Signore Studios

Coconuts (1990)

2019-08-15T12:11:00.000+01:00

Richard Briers was such a versatile actor. He had the kind of face and voice that could apply to almost any role that was offered to him. From radio to stage to television to voice-overs, there are those who will remember him for one specific show or character - whether it'd be 'The Good Life', 'Roobarb', 'King Lear', 'Watership Down', 'P. G. Wodehouse', 'Monarch of the Glen' and an endless list of audiobooks (my personal favourites being the 'Wind in the Willows' sequels written by William Horwood).

In fact, Richard has starred in so many roles - leading and secondary - that it would be difficult to try and list them all. Some of these end up being sidelined and forgotten for some reason or other. This is one of them.

'Coconuts' is a little gem of a cartoon. Set on the tropical island of Guacamole, it focuses on the (mis)adventures of the clever, self-important Parrot, Minister to the bad-tempered, eccentric King Lion, who dotes on Parrot to do his every Royal bidding. Often, though, Parrot enlists the help of his assistant - the obliging but dim-witted Monkey - to do the jobs that Parrot tries to avoid. But it's not long before things go awry and then Parrot is forced to pull his weight by putting things right. Most of the time, if there is an opportunity for financial or personal gain, Parrot doesn't hesitate in trying to grasp either.

The title of the series seems rather fitting then that things become a little "nuts" in some shape or form!

On closer inspection, much of the humour for this series seems to draw inspiration from the popular Blackadder - ironically, Coconuts was released not long after Blackadder Goes Forth had first aired back in 1989. In fact, it's all too easy to imagine Blackadder and Baldrick reimagined as Parrot and Monkey (with Prince George more-or-less in the role of King Lion). Whether that was intended or not is hard to say. What I will say is that Coconuts is not only cleverly written, but nicely animated, designed and very pleasing to watch, made at a time when made-for-TV animation was slowly starting to pick up in terms of quality.

In short: it's just plain fun! And bringing Richard in to voice all the characters is the cherry on this colourful cake.

The series was created and written by Graham Garside. Most of his life was dedicated to being Senior Graphic Designer and Animator at Central Television (ITV). These included Cosgrove Hall's 'The Talking Parcel', 'Jamie and the Magic Torch', 'Spot's Magical Christmas' and several title sequences - 'Bullseye', 'Emu's World' and 'Bloodbath at the House of Death' (not one for the kids!). He has also co-written/drawn the book 'Learn To Draw Animated Cartoons' with Janet Nunn.

Another surprise for me was discovering that Paul K. Joyce provided the theme tune and instrumental music here. In fact, this was his first television work as a composer. He would later go on to write music and theme tunes for many other shows afterwards, including 'Budgie the Little Helicopter', 'The Worst Witch' and 'Bob the Builder'.

Coconuts aired on ITV and ran for thirteen episodes. Unfortunately, all that remains is a single VHS cassette tape. I knew nothing about this until I came upon the episodes online by chance, as one often does whilst browsing on YouTube these days. Like many things in life, it was short but sweet, and so deserving of a proper DVD release if the master copies still exist somewhere (Or failing that, new life on a streaming app / service somewhere).

As for Graham: he too seems to have disappeared off the radar. But wherever he is, I'm sure that those that he worked with are grateful for his contributions to the animation world, however small they might have been. And it's only fair that people like me ensure that they don't go unnoticed.

"...And so it was!"

Check out Paul Joyce's website to see the other shows he's composed music for!

Mouse and Mole (1996)

2019-01-24T12:05:00.000+00:00

There are many characters in children's literature that are considered timeless. No matter how many revivals and adaptations of them are made, the original stories will always be remembered and referenced, and all with good reason. Winnie the Pooh, the Wind in the Willows, Peter Rabbit - each of them still holds a special kind of magic in the characters and their stories that not only entertains but inspires. The kind that makes you stop and think about the world around you. Of how life was more simpler, more kinder, more relaxed before social media and handheld devices.

The same can be said for Joyce Dunbar's Mouse and Mole stories (not to be confused with the books of the same title by Mr Wong Herbert Yee). Although remarkably, Mouse and Mole were only created in 1993, in comparison to Mr. Toad and Pooh Bear who were thought of at the start of the 20th century. However, if you were to read any of the Mouse and Mole stories, you might be fooled into thinking that they actually were.

Joyce Dunbar has been writing children's stories for over 30 years, most of them being picture books. She has been praised for "...her sensitivity, lyrical style and gentle humour..." She has covered various topics and themes in her books, each of them told in their own unique way that not only children but parents can enjoy and learn from. Of all the stories she has written, her most favourite and fondly-remembered are her set of books focusing on the gentle adventures of Mouse and Mole.

