moriarty's blog comment in 2006 from the aforementioned Bedhead Bernie video, so clearly that rumor was circling around before he made the book. I can think of two possibilities.

1: He knew about the rumor, and decided to play along with it. But if the rumor was false, why didn't he outright say something along the lines of "I didn't make that Hobbes animation test like so many people claim, though I wish I did"?

2: If the rumor is true, then he's hinting about it in the book instead of directly saying it, for legal reasons.

Either way, it's a weird thing to bring up randomly.

Last Edit: May 24, 2022 22:40:13 GMT by clockman

Post by clockman on Mar 17, 2022 1:12:15 GMT

Post by Loopy on Mar 17, 2022 13:41:34 GMT

Post by clockman on Mar 17, 2022 15:25:25 GMT

Post by darkrage6 on Mar 17, 2022 16:34:01 GMT

Post by clockman on Mar 17, 2022 23:01:05 GMT

Post by clockman on May 24, 2022 22:12:13 GMT

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