Animation Corner - Top 10 Disney Shorts

Everyone has their favorite treasured cartoon moments. Being a kid waking up, or coming home from school to watch your favorite shows. But I've seen the new shows on TV and the majority of them are awful. Not the say a lot of the shows from the 80's and 90's were all flawless. But today with the easy access to animation programs for any computer, any idiot with a laptop can make a Phineas and Ferb, or any of the plethora of shitty quickly made c.g. series. Today they're made on a assembly line, churning them out as fast as they can, not for the love of animation, but like migrant workers just trying to clock in and clock out. Now their is always exceptions, like Adventure Time, or Sym-Bionic Titan. But most of the cartoons today have no guts, and no heart.  So this is for the nostalgic memories of our childhood, and for the new children who are starting their own memories. And just like food, showing you and your children there is more to life than cheap, hard to digest fast food-type cartoons. But to enjoy the painstaking art of making a high quality, well crafted, gourmet short film, that comes from the soul, for the appreciative to enjoy.


This my first Animation corner, is to feature my favorite non-main character Disney shorts. No Mickey, Donald, or Goofy. But still just as important to be shown in the lexicon of American pop culture.

#10

Pigs is Pigs (1954)

Very different style for a Disney cartoon. But still very artistically stylized that it makes very fun to watch. The voice work and rhyming is done very well. Even though Disney can't beat the hilarious timing a of great Looney Tunes cartoon, but this one feels like a funny Chuck Jones short. And that's saying a lot, because Chuck Jones is my favorite animator.

#09

The Flying Gauchito (1944)

Growing up in a hispanic household, I was always excited to see a glimpse of my heritage. Even though this short is in Brazil, it does echo a lot of the same traditions I can came to know in my life. I'm always a fan of the surreal, and the offbeat, and a little boy finding a flying donkey sure meets that description. And the breaking of the fourth wall I always find amusing. This short is found on The Three Caballeros film, which has some other great shorts, but this one is my favorite of that collection.

#08

The Little Match Girl (2006)

This little short will break your heart. A little short found on the Little Mermaid dvd. Based on the poem by Hans Christian Andersen. Very well animated, and the backgrounds are beautiful.  

#07 

Destino (2003)

The majority of you probably have never heard or have seen this one. A piece that was starting in 1945 between Walt Disney, and Salvador Dali. But because of financial situations, and WWII, the project was put on permanent hiatus. Until Roy Disney was working on Fantasia 2000, and found this lost project, and decided to have it completed in 2003. Not found on any dvd, but is available on the internet. Disney will never make a piece of art as surreal or abstract like this ever again. And that's a shame.

#06

Casey at the Bat (1946)

Based on a poem written in 1888 by Ernest Thayer. And narrated by comedian Jerry Colonna. Who played the March Hare in Alice in Wonderland. Very witty in it's word play, with fantastic animation to accompany it. 

#05

The Brave Engineer (1950)

Based on the real life adventures of engineer John Luther "Casey" Jones. And once again narrated by Jerry Colonna "Eeegaaddds!!!" Also great with it's humorous word play. I always found myself quoting lines from this when I was a kid. I think of this one as fast punk song, with it's humor, and chaotic animation.

#04

Night on Bald Mountain (1940)

I love this short. Disney is never one to show a dark scary cartoon, but this one is beautifully creepy, that it gives me chills of excitement when I hear the beginning of this score. I can't listen to this music without picturing this animation in my mind. I think this short is responsible for my love of Halloween. 

#03

Susie the Little Blue Coupe, & The Little House (1952)

I've tied these two together, because it's basically the same story, but with one the story of a house, and one of a car. And both narrated by Sterling Holloway, my favorite Disney voice actor, followed by Paul Frees. Both beautiful in their own way. And when I see these two shorts, reminds me why I love the art of animation so much. And Susie the Little Blue Coupe is by far better that both the shitty "Cars" movies.

#02

Paul Bunyan (1958)

Classic film. Everyone who has grown up with Disney cartoons, remembers this one. I always get a kick out of this one. When traveling through a forest, I like to imagine Paul and Babe had their part in the design of the mountains and valleys. The perception that Paul has with everyone is fascinating to me. It reminds me of Mickey and the Giant, and one of my favorite stories, Gulliver's Travels.

#01

Ben & Me (1953)

Sterling Holloway is in the number one spot with this my favorite Disney short. Again playing with the scale of big and small. Mixing the history of Ben Franklin, with the great storytelling of the golden age of Disney always makes me smile. And the Declaration of Independence was really written by a mouse?! Holy shit!