Dear Friend of the Cartoon Art Museum,

Thanks to our many generous supporters, CAM is approaching its 25th year of providing first-class exhibitions of original cartoon art, entertaining and educational family programs, and continued opportunities for scholars. But lately, I have been concerned with what impact the current economic climate will have on the museum. Unfortunately, our expenses are not going anywhere, so you can imagine how even the slightest drop in revenue impacts a small institution like ours.

I’m sure that you’re also aware that over the past few years many arts programs in schools nationwide have already fallen victim to fiscal belt tightening.  Teachers and youth counselors now look to us to fill the void — and we’ve been fortunate enough to help meet the challenge. With funding from the City of San Francisco, we launched cutting edge literacy (The Comic Book Project) and animation (Talking Points) programs this year. These inspiring efforts are the foundation for what we hope will become a model of how cartoon art can be used to motivate and educate young people.

The museum’s cartooning classes remain in high demand year-round as do its special presentations and book signings by artists such as Dan Piraro (Bizarro), Lloyd Dangle (Troubletown), and Keith Knight (The K Chronicles). In October, we hosted our fifth annual fundraiser at Pixar Animation Studios and our second annual Pixar Family Fun Day, which served over 400 children and their parents.

CAM’s galleries have also been buzzing over the last 12 months with a steady stream of notable shows. Farley’s San Francisco Chronicles: A Salute to Phil Frank celebrated the life and legacy one of the Bay Area’s favorite cartoonists. Sex and Sensibility, a look at the humorous side of love and relationships, included works by Liza Donnelly and Roz Chast of the The New Yorker. During the summer, the museum welcomed Casper the Friendly Ghost, Joe Palooka, and other loveable characters in From Richie Rich to Wendy the Witch: The Art of Harvey Comics. Our current showcase includes Colan: Visions of a Man Without Fear, a career retrospective of legendary comic book artist Gene Colan, and The Totoro Forest Project, featuring works by nearly 200 animators, cartoonists, and illustrators who drew inspiration from Hayao Miyazaki’s animated feature film My Neighbor Totoro.

If you’ve ever considered making a donation to the museum, now is the time. More importantly, the next generation deserves your support. Your kind response to our Annual Fund drive is essential to helping ensure that our programming will continue on for another 25 years.

Thank you in advance for your 100% tax-deductible gift.  To make your contribution, please call us at (415) CAR-TOON (227-8666), ext. 300.  And remember the museum is still the best place in town to hold that special event you’re hosting.  Call us at the number above for more details.

Many thanks for your support. We hope to see you here soon!

Ron Evans
Chair, Board of Trustees

Dear Friend of the Cartoon Art Museum (CAM),

The Cartoon Art Museum is well into its 23rd year of providing unique exhibitions of original art, important educational programs and continued opportunities for scholars. But lately, I have been troubled by reports that indicate that donations for arts funding are down in this country by almost five percent. As everyone knows, costs are not dropping, so you can imagine how that lost income impacts a small museum that dedicates itself solely to cartoon art. More than ever we need your support!

The big news is: we have received funding from the City of San Francisco to launch two new children’s and youth educational programs. I’m sure you know that arts programs in schools nationwide tend to be the first ones eliminated in any fiscal belt tightening. With this funding we are able to fill a void in our community by providing cutting edge literacy (The Comic Book Project) and animation (Talking Points) film programs. These are the most inspiring programs offered by the museum to date, and they also deserve your support. More importantly, the next generation deserves your support.

To recap, this year the museum produced Draw Me a Story: A Century of Children’s Book Illustration, a fascinating glimpse into the variety of children book illustration over the past hundred years. With The Rejection Collection: Not in The New Yorker Cartoons, the museum offered a unique exhibition of hilarious cartoons that had never been seen by the public. The Peanuts Holiday Parade celebrated the work of our beloved “Sparky” Schulz in collaboration with the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa. The CAM explored the worlds of twelve different comic book and comic strip illustrators, from futuristic adventure to medieval fantasy, in Worlds of Wonder. Currently our exhibitions The Art and Flair of Mary Blair and Edward Gorey’s Dracula form perhaps the strongest artistic pairing in the history of the museum.

The CAM’s cartooning classes remain a dynamic year-round program, as do special presentations and book signings by artists such as John Kricfalusi (Ren and Stimpy, The Ripping Friends), Patrick McDonnell (creator of the comic strip Mutts) and Tom Sito (Disney animator and former Hollywood Animation Guild president.) We have just hosted our fourth annual fundraiser at Pixar Animation Studios and our first annual Pixar Family Fun Day, which served over 400 adults and children from around the Bay.

Your generous response to our Annual Fund drive is essential to the museum’s continuing mission to exhibit this unique art form. Once again, Jeannie Schulz has stepped up and provided us with a “starting gift” of $30,000. This year, our challenge is to double her gift with the generosity and help of folks like—you!

