by
G. Jack Urso
Baby Boomers and Gen Xers grew up in the on a steady diet of Hanna
Barbara, Filmation, and Warner Brothers cartoons. While funny and entertaining,
there was a factory, assembly-line, sameness to the animation. Bucking this
trend in the 1970s, counter-cultural artistic sensibilities challenged the
monolithic control of the big animation houses and here we have several good
examples of that.
The first
animated short we'll take a look at is the music video for Jim Croce’s “Bad,
Bad, Leroy Brown,” which made its debut on The
Sonny and Cher Show in 1973. Originally
dubbed with Sonny's and Cher's vocals, they have been replaced in this version
by Jim Croce's, though they still make an appearance in the short. It was
written and directed by John Wilson who would go on to work on Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!, MTV’s Liquid Television (“The Specialists”),
and The New Adventures of Madeline.
I
remember watching it when first broadcast over fifty years ago. While looking
at cartoons from our youth is supposed to make us feel young again, in this
case, maybe not so much!
The
next one is the short for Cheech and Chong’s “Basketball Jones” (1974).
Interestingly, this was directed by Paul Gruwell, who also directed Heavy Metal (1981), a music video clip of which
I previously posted at Don Felder: Heavy Metal (Takin' a Ride). “Basketball Jones” also features the talents of
George Harrison, Carole King, Billy Preston, Ronnie Spector, Michelle Phillips,
and a special appearance by Sister Mary Elephant. For fans of Classic Rock, and
Cheech and Chong, there's a lot to enjoy!
Another
music video that struck a chord with me is from a 1979 episode of Hot Hero Sandwich by animator Al
Jarnow, who animated dozens of Sesame
Street shorts, for Martha Reeves and the Vandellas’ cover of Van Morrison’s
“Wild Night” on my other YouTube
channel, Hot Hero Sandwich Central.
One
of the programs that turned me onto other animation styles was PBS’ International
Animation Festival (1975-1976), which introduced shorts from
around the world, and more sophisticated humor. Monty Python, which began
syndication in the United States in 1975, also contributed to my animated
education with the art of Terry Gilliam, as in the short, The Miracle of Flight (from 1974, see below). Although not shown on Monty Python itself, it aired on the International Animation Festival, and, while not a music video, this short is a great example of Gilliam's work and the comedy troupe's unique look at how the world worked — or didn’t.
Animation
on other 70s TV shows like Sesame Street,
The Electric Company, and even Schoolhouse Rock!, helped move children beyond
the typical Saturday morning fare to more diverse visuals that challenged our
growing minds beyond the conflict-driven slapstick humor that then dominated the
cartoon universe.
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