The Funniest Introduction To A Cartoon

 

Tex Avery is the most legendary cartoonists out there, he's definitely my main influence and hero. His gags and characters are all memorable. 

Classic animated short films are one thing I love the most. 

The best introduction to a classic animated short is Red Hot Riding Hood (1943).

I have alot of passion for fairytales/nursery rhymes in comedic cartoons and films in general. It's been holding to me ever since I watched TV shows like The Backyardigans and Super Why as a little artist.

Anyways on to why this cartoon has the best introduction.

It first starts off with Red Riding Hood skipping through the forest. Same as in the original story.

Next is the grandma, and she looks pleased and prepared to see Red Riding Hood coming to see her.

And finally we get to meet the menacing wolf who will ruin a good bit of Riding Hood's cheery walking. Sounds similar right?

BUT WAIT!

The wolf has had enough with this cliche of nonsense and says "If you can't do this thing a new way bud, I quit!" 

I love the animation in this one. He's really mad. The force of him throwing that hat is powerful. 

"I'M FED UP WITH THAT SISSY STUFF!"

Best one-liner ever.

Heck even Red Riding Hood is fed up too as well as Grandma.

I love this so much. Breaking the 4th wall in films are what to make a short/movie funny. I'm surprised not every comedic film has done this at least once but hey it's whatever the directors put into their minds.

Even the narrator is hilarious in this one. Usually narrators just narrate what's going on in the film, but here it's done to comedic mastery.

Now they're smiling.

We can finally get into the real action of this cartoon!

I do have one teeny tiny flaw with this cartoon and that's the title card. I would've wished it could've said Red Riding Hood since it's shown twice, it would've been funnier like this.

But all of that aside, this is such a genius thing to do with a cartoon made in the 40s. I'm surprised that cartoons aren't made like this anymore, because generations out there don't understand what real humor is. Cartoons and films may have more fun visuals and look more modern, but I swear if you don't experience at least a second of these cartoons or others like Looney Tunes or Spongebob's Season 1-3 you probably aren't fully challenged by what jokes and comedy are yet. 

I managed to plan my 2nd Artmania cartoon with The Boy Who Cried Wolf. It's a take-off on the original story but funnier. Enjoy these two storyboards.

The Awesomeness That Is Silly Symphonies

 And now, I have a really interesting thing to talk about. 

Nowadays these feel like they are kinda overlooked. 

People would just imagine that they are just seeing the average B&W films in movie theaters back in the 30s until in July 1932, Disney released Flowers And Trees (1932) and the whole world immediately exploded.

I know that Flowers And Trees wasn't the first Silly Symphony cartoon, but it's probably the first good film in its series. I find the black and white ones like The Skeleton Dance and Hell's Bells to be average. 

 

When they said no to color anymore, just look at them. This was what Disney was before they made movies like Snow White, Fantasia and Bambi.

Goddess Of Spring turned 90 years old about 3 weeks ago and it looks like it was made yesterday, I know it's restored, but just look at the details, the soundtrack, the shadowing, it's all pleasent and real! It's by far my favorite Silly Symphony cartoons.

By that era they also made amusing and well-written characters.

My first experience to a Silly Symphony cartoon is probably The Cookie Carnival (1935) it was on YouTube and this was at a time I was beginning to be drawn with classic animation. I was probably, what like 12 or something? 

It was the good times.

This has to be the most detailed and best animated Silly Symphony cartoons. Everything looks so delicious.

You can't tell me looking at this makes you feel starved.   

I sure haven't watched every Silly Symphony cartoon but I'm willing to, at least the ones in color. So far I have some I think are masterpieces.

I thought Music Land (1935) was remarkable. It had alot of tribute to music and had such a sweet plot to the whole thing. I loved it and sure they make short films like this nowadays? It's kinda rare since short films nowadays commonly involve an emotional feel, or is unnecessarily shorter than these films.

The Old Mill (1937) is in my opinion, Classic Disney's magnum-opus, you can feel something and be challenged seeing this cartoon. The effects in this feel impossibly professional, looks like it was all made with surreal magic even back in 1937, no computers, just hand drawn animation. This does deserve the academy award and to be in the Top 50 Best Cartoons. It's that legendary.

Usually I'm not a fan of silent-ish films in general, stuff like the Pink Panther, or the Chaplin films I'm not really fond about. But this one is one of those cartoons I would say is best for having barely any dialogue, when I watched this I felt sorry for the duckling. It's one of the most touching Disney films I ever seen. 

It's the final Silly Symphony cartoon and it deserves to be the finale. I loved this one so much.

These short films have influenced me so much and I would love to make cartoons like this. I would love to make Artmania like how Looney Tunes is with it's comedic appeal, and Classic Disney's use of fantasy and beautiful art to it all. Hopefully I would be able to get recognition for my series because I'm willing to get some help if needed if I'm doing something like this. I know I can't do it all by myself.

Mania Comics FIRST LOOK 💥

 I just started releasing my first ever comic series titled Mania Comics as of today!

Issue 1 November 24th 2024

I can thank classic animated cartoons and other media for influencing my art.

I'll post something more big tomorrow.

Where Has This Animated Short Been All My Life?

 I was exploring and watching some more modern animated shorts that were made in the 60s-90s, and while on that, I saw this and I immediately clicked on it.

This animated short has live action and cartoon bits and that's by far my favorite concept in film. 

This cartoon has a funny and amusing title.

I can already tell you this is off to a great start. This dog's design is fresh.

