Feb 25 – Bruce W. Smith: Cartoon Character

Bruce Smith sketching Dr. Facilier

I have to admit that I enjoy animated films, especially when I want to unwind. They’re kind of my guilty pleasure; and I’m perfectly happy to watch them without kids being present. I’m probably the only person who has never watched an episode of The Simpsons; but give me a Disney, Pixar or Dreamworks film any day. They are really fun and incredibly clever! The ‘science’, which goes into making them, fascinates me and commands much respect. There’s not a lot of diversity behind the scenes, however; but there is one, leading African-American, who has made his mark on many of our favorite, animated films and TV programs: Bruce W. Smith.

Born in 1962, Bruce grew up in South Central Los Angeles, California and was a self-admitted ‘cartoon fanatic’.  He loved comic books and animated TV shows, such as The Flintstones and Bill Cosby's Fat Albert, as well as Disney animated movies. But, with the exception of Fat Albert, he noticed that these shows and films did not include any characters like himself or his friends. So, he started sketching stories and creating his own cartoons, based on his own experiences. He even drew a comic strip based on the live-action sitcom, Sanford and Son.  At the age of ten, his fourth grade teacher noticed that Bruce’s artistic talents surpassed any of his classmates', so she encouraged his mother to enroll him in animation classes. He soon became the designated artist for all projects during elementary school; and by the time he was 12-years-old, he had made his first, animated film.  During high school, Bruce worked odd jobs to help continue his animation classes. Upon graduation, he enrolled into the prestigious, California Institute of Arts (CalArts); but he chose to leave before earning his degree because he was offered a summer internship to work for an animation studio and do some hands-on work with experts in his field.

CalArts animation student

Quickly gaining a reputation for being a ‘wunderkind’, Bruce began to attract the attention of the major animation studios. By the late-1980s, his first, significant film job was to work on Oscar-winning, Steven Spielberg film, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, starring Bob Hoskins. Soon after, Bruce worked on character design for TV program, Bebe’s Kids, and a character for A Goofy Movie. In 1990, he was one of the lead animators for Disney short film, Back to Neverland, starring Robin Williams. 1996 saw Bruce embark upon his first directing project with Space Jam, starring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Bill Murray and basketball superstar, Michael Jordan. Boston Globe critic, Jay Carr, noted that, “the movie exploited the ‘antic wildness’ of the original cartoons, while running the ball into a few, new realms of animation and cleverly using the technology, rather than letting the technology use them.”

Bruce with his sketch of Robin Harris in Bebe's Kids

Bruce sharing a laugh with Robin Williams

After Space Jam, Bruce worked as the supervising animator for the character, Kerchak, in Disney's Tarzan; and for Pacha in The Emperor's New Groove.
 

Tarzan and Kerchak

Pacha and Kuzco

By the late 1990s, Bruce wanted to create more projects to address the void in the market of urban entertainment, especially on the animation side.” He noted that, “animation was still not ready to diversify."  With the collaboration of Hyperion Studio President and Chief Executive, Tom Wilhite, he formed his own studio, Jambalaya Studios. Its primary aim was to create animated programs about ethnically-diverse characters and communities.  Its first production was award-winning, The Proud Family, which debuted on The Disney Channel in September 2001 – being Disney’s first, animated original TV series. Bruce is a married, father of four children, and he has said that the series was loosely based on his own family. Michael Mallory, from The Los Angeles Times, said that, “The series showed that there is more to creating ethnically-sensitive material than ‘digitally painting some characters a darker shade of skin tone and calling it diversity’. It is a matter of depicting a specific American neighborhood and its people with some truth and fidelity.” It eventually evolved into a feature-length film, a Playstation game and lots of merchandise. 

Bruce with his sketch of Penny Proud

Another Jambalaya production was Da Boom Crew – an adventure like series, which was a mix between Star Wars and Boyz-N-the-Hood. Bruce’s vision was to create a hip hop science-fiction animated series following the intergalactic adventures of four orphans who are transported into a universe that resembles a video game in which they themselves created.

