Category: Cartooning

I didn’t get this joke in Bob Clampett’s “What’s Cookin’ Doc?” until reaching a certain age.

I’ve been surprised by some of the cartoons that MeTV has shown on Toon In with Me. “Mother Hubba-Hubbard Hubbard” is a recent example. From Columbia, a studio that seemed perpetually on the brink of bankruptcy, this cartoon is a 100% Tex Avery imitation, with voices probably by Stan Freberg. The surprise is an intact sequence that’s been censored for many years.

The guy who posted that video gets MeTV in HD. I’m jealous, because In Boston the station continues to be aired in SD. I watched MeTV in HD on my many visits to Phoenix. This is the censored scene as it appeared here, on WCVB 5-2.

Something else Boston doesn’t have is MeTV+. This Columbia cartoon takes its inspiration from the Fleischer studio.

Turkeys playing harmonicas? Sure, why not. With a few background paintings, and narrowly focused action, this cartoon isn’t ambitious, but the quality of the work is excellent. Voices by Mel Blanc, who imitates Pinto Colvig’s Goofy.

“Harmonica Humdingers” takes its inspiration from Disney’s very ambitious cartoon “The Band Concert”, where Donald keeps interfering with Mickey by playing a lot of flutes.

Nobody’s asking, but I’ll tell you anyway, where yesterday’s animated GIF came from. I made it after seeing this Popeye cartoon on MeTV’s Toon In With Me.

Two physical book arrivals this week.

The Mysteries, by Bill Watterson and John Kascht.

https://www.amazon.com/Mysteries-Bill-Watterson/dp/1524884944/

Connecticut in the Movies: From Dream Houses to Dark Suburbia, by Illeana Douglas.

Notice: This will be my last blog post for a while. How long? Don't know yet. For now, my full attention needs to be elsewhere. Check back in a month or two. Thanks for being here to read this.