This 2 CD-ROM set includes a graphically rich cartoon studio and a previously released CD-ROM art and paint studio, Disney Magic Artist Deluxe. Both programs offer plenty of original art tools and boundless opportunities for children to express their creativity.
In the Creation Area, kids browse through the program's genre packs (such as "Beach" or "Fashion"), each of which contains panoramic backgrounds and a variety of themed animated stamps. Once a background is selected, stamps can be placed on the scene. These stickers (for example, singing chickens, palm trees, and beach balls) can be resized, flipped, muted, and even brought to the forefront or background. Of course, characters can be added to the scenes, and each genre pack includes one "star" character, who can perform up to six actions (such as walking or gesturing)—in sequence! Up to six supporting characters can then be added to the scene.
Players can "go under the hood" to save, load, and organize movies. Here, they can also build shows by dropping their movies into slots and using such tools as transitioning and the addition of "surprise Disney snippets". Movies and shows can be exported in many different formats, such as bitmaps and QuickTime movies.
Children can import their own pictures (for example, from a scanner or digital camera) into the program. They can also bring their cartoon backgrounds into the included program, the previously-released Disney Magic Artist Deluxe, to edit. This bonus CD-ROM is a fantastic creativity program that takes time to understand, but offers kids a wealth of art and painting tools to work with. Tools include chalk, pencil, marker, crayon, paintbrush, spray can, and the whimsical whipped cream (a fantastic Disney touch). Selecting the pencil icon allows kids to draw as they would with a pencil, but clicking on the pencil again will bring up a group of pencils bunched together, each with a slightly different shade of the selected color. This creates fantastic 3D results. The spray bottle tool allows users to "spray" a stream of animated objects like spiders and jewels onto their artwork. An outstanding range of shades is offered with the software's color palette. Kids can add music to their creations, with 15 musical styles to choose from. There are over 300 stamps that can be inserted into artwork, including characters and props à la Disney.
Cartoon Maker includes a fabulous Desktop Radio that allows children to listen to a wide variety of tunes as they play. Children click the station selector to find a station that plays the kind of cartoon music they want to hear. If they have already installed Disney Magic Artist Deluxe, they have extended musical choices. There is a great selection of music available!
For children curious about cartoon making, interviews with Disney animators are available in video format. Various projects and flipbooks are available for printing.
As kids experiment with tools and build movies, they learn about concepts like layering and transitions. This program is a little tricky at first, but perusal of the program's e-manual will help steer players in the right direction. Although the series' help features are improved with this latest title (spoken instructions are included), it remains somewhat of a challenging undertaking at the outset. This is not necessarily a strike against the software. In fact, it is a definite plus for older children who possess the right mindset.
