"3-D House Of Ducks"

On the last day of grade five, I was devastated upon learning that I would not be in the same class as my friends. When I was outside I saw Mr. McDonald, Ian's father waiting for him. I smiled politely not to reveal my disappointment over what had happened. My motive this semester in being studious was that I could be with my friends. I was completely crushed, but my mother was able to fix it that I would be with them. Once it was confirmed that I was in Mr. Pugh’s class, I immediately dialed Ian to let him know of the good news.

One day I had to run some errands with my father at “Northland Mall”. I went inside “Comic-Kazi” to see if by chance they had back issues from the Gladstone II era. The clerk told me there were no back issues, but he would take a look at the stock room to see if there were any. When he came back, he held a copy of “Maharajah Donald”, which was this year’s “Free Comic Book Day” offering. He told me there was a spare issue leftover. I asked him how much the price was? He told me it was - free. Then I had to clarify what he meant by - free - as I was dumbfounded that he gave it to me.

This was the first I discovered of the then-new publisher, Gemstone Publishing, having acquired the Disney comics license. Be still, my beating heart I had a ransom list of Carl Barks’ stories for reprinting. (Look at us now with Fantagraphics reprinting Carl Barks and IDW printing current Disney comics!) We went to the Nose Hill branch of the Calgary Public Library. When I was looking for an animation-related book, I was stopped in my tracks by one on the shelf – “Donald Duck: 50 Years of Frustration”. What ducky surprises I had that day! I imagined this was might have felt like to be on a streak of good luck, like Gladstone Gander. During that month, I was mesmerized by the facts that were printed here. I appreciated how well the book covered his life in animation and comic-books. The smattering of photographs of animation-director Jack Hannah, voice artist "Ducky" Nash, and Carl Barks was icing on the cake. This was LONG before the days of YouTube, where one could type in the cartoon you had never seen. I was in heaven as I saw stills from many Donald shorts. I spent many days drawing many pictures from here.

The following week, Ian called me over to his house. Ian skateboarded around the block while I rollerbladed. Then we played Nickey-Nickey-Nine Doors. Ian, the instigator of the game was having the time of his life watching me as I went door to door. I was fretting about getting caught by the time the homeowner arrived at the door. There was one house with a staircase; I was worried of falling flat on my face while walking hurriedly down the steps as I wore my rollerblades.

Early one day the DUCKTALES episode “Attack of The Metal Mites”. It was great seeing how Fenton without his Gizmoduck suit removed the metal mites by using his intelligence. I had wanted to see what I believed to be was the final episode of the show.

Later that day while I was channel surfing, I stopped at one channel showing a clip of Donald lighting his pile of leaves ("The New Neighbor", 1952). That clip was one of plenty excerpted in the special "DOWN AND OUT WITH DONALD". Thankfully I had a spare video to record it. The “duck-umentary” was similar in the vein of 60-Mintues tracing the life of Donald after a career-ending incident.

I was giddy when it was airing on the Family Channel that I called my dad at the office to tell him of the news. Among the artists whose music aided to the soundtrack of this special were: “You’re No Good” by Linda Ronstadt was over a montage of clips showing his breakup with Daisy, Dolly Parton’s “9 To 5” played over clips of him trying new careers, Steppenwolf’s blaring hit “Born To Be Wild” went over old clips of him vacationing, and lastly Weird Al’s farcical song “I Want a New Duck” coincided with his temper under control.

The selection of clips to the songs lyrics was appropriate. The lyrics from "Nine To Five" - "..Yawnin', stretchin', try to come to life" complement the bleary-eyed Donald. His comatose expression is what comes to mind when I wake up early. 

I identified most of the cartoons that were excerpted in the special. The “duck-umentary” cleverly intertwined clips from old Donald shorts sometimes with new voice over. For example, when he was returning from his vacation, he heard one radio announcer (Paul Frees) about him heading into parts unknown; he switched to another station I heard the nasal tones of Harry Shearer using a voice that he used for the irritating radio hosts on THE SIMPSONS.

Another set of lyrics, "They just use your mind and you never get the credit" perfectly accompanied the scene from "How To Have An Accident At Work" (1959).
 Donald's mind blanking out, with his shrunken pupils, encapsulates when I would lose focus in elementary school.

I recognized Stan Freberg was the narrator, as he employed the same voice on Disney’s “The Wuzzles”. He was perfect as narrator, as he had quips throughout the special about Donald’s behavior. “Donald had survived the greatest challenge of his career, never again will he lose his temper, and if you believe that you will believe a duck can talk. Not that clearly mind you but that’s the way it is.”

Spencer invited me to join him, his sister Megan, and his cousin Matt to “Calaway Park”. It was a very enjoyable time waiting in line for the rides. I recall pointing out a roof covered in pieces of gum. On the way back my mom took me to the Dalhousie branch of the now defunct Roger’s Video. I picked up “Cartoon Classics: Chip N’ Dale” so I could finally view the cartoon “Trailer Horn”. The music, in the beginning, was serene when Chip and Dale were sleeping. Donald repeatedly blasted the chipmunks with his horn was amusing.

I joined my mother and our neighbor for a walk to the library.  I preferred to ride on my scooter to there. Initially, it was relaxing, but as I descended the steepness of the slope made it extremely nerve wrecking. Had I passed through the difficult part of my excursion? Not by a long shot my friends. What lay ahead was gravel that aided in scraping my knee on the asphalt. I limped all the way back home. Later I went with my mom to “Roger’s Video” and rented “Cartoon Classics: Donald & Daisy”. I was exhausted from that event I went to bed early.

