Friday, January 22nd
10:00 a.m. : The Neverending Story Based on the novel by Michael Ende and directed by Wolfgang Peterson (Das Boot, Enemy Mine ), this magical live-action fantasy centers on the exploits of a young boy named Bastian, and what happens when he reads a very special book about a land called Fantasia.
11:30 a.m. : Tex Avery Shorts The original “What’s Up, Doc?” man himself, Tex Avery was famous as the true looney tune at both the Warner Brothers and MGM animation studios. Come and see why, all you happy people…
12:30 p.m. : Pogo Shorts Walt Kelly’s cast of social-commenting swamp dwellers in two animated shorts — The Pogo Special Birthday Party Special, produced by Chuck Jones, and We Have Met the Enemy and He is Us, a very rare piece voiced, animated, and colored by Walt Kelly himself.
1:00 p.m. : Ozanari Dungeon, Episode 1 (In Japanese ) Not Johji Manabe, but an incredible simulation! This fast-paced animated series is a humorous version of a Dungeons & Dragons-style adventure — with furries! Three scruffy characters, a tall dog, a short cat, and a pointy-eared underdressed girl, use magic and skullduggery in the search for a magical orb of great power.
1:30 p.m. : Tiny Toons Adventures — How I Spent My Summer Vacation Babs and Buster Bunny (no relation!) and the rest of the toony crew take a break from studying at Acme Looniversity, and travel the country in a dozen different directions and adventures. A hilarious feature-length Original Video Animation from Amblin/Warner Brothers.
3:00 p.m. : Ozanari Dungeon, Episode 2 (In Japanese ) [See Description Above]
3:30 p.m. : Capitol Critters, Episode 1 This short-lived animated series had a rather amazing combination of attitude, street-smart humor, and real heart and drama that is rather rare for animated TV. The story is simple — after his home and family are gassed, a young mouse from Nebraska moves east to live with his family and other mice, rats, and cockroaches in the basement of the White House.
4:00 p.m. : Luna Valgar, Episodes 1 and 2 (In Japanese ) Another humorous new fantasy adventure series. The Princess of a magical land is zapped by a wizard, and suddenly finds herself the protector of her realm — with the help of a giant, obedient dinosaur attached to her lower half.
5:00 p.m. : I Go Pogo Walt Kelly’s cast from the Okeefenokee returns, this time in a 3-D animated feature film. It’s election time, and everyone in the swamp is hot on the idea of Pogo running for the presidency — everyone, it seems, except Pogo himself…
6:30 p.m. : Animalympics If there is a furry equivalent of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, this must be it… seems like everyone of us has seen this rare, brilliant 1980 cartoon enough times to memorize dialog and even shout back at the screen. Come and join the tradition if you’re new!
8:00 p.m. : Ranma 1/2 (In Japanese with English Subtitles ) Ranma is a young martial arts expert who’s family accidentally gets exposed to some magical water. Now who’s got it worst — Ranma, who keeps changing sex, his father, who becomes a giant panda, or their associate, who becomes a cute little pig? Several episodes, with subtitles provided by the Ranma Project of Santa Barbara.
10:00 p.m. : Orange Road — Tap Gunn (In Japanese ) The adventures of a young school boy and his neighbors, who just happen to be a family with psychic powers… in this special spoof, the neighbor’s harried cat grows to incredible size, and in the great tradition, threatens Tokyo!
10:30 p.m. : Dragon Night (In Japanese ) In another D & D-style parody, a beautiful young girl keeps turning into a dragon-creature — and has to have intimate contact to change back!
11:00 p.m. : Frea, Episodes 1 & 2 (In Japanese ) In the great ‘Lemon’ video tradition, tentacled nasties from another dimension set out to rape and plunder poor earth. Oddly enough, this one isn’t entirely grim or serious! Adults Only!
12:00 mid. : Special Requests…
Saturday, January 23rd
10:00 a.m. : Looney Tunes What more need be said? Come enjoy some favorite Warner Brothers cartoons!
10:30 a.m. : Kimba the White Lion The long-time favorite among furry fans, brought to you by the late, great Osamu Tezuka. Many of us grew up on this one…
11:00 a.m. : Tiny Toons Adventures Come have more fun with the crew from Acme Acres!
11:30 a.m. : 3 Beast Samurai, Episodes 1, 2, and 3 (In Japanese with English subtitles ) Special to ConFurence Four! This new OVA series features a future earth which has split in half, and a battle which has ensued between the humans and the ‘beasts’, were-animal tribes of the land, sea and sky. Great adventure, great fun! Subtitling by Dosu Productions of Irvine.
