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DAN NOONAN

26.12.2013 10:58

Amazing Animators No. 8

DAN NOONAN

Daniel Alexander Noonan nasce il 9 novembre 1911 a New Rochelle, New York. Frequenta la New Rochelle High School e contribuisce al giornalino della scuola insieme con un promettente compagno di nome Alex Raymond.

Noonan debutta nel campo dell’animazione nel 1934 come coloritore di rodovetri presso lo studio dei fratelli Fleischer. Poco dopo è anche inchiostratore. Il suo desiderio, tuttavia, è quello di lavorare per Disney, così mette insieme 82 dollari e prende un treno diretto in California. Si fa inviare i disegni di prova da presentare allo studio da sua sorella, ma vanno persi ed è costretto a rifarli tutti nella sua piccola stanza d’albergo a Los Angeles.

Inizia a lavorare come intercalatore per i cortometraggi di Mickey Mouse nel 1935, poi è assistente animatore per Biancaneve e i Sette Nani e Dumbo. Nel 1939 diventa animatore a pieno titolo per Bambi, con la supervisione di Bernard Garbutt. Una delle sequenze cui contribuisce è la scena al chiaro di Luna con Bambi e Faline che danzano. Noonan risiede a Glendale quando lascia la Disney, nel 1941, dopo il lungo sciopero allo studio al quale ha preso attivamente parte.

Noonan torna ad est alla fine del 1941, ed è dubbio che a questo punto inizi la sua carriera nei fumetti. Forse disegna un paio di storie (pubblicate alla fine del 1942) per l’albo True Comics della Parents’ Magazine, oltre a realizzare illustrazioni e copertine per la Dell/Western Printing. Viene infatti arruolato il 6 gennaio 1942. Durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale presta servizio nella Guardia Costiera e si rompe un piede su un atollo.

Congedato nel 1945, Noonan prende a lavorare stabilmente per il direttore editoriale della Western Printing, Oskar Lebeck, unendosi a uno staff del quale fanno parte gli ex animatori disneyani Walt Kelly (al cui stile si ispira quando disegna “animali buffi”), Morris Gollub e Tony Rivera, oltre a Dan Gormley, Lloyd White e John Stanley. Quest’ultimo usa spesso il nome “Noonan” nelle sue storie, e in un episodio di Woody Woodpecker pubblicato su Walter Lantz New Funnies n. 125 (luglio 1947), mette in caricatura se stesso, Noonan e Gollub nei panni di tre poliziotti.

All’ufficio della Western a Manhattan oppure nel suo studio al n. 40 di Prospect Street a New Rochelle, Noonan scrive e disegna numerose storie, tra le quali spiccano quelle con il cane Rover su Animal Comics (1946-47), e quelle di Egbert Elephant and His Friends e None-Such Animals (firmate “Andrews”) su Raggedy Ann and Andy (1946-49). Contribuisce pure con storie e illustrazioni ai numeri della serie-contenitore Four Color dedicati a Santa Claus Funnies e a Fairy Tale Parade. Disegna inoltre il primo albo intitolato a Francis, il mulo parlante (1951) e scrive e disegna un notevole adattamento in 32 tavole del Canto di Natale di Charles Dickens (1952). Intorno al 1948, Noonan crea e cerca di vendere una striscia realistica intitolata Doc Davis, imperniata su un medico nel territorio indiano del sud-ovest. Il King Features Syndicate mostra interesse, ma poi rinuncia a pubblicarla.

Dal 1952 in poi Noonan si dedica soprattutto all’illustrazione, contribuendo a riviste quali Bluebook, Collier’s, Coronet e This Week. Illustra inoltre copertine di dischi disneyani, libretti d’opera e vari libri per l’infanzia. Occasionalmente realizza ancora storie a fumetti per la Western, come l’albo del 1956 dedicato a The Little Snowman.

Tornato in California nel 1958, prende a lavorare nel settore dell’animazione televisiva. È animatore e poi autore dei layouts e direttore della sceneggiatura per Hanna-Barbera. Realizza layouts anche per Filmation Associates e Playhouse Pictures ed è animatore per Cambria e Sanrio.

Intorno al 1974 disegna per breve tempo la striscia di Pogo dopo la morte del suo amico Walt Kelly.

Noonan è stato sposato con Doris S. Reta, dalla quale ha divorziato nel febbraio 1967. Ritiratosi nel 1979, scompare il 24 agosto 1982 a Pasadena, in California.

