INK & PAINT

The Bronze Age comes to an end! Daniel is joined by Dave Lee, creator of the YouTube Channel 'Dave Lee Down Under', to look at the final film of this era, 'Oliver & Company' and discuss what it tells us about Disney’s past and the classic films to come.

Daniel looks at the early history of the Disney animated classics on home video, the careful decisions that led to the films finally being available on VHS, the unexpected success of 'Sleeping Beauty' and 'Fantasia' on the format and the birth of the Disney Vault.

Daniel takes a detour from the Disney animated features and is joined by animator Mike Greaney to discuss the wildly ambitious 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit', discussing the groundbreaking use of animation and live-action and the legacy of Richard Williams, the brilliant animator responsible for making it a reality.

Daniel is joined by Blake Howard, film critic and producer behind the incredible podcasts of One Heat Minute Productions, to look at the full-throttle adventure mystery 'The Great Mouse Detective', its relationship with the original Sherlock Holmes novels and its place within crime cinema.

In the second part of our two-part look at the troubled Disney feature 'The Black Cauldron', Daniel is joined by arts critic Richard Watts to discuss the film’s relationship with its source material, 'The Chronicles of Prydain' by Lloyd Alexander, and why the film is a fascinating failure.

In the first part of our two-part look at one of the most notorious Disney animated features 'The Black Cauldron', Daniel is joined by Dr Simon Rodway, lecturer in the Department of Welsh and Celtic Studies at Aberystwyth University, to discuss the film’s relationship with Welsh mythology and the stories of the Mabinogion.

Daniel is joined by Andrew Gott, co-host of the terrific LGBTIQ+ music podcast ‘Aural Fixation’, to talk about his experiences working at one of the most unusual and remarkable of the Disney theme parks, the ambitious futuristic world of EPCOT.

Daniel is joined by partnerships manager for PETA Australia, Emily Rice, to look at the gentle tale of forbidden friendship 'The Fox and the Hound' and discuss how the film deals with themes of animal cruelty, hunting, speciesism, discrimination and friendship.

Daniel is joined by Modupe Aladejebi, Senior Clinical Practitioner at Kids First, to look at the beautifully melancholy classic ‘The Rescuers’ and discuss how the film speaks to the experiences of children and families in crisis and the process of helping them overcome their trauma.

For this special In-Betweener, Daniel is joined by award-winning Disney historian Didier Ghez to discuss his groundbreaking series ‘They Drew As They Pleased’, in particular his volume on the films of the 1970s and 80s and the work of Ken Anderson and Mel Shaw.

Daniel is joined by comedians, writers and parents Sarah Collins and Justin Kennedy to look at the feature film debut of one of Disney’s most popular characters in ‘The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh’ and discuss how the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood reflect important aspects of early childhood behaviour.

Daniel is joined by theatre-maker Elizabeth Brennan to look at the beloved cult classic ‘Robin Hood’ and discuss its political subtext, its relationship to other depictions of Robin Hood on film, and why this unassuming film from the mid-1970s and its rambunctious cast of characters has become such an enduring delight.

Daniel chats with curator Fiona Trigg about the new exhibition on Disney animation at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, how the exhibition came to Australia and the importance of film history preservation.

The Bronze Age begins! Daniel is joined by Joanne Amos, vet nurse and director of Maneki Neko Cat Rescue, to look at the Parisian female adventure 'The Aristocats' and how the film reflects the behaviours and attitudes of cats with their owners and with one another.

The Silver Age comes to an end! Daniel is joined by Melbourne Fringe Creative Director/CEO and foster carer Simon Abrahams to look at the joyous jungle classic ‘The Jungle Book’ and how it depicts the relationship between children and non-biological caregivers.

Daniel is joined by award-winning performer and co-creator of the StoryKids podcast Verity Hunt-Ballard to look at the beloved musical classic ‘Mary Poppins’ and discuss why the character and film has become such a beloved cultural icon, the film’s transition to the stage, and the messages that lie at its heart.

Daniel is joined by teacher Billy Kanafani to look at the gorgeous medieval fantasy ‘The Sword in the Stone’, and discuss how the film depicts the vital and complicated relationship between teachers and students, and the importance of education in teaching young boys to be good men.

Daniel is joined by production designer, architect and fashion designer Eugyeene Teh to discuss the groundbreaking Disney classic 'One Hundred and One Dalmatians', how it draws from contemporary influences for its dynamic new look, and how the Xerox process changed animation forever.

Daniel chats with award-winning film historian, author and artist Mindy Johnson about the important contributions of women to Disney animation in the first four decades of the studio, the opportunities that were offered to them and how their incredible work paved the way for the generations of women to come.

In the second part of our look at the legendary animated classic ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Daniel is joined by theatre director Stephen Nicolazzo to discuss the film’s visual storytelling, the relationship between Aurora and Philip and its lasting legacy on animation, cinema and art.

Daniel is joined by Australian Ballet principal artist Dimity Azoury to begin our two-part look at the monumental animated classic ‘Sleeping Beauty’, discussing the influence of Tchaikovsky’s beloved ballet on the film and the drive for perfection in artistic pursuits.