Mouse is practical, cheerful, and likes to have things in order. Mole is more thoughtful, rather naive and needs mollycoddling. But in spite of their differences, they're still the best of friends who genuinely care for one another. In much the same spirit as the original Winnie the Pooh books, the Mouse and Mole stories are each a character piece based on a simple premise: one character normally has an idea or thought, and the story develops naturally from that. Whether it's trying to catch a falling leaf for good luck, discovering the secret of happiness or how a game of pebbles can suddenly bring up the poignant subject of how special one truly is among so many...

A few years later, these stories were adapted for animation by TV Producer and Executive Joy Whitby, who was also responsible for Watch With Mother, Play School and The Mousehole Cat. Although 26 stories were written, only 19 episodes were made by Whitby's own production/publishing company Grasshopper Productions. Even so, they are as wondrous and sweet as the books themselves, with the visuals matching the original illustrations by James Mayhew to a tee.

In a time when children's media is becoming more colourful, active and loud, once in a while it's a change of pace to have something calmer to watch with the little ones. The right voice cast helps as well - here we have Richard Briers playing Mouse, and Alan Bennett as Mole. Voices that couldn't be any more perfect!

Sadly, thanks to the growing change in children's media, shows like Mouse and Mouse were quietly pushed aside to the point where only those who have the original books, VHS cassettes or DVDs will remember them.

However...

Joy Whitby was lucky enough to have had one last hurrah with Mouse and Mouse in 2013 when, along with Baird TV and Clive Juster & Associates, a half-hour Christmas Special 'Mouse and Mole at Christmas Time' was created. It would be the last time that Richard Briers and Alan Bennet would be reunited to reprise their roles before Briers sadly passed away. This time, Imelda Staunton joined the voice cast for this one-off special, and for those precious 28-minutes it felt as though the books and the animated series never really went away. In short, it was a lovely way to rekindle those forgotten memories in the back of my mind.

Until only recently, I had though that that Christmas Special would be the only Mouse and Mole-related item still in the public eye (on DVD, with a handful of the original episodes included). But during a Google search whilst gathering my research for this blog review, I came upon the web page of the illustrator of the books, James Mayhew - recently he's posted a blog post of his own, recalling fond memories of collaborating with Joyce Dunbar, sharing her own memories of the stories, and how the books are to be reprinted for 2019...!

Yep, that's right. Miracles do happen.

With any luck, Dunbar's beloved characters will still be around for new generations to enjoy in the years to come. 'Happy Days for Mouse and Mole' indeed!

LINKS OF INTEREST

Joyce Dunbar's official website
Mouse and Mole at Christmas Time - a Cbeebies Grown-ups interview
Buy Mouse and Mole at Christmas Time on DVD from Amazon!
Concept Artwork by Stephen Linnell for Mouse and Mole at Christmas Time
Buy Joyce Dunbar books from Amazon!
A Bun For Barney - a Gameplay video of one of Joyce's books adapted for the CDTV console!

Wacky Races - "Drive & Driveability"

2018-09-21T11:57:00.000+01:00

One of the unexpected reboots to have come out of 2017 has to be Wacky Races. Created by Larz Bourne at Hanna-Barbera, the original series from 1976 saw 11 drivers racing across the continent to become "the world's wackiest racer", resorting to gizmos and contraptions and all things cartoon-related to win each race. Not surprisingly, its biggest inspiration was the equally-wacky 1965 movie 'The Great Race'.

Now this blog post was going to cover the reboot in detail, but I changed my mind. On the one hand, it's nice to see Warner Bros willing to make use of the other franchises they own, for those who are sick and tired of Scooby-Doo / Tom & Jerry / Teen Titans Go all the time.

On the other hand, while I try to keep an open mind on reboots of any shape and form, the creative choices made for the new Wacky Races have been somewhat...baffling from what I've seen of it. And really, the end result would be me constantly comparing it to the original in what they did right and wrong, and what more could be improved upon.

Instead, here's a fun comic book story from wayback to enjoy. Drawn by Gary Fields and written by Matt Wayne, who has also written for many other shows and comic book lines, including Ben 10: Omniverse and Justice League Unlimited. If anything, it might give the creative team of the new Wacky Races some fresh inspiration, if they choose to accept it...

Mike Pearse - Wild About Harry

2018-08-05T08:47:00.001+01:00

Not so very long ago, everyone was celebrating Harry Potter's birthday - which just so happened to have been J. K. Rowling's birthday as well. What are the odds?! ;)

To many Potter fans, it seemed like only yesterday when 'The Philosopher's Stone' was first published. And seven books, eight movies, several supplementary works and over 20 years later, 'The Boy Who Lived' is still going strong to this day.

So it was hardly surprising that, a year after 'The Philosopher's Stone' movie was released in 2001, Mike Pearse decided to get in on the action in Issue #3121 of The Beano while the iron was hot. As with all of his Beano stories before and since, he doesn't disappoint. That one gag on Page 6 is a great example of his wit - you'll see what I mean when you find it...!

