Susie, The Little Blue Coupe, 1952

I wonder if a Shark Nose Graham was the inspiration? 

I remember seeing this on Wonderful World of Disney, around 1976

some real back to basics fundamentals...

I just learned that one of my favorite comic strips, Mutts, is part of the special New Jersey license plate program

https://www.nj.gov/mvc/vehicles/animal.htm

https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2023/12/nj-creator-of-mutts-comic-strip-on-why-he-unchained-guard-dog-after-nearly-30-years.html

https://kingfeatures.com/2002/06/mutts-characters-take-to-the-road/

it's been 14 years since he first started the Hullabaloo project, but James has finally delivered the first episode, The Great Race, funded by a crowdfund campaign on Indiegogo. Marvelous steampunk animation!

Watch the video, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcd9ZRYlAoI 

there isn't much else online about this at this time, but for the backgrounds, see https://www.jameslopezanimation.com/backgrounds

and screen shots (fantastic!) https://www.jameslopezanimation.com/hullabaloo-art-gallery   and http://www.hullabaloo-movie.com/image-gallery/

https://www.youtube.com/@JamesLopezAnimation/videos

I learned of this, and have been frustratedly waiting for this since 2013, I kid you not https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-movie-i-want-to-see-get-made.html

the cart building scene from the Super Mario Brothers movie, proving yet again, that AC DC's Thunderstruck is an awesome rock song

Dudley Fisher was an astonishing cartoonist... and how is it I've never heard of him until today when Steve threw me a life line? These are fantastic!

Dudley Fisher was born in 1890 in Columbus, Ohio. He attended the Ohio State University, attempting an architecture education. He soon dropped out in order to be a layout artist at the Columbus Dispatch newspaper.

During World War I, Fisher worked as an aerial photographer, the influence of the "view from on high" is evident in his cartoons

After a brief stint at Columbus State University, Fisher worked as a layout artist for the Columbus Dispatch. When hired by the Dispatch in 1911, Fisher was a retouch artist, he later worked side by side with another famous cartoonist, Milton Caniff. https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/search?q=caniff

In 1919, he resumed working for the Dispatch. It was here that he developed the nationally syndicated strips, “Jolly Jingles” (in 1924), and “Right Around Home” (in 1937). Fisher’s storylines involve ordinary American families (representing an idealized Midwest aesthetic), in ordinary situations (again, idealized American situations, such as Christmas and other American holidays) in rural or pastoral settings. Fisher, especially in later strips, created single panels with multiple storylines and characters, all interacting within a single scene and in parallel plotlines. The tones of his pieces were either whimsical or nostalgic (or both). He used clean ink lines to convey his characters and settings.

In Right Around Home, readers enjoyed a bird’s-eye view of a fictional all-American neighborhood, an innovative narrative point of view that distinguished the Sunday strip

The large, single-panel feature, which debuted on January 16, 1938, was likely, for the 47-year-old Fisher, a mixture of imagination and a remembrance of things past. Right Around Home was never overtly nostalgic, but invariably had—and still has—that rare ability to evoke feelings of nostalgia from readers not of the time or setting. 

The era that it depicts, however, is distinct, especially compared with our own self-centered times. In contrast to the me, my and mine culture of today—with its grasping delineations of what is mine and what is yours—the most common possessive pronoun used in Right Around Home is our. For example, when Fisher drew newly married local sweethearts, they are referred to as “Our Bride and Groom.” 

The neighborhood is one large family to which the reader feels they belong. And it is worth pointing out that the Home of Fisher’s title refers not to any single residence but instead to a neighborhood; a community. Dudley Fisher’s new creation was not an anomaly of its time; its inclusiveness and sense of mutual destiny shared the Midwestern sensibility

The full page cartoons didn't last much past WW2, newspapers cut them to half pages, then 1/3rd pages (and it's a crime to humanity! Little Nemo in Slumberland only worked because of the size allowing for the incredible art) 

Fisher worked for the Dispatch, and as a cartoonist, until he died, in 1951.

