The Classical Animation Society at the Savannah Collegeof Art and Design critique Danny Antonucci's Ed, Edd n Eddy, a popularnew series on Cartoon Network.
Editor's Note: In our February issue of Animation World Magazine,Terrence Briggs reviewed Ed, Edd n Eddy in "Ed,Edd n Eddy: Caught in a Circle" and, frankly, wasn't too impressed.Over the next few months, letters of support for Ed, Edd n Eddy pouredin, two of which were featured in the April and May "editor@awn.com"section of the magazine. After so much praise for this Cartoon Network/DannyAntonucci show, we decided to take another look... In a unique style of story and character design, Ed, Edd n Eddy isbased on three kids going through the struggles of growing up whose most difficultproblem is trying to make enough money for jawbreakers. Ed is a goofball andnot very intelligent. His stupid and crazy comments highlight everything thetrio does. Edd, or "Double D," is the sensitive thinker, who alwayshas the concerns and doubts about everything. Eddy is the ambitious, hot-headedleader who thinks up all the projects the trio does. The three find themselvesplaced in several situations throughout each episode. You never know wherethey are going to end up. Definitely Made for Kids One of the definite strengths of Ed, Edd, n Eddy is the creator'sapproach to the story structure. In the cartoon, the characters go from oneadventure to the next with little or no transition at all. The stories aretotally spontaneous from plot to setting. "This show leaves all conceptand plot wide open," says college student Matt Gorball. Upon first viewingof the show we were expecting a typical cartoon with a simple plot that ranthe course of the show. This is where we were surprised. We where happy tosee a new approach to storytelling for kids. Normally in animation, storiesneed to be strong for audience comprehension, but the concept behind thiscartoon makes a strong case for the exception. This unusual approach to storytellingwill be eye-opening for adults, but perfectly in tune with kids. Ed, Eddn Eddy is the story of three kids having adventures with friends in theirneighborhood. When regular kids play with their friends in their neighborhoods,there is no structure. Kids are famous for short attention spans, so theygo from playing one game to another whenever they get bored. The fact thatEd, Edd n Eddy plays off of this is what makes it so successful. "Ed,Edd n Eddy does not follow conventional humor," says college studentGianina Lopategui. "Its distinctive and bizarre style is what bringsthe laughter." Aside from this new approach to story, the animation itself tries to be distinctivein its own way. The animation style matches the spontaneous tone of the show.The line quality of the characters varies and shakes, giving motion even toholds. It isn't as overpowering as the line quality change on Comedy Central'sDr. Katz, but is just enough to add a little texture to the look ofthe show. It is very successful, almost giving the look of rough animationand the viewer the feeling that the show was drawn by kids. This look in theanimation continues to make Ed, Edd n Eddy a notable and new approachfor today's cartoon. The humor of the show is extremely fast-paced. Don't blink, or you'll missthe gag. It is sometimes hard to grasp what has just happened. However itseems that this would completely appeal to kids. It moves along at a kid'space, and creates the feeling that a little kid is presenting the gags. We Want More! Ed, Edd n Eddy's humor is usually based on the situations theyget into. Even though the situations they encounter are funny, we would liketo see some deeper exploration into the characters. Maybe an episode withjust one of the 'Eds,' focusing on how he would solve a problem without theother two, or an episode based on Jimmy or Lisa. This is the problem we findwith the different approach to story. It is very hard to establish a deepcharacter with the plot changing every few minutes. Without getting the audienceinvolved with the characters it will be hard to gain long-lived support forthe show. Being a fairly new show there is still time to allow the charactersto grow. That, above all else, is our biggest critique. Let us make clearthat we did enjoy the show, and at points it had several of us in tears becausewe were laughing so hard. Our favorite character wasn't even one of the Eds.We especially liked Jimmy. Despite the fact that it is hard to understandhim sometimes because of his braces, he is one of the funniest characterson this or any other show. We would love to see him used as much as possible. Ed, Edd n Eddy is a fresh show with very different approaches. We areglad to see, as college students, a show that attempts to be unique. Manycurrent cartoons seem to be just hybrids of others. Ed, Edd n Eddy pushes old ideas aside and introduces us to a whole new world of story andcharacters. The Classical Animation Society is a student organization at the SavannahCollege of Art and Design. Devoted to character animation and the animationindustry, the Society was founded to unite the animation students at SCADto promote learning about the art, craft and industry of animation. The Savannah College of Art and Design exists to prepare talented studentsfor careers in the visual arts, design, and building arts. The college emphasizesindividual attention in a positive environment.
