Comments on: Bill Burnett & Vincent Waller: What is Funny?

By: Chris Sobieniak

Chris Sobieniak — Fri, 11 May 2007 00:00:00 +0000

HA!

I remember this! Thanks again for bringing those back into the public mind! HA! was the cable channel my cable company bothered picking up by the summer of ‘90.

I do have more HA! promos and ID’s in my collection as well, and could stick those up on YouTube if or whenever I have the time to cobble them all together. Used to watch that channel a lot before my family got rid of cable for a brief period once they became “CTV: The Comedy Network” to when they became Comedy Central for which I next saw the channel in the fall of ‘92.

By: Vincent

Vincent — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0000

In my mind (little hopes and dreams) this was an introduction to a character. Not and always or a bible. I didn’t think the plan was to have him search for What is Funny for the rest of his life. I think Slap could have been a great and funny character in almost any situation that we threw at him.
It would have been fun building a stable of characters around him and putting them through their paces.

By: Vincent

Vincent — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Of course I meant, Not “An” always, or a bible. I had to rush to a SpongeBob breakdown meeting, and didn’t proof read the dang thing.

Back in the good’ol days, when Bugs Bunny or for that matter any cartoon character showed up. No one needed to know all his background in the first six minutes of their appearance. No one asked about or expected to be shown whether or not he lived with his parents, if he was married, or if he had any kids. All he had to do was show up, bring his personality, along with his ability to deal in his own special way, with whatever situation he was dropped into.
I don’t mean this to a negative rant. I had a wonderful time working on, and with everyone at Oh Yeah. It was a terrific chance to do cartoons as close to the old way as may be possible in the current enviroment. I am grateful to have had the chance.
Reading the above I just truly hope that whoever was making the decision when they were looking over Slap T Pooch, that they didn’t think we intended him to be on a perpetual search for the actual question “What is Funny”.
Thanks Fred for posting the cartoon. Maybe someone will re-think Slaps usefulness.
Happy Happy

By: Norm Zamcheck

Norm Zamcheck — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Thanks for this fab late Chanukkah present - a big ol piniata full of Bill Burnett creations.
Great to be able to savor a Burnett retrospective. As just another jealous singer songwriter I have to say "Let it Blow my Way" is one of the top 10 or 5 on anyone's list-tho of course I always dig "In the Land of the Giant Babies" and what was that one about flannel omelets or something - and also I must marvel at the Burnettian musical versatility - not only is Guantanamo Bay a classic, but you have Gordon Lightfood nailed . .
I will have more awestruck fan stuff as I
proceed to sample all the goodies Bill

The world awaits a full Burnett screen production with music, animation, Burnett acting and singing . . . This must happen

love & amazement at all you've done
the real stormin norman

By: Howie Hoffman

Howie Hoffman — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0000

“What is funny? I don’t know, I’m asking” is a genius catchphrase for a cartoon character (No surprise there if you know Bill Burnett. Many people approach being geniuses in their niche, but Bill has more niches than just about anybody I know).
I do feel though that the cartoon needs a through “storyline” (Story being loosely defined in the old cartoon tradition of a comic situation with a payoff). A situation could define the character in a way that makes the line “Is that Funny? I don’t know, I’m asking” a natural for the character. The design already does this (I love it).

so that’s what I think is Funny even though you weren’t asking me!

Oh, and one more thing about Bill’s “genius”. He’s generous with his genius.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0000

I think the answer to why this cartoon didn’t take off is pretty simple. It constantly breaks the fourth wall by asking the viewers what they think is funny, making them think about something that should be relatively instinctual or unconscious. It is its own worste enemy. Perhaps a comedian who has trained himself to consciously consider what is funny would be able to enjoy this cartoon, but I don’t think most people would.