Ode to Toontown

infinite monkey · 09-12-2013, 05:00 PM

This is part narrative, part lyrical, and all from my heart.

When I was quite a young lass (like, early to mid forties) I happened upon a new world. The world was called, quite simply enough, Toontown. At first I wasn't sure. Sometimes I'm angry at the Disney. I suppose it stems back to my childhood (the one held during my actual childhood years) and my love of Looney Tunes. I mean, come on: Daffy is a far funnier and much more 'human' than that silly Donald. Who didn't love a Marvin the Martian, or Ralph and Sam, or a big old cock named Foghorn, I say, Foghorn J Leghorn? But I digress...

(work in progress...to be continued. Basically I'm pulling it out of my butt as I go and I think I'll ponder on it a while.)

infinite monkey · 09-12-2013, 05:13 PM

But this game, this GAME. This magical place that Disney created where I could don a toon persona of my making, where I could run freely through the neighborhoods. I could fish, if I felt leisurely. Train my Doodle (tsk tsk boys), decorate my home, plant trees and flowere, race cars, play a multitude of mini-games solo or with up to four other toons. I could swim in the ponds and i could converse with other tunes with preset options (later this changed and one could opt-in to have actual conversations with other toons if they also opted in, but still one could never be accosted verbally due to considerably well-done filters.) My incarnations included Crazy Sadie Bumpenmonkey, a tall blue rabbit with gangly legs; a cat with a giant head but short legs (whose name escapes me) and my most recent, a multi-colored medium sized pig...

(Tbc)

Gravdigr · 09-12-2013, 05:14 PM

I only found out a few years ago that 'foghorn' & 'leghorn' are both types of chickens.

DanaC · 09-13-2013, 09:48 AM

Keep it coming, I'm loving this.

infinite monkey · 09-13-2013, 10:23 AM

...A multi-colored medium sized pig, with long green legs, maroon arms, and a blue head who I dubbed Professor Popcorn Trickytoes.

(ugh...sometimes I get into a flow and sometimes I can't. I guess that's called 'writing.' I have a clear idea where I'm goign wtih this, but am mostly inspired in the evening when I only have the phone from which to post. It may be one of those things that seem really funny when you're high (or in my case, completely 'artiste-crazy' from withdrawal effects, like, you know, William Blake crazy) and you look back and hey, it ain't so funny. But I will keep working on it.)

Thanks Dana!

limegreenc · 09-23-2013, 01:19 PM

This summer I read the biography of Robert Ripley-'A Curious Man'. So many associations to the one-liners we use today. Great read!
Anyways, here's the connection I was looking for

BELIEVE IT!
In 1930 Vitaphone launched a series of animated cartoons
called “Looney Tunes” that would create such characters
as Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, and Elmer Fudd.
Introduced as Egghead in the late 1930s, the speech- impeded
and stuttering character who became Fudd was believed to
have been partly modeled on Ripley. One cartoon, “Believe It
or Else,” featured a bucktoothed Egghead wearing a loud suit
and spats. The narrator introduces the world’s loudest hog
caller, the human basketball, and the world’s fastest woodcutter.
“I don’t believe it!” says Egghead. Egghead/Fudd also made a
cameo appearance in The Isle of Pingo Pongo, a faux South
Seas travelogue cartoon that was later banned for its racist
depiction of black islanders.

limegreenc · 09-23-2013, 04:54 PM

The cartoonist who created Porky Pig worked with Ripley at the Walter Lanz studio in the 30's.

Ripley published a sketch of Charles Schulz's dog Spike as part of his Believe It or Not! cartoon on February 22, 1937.

Chocolatl · 09-23-2013, 06:52 PM

I'm hoping you'll continue this, too, infi. It reminds me of some of the wonderful escapism and relaxation that comes from letting yourself be immersed in another world -- be it a game, a show, or a book.

limegreenc · 09-23-2013, 10:13 PM

Tad Dorgan another cartoonist who started with Ripley coined these phrases that we all use today.
"for crying out loud", "cat's meow", "cat's pajamas", "drugstore cowboy", "as busy as a one-armed paperhanger" and "Yes, we have no bananas," which was turned into a popular song.
"Twenty-three, Skidoo" and "hot dog" in reference to sausage.

Clodfobble · 09-25-2013, 08:56 AM

I was taught that "hot dog" came about because during WWI no one wanted to call them "frankfurters" anymore. It was that generation's "freedom fries." Maybe the cartoonist was still the guy who came up with it though, or maybe I was taught an urban legend, I dunno.