This film was released in 1984, and there was another film similar to this called Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but with this one it was released 4 years earlier. This was so mind-blowing back then. 

Even then the dog reminds me of another character that wasn't even born when this film was released.

When the dog does these impressions, it reminds me of The Genie in Aladdin.

I was shocked to see that this cartoon felt like it was based off what my interests were in animated films.

It's like I was controlling the directors brain to make this cartoon before I even knew I loved my interests.

THIS scene reminds me of when Charlie Dog commits fatal death by jumping off the window but he lands on a bunch of mattresses in the cartoon Awful Orphan, and that is my favorite cartoons, and Charlie Dog is one of my favorite Looney Tunes characters.

This cartoon has alot of expressive energy.

And even has a little bit of musical spirit here and there.

I love this stuff, I was so happy to finally watch this cartoon, it's a masterpiece. 

It may not be super coherent, but just this concept and the dog's personality makes this cartoon a watch.

My First Planned Artmania Short

 You might probably remember who this might be. If you checked out my concept Bud Light commercials, you might know this cat. 

I named him Whiskey. 

So the last time I posted on my blog, I was talking about a segment in Mickey's Follies (1929). I have alot to say about this, because it's probably the first Disney film to ever have realistic acting to their animation. 

More or so this picture.

I watched this a few days ago and I was astounded by how pleasant the frames looked, more or so Mickey's song is kinda out of character, but it's hilarious. The cartoon to me isn't that fantastic, as is it has a unammusing rooster fight, and a basic singing pig scene, but man this part where Mickey sings is what made this cartoon good. 

In fact, it saved myself by making and planning on a short film I want to make that includes some inspiration with Mickey singing in that cartoon. 

You may notice I doodled in Astro-Cat drawings and those unnecessarily are not needed in the actual cartoon. 

I made additional sketches on what I'll look like.

It's definitely out of order, and certainly isn't the final product obviously.

Notice there is some supporting characters than only Whiskey. 

Chloe the Cat, Whiskey's love girl.

And Tronic. The bad guy who is trying to kidnap Chloe. He's also a less insipid version of Pete in the Disney shorts.

I have alot of passion with classic cartoons.

With it's zany animation

Gorgeous backgrounds

Hep dancing

And romance!

Okay maybe not all of it.

But that's what's in this cartoon. I named it "It's A Cat's Thing". 

I would like to talk about inspirations on what the cartoon will lead to because I'm full of inspiration. I watch alot of stuff and mostly it's the classics.

When Whiskey flaps his arms it's inspired by Fleischer cartoon, Hold It (1938), it's by far my favorite Fleischer cartoon I ever seen. It's full of energy and musical spirit.

Not only is my character Tronic inspired by the likes of Pete, but also the hotel manager in Porky Pig's Feat. It's a hilarious cartoon. 

I made Tronic purposely follow Whiskey's rules to make Tronic trip onto a mud hill and it was clearly inspired by the hotel manager falling the stairs. 

I also have a passion for the alley cat concept in cartoons. Top Cat is a huge example of that. 

It's not only going to be about a male cat and female cat falling in love!

While I loved the scene in Mickey's Follies where Mickey was singing and his facial expressions were widely bizarre even in the late 20s, Whiskey's singing and facial expressions was also inspired by another singer back in the roaring 20s.

Al Jolson, he was massive in the 20s, his songs were influential and admired by millions of people, and I can see why. I haven't listened to all of his songs, but he's a really good entertainer. If it wasn't for him, songs would've been alot different.

Here is my character doing the pose.

While on that, my artmania cartoons will definitely have some smart writing and classic acting. I already made it clear that I want my cartoons to be inspired by a collection of classic comedies like The Three Stooges, Abbott And Costello, Laurel And Hardy, Looney Tunes and The Muppets.

However this would've taken another route if I haven't touched a certain actor.

Bing Crosby has to be my favorite classic hollywood actors of all time. I can relate to this guy's personality and films more than any other actor I have ever watched.

In his first short film, I Surrender Dear (1931), the scene where he is talking to a girl he is interested in, the bad guy shows up and causes trouble. You can tell it's influenced by my drawings of Whiskey, Chloe and Tronic.

Wait for it...

BAM! He holds onto the stick and it's no funny business. Seriously I love this stuff. He was a underrated and legendary actor. Even in his over-dramatic or dull movies he was still good in them.

Whenever he fights/argues with someone, it's legitimately the funniest and most amusing arguments in film history.

Bing's films, and laid-back charm inspired alot of my character's facial expressions and cartoon stories that I started to like romantic and musical films even more.

The cartoon is clearly a damsel in distress climax as well. But I actually made it more smart and entertaining. 

Usually Damsel In Distress in classic cartoons are centered around a popular female character and a strong looking villain, Minnie Mouse, Pete, Olive Oyl, Bluto, etc.

I found cartoons like that to be good, but a little too redundant.

I certainly don't like when the girl is screeching "HEEEEELP". It's been done a million times and I never was a fan of it. Like can you say something else than just "Help"? 

I didn't want Chloe to be annoying and dumb-founded like how Minnie and Olive Oyl are. When she gets caught, she has a tough heart. She knows that it's not the end of the world since Whiskey and the other cats love her. 

That's all I have for the cartoon so far. Once last thing is that when Tronic gets defeated, the cat's are all going to cheer like with Book Revue's ending.

Whew, this was the most difficult post I done so far. I'm feel proud for completing this off, since Artmania is such a big task for my drawing career. 

I certainly want to make the world a better place with my drawings and characters.