Da Boom Crew

Many people do not realize that it takes several years to produce an animated film. Bruce’s most recent, finished project was to be the supervising animator on the villainous, Dr. Facilier character in Disney’s The Princess and the Frog. This was the first, animated Disney film that featured an African-American ‘princess’. So highly-anticipated was this film, that all of the merchandise had sold out even before the film had been released.  It also reached well beyond African-American audiences and enjoyed record ticket sales. Click here to see a 3-minute video of Bruce discussing how he created Dr. Facilier.

Bruce is currently the supervising animator on the Kanga, Roo and Piglet characters in the new Winnie the Pooh film, to be released within the next couple of months.

He also serves on the Board of Directors for Animobile, a company that designs and markets mobile entertainment for wireless devices and networks. Proving that you can break the color barrier, even in animation, Bruce has become one of the hottest creators, producers and directors in Toon Town. Rest assured, I will be going to see Winnie the Pooh and all of Bruce's future projects.

 

Sources: Wikipedia, Net Industries, BNET, Jim Hill Media, Google Images, YouTube

Feb 24 – Lena Horne: Timeless Beauty with a Golden and Outspoken Voice

Lena Horne

There are only seven days left of Black History Month; and I wanted to make sure that I profiled Lena Horne because she was a trailblazer, and she was cool.

Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was born in Brooklyn, New York, in June, 1917. She was a descendent of 7^th Vice-President, John C. Calhoun; and both sides of her family were mixed race. They were also middle class and well-educated. Lena’s father had acquired his wealth in the gambling industry, and moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when Lena was three-years-old. Her mother was the daughter of an inventor, and was an actress in a traveling, Black theater troupe. Lena spent her childhood living with various relatives, including her grandparents and an uncle (who eventually became an adviser to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt); and she also traveled with her mother, for several years, while she was working. Lena’s grandmother, Cora, was especially a big influence on her life because she was a civil rights activist, and would bring Lena to meetings at the NAACP, Urban League and the Ethical Cultural Society. Cora was also a bit of a snob, and ironically, did not believe in race-mixing.

A young Lena

Lena was a stunning, natural beauty; and at the age of 16, her grandmother encouraged her to audition for the famous and glamorous, Cotton Club, in Harlem, New York. Lena was initially hired to be a dancer in the chorus, but ultimately, became a featured, solo singer, during her two-year tenure, there. While at the Cotton Club, she performed with entertainers such as, Cab Calloway and Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson, Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington. After her stint at the Cotton Club, Lena began singing at other nightclubs and touring with Charlie Barnet’s all-White swing orchestra. It was at that time that she was ‘discovered’ by producer, John Hammond, and he had soon booked Lena for a solo show at Carnegie Hall and for NBC and RCA radio programs. By this time, Lena had married her first husband, African-American, Louis J. Jones, with whom she eventually had a son, Ted, and a daughter, Gail. Initially, they lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Lena became a ‘traditional housewife’.

Lena as a 'housewife'

Lena and son, Ted

Lena and daughter, Gail

1942 saw Lena move to Los Angeles, California to perform in clubs and have small parts in films. The color barrier was still very strong, so Black actors were almost never able to secure long-term contracts with the film studios; and if they were, it was to play a stereotypical role of a maid or slave.  Also, in most of the films, Lena would sing a song or two; but they would not be integral to the films’ plots, so that they could be cut out of the films when they were distributed in the southern States, where White people would not go to see a film where a Black person did not play a subservient role. However, Lena’s beauty and talent won over some talent scouts; and in 1943, they signed her to a long-term contract with MGM Studios. It was the first time an African-American had signed a contract with a major studio, which would not place the actor in a role as a maid.  Lena and the family moved to Hollywood; but since Black people were not allowed to live in Hollywood, she recalls that, “a White man named, Felix Young, signed for the house, as if he were going to rent it. When the neighbors found out, they were not happy and started a petition to get them evicted. Actor, Humphrey Bogart, who lived right across the street from Lena and her family, [got very angry with the residents] and sent word over to the house that if anybody bothered them, please let him know.”

