Living Life inside the Lines: Tales from the Golden Age of Animation

The Author, Martha Sigall, worked in many of the Hollywood animations studios and gives her personal recollections from the inside. The book is a name drop if ever there was one as she was friendly with the many staff and the animation greats: Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett, Tex Avery, Bill Hannah and Joe Barbera, Friz Freleng, Frank Tashlin and Michael Maltese among many others. She worked on Looney Tunes at Leon Schlesinger's studio, inking those well loved characters.She gives a background on the hijinks in the many studios for whom she worked. I have marked it 3 stars as the illustrations/photographs are reproduced in grey shades and are weak as a result. These tend to be of groups of her and her colleagues, posters for events and the like, not the characters. It is, however, a fascinating read for animation buffs.It

Most interesting look at the life of an animator. The author started work right after high school with Leon Schlesinger and worked on many Merrie Melodies cartoons. I really enjoyed hearing about the casual work atmosphere at the Schlesinger studio and how "the boss" would contribute to charity baskets. The author drops a lot of names throughout the book - some I was familiar with, i.e. Mel Blank, Chuck Jones, Tex Avery, but many others I was not. It was most interesting to learn that in the early days, the cels were washed off and re-used. Can you imagine what those original works would go for today? I would have liked to have known why she never worked for Disney. Overall a most interesting book.

If you've read any other animation history books, you've gotten a basic idea of how things were during "Golden Age" of the 30's and 40's. But not only is Living Life Inside The Lines one of the few books written someone who actually worked in animation during that period, it's the only book I've seen written by an ink & paint artist, which gives it a point of view of the animation world that other books never mention.Sigall also tells stories of people like Irv Spence and Phil Monroe who were a big part of animation history, but have never gotten much mention in books. And having worked at numerous studios and ink & paint houses, she has very broad perspective on how the animation industry has changed from the 30's thorough to the 80's. Plus her pleasant demeanor makes for a nice, easy-going read.If you're interested in animation, this book is a perfect supplement to your library.

This book was all I expected it to be and more. Mrs Sigall has had an amazing career within the animation industry and tells her story in an easy, flowing style that keeps you turning the pages. I read this book in one sitting, and can see myself re-reading it for many years to come. She communicates in a very straight forward fashion her love for, and interest in, the process of animated cartoons. She has a broad knowledge of how they are created, and a deep and abiding love and respect for the people responsible for their creation. It is well conveyed through the text that I don't believe for a minute that Mrs Sigall would change anything about the life she has led, and the people she has met along the way. Reading Mrs Sigall's words will introduce you to a 'good soul'. She hardly has a bad word to say about anybody, and this makes for a very pleasant reading experience, especially in this day-and-age of 'tell-all' autobiographies. Kudos Mrs Sigall. A job well done and a book that can be enjoyed by all afficionados of the animation field.

I am the author's son and encouraged her to write this book. Martha Sigall worked in the animation business from 1936 until 1989 and was there when Bugs Bunny, Tweety, Roadrunner, Daffy Duck, and many other characters were created.When I visited, she always had great stories about these cartoon characters, the animators, and the practical jokes they played on each other. I, and many others, finally convinced her that the public would love to hear them."Living Life Inside the Lines" contains many fascinating stories such as:- How Bugs Bunny got his name.- How Tweety was originally flesh colored and censors made them "put feathers on him because he looked naked."- How Mel Blanc was able to break into the business.Many historians have written books on animation without ever having worked in the business.  Martha Sigall was there to witness first-hand the creation of cartoon characters such as Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Tweety, and many others. She was also there to witness the creative talents of Tex Avery, Friz Freleng, Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett, Mike Maltese, Bill Melendez, Bill Hanna, Joe Barbara, and many others. Her book will interest anyone who grew up with these cartoons.The title, "Living Life Inside the Lines," refers to the fact that animators draw the character's outline in black and the inkers and painters paint the colors inside.