The Beano In Motion

2018-07-30T12:02:00.004+01:00

Any time someone brings up the subject of comics / comic books, one of the first that comes into the minds of us British is 'The Beano', which celebrates its 80th birthday this year. It's amazing to think that while the comic strip artists come and go, the characters that they've drawn continue to develop, thrive and make kids laugh through each generation. I've already spoken about my favourite Beano Artist and characters before, and there are already countless of articles that detail the history of the Beano, from it's early years to its online presence today.

However, not many people would remember when the Beano first appeared in animated form.

The Orginal VHS Cassette cover!

The joy that six-year-old me expressed could not be described in one word alone when I happened upon The Beano Video on sale at my local Woolworths way back in 1993. To see the likes of Dennis & Gnasher, Minnie the Minx, The Bash Street Kids and The Three Bears brought to life with such fluidity and energy was - as today's generation would put it - "well cool".

Dennis and Gnasher break through!

Incidentally, the opening sequence and structure of The Beano Video was similar to another comic book-like series, by the name of ZZZap! There was no central plot or main focus, just a collection of 15 shorts all featuring the characters mentioned above. And many of these I still remember to this day - Dennis doing battle with 'The Pink Glove', Pa Bear trying to make Hare Soup, Minnie's attempts at scrumping from her Dad's apple tree...

Storyarcs and relating to the target audience are one thing, as today's shows aren't shy of doing, but it's nice to showcase a Variety Show now and again - made purely for the sake of being a fun, goofy cartoon. And at least there'd be something and someone different to watch rather than focusing on the set of characters alone.

The 3 Bears had the most expressive animation in the entire video!

The people who were involved here have just as much history as the Beano characters themselves. The animation directors, Tony Garth (Microscopic Milton, The Poddington Peas, Danger Mouse) and Dave Osbourne (Tube Mice, The Animals of Farthing Wood, Pip Ahoy!), have both worked as animators and writers respectively, while the entire comic book appearance was directed by Derek Modford (Charlie Chalk, Rastamouse).
All the shorts, presumably, were storyboarded by animation entrepreneur Mark Mason (Anglemouse, Philbert Frog, The Forgotten Toys), and the entire production was produced by Jo Pullen (Huxley Pig).

And of course, the voice cast consisted of versatile names like Jonathan Kydd (Bangers and Mash), Gary Martin (The Baskervilles), Enn Reitel (2DTV), Kate Robbins (Spitting Image) and the late, great Susan Sheridan (Jimbo, Noddy, Muzzy).

The B-E-A-N-O Videostars!

A 'sequel' was made a year or so later, The Beano Videostars. Unlike the first Beano Video, this one had a structured plot that tied the characters and their shorts together - in that the Beano characters (including Ivy the Terrible and Billy Whizz) were invited to a special cinema screening, which included a pair of curious aliens joining in the fun.
Terry Ward and Richard Everett (Nellie the Elephant, Bananaman) took their turn of directing, writing and producing this video cassette. It also showed the characters adapting to the times - as the Beano continues to do today - particularly with the inclusion of Rap Music...up to you whether or not the following songs have aged well!

Of course, when it comes to animation as whole, it's always a team effort - the writers, the directors, the voice actors and the animators themselves. No one person is better than the rest, and yet it'd be impossible to give thanks to every individual that plays their part in each production made. From time to time, it pays to 'Google search' a few names in the credits that grab your attention, and to find out more about them or any other work they contributed elsewhere. Chances are they may have worked on something else from your childhood, and thus gaining more respect for them than before =)

All Fall In!

The same also applies to the characters they've helped bring to life: while Dennis and Gnasher have had many animated reincarnations over the years, and are the headline characters for The Beano, in truth the comic itself wouldn't be as fondly remembered if not for the many other characters within its pages - and many of which who have not been fortunate enough to have made it into animation themselves.
In fact, it would be nice to see Beano Studios branching out to their other characters someday. I'd love to see how well Calamity James or Biffo the Bear would translate in animated form!

Luckily, as well as YouTube, both Beano VHS cassettes were also released to DVD, even though the 'video' term is slightly lost in translation today. No matter - for so long as the characters are remembered and people continue to draw / write / animate them, then chances are they'll still be going strong for their 100th birthday celebrations!

Tail-Knot

2018-02-23T09:10:00.001+00:00

Fancy Octopus

2018-02-21T08:09:00.000+00:00

Space Dragon

2018-02-19T20:58:00.000+00:00

My personal take on the Space-Bat-Angel-Dragon which featured in Ted Hughes' 'The Iron Man' (the book itself was later adapted into 'The Iron Giant', for those who don't know).

The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends (1992)

2018-02-16T08:01:00.001+00:00

James Corden. James ruddy Corden. You can't escape from the man nowadays. Ever since Gavin and Stacey took off, he's been in pretty much everything - he's appeared on (among other things) Comic Relief, A League Of Their Own, the Brit Awards, One Man Two Guvnors, Into The Woods, The Wrong Mans, and is currently the face of The Late Late Show in the states.

