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Here’s your WTF moment of the day, an animated short featuring a giant hot dog eating the Caped Crusader! The hot dog has no facial features save a giant maw, so it’s hard to tell what it’s thinking about as it chomps down on old Batsy, but I bet it wishes it had a giant beer to help rinse the taste of spandex out of it’s mouth.
And so, the question remains-why would a giant hot dog do such a horrific thing? Because it’s hungry, of course!
BTW this video (LINK) could well be the reason why the giant hot dog went after the Dark Knight in the first place. Apparently payback reeks of mustard and relish…
–via i09
Who knew Homer was speaking dragon this whole time?
Link Via The Daily What
Falcon Girl is artist James Hance’s wonderful mash up of Princess Leia and Tank Girl. I don’t know about you guys, but I kind of want to see this become a whole comic book instead of just a cool poster.
Link Via BoingBoing
First motion pictures went talkie, then everybody got on board the color train, leaving those black and white gems to gather dust because later generations found the lack of color “uncool”.
This video shows a side-by-side comparison of the black and white original versus the colorized version of “Smile Darn Ya, Smile” Here’s how this Merry Melodies short got it’s color:
…in 1992, Ted Turner paid to colorized a batch of black and white Merrie Melodies from 1931-33. This was back before computers were employed to add colors, so the cartoons were shipped to South Korea, traced frame-by-frame (well, almost), new cels were inked and painted and shot under the camera – creating a “color” cartoon from a “worthless” black & white print.
I can’t believe they would go through so much trouble just to add color, and the end result looks a bit too wonky to me. But what do you guys think-with digital colorization available now, should we colorize black and white films or not?
–via Cartoon Brew
With the start of a new calendar year, movie studios have started rolling out teasers and previews for their upcoming features, to ensure that ticket sales are high.
Personally, I don’t really care about the latest Hollywood blockbusters, and I prefer my features, and actors, to be animated. That’s why this list of animated features being released in 2012 had me so excited, and most of them look like great fun!
But you don’t have to take my word for it, peruse the titles for yourself at the link below, and sound off about which ones you’re looking forward to watching on the big screen.
Chilean artist Fabian Ciraolo thought it would be fun to show what 80s cartoon characters looked like when dressed up in fancy retro clothes. Is it just me or do the hipsterific outfits and pouty faces of the models make most of the pictures look like pages from an Urban Outfitters catalog set in a cartoon world?
In the alternate reality presented by these slick illustrations by Coran Stone, Calvin and Hobbes grew up to be super spies, and Christopher Robin and Pooh Bear are hell bent on bringing them both down.
These illustrations, and the story behind them, are just begging to be made into an animated series of some sort, and you can read the whole thing at the Geeks Are Sexy link below.
It’s the ultimate battle of imaginary friends, and I like the fact that, in the Pooh picture, Hobbes is still a stuffed animal!
Link –via GeeksAreSexy
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If you love Christmas animations, but start to feel like they’re a little too old and cliched, here’s the real reason why intrepid animators never update them to fit in with modern times.
Link Via Laughing Squid
What happens when you combine one of the world’s greatest comic books with one of the cutest cartoons on TV? You get a great mash up piece like this one by Dan Hipp.
Link Via The Mary Sue
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As the young’ns become slightly older’ns, and a new decade fad replaces the old, our popular interest sights are set upon the 1990s, a time of Bush/Clinton, Nicktoons and Cross Colours (which some kids felt the need to wear backwards, thanks to flash-in-the-pan kid rap act Kris Kross).
This massive desk doodle seems to sum it all up, in terms of animation anyways, with all the greats present and accounted for- Rugrats, Johnny Bravo, the Simpsons, Animaniacs, Sonic and Gumby? What’s he doing in there?
This collection of rock star appearances in animation is fun to watch, and may turn you on to some sweet cartoons you’ve never heard of, like this clip from Rock & Rule featuring Lou Reed performing “My Name Is Mok”.
Iggy Pop, Debbie Harry, Tom Petty, Marilyn Manson and Donnie Osmond all make guest appearances in this collection, and I know that Donnie Osmond isn’t who most people think of when the term “rock star” is used, but he’ll be the first to let you know that he’s a “little bit rock n roll”, so I guess that’s good enough for me.
–via Flavorwire
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Who knew that Super Mario and the X Men could go together so well? Apparently artist Casey Edwards did because she’s the one who came up with these clever mash ups.
Comments Off Disney’s animated tv shows used to be so good, especially the adventure packed series like DuckTales and Gummi Bears that appealed to audiences of all ages. These shows were so good that I felt superfan nostalgia sweep over me as I watched these 16 intro videos, and I know i’ll be singing the theme songs for days to come!
If cute cartoon theme songs that easily get stuck in your head is your idea of personal hell, then don’t watch these videos. If you enjoyed these shows back in the day and like taking trips down memory lane, then seeing the intro will make you feel like a kid again. Don’t hate!
Ben Balistreri is a storyboard artist and character designer for Dreamworks Animation, so the energy he brings to his Marvel re-designs is fresh and full of cartoon charm.
