Animation cel setup from Tom Terrific cartoon
date: label: date made
content: 1957-1959
name: label: performer
content: Wilson, Lionel
label: maker
content: Deitch, Gene
notes: label: Description
content: Animation cel setup from a Tom Terrific cartoon, featuring a cel of Tom over a drawing of his dog Manfred. The black and white cel and drawing combo were produced for the animated sequences that aired in five minute segments as part of the Captain Kangaroo children’s television series from 1957-1959. The character and series were created by Gene Deitch and made by the Terrytoons animation studio. Tom Terrific is a bright and chipper young man who lives in a treehouse and uses his funnel-shaped “thinking cap” to transform himself and the world around him in any way he can imagine. With his sidekick, the lazy and lethargic Mighty Manfred the Wonder Dog, Tom explores the world and battles his nemesis Crabby Appleton, whose motto is, "I'm rotten to the core!" The series was notable for its simple, monochromatic visual style, reminiscent of children’s drawings. All the character voices were performed by Lionel Wilson. Tom Terrific was one of the first animated television series for children created specifically for the medium, rather than reruns of old animated film shorts, and was designed with the baby boom generation in mind. Tom’s independent and imaginative adventures spoke to the boundless possibilities that seemed available to that generation of young Americans, though the lack of any educational objectives or content in the series, among others, would inspire children’s television producers and reformers to work toward more deliberately designed programming like Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New Rochelle
topic: label: associated subject
content: Television
label: associated subject
content: Animation
label: associated subject
content: Children's television programs
label: depicted
content: Dogs
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
label: See more items in
content: Popular Entertainment
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2023.0178.01
label: accession number
content: 2023.0178
label: catalog number
content: 2023.0178.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: animation cel setup
label: Object Name
content: cel
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (background material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (cel material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 10 1/2 in x 12 1/2 in; 26.67 cm x 31.75 cm