As I have stated before while Popeye cartoons are often assumed to be simply the same storyline over and over, this was not the case, as there were many that did not revolve around Popeye and Bluto fighting over Olive. One of the great cartoons that don't follow this formula is Goonland (1938). This film introduces new characters to the animated cartoons. However these characters were not brand new. They had existed previously in E.C. Segar's comic strip, Thimble Theatre for which Popeye was also originally created. The characters of the goons would first appear in the comic strip in 1933, before appearing in this cartoon. This was the only of the theatrical cartoon shorts to feature the goons, however they would later appear in animated Popeye TV cartoons. Poopdeck Pappy first appeared in the comic strip in 1936. While Goonland was his first appearance in a theatrical cartoon short, it was hardly his last, as he would become a reoccurring character in the cartoons. This film would later be remade as Popeye's Pappy (1952), though that cartoon would replace the goons with stereotypical African natives.
One thing that Looney Tunes director Norm McCabe hardly ever gets the credit he deserves for is helping establish the personality of Daffy Duck. His cartoon Daffy's Southern Exposure (1942) was one of the first films to show Daffy as a fully formed character that was more than just a crazy duck. He was crazy mind you but that hardly defined his personality here. Personally this is one of my favorite black and white Daffy cartoons and I hope you enjoy it as well.
Next up comes a cartoon short from The Huckleberry Hound Show (1958-1961). This cartoon stars Hokey Wolf, whose cartoons replaced Yogi Bear's spot on the show when Yogi got his own spinoff show. Hokey was not dissimilar to Yogi as he was also a con-man (animal) that was constantly in search of something to eat and like Yogi, he also had a little sidekick he also functioned as his conscience while still looking up to him.
Now for what is possibly my favorite of Walt Disney's Alice Comedies, Alice's Wild West Show (1924). One may notice that this film uses more live action than later entries, but it is so entertaining that who cares? During the animated scenes one may notice that Alice's sidekick is a dog instead of Julius the cat. Disturber Margert Winkler was not happy with this even writing Walt saying "I might suggest in your cartoon stuff you use a cat whenever possible and don't be afraid to let him do ridiculous things." In the next film, Alice's Fishy Story Alice's sidekick was a cat. From all evidence it seems as if she wanted to create another Felix (whose cartoons she also distributed) or to make sure Felix's producer Pat Sullivan knew that she was the boss.
Let us end with another silent cartoon from Walt Disney, an Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon called Rival Romeos (1928). Notice that a gag involving a goat eating the sheet music was repeated more famously in the landmark Mickey Mouse cartoon, Steamboat Willie (1928). Also notice that Oswald's rival is Pete, later Mickey's rival.
Stay tooned next week for more classic cartoons, until then peace love and cartoons.
-Michael J. Ruhland
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