The first thing I did when I woke up was to view the video. In “Donald’s Double Trouble” the animation of Donald in the telephone booth exploding on the other end, as Daisy slammed the telephone was animated very well. It symbolized how explosive their relationship was at that time. Donald’s doppelganger eyes bulged upon seeing Daisy’s picture, reminded me of the wild “takes” that characters in Tex Avery’s cartoons exhibited. Donald’s repulsed reaction increasingly grew each time Daisy advanced on his double was coupled by a ringing sound effect, which effectively conveyed his infuriation. The ending of him hugging his double on the “Tunnel Of Love” was hilarious, but a bit racy. My sister joined me towards the end of the cartoon she remembered seeing it in her childhood. The short was followed by an interstial of Daisy showing Jiminy Cricket Donald’s diary, which led to the eponymous short. I found it odd hearing Russi Taylor voicing Daisy then it switched to June Foray voicing her.  

An example of one of the bridging sequences repurposed with new voice over. 

It was one of the more “adult” Disney cartoon I recall viewing. It was odd hearing Donald’s narrative voice being sophisticated and articulate.  Daisy in contrast to her earlier appearances was redesigned with her hair in a stylish bun, her color was peach, and she seemed bustier.

From "Donald's Diary" (1954) a smoking (!) Daisy with her lingerie scattered over the partition door was one of many scenes that seemed odd to a twelve-year-old me. 

Later she introduces him to her brothers, who suspiciously looked like Hewy, Dewy, and Louie. I could not discern if they were to be new characters or Donald’s nephews. The color palate for the 1950s backgrounds looked stunning. Donald’s closing thoughts are among his most eloquent: “I was born when I kissed her and died when we parted… but I lived for a little while.”

The beige skies, the hues of read, and charcoal grey contrast each other.  The architecture behind her captures the era of fifties San Fransisco. 

Many of the modern-esque backgrounds of Ralph Huttlett. The subdued color choice in this scene add to the romantic mood. 

I did not understand the satire of a married life; as a result, many jokes passed over my head for example: When Donald and Daisy carved their initials in a tree. The camera pulls back to reveal that her previous boyfriends have etched their names on the opposite side of the tree. Daisy noticed that her engagement ring changed color. Who can’t forget the scene when he sees her bride with curlers drinking coffee? As the flavor of wine enhances with age, this cartoon appealed to me once I turned thirteen.

The series get well cards I dew for my grandmother.

I drew a series of get well cards for my grandmother, who underwent a hip replacement. I gave the drawings to my mother when she was going to visit her. When my mom was not at home it was a lot of fun. I would wake up late in the afternoon, have breakfast, go through my math questions, surf on the Internet on websites about Carl Barks, and read comics.

The first drawing while my mother was away. Based on a Donald Duck pillow I had.

One morning I was chipper I woke up early, then I tried to solve some math questions, and did some drawings of Donald.  While I was waiting for my dad to wake up I watched “Sing Yourself Silly!” one of my SESAME STREET videocassettes. Ernie singing “The Honker Duckie Dinger Jamboree” and  “Put Down The Duckie” was just as ducky when I was three. The later song was impressive for the celebrities included in the montage; among them were Paul Simon, John Candy as Yosh Shmenge, and Andrea Martin as Edith Prickley. Later in the day we were sketching, he showed me his renditions of Batman complete with a square jaw and a perfect Gyro Gearlose in pastel. His method of drawing was drawing an outline then breaking the face into four quadrants.

As a three year old, I wondered who this bizarre man twirling the clarinet was. Who could imagine that I would encounter a person relate to him. Listen to Yosh Shmenge!

The following week to keep me occupied on Saturday when my sister and dad would be out. I went with my dad to “Blockbuster” and checked out a Three Stooges tape entitled “Dizzy Doctors. I was tempted to watch it immediately, but my dad suggested that I wait until tomorrow. Instead, we viewed another installment in Blake Edward’s canon of Pink Panther films “The Pink Panther Strikes Again” (1976). 

The relations between Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) and former Commissioner Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) are tense. Peter Seller's exaggeration of Clouseau's French accent was mirthful. 

I was eager to view “Goofs and Saddles” one of the shorts on that videocassette, as I had seen a snippet from the short of Curly in the bandwagon when it was included in the compilation “Stop, Look, and Laugh” (1960). Those boys looked “mighty purty” with their long hair and mustaches. The boys attempt to cheat during the poker game was fun. The highlight was when Moe and Curly who each had two aces and attempted to pass cards to each other, only they each hand each other their own aces! The climax was exciting as they escaped from Longhorn Pete’s saloon; I vividly recall Moe and Larry jumping from the window onto the covered wagon.

The dollar signs on Curly's apparel reminded me of you know. 

One of the highlights was when Ian would return from his cabin in Invemere, B.C. We took turns arranging a sleepover at each other’s house. When we were deciding which film we should view, I already had in it mind based on a conversation in grade three. When we had not known one and other closely, I brought up the topic about who his favorite comedy teams were. I asked him if he had ever seen The Three Stooges? He replied that they were one of his favorites. As I recalled the events of a Stooge short, “Tassels In The Air”, he interjected the scenes he found to be humorous. Especially Curly’s wild expression whenever he saw tassels, and how Moe and Larry would calm him with a brush. He later told me that he was related to John Candy. I raved about how it was awesome to have had him as a relative. Had I known of John Candy’s sycophantic character William B. Williams that he played on “SCTV”, I would have clapped my hands and have laughed cheaply. Come time to when we were planning our sleepover, the question about what film to watch came up. I suggested Mel Brooks’ film “SpaceBalls” (1987) because I knew he would enjoy it as much as I did. Once I mentioned that it stared Mr. Candy he was inclined.

