Animation Artifacts &Disney 03 Jun 2008 07:54 am
Gag Cartoons
- Usually the gag cartoons done in a studio don’t stand the test of time. No one can figure out what half of them mean – never mind what the gag is. However, sometimes they come off still funny.
After posting the Ward Kimball models, yesterday, I thought it might not be a bad time to post these images I have all on one pretty small photostat. I can hardly identify half of the people caricatured, but I’ll let you know what I can figure out.
This collage was done by Ward Kimball pasting photos and caricatures into the heads of the characters of the film. Ollie Johnston with a cigar in his mouth and Ward as the “Lost Boy” in “Michael’s” hands.
The image is long (above and below) so I split it in half to make it easier to enlarge; the right half is below.
It’s Hans Conreid as “hook” manipulating Frank Thomas as Pinocchio. Milt Kahl is checking out “Wendy’s” breast.
This looks like a Freddie Moore self-portrait.
Ollie Johnston and Ward were obviously friends since there are a lot of nasty Ollie cartoons. I’m not sure what the meaning of this one is.
Ollie must have been something of a taskmaster with his Assistants. These cartoons lead you to believe he was tough. At least until he found … “Yip”? or is it VIP – Virgil Partch – who wasn’t his Assistant.
This studio chart places Ollie above even Walt and Roy. An important guy!
Hmmmmm?
Here are a couple of “Scrapbook” pieces that Ward saved.
I’m not sure who drew this, but it’s the old “lightbulb under the animation table can give you a tan” joke. This is Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston and – I think – Milt Kahl tanned.
(L) A surreal image out of Ward Kimball’s hands. Who knows what it meant?
(R) Ward stands off to the side (arms crossed) watching others laugh at one of his gag cartoons.
I have a couple hundred of these cartoons from “Raggedy Ann”. Someday when I get them out of storage I’ll try to remember what they mean and post some of them.
on 03 Jun 2008 at 3:14 pm 1.Tom Minton said …
I think the caricature on the right in the ‘suntan’ cartoon is meant to be Woolie Reitherman.
on 03 Jun 2008 at 3:30 pm 2.Michael said …
My initial thought was Reitherman, as well, but he didn’t appear in any of the many other caricatures I had on the page.
on 03 Jun 2008 at 3:48 pm 3.Amid said …
Wonderful stuff!
In the first image, the caricature of the bundled up person is Marc Davis.
The Vip drawings are definitely Vip Partch, down to the striped shirts he always wore. I do believe he assisted Ollie for a short while in the early-40s.
on 03 Jun 2008 at 9:00 pm 4.David Nethery said …
“My initial thought was Reitherman, as well, but he didn’t appear in any of the many other caricatures I had on the page.”
No, the “healthy” tanned guy is supposed to be Milt Kahl.
That caricature is published in The Illusion of Life on page 143 and the subjects are identified as Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, and Milt Kahl.
The artist who drew the caricatures is Frank Thomas.
on 03 Jun 2008 at 11:41 pm 5.Eric Noble said …
Awesome cartoons. I always love it when people publish this in-studio gag cartoons. These are wonderful.
on 04 Jun 2008 at 3:13 pm 6.Eddie Fitzgerald said …
Real gems here. The one called “The Gag” is done in a sort of Thurber style but I see a little Osborne influence in one of the standing figures. The one Partch did of Ollie in a corner is hilarious as is Milt Kahl at Wendy’s breast. All the pictures are terrific! Many, many thanks for putting this up!