Daniel Alexander Noonan was born November 9, 1911 in New Rochelle, New York. He attended New Rochelle High School and contributed to the school magazine with a promising schoolmate named Alex Raymond.

Noonan entered the animation field in 1934 as a cel painter at the Fleischer Studio. Shortly after he also did a little inking. His wish, though, was to go and work for Disney, so he saved $82.00 and took a train to California. He had his sister mail samples there so that he could show them at the Studio, but the samples were lost and he had to draw new ones in his Los Angeles hotel.

He started out as an in-betweener on Mickey Mouse shorts in 1935, then was an assistant animator on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Dumbo. By 1939 he was a full-fledged animator on Bambi, under directing animator Bernard Garbutt. One of the sequences he animated on was the moonlight scene where Bambi and Faline are dancing. Noonan was residing in Glendale when he left Disney in 1941 after the long strike at the Studio he had actively taken part in.

Noonan went back east in late 1941, and it is doubtful whether he started his comics career then. He might have drawn a couple of stories for Parents’ Magazine True Comics (published in late 1942), as well as a few spot illustrations and covers for Dell/Western Printing. In any case, he was drafted on January 6, 1942. During WWII, he served in the Coast Guard and broke his foot on an atoll.

Back to civilian life in 1945, Noonan got to working steadily for Western Printing’s managing editor Oskar Lebeck, joining on staff former Disney animators Walt Kelly (whose style he would imitate when drawing funny animals), Morris Gollub and Tony Rivera, as well as Dan Gormley, Lloyd White, and John Stanley. The latter one often used the name “Noonan” in his stories, and in a Woody Woodpecker yarn which appeared in Walter Lantz New Funnies no. 125 (July 1947), he caricatured himself, Noonan and Gollub as cops.

Either at the Western office in Manhattan or out of his own studio at 40 Prospect Street, New Rochelle, Noonan wrote and drew several features, notably Rover in Animal Comics (1946-47) and Egbert Elephant and His Friends and None-Such Animals in Raggedy Ann and Andy (1946-49), also contributing several comics and illustrations to Four Color comics featuring Santa Claus Funnies and Fairy Tale Parade. He also drew the first issue of Four Color starring Francis The Talking Mule (1951), and wrote and drew an outstanding 32-page comic adaptation of Dickens’s A Christmas Carol (1952). Around 1948 Noonan tried to sell a realistic newspaper strip called Doc Davis, about an M.D. in the Indian country of the southwest. King Features considered it for a while, but in the end passed on it.

As of 1952, Noonan had been mainly devoting himself to illustration, contributing to such magazines as Bluebook, Collier’s, Coronet, and This Week. He also illustrated Disney record album covers, opera booklets, and several children’s books. Occasionally, he would still do comic work for Western, drawing a Little Snowman comic book for Dell/Western.

He went back to California in 1958, working in TV animation. He was an animator and later a layout man and story director at Hanna-Barbera. He also drew layouts at Filmation Associates and Playhouse Pictures and animated at Cambria and Sanrio.

In early 1974, he briefly drew the Pogo strip after the death of his friend Walt Kelly.

Noonan’s wife was Doris S. Reta, whom he divorced in February, 1967. He retired in 1979. Noonan passed away on August 24, 1982 in Pasadena, California.

Mel Crawford, Dan Noonan, John Stanley and Dan Gormley

with managing editor Oskar Lebeck at the Western Printing office, late 1940s

FILMOGRAFIA / FILMOGRAPHY

[Note: All dates in this section are day/month/year]

Studio: TERRYTOONS 1934

Coloritore di rodovetri, inchiostratore / Cel Painter, Inker

1934 Betty Boop shorts

Studio: DISNEY 1935-1941/1964

Intercalatore / Inbetweener

28/09/1935 On Ice [Mickey Mouse]

e altri cortometraggi non identificati / and other unidentified shorts

Assistente animatore / Assistant animator

21/12/1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

19/12/1941 Dumbo

Animatore / Animator

13/08/1942 Bambi

1964 Titoli non identificati / Unidentified titles

Studio: HANNA-BARBERA c.1958-1959/1960-1964/1971-1979

Animatore / Animator

1958-1959 Cortometraggi non identificati / Unidentified shorts

Layouts

1959-1960 The Quick Draw McGraw Show [TV series]