In short, he's literally everywhere: in theatre, in Hollywood and on television, including the adverts. From insulting the town of Sidcup, to making "surprise" cameos, to making ~~cheap~~ sheep jokes in a bid to sell car insurance, and even lending his voice in animated movies here and there. In fact, his latest addition has been the titular character of the recent Peter Rabbit CGI / live-action movie from Sony Pictures.

And I don't about you, but I for one have had enough of him. So has everyone else apparently. It's not just the over-exposure that's been maddening. For me, Corden just doesn't have the same appeal as, say, Bradley Walsh or Peter Kay when it comes to comedy and acting in general. Or rather he did, but something somehow got lost along the way. Very much like how Sony Pictures went about trying to adapt Peter Rabbit for a modern audience on the big screen.

...no, I'm sorry. I'm not going to continue moaning about what was wrong with the film, or why Corden just isn't funny to me. Instead, I'm going to talk about the real Peter Rabbit. The gentler, kinder version from a bygone era. And the animated series that came about in the mid-90's.

Here Endeth The Rant.

Many may have seen or heard the name Beatrix Potter but not know of the person herself. Born way back in 1866, Kensington, she was one of many women who, at the time, had limited opportunities for higher education. However, against the odds, and despite spending her childhood alone, she developed her knowledge and love of the landscape around her (vis, the English countryside), which led her to become a natural scientist and conservationist. She even went so far as to buy up several farms in the Lake District (now the Lake District National Park) in order to help preserve the scenery around her.

But as well as that, she is more famously known as an illustrator and writer, her most famous books tell the adventures of Peter Rabbit and his friends. How the very first book came about is a remarkable yet familiar scenario: originally written for her former Governess' five-year-old son, Miss Potter decided to revise her story and see it turned into a proper book. But frustrated by numerous rejections from publishers, she sought out to self-publish the book herself. 250 copies were sent out privately to friends and relations, which included 'Sherlock Holmes' writer Arthur Conan Doyle.

Thus, it wasn't until a decade later that Frederick Warne & Co. finally decided to officially print 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit' for all to enjoy. From then on, 22 further books were written featuring other characters, all who would interact with one another - including Peter Rabbit and his family as they gradually matured and had families of their own. These included Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, Tom Kitten, Jemima Puddle-Duck and Mrs. Tittlemouse. Towards the end of her writing career, Miss Potter experimented with writing villainous characters like Mr. Tod and Tommy Brock. No doubt some, if not all, the characters were inspired by the many animals she kept on the farm/s and grew up with.

The books remain in print to this day, and are still cherished the world over. These stories are considered old-fashioned yet timeless. Almost Aesop-like in the tales they tell and the morals they deliver somewhere within. The watercolour illustrations are just as beautiful. From the rolling landscapes and numerous types of flowers, to the pain-staking detail put in both the animal characters and the clothes they wore. These were, and still are, considered some of the best British literature for children, and with good reason.

Overtime, the stories themselves have been adapted in various forms - not surprisingly, some of which have come from America. This included an offer from Walt Disney himself to turn Peter Rabbit into an animated feature-length (and one which Miss Potter wisely refused). One of the more memorable attempts has been The Tales of Beatrix Potter, a live-action ballet performance from 1971. Another success has been the biographical film Miss Potter (2006), which starred Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor.

But the most faithful and beautiful adaptation of all has to be The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends from 1992 - this time with the BBC involved, along with Japanese companies Pony Canyon Inc and Fuji Television Network Inc. It was my first exposure to Miss Potter's stories, and you couldn't get a better start than that!

Animation director Dianne Jackson (The Snowman, Father Christmas, Yellow Submarine) was deeply involved in the production and planning of this anthology series, although sadly she passed away due to cancer mid-way. Nevertheless, despite the fact that only 9 episodes were made, they remain as wonderful as the books themselves. Most of which contain two stories in the same episode that were adapted to tie-in to one another.

The animation and backgrounds are flawless, made at a time when traditional 2D animation was at its height and quality was key; the music by Colin Towns is simply memorable, right down to the quintessential song 'Perfect Day' which plays during the end credits; and the voice cast involved...!

Naturally, fans overseas may remember the redubbed American cast for certain characters, but I grew up watching the true British version. And I still adore them today, right down to the child stars of the time - Josie Lawrence, Sir Derek Jacobi, Felicity Kendal, Shelia Hancock, Rik Mayall, Prunella Scales, June Whitfield, Alan Bennett, Su Pollard...and bear in mind that these actors and actresses were chosen because they fit the characters they played, not for their popularity alone.

To top it off, all the animated stories were bookended by live-action segments, which featured Niamh Cusack playing the role of Beatrix Potter as she told the stories from the comfort of her farmhouse with her animals and watercolours at hand. All utterly charming!

