I'm Much Too Tired For Christmas Capers

For Christmas this year, I thought I'd bust out some random Rankin/Bass characters. Can you name them all? 

Hint: One of them is Santa Claus.

DuckDoc

I recently finished a six week course in 2D animation. The following is what I was able to accomplish.

     It's not much, but I'm proud of it. I used to want to be an animator and then went a different direction, but always kept a love for the genre... obviously. I'm definitely not looking to get a job in the animation industry any time soon, but it feels good to know that I've at least dipped my toe, ever so slightly in the field, and am capable of doing these things that I've always adored. 

I hope to try my hand at more of this and continue to grow. Fingers crossed.

The Real Ghostbusters (1986 - 1991)

     So with the release of Ghostbusters: Afterlife this weekend, I thought it would be appropriate to Kablama Slam once again, this time with a look at Saturday morning’s run in with the ever so popular paranormal investigators. 

The Premise: The further adventures of Peter Venkman, Egon Spengler, Ray Stantz, and Winston Zeddemore who, along with their ghost sidekick Slimer, take on the various spooks and specters that terrorize New York City. 

     This cartoon was, of course, based on the hugely successful 1984 film. That film, however, wasn’t the first property to bear the name ‘Ghostbusters’ and had to get permission from Filmation to share the name with their 1975 television series, The Ghost Busters. In 1986, after the success of the film Ghostbusters, I guess Filmation thought that maybe there would be some new interest in their obscure series and rebooted it as a Saturday morning cartoon, this time without the space in the title and simply called Ghostbusters. You with me so far? This prompted Columbia Pictures to title THEIR Saturday morning cartoon (which was released the same year) The REAL Ghostbusters in order to differentiate. The Real Ghostbusters ran for seven seasons while Ghostbusters only ran for one, proving that it doesn’t really matter who is first; only who is best. 

     The Real Ghostbusters was my first official introduction into this franchise since I was only three years old when the movie hit theaters. Whenever I first saw the film, I remember instantly falling in love but thought it was strange how Peter Venkman looked nothing like his animated counterpart. I think the thing I love most about The Real Ghostbusters was how well it made light of horror by injecting humor, just like the film on which it was based. I’m a big wimp and, therefore, not a fan of horror in the least. While I watched my fair share of this show, I found some of the show’s ghosts pretty nightmare-inducing and eventually stopped watching. However, I was still okay with one aspect that, let’s face it, was the true drive behind all of Saturday morning television …Toys! 

Kablama Slam! Fun Fact: Ernie Hudson, who played Winston Zeddemore in the film, auditioned for the voice of Winston in the series but DIDN’T GET THE PART!

Three Monsters and a Frog

 

     Here I am, your roving blogger back with another Sesame Street blog post. Kermit the Frog is usually seen as an entertainer and the ultimate master of ceremonies, but I've always seen him as a newsman at heart.

POWER Suits

     I've never been a real He-Man fan... with the exception of the 4 Non Blondes spoof and that supermarket commercial.

     BUT THEN, Kevin Smith and Co. gives us Masters of the Universe: Revelation and, what can I say? I'm neck deep in Mandom now! 'Mandom' of course being the term I just coined for the He-Man fan community and am also instantly retracting because it reminds me of that creepy Charles Bronson commercial. I'm referencing a lot of YouTube on this one.

     Anyways, anyone who knows me knows that when I really like a thing I draw cartoon penguins dressed as that thing... and so here you go.

Rebooting Ruxpin: The Wooly Whats-It

     It's been a while since I've visited my rebooted world of Grundo, but I'm back! One of the most difficult characters in this series of redesigns has been Teddy's big furry friend, the Wooly Whats-It, or... as he's more affectionately known... Wooly.

     This guy has always been one of my favorites, so maybe that's why I had such a hard time coming up with a new look that I'm happy with. As you can see below, I've given the task several attempts.

     Then one day, I thought I'd finally found a winner! I scanned him in, cleaned him up, and even used some artistic techniques that I hadn't ever really tried before. As I looked at the finished product however... it just didn't look like Wooly to me. It was close though.

     I decided to take a break from Wooly after that. I was definitely overthinking it. He needed to be simpler. Fast forward a couple of years and simpler is exactly the direction I went. I just started doodling crude shapes and putting eyes on them in hopes that I would find my Wooly Whats-It.

And BINGO! I've got it!

     He's big. He's purple. He's fluffy. His hands and feet don't have those nasty spots on them like they did in the animated series, AND he's lovable! I love him at least.

...

Well hold on...

...