A slight addendum, a couple of years when I religiously watched The Three Stooges on the weekends, (or as I called it "Stooge Saturday and Sunday") "SCTV" would precede it. I always liked the fast opening that would show a clip of the cast member, then shrink to reveal four squares with the characters he/she played. When I heard that theme, with televisions being tossed about, it was a signal that I was half-an-hour away from the slap-stick antics of The Three Stooges. 

From watching the opening I was aware that John Candy was a regular on the show, although I never paid attention to the characters he played. During my conversation with Ian, this screenshot was in my mind as I relayed the credits of his relative to him. 

On the way to his house, my sister and I were listening to Petula Clark’s hit, “Downtown” in the car. I could not help but recall Groundskeeper Willie’s off-key rendition in “Homer’s Barbershop Quartet”. As we passed “Marion Carson Elementary” I pretended as if I was revisiting it after a long period, as Uncle Scrooge did in the DUCKTALES episode, “Back To The Klondike” I always enjoyed being in the company of Ian’s family. His mother, sister, and father exuded warmth once you entered. It was a glorious time once I dropped my duffel bag into his room. I was skittish about taking the upper bunk bed as I had a fear of it collapsing, as I had seen the repercussions once Curly lied down. Ian was beaming with enthusiasm about the television that was in the basement was now in his room. He showed me the VHS releases of “Bart The General” and “Bart The Daredevil”. We were two pals without a care in the world.

The home where my late friend, Ian McDonald resided. Many's the time we would walk back from school to here. It was always filled with many merry moments. In my minds eye, I can see the arrangement of all of the rooms.

First we went to his backyard, bounced on his trampoline yelling “Tramp-amp-oline” as Homer referred to it. Then we took turns swinging from a tree and landing on the trampoline.  Once we were exhausted, we headed to Ian’s room where we watched “Homer’s Barbershop Quartet”, the very episode I had in mind earlier today. I can never forget watching it on his television with dials to the side. When I listen to “Baby On Board” it opens a flood of memories.

Bounce after bounce propelled to enormous heights of ecstasy. The panel from "The Unsafe Safe" (1960) by Carl Barks is what I pictured when I rebounded from the trampoline. I imagined that this must have been what Uncle Scrooge experienced.

After a scrumptious super of our favorite meal, Macaroni and Cheese, we then went to Roger’s Video to look at what another film to rent.  Back when VHS had not been yet phased out it was neat to see the array of titles down the aisles. When we came back we started our movie night. On the videocassette where I taped “SpaceBalls” the DUCKTALES episode “Robot Robbers” preceded it. Towards the end of the episode, Ian told me that Flintheart Glomgold reminded me of him. I was surprised as he was the most despicable of Carl Barks’ creations.

This was the exact point where Ian told me that Flintheart Glomgold reminded him of me. I was touched by his enthusiasm for my interest. Isn't it funny, how I think of him when I watch this scene in particular.

We snacked on popcorn and drank Coca-Cola while viewing “Spaceballs”. The both of us delighted in Mel Brooks’ spark of humor, from the many meta-references in his film (Dark Helmet obtaining a bootleg copy of the film to find out what to do next), Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis) using “the Schwartz” to crush their testicles, the many expletives uttered by many of the characters. Early in the film, Lonestar and Barf owe a debt to the major gangster, Pizza the Hutt. We liked how the villain's name was an allusion to our favorite dining place. Pizza the Hutt's costume was believable with the gooey cheese and the steaming toppings. The rapport between Barf (John Candy) and Lonestar (Bill Pullman) echoed that of our friendship. The final scene of Dark Helmet, Colonel Sandurz, and President Skroob leaving the escape pod elicited chuckles until our stomachs ached. In typical Mel Brooks fashion, it was complete anarchy with everyone running for the Escape Pods in the film's climax — the orchestra, a variety of circus freaks, and even a bear.

John Candy's sincerity radiated with such lines as " I'm a mog: half man, half dog. I'm my own best friend! "

The next day Ian’s aunt took us to the science center. On the way there we had an interesting conversation about which comedians were Canadian. She asked us if we were familiar with Jane Goodal, as we were going to watch a documentary on her. Ian said that Jane Goodal was known for her exploiting monkeys in order to unearth diamonds. She asked him where he had learned that from, he said it was from an episode (“Simpsons Safari”) of THE SIMPSONS where the family won a trip to Africa. We were all laughing as he described what happened. It was tremendous fun playing around the various exhibitions over there such as building Lego cars and racing them, a Rube Goldberg-esque contraption that allowed you to control where a ball would land. I admired how hospitable Ian’s family treated me when I stayed over at their house. It was a fun couple of days spending with him.

What happened on the faithful day of Monday, September 1? I was treated to a meal of teriyaki chicken that was on the BBQ prepared by my father, served by a side of rainbow tortellini smothered with a rich alfredo sauce that my sister made.

That night, from the Abbeville book of Uncle Scrooge stories, we read out loud together – “McDuck Of Arabia” (1965). It was one of the Uncle Scrooge stories in his collection. There was agitation when the Hassan Ben Jaild threatened Huey with his weapons. I always liked how ingenious Huey was arranging the rocks in the shape of an arrow when he was kidnapped.

I liked the movement in the first panel of Hassan twirling his revolver. In the second panel of him drawing out a sword with the "toing" sound effect adds to the ominous nature. 

In the second tier, Huey's anxiousness and the shading behind him convey his plight.

