Mike's Thrills

Rubber Buddies

There are some characters that have such an inherent iconic quality that regardless of whether their cartoons are hilarious or not, they just look good in rubber.Doesn't this Peabody toy make you imagine it must be from a fantastic cartoon?This Tom looks good too, but is not quite so distinct or iconic as the Jay Ward characters - even though the cartoons he's in are much more animated.Some fans

Mighty Mouse Pitch circa 1994?

Here is some presentation art from a pitch we did at Spumco in the mid 90s. I wanted to get Paramount to let me revive the Terrytoons characters. I would have shown some of this stuff earlier but it had all suffered water damage. But now, thanks to Alex, Jojo and Tommy, some of it has been restored through the magic of insufferable digital technology.These guys here are "The Catnip Gang" who

Looney Health Issues

Does breaking your leg make you a cripple? I heard that we aren't allowed to say "cripple" anymore. We have to say "better off" or something.I hope they bury me in this position.I have never seen this condition before, but I like it. Does Daffy have the Shingles?

Renowned Nuclear Physicist, Dagwood Splits The Atom, Part 1

If anyone can do it, it's Dagwood.Culled from the archives of Professor Mike Fontanelli, curator of the Alexandrian Library of Cartoon art.I wish Dagwood had been teaching when I was at school. Maybe I would have paid attention.More exciting adventures in education to come...

Toy Drawing 10: How To Draw Porky

If you are trying to teach yourself classical cartoon construction, this is a gift from on high. From high up the stairs where Mike Fontanelli lives. It's a beautifully sculpted 3 fully dimensional Porky Figure.Good sculptures of cartoon characters tell you what cartoon shapes really look like in perspective. Note in the 3/4 shot that his cranium is not stacked directly on top of his lower face