1:00 p.m. : Luna Valgar, Episode 3 (In Japanese ) [See Description for Friday]
1:30 p.m. : Capricorn (In Japanese ) Popular manga artist Johji Manabe returns with this interesting science fiction tale. On a furry alternate world, a young dragon-girl, with the help of a boy from Earth and several colorful characters, battles a military dictator.
2:00 p.m. : Dirty Pair — The Parody Japan’s favorite pair of trouble make — er, trouble-shooters, and their giant furry pal, get the parody treatment in this English dubbing by Sherbert Productions.
3:00 p.m. : Robin Hood This classic Walt Disney Pictures anthropomorphic feature just celebrated its 20th anniversary! It’s a guilty pleasure for a lot of furry fans — the film is pure silly and proud of it, but the characters are so neat…
4:30 p.m. : Iczer C — The Parody This time, the femme fatale hunter of Icky Things From Beyond gets the Sherbert Productions parody dubbing treatment…
6:00 p.m. : Eric Schwartz Amigamation Amy the Squirrel, Aerotoons, Flip the Frog, and other favorites are presented in this retrospective of Eric’s work on the Amiga Computer. Special: A group discussion of current techniques in computer animation will take place after this screening.
7:00 p.m. : The Animation of David Hand The Adventures of Ginger Nutt the squirrel and his friends, brought to you in these rare cartoons by a Disney animator (Bambi )who moved to England to start an new animation studio.
7:30 p.m. : Baghi (In Japanese ) A great furry feature from Osamu Tezuka, creator of Kimba. A young boy grows up to discover that his extraordinary childhood pet, a cat, is much much more than she seems to be — and his situation is much much more dangerous…
9:00 p.m. : Devilman 2 — The Battle of Silene (In Japanese ) Devilman was a long-running TV animated horror TV series concerning a young boy who is possessed by a demon — one that has rebelled against the rule of Hell, and all of its inhabitants. In this modern feature, Devilman once again faces his deadly foe, Silene the bird demoness.
10:00 p.m. : The Secret of NIMH Another birthday — this first feature from Don Bluth Productions is celebrating its 10th anniversary. It’s Robert C. O’Brien’s story of a brave mother mouse who struggles to save her sick child… with the help of some very unusual rats…
12:00 mid. : Ogenki Clinic, Volumes 1 & 2 (In Japanese ) Oh, the strange things that may go on at a modern sex clinic when the world goes askew… Adults Only!
1:00 a.m. : Meet the Feebles The whirring sound you here is Jim Henson spinning in his grave… a group of furry puppet characters try to put on a variety show, and meanwhile go through every vile and disgusting act imaginable. Must be seen to be believed! Adults Only!
Sunday, January 24th
10:00 a.m. : Looney Tunes
10:30 a.m. : Tex Avery Shorts More sheer lunacy!
11:00 a.m. : Outlanders (In Japanese ) Johji Manabe brings his popular manga to the screen in this OVA featurette. It’s the story of a young Earth guy, a knock-out space princess and her knock-out friend, their bear-like associate, and a battle over the fate of planet Earth!
12:00 noon: Alakazam the Great (In Japanese ) This is the original version of this classic film. It’s the ancient legend of Goku the Monkey King and his friends, as they battle demonic forces, rescue faire damsels, and do other required heroic things.
1:30 p.m. : Ozanari Dungeon, Episode #3 (In Japanese ) [See Description for Friday]
2:00 p.m. : Dream Hunter REM, Episode #5 (In Japanese ) With the help of her faithful sidekicks, a magical cat and dog, Dream Hunter REM travels through people’s dreams to ward off evil sprits.
3:00 p.m.: Cutey Honey, Episodes 1, 2, & 3 (In Japanese ) Cutey Honey is an android knock-out teenager attending a girl’s boarding school, and fighting to save the world in her spare time. This time out, she’s up against a cat-demon lady with a real attitude…
4:00 p.m. : S.D. Go Nagai and S.D. Bubblegum Crisis (In Japanese ) The ‘Super Deformed’ series is a set of odd parodies of popular animated series in Japan, in which all the characters are drawn in an ultra-squashed smurf-like style, and everything is played so cute that your eyes will water…
5:00 p.m. : Video Room closes. Many thanks — and we’ll see you in 1994!