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Chapter 15A: Terrytoonery
Terrytoons. Here was my locale that most interests the animation historians. So now I finally have the chance to tell it like it really was. I name names -- all the names, and print the pix. And all the production details about Tom Terrific. I tell you what I did and what I tried to do - a "renaissance" - a total make over... and I tell you why it failed.
On the following pages are model sheets of some of the characters I created at Terrytoons, for which I had unfulfilled high hopes. For all of these, I made the original model sketches. Some of them were later refined by my key designers. "Dewitt Clinton Clobber" was my personal highest hope, and I drew all of the model sheets of him myself. Gaston Le Crayon went through several stages of development, with the final model drawn by Eli Bauer.
John Doormat also evolved, with Al Kouzel coming up with the final model, and directing his best film, "Another Day, Another Doormat," of which I am still very proud to have nurtured. On all of these characters, we tried very hard to develop in a multi-dimensional way, writing extensive character studies of each of them. Part of the John Doormat character outline is reproduced here. It's from early 1957.
The Sidney model sheet was drawn by me. Foofle, the precursor of my later Nudnik character, was developed by me, but this production model sheet was drawn by Larz Bourne, Terrytoons best traditional gagman and storyboard artist.
I'm proud to have been the first to bring the work of R.O.(Bob) Blechman to animation production, with his charming and incisive rendition of "The Juggler of Our Lady." It was a great gas to put his tiny scribbly characters onto the huge CinemaScope screen! A few frames are reproduced here.
After the model sheets are some notes on the people of Terrytoons during my time there.
Lw5wya Got it! Tnhaks a lot again for helping me out!
cKkag1 I'm imrsepsed! You've managed the almost impossible.
can you tell me why silly sidney, one of my childhood favorites, had, in his brief career, three distinctly different voices (one baby-ish and high pitched, one nasally, and one happy go lucky)? even as a child, i detected them (and liked them) all...thanx!
I like your cartoons, even though I only have Sidney tape. I guess your cartoons are rare. By the way, I think I'm the only 12 years who knows you an the other rare cartoons from other directors. I discovered most rare ones at Toon Tracker and Tonarific. The only reason I know you is because I saw your name credited on Tom and Jerry cartoons, the ones you did in 60s. By the way, do you, like, sell some of tapes containing the cartoons you did?
Hi, Gene. I am a big fan of yours. On your Terrytoon staff list, you also left off animator George Bakes. I worked with George 10 years ago (while in the employ of one of your other ex-employees, Ralph Bakshi). George did some of the best stuff in the picture. Love the book so far.
My name was omitted in the list of Terrytoon staff people at the time of Gene's regime. I sat next to the LISTED "M. Hurley" (Maureen Hurley) where we both began on the very same day, JUNE 11, 1956 as opaaquers...later rising through the ranks as inkers..
I had the honor of personally inking completely, both the entire cinemascope feature, Bob Blechman's "The Juggler of Our Lady" and 'FLEBUS.'
In 1959 Maureen and I married and recently celebrated 42 years of married life...I went on to become an Animator, and I'm still Animating and Directing, having spent all my life working in Feature films, TV specials and serials, but primarily animating Television Commercials, alongside many of the greats in the industry...Shamus Culhane, Bill Tytla, Dick Williams, Jim Tyer, Jack Zander, Art Babbitt and countless others.
I'm proud to say I learned an awful lot in my early days from being in the shadow of a truly talented animation master, Gene Deitch. Thanks, Gene !
D0UG CRANE
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