Comments on: Drawing on Their Own Experience http://archives.frederatorblogs.com/refrederator/2006/03/30/drawing-on-their-own-experience/ Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:53:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Jerry Beck http://archives.frederatorblogs.com/refrederator/2006/03/30/drawing-on-their-own-experience/#comment-59 Jerry Beck Thu, 30 Mar 2006 00:00:00 +0000 http://archives.frederatorblogs.com/refrederator/2006/03/30/drawing-on-their-own-experience/#comment-59 Paramount did an earlier, better, Casper called GHOST OF HONOR (1957) where Casper (at a Grauman's Chinese Theatre World Premiere of one of his shorts - yeah, right) recounts to a reporter how he got his break in cartoons. A flashback reveals him visiting the sunny, sleek, modern-designed Paramount Cartoon Studios in Hollywood, where he scares the pants off of artists in every department. This cartoon features rare crossover cameos by Baby Huey, Herman & Katnip and Spunky Donkey. <br /><br />Another Famous Studios cartoon - in the same vein - is HERMAN THE CATOONIST (1953) where Herman and Katnip chase each other around a cartoonists studio, using india ink, sharp pens and other various objects d'art as deadly weapond & projectiles. Incredibly (and hilariously) violent!<br /><br />Yet another earlier Famous Studios favorite is CARTOONS AIN'T HUMAN (1943) in which Popeye makes a stick figure animated cartoon and performs the soundtrack live, while projecting it on an out-of-control movie projector. What an idea!<br /><br />An even earlier Paramount cartoon, STOOPNACRACY (1934, a Max Fleischer Screen Song featuring Col. Stoopnagle and Budd), takes place in, and is about the inmates of, an insane asylum (aka a "nut house") - most of which are identified as animated cartoonists! Paramount did an earlier, better, Casper called GHOST OF HONOR (1957) where Casper (at a Grauman’s Chinese Theatre World Premiere of one of his shorts - yeah, right) recounts to a reporter how he got his break in cartoons. A flashback reveals him visiting the sunny, sleek, modern-designed Paramount Cartoon Studios in Hollywood, where he scares the pants off of artists in every department. This cartoon features rare crossover cameos by Baby Huey, Herman & Katnip and Spunky Donkey.

Another Famous Studios cartoon - in the same vein - is HERMAN THE CATOONIST (1953) where Herman and Katnip chase each other around a cartoonists studio, using india ink, sharp pens and other various objects d’art as deadly weapond & projectiles. Incredibly (and hilariously) violent!

Yet another earlier Famous Studios favorite is CARTOONS AIN’T HUMAN (1943) in which Popeye makes a stick figure animated cartoon and performs the soundtrack live, while projecting it on an out-of-control movie projector. What an idea!

An even earlier Paramount cartoon, STOOPNACRACY (1934, a Max Fleischer Screen Song featuring Col. Stoopnagle and Budd), takes place in, and is about the inmates of, an insane asylum (aka a “nut house”) - most of which are identified as animated cartoonists!

]]> By: Dave Kirwan http://archives.frederatorblogs.com/refrederator/2006/03/30/drawing-on-their-own-experience/#comment-60 Dave Kirwan Thu, 30 Mar 2006 00:00:00 +0000 http://archives.frederatorblogs.com/refrederator/2006/03/30/drawing-on-their-own-experience/#comment-60 Oops! (Actually double oops) I meant to post my acknowledgment to you, Jerry, that I was probably remembering both "Ghost of Honor" and "Ghost Writer" as one cartoon. Well, I am posting it now. Thanks again.<br /><br />Still think the whole business of Paramount-Famous people telling everybody they were making cartoons in a state-of-the-art California studio kinda poignant. Oops! (Actually double oops) I meant to post my acknowledgment to you, Jerry, that I was probably remembering both “Ghost of Honor” and “Ghost Writer” as one cartoon. Well, I am posting it now. Thanks again.

Still think the whole business of Paramount-Famous people telling everybody they were making cartoons in a state-of-the-art California studio kinda poignant.

]]> By: Jerry Beck http://archives.frederatorblogs.com/refrederator/2006/03/30/drawing-on-their-own-experience/#comment-61 Jerry Beck Thu, 30 Mar 2006 00:00:00 +0000 http://archives.frederatorblogs.com/refrederator/2006/03/30/drawing-on-their-own-experience/#comment-61 The makers of GHOST OF HONOR and GHOST WRITERS were probably drawing on their idyllic memories of the modern Fleischer Studios in Miami, which was quite the state of the art animation facility in 1938-1943. As we know, Paramount moved the staff back to Manhattan and cranked out the Popeye and Casper cartoons from office space on 45th Street off Times Square (half a block away from today's Nickelodeon headquaters on Broadway). In fact, one could consider the Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank to be the realization of that idealized "Paramount Cartoon Studio" pictured in those films. <br />At least, I like to think so. The makers of GHOST OF HONOR and GHOST WRITERS were probably drawing on their idyllic memories of the modern Fleischer Studios in Miami, which was quite the state of the art animation facility in 1938-1943. As we know, Paramount moved the staff back to Manhattan and cranked out the Popeye and Casper cartoons from office space on 45th Street off Times Square (half a block away from today’s Nickelodeon headquaters on Broadway). In fact, one could consider the Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank to be the realization of that idealized “Paramount Cartoon Studio” pictured in those films.
At least, I like to think so.

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