In part two of our In-Betweener on Disneyland, Daniel looks at the building of the park, the landmark companion television series, the chaos of its opening day and its lasting cultural impact.

Daniel is joined by veterinarian Daniel Taft to look at Disney’s enduring canine romance ‘Lady and the Tramp’, how it represents the relationship between dogs and their owners, and why we have such great affection for them.

In part one of our In-Betweener on Disneyland, Daniel looks at how the iconic amusement park came to be, Walt’s inspiration, and the unusual plans to finance the ambitious undertaking.

Daniel is joined by social historian Frank Golding to look at Disney’s swashbuckling adventure 'Peter Pan', discuss the real experiences of children removed from their families, the complex roles of mothers and fathers in a child’s life, and the reality of never wanting to grow up.

Daniel is joined by academics Dr Elizabeth Hale and Anna Mik to talk about Disney’s legendary adaptation of ‘Alice in Wonderland’, the importance of the original novel, how the two works act in conversation with one another, and possible meanings behind Alice and her Wonderland.

The Silver Age begins with the beloved romance 'Cinderella'. Daniel is joined by theatremakers Katrina Cornwall and Morgan Rose to talk about the dangerous expectations set up by romance narratives, the trope of women in conflict over the attention of a man and a modern version of the 'Cinderella' story in 'The Bachelor'.

Daniel chats with acclaimed Disney historian J.B. Kaufman about his work and research, his experiences at the Disney Archives, some of his most exciting discoveries and projects he hopes to pursue in the future.

Daniel is joined by entertainment writer Louis Peitzman to talk about one of the great forgotten gems of Disney animation, ‘The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad’, the film’s complicated origins, and its unusual impact of American popular culture.

Daniel looks at Walt Disney’s testimony to the House Un-American Activities Committee in October 1947, his complicated relationship with politics, and the contentious rumours about him that persist to this day.

Daniel is joined by Disney historian JB Kaufman to look at the first three package films, discuss how they came to be, and why these mostly forgotten films are an important chapter in the history of Disney animation.

We look at the work from Walt Disney Productions during the Second World War, and Ink & Paint producer/editor Alex Amster joins Daniel to chat about the propaganda films.

We begin our journey through the Wartime Era with the two South American-themed Good Neighbor films. Daniel is hooked by comedy writer and performer Djovan Caro to discuss their handling of cultural representation, their technical achievements and their legacy today.

The Golden Age of Disney Animation comes to an end! Daniel is joined by Melbourne-based psychologist Chris Cheers to discuss the 1942 masterpiece ‘Bambi’, how it depicts early childhood development, the iconic death of Bambi’s mother, and why the film elicits such a strong emotional response from its audience.

Daniel tells the history of the union strike at Walt Disney Productions in May 1941, one of the most important events in the history of the company, and the unusual feature film released in the middle of it, the pseudo-documentary ‘The Reluctant Dragon’.

Daniel is joined by esteemed American art historian Dr Carmenita Higginbotham to discuss one of the most beloved of the Disney classics, ‘Dumbo’. They talk about its representation of race, gender and class, how ‘Dumbo’s’ coming-of-age narrative relates to the wider Disney canon, and how to make sense of the controversial final act.

Introducing Ink & Paint In-Betweeners, a series of bonus episodes expanding on the story of the Disney animated classics. In our very first In-Betweener, Daniel chats with Sydney-based artist and animator Todd Fuller about the intricacies of the animation process.

In the second half of our two-part look at ‘Fantasia’, Daniel is once again joined by composer and conductor Ashlee Clapp to talk about the second act of the concert feature, including ‘Dance of the Hours’ and ‘Night on Bald Mountain’, its troubled release and eventual redemption.

Daniel is joined by composer and conductor Ashlee Clapp in the first part of their conversation on the monolithic animated classic ‘Fantasia’, looking at its development and the first act of the film, including ‘The Nutcracker Suite’ and ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’.

Daniel is joined by acclaimed theatre director Sam Strong to look at ‘Pinocchio’, the second Disney animated feature, and one of the greatest films ever made. They chat about the remarkable storytelling, the importance of coming-of-age stories and whether its moral certainty still works today.

The journey through Disney’s animated features begins! Daniel and co-artistic director of The Rabble, Emma Valente, chat about the landmark classic ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’, the film’s complicated gender politics and its important artistic legacy.

Daniel and Melbourne-based director and producer Nicholas Colla continue with their look at the early Disney shorts with an Oscar-winning trio of Silly Symphonies, ‘Flowers and Trees’, ‘Three Little Pigs’ and ‘The Old Mill’, and how they would influence the feature films that followed them.

In our very first episode, Daniel is joined by Melbourne-based director and producer Nicholas Colla for a two-part look at some of the early Disney shorts. This first episode covers the debut of Mickey Mouse in ‘Steamboat Willie’ and the first Silly Symphony short, ‘The Skeleton Dance’, as well as the early days of Walt Disney Animation and Mickey’s creator, animator Ub Iwerks.