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Ralph Bakshi (1972)

Fritz the Cat is a 1972 American adult animated black comedy film written and directed by Ralph Bakshi in his directorial debut. Based on the comic strip by Robert Crumb and starring Skip Hinnant, the film focuses on Fritz, a glib, womanizing, and fraudulent cat in an anthropomorphic animal version of New York City during the mid-to-late 1960s. Fritz decides on a whim to drop out of college, interacts with inner city African American crows, unintentionally starts a race riot, and becomes a leftist revolutionary. The film is a satire focusing on American college life of the era, race relations, the free love movement and serves as a criticism of the countercultural political revolution and dishonest political activists.

Original trailer

The film had a troubled production history, as Crumb, who is politically left-wing, had disagreements with the filmmakers over the film’s political content, which he saw as being critical of the political left. Produced on a budget of $700,000, the film was intended by Bakshi to broaden the animation market. At that time period, animation was seen predominantly as a children’s medium. Bakshi envisioned animation as being a medium that could tell more dramatic or satirical storylines with larger scopes, dealing with more mature and diverse themes that would resonate with adults. Bakshi also wanted to establish an independent alternative to the films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, which dominated the animation market due to a lack of independent competition.

The intention of featuring profanity, sex, and drug use provoked criticism from more conservative members of the animation industry, who accused Bakshi of attempting to produce a pornographic animated film, as the concept of adult animation was not widely understood at the time. The Motion Picture Association of America gave the film an X rating, making it the first American animated film to receive the rating, which was then predominantly associated with more arthouse films. The film was highly successful and also earned significant critical acclaim for its satire, social commentary, and animation innovations. The film’s use of satire and mature themes is seen as paving the way for future animated works for adults, including The Simpsons, South Park and Family Guy. A sequel, The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat (1974), was produced without Crumb’s or Bakshi’s involvement.

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Dave Chappelle (2020)

I think this is something we all can identify with when we’re faced to make big decisions in life. Dave Chappelle makes a good point on the importance of happiness over money.

Dave Chappelle is a stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer, best known for his satirical comedy sketch series Chappelle’s Show (2003 – 2006). Chappelle is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Emmy Awards and three Grammy Awards as well as a Mark Twain Prize. Dave Chappelle is renowned for his ability to point out the underlying truths in society and bring humor to serious issues.

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Louie Anderson & Matthew O’Callaghan (1994)

Sadly, Louie Anderson passed away on January 21, 2022. Louie Anderson has always reminded me of my childhood and spending time with my younger brothers in our first family home. When I heard of his passing a flood of memories came washing over me. Unfortunately, I was unable to post something in his honor on the day of his passing, but here’s something to remember Louie by and maybe your childhood too.

Life with Louie is an American animated television series. The show is based on the childhood of well-known stand-up comedian Louie Anderson, growing up with his family in the town of Cedar Knoll, Wisconsin during the early 1960s, although Anderson himself was actually from Saint Paul, Minnesota, also situated in midwestern US.

The first two episodes aired in primetime on Fox in late 1994, before moving to Saturday morning on Fox Kids from 1995 to 1998. Although not that popular in the U.S., Life with Louie achieved cult status in some countries in Eastern Europe where Fox Kids was a popular TV channel during the 1990s and early 2000s, most notably Romania and in Turkey.

Born one of 11 children in St. Paul, Minnesota, Anderson was a counselor for troubled children when he won a the first–place trophy at the 1981 Midwest Comedy Competition.

The host of the competition, legendary comedian Henny Youngman, was so impressed that he hired the young comic as a writer.

Anderson was soon basking in his own spotlight on comedy stages all over the country.Johnny Carson invited Anderson to make his national television debut on the “The Tonight Show” in 1984 and Anderson’s career took off.

Appearances with Jay Leno, David Letterman, “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” “Comic Relief,” as well as Showtime and HBO specials further cemented him as one of Hollywood’s top comedians.

Louie Anderson explains how his tough childhood led him to comedy (1989)

But it was hosting the beloved game show “Family Feud” in 1999 that made Anderson a household name and opened doors for him into acting.

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Kirk Thatcher (2021)

Muppets Haunted Mansion is an upcoming American puppet comedy film based on The Muppets and the ghost train attracion at Disneyland The Haunted Mansion. The film is set to be released on October 8, 2021, via Disney+. This was one of Ed Asner’s final works before passing away from natural causes.

Having survived every one of his daredevil performances, Gonzo takes on his biggest challenge yet at The Haunted Mansion where he must spend one night there.

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Friz Freleng (1942)

The Wabbit Who Came to Supper is a 1942 Merrie Melodies cartoon featuring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. It was released on March 28, 1942 and directed by Friz Freleng. Elmer Fudd and his dogs are hunting for Bugs Bunny in the woods. As Fudd is about to shoot Bugs, he receives a telegram telling him that his uncle is leaving him three million dollars on the condition he doesn’t harm any animals. The title is a reference to the 1942 Warner Brothers film version of the 1939 George S. Kaufman Broadway comedy The Man Who Came to Dinner, in which an overbearing house-guest threatens to take over the lives of a small-town family.

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Robert Smigel & J. J. Sedelmaier (2011)

Ace and Gary team up to fight crime in their usual, awkward fashion.

Bighead and his henchmen blast Ace and Gary with a flesh ray, transforming them from animated characters to live-action ones, in which they are portrayed by Jon Hamm and Jimmy Fallon, respectively. The gun malfunctions and “unanimates” everyone, with Ed Helms playing Half-Scary, Fred Armisen as Lizardo, Stephen Colbert as Dr. Brainio, and Steve Carell as Bighead.

The Ambiguously Gay Duo is an American animated comedy sketch that debuted on The Dana Carvey Show before moving to its permanent home on Saturday Night Live.

The Ambiguously Gay Duo follows the adventures of Ace and Gary, voiced by Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell, two superheroes whose sexual orientation is a matter of dispute, and a cavalcade of characters preoccupied with the question.

The Ambiguously Gay Duo is a parody of the stereotypical comic book superhero duo done in the style of Saturday morning cartoons like Super Friends. The characters are clad in matching pastel turquoise tights, dark blue domino masks, and bright yellow coordinated gauntlets, boots and shorts. The shorts were intended to satirize suggestions that early Batman comics implied a homosexual relationship between the eponymous title character and his field partner and protégé Robin, a charge most infamously leveled by Fredric Wertham in his 1954 book, Seduction of the Innocent, the research methodology for which was later discredited.

The typical episode usually begins with the duo’s arch-nemesis Bighead, a criminal mastermind with an abnormally large cranium. Bighead is usually briefing his henchmen on a plot for some grandiose plan for world domination, interrupted by a debate as to whether or not Ace and Gary are gay. Once the crime is in process, the police commissioner calls on the superheroes to save the day, often engaging in similar debates with the chief of police.

Ace and Gary set out to foil the evil plan, but not before calling attention to themselves with outrageous antics and innuendo, and behaving in ways perceived by other characters to be stereotypically homosexual.

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Ralph Bakshi (1972)

Fritz the Cat is a 1972 American adult animated comedy film written and directed by Ralph Bakshi, based on the comic strip by Robert Crumb and starring Skip Hinnant. The film focuses on Fritz (Hinnant), a glib, womanizing and fraudulent cat in an anthropomorphic animal version of New York City during the mid-1960s. Fritz decides on a whim to drop out of college, interacts with inner city African American crows, unintentionally starts a race riot, and becomes a leftist revolutionary. The film is a satire focusing on American college life of the era, race relations, the free love movement and serves as a criticism of political revolution and dishonest political activists.