Fisher never actively sought syndication, but was rather picked up by King Features Syndicate after his popular work at the Columbus Dispatch. His strips ran up to 1964, 13 years after his death. (These later strips were completed by other artists)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudley_Fisher

https://www.invaluable.com/artist/fisher-dudley-7ktmmrqjne/sold-at-auction-prices/

you can see a LOT more of his work at https://www.hoganmag.com/blog/the-view-from-on-high-dudley-fishers-right-around-home

the New York Times wrote up his Obit... sadly, he died when arriving in Massachusetts for a vacation https://www.nytimes.com/1951/07/11/archives/dudley-fisher-61-cartoonist-dead-creator-of-right-around-home-and.html  but that's all you'll find out because of the paywall 

Ol Donald Duck liked a hot rod too!

https://www.imcdb.org/v510839.html

animated motion range for a vintage cartoon car by Ward Kimball in the magazine Asinine Alley, also known as the Horseless Carriage Gazette.

http://andreasdeja.blogspot.com/2019/08/kimball-cars.html

From the incredibly clever cartoonist, John Atkinson

https://wronghands1.com/

getting the week started off with a little light hearted silliness

BatVan by Chopper Olli

Richard Gauntlett collecting his Christmas tree!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2212467885465018&set=gm.2137939992894203&type=3&permPage=1&ifg=1
https://www.facebook.com/Humormeetscomics2/photos/a.424380590952943/2418228974901418/?type=3&permPage=1&ifg=1

Ever wonder why sometimes you could only get one station on the radio in some of the older cars?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2214320701946403&set=gm.2139648826056653&type=3&permPage=1&ifg=1

Charlton comics - Teenage Hotrodders

https://www.instagram.com/urban_archeologist/

Dan Gurney and the AAR Cuda for hot wheels illustrated by comic book legend Alex Toth, who at only 20 yrs old, was the artist at DC drawing the Golden Age versions of the Flash, Doctor Mid-Nite, and the Atom

Toth illustrated the comic book tie-in to the Hot Wheels animated series based on the toy line.

and if you want to look at this entire comic book, it's online, and following it, is the same book, with all the notes from the artist. http://pangolinbasement.blogspot.com/2012/10/toth-hot-wheels-5-case-of-curious.html and that website pangolinbasement.blogspot.com which is the complete collection of all the comic books he ever worked on.

Alexander "Alex" Toth was an American cartoonist active from the 1940s through the 1980s, listed as #7 of “10 Most Influential Comic Book Artists of All Time” by Wizard Magazine, and mentioned by animationresources.org  as the elite 3rd of all time comic book artists, after  Eisner and Kirby. That's the height of fame in comic book illustration right there.

Toth's work began when he sold his first freelance art at the age of 15, subsequently illustrating true stories for Heroic magazine through a comic book packager named Steve Douglas. Although he initially aimed to do newspaper strips ("It was my dream to do what Caniff, Raymond, and Foster had done"), he found the industry "dying" and instead moved into comic books.

After graduating from the School of Industrial Art in 1947, Toth was hired at National/DC Comics. Green Lantern #28 (Oct.–Nov. 1947) was one of the first comics he drew for the company. He drew a canine sidekick for Green Lantern named Streak and the dog proved so popular that he became the featured character on several covers of the series in 1948.

 He worked at DC for five years, starting at the age of 20, drawing the Golden Age versions of the Flash, Doctor Mid-Nite, and the Atom and penciling several of the company’s comic book series, such as Action Comics, Detective Comics, The House of Secrets, Green Lantern, All-American Western, and numerous others.

Throughout the 50s, Toth bounced around a little, both physically and professionally. He left New York for California, DC for Standard, but he is also known for his animation designs for Hanna-Barbera throughout the 1960s and 1970s on Johnny Quest, Space Ghost, and the Herculoids

He was drafted by the Army in 1954 (and it's amazing to consider that he'd been a working professional for several years and was still young enough to be drafted) and served in Tokyo, Japan. While in Japan, he wrote and drew his own weekly adventure strip, Jon Fury, for the base paper, Depot Diary.

However, Toth is best known for his animation work for Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. Beginning in 1965, he was responsible for inventing and designing many of their cartoon characters in addition to storyboarding their television episodes. Through sketches and model sheets, Toth conceived and shaped the look and feel of some of Hanna-Barbera’s most popular characters, including Space Ghost, Birdman and the Galaxy Trio, the Super Friends, Thundarr the Barbarian, Captain Caveman, and many others. Working with Hanna-Barbera over the next two decades, Toth gave life to the heroes of a generation of television viewers.

It would be an injustice however to not mention the other half of the Hanna-Barbera magic touch, they discovered two great voice actors, Daws Butler and Don Messick.

Butler provided the voices for many of the most popular characters of Hanna-Barbera’s cartoons through the years, including Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, Hokey Wolf, Quick Draw McGraw, Snagglepuss, Elroy Jetson, Wally Gator, Peter Potamus, and numerous others, he also filled in for Mel Blanc as Barney Rubble for five episodes of The Flintstones while Blanc recovered from an auto accident.