15/05/1961-25/11/1961 [TV series: The Yogi Bear Show – 7 episodes]

14/09/1961 Catch Meow [Loopy de Loop]

27/10/1961 Hokey’s Missing Millions [TV series: The Huckleberry Hound Show]

16/11/1961 Kooky Loopy [Loopy de Loop]

07/02/1962 The Golden Fleecing [TV series: Top Cat]

30/11/1962 Nuttin’ But the Tooth [TV series: The Flintstones]

22/01/1963 The Blessed Event [TV series: The Flintstones]

14/02/1963 Just a Wolf at Heart [Loopy de Loop]

14/03/1963 Chicken Hearted Wolf [Loopy de Loop]

11/07/1963 Wolf in Sheep Dog’s Clothing [Loopy de Loop]

18/03/1965 Pork Chop Phooey [Loopy de Loop]

21/11/1972 The Thanksgiving That Almost Wasn’t [TV movie]

09/12/1972 A Christmas Story [TV movie]

1973 The Harlem Globetrotters [TV series]

1973 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids [TV series]

1974 These Are the Days [TV series]

11/09/1976-18/12/1976 The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour [TV series – 16 episodes]

20/11/1976 Davy Crockett on the Mississippi [TV Movie]

1977 The Great Grape Ape Show [TV series]

1977 The C.B. Bears [TV series]

10/09/1977-09/12/1977 The All-New Super Friends Hour [TV series – 7 episodes]

10/09/1977-12/12/1977 Scooby’s All-Stars Laff-a-Lympics [TV series – 13 episodes]

1977 Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels [TV series]

1978 Dynomutt Dog Wonder [TV series]

1978 Jana of the jungle [TV series]

09/09/1978-23/12/1978 Challenge of the Super Friends [TV series – 16 episodes]

09/09/1978-08/12/1979 Godzilla [TV series – 19 episodes]

01/01/1979-29/09/1979 Spider-Woman [TV series – 16 episodes]

1979 The New Fred and Barney Show [TV series]

Direttore della sceneggiatura / Story Director

1973 Inch High, Private Eye [TV series]

Studio: CAMBRIA c.1959/1962-1963

Animatore, Layouts / Animator, Layouts

1959-1960 Clutch Cargo [TV series]

1962-1963 Space Angel [TV series]

1965-1966 The New Three Stooges [TV series – 64 episodes]

Studio: FILMATION ASSOCIATES 1965-1968/1971-1973

Layouts

10/09/1966 The Force Phantom/The Spy from Outer Space: Part I/The Mermen of Emor [TV series: Superman]

17/09/1966 The Prehistoric Pterodactyls/The Spy from Outer Space: Part II/Merlin's Magic Marbles [TV series: Superman]

17/09/1966 The Chimp Who Made It Big/The Man Who Knew Superboy's Secret/The Deadly Icebergs [TV series: Superman]

01/01/1967 Green Lantern: Evil Is as Evil Does [TV series: The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure]

09/09/1967 Justice League of America: Between Two Armies [TV series: The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure]

02/12/1967 Hawkman: Peril from Pluto [TV series: The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure]

1967 Journey to the Center of the Earth [TV series]

1968 Fantastic Voyage [TV series]

14/09/1968 My Crime is Your Crime/A Bird Out of Hand/Luthor's Lethal Laser/Forget Me Not, Superdog [TV series: The Batman/Superman Hour]

21/09/1968 The Cool, Cruel Mr. Freeze/The Joke's on Robin/Can a Luthor Change His Spots?/Superboy Meets Mighty Lad [TV series: The Batman/Superman Hour]

19/10/1968 The Big Birthday Caper/Two Penguins Too Many/Luminians on the Loose/The Space Refugees [TV series: The Batman/Superman Hour]

Layouts, Storyboards

1973 Treasure Island [TV movie]

1974 Oliver Twist [TV movie]

Storyboards

1972 Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids [TV series]

02/12/1972 It’s All Greek to Me [TV series The Brady Kids]

18/12/1972 You Took the Words Right Out of My Tape [TV series: The Brady Kids]

Studio: PLAYHOUSE PICTURES 1968

Production designer

00/12/1968 The Night Before Christmas [TV special]

Studio: SANRIO 1977

Animatore / Animator

03/05/1978 Metamorphoses [aka Winds of Change]

FUMETTOGRAFIA / COMICOGRAPHY

COMIC BOOKS

Editore/Publisher: DELL (aka KK Publications, Western Printing)

[NOTE: Testi e disegni se non altrimenti indicato / Script and art unless otherwise noted].

