The Thanksgiving episode of Calvin and the Colonel:

https://youtu.be/hKGlsQVDMMY

I love the scene where Oliver (the weasel) is watching "talking humans/performing people" on TV!

While I was showcasing Halloween videos during the month of October, Casper was somehow overlooked this year. To make up for it, here's a Thanksgiving cartoon featuring the friendly ghost:

https://youtu.be/KXfVWYBVXRU

The turkey and the farmer are the same ones that appeared in The Voice of the Turkey.

It just wouldn't be Halloween without a surreal Fleischer cartoon to watch before going to bed! Here's an early Bimbo and Betty Boop from the 1930's (note her doggie ears!):

https://youtu.be/pdhbCZPDXFo

Now we know where the Ghostbusters got the idea for "an invisible man sleeping in your bed..."

For more Halloween fun with Bimbo and Betty Boop, just click their names. Happy Halloween!

One of the original founders of the late Filmation Studios died last week. To remember him, and to keep within this month's theme of Halloween cartoons, I present the following:

The Groovie Goolies perform "Monster Trio":
https://youtu.be/Nm8ClCmMRL0

The Archies, featuring Sabrina the Teenaged Witch (her original character design):
https://youtu.be/Lk-GJz7D1mo

I know that not everybody liked these Filmation staples, but suffice it to say that not everyone hated them, either. If you want to comment on these, please refrain from snarking, just this once. Thanks.

Ugly witches (and uglier ones) abound in this Fractured Fairy Tale about a hapless amphibian:

https://youtu.be/xXC66yMe3ao

This FFT is unusual in that it does not feature the voice of Bill Scott -- it's June Foray, Paul Frees, Edward Everett Horton and Daws Butler, the latter possibly filling in for the absent Bill.

Seeing as how in the past I've often spotlighted various Christmas videos featuring the Muppets, I thought why not include them in my Halloween spotlights this year? Here's a clip from a first-season episode of The Muppet Show:

https://youtu.be/eoP9x11VZK0

This skit was included in the illustrated Muppet Show Book, where, for some unknown reason, the punchline at the end was changed to "On New Year's Eve, the master turns into Guy Lombardo!" The illustration of Vincent Price's "transformation" looked exactly the same as he does here, baton, party hat, paper whistle and all.

An evil witch in the story of Cinderella? A Chevrolet instead of a pumpkin coach? Check out some of the animal characters in this oddity:

https://youtu.be/nETYkr1I4FM

Back in the 1930s, it wasn't uncommon for companies to commission cartoon studios to create commercials in the form of animated theatrical shorts, such as this one and this one.

The title of this Roger Ramjet cartoon is actually "Monkey," not "Sky Diving."

https://youtu.be/3RL2nCWgh3g

Gary Owens is such a great voice actor. In addition to Roger Ramjet, can anyone name the other three characters Gary provided the voices of that all appear (along with Roger) in the center panel of this page?

A short about a very odd-looking and forlorn creature that just wants a little love. Makes me think of a more humorous version of the fabled Squonk.

https://youtu.be/QY9yOZutRns

This was made by UPA for The Gerald McBoingBoing Show back in 1956. Mel Leven wrote the song and provided the voice of the Flink.

Yes, it's a triple feature this week -- three cartoons with similar themes. And a question: Which cartoon character (or pair of characters) would be the WORST one(s) to go see if you needed a haircut? Is the answer:

A: Heckle & Jeckle

https://youtu.be/wDi5gA-8M9s

B. Woody Woodpecker

https://youtu.be/Ox1yqXpzcjg

C. Bugs Bunny (Sorry, but this is the only full copy currently available on YouTube.)

https://youtu.be/ydLzvWaX0C8

Based on the above, my own personal choice for worst barber is B. Woody Woodpecker. Bugs was provoked into doing what he did when Elmer kept shooting at him, while Heckle & Jeckle knew they were dealing with a killer bandit. But Woody had no motive other than just plain mischievous malice for his actions, so he wins the Sweeny Todd award.

A rare David Hand cartoon that includes the weasel from this short:

https://youtu.be/hN4XNErCN5w

Naturally, if I'd worked on the script, the plot would have had a happier ending for the little sparrow and the weasel -- for the cuckoo, not so much . . . .

This week we have a comparison of two cartoons with similar plots. First is Chuck Jones's "The Bear That Wasn't" from 1967, based on a story by Frank Tashlin:

https://youtu.be/nb0fdwH0rZM

And then we have Gene Deitch's "Munro" from 1960, based on a story by Jules Feiffer:

https://youtu.be/M_cH8aDlHsE

Even though "Munro" doesn't have any animals in it, I think I like it better than Chuck's handling of "The Bear That Wasn't." What do the rest of you think?

