Okay, let’s get one thing out of the way right now. This is all my buddy Will’s fault. He’s the one who had to go and post his really cool Secret of NIMH commission piece. And he’s the one who encouraged me to ignore my usual hesitancy about commissions and get one of my own. And he’s the one who gave me the contact and pricing info for the artist. Darn you Will K. Here I thought I was done with all the animation posts, and could get back to posting more comic related art. But nooooooooo. Will had to go and wave that gorgeous NIMH commission in front of my face. LOL! Seriously though, this amazing piece probably would not have happened if not for Will. And seeing as how I’m so crazy about it, I really owe him a debt of gratitude for his input and assistance in making it possible.

If I had to pick a favorite non-Disney animated film, the two that immediately come to mind are Iron Giant and Secret of NIMH. While the two films were almost 20 years apart, it was the lasting impression that both films made, that makes them personal favorites to this day. After LIttle Mermaid (and culminating with the blockbuster Lion King), Disney films became “event” releases. That is to say, audiences began to anticipate the release of a new Disney film the same way they would a Diehard, Lethal Weapon, or Matrix movie. Up until Mermaid, Disney releases were sort of just an annual thing. And unless you were 12 or younger, you probably couldn’t have cared less. But after Mermaid, and especially the Academy Award nominated Beauty and the Beast, audiences and anticipation both grew at staggering rates. When Lion King shattered box office records, a lot of guys in suits and ties got the message. There’s big money in animation. I mean, if a cartoon with singing animals can make the same kind of money as a Star Wars, Titanic, or E.T., we need to get in on that. And so, animation studios began popping up like mushrooms. But while friendly competition can make the marketplace better, it can also result in glut. And most of us know that glut often comes with high amounts of doo-doo.

Anyway, all that was to make a point about a lot of forgettable animated films over the years. But Secret of NIMH has always been one I could watch over and over. I also enjoyed many of the other films from Don Bluth Productions. An American Tail, Land Before Time, and All Dogs go to Heaven. I often wondered why I gravitated to films from this studio so much. Until I realized that all the Bluth animators came from Disney.

John Pomeroy was one of the founding members of Don Bluth Productions. He, along with Bluth and Gary Goldman, left Disney in a mass exodus with several other animators. The Secret of NIMH was the first film from the fledgling studio. Pomeroy served as Producer, story adaptor, and Directing Animator for several of the film’s characters. When I saw the Great Owl piece in Will’s gallery, I just fell in love with it. The fact that it was drawn by one of the film’s original creators made it even more special to me. When Will told me I could have a commission of my own, it didn’t take much prodding to get me to contact the Pomeroys. I dealt exclusively with John’s wife Cami, who could not have been more lovely. What an angel. She was incredibly warm, friendly, and accommodating. Whatever apprehension I may have had going in, was pretty much gone by the time Cami and I worked out the particulars. I can certainly understand why John would let her handle the business end of their website. Anyway, as you can see from the SPECTACULAR results (color pencils on 16 Field animation paper), John just blasted this thing out of the park. I flip flopped quite a bit on which characters to get, but ultimately decided on Jeremy (probably my favorite character from the film) and Mrs. Brisby (the main character). Again, I can’t say enough about dealing with the Pomeroys and this wonderful, wonderful, piece. Just talking about it, makes me want to get another one. Now where’d I put Cami’s email? LOL

Social/Sharing