Featuring behind the scenes stories that created Saturday Morning TV!
Author Information
The Best Saturdays of our Lives Book!
The Best Saturdays of our Lives Book!
The Best Saturdays of our Lives Book!
The Best Saturdays Of Our Lives was a monthly Newsletter that was originally published from 1992 To 1996 and was circulated on a monthly basis to a list of Animation and Television Executives, Networks, Studios, And Comic Book Publishers. The Newsletters have been compiled in this new edition and chronicles the origins of Competitive Saturday Morning Programming from the "Big Bang" of the 1966-67 Season Through the Programming Of the 1990s.
Author Bio
The Best Saturdays of our Lives Book!
The Best Saturdays of our Lives Book!
.jpg/:/cr=t:0%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:80.65%25/rs=w:600,h:300,cg:true)
Mark McCray is an award-winning television writer who has been in the broadcasting industry for over 20 years. He has a passion for animation, television programming strategy and comic books. McCray is also the author of The Best Saturdays of Our Lives, a book that chronicles the origins of competitive Saturday morning animated programming. In addition, Mark McCray is the host of The Best Saturdays of our Lives Podcast along with cohost Dan Klink. McCray has been interviewed on Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast, and was invited as a guest co-host by TCM to be part of the 100-year anniversary and tribute to the Max Fleischer Animation Studio. Prior to his work as an author and podcaster, Mark McCray was the senior manager of Programming Operations for Adult Swim overseeing Adult Swim’s on-air promotions and scheduling strategy. McCray also worked as a television programmer for Cartoon Network, and was a key member of the team that launched the Boomerang Network. Follow Mark McCray on Twitter: @ MarkMcTBSOOL
Areas of Expertise
Presentation Topics
Presentation Topics
- The origins of competitive Saturday Morning Programming.
- Spotlights on studio executives, writers and animators.
- Saturday Morning Programming Trends before and after the dawn of the digital age.
- The origins of positive Animated African-American characters.
Presentation Topics
Presentation Topics
Presentation Topics
- Animation on a shoestring budget - The Saturday Morning Years
- Saturday Morning Programming Strategy from the 60s though the 90s
- African-American Influences on Saturday Morning during the Silver and Bronze ages
- How Star Trek: The Animated Series Influenced the Star Trek Franchise
A DAY IN THE LIFE!
2022 TCM Film Festival Red Carpet
2022 TCM Film Festival Looney Tunes in Hollywood Presentation
2022 TCM Film Festival Looney Tunes in Hollywood Presentation
As a special Guest Star at the 2022 TCM Film Festival, I had my 1st Hollywood Red Carpet moment event to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
2022 TCM Film Festival Looney Tunes in Hollywood Presentation
2022 TCM Film Festival Looney Tunes in Hollywood Presentation
2022 TCM Film Festival Looney Tunes in Hollywood Presentation
The 2022 TCM Film Festival where I presented Looney Tunes in Hollywood Presentation!
2022 TCM Film Festival Looney Tunes in Hollywood Presentation
2022 TCM Film Festival Looney Tunes in Hollywood Presentation
2022 TCM Film Festival Looney Tunes in Hollywood Presentation
The 2022 TCM Film Festival where I presented Looney Tunes in Hollywood Presentation!
2019 SCAD AnimationFest
2019 SCAD AnimationFest
2022 TCM Film Festival Looney Tunes in Hollywood Presentation
2019 Guest appearance at the SCAD AnimationFest where I discussed the 10th Anniversary of The Princess & The Frog and Disney Animation Innovations.
(2019) PowerCon
2019 SCAD AnimationFest
(2019) PowerCon
Striking a pose with talented actor Cooper Barnes!
(2019) PowerCon
2019 SCAD AnimationFest
(2019) PowerCon
Being flanked by talented actors Nyambi Nyambi and Alphonso McAuley who bought copies of my book.
2018 Jordan Con Literary Book Convention
2018 Jordan Con Literary Book Convention
2018 Jordan Con Literary Book Convention
Meeting up with my friend and fellow author Aaron Michael Hall at Jordan Con!
2018 SCAD AnimationFest
2018 Jordan Con Literary Book Convention
2018 Jordan Con Literary Book Convention
I kicked off the SCAD Animation Show where I educated the students on the history of "animation on a shoe-sting budget" which featured refreshed animation clips.
