From: rjung@aludra.usc.edu (Robert A. Jung)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.tiny-toon
Subject: Re: Yet more StarToons comments
Date: 11 Apr 1992 23:10:37 -0700
Organization: Southern California Lynx Enthusiasts
NNTP-Posting-Host: aludra.usc.edu

In article <1992Apr12.025151.2166@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu> klein@kira.egr.msu.edu (Jeffrey Klein) writes:
>I saw "Stand Up and Deliver" again Friday, didn't catch the rest coz 
>I had homework, so here's a few comments.
>
>I actually like this episode now.  I don't see why everything has to
>have a dark cynical ending - I somehow get the picture that certain
>toonsters would rather have a cartoon end with Babs getting hit by a
>truck (or Robin) >:).  I like a show with a little heart!

  A little heart is nothing wrong; all I ask is that it's delivered with a
good amount of yuks, and doesn't feel contrived. Some of my favorite TTA
stuff have had "uplifting" or "warm" endings. PROM-ISE HER ANYTHING,
especially, gives me lots of good cheap jokes and still tugs the heartstrings
without feeling contrived. An all-time best TTA story there, IMO.

>I actually like this design 'coz Plucky looks
>more like a teenager.  I also think he should wear his Acme team jacket
>more often; heck, they all should!  I should!  I want one! :)

  I want a Warner Bros./TINY TOON ADVENTURES production staff leather jacket
myself. Total leather, with your name over the breast pocket in red, and a
large Buster-and-Babs-and-Tiny-Toons logo on the back...

  (To any Warner Bros. representatives reading this: Why don't you market
stuff like THIS for us adult fans? Forget the kiddie slippers and the ugly
Applause plush dolls, the over-13 TTA crowd want the chic, the stylish, and
the practical in Tiny Toons wear NOW! Thank you)

>I have to disagree with Rob on their drawing of Hamton, though.  I saw
>HISMV Friday night, and the similarity of the character design kept
>jumping out at me.  Flopped over ears, wide spaced eyes slanting in
>a bit downwars, and something about the spacing of his nose, mouth and
>cheeks that I can't clearly describe.  Look for yourself!  (Means you'll
>have to watch the video again - poor you! :) )  It would seem that WB
>redesigned Hamton for the movie and second season.

  I agree with you that Warners redesigned Hamton for the second season (tho
I liked the first-season look a little more), but I still get a nagging
sense that Startoons' Hamton was "off" a bit. Something about the mouth, I
suspect, but nothing I can pin down specifically right off...

>I didn't see enough of Gogo to tell if he was off.

  Way off. The head was too small, and his eyes were too large and round,
especially in proportion to the head.

>Oh yeah, I also want
>to say that if Wang did the Elmyra tag they could have done Byron too -
>I suppose they turn out slick work when they're not rushed.

  I'll continue to defend Wang to a degree. Their style fluctuates a lot,
but when their form is right, it's fun to watch. Yes, they're off-model, like
everyone else (except Tokyo, apparently  B-), but when their style clicks,
I find the "stuffed cottonball" approach fun. Tokyo makes the 'toons look
alive; Wang makes the 'toons look "cartoony". Personal preference, I guess.
Some favorite bits of Wang animation include FAIRY TALES FOR THE '90s, THE
ACME ACRES ZONE, and LOOKING OUT FOR THE LITTLE GUY.

>And finally, the big reason why I like StarToons so much:
>
>If all American cartoons get done in Japan, I'll never get a job!
>(Ok, so it's a pipe dream - my art skills are a bit below par, and
> it takes me a while to get one dinky drawing done.  I still support
> American animation, tho :^) )

#define SOAPBOX 1

  This scares me the same way "Buy American" scares me. Blind patriotism is
a dangerous thing, as it makes people ignore quality (or lack thereof) for
a false sense of pride. It's not politically correct, but I feel that if the
Japanese/Germans/British/whoever is making a better product, then support it.
"Settling for" inferior American animation (or cars) will not motivate
Startoons (or Detroit) to work better -- it's only by threatening them with
loss of revenue will they change their ways and deliver a product that the
consumer wants.

#define SOAPBOX 0

  Besides, I'd rather support Warner Bros. getting their own animation studio
and drawing the 'toons 100% correctly (or, in other words, almost totally
identical to the way Tokyo Movie Shinsa does it now  B-).

                                                --R.J.
                                                B-)

P.S. Hey, what if Warner Bros. buys out TMS?  B-)  Put all their animators to
work drawing TINY TOONS, and turn over Akom's contract to Disney...  B-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Buster: "I'm gonna get us some chow...
             HEY! I wonder whose Beemer is on fire in the parking lot?!?"
~~~~~~~~~~~ These opinions are all mine, but you're welcome to 'em. ~~~~~~~~~~
Stay Tiny Tooned!                     Send assorted silliness to rjung@usc.edu