Poster Post
Was always kind of fascinated with the way old-time Hollywood studios treated their cartoon shorts like little movies. To think that they actually made and distributed posters for each little gem… well, the mind boggles (granted, my own mind is particularly boggle-prone about all things animated.)
Now, I can only recall actually seeing such a poster in an authentic theatre lobby, performing its original function — advertising the regular exhibition of single animated short subjects — exactly once. It was in a rundown movie palace a couple of months before its closing and eventual demolition. The poster was a very old one for Terrytoons (not the one illustrated above) and, come to think of it, the movie I was seeing with my family was not accompanied by any ‘toon, Terry or otherwise. Some irony.
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On March 15th, 2006 at 12:00 am
Don’t get me started on TERRYTOONS or the subject of Cartoon posters (two of my favorite subjects). Not only did Terry do posters, but several times he created lobby cards (RARE for cartoon shorts). Most of the studios released publicity stills for each cartoon, and sometimes pressbooks. Of course, this was also done for other studio short subjects such as The Three Stooges and Our Gang. I still recall seeing the one sheet for the first PINK PANTHER cartoon in a theatre (at Century’s MEADOWS in Long Island) when I was a kid. It all seems odd to us today because so little of this kind of marketing is done for kids cartoon shows. Saturday morning cartoons were lucky to rate a double page cednter-spread ad in comic books or a single page in TV GUIDE (on the premiere date). Today I marvel at the billboards on Sunset Blvd. for BEN 10 or MY GYM PARTNER IS A MONKEY. It’s still a rarity.
On March 15th, 2006 at 12:00 am
Jerry,
I’ve seen all kinds of posters and pubicity stills over the years, reproduced or in the hands of collectors and dealers, and I’m certainly old enough to have seen oodles of cartoons shown in actual movie houses supporting totally unrelated standard issue feature films… but it just drives me a little crazy I can’t remember seeing more of the actual marketing materials doing what they were originally designed to do. I do recall a gorgeous one sheet I saw in Italy about thirty years ago. It was, in fact, a poster for a festival of WB cartoons to be shown in a neighborhood church one weekend, and had been rather carelessly taped to a wall with date and times scribbled across it (with a really messy marker!) Even in its defaced condition, it looked as tasty as all the wonderful pasta I consumed that vacation.
On March 15th, 2006 at 12:00 am
About a year ago I was in a poster gallery here in LA, and when inquiring about posters for animated shorts I was presented with the Terrytoon poster pictured here, perfectly restored and linen-backed. It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen, Mighty mouse’s face lushly rendered, and half the characters on the tray utterly unidentifyable (who the hell is that walrus anyway?) Needless to say, I’m returning for it as soon as I win the lottery.
On March 15th, 2006 at 12:00 am
That’s Willie the Walrus (not to be confused with Walter Lantz’ Wally Walrus)and a Seal from IGLOO FOR TWO (1955). Next to him is a boy scout named GOOD DEED DALY. The circus ringmaster is BARKER BILL. Other characters in front going right to left are THE TERRY BEARS, PUDDY THE PUP, DINKY DUCK, HECKLE & JECKLE and FARMER ALFALFA! This was the last poster before Gene Deitch came in and changed everything!
On March 15th, 2006 at 12:00 am
I’ve always loved cartoon movie posters, which is why we started the Frederator postcard series; it was the closest we could come. Actually, we started by doing shorts posters at Hanna-Barbera/What A Cartoon! http://frederator.com/rez.php?album=15