There are so many funny things out there in the world of entertainment, people think shows like Spongebob, The Office, The Simpsons, Tom and Jerry, South Park, and other comedies are the funniest thing people have seen.
In my personal taste, the funniest show isn't really a show, it's a cartoon, it's a world full of 7 minute short films that changed my life for the better.
It's The Tex Avery MGM Cartoons!
Tex Avery is my main hero. His characters, gags, and cartoons were something I have never seen in any form of media, and it was for the best.
His scenes feel meme-worthy and hold up to this day. He introduces us with normal looking scenery and then a few seconds later he adds a sign and we all can tell you it's going to be a great cartoon.
Tex Avery's animators were also one of the best most notably Preston Blair, Ed Love, Ray Abrams and Walter Clinton.
His expressions were also what made me want to make my own cartoons. They feel so lively and full of energy.
Usually nowadays in cartoons, when characters scream they don't hold up as classic cartoons usually do it. When I see someone screaming nowadays in an animated show, they sound so basic and forgettable.
When I saw Slap Happy Lion (1947) I was immediately mind-blown by it. I did watch a more low-quality version of it, but it kinda doesn't matter because the way the lion was roaring at the start, caught me off guard and the camera was shaking and I already had some inspiration on what I should do with wild scenes like this.
It's a great cartoon, I would highly recommend it if you like old cartoony shorts. My favorite parts are when the forest animals are scared and they run. It has alot of creative gags in it.
It's kinda odd for me to say that my favorite type of comedy is when it immediately breaks the 4th wall or it's a joke based cartoon while also having some sort of slapstick.
I can get a little strict with what I like in a cartoon.
Shows like Family Guy and South Park have gags related to pop culture but in my opinion, they don't make sense and sometimes can be sluggish and mean-spirited.
And shows like Courage The Cowardly Dog and Oggy And The Cockroaches may have wacky animation, but they didn't do a thing for me, I think it's because it doesn't have the potential of strong acting or smart writing in them.
Tex Avery's cartoons are hilarious to me because they feel more appropriate and simple. In fact, Tex himself proves he loves his audience by actually skipping the MGM intro in one cartoon, Batty Baseball and the baseball player stops and tells that the intro should be needed.
That is one of the best 4th wall breaks I ever seen in film. Because people nowadays and even before were kinda worried where the intro went. 🤣
Even first watching, these are fun, but sometimes you oughta want to watch them again if you didn't know what was happening, because I was one of those people.
My first Tex Avery MGM cartoon I ever watched was probably Screwball Squirrel (1944) and I loved it when I first saw it, but in that experience I was just starting to know alot about what Tex Avery thinks should be in a cartoon, and I was extremely distracted by what was happening in-between scenes.
I'm one of those rare kids who watches something and kinda forget what was going on, watch it again and then remember it for now on.
My favorite scene in
Tex Avery cartoon history is when in Little Johnny Jet (1953), the jet and also his son fly in different landmarks and what we get is a rainbow tied up in a shoelace knot. That is hilarious.
Wait, there's more! A blimp gets shaved and it's now shaped like a watermelon. I forgotten about this gag and after coming back to watch this one, I immediately laughed at it.
Also Leaning Tower Of Pisa leans the opposite direction.
The Sphinx's head is shaved off, funny.
And my personal favorite is the ship turning into a little tugboat.
That was pretty cool.
OH YES. I forgot. My actual personal favorite is the Statue Of Liberty's dress blowing in the wind.
That is genius!
Tex's final cartoon he had any involvement at MGM, was Cellbound (1955) and it is fantastic. The animation may not have been as appealing as it once was, but I kinda like the dog's design here. It's cute and the gags still land.
In conclusion, Tex Avery's MGM cartoons are what made me love classic cartoons even more. They have influenced me, made me a better artist, and fit my personality. They are funny, smart, full of energy, and also full of clever jokes.
I would love to talk about more of my heroes like Bob Clampett's wacky energy, Robert McKimson's manly detailed animation, and Mel Blanc's fantastic voice acting as well as the Disney's like Ward Kimball, Jack Kinney, Milt Kahl, and John Sibley, real life heroes like the creator of Yo Gabba Gabba and Backyardigans, actors like Gene Kelly's fantastic dancing and Bing Crosby's laid-back calm personality and musicians like Glenn Miller, Carl Stalling and Michael Jackson.
I would love to talk about these people because they were a part of my current childhood.
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