In keeping with the Paramount cartoon theme, in today’s cartoon a turtle has to deal with Wolfie. I wish someone would give this poor wolf some food…

But first, life here, Thunderbean and related:

Yesterday was an incredibly busy and exhausting day here with the Senior Studio students at CCS all showing their final projects. It’s also a farewell or sorts, after spending four years knowing them and helping them through their college years. Some of the students graduating have helped more recently on Thunderbean projects, including digital restoration and cleanup for the things we’re doing for MeTV as well as a little animation for titles on the Blu-rays.

We’re nearly done sending a batch of eight special discs, and I’m working on preparing the next batch to go out hopefully within the month. I’m also helping Tommy Stathes finish off his excellent Dinky Doodle Blu-ray, a project with many years and many hours invested in it. It’s been one of my favorites to work on, as was the recent Back to the Inkwell Blu-ray/DVD set.

As I wait for several things to get back from replication, I’ve been putting the Cartoons for Victory set to the forefront after it was on a sort of holding pattern for a while. We were waiting for the four “Hook” cartoons from the Naval film archive. Sadly, we were recently informed that their prints of all four films are deteriorating, as were the prints that were scanned many years back. We’ve decided to no longer have the set in a holding pattern and are working on getting this Blu-ray upgrade together with the best material we have. We have the Hooks from the master tape we have and a partial print of one of the shorts. There’s so many great things on the set, and, as the other in progress titles, we’ll be glad to have this one out.

And – onto The Old Shell Game (1948)

I know a lot of you folks are enjoying the new Famous Studios Champions set from Cartoon Logic. It’s so nice to see these films from their master materials- a great improvement over previous available copies. Thad Komorowski did a beautiful job in cleanup/restoration of the shorts. If you haven’t gotten this set yet and like the Famous Studio cartoons, it’s a must.

Thunderbean did a DVD set of Noveltoons back in 2012. It was some of the first scans we did in HD, and cleaning them up with very primitive software back then was a real chore. We were so happy to get a good amount of the films in 35mm Technicolor prints. When we finally ported the set to Blu-ray, Thad was instrumental in cleaning up many of the films as well as providing a few commentary tracks. The set has been out of print for a while, and a few months back we decided to reissue it, re-cleaning up some of the films with the better, newer restoration software and replacing some of the prints. It will be out with the next batch of discs sent from Thunderbean within the next month or so.

Finding vintage 35mm prints in good shape on Famous Studio’s cartoons was always hard, but the collectors have been incredibly generous in lending things for so many of the Thunderbean projects. I’m glad there’s people that are involved in collecting that are generous enough to lend their rare prints. It’s not everyone of course, and some of the things we *really* want have been scuttled away for many years. Hopefully we’ll be able to borrow some of the those in the future.

Jerry Beck lent us this print of The Old Shell Game when we were producing the Blu-ray. It was pretty beat up and missing a little piece of footage near the end, but looked great in Technicolor otherwise. We’ve done a little more cleanup to the short now, removing many of the lines as best as we could. It’s still probably the most worn film on the set, but still a pretty fun watch.

I like the Famous Studios cartoons, and I always wonder how many of the stories came about in the 40s. It’s such a varied group of films in terms of themes and direction, with so many of them being really entertaining.

Let us know your thoughts on this one- especially if you have never seen it before (I bet most of you have though!).

Have a good week everyone!

It’s a Famous Studios sort of week– thanks to Cartoon Logic’s excellent new release, Famous Studios – The Champion Collection. I just got my copy and its a beautiful as I thought it would be (I was lucky enough to see a little progress along the way). Thad Komorowski has done a huge service to these cartoons and film history in this release – these films looking as good (or better) than they were meant to be seen. Support his efforts and get a copy if you haven’t already! [Click Here].

So, as a tribute of sorts to the set, here’s an unrestored Famous Studios cartoon from 1949: Spring Song!

But first, as usual, in Thunderbean land:

Shipping, shipping, shipping. We’re still getting out a batch of special discs with another following it, and then almost immediately following those we’ll be starting to ship the Rainbow Parades, Volume 2 disc. We’ll have an article about that set as it gets back here. The Thunderbean Noveltoons disc is just about to get back from being re-replicated as well, so we’ll be shipping those soon too.

It’s the last weeks of school here at CCS, where I teach animation. Even though I enjoy the job a lot, I’m especially excited for the summer this year and so happy to have a break. Having the extra time makes all the difference in being able to accomplish big things each summer- and this one is packed. I’ll be taking a trip out west to get a bunch of films to scan, then headed east to scan a bunch of other things too! Since there’s a lot of projects wrapping up, and as each wraps up it frees me to work toward the finish of another. Four are close right now, so those will be the first out the door. I’m already trying to figure out when to rest

Enough of that! Back to today’s cartoon!!

The Screen Songs are definitely not at the top of the list of best cartoons from the studio- but that said, they’re still full of quality work. The drawing and animation is appealing throughout this short, and the design and layout is well done. This is a Myron Waldman directed one, and I can recognize some of his layout in the early scenes. I especially love the illustrations during the song in this one, and can recognize some of the layout of those stills are also by Myron. Larry Silverman is also credited, and I’m sure a good amount of the usual team in the unit is on this film. I wish I had talked to Myron more about the Screen Songs. They’re such an afterthought in the history of the studio since they’re so simple, and sort of half-length in terms of actual animation footage.