All of this is why the series was nominated for best animated programme at the Emmy Awards in 1993. And it shows what happens when you put the money and effort into something you love. So to all involved in the making of this series, congratulations! It's still being remembered today alongside the original classics you helped bring to life =)

In conclusion, I implore to all the parents in the UK and hopefully the world...if you want to introduce today's generation to Peter Rabbit, you have two options:

Go find the books. They're in nearly every book shop you can think of; they're available for Kindle books from all online stores; or chances are that early editions are being kept in safe storage by a friend or family relation.

Track down The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends. The DVD was released in 2016 to commemorate Beatrix Potter's 150th birthday. And for those who can't, there's a handy playlist to watch below, however long it'll remain online.

Personally, if I wanted to see a feature-length Peter Rabbit movie, I'd have been content with a direct-to-DVD special based on the CGI animated series from 2012, which has also done pretty good for itself. While it may not be quite perfect to some, it's still a better example of how to adapt characters for the modern age without losing too much of its original charm.

There are some characters, however, that don't need to be "modernised" to suit today's generation, nor do they require to be adapted for the cinema either. Because the results will nearly always be the same so far as Hollywood is concerned - the characters, their backstories and their settings will be heavily changed to the point where they are only recognised by names alone. As the TVC series has proven, stories such as Miss Potter's work far better on the small screen rather than the big one: short but sweet, with the characters remaining faithful to themselves and the original source. And they don't need some bloke from Uxbridge to be shoehorned in either.

Thank you.

LINKS OF INTEREST

The World of Beatrix Potter

The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends (DVD)

The Complete Book Set from Amazon!

A brief review of the series from the Sunday Times, 1993

Mr. Wolf

2018-02-15T09:18:00.000+00:00

Sassy Dragon

2018-02-14T10:49:00.001+00:00

The Smoke Belcher

2018-02-13T13:56:00.002+00:00

Space Sphinx

2018-02-12T08:47:00.000+00:00

Bug Alert! (1996)

2017-07-15T09:40:00.000+01:00

As far back as anyone can remember, puppet characters have become as big a part of our lives now as Camera Phones or Oyster Cards do - while CGI remains mainstream, it's lovely to know that physical characters will always be around to inspire and amuse.

When Jim Henson first created Sesame Street, many shows have followed the familiar path made by Big Bird and the rest of the gang, by helping to educate and inspire generations of children the world over, and which is still going on strong today. Mind you, many puppet characters have also been a source of entertainment, whether you prefer the Muppets (as does everyone) or Hacker T. Dog on CBBC - or from the mid 90's, the satirical Spitting Image for adults.

But the real beauty in some children's shows - again, as Sesame Street have shown - is that puppet characters are pretty universal, no matter what age you are. Especially when you can have a little fun in the writing department...

Here is one such example where you watch an episode from this series and think: "How on earth did they get away with this?!"

Created and written by director Peter Eyre and puppeteer Francis Wright, Bug Alert told of the antics of Grub Bug, Plug Bug, Doodle Bug, Mystic Bug and Buggins, giant insects who all live in the kitchen of a house somewhere. Going by their names alone, each of the characters had particular foibles that played a part in giving its viewers something to do or learn from. Doodle Bug showed how to make arts and crafts, Grub Bug offered simple recipes to try out and Mystic Bug gave some worldly facts through her crystal ball.

Meanwhile, the characters would often engage in some rather bizarre adventures around the house. Like Plug Bug finding a baboon in his sink, or Doodle Bug hypnotising everyone with a magic gnome...

Really, it was a comedy series with an educational aspect somewhere in the middle. Each of the 70+ episodes had a theme of the day, teaching its target audience about colours or animals or the weather, among other things. And to vary things up, it also had music numbers and jokes courtesy of Grunge and Slop or Gorgon and Zola respectively.

After a 3-year gap, the third series moved to Channel 4 in early-2000, which saw the bugs themselves moving house and deciding to open a café. Throughout all three seasons, as the episodes went on, the storylines become more insane and the jokes more...well...clever. The cultural references, the banter between the characters, the many innuendo jokes that went way over the kids' heads. Even Grub Bug himself seemed to be an exaggerated caricature of Basil Fawlty, right down to the moustache. Rewatching the show now, I can only imagine the parents' faces with what was allowed back then...!!

The bugs inside your kitchen!

It's sad to think that only a handful of VHS cassettes and DVDs have been released after all this time. Were it not for YouTube - and the mad ideas in the writing process - this show would have very likely been forgotten.

Of course, special thanks goes out to the puppeteers who were part of the madness that is Bug Alert. In particular Francis Wright, who has been no stranger to kid's shows, having also worked on Wizadora, Beachcomber Bay, Art Attack (as The Head!), The Spooks of Bottle Bay and various episodes of BBC Schools. All of which (and more) you can read about here from his own Weblog!

Series 1 & 2

Series 3

LINKS OF INTEREST

Behind the scenes photos of the sets, designed and built by David Bevin!

