Dean Yeagle

[MarcusMaximus]

From: marcusmaximus@mail.com
To: dabeagle@aol.com
Sent: Fri, 11 May 2007 10:43 AM
Subject: Hi, I was just wondering...

I am the lead administrator at a little website called www.ozami.net and one of my posters posted a couple of your cartoons. I have often seen your work in Playboy magazine and I have to say that I am a big fan. - I am sure you get that often.

In any case, I was wondering if it was okay to have a tribute thread over at our forums dedicated to you and some of your work? We would have links to your website and so on and so forth and everything would have your name on it - etc. etc.

Would this be okay?

Thanks,
Marcus
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

To: marcusmaximus@mail.com
Subject: Re: Hi, I was just wondering...
Date: Fri, 11 May 2007 17:35:44 -0400

Hello, Marcus -

Thanks, that would be very nice. Just be sure the copyright info is on anything that's posted. Glad you like my work! I have two websites: www.cagedbeagle.com and http://gallery.bellefree.com/dabeagle.

I've registered at your site and when I have time I'll look around.

Thanks again -
Dean
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Way cool, right?

[MarcusMaximus]

Dean Yeagle is an accomplished animator, most likely best known for his character 'Mandy', who has frequented the pages of Playboy Magazine.

http://www.cagedbeagle.com/images/pinups/zzzz.jpg
http://www.cagedbeagle.com/images/pinups/Shelovesyou.jpg
http://www.cagedbeagle.com/images/pinups/Mmmm.jpg

[melkior]

Dean Yeagle?!?
No way!!!
You got Dean Yeagle to register here???????
Awesome! Awesome! Way cool!
Wow!
If you haven't licked yourself over the face I'd kiss ya right now.

[MarcusMaximus]

As a young Disney fan, Yeagle set his sights on becoming an animator for Disney around the age of 10. During this time he often drew Disney characters, but later began to develop his own.

http://www.cagedbeagle.com/images/pinups/Minimal_Hangups.jpg
http://www.cagedbeagle.com/images/pinups/Mandy1web.jpg
http://www.cagedbeagle.com/images/pinups/falling_out.jpg

[MarcusMaximus]

After graduating from High School, Yeagle went to art school, leaving after a year. He began his animation career in a small studio in Philadelphia, PA with a summer job, giving him his first taste of the industry. He served four years in the Navy during the Vietnam era, and later worked for Jack Zander (who once animated Tom and Jerry cartoons for MGM) in Zander's Animation Parlour, New York.

http://www.cagedbeagle.com/images/pinups/snow.jpg
http://www.cagedbeagle.com/images/pinups/dogcatcher.jpg
http://www.cagedbeagle.com/images/pinups/Mandy1web.jpg

[MarcusMaximus]

Seven years after starting at Zander's Animation Parlour, Yeagle began freelancing, working for most of the New York animation studios before starting his own - Caged Beagle Productions - in 1986 with Nancy Beiman. Caged Beagle produces TV commercials, CD-ROMs, sub-contracts or consults on features and character design.

http://www.thecliffguy.com/cliffclr.jpg
http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(6).jpg
http://user.kg/uploads/posts/thumbs/1173354123_1158830225_1.jpg

[MarcusMaximus]

Yeagle has worked as a designer, animator and director, and he was nominated by the National Cartoonist Society (NCS) for the 2003 Gag Award for his work in Playboy Magazine.

http://www.5d.cn/upload/200410/1183/ls-24-09.jpg
http://www.cagedbeagle.com/images/sketches/playwithme.jpg
http://www.cagedbeagle.com/images/sketches/mandyfaces.jpg

[MarcusMaximus]

Drawing with a real pencil on real paper is how ‘traditional’ animators like to describe themselves, in this modern era of computers. Working as effortlessly on his Macintosh G4 as he does on paper, Yeagle creates some of the most exquisite pinups and gag cartoons, but there is more to him than what meets the eyes of his countless fans, who cannot take their glance from his Pinup Galleries.

http://www.cagedbeagle.com/images/sketches/MandydancePg3.jpg
http://www.cagedbeagle.com/images/sketches/MandyDancePg6.jpg
http://www.cagedbeagle.com/images/sketches/AerobicSkoots.jpg

[MarcusMaximus]

I would like to welcome "dabeagle" to Ozami - - I hope you like it here

http://www.cagedbeagle.com/images/corporate/ruby1.jpg
http://www.cagedbeagle.com/images/corporate/jewel.jpg

[El Pirata]

I like the work.

[OptimusPrime]

More for your amusment.

http://img19.imagevenue.com/loc946/th_01086_Book520120Dean020Yeagle220Color820Playboy 520published_copy_123_946lo.jpg (http://img19.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=01086_Book520120Dean020Yeagle220Colo r820Playboy520published_copy_123_946lo.jpg) http://img43.imagevenue.com/loc1001/th_01091_Prince320Dean620Yeagle220Color020Playboy8 20published_copy_123_1001lo.jpg (http://img43.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=01091_Prince320Dean620Yeagle220Color 020Playboy820published_copy_123_1001lo.jpg) http://img178.imagevenue.com/loc408/th_01096_Vanetines620Day820320Dean020Yeagle720Colo r320Playboy220published_copy_123_408lo.JPG (http://img178.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=01096_Vanetines620Day820320Dean020Ye agle720Color320Playboy220published_copy_123_408lo. JPG) http://img120.imagevenue.com/loc484/th_01097_yeagle-mandy2_copy_123_484lo.jpg (http://img120.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=01097_yeagle-mandy2_copy_123_484lo.jpg) http://img149.imagevenue.com/loc1057/th_01102_yeagle_copy_123_1057lo.JPG (http://img149.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=01102_yeagle_copy_123_1057lo.JPG)

[MarcusMaximus]

— ArtYears feature (http://www.artyears.com/exclusive/yeagle.html)


ArtYears.com (AY): What prompted you to a career in art? How did you first begin?

Dean Yeagle (DY): I was a Disney fan since I was very young (aren't we all?). So after giving up the idea of 'lion tamer' as a career goal at the age of 10 or so, I settled on animator, specifically for Disney. I drew all the time, copying
Disney characters at first and then designing my own.

http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/thumb/560Dean%20Yeagle%20%281%29.jpg
http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/thumb/560Dean%20Yeagle%20%2810%29.jpg
http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/thumb/560Dean%20Yeagle%20%2811%29.jpg

[MarcusMaximus]

AY: From films, books, commercials to magazines, your work attracts attention from all age groups. What is it that draws everyone to the universal appeal of cartoons?


DY: I doubt I've ever actually thought about it, but cartoons do have an appeal in the way any sort of art form (if I may use the term) does. It shows us aspects of our humanity by distorting the truth to point out what the artist wants to show...even if it is only (in the case of caricature) physical attributes. Moreover, when one points out these attributes in a drawing, they become – Funny, and everyone likes funny. To the extent that cartooning is Art, the cartoons should, I would argue, be well-drawn. This is not as obvious as it sounds, as there are a lot of cartoons today that are very, very BADLY drawn, and not always on purpose. Unfortunately, these are often very popular anyway. They just shouldn't be. One hopes people are laughing at them, not with them. But I doubt it.

http://user.kg/uploads/posts/thumbs/1173354154_1158830225_2.jpg
http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(9).jpg

[MarcusMaximus]

AY: What challenges do you encounter in illustrating children’s books?

DY: Well, the challenges are the same as they are in film, to some extent. The concise presentation of a story, told visually. You must have appealing characters, and the pages must be varied in ways that draw the reader into the story and make them want to turn to the next page. Composition of the page is analogous to camera angle in film, and should be varied, but not simply for the sake of variety. The composition should allow us to see something that advances the story, or character, or mood. Generally speaking, it is like making a film in a series of pictures. In fact, animation storyboards, (also used in planning live action films), are essentially 'picture books' in this sense. Otherwise, having the mind of an 8 year old, I find it fits my personality.

http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(47).jpg
http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(44).jpg
http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(49).jpg

[MarcusMaximus]

AY: How successful have animators been in selling commercial brands?


DY: Animation has been extremely successful in advertising. Consider Tony the Tiger, Snap, Crackle & Pop or for that matter, Mickey Mouse, who has been essentially an advertising icon for various Disney enterprises for the past 50 years. Cartoons attract the eye and catch attention in a very direct way. I have done any number of designs for products, including the original design for the Cheerios Bee, for instance, who's still going strong.

http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(39).jpg
http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(4).jpg
http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(45).jpg

[MarcusMaximus]

AY: From among the varied work that you produce, could you speak about some of your recent projects?

DY: I have been doing CD ROMs more often now, the most recent being the one for Scholastic with Clifford the Big Red Dog. I have also done Rugrats, the Berenstain Bears, and the Cat in the Hat. The process is essentially the same as 'regular' animation - drawing on animation paper - within the particular needs of the computer process. Since it’s just out on DVD, I must mention that I did some pre-production work on the CGI film ICE AGE for Blue Sky Productions.

