Inki Backgrounds

Chuck Jones’ unit was experimenting with various kinds of backgrounds during the war years. Some consisted of geometric patterns but all were not literal.

Here are some examples from Inki and the Minah Bird from 1943. They certainly don’t look like jungles you will find in other cartoons. The clouds are in patterns of three.

Jones was going through a bit of a transition around this time. Layout artist John McGrew went into the military, followed by background painter Eugene Fleury. Fleury’s wife, Bernice Polifka, was hired for background work. I don’t know which of these artists were involved in this cartoon.

Jones made five Inki pictures for Warners release. He told author Mike Barrier that theatre audiences liked them but nobody understood them, including him.