We thought the Junior Woodchucks was an appropriate organization for Donald’s nephews, as their resourcefulness was utilized. In this story, it was demonstrated by Dewey and Louie in collaboration with the Arab division of the JWs, named, the Desert Patrol Six Four Six rescue the kidnapped ducks. We liked the witty name of the villain – Sheikh Hassan Ben Jaild. Carl Barks design of the sneering pig villain with – snout and beard worked well with Hasan Ben Jaild’s unscrupulousness.

Two years later I had the pleasure of briefly experiencing a sandstorm in Kuwait, I could relate to the one  Don and Scrooge were in.  

Carl Barks’ drawing was stellar as ever. His expressions for the dehydrated Ducks as they cross the desert made me feel what I was like as Uncle Scrooge and Donald crossed the “three-hundred miles of emptiness”. The portrayal of a full-scale assault of Uncle Scrooge and the Bir Shebans made me feel is if I were there. Not a bad way to end Labour Day on.

Uncle Scrooge's caption made me imagine the glittering surface of the land of Bir Sheba.

Seeing Sheikh Arrabi mentioning the deity, I worship Allah was cool. It made me appreciate the lengths Carl Barks  devoted into researching his stories.

The following morning as my dad was leaving for work, I mentioned second bottom tier, where Uncle Scrooge would not sacrifice five cents when they could drink for free at the hotel.  It got a chuckle from the both of us.

As I went to bed that night, I lay awake for most of the night thinking what wonders of the school year were in store. I also thought about how I was anxious the previous year when I looked at the class list and found out I was not in the same class as my friends. As I couldn't sleep that night I would talk to my dad about the supporting characters in Disney comics (i.e. Daisy Duck). It reminded me of SESAME STREET where Ernie would keep Bert awake at night.

"HANNA- BARBERA" Happiness

There is one animation company, which remains a special spot in my heart “Hanna-Barbera”. I was not aware that the cartoons were from the sixties. Nor did it matter. My dad deserves credit for introducing me to their works. I was two or three when he purchased a “Dastardly and Muttley” video. At that age I could not understand the humor, however I enjoyed the catchy theme. 

I was intimated seeing Mr. T wearing his gold chains, but was relaxed seeing the snippet of Top Cat. At the time I wondered, who was this character. I was captivated by his manner of speaking and appearance. In addition to the calculating cat, I was exposed to Atom Ant. I thought it was a clever concept, of a small creation having super powers. Howard Morris selected a neat voice. Then “the smarter than the aver-age bear” appeared. I thought it was ingenious of Yogi acquiring food from the inn, using a bow and arrow. The character wearing his pork-pie hat, tie and collar made an impression on me.

As a child watching “Huck”, “Yogi”, “Top Cat”, and “The Jetsons”, one common thread I observed was how charming they were. They possessed warm personalities, which made you feel like they were apart of your family. They produced many successful stars, among the types, anthromorphic animals or humans, with their distinct personalities. Early designers, Ed Benedict, Dick Bickenbach, Jerry Eisenberg, and Iawo Takamoto devised appealing character model sheets.

Amongst the voice actors that established the characters, were: Daws Butler, Don Messick, Doug Young, Arnold Stang, Janet Waldo, Paul Winchell and other talents. The catchy catchphrases they sprouted are attributed to their energizing vocalizations. Listening to the character’s voice, you could infer his or her nature. Who would better explain the popularity of their creations? Than Bill and Joe.

It would take multiple posts to list the many memorable characters, in the “Hanna-Barbera” universe. For the interest of brevity, this post will focus on the eleven favorites of yours truly. In order of appearance:

HUCKLEBERRY HOUND 

He is always jovial, often crooning an ear-deafening rendition of “Oh my darlin Clementine”. As his series was not formulaic, he existed in any time period (Medieval, Prehistoric, Roman Empire). Policeman, mountie, sheepherder, lion tamer, veterinarian, taxi driver, scientist, fireman, and police warden were the many occupations he dabbled at. A hound of many trades.

The South are the softest people. What better creation would be deserving of it than the honourable hound. The color blue is relaxing, which is appropriate to his calm demeanour. No matter how cruel the circumstances may be: He is always relaxed. An example of Huck's being relax despite how irritating the situation is in "Picadilly Dilly".

When London bobby Huck is in the cobblestone street. The dilly takes delight in squashing the helmet he is wearing, immediately he lies down in the street maniacally laughing."You got to admit he has a kind of offbeat sense of humour there," our constable remarks as our London bobby is tugging his helmet off. There is no trace of irritation present in the canine's cadence.

When the Dilly takes him directly to Dr. Jikkle's, once again he strikes his helmet. "I don't why he finds this so comical," he comments while removing his helmet again. The Dilly undergoes transformation now appearing as Dr. Jikkle. He laments "The police! I knew you'd fine me sooner or later. In a way, I'm glad. When you mix hydroexitrene and peritone together, you're bound to get a schizo-frantic reaction." I like how Huck responds as if he understands what is occurring, while he is completely unaware. Another display is in “The Scrubby Brush Man”

Huckleberry is given the task of selling a brush, to the terrible 13th precinct. The customer's response to the previous tactics is brutish. During Huck's attempt he dismisses the salesman resistant signs - “No Peddlers”, “Salesman Go Home”. Before ringing the doorbell, he explains to the audience, “In this business, you got to be extra per-lite like.”

When Daws voices Huckleberry Hound, his mispronunciation of words adds to his fallibilities. When the client opens the door. Huck comments, “I see you have one of our products in your hand there.” Just before being bashed with a brush. “That’s what we call in the trade ‘the brush off’,” our salesman snickers. The laugh Daws gave him was natural. I love his ability of “brushing himself off” the disappointment. Then laughing at the ordeal. It seems like the right attitude to apply, when experiencing the brutal blows of life.

