Post #9: “Courage the Cowardly Dog”

Courage the Cowardly Dog was and still is one of my favorite cartoons. There are many things that are great about this series. One thing that allows this series to stand out is the quirky story lines. They were always abstract and unexpected. Also, the use of music for each character and whimsical architecture give this series an appeal that I feel is unparalleled. This said, I feel that it takes a variety of characteristics (music, unique animation, story line) to make a good animation great.

Having just one characteristic will make a good animation but leave the audience wanting more. Courage the Cowardly Dog fills all of the characteristics. First I will start with the whimsical architecture. All of the buildings and door frames are slanted and off kilter. This gives the background visual appeal keeping the viewers interest. Although the backgrounds are interesting, they do not draw too much attention from the foreground, allowing the story to be followed without distraction.

Another aspect of this series that causes it to rise above others is its use of music. For the creepy looking people they get creepy, ominous music. In this episode Fred gets a creepy, slow lullaby to make sure that the viewer knows that he is in fact freaky Fred (the name of the episode). For Eustace, the old man, he gets a country tune with banjos and fiddles, playing up his southern slapstick nature. The music not only plays a role in character development but also plays a role in conveying the mood of the scene. This is shown during the hamster scene. It was meant to be a happy scene with a cute hamster, therefore happy music was playing in the background.

Finally, the one thing that really makes Courage the Cowardly Dog great is its story lines. This story in particular is great. It is about a deranged barber and his compulsory need to shave anything with a lot of hair. Although his needs are not violent, the music and the way he tells his stories make it seem as though he is a murderer. This is due to the fact that the way he tells his stories is very similar to Edgar Allan Poe. Poe was known for his suspenseful writing and ability to captivate the reader. Fred’s narration does all of these things, adding to his deranged obsession.

With great music, creative architecture and phenomenal story telling Courage the Cowardly Dog covers every aspect that makes an animation great. When all of these criteria are met the animation is able to draw the viewer’s attention, keep that attention and have them coming back week after week expecting something great.

I commented on Megan’s Blog and Chuck’s Blog.

Post #8: “Kiwi”

The animation that I will be looking at this week is about a Kiwi. The kiwi is a endangered flightless bird native to New Zealand. In this animation the bird is working on something not known by the viewer. At the end it become apparent that the bird was nailing trees to the side of the cliff so that it could jump off, experiencing flight. I feel that the animation is able to convey the point that you should follow your dreams no matter what the cost. Also the use of sound track is able to take animations to the next level emotionally.

After seeing how long it took the bird to nail one tree to the cliff and seeing the amount of trees attached to the cliff it is obvious that it took the bird a long time to complete his flight simulation course. This shows that the bird had a true desire to fly and worked long and hard to complete his goal. On top of working hard he was even willing to give his life for his dream. This shows that once he had accomplished his goal he had completed his so-called “bucket list.” He had done everything he wanted to do in life and had nothing left to live for. This completeness allowed him to die in peace.

Watching the bird fly through the air made me feel happy for him. As he got closer to the ground he started to flap his little arms so he could feel like a real bird. Then the sound track started playing and the happiness felt turned into a bitter-sweet kind of emotion. I felt happy for the bird but knew he was going to meet his end soon. This emotion was amplified by the simple, yet sad music.

Another passing thought may be that this animation is saying that humans are not causing the extinction of this species. Instead, these birds are jumping off cliffs trying to fly. This would mean that these birds are stupid and deserve to die. Anyway you look at it I like this animation and feel that it is creative and filled with different emotions all tied together nicely with a haunting soundtrack.

eta: I commented on Megan’s Blog and Chuck’s Blog.

Blog Specimens/Mid-Term

I have chosen blog post #6 Your a Sap Mr. Jap and blog post #7 Prometheus and Bob Evolution.

Blog post #6 is of Popeye and his war efforts against the Japanese.

Blog post #7 is about a Kablaam cartoon Prometheus and Bob that touched on the subject of evolution.

Post #7: “Prometheus and Bob” Evolution

This weeks post is about Prometheus and Bob. The cartoon was a short segment on a Nickelodeon show called Kablaam. I always liked these cartoons thinking that they were the funniest part of the entire show. Usually they dealt with simple concepts such as farming or building something, but this episode in particular deals with a more complex subject, evolution. Evolution vs. intelligent design was and still is a controversy in society. I feel that  Prometheus and Bob was able to touch on evolution vs. intelligent design all while disguised as a kids cartoon, showing that animation can be used to express viewpoints and reach audiences that are usually unreachable.

This episode was about a machine that could either evolve or devolve anything put inside. It started out with an angry wolf like creature that evolved into a domestic dog. It also showed a monkey being evolved into a human. This is a very touchy subject that many parents try to protect their children from. These same parents may also let their kids watch cartoons not thinking that this is something that would be discussed.

The concept of evolution vs. the concept of intelligent design is a hot topic within school systems and whether one, the other or both should be taught. With this in mind I found it shocking that the cartoon would have this subject matter in it. As a kid I loved the cartoon and regardless of what I believe in I never thought twice about it. Even now I still find it funny, but now knowing what I do about the debate on this subject, this Nick show could be viewed as edgy.

To add to the edginess, Prometheus evolved into an alien and the monkey when fully evolved was a floating brain. This challenges the biblical teaching that we are all created in God’s image. The machine itself also implies that aliens are our true creators and the ones behind evolution. All of this is probably over the heads of kids watching the show, but it does make a stand and chooses a side on the issue.

I commented on Megan’s blog and Chuck’s blog.

Special Post… “Nine”

The movie I have chosen for my special post is Nine. This movie is about a scientist who created nine rag dolls in order to save what is left of life on earth following the take over of machines. Each of the dolls have unique physical attributes and characteristics allowing them to compliment each other. Although the purpose of this movie seems to be to warn of over production causing machines to take over, I feel that the underlying meaning is to show that everyone is different and these differences are what make us great.

With each doll being different and having a unique number it is easy for the viewer to pick out the differences that make each doll an asset to the group. When looking at dolls 2 through 9 it is apparent what they offer the group. Some of them can invent useful items, others collect data, and a couple of them are great fighters. Number 1 seems to do nothing but hold all of the dolls back, impeding the progress of the mission. In reality his cautious nature kept them all safe until the entire group was assembled with the arrival of number 9. Number 9 is able to convince the rest of the members that they must fight in order to fulfill their purpose.

So the dolls, on top of having different characteristics, also act as a spectrum of personalities. These personalities range from cautious to adventurous and serious to curiously fun. This spectrum allows them to use each others strengths to accomplish different goals in different situations.

This movie is a very interesting movie. I say this because within the movie’s creepy imaginative appearance, is the moral that everyone is different and these differences make us great. Having a corny moral like this seems out of place in the movie, but is a characteristic of Tim Burton animations. Other morals of Burton’s movies include the true meaning of Christmas (Nightmare Before Christmas) and follow your heart and look at the inner beauty within people (Corpse Bride).

I commented on Megan’s blog and Chuck’s blog.