Now I'm not so sure.

Muppet Babies (1984 - 1991)

It’s time once again for me to talk about the Saturday morning cartoons of my youth. 

Ahh… youth. 

Let’s Kablama Slam! 

 

The Premise: It’s right there in the title. The MUPPETS are BABIES. Kermit the Frog and friends hang out in a nursery under the care of their nanny,…Nanny. They play, sing songs and solve problems using the incredible power of their combined imagination. 

 

     There have been countless spinoffs, over the years, where characters from a franchise are reimagined as younger versions: The Flintstone Kids, Yo Yogi!, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Baby Looney Tunes, Disney Babies, Baby Yoda… okay that last one’s a little on the fence, but still! The idea’s been done! Muppet Babies, however, did it first! 

     The whole concept spawned from a random scene in the 1984 film, The Muppets Take Manhattan, or rather that random scene spawned from the concept. The actual plot of the film involves the Muppets trying to make it on Broadway, but then there’s this moment where Miss Piggy inexplicably daydreams about the gang knowing one another since birth! It’s jarring and completely out of character, almost as if its only purpose was to plug a cartoon series that would air two months later. I may sound as if I’m saying all of this with a tone of cynicism, but whatever! It worked! The moment is BY FAR my favorite of the film and, what’s more… I loved this show! 

     Where other preschool cartoons focus on more basic things like shapes and numbers, Muppet Babies was all about using your imagination. One minute the gang are in their nursery, and the next they’re serving cheeseburgers in Jabba the Hutt’s palace! While the situation would constantly bounce back and forth from the babies’ reality to their stock-footage filled daydreams, at no point do any of the characters question what the others are doing. They take the ball and run with it like a preschool improv group made up of bears, pigs, and whatevers. It’s hard to think of another show that more accurately visualizes “playing pretend,” as well as promoting creativity to the level that Muppet Babies does. When you consider that the show is the product of one of the most creative people who’ve ever walked the planet, however, well… there’s no other way the show could have gone!

Kablama Slam! Fun Fact: Most of the main cast appear in puppet form in The Muppets Take Manhattan with the exception of Animal and Skeeter. The puppet version of Baby Animal later appeared during a scene in A Muppet Family Christmas, while Skeeter, in one of the largest failures of the human race, has yet to appear in puppet form ever!

Happy Birthday, Jim Henson!

     Today is Jim Henson's birthday! I was going to commemorate the occasion by honoring the man with some standard Kermit fan art. You know? Run of the mill stuff. However, I instead chose to go against the grain a little by drawing some more Sesame Street...

....aaaaand without any characters that Jim Henson ever performed.

...

Yeah I really didn't think this through.

Blathering Blatherskite!

     I was feeling a little nostalgic for the DuckTales NES game, so I thought I'd revamp an old Gizmoduck drawing with his original moon look. I loved every level of that game, but I think I'm pretty well in the majority when I say that the Moon level was my favorite.

Smurf Along With Me!

     There's a new Smurf series right around the corner. Thinking about this made me realize that, in my first Kablama Slam installment, I didn't do the little blue guys enough justice. Here now are few more of what I'm calling "Silly Tokens," featuring more of the blue crew!

There's more to smurf! Stay tuned!

C is for Cookie

     I don't know if anyone out there is getting a kick out of these Sesame Street characters of mine, but I'm certainly getting a kick out of drawing them. Here's the third installment featuring MY personal favorite: Cookie Monster!

     Some of these guys, like Cookie for example, are so simple in their design and yet still so difficult for me to convey the personality that I'm wanting to convey. After a couple of takes, though, I came up with something I'm happy with. Cool story, huh?

Who Wants a Friend Like This?!

 

     I try really hard to keep things positive and upbeat on this blog which takes quite a bit of effort at times as I'm in my 40's now and it's becoming easier and easier to sound like an old piece of crap. This whole business with Disney World's new Genie Plus, however, has me too upset. It upsets me that Fastpasses are no longer free when they have been for years. It upsets me that the same company who makes such inclusive statements as "We're all in this together" or "There's room for everyone under the rainbow" would simultaneously continue to transform their park into one that only caters to the privileged upper class.

     But what really upsets me... WHAT REALLY UPSETS ME... is that this disgusting cash grab is all under the name of one of my favorite characters! I mean, what's next, Disney? An "Elsa Plus" that makes you pay for a once complimentary cup of ice water?!?

Happy 50th, Disney World! Way to be an old piece of crap!

