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.
