Cartoon Characters

"Max Fleischer leaves his creation Koko the Clown stranded on a mountain top so he can get some sleep. Koko gets off the mountain and searches for Fleischer, terrorizing New York (he's grown in size at this point) in the process. The very interesting ..."

Betty Boop for President

Filed under: animation, 1930s, Betty Boop, Betty Boop series, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, Max Fleischer, U.S.A., 1932

Producer(s): Max Fleischer

Release Date: 04/11/1932

"Betty Boop runs a wildly popular presidential campaign against the despised Mr. Nobody."

Daffy the Commando

Filed under: animation, 1940s, Daffy Duck, Leon Schlesinger Studios, Looney Tunes, Propaganda, U.S.A., Warner Bros., World War 2 ( WW2 ), 1943

Producer(s): Leon Schlesinger

Release Date: 20/11/1943

"Daffy Duck parachutes onto a German base in WW2 and torments some Nazis. As he is shot by a cannon, he flies over (whilst holding two American flags, none the less) to a Nazi rally, and smacks Hitler with a hammer. Elements of propaganda abound, but ..."

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse

Filed under: animation, 1940s, Color, Hanna-Barbera Studios, Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios, Tom and Jerry, Tom and Jerry, U.S.A., 1947

Producer(s): William Hanna Fred Quimby

Release Date: 14/06/1947

"A Tom and Jerry cartoon, riffing off of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, in which Tom concocts a deadly potion but finds that it only makes Jerry stronger."

Excerpt from Destination Moon

Filed under: animation, 1950s, George Pal, Technicolor, U.S.A., Woody Woodpecker, 1950

Producer(s): George Pal

Release Date: 27/06/1950

"In this excerpt from the film Destination Moon (1950), the physics of rockets and space travel are explained with the iconic cartoon character Woody Woodpecker. "

Feline Follies

Filed under: animation, 1910s, Felix the Cat, Pat Sullivan Cartoons, U.S.A., 1919

Producer(s): Pat Sullivan

Release Date: 01/09/1919

"Master Tom (who would later be renamed Felix the Cat) falls in love with Miss Kitty White. While he is out romancing her, mice create a mess. Master Tom is thrown out due to his ineffective pest control. When he returns to Miss Kitty White he finds a..."

Felix the Cat – Felix the Ghost-Breaker

Filed under: animation, 1920s, Felix the Cat, Pat Sullivan Cartoons, U.S.A., 1923

Producer(s): Patrick (Pat) Sullivan

Release Date: 01/01/1923

"Felix (the cat) is trying to sleep in a graveyard, but a ghost keeps waking him up. The ghost escapes to a nearby farm and terrorizes the old farmer. When Felix chases after the ghost, suspecting something fishy is going on, he helps the farmer as a ..."

Ko-Ko Trains ‘Em

Filed under: animation, 1920s, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, Koko the Clown, Silent, U.S.A., 1925

Producer(s): Max Fleischer Alfred Weiss

Release Date: 09/05/1925

"Ko-Ko becomes jealous of Max's attention to his young ward and her dog, and tries to create a circus by training animals, then fleas."

Koko’s Earth Control

Filed under: animation, Koko the Clown, 1928

Producer(s): Alfred Weiss Max Fleischer

Release Date: 31/03/1928

""Koko the Clown and his dog Fitz walk into a building where levers that control various aspects of the Earth are located. After Fitz presses a particular lever, the world goes topsy-turvy and out-of-control.""

Krazy Kat and Ignatz Mouse at the Circus

Filed under: animation, 1910s, Animated film history and criticism, Krazy Kat, Silent, U.S.A., 1916

Producer(s): William Randolph Hearst

Release Date: 17/03/1916

"While at the circus, Krazy Kat and Ignatz Mouse enter into a rivalry over whether cats or mice are braver."

Krazy Kat Goes A-Wooing

Filed under: animation, 1910s, Early Sound, Krazy Kat, U.S.A., Vitagraph Studios, 1916

Release Date: 29/02/1916

Let’s Celebrake!

Filed under: animation, Early Sound, Popeye, U.S.A., 1938

Producer(s): Max Fleischer

Release Date: 1938

""Popeye invites Olive's grandmother along for a New Year's Eve party.""

Motor Mania

Filed under: animation, 1950s, Goofy, U.S.A., Walt Disney Studios, 1950

Producer(s): Walt Disney

Release Date: 30/06/1950

"In this Goofy cartoon from the 50's, a Jekyll and Hyde dynamic illustrates how Mr. Walker, who is friendly and normally mild tempered turns into Mr. Wheeler, a crazed maniac who experiences road rage when behind the wheel of an automobile. An intere..."

Oswald – All Wet

Filed under: animation, 1920s, Oswald, Silent, U.S.A., Universal Studios, 1927

Producer(s): Charles Mintz George Winkler

Release Date: 31/10/1927

"Oswald has a hotdog stand that is plagued by mice. He closes the stand to pursue Fanny romantically. After Fanny rejects Oswald's advances, he bribes a lifeguard to let him take over in order that Oswald can impress Fanny. After Fanny notices Oswald ..."