What is admirable about Huckleberry Hound is his persistence. In the process of completing a goal, there will be an occasional setback that prevents him. Despite wether he comes out as winner or is defeated he remains cheerful. Usually he makes a joke or comments on the situation.

PIXIE, DIXIE, AND MR. JINKS 

“I hate meeces to pieces!” shouts the bow-tie wearing cat as he runs past the same background with a broom. Depending on the premise of the cartoon, writer Warren Foster would have either the “Meeces” being enemies or friends with Mr.Jinks. 

In "Strong Mouse" when Mr. Jinks discovers the Meeces have cleaned out the lactic fluid in the fridge. He uses bug spray in order on them. Pixie and Dixie wonder why he used the spray canister on them. "I’ve been so lenient with you guys, you forget you forget who I am (ceases smiling and glowers). I am the cat! When you see me, you should cringe. Beg for your miserable lives. Tremble in abject-like ter-ror!" The two mice laugh at his speech. He wonders what the hilarity is in what he has said. The Meeces explain how deep inside he can't extremely dislike them.

Another example is in "Lend Leece Meece" when Charlie moves into the house next door. Mr. Jinx welcomes him to the neighbourhood and offers anything he needs. He explains to Jinks how he is anxious about being evicted from his home because it's too recent to have mice. Mr. Jinks loans out the Meeces to Charlie until he has his own mice to run after. "And don't show your meece faces around here until I call you guys," Jinx says as they are leaving. Two weeks later an anxious Jinx has noticed that Charlie has not returned his Meeces.

When he is unable to retrieve Pixie and Dixie from Charlie.  He asks the them whose company they would prefer living with.  They wanted to live with their new neighbor. Mr. Jinks strongly responds "You brainwashed them Meeces". it shows how he does not accept them with anyone else, but him. In a strange way it is a form of "commensameecelism".Warren Foster reiterated the philosophical aspect of the team: "The mice make allowances for the occasional attacks on them by Jinx. They understand he is not evil. He is just a cat and he can’t help being himself." 

I like the nice voices Daws Butler and Don Messick supply for Dixie and Pixe, respectively. One of the very few, Butler, characters I can do a passable imitation of. As apart of his beatnik lexicon, he sprinkles “Sheesh”, and “like” frequently. 

One enjoyable quality is how when he runs after the Meeces, he rationalizes his reason to the audience.  In "Heavens To Jinksey" one of his asides is "I am so evil I frighten myself," as he chuckles. Or in "Plutocrat Cat" when he plays the game "Bumbly-Bee" which consists of Pixie and Dixie wearing wings and humming as he pursues them with a broom. He says “Okay, so I’m a tyrant,” he tells us. “I, like, uh, you know, find a outlet for my artistic tempera-ment playing ‘Bumbly Bee.’ A chuckle will rise out of me, when he breaks the fourth wall to the audiences, about how his scientific prowess is surprising due to him being a feline.

YOGI BEAR

When I was in grade six Teletoon would air “Yogi Bear”. Yogi and Boo-Boo would outwit Ranger Smith, as they peruse “pic-a-nic” baskets by the bushel in Jellystone Park. Daws Butler provided him, with a lilting delivery that matched his positive personality. The voice benefited him as he rhymed regularly. Daws enhanced the script by having Yogi pronounce words like, “pic-a-nic” and “aver-age” by breaking the words into two syllables. When he would laugh as "Hey-hey-hee-hee" that would send a lightning bolt of delight down your spine. 

At the time, my interests lay in the “Disney” cartoons. I drew a comparison between Yogi and the series, which featured Humphrey Bear against Ranger Woodlore. The two bruins would sneakily scrounge for sustenance, from their rangers in a forest or park. At the time, I hypothesized, how Jack Hannah who directed the Humphrey shorts left Disney to join Joe Barbera. He modified the concept while starting their new studio. When watching the credits carefully, I discovered that the two gentlemen spelled their names differently.

When I hear the “needle drop” scores that played in the cartoons: It takes me back to sitting on the couch with my father watching Yogi Bear. I slowly warmed up to the series, as the animation appeared choppy in the early entries. In retrospect I found the first season strange, but interesting for the inconsistency with the design of the Ranger. Before settling on the name Ranger Smith, he was referred to as, Joe, Fred, Bill. In the first season he seldomly snatched a pic-a-nic basket. The cartoons were very enjoyable, but the entries that stood out for me were: “Robin Hood Yogi”,  “Hoodwinked Bear” and "Yogi's Birthday Party". 

In  “Robin Hood Yogi” one of his attempts was leaping from a tree limb, only landing smack dab through the trailer watching a woman cooking lunch. “Scram! Shoo! Skidoo, you!” the woman exclaims, as she pummels Yogi with a frying pan. It was one of my favorite couplets that Charles Show wrote. I would constantly repeat that line, when I would play at recess. The clunking sound effect of the pan drubbing his head has always stuck in my mind. The white lines that represented the reverberation of the instrument was a nice touch. Art Lozzi’s dark green background for the forest, matched the color of the sofa, where I sat while watching the cartoon. The ending of Yogi conning Ranger Joe  into becoming one of his Merry Men was funny.   

I recall how much fun I had viewing “Hoodwinked Bear”. The opening scene Yogi is reading the signs “Do not feed the bears!” in the foreign languages. Upon him reading the sign in German was when I was aware of how versatile Daws Butler was.

Daws Butler used his ‘Bilko’ voice for the scheming wolf, which would eventually be passed down to Hokey. When a performer bases a character’s voice on a famous personality it eventually evolves into an original creation. I never knew who Phil Silvers was; To me it sounded as if the character was an original invention.

