Sylvester's nose is black, rather than red, and the inside of his mouth (you can see just a bit between his teeth) isn't in color either. Also, he has a weird synthetic look, similar to that seen in Space Jam.A very nervous Sylvester sits on a bench, digging his claws into the wood, as several tweety birds look angrily down at him from a jungle-gym. One tweety bird stands on the back of the bench loudly saying, "I say we pluck him!"
Carved into the back of the bench is a silhouette of Alfred Hitchcock's profile, along with the words "Hitchcock was here" which should remove any doubt about this being a reference to The Birds.
Sylvester's nose is black, rather than red, and the inside of his mouth (you can see just a bit between his teeth) isn't in color either. Also, he has a weird synthetic look, similar to that seen in Space Jam.
In panels resembling a black and white television screen Elmer, as Alfred Hitchfudd, introduces the story of an individual whose goal forever just barely eludes him. He asides that he can only imagine the frustration. Bugs appears on screen behind him, in color, pointing at Alfred and winking at the viewer.
Psylvester begins with Tweety, in color, migrating and tired of it. Luckily (?) for him he spots the Bird's Motel as rain starts. Tweety gets a room, well a birdhouse, for the night from Sylvester. Sylvester, also in color, says he lives with Granny. Granny's shadow can be seen in a second floor window.
Tweety prepares for the night starting with a bath and subdues an attacking Sylvester with the statue from the center of the birdbath. When he comes to, Sylvester attempts making a Tweety sandwich. The story is interrupted by Alfred, who segues to a commercial for Acme rope, "Always a twist at the end!"
Back from commercial, Sylvester and Tweety are caught off guard before resuming the story. Sylvester chases Tweety up Mt. Fuddmore and falls when the rope Tweety throws to him breaks. Later Tweety seeks shelter with Granny, only to find that there never was a Granny and Sylvester is alone. Just as it looks as if Sylvester has the upper hand, or paw, Tweety's flock arrives in full force...
A psychiatrist interrupts Alfred's epilogue, saying that Alfred is one of his patients, Elmer J. Fudd, and that "Hitchfudd" and the story were were mere hallucinations. He does make an exception for Acme rope, as it does have a twist at the end...
This story spoofs the 1950s television series Alfred Hitchcock Presents in which Hitchcock would introduce the story in a dry droll manner. Also, he usually had a sardonic comment about the sponsor of the show, just before the show would cut to the commercial. Elmer has several appearances within the story that aren't his hosting. This appearing in an incidental manner is a common feature of Alfred Hitchcock's films. He appears...
Tweety's and Sylvester's dialogue is riddled with names or variations of Alfred Hitchcock movies. They are...
The title, motel, birdbath scene, and Granny being only a shadow are all taken, with some changes, from Psycho. Page 8: The commercial is in color. Page 11: The flock attack is of course from The Birds. Page 12: Elmer appears to be wearing white while on camera, but is really wearing light blue shirt and pants In the black and white days of television, white was not worn on camera if at all possible. A light color was preferred since white would result in a trail when the person or camera moved, yet a light blue, for example, would show as a passable white. Page 12: "Elmer J. Fudd, millionaire..." is from Hare Brush (1955). This is the only time in animation where Elmer's middle initial is used. See the Warner Bros. Cartoon Companion by E. O. Costello. Page 7: Sylvester is in color, but the lump on his head isn't. Page 11: That's rather odd shading for a moon that was full earlier.Bugs enters Daffy's house, dripping wet and commenting on the weather. Daffy answers with an amazingly detailed weather report which makes Bugs wonder how he knew, seeing as he's not looking outside. Daffy show Bugs his home computer which looks like a cross between a big screen TV and a monster truck engine. The duck touts how it can tell them the weather and even help him get a date. It seems he met somebody on-line and will meet her tonight. Bugs is a little taken aback when he hears that Daffy has never seen his date, and has more severe reaction when he hears her name: Gossamer.
The ringing of the doorbell has Daffy delighted...until he opens the door and his eyes and finally sees the big orange monster, Gossamer. While Bugs gets a laugh out of the situation, Daffy decides he'll go through with the date. It's Gossamer's treat and Daffy isn't one to pass up a free meal and movie.
The evening starts with an Italian meal. After Gossamer slips the musicians a few dollars to sing Disco Duck, he and Daffy share a plate of spaghetti. They end up eating the same piece of spaghetti, with Daffy getting a little more intimate with Gossamer than he might have liked. After dinner they see a movie, which has quite an effect on Gossamer. Daffy comforts Gossamer after a heart rending scene.
