The Hep Cat [part five]: Excellent backgrounds again, and the closing!

It looks like we'll wrap this up here right quick! The end of the cartoon comes in this post.

Some of this vibrating drybrush is pretty great. I open these posts a lot with these, don't I? I'll deliberately not start these this way in the future.

I didn't realize how many throw-away backgrounds there are in this cartoon, especially this late into it. Some of them last for a fraction of a fraction of a second, but they're golden! I got a few in here if you want to admire them in your sleep like I do.

More Clampett shadows. He uses these more than the other directors from what I've seen. They're really good at conveying action!

Heaven for your eyes, especially that top painting. Who the hell could paint like this now? I know I'd like to!

This is a different effect, but I really like it! Soft blending of colors for a motion blur looks surprisingly good here!

Oh God.

Is this where body pillows came from? Is this entire farce Clampett's fault?

"I can dream, can't I?" Words of a true fanatic.

If so, then this is a really good anime.

And that's the end of the picture! Not a whole lot to talk about in terms of story structure here since it is mostly slapstick, but it's decent enough! I might revisit some of this stuff later when I get the chance.

I think I'll post some one-off articles on other studios later (I have a good one about Fleischer if you like innovative motion picture technology!). What cartoon should I pick apart next, though?

Cheers!

The Hep Cat [part four]: Something new has been added!

Jesus Christ, I've been gone awhile, haven't I? Many apologies for the absence. Things have been nuts but have, thankfully, settled down a lot. Let's just see how long it lasts.

For now, it's time for some more Hep Cat, with a tall-ass glass of root beer and plain popcorn, just the way I like it! What's Clampett got for us today?

You're on to something there!

Great drawings. I especially love these circular pupils; they really drive home his surprise! The backgrounds, as usual, art astonishing. Something I just noticed: on this last painting, the sky gets darker as your eye moves to the right, but you would never see it if you were just watching this film casually.

Of course, he isn't inclined to give a damn when the action's this good. I can't say I blame him.

Don't you hate it when this happens?

Pay close attention to these next few screencaps. This is a basic setup for a take, for anybody interested in animating someday, like I am.

STEP ONE: realization

A take is a reaction to something, usually something bizarre. (Unless it's a shrink-take, which can be used more liberally.)

STEP TWO: the actual take

Now the cat realized he was making out with the dog. He reacts in panic.

This last part here is really just an add-on. A reaction to a reaction, if you will.

It's a fun idea regardless!

"Are you following me?" seems to be a very common Clampett gag. It's funny, but I figured I'd point it out. Besides, that dust drybrushing is very good, so now I have an excuse to point it out.

This is the same background! It's a vertical pan, and beautifully done. I wonder how many background painters in the business could pull something off like that today? It'd be a marvel to see.

This barrel scene is really pretty too. A lot of really lovely lighting effects. I dig it!

At this point, the cartoon is all about the gags. I'll share a few caps here and finish this thing off in the next post!

See you then! In the meantime, look at these backgrounds. I don't know if I told you whether I liked them or not. Besides, I'm out of root beer.

The Hep Cat [part three]: Seduction by a hand puppet

I still feel like garbage, but it's been long enough since the last Hep Cat post, so I'm going to write another one before I go to sleep. (After I finish this series, I may not analyze another cartoon for a little bit. It's gotten too busy to do this consistently.)

A little drybrushing to start a post sure doesn't hurt.

That's what the cat fellow was talking about earlier! What a go-getter.

...Oh no, it's the dog, and he's gay! (I'm joking, of course.)

He knows exactly what he's doing. Sly bastard.

Have you ever tried to talk like a girl and failed?

Also, these backgrounds are damned good. I hope people know who the background painters were at Warners', I'd love to study them more closely. These paintings haven't gotten enough love in these posts, and it's a shame; they're very good!

Posting a still image of this doesn't do it justice. You'd have to see him throbbing. It's splendid! Some fantastic acting in this cartoon, as well as in most Warner cartoons. I love it!

This here is also a very good drybrush effect. You can also very clearly see it too. They knew they had nothing to hide with this. Such vigor and vitality! The curve and the perspective is seductive.

For a hand puppet, that's mighty impressive.

More reactions! These are just great. These wonderful paintings don't hurt either. I'd want to be in that position myself if I could be surrounded with such a masterful piece of scenery.

Well, that's enough for now. We're about 66% done with the cartoon, so a couple more posts will probably be enough to finish it off. Don't count on it, though; I keep finding things that I want to add on. Maybe I'll do a bonus post!