When the wolf was in the process of shoving Yogi in the closet. He protests “Stop! I am an old lady.” The wolf responds: “And you won’t get any older if you give me trouble, because I’m merciless. I’ll show you no mercy.” I love the gusto that he breathes into when delivering the word ‘mercy’. Daws savory reading highlights Warren Foster’s witticisms as the Wolf.

The doorbell rings, Wolf delivers an aside to the audience “Oh, boy. Real clock-stoppers, both of ‘em. I don’t know who’s homelier, granny or the kid.” I got a kick out of it when the characters used the word homely. I liked the wolf’s relaxed expression as he said that while touching the back of his head. It’s a good natural movement.

George Nicholas delightfully animated the wolf covering his in disgust. I found it amusing how the wolf was revolted by Boo-Boo as “Red”; Instead he would eat the contents of the picnic.

Boo-Boo: “I am not a little girl. I am a little Boo-Boo.”
Wolf: “A boo-boo. Yeah, I’ll buy that you are a ‘boo-boo’ all right.”

Don Messick did a tremendous job bringing out the naivety as Boo-Boo.

When "Yogi's Birthday Party" aired I recall how jubilant Hoyt Curtin's Dixieland version of "The Yogi Bear Show" added to my excitement. The framing sequence of Ranger Smith explaining to the audience how Yogi Bear's surprise birthday party was organized was nice. Ranger Smith keeps his party as a surprise, by telling Yogi that he will be starring in his own half-hour show. 

 At that time I could partially detect drops of Ranger Smith's jaded cynicism towards Yogi's exaggeration about his talents. For example the Ranger comments "Yogi your modesty overwhelms you." I could not explain why I enjoyed jokes or lines that whizzed over my mind. Perhaps it was the adult aspect to them.  I liked Yogi's enthusiasm when promoting his television special to the tourists and the chef. My favorite tactic of his was him littering advertisements from the sky. Unbeknownst to me at the time was Hoyt Curtin's score from "Top Cat" was used during the scene. I enjoyed the music, but I was unaware which series it originated from. 

When he arrived on the scene of his special, he implores Ranger Smith to postpone it, as he is not ready. The Ranger reveals that he is the guest of honor on his birthday, as he presents a book with his name on it. he stunned reaction as he fainted upon hearing about the surprise was animated nicely touch. I liked Daws Butler's verklempt delivery by the surprise. My favorite part was when his fellow members from the "Huckleberry" , "Quick Draw", and "Yogi" shows greeted him. I adored the interaction between Yogi and his pals. It had been a while since I had seen Augie Doggie, I recall my father telling me "These characters are good" when they appeared. A capper to this special was a joyous musical tribute led by his friends. I was delighted when they threw him in the air. 

"Don't  shoo. Stay around for part two in a week,  until then don't peak. Hey-hey- hee-hee!" endorses Yogi Bear.

Images and dialogue for "Robin Hood Yogi, "Piccadilly Dilly", "Hoodwinked Bear", "Lend Lease Meece", "Strong Mouse", "Scrubby Brush Man" are from Yowp's blog.

Analysis of "Moaning Lisa"

The episode tackles an emotion that many of us have encountered in our lives, depression. The opening shot is a close up of Lisa’s drained face. In the background, the digetic sounds of the water dripping and the ticking enhances how everlasting her sorrow is. You want to wonder what depressing thoughts she is contemplating.

The first time I ever saw “The Simpsons” was from the scene where Lisa sees Bleeding Gums Murphy on the bridge playing his saxophone. There is an element of sketchiness as to what a girl would be doing alone at night. I was struck by how beautiful the scene is layed out with Bleeding Gums Murphy on a bridge under a streetlight on the bridge. The hair points on Lisa’s head resemble a star works perfectly in contrast with the vibrancy of the neon moon.

The color stylist’s choice of the blue moon adds to the calming effect the saxophone has upon Bleeding Gums Murphy and Lisa. The embracing tune of the saxophone is what begins their friendship. I felt glad for Lisa that she found a friend that shared a common interest. By playing the blues together, they are able to relieve their stresses. Lisa plying her saxophone in order to comfort herself would be a recurring motif in “Bart Vs. Thanksgiving”.

One scene that particularly resonates with me in recent years is when Marge tells Lisa to fake being happy so people will like her better. While said with good intentions, what Marge gives Lisa is actually really bad advice, because by repressing her feelings deep inside, they can be unleashed later in undesirable ways, or cause her to develop a complex. If we’re not honest with others, and ourselves it’s unhealthy. Thankfully, Marge redeemed herself when she saw how Lisa’s fake happiness caused her to be taken advantage of immediately (“You can do my math homework!”). When Marge apologizes and says she can stop smiling and Lisa responds, “I -feel- like smiling.” with a sincere smile, it’s an acknowledgement that she knows Marge cares about her true feelings. A sweet moment.

The subplot of Homer and Bart playing a video game is a good balance to the seriousness of Lisa’ depression. The few moments where Homer and Bart are bonding is always enjoyable. During the final rematch, Homer’s mood transitions from being on the verge of defeating Bart to weeping when Marge unplugs the console is enjoyable.

When the Simpsons watch Lisa’s poem preformed by the beatniks, the contrast of colors is nice. The best part would be Homer’s reaction to the lyrics “My father acts like he belongs in a zoo.” Initially he is content, but is soon alarmed. The scene zooms out to showcase “The Jazz Hole” exterior, with a dreamy blue moon behind the building. The smooth tone of the saxophone adds to the perfect ending.