And after the movie, dancing, which Gossamer enjoys while the duck just gets dizzy. During a break, Gossamer tells friends to check out the date. They are rather disgusted when they see Daffy with his finger in his ear and tell Gossamer that there's no need to see Daffy anymore. Gossamer is obviously affected as he points Daffy to the door. Daffy is stunned that he was shown the door by a monster.
Back at home, Daffy tells Bugs of his ordeal and threatens to take a hammer to his computer. Bugs stops him by telling him that there are more "virtual fish" in the "cyber-sea." Daffy gets right to the keyboard and starts out again, throwing caution to the wind. Witch Hazel, at her computer, is reading Daffy's message...
Page 15: Bugs' comment about the computer being a space heater isn't all that far off considering how much heat computers produce. Page 15: Yuba is Yuba City, California, although other Yuba's exist. This is a reference to a long running joke on the DALnet irc channel #watertower where one of the regulars is unimpressed with Yuba. Sean Carolan on Yuba, "It's our [Carolan and Moore] Pismo Beach." The #watertower channel has since moved to WTnet.Page 15: The welcome message and "Enter Access Code" for logging on to the internet refers to Freakazoid. Just before Animaniacs issue 35 was due out Sean Carolan let it be known that "...Jenn and I used it because we thought it was such an unrealistic prompt...besides, we like to stick in Freakazoid references wherever possible...in fact, there'll be a BIG one in the next issue of Animaniacs Comics (about 12 pages long, in fact.)" Page 16: There's a mouse hole in the wall in panel four. Page 18: Yes, alas, there really is a song Disco Duck which was recorded by Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots. Page 18: The bit with two eating from one plate of spaghetti refers to a scene in Disney's Lady And The Tramp. Page 21: The Beejoo refers to the Bijou movie theater. Page 21: Lambi is a reference to Bambi and Squentin Tarratin(o) refers to movie director Quentin Tarantino. Gossamer remains gender neutral, Daffy only refers to Gossamer as 'she' or 'her' until they meet. Also Gossamer enters a 'monster's room' on page 22, a stylized monster sign next to the door can be seen in the bottom left panel. This story is referred to in passing, in Love Disconnection also by Sean Carolan and Jennifer Moore. It should be noted that Gossamer only appeared in two classic era cartoons, Hair-Raising Hare and Water Water Every Hare, and was not called Gossamer in either. The monster got that name only the late 70s or early 80s. (EC) Page 16: Bugs' eyes seem to have white irises in the fourth panel. On page 16 Daffy opens his door outward, yet on page 17 he's shown having opened the door inward. Page 24: Bugs' dialogue has some underlining, presumably from guides for lettering that were left.Sylvester Junior and five other kitten scouts are meeting and singing as Sylvester rests. Their meeting adjourns with a reminder that it's the last weekend to earn wilderness badges. This gets Sylvester's attention as he fancies himself a wilderness expert. Sylvester and Junior head for the woods.
Junior spots deer and Sylvester looks for wood to make a bow and arrow. He mistakes antlers for branches and gets thrown, showing junior what not to do, landing in a pond full of fish. Sylvester switches from hunting to fishing, using his bare paws which the fish see as bait. The nips send him flying, with a catch of fish.
With their catch in hand, or paw, the next order of business is to get a fire going to cook it. Sylvester eventually gets ignition, with a little help from Junior. He really does get ignition as his tail catches fire. Junior yells the proper directions "Stop, drop, and roll!" but Sylvester rolls into a cave where he meets a bear that would rather not have been disturbed.
On the hike home after the ordeal, Sylvester is unable to speak. Junior is more cheerful as he expects he's earned his first aid badge as well as the hardest badge of all...
Page 25: Kumbaya is a song that has long been used to annoy campers. Page 25: I Am Kitten, Hear Me Roar is a take on the song I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar. Page 29: Sylvester's comment about no dolphins being harmed is from such things as dolphin-safe tuna which appeared shortly after an outcry that some fishing techniques caught and killed the aquatic mammal as well as catching fish. This resulted in the International Dolphin Conservation Act of 1992 and since June of 1994 it's been a felony in the U.S. to sell dolphin-unsafe tuna. (DW) Page 30: The buck is teaching the fawn how to stare into oncoming car headlights. Page 30: Daffy Duck's picture is on the duck season sign. Page 29: The sign in the first panel is blank. Page 30: Sushi is really wrapped rice balls that sometimes contain fish. Sashimi is raw fish. Page 32: It's seems rather late in the Spring for a bear to be hibernating. An antlered buck with a full rack and a fawn? That's not a likely combination as fawns are raised by does and bucks shed their racks and grow new ones each year.* Issue Index * Tabular Issue Index * Story Index * Creative People * Disclaimer *
* Animaniacs Comic Kompendium * Production Index (Text) * Warner Bros. Cartoon Companion *
Last updated 21 Februaury 2004