Here’s another rare Captain and the Kids cartoon I decided to share on this Patreon—The Winning Ticket, released October 1, 1938. This time around, this entry features the aforementioned kids, Hans and Fritz, and pirate sea captain Long John Silver, voiced by Mel Blanc.
Besides the crew of animators mentioned in The Captain’s Pup, one of the new hires at the studio was Bill Nolan, a pi...
2021-01-13 14:29:10 +0000 UTC View Post
Nellie of the Circus, the first from the short-lived “Mello-Drama” series was released June 19, 1939, produced by Walter Lantz. Based on surviving production art, the backgrounds for this film were painted in color and shot in black-and-white. According to the production draft, an...
2021-01-07 20:30:59 +0000 UTC View Post
As we wrap up what amounted to a dismal year, there are some positive aspects for me to take away from this difficult period of our lives. I wanted to say extend my thanks to those who have supported this Patreon page this past year, and to the readership of my Cartoon Research articles.
My involvement with different restoration teams has kept me extremely busy, as some as you may have observed. During the year, I have performed digital clean-up, compiled photo galleries, and e...
2021-01-01 07:11:26 +0000 UTC View Post
Four Color #178 (December 1947) is more notable for Carl Barks’ Donald Duck feature Christmas on Bear Mountain, which introduced the character of Uncle Scrooge McDuck. The other story in the magazine has been overshadowed by the main Donald story, so this Christmas, we are presenting it to you here.
In the story, Mickey Mouse and Goofy are working at Santa's Workshop at the North Pole. Goofy is made custodian of Santa's reindeer, where he discovers that Prancer has b...
2020-12-25 14:38:27 +0000 UTC View Post
For our comic book story on Christmas Eve, Chip 'n' Dale go out caroling to spread good cheer to all, and to all including Donald Duck.
From Walt Disney’s Christmas Parade #6 (November 1954)—drawn and inked by Jack Bradbury.
2020-12-24 21:16:54 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's a special holiday-themed story with Alvin, Theodore, Simon and their father/songwriter/manager Dave Seville!
From Alvin and His Pals in Merry Christmas with Clyde Crashcup and Leonardo #1 (December 1963/January 1964)—the script is by Don Segall, but the penciller and inker for this story are unknown.
2020-12-22 22:23:08 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's a Christmas-themed story featuring Disney's Br'er Rabbit!
Before Song of the South reached theaters in November 1946, the Disney Sunday strip Uncle Remus and His Tales of Br’er Rabbit first ran October 1945, as a preview for the upcoming feature. The first twelve weeks of the strip was a direct adaptation of Song of the South, and original stories featuring Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear. As the stories continued in 1946, new characters ...
2020-12-20 18:00:25 +0000 UTC View Post
I hope many of you have done your holiday shopping early—preferably online, given the dreadful circumstances this year has brought. For the holiday season, here is a highly frenetic six-page story featuring the Terry Bears, drawn (and possibly written) by the inimitable Jim Tyer.
From Paul Terry’s Mighty Mouse Comics #38 (February 1953).
Speaking of Jim Tyer and the holiday season, here is the 1933 Little King cartoon 2020-12-19 18:22:17 +0000 UTC View Post
In light of the huge Nor'easter (a big snowstorm) us East Coasters have to deal with today, here's an animator breakdown video on Donald's Snow Fight, directed by Jack King, assisted by Bob Newman and Ralph Chadwick, and layout by Bill Herwi...
2020-12-16 20:32:57 +0000 UTC View Post
Western Publishing seemed to give established animated characters a bellicose (or busybody) next-door neighbor—Donald Duck and Neighbor Jones, Barney Bear and Mooseface McElk, and in this Yuletide-themed story, Woody Woodpecker is up against is neighbor Tackhammer in a competition for best Christmas tree on the block.
From New Funnies #155 (January 1950)—drawn by Lloyd White, inked and lettered by Suzanne Seaborne.
2020-12-15 19:53:23 +0000 UTC View Post
Today, here’s a holiday-themed "L’il Bad Wolf" story drawn by another artist besides Gil Turner. This story was written and inked by Don Gunn, one of many dependable workhorses for Western Publishing, producing stories featuring Disney, Warners and MGM characters. He also drew stories for comic book magazines for publisher Benjamin Sangor (e.g., Coo-Coo Comics).
Some background information based on research I’ve conducted on Don Gunn: Donald MacNichol Gunn was born March ...
2020-12-12 19:08:36 +0000 UTC View Post
Today’s comic book story for the month of December features Daffy Duck and Yosemite Sam—or, rather, Pirate Sam. Though Sam is most portrayed and drawn as a Wild West outlaw, advertising and comic book tie-ins depicted him in pirate garb as he is depicted in Buccaneer Bunny (1948) and Captain Hareblower 2020-12-10 18:08:26 +0000 UTC View Post
Being that it’s the 55th anniversary of the holiday classic A Charlie Brown Christmas, I’d say it’s the perfect time to announce an upcoming post—an animator breakdown on the entire special!
An animator draft has recently come to my attention, and I will be presenting an accompanying video for Patrons at the $10+ level <...
2020-12-09 17:46:35 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's a special treat for Patrons at the $5+ level!
I’ve previously shared a sneak peek of Frank Tashlin’s stop-motion short The Lady Said No (1946). Now, here’s a “restoration comparison” video, using the raw 16mm Kodachrome scan and the clean-up/stabilization work I have implemented on the film. This will be featured on Steve Stanchfield’s Stop Motion Marvels 2,...
2020-12-08 18:28:10 +0000 UTC View Post
For the month of December, this Patreon will present a series of vintage holiday-themed comic book stories with licensed classic animated characters. This Yuletide special will start off with a story featuring The Fox and the Crow!
