Friday 30 August 2019

What's That On the Wall?

Background artist Fred Brunish plants an inside gag in the Woody Woodpecker cartoon The Coo Coo Bird (1947).

Bugs Hardaway and Milt Schaffer wrote another one of those trying-to-sleep-despite-interruptions cartoons. It starts off with a neon light from a hotel across the street blinding the bed-resting Woody. He pulls down the window shade and then walks back to his bed.

Notice the company that made the calendar in the background.



Knowing Walter Lantz, he probably offered Woody the calendar in lieu of overtime pay or some other kind of money.

It’s tough to tell in the frame above but there is scoutmaster-type hat hanging on a nail on the calendar, with skis to the left.

Brunish didn’t toss in as many inside gags as Paul Julian at Warner Bros. but they show up on occasion and it’s always fun to spot them.

3 comments:

  1. This Thursday, Bob Newhart will reach the Big 9-0; maybe his 90th birthday could be heavily celebrated as a milestone; it IS more tasteful than indulging in his obituary.

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  2. Also, later this year, Ed Asner will reach the age of 90.

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  3. Agreed Yowp, It's fun the look closely at the backgrounds to look for inside jokes, or " Easter Eggs " so to speak.

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