That same year, Lena starred in Cabin Fever, with Ethel Waters and Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson, and was the directorial debut for Vincente Minnelli (actresses, Judy Garland’s Husband and Liza Minnelli’s father). Lena also starred in Stormy Weather (for 20^th Century Fox Studio, on loan from MGM), with Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson and Cab Calloway. It would turn out to be one of Lena’s most enduring and classic hits. Click here to see a short video of Lena singing the signature song in 1943’s Stormy Weather.

Lena and Eddie in Cabin in the Sky

Lena, 'Bojangles' and Cab

The next few years saw Lena star in one musical film after another, and by the mid-1940s, she was the highest-paid, Black actor in the country; but most Black performers were still being segregated at the clubs; and their African-American fans were not allowed in to see them perform. World War II had been waging since 1939, and Lena also often performed for the Army Radio program, Command Performance; as well as toured the army camps and performed with the USO, which provides morale-boosting, recreation and entertainment for the members of the U.S. military. Lena became the premier, ‘pin-up girl’ for thousands of Black soldiers.

Lena and Ricardo Montalban, performing for the USO

Lena and Sammy Davis Jr.

In 1944, Lena and Louis divorced; and in 1947, Lena married White, Jewish composer, conductor and arranger, Lennie Hayton. The studios hid their marriage for years, so as not to rock the boat with her fans – nor with her critics.  By the 1950s, Lena had become outspoken about the way Black soldiers were being treated, so the USO fired her; and she had also become friends with African-American liberal, ‘Leftists’, such as singer/actor, Paul Robeson and author, W.E.B. DuBois. Anti-communism and suspicion were high, at the time. So, the U.S. Government blacklisted Lena and included her in Red Channels: The Report of Communist Influence in Radio and Television.

Lena and husband, Lennie, at The Savoy Hotel in London

Lena's FBI File

For seven years, Lena was unable to perform in films, but managed to get a bit of TV work; and lots of recording and nightclub/hotel work in the U.S. and in Europe. In a way, the Government did Lena a favor because in 1957, she was able to record her longtime, best-selling album, Lena Horne at the Waldorf-Astoria.

The next decade saw Lena become even more active in civil rights, and she attended the famous March on Washington, where hundreds of thousands of people – from all walks of life – gathered to peacefully demand better jobs and freedom from oppression, for African-American people. It is also where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous, I Have a Dream speech. After Lena was introduced, at The March, she walked up to the microphone and uttered one word: “Freedom!” The crowd erupted.

Lena a a civil rights protest

March on Washington

In the early 1970s, both Lena’s son and husband sadly died, on separate occasions. Throwing herself back into work, she returned to the small screen and did a lot of TV performances, working with artists, ranging from Harry Belafonte and Tony Bennett to The Muppets; and she continued to tour. She also starred in the film, The Wiz, as Glenda, The Good Witch. In 1981, Lena made a triumphant return to Broadway, performing her one-woman show, Lena: A Lady and Her Music. The show ran for fourteen months and won Lena a Tony Award, and two of her career-Grammy Awards for the album, from the show. She won many other awards during her 50-year career.

Lena and The Muppets

Lena with one of her Grammys (and Quincy Jones)

In the 1990s, Lena continued to perform and record a bit, but started to live a quieter life and spend time with her grandchildren (one of whom is Jenny Lumet, award-winning screenwriter for the film, Rachel Getting Married, starring Anne Hathaway and directed by Jonathan Demme).  She also penned her memoirs. In 2002, Lena retired from public life; and last year, in May, she peacefully passed away in New York, at the age of 92. It is reported that Oprah Winfrey plans to produce a biopic of Lena’s life; and that Grammy-Award winner, Alicia Keys, will play her.

Lena Horne/Alicia Keys

I am always an admirer of someone who is ‘not just a pretty face’. Lena paved the way for so many Black entertainers and actors. She used her voice, too; and in all ways, it was unforgettable.