The Jerry Colonna-baby bird is an especially strange moment in this film. Super fun to watch frame by frame or slow if you’re interested in a few extra laughs.

We were able to get some color back into this old NTA print that had faded, but yellows don’t pop the way I’d like them to. Still, it’s nice to see at least some color on this particular title.

Have a good week all!

Wonderful people live in some form as long as the rest of us remember them and pass forward the things they’ve taught us and helped us to do. Losing this wonderful man is particularly hard, so I thought I’d share a few words about him and post a film he lent to us— and did a commentary too!

Dave Kirwan (1951-2026) was a husband and father, Grand Sheik (and often keeper of the celluloid) for the Sons of the Desert ‘Busy Bodies Tent’, cartoonist and Illustrator, and a generous and talented human being.

While I didn’t know Dave as well as many of his closer friends, I always enjoyed the chats and communication we had over the years. He was an amazing help to Thunderbean and its pre-curser, Snappy Video, by doing a lot of the early film transfers onto 3/4” tape as well as lending many rare prints and even selling a few to me. Dave’s help, along with his good friend Jeff Missinne, helped me at a time where I was completely new to trying to get anything produced or finished, and I’m forever grateful to them both.

Dave’s son, Alex, has worked in animation since the 90s, creating all sorts of beautiful and fun work. He was nice enough to illustrate the cover for the Flip the Frog Blu-ray as well as provide a commentary for Spooks, a cartoon he grew up with from his father’s 16mm film collection.

When Thunderbean was working on the Mid Century Modern 2 DVD set, Dave lent his whole series of ‘Weatherman’ spots, made by Soundac Studios in Florida. I asked Dave if he’d be willing to do a commentary for these short little films, and was thrilled when he said yes. In the four and a half minutes or so of these shorts, Dave does an excellent job of explaining what they are and how they were used.

So, here’s Dave’s commentary and his prints to boot! I hope you enjoy them!

An excerpt of one of Dave’s ads, selling used 16mm prints in the fanzine Mindrot #16 (February 1980)

First, some quick Thunderbean news:

We’re cranking on sending out special sets this week – 8 in total! We’re trying hard to catch up on all of these and have this be the most productive year at Thunderbean. I’m particularly happy with this group of the special sets, and thanks to everyone who has contributed to these since it’s made so many of the real sets move forward. We also have two new ones (and all Lantz and all Columbia set) at the Thunderbean Shop, and will be working to get Rainbow Parades volume 2 out the door soon as well as several other official sets. I’m really enjoying seeing many longer-term projects finally out the door, and I know many of you are super happy about that too!

Now- today’s film!

The loveliest thing about this period in time is that we have good quality versions of so many things that used to be only available in both less-than-great versions and standard def. It still makes you wish that *everything* was already available, but that’s of course asking for too much!

For the things that are still not available in HD, having access to a good 35mm scan often suits the bill.

Christopher Crumpet’s Playmate (1956) is a feast for the eyes in its simplicity and ‘modern’ aesthetic. Directed by brilliant animator Robert Cannon, it’s full of both the design sensibility and beautiful animation you would expect. T. Hee takes credit for story (along with Cannon) as well as design, with the great Jules Engel simply getting a credit for color. It’s nice to see a credit for voice actors Marvin Miller and Marian Richman, who provided voices for the first Christopher Crumpet film as well.

The film starts out with Christopher Crumpet’s father making Christopher return a very blue dog, suggesting Christopher play with an imaginary friend instead. From there, it’s a fun little story featuring incredibly supportive parents, something I think a lot of us would have loved. I was lucky in that my own parents really tried to help me with artistic pursuits the best they could. If you did have supportive parents and they’re still around, show them this little film!

Seeing this 35mm print projected recently was a feast for the eyes, and I’m glad to be able to share that print here. Seeing a high definition version on these really make a difference- you see the textures of the paint, the self ink lines on the cels, the detail of grids and phone cords in one scene- and the beautiful quality of motion.

While I don’t see this as a top cartoon from the studio, I find it pretty enjoyable as a little piece of entertainment- and I applaud UPA for making films like this one for families that could work like an animated storybook.

Have a good week all!

The Scrappy cartoons have always been a favorite of mine, and maybe always will be-but, in the past,the collectors of 16mm cartoons I was often chatting with would often here a less-than-favorable review of them – saying “The Krazy Kats are better”. While I *had* a lot of Krazy Kats, I usually wouldn’t pursue them in the same way I would the Scrappys, so I ended up with a lot of Scrappys and only a handful of Krazys comparatively over the years. That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy them. They were just in a category somewhere below the Scrappys, and when I found some for sale, the Scrappy I didn’t have would be bought first.

Now, all these years later, I’m way, way less likely to focus on collecting film and more about restoring things from film. There’s just too much to do, but I do think, possibly, at some point, I’ll still want to get more Krazys than I have currently.