(2017) Treklanta Convention
2018 Jordan Con Literary Book Convention
(2017) Guest Lecture (Savannah College of Art and Design)
Hanging out with my buddy Greg Teft at Treklanta where I presented a Star Trek animated panel.
(2017) Guest Lecture (Savannah College of Art and Design)
(2017) Guest Lecture (Savannah College of Art and Design)
(2017) Guest Lecture (Savannah College of Art and Design)
Lecturing on the topic of "animation on a shoe-string budget" to the "History of Animation" class at SCAD.
(2015) BronzeLens Event
(2017) Guest Lecture (Savannah College of Art and Design)
(2012) San Diego Comic Con
Meeting Karyn Parson at the 2015 BronzeLens Event for her animated production of "The Journey of Henry Box Brown."
(2012) San Diego Comic Con
(2017) Guest Lecture (Savannah College of Art and Design)
(2012) San Diego Comic Con
Hanging out with Tommy Davidson who was at San Diego Comic Con promoting "Black Dynamite" where he voices the role of "Cream Corn!"
THE BEST SATURDAYS OF OUR LIVES PODCAST!
Posing with Co-Host Dan Klink of the Best Saturdays of our Lives Podcast
Posing with Co-Host Dan Klink of the Best Saturdays of our Lives Podcast
Posing with Co-Host Dan Klink of the Best Saturdays of our Lives Podcast
Running a holiday sale or weekly special? Definitely promote it here to get customers excited about getting a sweet deal.
(2017) Adult Swim Swap Shop!
Posing with Co-Host Dan Klink of the Best Saturdays of our Lives Podcast
Posing with Co-Host Dan Klink of the Best Saturdays of our Lives Podcast
Big Thanks to Zach White and Matt Hutchinson for inviting as a guest star on Adult Swim's Swap Shop! We had a blast!
Adult Swim Tour with The Thunder Talk Podcast Crew!
Posing with Co-Host Dan Klink of the Best Saturdays of our Lives Podcast
(2018) Having a great time with my son Miles at Retro Toy Con!
I had a blast giving a tour of the Adult Swim Offices with The ThunderTalk crew!
(2018) Having a great time with my son Miles at Retro Toy Con!
(2021) Archiefied with Valerie Smith by Archie artist Dan Parent
(2018) Having a great time with my son Miles at Retro Toy Con!
(2018) I had to pose with Velma and Fred at Retro Toy Con
(2021) Archiefied with Valerie Smith by Archie artist Dan Parent
(2021) Archiefied with Valerie Smith by Archie artist Dan Parent
(2021) Archiefied with Valerie Smith by Archie artist Dan Parent
(2021) Archiefied with Valerie Smith by Archie artist Dan Parent
(2021) Archiefied with Valerie Smith by Archie artist Dan Parent
Dan Parent is the co-creator of The Carney's Comic book that I talk about in my book, The Best Saturdays of our Lives.
(2022) South Carolina Comic Con with Archie Artist Bill Gollier.
(2022) South Carolina Comic Con with the head of the ESO Network.
(2022) South Carolina Comic Con with artist/writer Guy Gilchrist.
Bill Gollier is the co-creator of The Carney's Comic book that I talk about in my book, The Best Saturdays of our Lives.
(2022) South Carolina Comic Con with artist/writer Guy Gilchrist.
(2022) South Carolina Comic Con with the head of the ESO Network.
(2022) South Carolina Comic Con with artist/writer Guy Gilchrist.
One of the nicest people on the planet who was mentored by animation great Walter Lanz. Check out his interview on our podcast available on soundcloud.com
(2022) South Carolina Comic Con with the head of the ESO Network.
(2022) South Carolina Comic Con with the head of the ESO Network.
(2022) South Carolina Comic Con with the head of the ESO Network.
Mike Farber and Michael Gordon host the Earth Station One Podcast where a multitude of awesome topics are covered (I also make guest appearances as well)!
Mark McCray and Dan Klink strike a pose again!
Mark McCray and Dan Klink strike a pose again!
(2022) South Carolina Comic Con with the head of the ESO Network.
New Book!
The Paper Boy:Dimensional Adventures
When a young, aspirational superhero loses his powers, Rudolph St. Clair has resigned himself to civilian living. The former hero moves his family into the perfect brownstone apartment. Rudolph soon finds out that the apartment is haunted, and he would have to fight for his survival to solve the mystery of The Paper Boy: Dimensional Adventures.
Welcome to the Best Saturdays of our Lives Website!
Welcome! Check out my new announcement.