Spinach Skrewtny: 1941

Just one comment - the idea that the story guy credited wouldn’t necessarily be the guy who worked on the story is interesting, and I think a rotating credit system would’ve worked out nicely at the Fleischer’s, but seeing as how Ted Pierce (among others) sometimes get credited solo and other times get credited as a pair with someone else makes me think that’s unlikely. But that’s just me.

Say I’ve got one small request: I love the Pencil Test for R&S’s Stimpy’s Invention, but I really want to see you do an Animator’s Commentary with Kelly Armstrong and Glen Kennedy, on H&B/Eddie Fitzgerald’s original short for Cartoon Network’s What a Cartoon! “Tales of Worm Paranoia.” I completely and totally hope you’d be able to get it started and out by this September, if it’s gonna be all right with you?

Paul Christoforos

Hey, Bob Jaques, this is Polyvios. How are you? I’m fine.

Paul Christoforos

Yup...

Thad Komorowski

Ah, still. Did he step down when Famous OFFICIALLY took over/headquartered back to New York?

Sammy Timberg.

Thad Komorowski

Who was handling the music at this period? I noticed in the audio clips that the scores are still very solid.

Also, about CHILD PSYKOLOJIKY, when Popeye reads the "child pskolojiky," the book reads that besides the child receiving a reward, there also needs to be an explanation on what they did wrong - which Popeye completely ignores, mostly focusing on the positive reinforcement to get Swee'pea a toy for telling the truth.

Devon Baxter

Going off what Bob said about Sid Pillet, he was loaned out to Lantz to help out on THE ENEMY BACTERIA, as were four other people from other studios. (I imagine Bob is talking about the same press release - both The Hollywood Reporter and Showmen's Trade Review from September '44 share the same story.) I imagine he chose to stay at Lantz after that assignment, monkey wrenching until the studio closed in '48.

Devon Baxter

I remember my sister and I saw "Popeye Meets Rip Van Winkle" on Cartoon Nertwork as kids. She referred to the dwarfs as "miniature William Tells" (and Timberg even plays a couple of bars from the "Dawn" movement of Rossini's overture when they first appear). You don't think that "This guy says he'll punch you in the nose!" might be Jim Tyer? The odd movement and unnecessary drybrush as the character delivers the line look like something he might have animated.

John Veitch

its so weird to see all of the fleischer stuff go from being some of the funniest shit to come from an ink pen to becoming a watered-down version of the same stuff other places out west were doing at the same time. this is the same goddamn year where someone thought that those awful stone age cartoons were a good idea. what a way for the fleischer brothers to go, huh? also: where the FUCK do i read the dave fleischer oral history. i need this.

KFS is cheap AF. They will never do Popeye right.

Thad Komorowski

"With the exception of Segar and the Fleischers, Popeye kind of sucks." Yeah, sadly, I came to that realization a while back as well. (Like you, I do like the first few years of Famous.) However, the character still resonates. I have a Popeye mask, and random people always tell me they like it. I see people wearing Popeye T shirts still. Not bad for a character that hasn’t appeared in even a new cartoon, much less a good one, in ages. King Features is sitting on a gold mine and they don’t know it.

I've come to appreciate the Superman cartoons more considering all they had for reference is a couple of Republic serials, and literally nothing to go on for the animation.

Thad Komorowski

I rewatched the Superman shorts recently and while they're not my favorites, I am impressed that a studio that made comedy cartoons managed to pull off the science fiction style of the comic. Granted the writing isn't amazing, but the results are pretty good considering that they probably weren't well versed in dramatic storytelling.

Man, Poopdeck Pappy is one character that would've flourished in 1930s Fleischer's shorts. It's sad Pappy was used at both Fleischer's and Famous Studios at their lowest points since Pappy had the potential to be a strong character.

Mr. Animation Enthusiast