I would love to see an animated series featuring these re-designed characters, you can see all 50 of them for yourself at Ben’s site below. My faves are Taskmaster and Juggernaut, with his massive frame and little tiny face, but which ones do you like?
Link –via ComicsAlliance
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Speaking of fashionable Halloween rides that only add to a costume, just check out this incredible Flintstones mobile that was actually driven through a drive through.
Have you ever wondered what would happen if Disney characters switched faces with one another? The result can be even stranger than you could imagine. BuzzFeed has a variety of bizarre Disney face swaps for your enjoyment.
If our favorite toon people were allowed to age, which of course they’re NOT, we might not like how they turn out. Head to the link and witness a gallery of adult versions of cartoon children that is cute, funny and somewhat disturbing.
This gallery made me think the following:
How did Spongebob grow up to be so creepy? Did Mike from Monsters Inc. take steroids? Are Lilo and Stitch more than just friends?
Will we be able to look at these characters in the same way ever again?
Designer Yoni Alter made this adorable print featuring the eyes of a variety of famous cartoon characters? Can you name them all? If not, don’t worry, she also released a cheat sheet for the poster.
Link Via BoingBoing
Even funnier than the punchline for this pic of corporate Prince Adam (He-Man) giving a powerpoint presentation is the fact that furry briefs are appropriate attire for their office! I guess it comes as no surprise that He-Man’s power bar is so much bigger than everyone elses.
This wouldn’t be nearly as sad if everyone who ever used YouTube couldn’t attest to the fact that it’s totally true.
Link Via Laughing Squid
This cartoon, that Geeks Are Sexy rightfully titled “You’re A Skywalker, Not A Street Walker,” just goes to show how everyone’s adolescent years are pretty much the same -even Princesses.
Link Via Geeks Are Sexy
Comments Off If you’re like me and miss the old Batman animated series, then the new feature length film Batman: Year One, based on the comic by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, is going to get your bat fever burning again.
Featuring that Warner Brothers look that made the original series so iconic, and actors like Bryan Cranston and Eliza Dushku lending their voices to the production, this is one tale of the Batman not to be missed!
-via ComicsAlliance
This is what Finn from Adventure Time would look like if Frank Miller drew up the character design. Drawn in stark comic style by John Suarez, this battle scarred and bloody Finn is not to be f@%#d with.
Link -via ComicsAlliance
As a shepherd, you normally don’t have to worry about much more than a stray sheep or wolf attack. But in this animated short by Junaid Chundrigar we see what happens when UFOs take interest in the wool industry, and the lengths a good shepherd will go to in order to reclaim his precious flock. Let the hilarity ensue!
(VimeoLink) -via GeeksAreSexy
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These fun, comical and totally cartoony character redesigns are from Thomas Perkins, an artist who really knows how to capture attention with dynamic poses and visual appeal. All of the designs found on his DeviantArt page and blog would make awesome cartoons, and the humorous nature of his redesigns (Captain America as luchador, for example) breathe new life into these iconic superfolks.
DeviantArt link; Blog Link -via ComicsAlliance
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You may think you know Scooby-Doo, but unless you’re a die-hard fan, there’s a good chance you haven’t even heard of half of the movies and you probably haven’t seen most of the TV shows. That’s nothing to be ashamed of –after all, the series has been running for almost 42 years straight. So for those of you who haven’t caught up on decades worth of episodes and movies, here’s a run down on the different incarnations of the franchise in honor of Scooby’s September 13th birthday.
Image via abibrooks [Flickr]
I know a lot of our readers take issue with how overprotective many parents have become in the last few decades, but if you like Scooby-Doo, then this is one time you might be able to forgive them. As it turns out, the idea for the show arose after parent organizations, particularly Action for Children’s Television, began protesting the violence of Saturday morning cartoon shows. The pressure was so high that many of the most popular Hanna-Barbera shows, including Johnny Quest, were cancelled due to the protests.
As a result, CBS was scrambling to come up with a Saturday morning cartoon line up that parents would be able to get behind. The first successful new show was The Archie Show, which was based upon the Archie comic book. One of the most popular parts of the show was the musical numbers performed by The Archies during each episode. To capitalize on this idea, Hanna-Barbera was hired to come up with a show that would feature a teenage rock group that solved mysteries between gigs.
Image via informatique [Flickr]
The first version of the show was called Mysteries Five and it featured five teens, Geoff, Mike, Kelly Linda, W.W., and their dog Too Much –who played the bongos in their band. Eventually it was decided that Too Much should be a Great Dane. The character designer, Iwao Takamoto, then consulted a Great Dane breeder to learn more about the breed’s distinguishing characteristics. He then promptly ignored almost everything he learned, designing Too Much with overly bowed legs, a sloped back and a double chin, making him look much more humorous than the real dog breed.
more …
Have you ever wondered why certain superheroes don’t get as much attention, or as many fans, as the big name spandex superstars? Well, these audition videos from College Humor should help clear that up for you, and proves that even D-list superfolks have star power!