Bottersnikes and Gumbles (2016)

2017-01-13T12:54:00.000+00:00

To a lot of people, in this day and age, most animated shows are starting to look and sound the same. But if you look hard enough, there are at least a few somewhere that are completely different from the rest. Better still if one such series is based from something almost totally obscure and unheard of, and achieving success as a result of it. - sort of like what Marvel have done with Guardians of the Galaxy.

Here is such an example...

Way back in the late 1960's, Sydney Alexander (S. A. ) Wakefield wrote a series of books that would become a classic in Australian literature. The first of these told of the ridiculous but funny adventures of the Bottersnikes and Gumbles (1967), two races of fictional creatures that live deep in the Australian Outback.

Bottersnikes are fat long-tailed things with scaly skin, cheese-grater noses and pointed ears which turn red when they become angry. They shrink when they get wet, live on a diet of mattress stuffing and make their homes in rubbish heaps because they are too lazy to bother about digging or building homes of their own. But that's not a problem when there are Gumbles about.

Gumbles are the happiest, cleverest, friendliest creatures in the bush. They're also rather rubbery, meaning they can be squashed into any shape without being harmed. And because they are much smaller, it makes it easy for the Bottersnikes to catch any Gumbles close by, squash them into tins and only take them out when there is work to be done. So the Gumbles need plenty of resource to avoid being captured or to escape when possible, while also trying to have fun out in the bush.

Wakefield only wrote four books about the Bottersnikes and Gumbles, but they are still fondly remembered today; not just because of the imagination of the stories and characters, but because both creatures represent the opposing attitudes towards the environment. The 'snikes hate trees, animals and plants; so much so they once attempted a 'Dump Development Scheme' to turn the outback into one giant rubbish heap. Whereas the Gumbles are always willing to help an animal in trouble, and always put their rubbish in bins, or at least find a proper use for whatever they may find whilst "gumbling".

In short, these four books were almost the Australian equivalent of The Wombles. And like the original Womble books (in addition to the environmental message), they each have a self-contained ongoing storyline throughout each of them;

Gumbles on Guard (1975) sees the Gumbles volunteering to guard a lyrebird's nest from a fox;

Gumbles in Summer (1979) tells how the Bottersnikes try to replace their vulgar King, first by attempted poisoning then by a very odd election;

Gumbles in Trouble (1989) involves the Gumbles becoming trapped in a barn with the Bottersnikes, which also sees a rather odd newspaper created by the 'snikes themselves...

An omnibus volume would later be printed in 1993 (and again in 2016) as The Complete Tales of Bottersnikes and Gumbles - which is far from "complete" as it only contains selected stories from each of the four books above.

But even so, it's great to see characters like these being reprinted again for a new generation to enjoy, or for older fans to rediscover. All of which still contain the original illustrations as drawn by Desmond Digby - which would become very useful several years down the line as inspiration.

In 2012, development on an animated series based on the books had begun, which took the combined efforts and talent of up to four animation / media companies - Cheeky Little Media, CAKE Entertainment, Kickstart and Mighty But Nice. Quite a lot for one series alone, but it all paid off when the show was eventually released; first on Netflix in 2015, before being broadcast in 2016 on CBBC in the UK and 7TWO in Australia.

And from what I've seen of it so far, it hasn't disappointed!

The animation truly looks stunning - from the 2D-animated opening sequence to the energy and detail put into the CGI, which involves a lot of lovely squash-and-stretch from the Gumbles. Of course, even though both the 'snikes and Gumbles each have individual, quirky characters, the original illustrations showed them all looking very similar, as also shown in this early pilot from 2013. So big thumbs up to the animation team in designing them to appear different from one another, while also respecting Digby's style at the same time.

And because the series is aimed at 6 to 9 year olds, as one might expect, there is toilet humour involved - aka; snot and fart jokes. But don't be alarmed; these jokes are used sparingly, for the episodes concentrate more on the characters to tell a story. Most of what has been aired in the UK so far seem to have grasped feel of Wakefield's own stories, especially in the absurdity department - right down to the use of wordplay for either 'Gumbling Games' or 'Sniketraps'.

But my favourite area of this series is the voice acting - or to be more specific, the British-Australian cast. Oh Grasshoppers, what a voice cast they chose! They all sound brilliant and true to the characters they play; nothing feels forced or over the top. With a blend of young actors - Akiya Henry, Jason Callender, Kathryn Drysdale - and old - Miriam Margolyes, Jeff Rawle, Richard Grieve - their combined performance had me grinning halfway through the first episode. Not surprisingly, the cast members playing the 'snikes have been particular favourites...!

It is quite rare to see an animated series aimed at kids nail all three areas with such impeccable quality: solid writing, a strong cast and stunning animation. But it was thanks to this which prompted me to buy and read the omnibus book from Amazon - although as I mentioned earlier, it would be better still if all four original books would be republished and enjoyed in their eternity.

