Baby Boomer Chronicles: Wile E. Coyote, Super Genius
Long before we heard about children carrying firearms and using them in public schools in incident after incident of mayhem, we, growing up during the 1960’s had the Saturday morning cartoon bonanza. We would all wait on it like Christmas Day. Each of the major networks at the time ABC, CBS, and NBC had a Saturday morning cartoon lineup. This was before cable or any kind of satellite television capability was available for the general public. Do any of you remember Captain Kangaroo, Rocky and Bullwinkle, or the number of loveable characters from Hanna- Barbara (Johnny Quest, Space Ghost)?
But, I loved it all and consider this a salute to those great animators that made it all possible. Once my wife asked why I liked to watch cartoons, even as an adult. It was because I worked hard during the day and liked to have a good belly laugh. Not the kind of comedy at anyone’s expense but just a good laugh at all the pratfalls of characters that were only possible within the cartoon universe. The Looney Tunes were therapeutic as the ultimate way to unwind. In comparison, today’s cartoons are cynical, controversial and not terribly funny much of the time.
But, all in all, the funniest cartoons were made by the clever animators at Warner Brothers Studios. Their work during the 1940’s and 1950’s were for me the most hilarious. Those are cartoons that I never missed. These guys had to be in a ‘reefer madness’ session to come up with the stories they did. Men like Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Leon Schlesinger, Robert McKimson ,to just name a few, were responsible for the magic.
Remember all the characters: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Foghorn Leghorn, Yosemite Sam, Pepe Le Peu, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, the Tasmanian Devil, just to name a few. Which was your favorite? Well, my favorite is the star or the character in the title of this article, Wile E. Coyote. I looked forward to the Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour program that appeared on ABC during the late 1960’s. I loved Wile E. and the all American motto associated with him, ‘that when one first fails to succeed, try, try again’. He personified the American spirit, particularly at that time, that with determination and persistence anything was possible. We all, as kids, sympathized with the Coyote and hoped that someday he would actually catch the Road Runner. He was so clever with his array of high quality “Acme” products. Wile E. had a few good ideas that we all thought could have worked if he ‘tweaked’ at them a bit. Remember the boulders, dynamite sticks and anvils? He could take devastating falls and be around to tell about them. But, it was when he tangled with Bugs Bunny that he finds himself in a pinch. He always said that “this was no ordinary rabbit’. He was right as Bugs wasn’t going to become anybody’s breakfast. Here a two of my favorites, enjoy!!
Operation: Rabbit (1952) Warner Brothers Studios
Watch by clicking link below
To Hare is Human (1956) Warner Brothers Studios
To watch click below:
In memoriam to a true 'supergenius', Steve Jobs (1955-2011), the Thomas Edison of the Boomer Generation