This early anime series was based on the writings of American storyteller Thornton W. Burgess, best known for writing the adventures of Peter Cottontail circa 1910.

https://youtu.be/h-uo-uMYuL0

There are English episodes of this series on YouTube, but the voices used for the dubbing are so obnoxious that they're practically unbearable. Judge this English excerpt for yourself:

https://youtu.be/jBqtcVAuVy4

In the past, I've spotlighted Schoolhouse Rock's Multiplication Rock and Grammar Rock. Now how about a little Science Rock?

https://youtu.be/HBu9LZa8Yrk

(People with epilepsy may want to avoid watching this video.)

Created by Bruno Bozzetto, Stripy is a sort of a furry, laughing, floppy-eared, hue-changing . . . thing:

https://youtu.be/9CfaUHjb1fI


All Stripy cartoons I've seen use pretty much the same formula: Fat Guy wants to do something, Fat Guy meets Stripy, Fat Guy gets annoyed by Stripy's incessant silliness, Fat Guy does something mean to Stripy, Stripy is undaunted and keeps following Fat Guy, Stripy warns Fat Guy not to do the thing he wants to do, Fat Guy does it anyway and gets a big surprise, Stripy laughs infectiously until Fat Guy finally starts laughing with him, along with whatever trouble he encountered. The End.

Since the above's video quality is not that good, here's a better version of just the opening animation (in a different language):

https://youtu.be/aNUonUzo3Lg

Porky Pig had his own show in the late 60's that ran through the 70's, complete with a specially-animated opening and closing sequence.
Note: Try not to judge based on the poor video quality, please. The reversed Porky Pig sign, the bus door on the left of the bus and so forth are the result of a bad video transfer to YouTube -- it was NOT originally broadcast this way.

The jaunty opening (low volume -- turn it up!):

https://youtu.be/Ft85ZHM0EhI

The semi-tearful closing (high volume -- turn it back down before playing):

https://youtu.be/rGyJjiel7FY

Animation by Myron Waldman for the Hal Seeger (Milton the Monster et al) Studio.

Sadly, there are no minks in this cartoon:

https://youtu.be/b_hSyQlRo50

It's still funny, though.

Jose' Carioca's final significant appearance in a Disney feature (Melody Time, 1948).

https://youtu.be/_TD645Q6mAA

Also my favorite of his three appearances. No plot necessary, just a wild and fun-filled romp. Even Donald gets to enjoy himself for a change!

Back when TV commercials used to be coherent and sometimes even fun to watch, we had these:

https://youtu.be/cXXd9LVWy-k

Character voices by Mel Blanc and Paul Frees.

https://youtu.be/pBKTBEfyyPE

Tex Avery reportedly worked on at least some of these:

https://youtu.be/S_0--PQqytU

Even mice aren't safe from RAID! (Nasty-looking mouse, though.)

https://youtu.be/8cPwVMg9jeg

In honor of it being  RGibson's birthday on the 7th of July, this week's CotW spotlights her third-year CalArts pencil-test film.

WARNING: NOT FAMILY-FRIENDLY! Expect much violence and loud cursing. Probably NSFW either due to the latter.

https://youtu.be/rTg2E0hu4OI

Happy Birthday on Sunday, Roz!

This being the last CotW before July 4th, here's a theatrical short featuring Spunky from the "Hunky & Spunky" series.

https://youtu.be/Fan55Bc0G-s

Happy 4th of July, everyone! Don't get burned!

You guessed it -- I've still got kitties on my mind (and they're all still available for free to good homes)...


https://youtu.be/t2ccEQRmdNI

It would have been fun to pair this cartoon with The Aristo-Cat, a Looney Tunes short made in 1943, but I couldn't find a full copy of it on YouTube.

Oh well -- here's a clip:

https://youtu.be/K6FVudratOI

A Jay Ward Aesop and Son cartoon segment:

https://youtu.be/mfL0-cKBLJA

June Foray uses the voice that she usually reserves for nagging old harridan females, but other than justifiably complaining a bit, the tiger wife is actually pretty amicable here. I love how Daws Butler did the tiger husband in Cap'n Crunch's voice (most of the time it's the owls or human kings in these fables who end up sounding like that).

And that man is the Tin Woodman, of course!

https://youtu.be/H6SEHR-cZjY

Some of you may have seen an excerpt of this as a short PSA on TV a number of years ago. Who knew that it was actually part of a longer film?

I admit I've got kittens on the brain, so here's an appropriate animated short from Walter Lantz:

[Edit: FooTube yanked the Lantz cartoon, so here's a Van Beuren to fill the void.]

https://youtu.be/pCjvssX0ZcI

I'm convinced that Bernice Hansen must have voiced more cartoon kittens than anyone else in the industry, past or present!