Why would Hanna-Barbera leave some cartoons unseen?
I’m afraid I don’t have the answer to that one. All I know is it happened.
The last production number for a cartoon in the Yogi Bear Show was R-83. But ten years ago, I posted panels for a storyboard for R-88, a Yogi cartoon titled “Beast Feast.” It never appeared on the air and possibly could have been abandoned during production.
At the time, I wondered if there were also productions R-84, R-85, R-86 and R-87 that were not finished or did not air. It turns out the answer is “yes.”
Animation director Robert Alvarez has an incredible collection of discarded artwork from various studios. For a number of years, he has been posting and re-posting it on Facebook. The other day, he re-posted a nine-panel sheet for a Snagglepuss cartoon which I did not recognise. I checked the production number up top and it is R-86, so this is from another cartoon that either wasn’t finished, or was not broadcast.
The drawings (and lettering) look to be the work of story director Alex Lovy. Mike Maltese likely wrote the story, and it appears reminiscent of The Wabbit who Came to Supper (Warner Bros., 1942) in which Elmer Fudd gets a telegram telling him he'll lose his inheritance if he harms Bugs Bunny. That story was written by one M. Maltese.
Whether Robert has the whole board, I haven’t asked, lest I impose on him. Some time ago, he posted these two sheets. The production number is faded on the first one, but I suspect these are both from R-86. You can click on them to enlarge them.
I thank Robt. for allowing me to purloin these. Pur-lion, even.
P.S. As you know, I’m resting the Tralfaz blog. This blog is supposed to be on permanent hiatus as well, but I have cobbled together new monthly posts you’ll see through the start of December.
Happy this is back, even temporary.
ReplyDeleteShame this never got made. They didn't use the Major enough for my liking.
ReplyDeleteThe storyboards seem vaguely familiar, but then all Snagglepuss cartoons look the same.
ReplyDeleteI too saw the post Robert posted. I couldn’t help but think of dad as he drew Snagglepuss at home. He was definitely one of my favorite characters of HB. They all were actually.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if there was a second season planned for Yogi at some point.
ReplyDeleteI never considered that, Chuck, but you could be right. That does make sense. It could be Kellogg's decided not to order new cartoons.
DeleteAll of the Kellogg's series--HUCK, QUICK DRAW, YOGI and TOP CAT--ended before the fall '62 season began. A second season of YOGI would have fallen after that general date. The next H-B projects--JETSONS and the TOUCHE/WALLY/LIPPY trio--went out without Kellogg's sponsorship, and further exploitation of the characters apart from reruns from the shows they owned a piece of was confined to HEY THERE IT'S YOGI BEAR until the '70s, likely because of the vagaries inherent in cross-ownership contracts. This precluded the obvious advantages of spinning off new shows with known, popular characters like PIXIE & DIXIE or AUGIE DOGGIE in the anchor spot rather than finding a new sugar daddy in Ideal Toys requiring six all-new cartoon elements, following the evident disappointing profits resulting from self-funding the TOUCHE trio with no sponsor's promotional weight behind them.
DeleteDo you think that layout Dick Bickenbach and background Robert Gentle worked together in the years of Hanna-Barbera in the 1960s? Do you think that layout Iwao Takamoto and background Fernando Montealegre worked together in the years of Hanna-Barbera in the 1960s?
ReplyDeletei hope one of the summer posts will be hokey wolf credits
ReplyDeleteYes I have the complete board. I'm glad that you liked it.
ReplyDeletepost it please anon 1!!
DeleteI meant to publish my name with the previous message. I do have the complete board as well as other boards from HB. I have been collecting long before I ever started working in animation. I think collecting is something in my DNA.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff. Glad I decided to come back here and check. Just in case...
ReplyDelete