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Raggedy Ann and Andy #21 (1948).

The Ambitious Tailor – March of Comics #6 (1947).

At Christmas Time [Illustrated poem] – Four Color #175 (1947).

Andy’s Joke Page – Walter Lantz New Funnies #165 (1950) [with Dan Gormley?].

The Broomstick Bride – Four Color #87 (1945).

The Brownies – Raggedy Ann and Andy #39 (1949) [art only].

Christ is Born – A Christmas Play – Four Color #128 (1946).

Christ Is Born [Illustrated play] – Four Color #128 (1946).

A Christmas Carol – Santa Claus Funnies [Dell Giant] #1 (1952).

The Christmas Cruise – Santa Claus Funnies [Dell Giant] #1 (1952).

The Christmas Mouse – Four Color #175 (1947).

A Christmas Play in Three Acts with Two Scenes – Four Color #175 (1947).

The Circus Horse [Illustrated poem] – Raggedy Ann and Andy #20 (1948).

The Circus Seal [Illustrated poem] – Animal Comics #26 (1947).

Contents – WDC&S #37 (1943) [Solo disegni / Art only].

Copertine / Cover art – Animal Comics #25-30 [Rover] (1947); Four Color #87, 335 (1945/51); Raggedy Ann and Andy #24 (1948); Santa Claus Funnies [Dell Giant] #1 (1952).

Cubs ’ll Be Cubs – Animal Comics #18 (1946).

The Donkey’s Dilemma [Illustrated poem] – Animal Comics #23 (1946).

The Ducks [Illustrated poem] – Raggedy Ann and Andy #39 (1949) [art only].

Egbert Elephant [and His Friends] – Raggedy Ann and Andy #5-39 (1946-49).

Egbert Elephant [Illustrated Poems] – Raggedy Ann and Andy #3, 4 (1946).

[Elf in Jack-in-Box] – Four Color #128 (1946).

The End of the Christmas Ghost – Four Color #525 (1953).

$50 War Bonds [Text article] – WDC&S #37 (1943).

Fighting Blades – Four Color #425 (1952) [art only].

Flip ‘n’ Dip – Our Gang (1949) [Noonan?].

Framingham – Or the Fox Who Laughed Too Hard – Raggedy Ann and Andy #22 (1948).

Francis The Talking Mule – Four Color #335 (1951) [art only].

Freddy Frog [Illustrated poem] – Animal Comics #23 (1946).

Fred, the Dachshund [Illustrated poem] – Raggedy Ann and Andy #4 (1946).

A Gift From Santa – Four Color #91 (1945).

Gioco illustrato / Illustrated game – Four Color #175 (1947).

“I found a secret in the woods” – Four Color #114 (1946).

In Winter Time [Illustrated poem] – Animal Comics #19 (1946).

It’s a Trunkful of Fun! – WDC&S #18 (1942).

Let’s Make Puppets – Four Color #128 (1946).

The Littlest Snowman – Four Color #755 (1956) [solo disegni / art only].

The Littlest Snowman’s Christmas Gift – Four Color #755 (1956) [solo disegni / art only].

The Magician’s Rabbit [Illustrated poem] – Animal Comics #23 (1946).

The Mouse, Cat, and Skunk [Illustrated poem] – Raggedy Ann and Andy #3 (1946).

None-Such Animals [Illustrated poems] – Raggedy Ann and Andy #9-30 (1947-49) [firmati / signed “Andrews”].

Our Gang – Our Gang Comics #38, 41, 43, 46, 48, 51-55 (1947-49) [Solo chine o disegno parziale / Inks only or partial art on some].

The Pensive Penguin [Illustrated poem] – Animal Comics #24 (1946).

Petey Parrot’s Christmas – Four Color #205 (1948).

Pino and Paint – Animal Comics #20 (1946).

Pinocchio – Four Color #92 (1946) [Assistente di / Assistant to Walt Kelly?].

A Play for Halloween – Raggedy Ann and Andy #29 (1948).

Poesie illustrate / Illustrated poems – Four Color #104, 114, 175 (1946-47); Raggedy Ann and Andy #27 (1948).

Princess Long Nose – March of Comics #6 (1947).

The Raggedy Way [Illustrated poem] – Raggedy Ann and Andy #26 (1948).

