American Pop: "Your Corn Silked Hair"
Tony in Love— A Poetic Moment of Stillness in Love
Original Animation Production Drawing
From American PopA rare and deeply intimate original production drawing capturing one of American Pop’s most tender and fleeting moments—Tony, suspended between the life he’s lived and the life he might choose.
Rendered in clean, confident line, this composition strips the scene down to its emotional core. Tony’s gentle gesture—his hand resting lightly on her shoulder—contrasts with the guarded posture of the young woman, creating a subtle tension between openness and hesitation. Their eye contact anchors the piece, revealing a quiet connection that exists outside of performance, ambition, or escape.
Unlike the explosive musical sequences that define much of the film, this drawing represents something far rarer: stillness. A pause. A possibility.
As an original production drawing, this work sits at the very heart of the animation process—the animator’s direct interpretation of character, emotion, and timing before color and motion are applied. The simplicity of line allows the nuance of expression and gesture to take center stage, demonstrating Bakshi’s ability to convey complex emotional storytelling with remarkable economy.
Within the broader narrative, this moment carries profound weight. The Kansas girl represents a grounded, sincere path—an alternate life defined by connection rather than momentum. Tony’s presence here suggests, however briefly, that he could choose it.
He doesn’t.
That tension—between what is and what could have been—is what gives this piece its lasting resonance.
For collectors, this drawing offers more than a scene; it offers a turning point. A rare glimpse into the emotional architecture of American Pop, preserved in the artist’s own hand—where character, story, and human vulnerability meet in a single, unguarded frame.
Approx. 12-field animation format
Sequence:qb
Scene: 2
Cel: #975
Size: 11" x 13"
- Original Hand Drawn, Production Drawing on punched animation paper used in the 1980 Ralph Bakshi film American Pop
- This Original Animation Production Art is an actual frame used to create the finished cel for the feature film and is an historical piece of art. By acquiring this art you agree to be caretaker of a significant piece of animation history for future generations to experience.
- This exact cel is THE ONLY ONE IN EXISTENCE IN THE WORLD. It is NOT a reproduction.
- Ralph Bakshi Signs for proof of authenticity from Bakshi Private Archives.
"Kansas is Corny!
Can you eat it?
Can you smoke it?
Can you drink it?
Can you lie in it?
Sure.
And lie in it with me.
Are you crazy?
Yeah, I'm crazy.
I'm crazy in love with your blue eyes.
And your corn silk hair.
Your corn silk hair.
I'm never gonna eat corn again without thinking about you.
Canned corn, candy corn.
Popcorn, cracker jacks.
You're the prize in my box.
And my boxes is this country.
It's all tinfoil on the outside.
Corn and sweetness on the inside.
Come wander the country with me."
What are Cels?
Traditionally, animated films were created by each motion or movement of every character being hand painted on a transparent material called a cel – short for celluloid acetate. These cels – whether it is one layer or many characters moving separately on many layers, are then laid over a painted background and photographed by an animation camera to create one single frame of the film. This process is repeated for the entire film to be completed. By painting on cels, the illusion is created of a different world inhabited by the painted characters moving within the background they are placed upon.
Original Production Cels
Original production cels are the actual cels used to create the animated film (or TV show) that they were created for. Each one has been hand drawn and painted by an artist and has been then photographed over a background by the animation camera to eventually take part in the entire creation of the film.
This is very different from what are called Limited Edition cels or Serigraph cels. Limited Edition cels are re-creations of a favorite image or scene which is then hand painted. Serigraph cels are silk-screened re-creations. Here at Bakshi Productions we offer to you the real, original production cels used in each of the films.
These production cels are preciously collected and becoming more and more valuable as we progress into the future of animation through computers. There are animation cels from the early days that are valued in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. These cels are rare and there is only one like it in the world! No wonder they collectible and only increase in value.
Original Production Drawings
Original production drawings are also one of a kind pieces of art from an animated film. Before the image is drawn and painted on cel, the entire film is drawn in pencil by animators. This is where the experimentation and fun truly happens by the artist who creates the image. These are also highly sought after because they are the original drawings and considered “the backbone” of any animated creation. They also can cost much less than an original production cel because they are not painted.
Some Pointers in what to look for in an original piece of animation art
First and foremost, the image has to appeal to you. It jumps out at you, you have to have it. Looking at it illicit some sort of emotional response or reminds you of something or recalls a memory. Other than that – Here are some pointers that many collectors (NOT ALL) use:
-Artwork that depicts a characteristic pose or expression, an emotion common with the film it is from.
-Characters or at least one character that is facing as close to forward as possible with their eyes open are best usually.
--The closer up the character is to you, the better. That is either a full body pose or a close up of the face.
-Some people like to collect the more obscure characters who show up rarely in the film. Others like the main characters. It is obviously up to your preference for which characters you like looking at really!
We hope this helps a bit. Any questions you might have please feel free to e-mail us at shop@ralphbakshi.com.
As always…ENJOY!