I am also working on my own children’s book, at the moment, and we'll see what happens with that. Besides, I'm doing the Playboy cartoons on a regular basis, as well as selling some original artworks, which is something that's opened up recently since my website gallery's been up at www.bellefree.com (under 'dabeagle'). My general client portfolio website is at www.cagedbeagle.com, in case any clients,with money, are reading this.


http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(33).jpg
http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(34).jpg
http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(40).jpg
http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(42).jpg

[MarcusMaximus]

AY: How did you find your way between the covers of Playboy?

DY: In a rather roundabout way. Playboy sent an announcement to animation studios inviting entries for a contest they were running on their website. Since animation is costly and time-consuming, and I was very busy at the time, I didn't want to do animation for it, but I decided to do a couple of gag cartoons and send them in. Even if it wasn't really what they were asking for, at least they would see them. They did, and I got a call from the cartoon editor. The rest, as they say, is history. Not up there with Napoleon or the Fall of the Roman Empire, but MY history, anyway. They are great to work for, and I get to use ideas that are mine from the beginning, and sign the work at the end. Lots of fun.

http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(15).jpg
http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(16).jpg
http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(17).jpg

[MarcusMaximus]

AY: Does drawing for Playboy label you as a pinup specialist?

DY: Well, there are people who only know me from the Playboy cartoons. As an animator, you don't get to sign anything, and people never stay for the credits. So I'm known as a pinup specialist to some, and there are worse job descriptions.

AY: What kind of exposure do your cartoons in the adult magazine bring you?

DY: There’s quite a bit of exposure from the Playboy cartoons. I've been getting fan mail, including some from people with disposable income! That is to say, I've been selling original artworks, sketches for the cartoons and other unpublished work that's in my website gallery. I have also been contacted by clients who have seen my work in the magazine and do an online search to find me – animation companies from around the world, a magazine in Australia, a producer of video games, and two very interesting projects that I'm not at liberty to disclose yet (cue mysterious music). Not all of these people want pinup style cartoons, but the drawings are an example of what I can do and are a good selling point.

http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(19).jpg
http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(2).jpg
http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(20).jpg
http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(21).jpg

[MarcusMaximus]

AY: Your cartoons are known for their simplicity and grace. What basic principles do you follow when it comes to drawing styles?

DY: Well, gee, thanks. In animation, you need to be able to handle all sorts of styles, but my own style comes from a blending of the styles of artists who have influenced me, and over the years my own style has emerged from that, which is pretty much how it happens to anyone. I don't know that there are any actual 'principles' that I could articulate. I just draw like I draw, but in general there's an obvious animation influence to everything I do.

AY: How important is color to you when designing characters?

DY: Not important at all in the beginning stages. First the line, always. Color adds mood or indicates a character's state of mind or general health perhaps, and is therefore a very important component eventually, but first of all is the character, expressed in line. The ultimate color may be in the back of my mind as I design, but usually that comes later. In designing backgrounds, however, the color may well be the first thought and the determining factor in the end result

http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(23).jpg
http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(25).jpg
http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(26).jpg
http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(24).jpg

[MarcusMaximus]

AY: You are an inspiration to many talented animation artists around. Do you have any idols yourself?

DY: Oh, sure, many. I'll just list a few here: Disney (and the artists associated with him), Walt Kelly (LOVE Pogo!), Ronald Searle, Thelwell, Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett, T.S. Sullivant, George Herriman, Al Capp, Gil Elvgren, Frank C. Papé, Carl Barks, Norman Lindsay, Antoine-Louis Barye, Al Hirschfeld, George Price, Lee Lorenz, Jack Cole, Rembrant Bugatti, Auguste Rodin, Bernini. Okay, I'm getting a bit over the top with Rodin and Bernini and the like, perhaps, but they're in my head, too. Then there are animators such as ALL the Nine Old Men at Disney's, and others I've met such as Jack Zander, Preston Blair and Emery Hawkins. Besides lots of others who I'll hit myself in the head for not mentioning as soon as I read this list again.

AY: You have worked for some of the most prominent animation studios around. How much does a film’s success depend on the company that produces it?

DY: Well, the company is simply the people who work there, and they sometimes shift around, so at any given time, a good piece of animation may come from anywhere. But generally, a company embodies a philosophy of animation, and as long as they keep that in mind, it will keep showing up, or at least that’s how I feel when I’m in optimistic mode. Animation is an art form, and I hope it can stay that way, even with all the effort being expended at the moment to kill it off in its pure 2D form, anyway.


http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(3).jpg
http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(31).jpg

[MarcusMaximus]

AY: With all the modern technology available to the animator these days, how long do you think the pencil will survive the competition?

