The Art of
Chuck Jones
I always have said I raise #1 and #2 on Bugs,
Bond, Indiana, and Star Wars. So as the cultural guide in my family, I found
the exhibit “What’s Up, Doc? The Animation Art of Chuck Jones” and determined
we had to go. I was enthralled!Chuck Jones was the genius behind Looney Tune cartoons which featured characters we love: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. After he left Warner Brothers, he did a feature film, The Phantom Tollbooth, the Academy Award winning short The Dot and the Line, and the uber loved holiday special How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Mr. Jones directed more than 300 films, three of which won Academy Awards. From the late 1930s to 1962, he worked on and directed cartoons for the Warner Bros. animation divisions Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies.
The exhibit, What’s Up, Doc?, includes artwork and development work from the classic What’s Opera, Doc?, One Froggy Evening (the cartoon with the darn frog that drove me crazy), and Rabbit Seasoning (it’s the pronoun). One board showed how to draw Bugs by inches and angles. A board from What’s Opera, Doc? Featured Bugs as his regular self next to Bugs as Brunehilde.
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| http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/29/arts/design/chuck-joness-animated-offspring-in-whats-up-doc.html |
There were snippets of recordings by Mel Blanc to listen to (and laugh over). Technical information about how long Wile E. Coyote fell. And Mr. Jones nine disciples for the Coyote: always in the Southwest dessert, no speaking, harm is self-inflicted, devices used are by Acme, etc. My favorite was a piece of the script from Rabbit Seasoning and next to it was the final video with Daffy and the whole “Shoot me now! Shoot me now!” and Bugs nonchalantly standing by.
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| http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/29/arts/design/chuck-joness-animated-offspring-in-whats-up-doc.html |
Are you a cartoon fan? And if so, what are your favorites?
14 comments:
I like cartoons, but my husband is the one...he collects anything and everything Marvin the Martian! He has a massive collection and no package is to be opened and nothing is to be used! He even got upset with me for using the Marvin the Martian address labels! Oh and yes, we had Marvin on our checks until they discontinued it!
Right now my almost 5 year old grand daughter has me watching Monster High and Poke'mon...
Vicki, I would have to say that I am a HUGE cartoon fan.
I love short and long animated films ... Watership Down ... The Dark Crystal or The Secret of NIMH to name a few. I have seen thousands of them in the movies and on TV. Bulwinkle and Rocky, Dudley Do-Right and who can forget Natasha and Boris, the modern Baby Looney Tunes or Pinky and the Brain?
And a bit of trivia I trust you learned at the exhibit ... Mel Blanc's son grew up to do the same voices as his father.
Hi, Cathy! I love Marvin and the exhibit featured the mock-up drawing for Marvin's ACME laser gun. Then the cell from the film. I know what you mean. Mine liked Power Rangers. Ick.
Hi, Florence! Thank you for reminding me about Mel Blanc's son doing the voices. One part of the exhibit featured sound clips from Mr. Blanc and Ms. Foray doing the voices. It was so interesting.
I loved the cartoons from my childhood - Loony Toons, Merry Melodies, Fractured Fairy Tales, Comic Strip Cartoons, Popeye, etc... The only thing to compare in more recent times, as far as funniness, was Animaniacs. Cartoons now just aren't very funny.
Hi, Sandra! I agree with you and they can be very mean too. I rarely watch any nowadays. Except for Bugs. He always is in style. Thank you for commenting.
It's interesting when you see how political Bugs was. There's an episode where he makes fun of Hitler. Obviously as children we didn't get that message but as adults, it takes on new meanings!
Alvin and the Chipmunks is still a favorite of mine -- especially the Christmas special!
Hi, Melissa! I'm sure there are politically incorrect ones, too.
Hi, Angela! That's so funny, I kinda forget about them except for the Christmas song.
It's so fun to watch cartoons with my son, but he's getting big enough that there are less and less. :(
Hi, Red! I know what you mean; however, he'll circle back. Mine still like Bugs. ox
Does this bring back memories, Vicki! Bugs Bunny was my absolute favorite cartoon character when I was a girl. My three boys were more into Ninja Turtles and with my granddaughter it's Dora the Explorer and the Paw Patrol. lol
Hi susan! We had the same path except no little ones for dora!
Chuck Jones was brilliant. So many incredible characters, witty one-liners. Nobody could touch him. And yes, there was a lot of wisdom in the cartoons, too. You rock, Vicki, for writing a blog on this!
Hi mary! My pleasure-really! What else was cool was maurice noble's backgrounds. I think this exhibit will have me looking at the cartoons with a new eye.
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