Popeye the Sailor

Filed under: animation, 1930s, Early Sound, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, Paramount Pictures, Popeye, U.S.A., 1933

Producer(s): Max Fleischer

Release Date: 14/07/1933

"This Popeye The Sailor cartoon features Betty Boop, as well as a live action intro featuring Popeye on the cover of a real newspaper. In this cartoon short Olive and Popeye go to the fun fare, and play games in attempt to win prizes, only to be usu..."

Popeye the Sailor: Seasin’s Greetinks!

Filed under: animation, 1930s, Dave Fleischer, Early Sound, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, Max Fleischer, Musical, Popeye, U.S.A., 1933

Producer(s): Max Fleischer

Release Date: 17/12/1933

"Popeye and Olive Oyl go for a skate on a chilly winter day. Bluto tries to spoil their fun, but of course he's no match for Popeye and his spinach. "

Porky’s Romance

Filed under: animation, 1930s, Looney Tunes, Porky Pig, U.S.A., 1937

Producer(s): Leon Schlesinger

Release Date: 03/04/1937

"Porky attempts to woo Petunia with flowers and candy. Though she initially spurns him, she invites him in when she sees the chocolate. Porky proposes to her, only to be cruelly rejected. He attempts to hang himself, only for the branch to break under..."

Professor Balthazar – Izumitelj cipela/The Inventor of Shoes

Filed under: animation, 1960s, Color, Professor Balthazar, Technicolor, Yugoslavia (Croatia), Zagreb Film, 1967

Producer(s): B. Šicar

Release Date: 15/05/1967

"The episode begins by the narrator juggling back and forth on which of two stories he should tell: that of a long camel, or a creature named "Double Bertie," before abandoning both to tell a third: the story of an eccentric inventor named Professor B..."

Shiver Me Timbers!

Filed under: animation, 1930s, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, Max Fleischer, Popeye, 1934

Producer(s): Fleischer Studios

Release Date: 27/07/1934

"Popeye, Olive, and Wimpy stumble across a ghost ship. They climb aboard, and it proceeds to scare them in various ways."

Silly Scandals

Filed under: animation, 1930s, Betty Boop, Early Sound, U.S.A., 1931

Producer(s): Max Fleischer Adolph Zukor

Release Date: 23/05/1931

"This cartoon marks the origin of Betty Boop (at least the name anyway, the character, or at least one with an uncanny resemblance, had appeared before). Bimbo sneaks into a vaudeville theater to see Betty perform. He is enthralled with her performanc..."

Snow White

Filed under: animation, 1930s, Anime, Betty Boop, Betty Boop series, Dave Fleischer, Early Sound, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, Max Fleischer, Musical, U.S.A., 1933

Producer(s): Max Fleischer

Release Date: 31/03/1933

"A slim musical adaptation of Snow White's tale. Despite the queen's order to behead Betty (Snow White), the two guards, Bimbo and Koko, rescued Betty and entered a cave where Koko's renowned dancing rotoscoped from Cab Calloway. The evil queen pursue..."

Space Ghost: “The Heat Thing”

Filed under: animation, 1960s, Animation Series, Bill Hanna, Color, Hanna-Barbera Studios, Joe Barbera, Space Ghost, U.S.A., 1966

Producer(s): Joseph Barbera William Hanna

Release Date: 10/09/1966

"Space Ghost imagines intergalactic adventures through the superhero Space Ghost and his sidekicks Jace and Jan, and their pet monkey Blip, who assist in keeping outer space free from trouble. Space Ghost was pivotal in the rising popularity of superh..."

Steamboat Willie

Filed under: animation, Early Sound, Mickey Mouse, U.S.A., Walt Disney Studios, 1928

Producer(s): Walt Disney Roy O. Disney

Release Date: 29/07/1928

"The first Mickey Mouse cartoon with synchronized sound. Disney agonized over the synchronization of sound to the animation in Steamboat Willie. The cartoon also introduces a prototypical Minnie mouse. Mickey's pretty much a jerk within the narrative ..."

Swooner Crooner

Filed under: animation, 1940s, Jazz, Merrie Melodies, Porky Pig, U.S.A., Warner Bros., 1944

Producer(s): Leon Schlesinger

Release Date: 06/05/1944

"Porky Pig's egg farm faces production problems when a crooning rooster distracts the hens from their jobs."

The Band Concert

Filed under: animation, 1930s, All Music, Color, Donald Duck, Goofy, Mickey Mouse, Musical, Technicolor, U.S.A., Ub Iwerks, Walt Disney, Walt Disney Studios, 1935

Producer(s): Walt Disney

Release Date: 23/02/1935

"Mickey and his friends Peter Pig, Paddy Pig, Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle Cow, and Goofy try to put on an outdoor concert. As they attempt to play the William Tell Overture they face many problems, chief among them Donald Duck and a pesky bee. "

The Bandmaster

Filed under: animation, 1930s, Oswald, U.S.A., Universal Studios, 1931

Producer(s): Walter Lantz

Release Date: 18/05/1931

"Oswald conducts, and then a slew of seemingly random events ensue. Although at moments narrative causality matters, for the most part spectacle drives the cartoon (for example, when objects seemingly magically transform)."