In a time when we're all in need of a good laugh, this series is just what we need - it's unashamedly silly, just as the original books had been. Everyone else seems to think so, too, as it nabbed quite a number of TV awards last year. And I dearly hope it continues to do well, going by the amount of care and attention from everyone involved in its making. All in the name of ridiculousness!

LINKS OF INTEREST:

Download 'The Adventures of Bottersnikes and Gumbles' from Amazon

Visit the Bottersnikes & Gumbles official website!

The making of the animated series from Channel 7 Website

Common Sense Media reviews Bottersnikes & Gumbles

An interview with illustrator Desmond Digby

Mike Pearse - Space Cadets

2016-09-08T17:53:00.000+01:00

I may not be much of a fan of the series or the movies myself, but as it's the 50th anniversary of Star Trek this year, I couldn't let it pass by without celebrating it as only I know how...!

This special 2009 Bash Street Annual featured some of Mike Pearse's best "extra-long" Bash Street Kids stories originally printed in The Beano - and one new story drawn especially for this book alone, a hilarious tribute to one of the best sci-fi shows in the world.

It would also be the last time Mike Pearse contributed for DC Thompson. He didn't draw further comics, Bash Street or otherwise, until the 2015 Beano annual. But that's another story...

What-A-Mess

2016-09-02T16:49:00.002+01:00

In his time, Frank Muir was a gifted English comedian who, along with writing partner and fellow comedian Denis Norden, wrote and starred in a variety of radio shows such as Take It From Here, My Word! and My Music. In later years, he would also become the face for television shows That Was The Week That Was and Call My Bluff, not to mention the voice for Cadbury's Fruit and Nut!

However, he is also remembered for something else entirely - as a children's writer.

Frank's pets included a variety of Afghan hounds and Burmese cats. And it was through these that inspired him to write a series of books about an Afghan puppy called Prince Amir of Kinjan. But because he was so accident-prone and is forever hearing people crying "What a Mess!", he grew up believing that to be his name.

What-a-Mess is forever getting in all sorts of sticky situations (as well as dusty, muddy and damp ones to boot). No matter how hard he tries to be good, things usually go wrong and he winds up making incredibly large messes - whether it's going on a camping trip, a visit to the town or avoiding a visit to the Vet, Frank's storylines are still as brilliantly silly as they first were back in the 1970's. Even the illustrations by Joseph Wright echo this, with random little creatures and people littered across the pages of each book doing goodness-knows-what. Just about anyone who owned an Afghan hound could see a little 'What-a-Mess' in each of them.

What-a-Mess was never lonely, though. As well as his tall, elegant Mother, The Duchess of Kinjan, he was always doing battle with a slim Burmese known simply as the Cat Next Door. The friends he made along the way include a plucky little hedgehog called Cynthia and an even scruffier puppy who jokingly calls himself 'The Archbishop of Canterbury!'

This clumsy little puppy obviously became a hit with readers alike, so much so that the books were adapted to animation up to three times - all of which, remarkably, feature Frank Muir as the Storyteller!

Smallfilms, of Ivor the Engine and Clangers fame, were the first to try in 1979. It is without a doubt the hardest version to find as not even the Smallfilms crew or relations have any surviving props / reels of it. All that remains is a sparse episode guide from the BBC archives and various snippets from Wikipedia. The most impressive piece of information was that the theme song was supposedly written by Andrew Lloyd Webber...

The second version is much more remembered and (thankfully!) easier to find. This 1990 series was animated by Bevanfield Films, who were also responsible for adapting Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories. While any actual animation may have been few and far per episode, what they did make was consistently fluid and full of character. Joseph Wright's illustrations and designs were faithfully translated to the small screen - even the mad little creatures were allowed to scuttle about on-screen while Frank Muir's sophisticated tones happily read aloud the story of the day.

Eventually, as with most things in life, you know when a series becomes popular enough that even the Americans want more of it. So it came to pass that in 1995, Cliff Ruby and Elana Lesser, via DiC Entertainment, were given the reigns of adapting the third and final incarnation of What-a-Mess.

The Americanisation is evident here - not just with the accents and the change of setting, it became louder, messier and, of course, more animated for the target audience on that side of the pond. As well as many new episodes written specifically for this show, further changes included characters from the books being renamed and recoloured (the Cat Next Door became a blue Burmese named 'Felicia'), and new characters being added to the cast, including a tough Bull Terrier named Trash. Even the bird living on What-a-Mess's head was christened Baldwin (Makes me wonder if his first name may have been 'Alec'...).

As well as that, all the characters were given individual voices. Cast members included Jo Anne Harris, Joe Nipote, Charity James and former child star Ryan O'Donohue as the lead dog himself.

"Vulgar" some may call it, taking into account how many British characters have been Americanised over the years. But to be fair to DiC, I remember this being my first introduction to Frank Muir's loveable creation when the series was regularly replayed on either Channel 5 or the BBC. It was only later on when I found the books that made me realise that What-a-Mess had British origins.