Of course, The Columbia Krazy Kat isn’t really Krazy Kat at all, at least not in the sense of the brilliant comic strip. The Columbia Krazys are their own entity, bearing more a resemblance to every other studio’s cute 30s characters and the expected population of animals. I have to admit I really like most anything with that formula, so, in that way, the early ones are great. This one, Ritzy Hotel (1932) has all the elements of the best of the series – great animation, funny gags and a happy Joe DeNat score. What could be better?

Ben Harrison and Manny Gould were exclusively helming the direction of the series from 1926, when Mitnz’s studio was in New York, moved to the west coast into the beginning of the sound era though 1933, then continuing to direct some of the cartoons along with the Color Rhapsodies series. It was a popular enough series through those early 30s years, then really began to lose steam in the mid-30s as so many cartoon series do.

I’ve been really enjoying reading your thoughts on these cartoons, and the information each person brings as well. I can’t wait until the end of the school year and the current giant pile of restoration and Blu-ray stuff I’m sorting through to be a little less overwhelming so I can spend a little time writing a little more too!

This week’s print is from Tommy Stathes’ collection- he was kind enough to lend. It’s sadly warping a little here and there, but still a good watch. Thanks Tommy, and have a good week all!

Every studio experimented with different formats in making cartoons. 1939 is a really interesting year in animation history. Gulliver’s Travels became a huge hit at the end of the year, Pinocchio was finished at the end of the year, with Fantasia also being nearly done.

Warners continued to refine their own brand of comedy while MGM struggled between comedy shorts (The Milt Gross, plus the Captain and the Kids shorts) and, later in the year, Harman/Ising’s Disney-esque films. The Fleischers remained strong in the Popeye cartoons and meandered between solid and wobbley films with the later Betty Boops and the Color Classics. Back on the east coast, Paul Terry’s Studio, comprised of seasoned New York animators, had a pretty fascinating year in terms of types of films. Some shorts were the standard animal outings with fair to spectacular production qualities (Their Last Bean, the Ice Pond, The Owl and the Pussycat, The Nutty Network, The Three Bears, The Orphan Duck). Their overall look and story elements fall between a cloying Disney-esque approach, Fleischer’s Color Classics and WB’s Merrie Melodies. A whole series of one-shot black and white shorts feature human characters (Nick of Time, Frozen Feet, The Golden West, The Prize Guest). Gandy Goose and Sourpuss get their own shorts that land somewhere between a Warners and a little more Disney-esque in approach. I find all pretty interesting, and have found I’ve rarely gone back to watch the one shots. So, when Tommy Stathes lent me this short a few weeks back, I was pleasantly surprised – so here it is!

The Prize Guest (1939) plays like a one or two-reel comedy short more than a cartoon in many ways. Directed by Mannie Davis and written by John Foster, the short features a hotel detective tasked with following a mysterious, magical guest who can defy gravity as well as make his dog disappear at will.

It’s a beautifully layed-out picture featuring some beautiful shots of New York Skyscrapers. Terrytoons don’t often get noted for their backgrounds, but they really should since there’s so much beautiful layout and painting work in these shorts.

Now, it’s not a ‘top’ cartoon by any means, but a very enjoyable little outing nonetheless.

The short repeats a gag from Foster’s earlier Van Beuren cartoon Trouble featuring ‘Tom and Jerry’. The print here has a splice at that gag, so here is another print of the same cartoon to watch that scene

Here is the print we’re posting, featuring the original titles. Thanks again to Tommy for the lend – and have a good week all!

Happy Thursday!

First, at Thunderbean:
Things are humming as we get out a bunch of the special discs and Mid Century Modern 2, now back in stock. We’ve put up the titles we’re sending this week in case anyone missed them as well. I had a chance over this last week to get out to New York and scan a bunch of things. I was also able to visit my friend and collaborator Tommy Stathes, who was nice enough to lend this week’s cartoons and many more. Thanks Tommy!

Now, onto this week’s film:

Maybe Columbia’s Mutt ’N Bones is the closest any studio got to making a Pluto cartoon besides Disney. In this WW2 outing, a dog dreams of being the “king of the bones” but wakes to none. In his local newspaper (“The Hard Times”) he reads about a bone drive to support the war, then spends the rest of the film competing with a Bulldog to bring bones to the bone drive, looking for a bigger one than he already has.

Compared to Disney’s Pluto, Columbia’s dog here is a little more worldly. He completely understands what he reads in the paper, and, like Tom and Jerry, seems to lead a human life even while living like a dog. It’s nice to see such an altruistic animal supporting the war at the expense of the thing he’d like most in the world.

Columbia cartoons from this period tend to be really dialogue heavy, often at the expense of much action. Mutt N’ Bones is refreshing in that it’s a visual gag cartoon without dialogue. While clearly taking cues from both Disney and Tom and Jerry cartoons, it still holds its own. There’s lots and lots of personality poses in the fun animation along the way, and plenty of gags- and while it’s far from the finest entertainment you’ll have this year, it’s enjoyable in the way it’s enjoyable to read the funny papers, and after all, that’s what it was designed to be.

Have a good week everyone!