July 28, 2008
- I’m surprised no one has mentioned this: the lack of biological parents in cartoon shows. Think of all the characters who live with someone other than their parents: Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Webby living with Uncle Donald then Uncle Scrooge in DuckTales. Gosalyn and Darkwing Duck in Darkwing Duck, Robin and Nightwing living with Batman. Also, Penny and Uncle Gadget. No explanation is given about their parents’ whereabouts. When I was a kid I wondered where they were. I think if cartoon creators have a handle enough to show orphans, they should go the full monty and explain where mom and dad are.
- Contributed by Mark P.
- Yet another common device that cartoon manufacturers use is to add a character to a show that is there solely for the purpose of comic relief (usually, it backfires, though). This character is quite frequently of some other species, &c. than the main character(s). Examples are Slimer in The Real Ghostbusters, Snarf in ThunderCats, Alexander in Josie and The Pussycats, Blip in Space Ghost, Orko in He-Man, Chim-Chim in Speed Racer, Godzuki in Godzilla, and Needler in The Pirates of Dark Water.
- Contributed by The Editor
- What’s the nature of ghosts in The Real Ghostbusters? Are they extra-dimensional critters, traumatic psychic residue, or is the team actually capturing the souls of the deceased with proton lightning and cramming them in a basement nuclear reactor? That seems awfully blasphemous. Perhaps it’s symbolic of people’s willingness to ignore their past, or maybe a commentary on modern urban life being “soulless.”
- Contributed by Blake
Tags:orphan, Chim-chim, Godzuki, blasphemy
Posted in Batman, Darkwing Duck, DuckTales, Godzilla, He-Man, Inspector Gadget, Josie and The Pussycats, Mini-Analyzations, Space Ghost, Speed Racer, The Pirates of Dark Water, The Real Ghostbusters, Thundercats | 3 Comments »
June 8, 2008
- Inspector Gadget is the epitome of the 80’s in one cartoon. You have a police department that isn’t corrupted in the media yet, you have references to old 70’s tv shows (this message will self-destruct), you have the fascination with computers (Penny’s laptop that’s thicker than today’s printers) and robotic stuff (the wonderful Inspector himself), and the fear of a huge, crazy, foreign power (MAD-obviously he’s supposed to represent Russia — look at all of the “agents of MAD” — they’re Russian spies in cartoon format). It’s the 80’s. Not to mention the music.
-Contributed by Bryn D.
- If you will notice in the Disney movie DuckTales: Secret of the Lost Lamp, the animation quality is fantastic at the beginning, but quickly degrades into merely tolerable. Then, at the very end of the movie, the animation quality is quickly back to its original level. Presumably this was an attempt to cut costs and production time while trying to prevent the audience from realizing it.
- Contributed by The Editor
- Ever notice that in G.I. Joe, the shots from Cobra’s lasers are always blue, and the Joes’ are always red? Even if one of the Joes picks up a Cobra laser, the color is still red. Could these colors hold some inner meaning?
- Contributed by Paul J.
- The main characters on Ed, Edd n Eddy on Cartoon Network could represent the ID, Ego, and Superego. Ed is a free spirit who always wants to have fun. Edd “Double-D” is more reserved and nervous and makes the perfect Super-ego. Finally, Eddy is the ego, which balances out the other other two.
- Contributed by SDOG1028
Tags:super-ego
Posted in DuckTales, Ed Edd n Eddy, G.I. Joe, Inspector Gadget, Mini-Analyzations | No Comments »
April 18, 2008
Contributed by YHN1212.
Now, this is unlikely but not impossible: during the credits of Inspector Gadget, one can hear the words of Dr. Claw near the end: “I’ll get you Gadget, next time…” Typical villanous taunt. Yet at the same time as you hear the words of Dr. Claw, you can see the lips of Chief Quimby move as he speaks to Gadget. What does this mean? Though some might say that the conversation between the two was silenced as the words of Dr. Claw were heard, I believe that it was Chief Quimby speaking. In other words, I believe that Chief Quimby is possibly the greatest master of disguise ever: he is Dr. Claw. It would also explain a lot about things. I mean, how often has Gadget thrown a self-destructing message at Quimby just as it was about to explode? More times than anyone, even loyal fans of the show, can remember. The amount of times it happened may mean that Gadget is doing it on purpose, indicating that he knows that Quimby is Dr. Claw and is secretly trying to kill him. Which would make Gadget an even better master of disguise than Quimby: How else to avoid suspicion from others than by acting incompetent? So to summarize my theory, the two may be carrying out their unending battle secretly, without the eye of the public watching them. Why all this secrecy? Perhaps they have a respect for each other that one has for one’s enemy, leading them to believe their battle with each other is too sacred to share with others.
Tags:chief, disguise, Dr. Claw, nemesis
Posted in Inspector Gadget, from the archives | 5 Comments »
