So I've always been a fan of animation and fascinated by it's process of production. Both modern and traditional.
In the past year, I graduated from a long six year journey through college and when I got my own apartment, I finally 'bit the bullet' and brought a cel. My hesitation was from many different aspects, from care, to buying forgery. I felt like I was adopting a purebred dog lol.
Finally, after well over a few months of research, including the company I was buying from, I settled on getting this cel.
((My home scanner isn't big enough for the whole cel, I hope this picture will be okay until I can get a better scan <3 ))
So, there it is- a cel from Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, a film from 1992 that went through production hell.
This film has a lot of history, the comic that inspired the film Little Nemo by Winsor McCay is considered to be one of the first 'comic series' to be created in the US back in 1905. Winsor McCay himself also being one of the earliest creators of animation and still inspires animators today.
This film however, is an example of production hell. Having an incredibly long production development, going through several studios, writers, animators ect:. Even Ghibli animators had a hand in this film for a brief time. It went through money issues, release issues, until ultimately the final studio and director had to basically take 'what was finished' and splice it all together with a story cobbled together to /kinda/ fit the animation.
This and many problems led to the film to fail upon it's release. That being said though- it does have it's cult following, and for myself, it's always been a fascinating film for it's history alone.
I'm not going to lie to you. Cels for this animation are not 'rare' nor are they extremely expensive either. It's price point was also an influence when buying my first cel as I didn't want to throw a huge investment until I knew better what I was getting into.
Upon getting this cel- it was like getting GOLD for me. I've had it framed professionally with special glass, and it hangs in my living room like a place of honor with my other cels. ((as I type this, I only have 3. ))
I took out my dvd and of course had to fine the exact moment this cel is from,
And even using photoshop, I was able to line up each mark perfectly. I'd never done it before and it was really cool to see even little marks line up that I didn't notice before getting a really close look at the cel. Looking at the cel closely to and seeing the 'hand' marks is really the best part, isn't it? Someone made this, and though it was only for a second of animation, that movement could not exist without it.
I feel fortunate enough that it's such a large image to. It takes up a lot of the frame and is from a personal favorite scene in the film for me. (I just always liked seeing Nemo in the hat and coat and the design of the key.)
Despite the production this film had, the animation at times was brilliant and I am thrilled to own this image. It's a part of history and will forever be a favorite in my humble collection.
For those more savvy than me, any additional information you could tell me about this cel, I'd adore to hear it.
Also, what these numbers mean: I know it's something along the line of Scene, Frame, Cel.
What was your first cel? How long did it take you to finally buy one and how do you feel about 'that' cel compared to others you may have now?
I've always loved the film.