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Welcome to Thad Komorowski and Bob Jaques' podcast examining the best classic cartoons ever made. And just why were they the best? Cartoon Logic! That’s just what we’ll be diving into each episode: historical overviews on a given topic, scene-by-scene analysis and highlights from classic shorts, intricate breakdowns from an animator’s POV, occasional animator and historian guests… all you could ever want to know about ancient cartoons in this modern age, from two gents who’ve done the resear ...
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Cartoon Logic Episode 32: Tex Avery's Screwball Classics Vol. 3
1:29:25
1:29:25
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Yes, at long last, the long-anticipated return of the only good classic cartoon podcast! We break down last fall's surprise disc from Warner Archive of the remaining releasable MGM Tex Avery cartoons. It's a cross-selection of some of the finest, wildest animated shorts ever made - and find out what Bob's personal favorite Tex short is to boot!…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 31: The Bugs Bunny Birthday Blu-Ray Blow-Out (Part 2)
1:56:04
1:56:04
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It's the conclusion of our Bugs Bunny 80th Birthday Blu-Ray review! Our favorite cartoon hero runs on autopilot with Friz Freleng, Bob McKimson, and (occasionally on this set) Chuck Jones trying to keep interest in Bugs alive. We do see some bright moments with a few masterful Yosemite Sam encounters, countered with more TV parodies and cheaters th…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 30: The Bugs Bunny Birthday Blu-Ray Blow-Out (Part 1)
1:57:29
1:57:29
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November's Blu-ray release of Bugs Bunny cartoons is so jam-packed with Technicolor animated perfection we have to do two episodes about it! In part one, we discuss what made the character take off immediately, and all the highlights of the set's first disc of 1940s cartoons, in which very different filmmakers managed to have individual takes on Bu…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 29: Tex Avery Screwball Classics Vol. 2
2:07:17
2:07:17
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We discuss the newest Tex Avery collection from Warner Archive! Despite some substandard presentation, the laughs come faster and furious in this volume, thanks in no small part to animator Mike Lah and MVP Spike. Immortal works like Little Rural Riding Hood and Magical Maestro headline this volume, with Droopy in peak (and non-peak) form. Witness …
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Cartoon Logic Episode 28: Hanna-Barbera (The Flintstone Flyer)
1:28:39
1:28:39
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Our first (of few) forays into TV animation, examining the early days of Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera's "planned" animation empire! We talk about what went wrong at Hanna-Barbera, and what went right in the early days, thanks to folks like Ed Benedict (whom Bob met), Daws Butler, Alan Reed, and Carlo Vinci. We also dissect "The Flintstone Flyer", the…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 27: The Van Beuren Studio History with Charlie Judkins
2:11:53
2:11:53
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Here to guide us through the history of NYC's Van Beuren Studio in the '20s and '30s is our most qualified special guest, historian and musician Charlie Judkins! Learn how Paul Terry, John Foster, and Jim Tyer shaped cartoons that never came close to matching the Fleischers (despite being right across the street!), and how their endearing weird cru…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 26: Art Davis (Two Gophers from Texas)
2:03:50
2:03:50
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Warner cartoon legend Art Davis was a long-term animator and had an exceptionally memorable three-year run directing the studio's "D-unit" in the late '40s. We discuss Davis' history that began in the silent era as an errand boy on Mutt & Jeff; how he became the business' first assistant/inbetweener; his many years working on the strange Columbia c…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 25: Famous Studios Cringe
59:20
59:20
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Because no one asked for it, we're givin' you some CRINGE. We return to the subject of Famous Studios to zero in on what exactly made their cartoons of the 1950s so infamously unfunny. What's your favorite Famous cringe? Herman mutilating Katnip? Popeye trying to seduce Poopdeck Pappy? Just Casper? Or Little Audrey's laugh? Guys like Dave Tendlar, …
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Cartoon Logic Bonus: Spinach Skrewtny, 1933
1:12:58
1:12:58
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In lieu of our regular episode this week, we're offering the first episode of Spinach Skrewtny, our Patreon-exclusive chronological examination of the Popeye cartoons made by the Fleischer Studio. We hope this sample entices you to join us! In our premiere, Bob gives a summation of his lifelong history (re: obsession) with Popeye the Sailor. We tal…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 24: Ub Iwerks (Hell's Fire)
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46:02
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We return to Ub Iwerks, this time to take a look at his uniquely raunchy cartoons he did at his own studio, like Flip the Frog, Willie Whopper, and the ComiColor series... But other than pre-code filth, did these films have much else to offer? Our single cartoon analysis is the Cinecolor Hell's Fire, the Willie Whopper cartoon that proves Hell is f…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 23: Animation ID - Emery Hawkins
59:07
59:07
