Casper The Friendly Ghost - Spree Under the Sea #1 13th Oct 1950
- il y a 8 ans
Casper first appeared in a cartoon entitled (appropriately enough) The Friendly Ghost, based on an unpublished story written by Seymour V. Reit (who, among many other things, worked for Archie Comics and may have co-created Peter Porkchops and Peter Panda) and illustrated by animator Joe Oriolo (a protegé of Felix the Cat creator Otto Messmer, and mostly famous for TV cartoons about Felix). Its unclear whether the idea for the story came from Reit or Oriolo. The cartoon was directed by Isadore Sparber and released by Paramounts Famous Studios, as part of its Noveltoons series, in 1945. This sentimental tale of a ghost who didnt want to scare anyone was well enough received to spark a sequel, Theres Good Boos Tonight (1948), also directed by Sparber.\r
This led to a full-blown series, some directed by Sparber and some by Seymour Kneitel. During the 1950s, Casper cartoons, which all had more-or-less the same plot, followed one upon another with monotonous regularity, outlasting all his Famous Studios contemporaries except Herman & Katnip. The last theatrically-released Casper cartoon was Caspers Birthday Party, released July 31, 1959 and directed by Kneitel.\r
Casper was unusual among Famous Studios characters, in that he wasnt a knock-off of something else. Little Audrey was a transparent copy of Little Lulu; and Herman & Katnip were obviously cribbed from Tom & Jerry. And although Baby Huey and his family eventually became better known than Chuck Joness version of The Three Bears, the Jones creation came first. But Casper was Casper, and not a copy of anything else. In fact, he spawned several comic-book imitators of his own, including Ajaxs Spunky the Smiling Spook, Marvel/Atlass Homer the Happy Ghost and Charltons Timmy the Timid Ghost. ACGs Spencer Spook was too early to be an actual knock-off, but probably owed much of his longevity in the marketplace to Caspers popularity.\r
Caspers Spree Under The Sea 13 October 1950\r
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Casper is kicked out of the Society of Ghosts when he admits he does not like scaring people. Dejected, desperate and friendless, he decides to drown himself. And, evidently, confused, also. There, he discovers that he has friends among the fish. When all of his new friends, including Goldie, the pretty goldfish, are caught in the net of two fishermen, Casper rises to the occasion and the surface, frightens the two fishermen away, and becomes a hero to the fish.
This led to a full-blown series, some directed by Sparber and some by Seymour Kneitel. During the 1950s, Casper cartoons, which all had more-or-less the same plot, followed one upon another with monotonous regularity, outlasting all his Famous Studios contemporaries except Herman & Katnip. The last theatrically-released Casper cartoon was Caspers Birthday Party, released July 31, 1959 and directed by Kneitel.\r
Casper was unusual among Famous Studios characters, in that he wasnt a knock-off of something else. Little Audrey was a transparent copy of Little Lulu; and Herman & Katnip were obviously cribbed from Tom & Jerry. And although Baby Huey and his family eventually became better known than Chuck Joness version of The Three Bears, the Jones creation came first. But Casper was Casper, and not a copy of anything else. In fact, he spawned several comic-book imitators of his own, including Ajaxs Spunky the Smiling Spook, Marvel/Atlass Homer the Happy Ghost and Charltons Timmy the Timid Ghost. ACGs Spencer Spook was too early to be an actual knock-off, but probably owed much of his longevity in the marketplace to Caspers popularity.\r
Caspers Spree Under The Sea 13 October 1950\r
\r
Casper is kicked out of the Society of Ghosts when he admits he does not like scaring people. Dejected, desperate and friendless, he decides to drown himself. And, evidently, confused, also. There, he discovers that he has friends among the fish. When all of his new friends, including Goldie, the pretty goldfish, are caught in the net of two fishermen, Casper rises to the occasion and the surface, frightens the two fishermen away, and becomes a hero to the fish.