Sources: Wikipedia, Washington Post, The New York Times, Biography.com, PBS, Google Images, YouTube

Feb 23 – John H. Johnson: Shining a Light on African-American Life

A young John Johnson

In a couple of weeks, I am going to be a keynote speaker at the Women in Marketing Conference, in London, on the subject of Marketing to Diverse Groups. I spent several years, in the U.S., marketing to people of color at multicultural advertising agency, UniWorld Group. Major brands such as Ford, Burger King, AT&T and Pillsbury spend millions of dollars every year targeting specific ethnic groups. It’s not that these groups do not consume the same products; but they may consume them differently, or they may read different magazines, where the ads might be seen. The African-American spending power, in the U.S. is currently estimated at $15 billion. In the UK, I am still quite perplexed as to why the same advertisers, who spend millions in the U.S., do not see the same value. The ‘Brown Pound’ is currently estimated at 280 million pounds; yet, the Black magazines and broadcast stations hardly ever receive advertising revenue from major brands.

One visionary man, who saw the value of the Black market, in the U.S., as early as 1940, was John H. Johnson, founder of Johnson Publishing Company.

Johnson Publishing Company Headquarters

John was born in 1918, the only child of a sawmill worker and a domestic maid, in Arkansas. He was the grandson of slaves, and his family was extremely poor, living in a one-room house. Sadly, John’s father was killed in a work accident when he was eight-years-old. John was fortunate enough to have a mother who believed in him and encouraged him, as well as a thirst for knowledge. So much so, that he repeated the eighth grade because his segregated school did not offer further education; and there was no high school for Black students.

After a visit to the Chicago World’s Fair, the family decided that opportunities seemed greater in the North, so he, his mother and stepfather moved to Chicago, in 1933. But, The Great Depression had its grip everywhere, so it took a long time for his parents to find ‘menial’ jobs because they were not educated. For the first two years, the family lived on welfare benefits. Meanwhile, John attended DuSable High School, where he encountered middle class Black people for the first time (classmates included future singer, Nat King Cole, future comedian, Redd Foxx and future Chicago Mayor, Harold Washington). He was often teased for his ‘raggedy clothes and country ways’. However, John did not let that deter him – excelling at school during the day and studying self-improvement books at night.  Demonstrating fantastic leadership qualities, he became President of the Student Council, and Editors of the school newspaper and class yearbook.  In 1936, John was offered a $200 tuition scholarship to the University of Chicago, but he thought he would have to decline it because he would still need money for expenses.

Because of his school achievements, John was asked to speak at a luncheon honoring high school students, which was sponsored by the Urban League. John's speech was entitled, Builders of a New World. Attending the luncheon, was the President of the African-American owned, Supreme Liberty Life Insurance Company (SLL), Harry Pace. Harry was so impressed by John, that he gave him a job, so that he could earn the expenses for university, and use the scholarship. John initially was the office boy, and within two years, was promoted to be Harry’s assistant. Part of his duties was to read periodicals and compile a monthly digest of articles, for the company’s magazine, The Guardian, which he thought the African-American customers would enjoy. It was very well-received; and at this point, John was working full-time at SLL. In 1940, John met his future wife, Eunice Walker, who was the daughter of a prominent doctor and a high school principal. Like his mother, Eunice always encouraged John’s ideas and desire to succeed.

Supreme Liberty Life Headquarters

John began to wonder if other African-Americans might enjoy reading a monthly periodical that would be like Reader’s Digest, but more tailored to ‘their world’. So he came up with the idea of Negro Digest, which covered African-American history, literature, arts and cultural issues. No one would back the venture, so John’s mother allowed him to use her furniture as collateral to secure a $500 loan to publish the first issue in November, 1942. His boss, Harry, was generous enough to allow John to write to his 20,000 African-American customers, soliciting a pre-paid subscription for $2.00. It was a hit! From that direct mail effort, John was able to raise $6,000 to publish more copies; and he ran his Negro Digest Publishing Company in a corner of attorney Earl Dickerson’s law library, in the SLL building. His wife, Eunice, helped with marketing and subscriptions. However, the local newsstands would not carry it because there was no demand for Black media. Undaunted, John got 30 of his African-American friends and work colleagues to ask for Negro Digest at all of the newsstands around Chicago. They began to carry it, and he repeated the strategy in other cities. Eventually, magazine distributor, Joseph Levy, began to help John; and within six months, circulation reached 50,000. One of the favorite features of the magazine was If I were a Negro, written by famous white people, such as Pearl Buck, Marshall Field and Orson Welles, offering possible solutions to problems, which Black people faced. When First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, wrote the column in October 1943, circulation doubled – eventually reaching over 150,000 and having its title changed to Black World.