Thank you, in advance for your 100% tax-deductible gift. To make your contribution, please use the enclosed envelope or call us at (415) 227-8666 (CAR-TOON), ext. 300. And remember the museum is still the best place going to hold that special event you’re hosting. Call us at the number above for more details.

Again, thank you for your support, and we hope to see you here soon!


Ron Evans
Chairman, Board of Trustees

Please note Annual Fund contributions are not applied toward memberships.

Please click here to donate money via PayPal. Checks may be made out to "Cartoon Art Museum" and mailed to Cartoon Art Museum; 655 Mission Street; San Francisco, CA 94105. For donations via Visa or MasterCard, please call (415) 227-8666, ext. 300. Thanks very much for your support!

For Immediate Release: August 27, 2007
Contact: Summerlea Kashar, 415-227-8666 ext. 300


The Cartoon Art Museum proudly presents two very special programs at Pixar Animation Studios on Saturday, September 15, 2007:

The Cartoon Art Museum presents
Fourth Annual Benefit
At Pixar Animation Studios

Saturday, September 15, 2007
6:00-9:30 PM

Get an insiders’ perspective on the mastery behind Pixar's computer animated creations. This special evening takes place at Pixar's Emeryville campus.

6pm to 7pm: Wine, hors d'oeuvres and access to a stunning gallery exhibition featuring the pre-production artwork from Ratatouille, as well as other fine artwork by Pixar employees.

7pm to 8:45pm: Guests will be escorted into Pixar's state-of-the-art theater for a presentation hosted by Dr. Michael B. Johnson, lead, Moving Pictures Group at Pixar Featured guest speakers will include:

Sharon Calahan (Director of Photography: Ratatouille, Finding Nemo, Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life),
Dylan Brown (Supervising Animator: Ratatouille, Finding Nemo, Toy Story 2)
Mark Andrews (Story Supervisor: Ratatouille, The Incredibles)
Plus a premiere screening of “Our Friend the Rat” with commentary by director Jim Capobianco

8:45 pm to 9:30pm: Coffee and desserts while guests have an opportunity to converse with the speakers and other Pixar employees.

This event is expected to sell out quickly and there are only a limited number of seats available.

Tickets: $200 ($150 for Cartoon Art Museum members) Save money and become a member of the Cartoon Art Museum today!

Reserved tables for ten are available for $2,500. Treat your friends or employees to an evening of animated fun.

Call 415-227-8666, ext. 300 to purchase tickets. Tickets will not be sold at the door.

All proceeds from this benefit are tax-deductible and benefit the Cartoon Art Museum.

*****

The Cartoon Art Museum presents
First Annual Family Fun Day
at Pixar Animation Studios

Saturday, September 15, 2007
1:00 – 3:30pm


The Cartoon Art Museum announces its first annual Family Fun Day and benefit at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, CA.

Get a glimpse of what a day as a new Pixar artist feels like. Experience for yourself how Pixar artists think dimensionally. Learn how to make cartoons by getting creative in all dimensions; from two dimensional drawing to moving objects through time and space. Participate in exclusive workshops led by Pixar professionals featuring acting, drawing, and storytelling.

You will be able to go behind the scenes at Pixar's private studio facility to view in-house only exhibitions, including original pre-production artwork from Ratatouille.

Finally, finish the day by going to Pixar's state-of-the-art theater for a hand picked selection of Pixar shorts.

Tickets: $125/person, ($90 - CAM Members)
Family Ticket for 4 people: $450, ($300 - CAM Members)

This event is intended for attentive, curious minds, ages 5 and up. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Treat your friends and family to an afternoon of animated fun. Call 415-227-8666, ext. 300 to purchase tickets. Tickets will not be sold at the door.

All proceeds from the Family Fun Day benefit are tax-deductible and benefit youth programming at the Cartoon Art Museum.

About the Cartoon Art Museum

Founded in 1984, the Cartoon Art Museum is the only museum in the western United States dedicated to all forms of cartoons and comics. The Cartoon Art Museum was started by a group of cartoonists and collectors who wanted to share their appreciation of this unique art form with the rest of the world. The Museum is dedicated to the collection, preservation, study and exhibition of original cartoon art in all forms to benefit historians, cartoonists, journalists, artists, collectors and the general public. Children's programming includes on-site classes, school and camp tours and a collaboration with 826 Valencia.

About Pixar Animation Studios

Pixar Animation Studios combines creative and technical artistry to create original stories in the medium of computer animation. Pixar has created seven of the most successful and beloved animated films of all time: </i>Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars</i> and now Ratatouille. Pixar has won 20 Academy Awards® and its six films have grossed more than $3.2 billion at the worldwide box office to date.