Hi again, folks! I’m covering something a little different for this month’s entry. While
it may not be categorized as comedy the same way as the Marx Brothers movies or
an episode of “The Office”, there’s no denying that the subject of this month’s blog
is as inventive, worthwhile and funny as anything else one could add to a comedy
library. I am talking about the good old classic Looney Tunes cartoons!
It’s always been my contention that the Looney Tunes shorts produced by Warner
Brothers’ animation department between 1930 and 1969 are just as well-crafted
and imaginative and genuinely funny as anything being done in live action in the
same time period. You can learn just as much about great comic timing and pithy
gag structure from a Daffy Duck short than from any Preston Sturges or George
Cukor film. It’s no coincidence that a documentary about the work of animation
director Chuck Jones, who directed many of the classic cartoons, featured
comments from Robin Williams, or that Dave Chappelle once sited Bugs Bunny as one of his major comedic influences.
I should say out front that there is an important reason I’m covering the Looney
Tunes this month, and that is that I will soon be teaching my own night school
course about the history of Warner Brothers cartoons! Unfortunately, I only have two students so far, so if you are interested in learning more after reading what I have to say, please contact me at gilmoreap@yahoo.com or Mount Airy Learning Tree at info@mtairylearningtree.org. My course will take place from 6:30 to 9 on
Wednesday nights for seven weeks beginning October 7th. That’s only a little less
than two weeks, so if you would like to enroll, please hurry!
While I’m plugging my course, I should also throw in another plug and tell you that
many of the classic Warner cartoons are available at monkeyreader.com on the
wonderful Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD sets.
I would write more, but the deadline for my course meant that I had to publish this
as soon as possible. Tune in next month for something more detailed!