Milt Kahl’s Inimitable Swaggle

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:15 pm by Joseph Susanka

Milt Kahl’s Inimitable Swaggle 2017-03-17T15:15:12-06:00 Joseph Susanka

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Thanks to our very own Tom McDonald (from God and the Machine) for this latest bit of Internet awesomeness: a post from Cartoon Brew’s Michael Ruocco on the fascinating phenomenon known as “The Milt Kahl Head Swaggle.”

Like a signature, each animator has their own little quirks or trademarks that distinguish their animation from others. Some draw character’s features in a unique way (eyes, hands, etc.), some lean heavily on certain principles or include abstract imagery or gimmicks into their scenes, and some fall back on specific poses or gestures. The “Milt Kahl Head Swaggle” is an example of the latter, and it both intrigues and aggravates me at the same time.

To clarify, the “Milt Kahl Head Swaggle” is when a character (animated by Disney legend Milt Kahl) sort of rattles his/her head from side to side, usually at times when they’re feeling cocky or self-assured. Sort of an “Am I great or what?” type of gesture.

Here’s what he’s talking about:

And this:

Also, this:

This:

And perhaps this, though there’s some debate in the comboxes over its provenance:

Here’s my personal favorite:

As one of the fabled “Nine Old Men” behind much of Walt Disney Productions’ early brilliance, Kahl’s fingerprints are smudged over vast swaths of my childhood. His animated creations include two of my all-time favorites: the aforementioned Shere Kahn, whose velvety voice is perfectly matched to his suave-yet-sinister appearance; and Merlin’s hands, which are just fantastic. (I know that seems strangely …detached. But I’ve always loved the way Merlin’s fingers flattened out at the end. Plus, look at Kahl protégé Brad Bird’s work on Hogarth’s hands in his The Iron Giant and tell me the similarity between the two sets of digits is anything but awesome. I dare you.)

Plus. lest I forget myself in all this excitement over Kahl’s “hand”iwork: Tigger is wonderful.

Tom made an excellent observation when he sent me the original link: the Kahl Swaggle falls into that category of “Things you never notice until you see them together. And then they’re obvious.” So here’s my challenge to you, gentle readers: help me to think of other examples of these sorts of animated signatures — other “little quirks or trademarks that distinguish [an artist’s] animation from others.” I’m terrible at this sort of thing, because I tend to watch things too quickly, and with much less retention than I would like. So I can recognize general character-design signatures — anything imagined by Don Bluth, for example; or the instantly-recognizable work of The Bizarre Bill Plympton — but these sorts of flourishes are lost on me. I sure love it when someone more thoughtful/patient than I finds them, though. So get on it, InterWebs!

A final note of caution from Ruocco: *Warning – do not attempt a “Milt Kahl head swaggle”© without proper protection or supervision. Do not perform near sharp objects or an open flame. And never swaggle your head while intoxicated or under the influence of prescription medication.”

Movies

Previous Post

April 15, 2013

No Commentary Necessary -- Bach-Rostropovich Edition

Next Post

April 19, 2013 Reclaiming the Week, One Story at a Time

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art Baseball Faith Family Lenten Music Movies Music No Commentary Necessary Parked By the Jukebox Photography Politics Quodlibets Streaming Video Suggestions Summa Short Films Television The Man Behind the Booth Through a Lens, Darkly

Select a Month December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 July 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 November 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz