David Marron ASKS me…
I've been watching Toon In With ME on MeTV in the mornings, and I've noticed that M.G.M. had about three "cartoon stars": Tom & Jerry, Droopy, and Barney Bear. How come they didn't create as many characters for their "stable" as Warner Bros.?
Well, they did try…a little. Tex Avery made several cartoons that introduced characters who would have been in more cartoons if their first appearances had aroused more interest. "One Ham's Family" (pictured below) was one of them. The little pig who talked like Red Skelton's "mean widdle kid" character was one of 'em.
Tex made five cartoons with Screwy Squirrel (aka Screwball Squirrel) before they got feedback that audiences found him more annoying than adorable. And he did a few with variations on George and Junior, who also didn't become stars.
But it didn't matter as much then as it might today in an animation industry when licensing drives so many decisions about what shows are produced and films are made. Back in the forties, the primary goal was to keep theater owners happy…and theater owners were generally happy with films that audiences liked, recurring characters or not.
Even over at Warners', "One Froggy Evening" went over big and no one (then) thought to give the frog a name, bring him back again and again, and slap his froggy face on t-shirts and toys. The cartoon had served its purpose because theaters kept booking Warner Brothers cartoons…until a few years later when they didn't.