Retrocopertina / Back Cover art – Raggedy Ann and Andy #33 (1949).

Rover – Animal Comics #20-30 (1946-47).

Royal Predicament [Illustrated poem] – Animal Comics #22 (1946).

Rusty and Rowdy – Animal Comics #21 (1946).

Santa’s Dilemma – Santa Claus Funnies [Dell Giant] #1 (1952).

Santa’s First Christmas Trip – Four Color #361 (1951).

Santa’s Reindeer – Four Color #128 (1946).

Santa’s Torn Sack – Four Color #128 (1946).

Scenes from the Story – Four Color #755 (1956) [solo disegni / art only].

Silvershoes – Animal Comics #19 (1946).

Simple Science – Raggedy Ann and Andy #13, 14 (1947).

“Sir Howard Bug had lost his heart to lady butterfly” – Four Color #87 (1945).

Sir Hobart’s Valentine [Illustrated poem] – Raggedy Ann and Andy #21 (1948).

Slovenly Peter and Other Poems – Raggedy Ann and Andy #19 (1947).

Sparky the Fire Dog – Animal Comics #18 (1945).

Speedy Animals – Animal Comics #26 (1947).

A Sure Cure [Illustrated poem] – Four Color #121 (1946).

“There’s something that annoys me ...” [Text story] – March of Comics #6 (1947).

“This is where my snowman stood” [Text story] – Raggedy Ann and Andy #26 (1948).

“This little bird is happy on his birthday ...” – Our Gang Comics #56 (1949) [Noonan?].

“This Month I Will Help the Girls and Boys” – Our Gang Comics #31 (1947).

The Three Caballeros – Four Color #71 (1945) [Assistente per / Assistant to Walt Kelly?].

“Three little men one summer night” – Four Color #87 (1945).

“Tom Titt and his henchmen it seems went aground” – Four Color #87 (1945).

To Santa’s Rescue – Four Color #128 (1946).

Twilight in the Country – Four Color #121 (1946).

“Whatever could the stars be..” – Four Color #121 (1946).

What’s the Purpose of the Porpoise [Illustrated poem] – Animal Comics #23 (1946).

“When summer’s green flowers” – Four Color #104 (1946).

Editore/Publisher: PARENTS’ MAGAZINE PRESS

The Story of America – True Comics #18, 19 (1942) [Noonan?].

Editore/Publisher: PRINT MINT

Arcade the Comics Revue (1975-76) [also scripts].

Editore/Publisher: WHAM-O MANUFACTURING CO.

Wooden Sword – Wham-O Giant Comics #1 (1967) [layouts].

Young Eagles – Wham-O Giant Comics #1 (1967) [layouts].

BOOK, MAGAZINE AND RECORD COVER ILLUSTRATIONS

Editore/Publisher: DELL

Surprise Books: Teddy B.B. (1950) – Copertina e illustrazioni / Cover art and illustrations [Text by Oskar Lebeck].

Editore/Publisher: DOUBLEDAY & CO.

Conceived in Liberty: The History of the United States, The Christ (1955) – Copertina e illustrazioni / Cover art and illustrations.

Good Housekeeping’s Best Book of Adventure Stories (1957) – Copertina e illustrazioni / Cover art and illustrations. Ristampato nel / Reprinted in 1964.

Good Housekeeping’s Best Book of Horse Stories (1958) – Copertina e illustrazioni / Cover art and illustrations. Ristampato nel / Reprinted in 1964.

Editore/Publisher: HENRY HOLT & CO.

First Aid for Your Infant Child (1958) – Copertina e illustrazioni / Cover art and illustrations.

Editore/Publisher: HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

Deutsche Welt (1957) – Copertina e illustrazioni / Cover art and illustrations.

Editore/Publisher: J. MESSNER

Pat Rides the Trail (1946) – Copertina e illustrazioni / Cover art and illustrations.

Editore/Publisher: PRENTICE-HALL

The Children’s Christmas Carol (1957) – Copertina e illustrazioni / Cover art and illustrations.

Good Housekeeping’s Best Book of Adventure Stories (1957) – Copertina e illustrazioni / Cover art and illustrations.

Editore/Publisher: RANDOM HOUSE

Mr. Wizard’s Experiments for Young Kids (1959) – Copertina e illustrazioni / Cover art and illustrations. Ristampato da / Reprinted by Doubleday 1990.