Oddest animated cartoon references

Jerry Beck recently posted the bizarre Howdy Doody's Christmas on his Cartoon Research site.

At around 5:26 when Buffalo Bob, Clarabelle and Howdy are stumbling around Santa's workshop in the dark, we suddenly see a working display model based on Ginger Nutt's Christmas Circus ( David Hand, Gaumont-British Animation [Rank] 1949).

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(As older members may recall I have a paticular attachment to the Animaland cartoons, as my animation mentor, Bill Hopper, had worked on them, in particular animating Ginger Nutt - so this was a special find for me.)















The shots appear to be 'found footage' edited into the film - maybe from a newsreel. The display was presumably made to promote the cartoon series and merchandise.






Here is the complete Howdy Doody film:


I've posted Ginger Nutt's Christmas Circus in the Other/Multiple Studios forum, under Favourite G-B Animation Christmas Film

~ Hey, Peter!

That's a great catch you made there! Good eyes! I had no idea about your connection to Bill Hopper and the Animaland cartoons. It must have been fantastic having him as a mentor. Are you still involved in animation?

I worked mainly on (low budget) commercials, with some occasional stints on series. (A third of the time I didn't work at all!) After the start of the 21st century offers of work started to dry up rapidly, and in 2008 I stopped being an unemployed animator and got a real job (Reprographics administrator in a secondary school). I retired last summer.

~ Hey, Peter!

That's interesting. Animation as a career is a tough road. I also worked in reprographics years ago as a drafter/cad designer. I switched to graphic design in 1992 and was fortunate enought to work for some multimedia companies creating animations for training programs. Oh yes, I made a bunch of flip books when I was 12 (ha-ha... wish I still had those!). I've been a big animation fan ever since then and still fool around with it making small films here at home.

Just to be completist, I've discovered the source of the Animaland models footage - it's taken from the Gaumont-British Newsreel (naturally!) dated 3rd November 1949, showing the start of the Christmas shopping season on London's Oxford Street. It would seem one of the stores had taken the cartoons as a theme for either its windows or instore displays: beside the circus set-up included in the Howdy Doody film there are glimpses of a what appears to be a fairground scene and a scene of Ginger Nutt fishing (and catching a boot) based on the cartoon "It's a Lovely Day".

stills courtesy of ITN Source

The newsreel can be viewed HERE. (The displays start at 00:23)

~ Hey, Peter!

Wow! That's some great detective work! Not familiar with ITN Source but these archival services are amazing repositories of history.

~ Peter... You're in London I believe, are there any collectible or antique outfits out there that might come across these figurines? They must extremely rare... but that would be quite a find! I wish more animation fans would look into the Animaland cartoons. They are really well done and the story of the their creation is a fascinating one.