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So maybe “mercury in the Arctic” doesn’t make you think of the ghost of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury hovering around an igloo. But someone over at F*ck Yeah Headlines has a weird sense of humor, and turns normal-seeming article titles into these silly cartoons. There are lots more (this is my favorite) over on Tumbler. Link | via Flavorwire
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While those of you with kids might have gone to see the Smurfs movie, I’m assuming the rest of you haven’t. From what I’ve heard, you aren’t missing much if you haven’t seen it, but I can’t talk from first-hand experience because I haven’t gone either. Regardless of what you think of the new movie, it’s always nice to look back at the things that made The Smurfs so great in the first place.
Image via It’s Meng! [Flickr]
You may have wondered where the heck the word “smurf” came from and why the characters use it so often in the show, but as it turns out, the original characters weren’t “smurfs,” they were “schtroumpfs.” The whole thing started when the creator of the comics, Peyo, was at lunch with a fellow Belgian comic artist named André Franquin. If you’ve ever had a moment where you forgot the name of something, then you’ll understand Peyo’s frustration when he couldn’t remember the word “salt.” Being a goofy guy, he instead pointed at the salt and asked his friend to pass the schtroumpf. Franquin responded, “Here’s the schtroumpf — when you are done schtroumpfing, schtroumpf it back.” The rest of the meal, the two joked around using the word “schtroumpf” periodically throughout their conversation.
Now you know why the characters use their name so much in conversation, but suddenly, the question of how the comics became The Smurfs instead of The Schtroumpfs. Well, as I said, this all happened in Belgium, where the native language is French. The first language the comic was translated to was Dutch and while the name could have stayed the same (do you really need to translate an imaginary word?), Schtroumpfs didn’t quite sound right to Dutch speakers, so the name was instead changed to smurfen. When the comic was translated to English, the word “smurf” sounded good, so it was based on the Dutch version.
Image via Stephen and Claire Farnsworth [Flickr]
The first introduction of the Smurf characters started in Peyo’s earlier comic, Johan and Pirlouit. This strip took place in the Middle Ages and incorporated elements of sorcery and sword fights. In 1958, Peyo started a new series of the strip, which revolved around the characters searching for a magic flute. At one point in the story, the characters run into a number of schtroumpfs, small creatures with blue skin and human-like features. The smurf characters were a smashing success, so Peyo wrote them their own strip that first appeared in 1959. Although the smurfs would periodically interact with Johan and Pirlouit, the spin off was largely based on their own stories.
Technically there are two girls, Smurfette, who everyone is familiar with, and Sassette, who first appeared in the fifth season of the cartoon. According to the smurf back story though, there are actually no smurf females. Smurfette was actually created by Gargamel in part of an evil plan to cause jealousy amongst the smurfs and Sassette was created by the smurfs using the same magic formula they stole from Gargamel. Sassette was intended to provide Smurfette with a female friend, but because Sassette was a pretty big tom boy, the two didn’t get along at first. If you’re wondering why Sassette is so much smaller than the adult smurfs if she’s not supposed to be a baby, it’s because all adult smurfs stand 3 crab apples tall, but they only had two crab apples worth of clay when they created her.
Strangely, after making sure the two female characters were both made from clay and magic spells, season 8 featured another female, Nanny Smurf, with no background story explaining her creation. Nanny Smurf was Grandpa Smurf’s gal, but she disappeared in a haunted house for 500 years before the smurfs rescued her. She only lasted one season and appeared in one episode in season 9 before disappearing forever again.
If you’ve been itching for more female characters in the comic, Peyo’s son who is the current writer of the French comics has promised that he will be introducing more females in upcoming years.
Image via Scottobear [Flickr]
Most people seem to think that smurf berries aren’t real, but as it turns out, they are really supposed to be the berries from the sarsaparilla tree. Interestingly, in the comics, the smurfs don’t eat smurf berries, but instead gorge on the leaves of the plant.
If you’ve ever watched the cartoon and thought that Papa Smurf or Gargamel’s voices sounded familiar, you’re right, you probably have heard them somewhere else. Papa Smurf was voiced by legendary cartoon voice actor Don Messick who also did the voices of Boo Boob Bear, Ranger Smith, Astro, Muttley, Scooby Doo, Scrappy Doo and Droopy. As for Gargamel, his voice was performed by Paul Winchell, a professional ventriloquist who became a voice actor later in life. Some of Winchell’s more famous roles included Dick Dastardly (that’s right, he and Mesick worked together before) and everyone’s favorite spring-tailed predator, Tigger.
Image via DNNYA17 [Flickr]
Do you guys dig The Smurfs? What about the movie, if you’ve seen it, what did you think?
Sources: Wikipedia #1, #2, #3, Smurfs Wiki #1, #2, #3
Unless you are an ultimate Nintendo fan, and know every game that came out on the console in 1988, you’re going to have a hard time identifying all of these great games. But really, who’s keeping score? These awesomely adorable illustrations are by Campbell Whyte, and have a quirky cute style all their own. See if you can figure them all out, and be sure to follow the link over to Destructoid if you want to see all 65 of these adorable illustrations!
Link -via Destructoid