DY: I hope it will ALWAYS be possible to do, and see, 'traditional' animation. After all, it's less than a 100 years old, and for an art form, that's infancy. The pencil can do things the computer can't, simply because it's wielded by a human being, with no electronics in between the artist and the paper. Computer animation, as in MONSTERS, Inc., for instance, can be wonderful. It's just not the SAME however, so let's keep both.

AY: What tips would you offer to an amateur animator?

DY: You mean besides "STOP, you fool!"? Well, these are parlous times for animators with a lot of 'em out on the street. All the studios are 'downsizing'. However, it'll come back again, it always does. I hope. Most TV animation is done overseas. So I'd say, by all means, learn to animate; keep the craft alive, but have a backup talent or two: layout, storyboarding, character design, illustration. This is how I survive, and it keeps life interesting and varied. It has allowed me to work at home and sleep late for the past 20 years. Whatever you do, don't count on getting a job at a major studio and keeping it for 40 years. That's not how things work anymore. Keep your options open and good luck to you!

http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(37).jpghttp://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(41).jpg
http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(35).jpg

[MarcusMaximus]

AY: Your work table includes everything from Color Pencils to the Macintosh. Can you describe some of the art material and softwares you handle?

DY: In fact, my materials aside from the Mac, are pencils and paper for the most part. I do the Playboy cartoons, animation backgrounds, and other illustrations in Photoshop, having first drawn with a 2B pencil on plain old animation paper or even copy paper and then scanned that drawing into the computer. I sometimes use colored pencils for particular effects, and I often draw roughs in blue or red Col-erase pencils, which have a nice feel and are as the name implies, erasable. Not that I make mistakes, of course.

As for software, Photoshop is my main program, but I'm going to try Painter, which gives a more painterly look, as well. I've used Adobe Premiere for animation purposes and Google to search for reference!

AY: How much time do you devote to your art in a day? How do you relax?

DY: I devote whatever time is called for, for actual work – sometimes day and night, other times no time at all. If I have no paying work with a schedule, I'll try to learn more about Photoshop, or do drawings for my website, or put some time in on projects of my own, such as the children's book. Strangely, I find working in Photoshop relaxing. I also am a movie buff, and I'll watch old movies (new ones, too). We also try to do as much traveling as we can – both my wife and I love travel. Our daughter Becky now lives in Pasadena, CA, so we take several trips a year out there. I have clients out there, so I can do work there as well. We also read a lot, which makes the house look like a bookshop.

http://lenser.spb.ru/img/26100601/Dean%20Yeagle%20(22).jpg

[MarcusMaximus]

AY: Cartoons aside, what else would you choose as an alternate career?

DY: Photography – maybe nature photography in particular. Or writing perhaps. Not that I'm particularly good at either, but if I hadn't been a cartoonist I'd have had to learn.

Or maybe I wouldn't have given up on the lion taming!

— ArtYears feature (http://www.artyears.com/exclusive/yeagle.html)

[imbolthead]

Way to go Max!! Dean has some awesome work...great to see his art displayed here in our forums!!! I love his work and could only dream to be an ounce as good.

[spish]

I'm a fan of Yeagle's work. His cartoon pin-up style capitalizes on the inherent erotic appeal of the ingenue. Makes me wish I lived somewhere women could be casually sexy and nude without being conscious of it--I'm thinking LA or something.

[MarcusMaximus]

I really dig Yeagle's Artwork - - -

[honu67]

Yummy redhead!

[st4lk3r b0y]

I really dig Yeagle's Artwork - - -
I think he could make a fortune remaking disney movies with the characters drawn the way they should have been from the start... ;)

[MarcusMaximus]

can you imagine an adult oriented Disney cartoon? You know - like a grown-up fantasy pic? not as raunchy as "Heavy Metal" but a whole lot more adult than "The Little Mermaid?"

[st4lk3r b0y]

I think there is a niche there waiting to be exploited.... or scratched at the very least... ;)

[honu67]

Hey Stalker, I think you and Max could be onto something...

[MarcusMaximus]

I fixed this thread - - Bon Appétit :)

[joyvy67]

Merci beaucoup :p

[Excitor]

almost better than real ones

[0kitsim]

Wow, i really like his work. Expecially because he is able to capture the facial expressions and body language really well, plus the drawings are beautiful. =D