Curse of the Monkeybird

"**Curse of the Monkeybird**" is the first cartoon and the first segment of the first episode of the first season of *Looney Tunes Cartoons*.

## Summary

*Daffy Duck and Porky Pig search for hidden treasure.*

## Plot

*Porky Pig and Daffy Duck are riding an elephant through the jungle. Porky says that he and Daffy are in search of the Lost Temple of Monkeybird so that they can trade the treasure inside for a reward and pay off their parking tickets in town. However, the trail to the temple, composed of a butterfly and a family of spiders, disperses before their very eyes, prompting Daffy to become hysterical over being lost, though the temple was actually right in front of them all along.*

Before they enter the temple, they are told by a skull to "Beware the Monkeybird curse". Porky is instantly frightened by the warning, but Daffy, believing that science will prevail, decides to ignore it and go on ahead, before a troupe of bats and ghosts make him persuade Porky to take the lead. Inside, Porky says to be wary of any booby traps that may lay ahead. Daffy is adamant towards this as he sets off the following traps which brutally injure Porky:

* *Acupuncture needles (caused by a stepping stone)*
* *A large boulder (caused by another stepping stone)*
* *Flames which turn Porky into roast ham (caused by a torch)*
* *A chandelier (caused by a light switch)*
* *Twin cabers (caused by a bookcase switch)*
* *A horse's rear hooves (caused by a badly hung painting)*
* *A spiked club (caused by a ticket machine)*
* *A boxing glove (caused by a prizefighting bell)*
* *A trap door (caused by a knight's armor)*

*Daffy finds Porky and tells him that they have found the Treasure of the Monkeybird Temple. Unfortunately, as they rush towards it, they discover that the ground is littered with banana skins and* Monkeybird Monthly Magazines*. Daffy is immediately bitten in the leg by a snake, and pleads with Porky to suck out the venom. It turns out that Daffy has already captured the treasure, and the leg Porky sucks actually belongs to the dreaded Monkeybird, which is a combination of a gorilla and a bird.*

*Porky and Daffy try to escape on a vine with the treasure, but the Monkeybird blocks their passage by revealing that he can actually fly. The two of them climb up the vine to safety before they unexpectedly skid down a floor-turned-slide. After leaving the slide, they briefly joke with the Monkeybird before resuming the chase and being cornered by the creature. Daffy tries to communicate with the monster by commenting on his facial features and asking to wear his letterman's jacket, which the Monkeybird happily mistakes for a marriage proposal, instantly preparing the ceremony with Porky as the bridesmaid. To the Monkeybird's confusion, Daffy leaves him at the altar by putting him in his own wedding ring before leaving with Porky for town on an airplane fashioned from the treasure chest, two planks of wood for wings, and a banana skin for a propeller.*

*Crash landing back home, they open the chest to behold a valuable golden egg inside. To their chagrin, the egg hatches, and the treasure is actually dozens of DuckMonkeyBird chicks, who refer to them as "Daddy". Porky then says this was probably the Curse they were warned about.*

## Voices

* Eric Bauza as Daffy Duck
* Bob Bergen as Porky Pig
* Fred Tatasciore as Monkey Bird

## Trivia

* It was originally shown off as an animatic in Annecy 2018, then the finished product in June of 2019, and at the Ottawa Animation Festival in September, where it was being shown to theaters to contend for the Oscar for "Best Animated Short", which it was not short-listed for. Supposedly, it was going to get a theatrical release in 2020, but due to the COVID-19 epidemic, this has seemed to have been scrapped.

## Censorship

In Cartoon Network Asia, over forty seconds of scenes are cut:

* The torch part of the boobytrap is due to possible burning alive reference. That, however, was in the commercials.
* The entire wedding scene, due to homosexual themes. Two parts are in the commercial and the Best Summer Ever promo.