Yeardley Smith’s excellent vocal talent is utilized when performing Lisa. When you hear her expressing melancholic thoughts, you can sympathize with the pain she is enduring. Out of all the members in the Simpsons household, Lisa is a delicate gem, you can’t bear seeing her sad. Lisa feeling sad was powerful motif that future show runners Mike Reiss, Al Jean and other writers would explore. If it is saying goodbye to your favorite teacher (Lisa’s Substitute), disappointment when your father has let you down (Lisa’s Pony), lack of confidence about your beauty (Lisa The Beauty Queen), and experiencing the passing away of your best friend (Round Springfield). Lisa is a character that experiences many painful moments, but she rebounds quickly.

“Moaning Lisa” was the sixth episode of “The Simpsons” to be broadcasted. It marks the transition of Lisa’s personality from a hell raiser to intellectual. Many viewers of the show criticize how this entry is saccharine; On the contrary, it demonstrates how “The Simpsons” could differ from other animated cartoons, but one that could have real emotional impact, and a story to tell.

"The Pen Is Mightier, Than The Pink"

Grade seven was one of my memorable school semesters. In addition to the uncomfortable times that occurred during that period: Fortunately there were uplifting periods. One dreary afternoon on Friday, April 15, 2005, my dad was upstairs having a conversation with our neighbor. Out of the blue (Er.. pink), I had an urge to watch a VHS of “Pink Panther” cartoons. The first cartoon on the tape was, “Pink But Is It Mink” (1977). The ending was sweet where the Pink Panther holds a pair of scissors as he witnesses a disgruntled Tarzan wearing the fur, which he already cut out of his drapes. Then he walks off with his animal friends. It made me wish how at the end of the hectic school day, I could disperse into the wildness.

There were interstitials in between the cartoons, one skit that I frequently watched was where, the Pink Panther was a high diving champion performing on an ocean cruise. During the Panther’s first dive, after a series of fanciful flips, he embraces the chilly water, only to instantaneously return on the diving platform. The Panther attempts to forgo his dive, until the captain with baton forces him to continue. During his final attempt – he has mysteriously landed in the sea. Doug Goodwin composed fun music that would correspond with the mirth in these in between cartoon gags.

The backgrounds in the DePatie-Freleng cartoons do not replicate that of Warner Bros. or Disney, instead they were successful in creating their own style. When one views the backgrounds, it creates a sensual feeling. You can feel the texture of the surroundings as you watch. In “Psst Pink” (1971), director Art Davis, experimented with having the other characters painted sold white over the colorful backgrounds. It adds to the feeling of isolation between the Panther and the others.

My reintroduction to the Pink Panther was when I was thirteen. I finally understood the subtle adult references that I would have missed when I was younger. Immediately I could recognize that the Pink Panther cartoons were more sophisticated than other contemporary cartoons. As witnessed in “Psychedelic Pink” (1967), a Beatnik hands the Panther a book, entitled “The Love Life of a Panther” with the word Uncensored underneath. I was intrigued at how a risqué reference was incorporated. The Pink Panther’s shifty reaction after he glances at the title of the book enhanced the scene. The backgrounds depict hearts and flowers surrounded by swirling colors. The final scene stood out where the Panther uses the letter “j” as a golf club, and the Beatnik using the letter “f” as a firearm. It seemed as if this gag was a precursor to the animated segments on “Sesame Street”, where letters are used as objects.

When I watched the Pink Panther at an earlier age, I expected that he would talk but to my surprise he was silent. To me the notion of a silent cartoon character was absurd. Now I began to appreciate the brilliance of telling a story without dialogue. The Pink Panther shorts relied on the pantomime actions of the character in order to facilitate the story. As David DePatie explained “Ordinarily a lot of his characterization could be taken care of with a voice, but now it all has to be done in action – so he’s a much more difficult type of character to work with” In a pantomime cartoon series there is difficulty to advance a story without voices, however that is where the imagination of writer John W. Dunn, shone through. In “Rock A Bye Pinky” (1966), the dog is held responsible for the Panther’s backfired attempts of silencing the little white man’s snoring. The relationship between the dog and his master has reached extreme distrust, where the little white man while sleeping holds a pistol aimed for his dog who is tied to a tree stump. The dog questions the sanity of his owner by picturing him as Napoleon.

A similar set-up is seen in “Pink Campaign” (1975). The Pink Panther relaxes in his tree house, until the Little White Man cuts it down. As an act of retaliation the Panther follows the little white man to his residence, and starts stealing his house from him piece by piece. The little white man visits a psychiatrist to confirm the sudden disappearance of his house. The psychiatrist holds a stethoscope over the patient’s head to reveal a speech bubble showing the roof walking, followed by the window, etc. This absurd gag elicited tears of laughter from me. The aforementioned scenarios would fall flat if they were to verbalize their thoughts.

I was lured by the effectiveness of director Hawley Pratt’s drawing ability: You could instantaneously sense the emotion the character was feeling. The old saying “A picture is worth a thousand words,” was applied in "Pink Posies"(1967), after the Little White Man discovers that the yellow flowers he’s planted is pink. He is very frustrated. You can detect the rage the Little White Man feels by the aggravated expression, the position of his arms, and his jagged teeth.

As a companion to the Pink Panther, theatrical shorts was a French detective, The Inspector, who was loosely based on Peter Seller’s Inspector Clouseau. While both The Inspector and his live action counterpart differ in their approach in crime investigation, namely the former is prone to bad judgment while the later is inept. There is no denying the wrath that both Commissioner Dreyfus and his counterpart have for either Inspector.