For years, John had noticed that Black people were big readers of LIFE magazine, so he decided to launch a similar-styled magazine. His goal was to "show not only Negroes, but also White people, that Negroes got married, had beauty contests, gave parties, ran successful businesses, and did all the other normal things of life."  Eunice brainstormed the title, Ebony, and the iconic magazine was born, in November 1945.  The first 25,000 copies sold out immediately. Eventually, more serious commentary, such as The Civil Rights Movement, was added – making the magazine even more robust and coveted.  Seeing the economic potential, advertisers, such as Armour Foods, Quaker Oats and Zenith TV, were queuing up to market their products, which prompted John to produce a film in 1954, entitled, The Secret of Selling the Negro Market. The film was meant to encourage advertisers to promote their products in African-American media, and showed African-American professionals, housewives and students as participants in the American consumer society, as well as an appearance by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. From the success of Ebony, JET magazine, a weekly news digest was born, in 1951, as well as several other publications, including Ebony Jr, in 1973.

Eunice had also created a traveling fashion show, in 1958, called Ebony Fashion Fair, which raises money for charity (it had raised $47 million for charity, so far); and is today, the largest traveling fashion show in the world, showcasing in over 200 cities. The models were having trouble finding make-up for their darker skin, so John and Eunice launched Fashion Fair Cosmetics, which is currently sold in department stores in the U.S., England, France, Africa and The Caribbean.  Johnson Publishing went on to own three radio stations, publish books such as the Ebony Cookbook and Before the Mayflower, by Lerone Bennett Jr.; and produce TV programs such as Ebony/Jet Showcase, the Ebony Music Awards and the American Black Achievement Awards. The Johnson Publishing Headquarters has been a Chicago icon (the company will be moving to new headquarters in 2012).

Early Ebony Cookbook

Today's Ebony Cookbook

In John’s 1993 autobiography, Succeeding Against the Odds, he was famously quoted as saying that his mantra had always been, “Failure is not an option.” He also said of his success, “If it could happen to a Black boy from Arkansas, it could happen to anyone.”  Click here to see a very short interview on why he launched Ebony magazine.

During his lifetime, John mixed with celebrities and dignitaries, accompanied Presidents on trips abroad and was named as special U.S. Ambassadors, in the 1960s. He has received many awards, such as the Presidential Medal of Freedom, from President Bill Clinton, and the Wall Street Journal Dow Jones Entrepreneurial Excellence Award. John also sat on several Boards, including Supreme Liberty Life – where he had been an office boy – and the Chrysler Corporation. He became the first African-American to be inducted into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame, in 2001 and was named to the Forbes 400.

John with actor, Bill Cosby and Reverend Jesse Jackson

In 2002, his daughter, Linda, took over the reigns; and she is now Chairman; and former Obama White House Social Secretary, Desiree Rogers, became Chief Executive, in November 2010. Today, Ebony magazine has a circulation of almost 2 million and Johnson Publishing has offices in New York, Washington DC, London and Paris, employing 2,600 people, and enjoying sales of over $388 million. I’m not sure I have ever been to the home of an African-American, where there isn’t at least one copy of Ebony or JET magazine, somewhere on a coffee table or bookshelf.

John, Eunice and Linda

Linda Johnson Rice, with Desiree Rogers and Macy's CEO

February 2011 of Ebony

A February issue of JET

John Johnson died in 2005 (his wife, Eunice passed away last year), at the age of 89, having left behind an unrivalled legacy for African-Americans who are in the media, and who consume the media. We are all so fortunate that he had a vision and believed in his people so much, that he wanted to shine a light on African-Americans to the whole world. Click here to see a brief slideshow on the Johnson Publishing website.

Sources: Wikipedia, Johnson Publishing Company, Maxizip, The New York Times, America.gov, Google Images, YouTube