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Our second installment of Animation ID! We give an overview of Emery Hawkins, the Grand Wanderer of classic animation! This guy came up with not just the ultimate Woody Woodpecker, the immortal Marky Maypo, and the nauseating Greedy, but breathed life into characters at just about every studio: Lantz, Columbia, MGM, Disney, and WB, where he rounded…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 22: Walter and Woody Pt. 2 with Dick Lundy (Wacky-Bye Baby)
1:05:03
1:05:03
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We continue the saga of Walter Lantz to focus on the cartoons Dick Lundy directed in the late '40s. An O.G. Disney alumnus, Lundy brought a spit and polish to the Lantz product and made the studio's most lavish pictures—much to Walter's wallet's chagrin. Highlights: Freddie Moore at Lantz! The scumbaggery of Buzz Buzzard! The Woody Woodpecker Song'…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 21: Road Runner vs. Wile E. Coyote (Zoom and Bored)
52:47
52:47
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"Beep, Beep!" Or is it "Hmeep, Hmeep?" The quintessential chase series by Chuck Jones and Mike Maltese is our topic for this episode. We discuss the origins of famishus vulgaris and birdibus zippibus, just what makes such a simple concept so funny, and list our favorite Coyote pratfalls. Then we cap it off with an in-depth analysis of arguably the …
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Cartoon Logic Episode 20: UPA (Christopher Crumpet)
1:01:23
1:01:23
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We get even bolder in our classic cartoon hot takes as we discuss UPA, the hip postwar studio that changed the way animation at all the studios was done. We talk about directors like John Hubley and Bobe Cannon, who sought to make cartoons with aspirations opposite the status quo in Hollywood cartoons, and the golden years of UPA that birthed Miste…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 19: Gene Deitch Remembered
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49:04
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We dip into the Cartoon Modern era of the Golden Age as we pay tribute to the late Gene Deitch, a true animation original. His sense of appealing design and humor made him a perfect match for animation, but he was not without controversy or critics. From his battles at Terrytoons, to his simultaneously reviled and revered work on Tom & Jerry and Po…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 18: Robert McKimson (Early to Bet)
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50:47
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This week's discussion is about Robert "I did all those Bugs cartoons you don't like" McKimson. Despite his reputation as the "lesser" of the WB directors, he was the backbone of the Warner cartoon style of drawing and animation, and did some of the most stunningly complex scenes in the medium's history. And of course, he went on to direct some of …
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Cartoon Logic Episode 17: Donald Duck (Timber)
47:39
47:39
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Our first Disney-centric episode is sure to ruffle feathers as we discuss the studio's superstar Donald Duck and the animators and storymen behind him. We discuss what makes some versions of the Duck better than others (namely the legendary writer-cartoonist Carl Barks) and, in spite of our reservations, our favorite Dolan moments. And our first ne…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 16: Betty Boop's Penthouse
42:07
42:07
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It's all about Betty Boop this week as we discuss our favorite made-of-pen-and-ink moments from the Fleischer Studio. Red hot jazz, sex, charisma and girl power made her a superstar in the early sound era, and we highlight a prime example of the series: Betty Boop's Penthouse. Bonus: a "cancel"-worthy comment from Shamus Culhane. Cartoons discussed…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 15: Tex Avery Screwball Classics Vol. 1
1:33:26
1:33:26
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The King of Cartoons finally gets his due! We examine the stunning new Blu-Ray release from Warner Archive with 19 of his classic MGM cartoons that illustrate just how Tex Avery was a master of his medium right down to the frame. Highlights include: Bob remembers the time he met Tex! The bad camerawork in these films! And just how much Screwy Squir…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 14: Animation ID - Mike Lah
50:54
50:54
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It's our first installment of Animation ID: an "insider baseball" look at specific classic animators and their scenes! We give an overview of Mike Lah, the funniest animator the MGM cartoon studio ever had. He breathed comic life into Barney Bear, Tom and Jerry, Droopy, and Spike and made Tex Avery even funnier. Bob and Thad breakdown why Lah's "le…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 13: Chuck Jones in the 1940s (Long-Haired Hare)
52:53
52:53
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We finally discuss the most famous of the Warner directors, Chuck Jones, in his first decade! Hear about his early days and flops, the legend of his approach to character layout, his gifted animators, and his most important collaborator, writer Mike Maltese. Our highlighted cartoon is Jones' '40s zenith, Long-Haired Hare, the social-cultural war of…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 12: Gabby Goat Antics
53:13
53:13
