20060531

Berdfried the Berd Puppet, 1

Frogs, Effeminate Walks and Mae West


SODA SQUIRT (October 12th, 1938)
Directed by Ub Iwerks

(Dates from The Big Cartoon Database.)


This post accompanies Uncle Eddie's A GRIM NATWICK WALK post.


Uncle Eddie pointed out to me this amazing Grim Natwick(Irv Spence?) animation in Ub Iwerks' Flip the Frog cartoon "Soda Squirt."

This cartoon has a lot of funny celebrity caricatures and cartoony animation in it, but the best scene by far is Grim's (Spence's?) animation of the effeminate man walking into Flip's soda shop.


I love the curves and the strong gestures in these drawings. And check out how Grim (Spence?) can create such a graceful and delicate walk, while at the same time making it fun and cartoony - amazing!


The handkerchief makes for a great prop in accentuating these nice curves...


Well, enough talk - on with the screen grabs!

Flip Meets Mae West...



Well look who's here...




























Such expressive hands...


Nice three-shot...I love his reactions in the back...


Can I get some service please!??!






Check out that upset mouth!


Is it just me, or does this customer with the handkerchief remind anyone else of...



...Cesar Romero?

20060530

"What A Great Idea For A Gag!"


If you had a chance to make it to the John K. Retrospective this past weekend at the Aero Theatre, you got to see the Mighty Mouse cartoon "Mighty's Benefit Plan" presented on the big screen with the energy of an audience of fans - it was great!


During the Q&A at the show, John K. and Jerry Beck were explaining to us the state of animation in the 80's before Ralph Bakshi's New Adventures of Mighty Mouse came along.

Mighty Mouse was much different than these other animated shows because it was actually a CARTOON.

Created by CARTOONISTS!


After Marc Crisafulli mentioned to me this really funny scene in the episode "Catastrophe Cat" (October 10th, 1987) - I knew I had to do a post about it!


Every time the hic-upping "Catastrophe Cat" walks by --- bad things happen.






Towards the beginning of the cartoon, this cat walks by Earth (he's out in space) and moments later a meteor is headed straight for Earth! And where is this meteor heading? Towards a cartoon studio of course!

The cartoonists don't realize the meteor is coming their way...


Hey, who's this?


Why it's everyone's favorite UNCLE EDDIE!


"What a great idea for a gag!" Eddie exclaims.


We then get to witness the sacred ritualistic dance-like-performance of cartooncreation in full rubbery & joyous momentum...










"You're fired!" says the piece of paper in the voice of Ralph Bakshi.




Big Thanks to Marc Crisafulli for pointing this hilarious scene out to me!

20060527

Roll Over, Beethoven

20060525

Buck Teethed Grey Rabbit


Hare-Um Scare-Um (August 12th, 1939)
Directed by Ben Hardaway and Cal Dalton
Animated by Gil Turner

(dates and credits from Dave Mackey's Warner Brothers Filmography Site.)


(This post accompanies John K's When Cartoons Evolved 3 - First Bugs Bunnies post.)

In Hardaway and Dalton's Hare-Um Scare-Um, the white magician rabbit from Prest-O Change-O has become grey, and has developed two giant buck teeth.


This grey rabbit still acts like a 'duck in a rabbit suit' - he is wild, crazy and 'darn fooled!'


Watch him jump, splash and dive into the background - you can almost hear him yell "Woo woo! Woo woo!" can't you?










Here he treats us to a fun song and dance number...


But the singing and dancing can't last that long!


This image of the rabbit showing how thin and unappetizing he is proves to be particularly disturbing...


...and a friendly jolt of a handshake!