It is strange how life often moves in cycles, even waves. It seems that nothing significant happens for long periods of time then, suddenly, everything happens at once! That was what it was always like with my Animus studio in London. It was either ‘feast or famine’. In other words, you either have too much work... or not enough!

Smaller cycles seem to afflict us too of course. For example, this Sunday I decided to go through some old storage boxes with the intention of throwing out things I no longer needed. However, I found myself diverted by a number of old papers from my past, including photos from my studio days that I’d forgotten I’d had. They mainly related to the time when I leased studio space at “Prominent Studios", the Monty Pythons' own film complex offices in Camden Town, north London.  But there were also pictures of when I traveled to Nashville... oh, and a preliminary letter of intent from Disney, when I turned them down after being asked to direct “The Duck Tales Movie”.

These were heady, carefree days indeed. Cool too! Especially when there was the likelihood of bumping into one or more of the ‘Pythons’ on an almost daily basis... or even a royal prince, or perhaps Salman Rushdie... all of whom would watch sneak previews of major theatrical movies from time to time in the private theater there, long before the films actually hit the UK cinemas. (And we were more often than not invited too of course... but not always when high security was involved!)

In truth I almost developed an animated movie with Python Terry Jones at the time, just after he’d got back from the Tokyo Film Festival. He’d been intrigued by a number of Japanese prints he’d come across while out there… mainly 'Hokusai' and 'Hiroshige'… and knowing I’d won a British Academy Award for my own Hokusai short, he asked if I’d be interested in working with him on a story idea he’d written out, entitled “The Road to Edo”. He wondered if I would direct it too. I said I'd be delighted. The story was in fact a great, swash-buckling adventure story involving two young children intend on inflicting revenge on a wicked war lord from Edo who had killed the kids' parents and then fled with his spoils of war, back to Edo, along the endless road .

Outside the Prominent Studios office with effects animator, Andrew Smith.

The story was mainly a tale of intrigue and scary events, involving ghosts and dragons and dastardly demons that the children would encounter along the way... until the ultimate and inevitable conclusion to the yarn. I was extremely excited to work on it with Terry. However, just as we were about to start in earnest the Pythons all suddenly exited for a new film production of their own and the Edo project ended-up collecting dust in a Prominent Studios filing cabinet somewhere, presumably forevermore.

Needless to say, it amuses my friends and loved ones to see the pictures of me from all that time ago. So, just for your benefit folks, here’s some more to chuckle over!

On the "Grand Old Oprey" stage in Nashville.

Anyway, as I was saying before I changed my chain of thought... life certainly happens in cycles. Having just found this treasure trove of paperwork, pictures and memories, I was sent (the very next day) a link to a superb blogsite (http://thethief1.blogspot.com) that has tracked the progress and aftermath of the Dick Williams’ fated masterwork movie, “The Thief”. This was a film of 26 years in the making and yet one that was never completed quite as Dick wished it to be.

One of the latest blogs on the site that my attention had been drawn to was a posting of a photograph that featured the Richard Williams studio staff from 1975, when I was there. In all honesty I’d completely forgotten that it had even been taken. But when I looked at it, lo and behold, that’s exactly what it was… and lo and behold there was I too!  Peeking just over the shoulder of the great Warner Brothers veteran, Ken Harris… my teacher and mentor for some of the 7 years I was at the studio… there clearly appears a solemn, beardless and yet quite cherub-faced young animator by the name of Tony White!

The Richard Williams studio 'class of '75'... with yours truly being the 8th head from the left on the back rows!

Needless to say, I was staggered to see this… especially with such illustrious company around me as the aforementioned Ken Harris, the ex-Disney maestro Art Babbit, and the ‘Betty Boop’ originating animator, Grim Natwick. (Not forgetting Richard Williams in the foreground too, of course!) It has all seemed quite normal and natural at the time. But now, in retrospect, the enormity of that moment would really hit home for any genuine animation fan.

Needless to say that, and the previous day’s discoveries, invoked significant, nostalgic emotions for me. I could almost smell those days of cel paints, rostrum cameras and Moviolas… not to mention the gentle flipping of animation drawings as silently focused animators perused their animated scenes before shooting.  (And not a computer or piece of digital technology in site!)

Barely a wrinkle in sight in those days. This must have been a time of 'feast', not 'famine'!

Anyway, I hope this gives enough of you a laugh to see these records of the 'ghosts of my past'. As for me today? I’m still waiting for the third nostalgic phase in this current cycle. For everything comes in threes, doesn’t it? (At least, that’s what we’re told!)

Now just where did all those years go? 

Tony.  :^{)}=-