Brendan Beesley

Brendan is a great animator and really good guy as well. I meet him on '9' and he has steadily increased his animation skills since then. So much so, he was offered and accepted a job at a prominent studio in the states. Everyone in the animation department is very happy for him.

The animation crew are all compressed into a very tight space. Shane observed this 'accident' as Brendan passed by me. The court case is still pending.

A couple of my drawings of Bees.

 

Occasionally Brendan would lift up the building as he arrived and left work.

Shane Doyle is a menace

There is, or should be a certain code amongst artists. You don't EVER draw on someone else's drawing unless permission is given. One day I left the studio for lunch, and this is the nonsense I came back to. I don't like this image, it does not reflect me at all. In fact, my face is incapable of making that expression. Doyle and the animation crew are enjoying the fact that I'm annoyed, and because of that blasted code I cant change Shane's crap drawing.

This drawing came shortly later

The animation team was working on an OT weekend and Shane and I went out to get lunch. There was a Brownie selling cookies so I bought a few boxes for the crew. Apparently this is what Shane saw. "Here you go mister, that'll be $5 please."

Annoyed... still

The majority of the time I keep a really cool head, and I like to think I keep my professionalism in check. But once in a while something or someone will set me off.

This drawing was done by Morgan Ginsberg and its one of my favourites. He tends not to do a lot of these sorts of drawings so I was happy to get it... even though I was threatening his life at the time.

As I mentioned, I have known Morgan for 20+ yrs and I mean everything I said about him. But, this image is still an ongoing daily possibility. Drawn while working on Gnomeo and Juliet.

I was doing some design work and talking to a director at a particular studio. He was filling me on some disgusting behavior a producerling was doing to him. This at least made him laugh.

  

My reaction to an agency being stupid again. Costing the studio employees time and money. Many animation studio's and artists suffer huge losses due to agency stupidity. Chuck's drawing.

A particular agency person that was extremely difficult to work with. This person got off on causing grief to every Toronto studio and post house they went into. His nasty childish behaviors subsequently pissing me (and everyone else in the city) off every time he had to be worked with. Chuck's drawing. 

Working yet again on the weekend to meet a tight commercial deadline. This is me hearing the people at the 'My Apartment' patio far below the studio enjoying themselves. Chuck's drawing again.

Chuck's general impression after a year of working with me.

Meet Happy Ginsberg

Morgan Ginsberg is a very entertaining character. I've known and worked with him off and on for 20+ years now. He's a great animator and even better animation supervisor. These are some of few images of him as Happy Ginsberg drawn by Chuck Gammage.

Brian Cooper

Brian worked at Gammage animation as the studio's color compositor for years, he is now down at Blue Sky Studios. Occasionally we have a chats on the phone and I fill him in on all the drawings and pranks going on at the studio. His thoughts on Shane.

Chuck at it again

Periodically Gammage Animaton would get a Live Action/Animation commercial. Its standard practice someone from the animation studio should be on set to observe what the live action people are doing so not to make our lives difficult when adding the animated characters. This particular time the live action was being shot in Vancouver.

Chuck was a very particular person with the animated work that came into and left his studio. Sometimes freelance work did not meet his satisfaction. Sometimes for numerous reasons he personally just lost interest. So more of his humor.

Scott vs Shane

When I entered this mad business years ago, Shane and Scotty were usually arguing about something.  And as a quiet observer it was often something ridiculous and funny.

Here is a great drawing done by Chuck while we were working on Quest.

Me pushing Scott's buttons as Little Lord Scottleroy.

The mind of Shane Doyle

When Shane would come into Toronto to drop off the work he was doing for various studios,  he would often stop by Gammage animation for a visit and we would go for lunch. He also would leave funny drawings at my desk if I were in a meeting.

I have no idea.... The cast of characters include Scotty Glynn as the devil, Chuck as a angel, myself and Paul Mota as the laughing caterpillar.

 

Pictures of me working at my desk throughout the years.

 

 

Contemplating Shane and Scott Glynn.

 

 

 Peter Lepeniotis and Morgan Ginsberg are a frightening sight.

 

Tony and myself

 



Edwin Ng

Something Ed muttered to the other supervisors and myself as he was leaving to go to another studio. He was really entertaining to work with.

Anne Deslauriers... Producer

Anne Deslauries is a buddy of mine whom I have  known for numerous years now, and she is a Great producer. I have found she always really made a real effort on seeing to the well being of the artists and staff working on her jobs. This picture was for a bio heading when Anne was involved with Guru Studio.

Mike Chaffe

I met Mike a few years back while we were working on '9'. Not only is Mike a really great person and animator, but he has this desert dry sense of humor that I find extremely funny.  He and I now work at different companies, but the studios are still close enough so we can occasionally we meet up for lunch to talk shop, or in some cases not talk shop.

One instance Mike was sent to the studio basement to supervise animation in complete seclusion from even his coworkers on some big secret project.  Some of his vague comments about the move south inspired the prison series...

 

Working blind.



On a really hot day the studio bought ice cream for everyone, well almost everyone...

Mike getting some exercise time to remove the rubble from the escape tunnel he was digging.

Charlie Bonifacio got sent to the basement to supervise animation on another 'secret' project.

 

 

Too ill to go for lunch

 

 

Too busy to go for lunch

 

 

Mike enjoying his quiet time at home.

Chuck drawings

If you listen to anything to do with Eric Clapton, that's a drawing...

 

If you are new to city living, that's a drawing...

 

Waiting for Chuck to finish reviewing something, that's a drawing...

 

I was happy to get them all.

More Chuck drawings

Chuck enjoying himself while we were working on a commercial for Ford Motor co. involving The 3 little pigs.

 

At least Morgan Ginsberg liked my drawings- according to Chuck.

 

Chuck and Rolph

When I met Rolph back on Space Jam he was Chucks production manager. Later Rolph became a compositor. The relationship between the two was very much like Gilligan and the Skipper...

 

Gammage studio delinquents