tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post2170517756518419213..comments2024-03-05T21:05:36.848-05:00Comments on CommentaramaFilms: Cartoon PhysicsAndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-89134928320984987502014-01-14T13:51:05.495-05:002014-01-14T13:51:05.495-05:00GypsyTyger, Absolutely it counts. I even talk abo...GypsyTyger, Absolutely it counts. I even talk about guns in the article. You can't use a gun against a good guy and if it shoots you, you just end up with powder blasted all over you. Good stuff!AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-87069284486034352682014-01-14T10:49:17.163-05:002014-01-14T10:49:17.163-05:00Very late to the party but had to comment - I don&...Very late to the party but had to comment - I don't know if it exactly falls under the heading of physics but I remember once when Elmer got the drop on Bugs. Fudd had 'im dead to rights. Elmer points the double barreled shotgun in Bugs' fave and pulled the triggers! Bugs slapped the end of the barrels and they pivoted and went off into Elmer's face, leaving him powder charred. He was fine in the next scene of course.<br />GypsyTygerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-47970626489829356712014-01-09T14:26:57.629-05:002014-01-09T14:26:57.629-05:00Koshcat, Same here. Roger Rabbit really was a fil...Koshcat, Same here. <i>Roger Rabbit</i> really was a film that showed its love for and understanding of cartoons. And I love the idea of dip. LOL!AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-46704534171617427172014-01-09T14:22:50.918-05:002014-01-09T14:22:50.918-05:00One of the reasons I like Who Framed Roger Rabbit?...One of the reasons I like Who Framed Roger Rabbit? is that they go through many of these rules. You couldn't kill a toon until The Dip was invented. I crack up when in the first scene Roger goes through all that trauma but the director is pissed because after the refrigerator dropped on him he had tweety birds instead of stars ruining the whole thing.Koshcathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00552108950848576633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-33225830124805239002014-01-08T08:19:04.024-05:002014-01-08T08:19:04.024-05:00Outlaw, South Park is kind of an interesting anoma...Outlaw, South Park is kind of an interesting anomaly. They are basically a adult-oriented parody of cartoons. They break every rule of cartoons while ultimately respecting the rules in a big picture sense. Thus, for example, trying to kill one of their characters results in a gruesome death... but the character may come right back to life if it's funny. It's pretty brilliant writing.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-77883567334750886222014-01-08T06:41:13.618-05:002014-01-08T06:41:13.618-05:00The fact that Kenny on South Park was/is killed on...The fact that Kenny on South Park was/is killed on an almost weekly basis is a play on this theme. Although in his case there is cartoon gore...not a kids show obviously.Outlaw13https://www.blogger.com/profile/17232117096525959967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-11366310111829150772014-01-07T22:33:09.715-05:002014-01-07T22:33:09.715-05:00Scott, Sadly, 1980s cartoons weren't great. M...Scott, Sadly, 1980s cartoons weren't great. Most were just toy commercials in disguise and the rest were HEAVY on reusing footage over and over. And you're right, the dialog is pretty atrocious. With only a couple exceptions, that was kind of a low period in my opinion for cartoons.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-69693692765276800582014-01-07T22:31:22.826-05:002014-01-07T22:31:22.826-05:00PikeBishop, Almost, but not quite. Too bad the gr...PikeBishop, Almost, but not quite. Too bad the great animatronics were ruined by a nonsense plot!AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-61139729805290004272014-01-07T20:42:17.393-05:002014-01-07T20:42:17.393-05:00I recently watched some episodes of Inspector Gadg...I recently watched some episodes of <i>Inspector Gadget</i>, a childhood favorite. Some of this stuff applied, but not all of it. However, given that secrecy and subterfuge were part of the show, the characters sure managed to hide in small places! (The Chief hiding in a breadbox for instance - all you saw was his head and two feet!)<br /><br />What struck me was how horrible most of the writing was. Funny gags... but it reminded me of something <i>Batman: The Animated Series</i> guru Paul Dini once told Kevin Smith: most cartoons from the 70s and 80s featured nothing but expository dialogue. There were exceptions but, for the most part, the hero's dialogue was something like: <br /><br />"I just found out Dr. Claw's secret plan! Now I must find him before he poisons the water supply!"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-5233333573226174942014-01-07T20:22:33.970-05:002014-01-07T20:22:33.970-05:00The greatest example of cartoon physics I ever saw...The greatest example of cartoon physics I ever saw was that almost lifelike animatronic narrator of "An Inconvienent Truth." He almost appeared human. PikeBishophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05761380937971970762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-69113007319212434032014-01-07T16:23:30.462-05:002014-01-07T16:23:30.462-05:00Jed, They were self-healing too, if I remember cor...Jed, They were self-healing too, if I remember correctly.<br /><br />I also bet that you probably wouldn't have let your kids watch them if the injuries were realistic and the characters died.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-83220607604793291242014-01-07T16:21:48.211-05:002014-01-07T16:21:48.211-05:00I can't help but remember The Transformers whe...I can't help but remember The Transformers when my youngest was growing up. Admittedly, they were car-bots rather than animals, but I used to laugh out loud how they would be crushed, and come back (they were only "badly damaged.")Tennessee Jedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-17027450686052587682014-01-07T12:37:41.098-05:002014-01-07T12:37:41.098-05:00Thanks tryanmax! And excellent additions! These ...Thanks tryanmax! And excellent additions! These are exactly the kind of things that cartoons need to maintain their unreality factor. Without these, they aren't cartoons, they are just animated film. And as such, they lack the ability to act like cartoons, which means they can't do the same violence or insulting things that let people use cartoons to say things you can't say in a normal film.<br />AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-42356227396996688782014-01-07T11:26:25.022-05:002014-01-07T11:26:25.022-05:00I would like to note a couple exceptions/addendums...I would like to note a couple exceptions/addendums to the above. (Cartoon physics being what they are, it's hard to say whether they are one or the other.) <br /><br />1. Sometimes an impact will cause a character to crumble into little bits. This could fall under deformation, as it is not a natural way for a living creature to respond to a blow. We should mention the accordion effect here, as well. Of course, the character is reconstituted in the next scene. <br /><br />2. Another deformity, pertaining specifically to ballistics is the gaping hole passing through the victim, though completely lacking in any pain, gore, or any ill-effects whatsoever, save the inability to retain water. <br /><br />3. Sometimes injuries are lasting until the next scene or two, and on occasion can be cumulative throughout a single short, but only if amassing injuries leads to comedic effect. The only injuries sustained, are in the forms of oversized bumps, colorful bruises, and poorly wrapped bandages. <br /><br />4. On the rare occasion that a character actually does die, they are portrayed as immediately imbued with wings and harp or at the wrong end of a devil's pitchfork where the preceding antics continue in the afterlife. This is usually the conclusion to a short, and the characters are back to life for the next installment. <br /><br />Great list, Andrew! ;-)<br /><br />tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.com