There were numerous parallels with The Inspector and his live action counterpart. In “Le Pig Al Patrol” the Inspector employs the old trope where a character hails a ride from the taxi driver only having the taxi leave without him. Likewise, this mishap transpired with Inspector Clouseau only to have the cabbie chase the car on foot in RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER. Upon numerous attempts on his person, Clouseau believes the Mad Bomber to be responsible in THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN and REVENGE OF THE PINK PANTHER. In “Napoleon Blown Aparte” the Inspector is incapable of the preventing the Mad Bomber’s act to eliminate the Commissioner. Forty winks were uttered by the Inspector when he decides to knock out Toulouse La Moose in TOLOUSE LA TRICK; In THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN prior to Clouseau's attack from Cato he says forty winks. His pronunciation of “beump” when he strikes The Moose with a club is akin to Clouseau's mangling of the French language. In Le Escape Goat (

The series employed Henry Mancini’s lavish theme used in the title for A SHOT IN THE DARK (1965) aptly fit. Adding to the beauty of the shorts, was Tom Yakutis sensational layouts. One feels as if you have been walking in the breathtaking locales (France, Switzerland) the cartoon took place in. Pat Harrington Jr. provided a light French cadence for the Inspector and Sgt. Duex-Deux. Occasionally he would lapse into Peter Seller’s habit of mispronunciation of certain words. Paul Frees performance of the Commissioner reverberated the fierce ferocity, and the authoritativeness - the traits best associated with him.

Of the Inspector shorts that were on there, my favorites were “That’s No Lady That’s Notre Dame”. In an attempt of catching a purse-snatcher, the Inspector surreptitiously cross-dresses, however, the Commissioner mistakes him for a woman - his sister. The Inspector too embarrassed to reveal himself to the Commissioner, he accompanies the Commissioner for dinner. Eventual they meet in the Commissioner’s apartment where they encounter his wife who has a headache.

The Commissioner’s line “We have now come to the parting of the ways,” had become rutted in my mind. The brisk pacing as the Inspector in drag attempts to be unnoticed by the Commissioner’s wife, however constantly ran into the Commissioner, and would dress again sent me howling with laughter. Among the numerous verbal taunts uttered by the Commissioner to the Inspector that were comedic were: “You can explain - after I kill you!! I'm going to invoke the unwritten law!!”

Another short that I liked was "Unsafe and Seine" that sent the Inspector and Sergeant Deux-Deux on an excursion upon receiving notice that his life was in peril. In the beginning, the Commissioner responds in an equally booming voice "Lower your voice when you yell at me, when the Inspector reveals how the secret agent may be unethical delighted me, because I liked how assertive he was rather than complying with his superior. The calamities that both him and Duex-Duex were victim to was amusing.

The first destination was a seedy bar, Le Slit Gullet. A ravishing woman wearing a décolletage flirting with Sgt. Deux-Deux was appealing due to the stunning design of her and the seductive voice provided by June Foray. It made me realize how these cartoons were intended for adults. The Inspector upon seeing how much adoration Sgt. Duex-Duex was receiving literaly turned green with jealousy. I enjoyed how Pat Harington Jr. as the Inspector rather hushed, but nuanced delivery of the line "May I remind you are on duty, Sergeant". The utterance of Sergeant caused a huge uproar in the dives sending weapons chasing after Inspector and Duex-Duex.

In addition to the Pink Panther cartoons on that tape there were a supporting series, "The Ant and The Aardvark", which featured a laid back ant named Charlie, and an aardvark who wants to eat him. At Warner Bros. Friz Freleng had directed the Sylvester and Tweety cartoons; It would be natural that Friz’s earlier work at Warner Bros. would permeate through the “Ant and The Aardvark” series. John W. Dunn and the other writers assisted in devising or reworking gags that seemed inspired. “The Ant and The Aardvark” seemed to me a fresh change of pace from the other predator vs. prey animated cartoons.

Comedian John Byner did an excellent job delivering the lines as both the Ant and his nemesis. The Aardvark rattling off his witticisms to the audience during his unsuccessful attempts of capturing the Ant was entertaining. When I had viewed cartoons where Sylvester would attempt to capture Tweety, he would not divulge his plans to the audience. I thought having the character breaking the fourth wall made all the difference. The voices for both characters perfectly suited their personality. The enthusiasm of watching the series had trickled into my school work. Composer Doug Goodwin created the lingering Dixieland music that perfectly accompanied the Aardvark catching the Ant. In gym class, when I played floor hockey, his music score for the series played in my mind as I dashed from area of the gymnasium to the other.

The final cartoon “From Bed To Worse” (1971) was helpful in preparing me for a quiz in science. The Aardvark while whacking his cane on the dog’s leg cast, utters, "DON'T! BE! A! WISE! GUY!" When I saw that sequence for the first time I was in stitches laughing. It is brilliant how the Dog’s reaction is frozen during the whole moment. The Aardvark says to the audience “You know what? I think he’s dead.” The dog removes his blanket to reveal an alternate leg cast, which he uses to hit him with. I suspect that it was Friz Freleng who may have timed out that sequence.

I transferred the audio from several “Ant and The Aardvark” cartoons to an audiocassette. Late at night, I was listening to this cartoon while attempting to memorize the ranking of rocks on Mohs Scale of Hardness for a quiz the next day. The punctuated dialogue the Aardvark uttered as he was whacking the dog had a catchy rhythm. I attempted to recreate the delivery of how the Aardvark said each word as I recited the order of rocks: It was an extremely helpful method. I relished opportunities where I could connect my studies to my interests.

Fan drawing by Friz Freleng. One of my dreams where Bugs Bunny interacted with the Pink Panther.