First appearing in Frank Tashlin’s The Fox and the Grapes (1941), Fauntleroy Fox and Crawford Crow appeared in a series of cartoons released by Screen Gems...
2020-12-05 17:09:55 +0000 UTC View Post
Here’s a special treat for the public I’ve prepared for the holiday— some of the more hardcore animation buffs might appreciate this.
When MGM severed their contract with producers/directors Hugh Harman and Rudy Ising in 1937, the film studio established their own animation department with Bill Hanna, Friz Freleng and Bob Allen as principal directors. Their first cartoons were a series based on Rudolph Dirks’ comic strip The Captain and the Kids, an offshoot of the long...
2020-12-03 19:55:23 +0000 UTC View Post
Happy holidays! Here's a Thanksgiving feud with Barney Bear and his grouchy neighbor Mooseface McElk for the occasion...
Barney Bear starred in his own series of cartoons for MGM during the early 1940s, and a burro was his supporting player in The Prospecting Bear (1941). The burro starred in a solo appearance (and redes...
2020-11-26 17:34:54 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's a comic book story with a slight Thanksgiving theme, featuring Henery Hawk! After he made his first appearance in Chuck Jones’ The Squawkin’ Hawk (1942), the little chicken hawk became a regular feature in the line of Looney Tunes & Merrie Melodies Comics by late 1943. Starting with Walky...
2020-11-23 19:08:11 +0000 UTC View Post
Here’s a special Saturday surprise for you loyal Patrons—an animator breakdown on a cult favorite, Donald’s Dilemma!
JB Kaufman has kin...
2020-11-21 08:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Today for the month of November, here is a quick five-page story featuring Famous Studios/Paramount's Baby Huey!
From Casper the Friendly Ghost #16 (January 1954)—drawn and inked by Marty Taras, the co-creator of Baby Huey.
2020-11-19 15:05:21 +0000 UTC View Post
It means so much that you loyal Patrons, and the general public that have read the comic book stories I've shared, have been very patient as the fall season continues. To show my appreciation, I'm announcing an exclusive animator breakdown that you'll really enjoy. It will be offered for only two weeks on the $3+ level starting on Saturday (11/21). <...
2020-11-18 20:15:32 +0000 UTC View Post
Today on Patreon for the month of November, here’s a clever Thanksgiving-themed comic featuring Bugs Bunny, Porky and his nephew Cicero. In this story, Bugs has the idea to turn the bloated repercussions of Thanksgiving dinner into a profitable weight-loss reducing business, with Porky Pig as his test subject!
From Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Comics #122 (December 1951)—drawn, inked, and lettered by 2020-11-17 19:01:54 +0000 UTC View Post
Here’s a special Sunday surprise for all of you—an animator reel profiling the work of Don Williams!
Williams started in animation in the early 1930s at Walter Lantz’s studio on the Universal lot. Shortly a...
2020-11-15 17:49:02 +0000 UTC View Post
In today's story for the month of November, Chip 'n Dale want to have turkey for Thanksgiving instead of acorns. The theme of "pilfered poultry" comes into play again as Goofy is hired to stand guard at a turkey farm after many have been stolen.
From Chip ‘n’ Dale #4 (December 1955-February 1956)—drawn and inked by Harvey Eisenberg.
Today on Patreon, here’s the first Thanksgiving-themed comic book story for the month of November. Readers might find a recurring theme of pilfered poultry in a few of these selections and this story is no exception, when Zeke Wolf plans to catch a turkey "without working for it, that is!"
From Walt Disney’s Comics & Stories #195 (September 1956)—drawn, inked and lettered by Gil Turner.
2020-11-11 17:32:13 +0000 UTC View Post
The votes have been tallied, so it is has been decided that vintage Thanksgiving or turkey-themed comic book stories will be posted throughout the next couple weeks.
I appreciate your patience, and I will try to publish non-Thanksgiving related content this November. I have a new animator reel in the works, which I will compile when I can spare the time.
An update on some news: the cache of MGM drafts from Mike Barrier's files turned out to be much smaller than I imagined—...
2020-11-08 17:57:47 +0000 UTC View Post
Being that it’s the month of November, I wanted to share vintage comic book stories with classic cartoon characters with a Thanksgiving theme. However, I don’t want to risk alienating non-American readers and Patrons, so instead of adding a Thanksgiving or turkey-related story without warning, I wanted to leave that all up to you. Would it be okay to share some of these stories to the Patreon? Vo...
2020-11-05 18:47:47 +0000 UTC View Post
Being that it’s Election Day, it seemed appropriate to post this important political cartoon from Industrial Film, which later evolved into United Productions of America (UPA).
Hell-Bent for Election was intended for use in the 1944 presidential campaign against Franklin Roosevelt and Thomas Dewey. The United Auto Workers (UAW) approached John Hubley to make an animated cartoon from a script written by Robert Lees. John Hubley and Bill Hurtz drew the storyboards, with help fr...
2020-11-03 16:12:35 +0000 UTC View Post
Now, for our special Halloween story)—The Flintstones Meet Frankenstein and Dracula. Naturally, the inclusion of the Wolf Man and the Mummy would have made the feature a much long title. Never mind the fact that Frankenstein's monster is referred to as Frankenstein or "Frankie" in the story—a common misconception of the original source material.
From The Flintstones #33 (April 1966)—script by Vic Lockman and drawn by Phil De Lara, a former animator for Warn...
2020-10-31 15:37:06 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's another Halloween tale featuring L'il Bad Wolf, with the Seven Dwarfs making an appearance! From Walt Disney's Comics & Stories #146 (November 1952)—written, drawn and inked by Gil Turner.
Tomorrow, I'll have a comic book story that will truly be a graveyard smash...
2020-10-30 15:14:33 +0000 UTC View Post