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Did you know Gabby Goat, Porky Pig's one-time miserable sidekick, helps illustrate a fascinating chapter in the story of Warner cartoons? Listen as we discuss Mickey Mouse co-creator Ub Iwerks' crash-and-burn directing for Leon Schlesinger, and how Bob Clampett took his place! And just why did Clampett's own one-time pal Chuck Jones become a disgru…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 11: Frank Tashlin (Tale of Two Mice)
55:28
55:28
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Frank Tashlin, "the world's greatest yo-yo", made stylized, side-splitting cartoons for Warners that are among the studio's most unique. We discuss his early origins in New York cartooning, his innovative work with animator Art Davis, the influence live-action comedy had on Warner humor (and vice-versa), and what might be the most underrated WB car…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 10: Mark Kausler Remembers Hugh Harman and Rudy Ising
1:33:23
1:33:23
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Our inaugural guest is animator, historian, and national treasure Mark Kausler, who talks with us about his friends, cartoon pioneers Hugh Harman and Rudy Ising, two of Walt Disney's original top animators and the gents who got WB and MGM into the cartoon shorts business. Topics include: the early days in Kansas City with Walt! The genesis of Bosko…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 09: A Paramount Pictures Christmas
58:44
58:44
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This week it's Yuletide cheer times five from the Fleischer and Famous studios, with Popeye, Bluto, Olive Oyl, Grampy, Herman & Katnip, and Baby Huey! We discuss how these Christmas cartoons were mostly made by Jewish producers and animators, the incredible strengths of Seasin's Greetinks! from Popeye's first year, Grampy's gift for joy-giving inve…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 08: Friz Freleng (Rabbit Every Monday)
55:12
55:12
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The Dean of Cartoons, Friz Freleng, is this week’s focus, zeroing in on his ‘40s golden era as Warner’s “senior director”, which birthed Warner superstars and earned the studio its first Oscar! Our cartoon discussion is the Freleng directed-and-written Rabbit Every Monday, one of his many classic Bugs Bunny vs. Yosemite Sam battles – and a prime ex…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 07: Walter & Woody (Who's Cookin' Who?)
1:20:51
1:20:51
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Walter Lantz produced cartoons that rarely aspired to be more than gag-driven potboilers. But once in a while some talented guys strived to do more within those restraints. Hear the stories of Lantz's early days and his prized creation Woody Woodpecker. We also analyze the brutal and beautiful Who's Cookin' Who?, directed by the great Shamus Culhan…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 06: Myth-Guided History - The Early Days of Bugs and Elmer (Wabbit Twouble)
57:08
57:08
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This week is our first installment of Myth-Guided History, where we set the record straight on common cartoon history fallacies. We chat about the conception and development of beloved Warner stars Bugs Bunny (who was never "Happy Rabbit") and Elmer Fudd! And our dissection of Wabbit Twouble offers a not-so-startling revelation itself... And it ain…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 05: Fleischer Talkartoons (Swing You Sinners!)
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If you're at the end of your rope, you'd better give up all hope! We look at the uniquely chaotic world of Max and Dave Fleischer's Talkartoons, their early sound series, and just what makes these New York-brewed slices of the Depression so exciting to watch. And just in time for Halloween, our in-depth discussion puts the spotlight on Bimbo, their…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 04: Popeye the Sailor: The 1940s, Vol. 3 (A Balmy Swami)
1:39:42
1:39:42
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We circle back to Famous Studios Popeye a lot sooner than expected to take a look at Warner Archive's Popeye the Sailor: The 1940s, Volume 3. This is when Famous got its, uh, famous reputation for "principled badness". What went wrong so fast, even if it was mostly the same powerhouse crew working on these cartoons? We try to figure out exactly wha…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 03: Tom & Jerry (Tee for Two)
54:12
54:12
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This week we dive into MGM's flagship series, Tom & Jerry, the sassiest, brassiest cartoons made in Hollywood's Golden Age. We take a look at industry heavyweights Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera (and their team of animators) and what made a seemingly hack concept of cat-and-mouse so unmatched for so long in this exploration of "visual nonsense". Our an…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 02: Bob Clampett (Baby Bottleneck)
48:03
48:03
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In this week's episode, we scratch the surface about just what makes director Bob Clampett's Warner Bros. cartoons so unique and invigorating, and what gives them the frenetic energy no one has ever matched. Our in-depth dissection is of Baby Bottleneck, one of his last and very best films starring Porky Pig and Daffy Duck, which Clampett himself c…
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Cartoon Logic Episode 01: Popeye the Sailor (Rocket to Mars)
1:11:55
1:11:55
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Our first episode will give you a taste of what to expect as we dive into an in-depth discussion about the cartoons featured on Warner Archive's summer release, Popeye the Sailor: The 1940s, Volume 2. Learn all about the Famous Studios crew, particularly Disney Legend Bill Tytla and New York heavyweights Jim Tyer and John Gentilella, that brought t…
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