Looney Tunes: April 2000
Cover
The things nightmares are made of, for Elmer Fudd. Fudd is falling into the center of a great reddish swirl. Looking on, and not falling, are images of Bugs Bunny's head. Below him is a circle made up of younger bunnies. Also there are carrots and what may be images of rabbit holes adding to Elmer's panic. In large letters the cover proclaims, "RABBITITIS IS HERE!"
Credits
Synopsis
As a martial arts master looks on, young Wong Fei Honk tries, and fails, to keep up a precarious balancing act. Wong is almost dismissed but the master needs his money and so they start on a new lesson plan. The idea is for Wong to learn by watching. Alas, the creature chosen for observation is Sylvester.
While Tweety starts his day with a shower, Sylvester attempts to sneak up on him only to get clobbered with Tweety only barely realizing something happened. The cat tries again, only to slip on the bacon grease the bird is disposing of. Next Sylvester tries a disguise, but that also fails. While all this is happening Wong and the master disagree as to the meaning. Wong sees Sylvester as a poor example but the master says otherwise, repeatedly.
After all the painful failures the master steps in and sees that Sylvester is well armed. The result is the same as it is for an unarmed Sylvester. Finally the master really takes matters into his own hands and attempts to Tweety himself. The master turns out to be no more successful than Sylvester, and Tweety reveals that he is quite expert at a martial art himself.
Did You Notice...
Shaolin was originally the name of a religious school but has since become known for the martial art taught there. That style is commonly known by another name: Kung Fu.- Page 3: Tweety sings the 1964 Trashmen song Surfin' Bird as he showers.
- Page 6: The cereal Sugar Frosted Sucro-Pops get its name from Sugar Frosted Flakes, Corn Pops, and sucrose (the technical name for common sugar). This might also be a reference to the cereal in the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs, another example of sugary excess, which Calvin liked for the prizes in the box.
- Page 8: The master's arts include Hun Gar, Wing Chun, and Jeet Kun Do-do. The first being 'hunger', the second a reference to the music group Wang Chung, and the third refers to Jeet Kun Do, the martial arts style founded by Bruce Lee.
Technical Nits
Sylvester's footpads aren't colored in.
Credits
Synopsis
Porky Pig is grocery shopping at a store where Charlie Dog is offering free samples of dog treats. Charlie doesn't let Porky say no, try as he might. Porky makes the mistake of telling Charlie he doesn't have a dog.
Charlie expounds all his, to him, good points and his remarkable breeding but Porky tries to explain that he doesn't want a dog. As Porky continues shopping, Charlie somewhat subtly tries to get him to buy dog treats. When Porky catches on and objects, Charlie again tries to sell himself.
As Porky selects a cereal, Charlie makes a show of being a protector. That is he does until the silly statement he makes comes true and he has to protect Porky from a bear. Porky takes off and zips home leaving the groceries behind. He is quite surprised when Charlie and the bear show up at the door to deliver his groceries.
Did You Notice...
- Page 10: The shtick of a dog detailing all the types of dog he is showed up with Charlie in Often an Orphan (Jones, 1949) and with another dog in Dog Tales (McKimson, 1958).
- Page 11: Porky's real shopping list appears to be for stereotypically healthy, or at least low calorie, foods.
Technical Nits
- Page 9: The red part of Charlie's cap is missing in the third panel.
- Curiously, this story's page numbers follow that of the first story while the next story has its own page numbering again. One would expect each story to have its own numbers or have the issue not re-use page numbers at all, rather than a peculiar mix of both.
Credits
Synopsis
Elmer Fudd stops his big RV right over Bugs' hole and, once outside, hits the bumper with a mallet. This triggers a most unusual airbag which is a sealed bubble home. Elmer quickly settles in, relaxing as he can breathe easier now. His breathing is still quite noisy and this starts Bugs investigating what is going on.
After cutting his way into Elmer's bubble, Bugs sees he needs to drive him away and dons a disguise as a nurse. Nurse Bugs sets Elmer up as if in the waiting room of a doctor's office. The rabbit disappears into a room and terrible sounds are heard, scaring Elmer. Nurse Bugs sends him in all the same, where he encounters Dr. Bugs.
Elmer explains he has allergies, especially to rabbit fur. All the signs of a severe rabbit fur allergy show up as Bugs lists them. Bugs bamboozles Elmer again after a short chase and acts the part of doctor again, with a less than medically sound examination. Elmer catches on, again, and chases Bugs again. When he is about trapped, Bugs describes more symptoms and Elmer has them all and is worried until the rabbit tells him he's got rhythm. Elmer breaks into dance and Bugs acts as disc jockey...
Did You Notice...
- Page 1: Elmer's vanity license plate: FUDD 1.
- Page 4: Bugs is supposedly at the Mayo clinic with the Ketchup clinic nearby. The real Mayo Clinic is in Rochester, Minnesota.
- Page 4: Bob Segarini is a Canadian singer and songwriter who's works span from 1968 to at least 1997. He also was a disc jockey and worked in television doing jingle voice-overs.
- Page 5: As he's impersonating a doctor, what did you expect Bugs to say?
- Page 7: Bugs sends Elmer flying into the Psycho Ward.
- Page 10: A single simple bubble having a corner is a geometrical impossibility, however it is possible to have a set of bubbles together in which the center bubble is cube shaped and does have corners.
Technical Nits
- If Elmer is allergic to rabbit fur, why would he seek relief in the wild?
- The ending seems rather abrupt. Bugs' problem, Elmer's presence above his hole, remains unresolved.
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Last updated 25 April 2001