09-12-2013, 05:00 PM	#1
infinite monkey Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 13,002	Ode to Toontown This is part narrative, part lyrical, and all from my heart. When I was quite a young lass (like, early to mid forties) I happened upon a new world. The world was called, quite simply enough, Toontown. At first I wasn't sure. Sometimes I'm angry at the Disney. I suppose it stems back to my childhood (the one held during my actual childhood years) and my love of Looney Tunes. I mean, come on: Daffy is a far funnier and much more 'human' than that silly Donald. Who didn't love a Marvin the Martian, or Ralph and Sam, or a big old cock named Foghorn, I say, Foghorn J Leghorn? But I digress... (work in progress...to be continued. Basically I'm pulling it out of my butt as I go and I think I'll ponder on it a while.) Last edited by infinite monkey; 09-12-2013 at 05:06 PM.

09-12-2013, 05:13 PM	#2
infinite monkey Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 13,002	But this game, this GAME. This magical place that Disney created where I could don a toon persona of my making, where I could run freely through the neighborhoods. I could fish, if I felt leisurely. Train my Doodle (tsk tsk boys), decorate my home, plant trees and flowere, race cars, play a multitude of mini-games solo or with up to four other toons. I could swim in the ponds and i could converse with other tunes with preset options (later this changed and one could opt-in to have actual conversations with other toons if they also opted in, but still one could never be accosted verbally due to considerably well-done filters.) My incarnations included Crazy Sadie Bumpenmonkey, a tall blue rabbit with gangly legs; a cat with a giant head but short legs (whose name escapes me) and my most recent, a multi-colored medium sized pig... (Tbc) Last edited by infinite monkey; 09-12-2013 at 05:18 PM.

09-12-2013, 05:14 PM	#3
Gravdigr The Un-Tuckian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: South Central...KY that is Posts: 39,517	I only found out a few years ago that 'foghorn' & 'leghorn' are both types of chickens. __________________ These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, EPA, FBI, DEA, CDC, or FDIC. These statements are not intended to diagnose, cause, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you feel you have been harmed/offended by, or, disagree with any of the above statements or images, please feel free to fuck right off.

09-23-2013, 10:13 PM	#9
limegreenc shed door curio Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Canada Posts: 406	Tad Dorgan another cartoonist who started with Ripley coined these phrases that we all use today. "for crying out loud", "cat's meow", "cat's pajamas", "drugstore cowboy", "as busy as a one-armed paperhanger" and "Yes, we have no bananas," which was turned into a popular song. "Twenty-three, Skidoo" and "hot dog" in reference to sausage. Last edited by limegreenc; 09-23-2013 at 10:15 PM. Reason: already stated some info

09-25-2013, 08:56 AM	#10
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	I was taught that "hot dog" came about because during WWI no one wanted to call them "frankfurters" anymore. It was that generation's "freedom fries." Maybe the cartoonist was still the guy who came up with it though, or maybe I was taught an urban legend, I dunno. __________________ My book My other book My spirit animal

09-13-2013, 10:23 AM	#5
infinite monkey Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 13,002	...A multi-colored medium sized pig, with long green legs, maroon arms, and a blue head who I dubbed Professor Popcorn Trickytoes. (ugh...sometimes I get into a flow and sometimes I can't. I guess that's called 'writing.' I have a clear idea where I'm goign wtih this, but am mostly inspired in the evening when I only have the phone from which to post. It may be one of those things that seem really funny when you're high (or in my case, completely 'artiste-crazy' from withdrawal effects, like, you know, William Blake crazy) and you look back and hey, it ain't so funny. But I will keep working on it.) Thanks Dana!

09-23-2013, 01:19 PM	#6
limegreenc shed door curio Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Canada Posts: 406	This summer I read the biography of Robert Ripley-'A Curious Man'. So many associations to the one-liners we use today. Great read! Anyways, here's the connection I was looking for BELIEVE IT! In 1930 Vitaphone launched a series of animated cartoons called “Looney Tunes” that would create such characters as Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, and Elmer Fudd. Introduced as Egghead in the late 1930s, the speech- impeded and stuttering character who became Fudd was believed to have been partly modeled on Ripley. One cartoon, “Believe It or Else,” featured a bucktoothed Egghead wearing a loud suit and spats. The narrator introduces the world’s loudest hog caller, the human basketball, and the world’s fastest woodcutter. “I don’t believe it!” says Egghead. Egghead/Fudd also made a cameo appearance in The Isle of Pingo Pongo, a faux South Seas travelogue cartoon that was later banned for its racist depiction of black islanders.

09-23-2013, 04:54 PM	#7
limegreenc shed door curio Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Canada Posts: 406	The cartoonist who created Porky Pig worked with Ripley at the Walter Lanz studio in the 30's. Ripley published a sketch of Charles Schulz's dog Spike as part of his Believe It or Not! cartoon on February 22, 1937.

09-23-2013, 06:52 PM	#8
Chocolatl Glutton for Gluttony Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 1,409	I'm hoping you'll continue this, too, infi. It reminds me of some of the wonderful escapism and relaxation that comes from letting yourself be immersed in another world -- be it a game, a show, or a book.

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