A friend and I were talking about classic cartoon characters, like Tom and Jerry and Woody Woodpecker, around the water cooler. We discussed why many cartoons from the golden age of animation were more adult than childish. We also discuss why characters like Woody Woodpecker went from insane to responsible adults over the years. There are many reasons why pre-WWII characters and cartoons changed over the years.
Most people know that cartoons from the 30s, 40s, and even 50s were more adult in nature. The characters drank, smoked, and worried about taxes. For example, I remember a Woody Woodpecker cartoon in which Buzz Buzzard was determined to hire Woody for a life insurance policy. But Buzz would become the beneficiary, eliminate Woody, and keep the insurance money. Pretty heavy stuff. Let’s analyze why the cartoons were more adult like in this example.
First of all, cartoons were more adult in the golden age of animation because cartoons used to be shown earlier than theatrical movies. Many of us Gen Xers and those who have succeeded us are used to watching cartoons on television. (Who doesn’t remember the classic Looney Tunes premiere that was used in the 1980s in which all the famous Looney Tunes characters paraded across the stage?) But, before cartoons were on TV, they were On cinemas. For example, Tom and Jerry cartoons were shown earlier than MGM movies. Woody Woodpecker and his friends were shown before Universal movies. Of course, the Looney Tunes cartoons preceded Warner Bros. movies.
Now as to why pre-WWII characters like Woody Woodpecker acted crazy it’s because the animators and creators were young men who were drawn to it. It makes perfect sense that the first Woody Woodpecker, for example, was wild and crazy. Later, as the creators began to settle down and start families, characters like Woody became more tame. Woody began taking care of his nephew and niece, Knothead and Splinter. Meanwhile, in Looney Tunes, Sylvester the Cat began raising his son. Even Foghorn Leghorn became a father figure to Miss Prissy’s son Egghead, Jr.
Yes, post-WWII cartoon characters were different than they were before the war, and for good reason. Part of the reason is due to the fact that cartoons were shown in theaters before adult audiences. Additionally, the animators ‘real-life personalities seeped into the characters and the characters changed as the creators’ lives changed. And, of course, the fact that the cartoons started showing on television meant that the characters had to be tamed a bit. But, we will delve into the cartoons that are being edited for television in another article.
The wonderful thing is that all the classic cartoon characters, like Wood Woodpecker, Andy Panda and Daffy Duck, live on television reruns and on DVD. I really enjoy watching the adventures of old-school characters like Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig, whether we’re talking about their early cartoons or later episodes. That’s all folks … for now.