Messick’s most famous voice was that of Scooby-Doo, from the character’s debut in 1969 until he retired from the role in 1994. He also provided the voices for Boo Boo Bear, Ranger Smith, Bamm-Bamm Rubble, Astro from The Jetsons, Dr. Benton Quest, Ricochet Rabbit, Atom Ant, Muttley, and many more.

That's my childhood cartoon tv watching saturday mornings, right there. Call it 1975-77

Recognized for his contributions to the comics industry, Toth was awarded the Ink Pot Award in 1981, and inducted into the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1990.

Though a book of his work (Dear John: The Alex Toth Doodle Book) was nominated for the Eisner Award, Toth wasn't.  http://www.tvparty.com/comics/toth1a.html




https://boingboing.net/2015/05/27/alex-toth-the-cranky-genius.html
https://www.illustrationhistory.org/artists/alex-toth
https://www.illustrationhistory.org/essays/hanna-barbera-the-architects-of-saturday-morning
http://comicsalliance.com/tribute-alex-toth/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Toth

And though that entertains the Comic Con people, like me, there are the Millar's Drag Cartoons and Big Daddy Roth comics fans that will be happy to learn that in 'Toth - One For The Road" put out by Michael Auad Publishing, has a complete collection of all the great cartoons he wrote and drew for Millar's Drag Cartoons, Hot Rod Cartoons and Big Daddy Roth comics.

His character Granny McGo had a patchwork quilt parachute to slow down her slingshot

 http://drawnonadime.blogspot.com/2007/03/
http://pangolinbasement.blogspot.com/2014/09/toth-hot-rod-cartoons-10-craziest-quilt.html#more
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10210532668553228&set=gm.2285354104809730&type=3&permPage=1&ifg=1

I bet a lot of readers are glad I've moved on from old french advertising art!

the disaster that was the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans is being animated into a 15-minute animated short : Le Mans 1955

The race, for those unfamiliar, was marred by a crash between an Austin-Healey, a Jaguar, and a Mercedes 300 SLR. After Mike Hawthorn cut his Jaguar in front of Lance Macklin’s Austin-Healey, Macklin swerved into the path of Pierre Levegh’s Mercedes. The crash not only claimed Levegh’s life, but those of 83 spectactors. Several countries – including France, Spain, Switzerland, and Germany – banned racing in the aftermath, and Mercedes withdrew from motorsports altogether. Mercedes wouldn’t return to racing until 1989, and Switzerland only recently began relaxing its ban on motorsports.

https://www.carscoops.com/2018/07/tragedy-le-mans-1955-animated-artful-style/

when you've found a working wishing well (thanks Dennis!)

http://edisonleecomic.com/comics/april-29-2018/

but... a 1973? Who in the world wants a 73 instead of a 68, or a Daytona Charger with a Hemi? And if you've got a wishing well helping you out, swing for the fences and ask for one that won races in Nascar!

the pioneer of the dragster parachute, the legendary innovator of hot rodding, Stroker McGurk, has now had all the cartoons collected and put between the covers of one comic book

For the first time EVER, every Stroker McGurk cartoon created by Hot Rod magazine artist Tom Medley are in one collection -- in traditional comic book format (6.65" x 10.25").

More than 70 Stroker cartoons -- spread across 56 pages -- from the first mention of "McGurk" in the March 1948 issue of Hot Rod to his final strips in 1965.

Cost? 15 dollars plus USPS shipping

Included are all the gags and innovations that sprung from Medley's fertile, if wacky, mind -- the first bubble-top roadster, multi-engine lakes racers, a nitro-powered lawn mower, and, of course, the first-ever race car slowed by a parachute

Comic is shipped in a stiff cardboard envelope ensuring safe, damage-free travels.

http://bymedley.bigcartel.com/product/the-amazing-adventures-of-stroker-mcgurk-comic

the original look for the Road Runner and Wile E Coyote

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=615793432103862&set=gm.1405008709645741&type=3&permPage=1&ifg=1

From the Art of Clare Victor “Dwig” Dwiggins

http://hazelhomeartandantiques.blogspot.com/2015/09/from-comics-journal-art-of-dwig-dwiggins.html

young hot rodders were crafty, cunning, and clever

‘the Far Side’ cartoons were made by Gary Larson, and they covered everything a joke could ever be made of

http://darkdraggon.tumblr.com/page/325