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The Tony Benedict Documentary
What was it like at Hanna-Barbera when brand new Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear cartoons were being made (and endorsing Kellogg’s cereals along the way), and The Flintstones was just getting off the...
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Nottingham and Yeggs Storyboard
Fables and legends provided a rich source of parody for animated cartoons going back to the silent era. The story of Robin Hood was among them. It had enough basic concepts (rob from rich, Sherwood...
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Yogi Bear Weekend Comics, September 1965
Ranger Smith laments that he can’t get away from Yogi for a single day. Well, actually, Mr. Ranger, you got away from him for three whole weeks 50 years ago this month. Smith appears only in the first...
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Yakky Doodle in Duck Seasoning
The origins of Yakky Doodle can be found in a 1950 Tom and Jerry cartoon called “Little Quacker.” He’s actually a good character in that short. He’s sympathetic. He hatches and Tom tries to turn him...
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J.B. and the Bear
Time for a little quiz. See if you recognise a certain voice in this broadcast of the Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show from October 5, 1952. Advance the show to about the 21:15 mark. She’s on for about 45...
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Tralfaz? A Look at Millionaire Astro
The best character on the Jetsons? Is there any doubt that it’s Astro? The humans on the show had to behave like recognisable sitcom humans, though they could be a little bit more exaggerated because...
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Flintstones Comics, September 1965
Did the Modern Stone Age Family wear out their welcome in the Windy City? The Chicago Tribune bare farewell to Flintstones comics. The last daily was on September 11, 1965. The paper stopped running...
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Snagglepuss in Legal Eagle Lion
Only the hammy Snagglepuss could build himself into such a ridiculous situation that he not only becomes the presiding judge in the trial of a Western bank robber, he assumes the identities of almost...
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Balmy Swami With Ruff and Reddy
There are some kind, generous people on the internet who have gone to great trouble to provide the world with free stuff. For example, Tom Tryniski runs a wonderful but misnamed site called Old Fulton...
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King-Size Surprise Storyboard
Stories, gags and even voices from old MGM cartoons popped up at Hanna-Barbera in the early days. A good example is the Pixie and Dixie cartoon King-Size Surprise (1958-59 season) which owed a lot to...
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Happy 55th Fred, Wilma, Barney and Betty
Fred Flintstone is a good guy underneath, despite his bluster, pig-headedness and other faults. Barney Rubble is a good-natured, loyal friend. Both of those things remained constant through various...
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Yakky Doodle in Nobody Home Duck
At Hanna-Barbera, circa 1960, the relationship between talking animals and humans varies depending on the types of characters we’re dealing with. Huckleberry Hound assumes the personality of a human...
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Yogi Bear Weekend Comics, October 1965
Did you know there was an Indian reservation on or near Jellystone Park? There wasn’t in the TV cartoons but, time and time again, native stereotypes from a reserve make appearances in the Yogi Bear...
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Making Kids Safe From Frying Pans
Did kids really hit each other with frying pans after watching cartoons? Some do-gooder group probably thought so. And it’s tough to argue against them when Joe Barbera made the same claim. In early...
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On the News Wire With Huckleberry Hound
It shouldn’t be too surprising that references are made to Hanna-Barbera’s early characters in newspaper stories, given that boomers and post-boomers who watched the cartoons are grown up and writing....
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The Suit of the Future
Inventions of the future abound in The Jetsons, but only one cartoon used one as the basis for a full, half-hour plot—“The Flying Suit.” Tony Benedict’s story is interesting in that the audience is the...
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Flintstones Comics, October 1965
The Flintstones comics that ran in Sunday papers (Saturday in Canada) 50 years ago are enjoyably drawn and thanks to the archives of the Ogdensburg Journal on NYHistoricNewspapers.org, you can view...
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Snagglepuss in The Gangsters All Here
The best part of any Snagglepuss cartoon is when the histrionic mountain lion fills the air with one of his speeches, with puns and clichés strung together with non sequiturs. He does it in The...
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Hallowe'en Bear
Did you ever dress up as your favourite cartoon character and go out on that Great October 31st Candy Grab known as Hallowe’en? It seems a lot of kids did. Some of them as Hanna-Barbera characters; the...
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Ruff and Reddy Storyboard
Ruff and Reddy was Hanna-Barbera’s first foray into television animation but it was unlike any of the other series the studio was involved in. While the show was named for the Hanna-Barbera cat and dog...
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