Anticipation

Everyone knows about the almost-instantly huge eye takes that Tex Avery loved smacking the audience with. There’s a great one at the end of Droopy’s Double Trouble (1951). At the beginning, though, there’s a far more subtle piece of eye animation.

Droopy brings his twin brother to see the snooty butler. You can see the butler’s eye opening and then getting larger.



Avery and writer Rich Hogan now decide to have the butler leap into the air. The scene follows standard animation principles—anticipation then action. Here are the drawings (on twos) Avery uses to get to the anticipation part.



And away he goes!



Mike Lah, Walt Clinton and Grant Simmons are the credited animators.