Where's My Hasenpfeffer?

Here of course is the one and only reason anyone knows what Hasenpfeffer actually is. Thanks to Friz Freleng for expanding our cultural vocabulary.

Where's Goopy Geer?

Love this one. The character Goopy Geer only lasted for three shorts, not quite the engaging front-man that Harman and Ising had envisioned.

Not Really Armageddon Wednesday

Say, it's Chicken Little from Disney's 1943 short, Chicken Little. It obviously has less to do with the end of the world and more with Nazism (or generally, as in the fable, manipulation and hysteria).



Foxy Loxy, while shown to be reading a book labeled "Psychology" to facilitate the spread of fear and chaos, actually recites passages from Mein Kampf. I presume the original story ends happily for the chickens, but in accordance with the symbolism, the cartoon ends with rows of wishbones and a happily engorged Foxy. "Don't believe everything you read, brudder."


Incidentally, try image searching Chicken Little these days and you come up with thousands of pictures of this poor dope:

"What the hell am I? Why do I look like McKimson's Junior???"

Old argument, but I had to bring it up.

As a final note, although contrary to what happens in the 1943 short, I'd like to think that Ducky Lucky and the booze crew would remain perfectly complacent as the sky falls.


"We were sailin' aloooongg... on Moonlight Baaaaaaay (hic!)"


*Update*

I just read the wiki article on the original fable. Many different endings, all relavent. Check it out.

Happy Independence Day!

Welcome to a special 4th of July edition of Armageddon Wednesday, in which we discuss the tiny little firecracker with the power to blow up the Earth, the Illudium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator, not to be confused with the now defunct Uranium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator, or the completely nonexistent Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator. Now, it's important that on this day of celebration we do not inadvertently destroy the planet, so please, do not light off an Illudium PU-36. If you are having trouble differentiating between the Illudium and your average firecracker, look for the following directions - "Place on flat surface, light wick, and get 35 million miles away." Simply place the Modulator in your pocket, and light yourself a sparkler. We'll all be much happier.

Public Domain Daffy 2

To Duck... or Not to Duck
1943

Here's another short off this hideous VHS tape I own that's still in the Public Domain. It's by Chuck Jones, and for the life of me I can't figure out why it hasn't been in regular circulation, because it's hilarious. Must have something to do with the violence. I gotta admit, I remember wanting to play out the whole scenario for real, which would mean a whole lot of hurt for some unsuspecting friend. But, it's all for the comedy, you know.

Godspeed, Ned Sparks

Who is this man, you may ask. Why do you force upon me his grim visage? Why doesn't he go away and leave us alone?!



Well, here he is as a hermit crab in Tex Avery's Fresh Fish (1939)...




Here he is again at The CooCoo Nut Grove (1936) courtesy of Friz Freleng...




Here he spends a lovely day at Friz's Malibu Beach Party (1940)...




And here he provides grins and gaiety for Old King Cole in Disney's Mother Goose Goes Hollywood (1938)...


So... who is this wearer of many hats, this man with the smiling eyes?



Why, it's none other than 1930's character actor, Ned Sparks!

I think we owe it to this forgotten thespian for providing us years of laughs with no understandable context. Let us all take a moment to reflect on Ned. Because, even after all these years, there's a little bit of Ned in you and me.

For more information on Ned Sparks, visit Ned Sparks on IMDB.

Public Domain Daffy

Daffy the Commando
1943

Here's a wartime short by Friz Freleng that's still in the Public Domain. I actually have a copy on VHS - one of those two dollar compilations with an unbelievably off-model Daffy on the cover. It's clear that these hodgepodge video production companies had no art department to speak of, but that's no reason to delegate package design to Aunt Dorothy the bookkeeper, despite the fine craftsmanship of the googley-eyed pine cone critters she makes for the local craft shows.


It's a great cartoon, and probably would have been shown regularly on the Turner programs were it not for the subject matter.