Eek! the Cat (1992 - 1997)

     The Kablama Slam continues! Last time, I talked about a certain cartoon cat that we all know and love. I thought I’d keep the theme going with another feline who might not have had the same impact as his orange tabby predecessor, but certainly left his mark on my childhood Saturday mornings.

      

The Premise: Eek is a kind and optimistic cat who never fails to put others’ needs before his own, despite the fact that doing so consistently causes disaster. He’s the pet of two bratty children and the constant victim of Sharky the Sharkdog, the neighbor’s… dog? Fish mutant? Seriously, what is that thing?! 

     Eek! the Cat, or Eek!Stravaganza as it was later retitled, was the product of Nelvana Animation, the Canadian company responsible for The Care Bear Movie!... as well as... well... many other properties that were NOT The Care Bear Movie. Overall, Eek! felt like a cruder version of Garfield. Not that that's a bad thing. Especially at the time, "cruder" cartoons pushed the envelope of "family friendly" animation in the same way the greats like Tex Avery and Chuck Jones did back in their day.

     This show was a must-watch for my brothers and I every week and, while I might not be able to recall any specific plot line, I could list random elements from it all day!  I remember Sharky, of course. I remember that Eek had a morbidly obese girlfriend who he never realized was fat because he only saw her personality… Sweet? I remember a Star Trek parody where Mr. Spock was a sock puppet named Mr. Sock, and I remember the Squishy Bears: crude knock-offs of... Oh! Look at that! The Care Bears!

     I keep using the word 'crude,' but the show still had a sense of charm. Eek's cracked smile, frazzled whiskers, and overall strung out look are the product of his relentless optimism in the face of constant adversity. It's a trait that I personally strive to emulate and, while I probably wouldn't cite Eek! the Cat as a  personal inspiration, you'd be remiss if you didn't find the little guy's attitude just a little inspirational.

     After a couple of seasons, the show tacked on another cartoon than ran as a separate segment, the same way Garfield and Friends did with U.S. Acres. It was called The Terrible Thunderlizards and told the story of three mercenary dinosaurs named Doc, Kutter, and Squatt attempt to kill two inept cavemen and, in classic cartoon fashion, NEVER succeed. 

Kablama Slam! Fun Fact: Eek! the Cat was originally titled "The Six and a Half Lives of Eek the Cat."

Jellicles Do

     Last August, I posted my first attempt at putting a new spin on the characters from Andrew Lloyd Weber's Cats and, would you look at that? Exactly one year later, here I am rolling out the second batch!

     As I mentioned, the theatrical version of Cats is greatly appreciated in our household. We have it on DVD and my daughter used to watch it literally every single day! She had the entire thing memorized to the point where any version that was performed even the slightest bit different would make her cringe. Lately, however, she's moved on to other interests. She still likes Cats, but it's no longer the obsession it once was. This is a good thing, of course, but I'd be lying if I said there weren't times where I wished I could go back to when that sweet kid was scream singing "Memory" in the back seat and, somehow, freeze that moment forever.

Sunrise, sunset, I guess.

Sorry. That's another musical entirely.

Two! Two Sesame Street Blog Posts!

     Here's the next installment of me satisfying my nostalgic urge to draw some classic Sesame Street. Years ago, Palisades Toys announced a line of Sesame Street action figures in the same vein as their beloved Muppet Show figures. Sadly, the company went bankrupt before the toys were ever produced. While this was good news for my bank account, it left a small void in that little muppety piece of my soul. I've attempted to fill this void by drawing these characters in the same waves as the action figures were released. It has absolutely zero collector's value, but it is much easier on said bank account.

Taking It To The Street

    I'm not saying anything unique when I say that Sesame Street was a very influential part of my childhood. It taught me about numbers and letters, of course, but much more! It taught me about birth and death. It taught me about marriage and divorce. It taught me about nutrition, nature, lady bug picnics, Spanish, Mandarin, pinball machines, race relations, subway stations, rhyming, service animals, toaster maintenance, super hero parodies, Broadway parodies, game show parodies... soooo many parodies!

But above all, it taught me this: 

Puppets. 

Are. 

Awesome.

     And because of such, here now is the first of what I hope to be many posts devoted to all the whatnots, monsters, and twiddlebugs who reside in that beloved suburb where the air is oh-so-sweet!

The Sacred Timeline

     Now that Marvel Studios is back in full force, I went ahead and updated my unofficial (but basically official) MCU timeline. I have to say though, applying this whole multiverse thing is going to be a tough nut to crack. But hey... challenge accepted, Marvel. Challenge accepted. 

Click on the jet ski below for what I consider to be a beautiful union of form and function.