Besides that, Frank's little character really does have all the things that appeal to children whichever part of the world they live in - an eagerness to please, a desire to get messy, their funny little ways of learning the world and mostly having fun. Especially fun. British or American, What-a-Mess is just one of those characters that translates nicely wherever he's placed.

To add, the producers for the US series were kind enough to acknowledge Frank Muir than just as the creator - as well as keeping him on as Storyteller, they also had him voice an old English Sheepdog known as Frank...

Since then, What-a-Mess seems to have quietly slunk under his compost heap out of the public eye. Sure, the various DVD releases of the DiC series can be found here and there, but many still hope that the UK series will be given the same treatment. Or better still, to see Frank's original books reprinted for a whole new generation to enjoy. Until then, there's always YouTube to turn to...

LINKS OF INTEREST

Toonhound's own page on What-a-Mess

Frank Muir on Desert Island Discs

The Guardian remembers What-a-Mess
Find the original What-a-Mess books on Amazon UK!

The Flintstones - "The Return of Superstone"

2016-05-05T12:20:00.000+01:00

Michael Kraiger and Vincent Deporter have both contributed to DC's various lines of comic books over the years, writing or drawing iconic characters such as Batman and Superman, as well as all the classic Cartoon Network stars of yesteryear - including, but not limited to, Scooby-Doo, Johnny Bravo, Dexter's Laboratory and many others within the Hanna-Barbera / Cartoon Cartoons vault.

What with everyone going ga-ga over all things superhero, the time seems about right to share this great Flintstones story. The combination of Michael's script and Vincent's energetic artwork has made this a personal favourite of mine, especially as they've "continued" the story from the original Flintstones episode which first featured "Superstone". Now if only the 2016 Flintstones comic book were more like this...!

LINKS OF INTEREST:

Michael Kraiger's official website

Vincent Deporter's Wikipedia Page

Goof Troop - Everybody Makes 'Misteaks'

2016-04-01T08:22:00.000+01:00

Something else from the Big Time Magazine archives - a rather unusual Goof Troop comic drawn especially for an April Fools Day release. Whoever the writer / artist was, they must have had a LOT of fun with the "mistakes" made here...!

City of London

2016-03-18T19:01:00.000+00:00

The Jungle Book - "The Great Monkey Toss"

2016-03-03T16:29:00.000+00:00

Continuing with the Chinese New Year theme - the Year of the Monkey - here's a neat Jungle Book comic story that was printed in the Big Time magazine in the 90's.

Now Big Time was one of my favourite magazines to collect as a young teen. Released monthly, it kept 7-to-11 year olds updated with entertainment news from upcoming movies / TV shows, along with featured articles on popular singers / actors of the time, and all this with puzzles, free gifts and comic strips as a bonus.

How they printed the comics was interesting. They appeared to be completely separate from the rest of the magazine itself, so kids were allowed to "pull them out" and read them whenever and wherever they wanted (at least that's what my 12-year-old self kept telling me). And as such, I'm afraid I can't say much on who wrote or drew this particular entry as the Big Time magazine this was originally part of has been lost to time...

However, short it may well be, it's also a great little read, with some peachy-keen artwork to complement it. It's almost as if whoever wrote this had turned to Rudyard Kipling's original Jungle Book - or even the Just So Stories - as inspiration here. That's what I think anyway...

Fox Cub + Mouse

2016-02-28T15:16:00.002+00:00

All the little guy wants is some chocolate - and so does the mouse...

Love Yourself

2016-02-13T22:19:00.003+00:00

"Magilla's Guerrillas"

2016-02-12T12:08:00.001+00:00

So according to D.C Comics' latest announcement, they're planning to "reboot" a few familiar Hanna-Barbera faces in some unfamiliar territory - and as usual, it's got everybody talking about it.

Now I'm not going to join in the ~~arguing~~ ~~backlash~~ discussions myself, but their talk about plans for a Johnny Quest / Space Ghost crossover brought to mind this rather interesting Magilla Gorilla story, which appeared in Issue #6 of the Cartoon Network magazine in 1999 (in the UK).

Personally, I'm a bit of a sucker when it comes to crossover storylines, provided that they're done logically and if it's a "in-universe" scenario (aka; characters created by the same people or studio). After all, D.C Comics also produced the Scooby-Doo Team Up comic book line from 2013, and personally I would like to read more content like that - with someone other than the Great Dane himself, obviously.

Plus, not every "reboot" has to be dark or gritty, or somehow "reinvent" the characters completely. Change can be acceptable, so long as you don't go too overboard. And writer Mike Carlin seems to have done just fine with this particular story, thankyouverymuch.

And on top of all that, it's the Year of the Monkey in China...so all the more reason to share this then!

Chimera Design

2016-01-28T15:58:00.000+00:00

I’m pretty sure many know what a Chimera looks like - head of a Lion, with a Goat’s head in the back and a Snake for a tail. Drawing three heads sounded a little complicated - so I decided to design my own version, utilising the best of each animal.