Shameless Plug Of The Day

Pixar story artist (and hardcore Ronald Searle fan) Matt Jones has launched an online auction of Searle-inspired art to help offset costs for the upcoming Searle in America retrospective that he’s guest curating this fall at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco. Among the dozens of creators contributing to the effort are John Musker (co-director of Disney’s The Little Mermaid and Aladdin), Pete Docter (director of Monsters, Inc. and Up), Heidi Smith (character designer for ParaNorman), Eric Goldberg (co-director of Disney’s Pocahontas), Tim Heitz (Dreamworks storyboard artist), and Randy Cook (animation director for The Lord of the Rings trilogy).

Searle’s rambunctious St. Trinian’s school served as the backdrop for several live-action comedies, beginning in 1954 with The Belles of St Trinian’s and more recently with the 2009 entry St Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold.

(Image: St. Trinian’s girl by Pixar storyboard artist Bill Presing)