Looney Tunes: February 1996
Cover
Taz, in Shakespearian garb, is spot lit on stage holding up the last part of a head of lettuce. He has just eaten most of it and proclaims a line almost from Hamlet, "To eat or not to eat?..." BURP! "..That not a question for Taz!"
Credits
Synopsis
Daffy complains to Bugs that his name isn't big enough on a poster advertising him in Romeo and Juliet. Bugs points out his name is already bigger than, and above, the title of the play. Also, Bugs isn't named directly in the tiny credit for producer and director. Even worse, the actress playing Juliet is slighted as well. When she discovers this she storms out, leaving Bugs and Daffy in need of a Juliet. Daffy says anyone will do. Bugs mischievously takes him at his word, and casts the janitor, Taz, as the replacement Juliet.
Daffy discovers this at the final rehearsal and is not at all pleased and protests. Bugs replies that as a professional he should be able to deal with it. The duck rises to the challenge, until Taz burps, gassing him. The duck complains again and the rabbit gets him to try again. When he's drooled on in the balcony scene, Daffy figures it's time for special actions to be taken. Being hit by a weight bag only emphasizes the point.
Just before the show opening, Daffy starts his revenge by tightening Taz's corset, overpowdering him, and helping him into place with a kick. Once on stage, Daffy ad-libs new lines that insult Taz as well as stealing one of his Juliet lines. Taz replies by activating a trap door to remove the duck from the stage. Resuming, Taz starts reciting Juliet's lines only to be cut short by Daffy cutting down the balcony support. The resulting crash sends the audience running but gets Taz really interested. Taz, though, doesn't care for Romeo and Juliet, he prefers Hamlet.
Did You Notice...
Page 13: Taz does stay remarkably close, though not perfectly, to Juliet's lines, especially in the second panel which goes farther than most cartoon instances of the balcony scene.- Page 14: Deconstructionism seems to be the idea that by removing obvious meanings from things, underlying true meanings can be found. Many people regard such an idea as bunk, including some authors whose works were deconstructed and assigned meanings they never intended nor desired. Here, however, deconstruction is rather more literal.
Technical Nits
Daffy isn't acting very professional, besides his rantings and treatment of fellow actors, as he's not fully dressed in the final rehearsal before opening. He doesn't wear his shoes and tights until the actual performance.- Page 10: The balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet is not in the first act, but in the second scene of act two.
- Page 13: Just how does Daffy make beaver-like cuts to the support with a wooden dagger and wooden ax? Never mind where the ax came from.
Credits
Synopsis
Taz is ill and being looked after by his wife. She suggests gruel, but Taz wants rabbit stew. This results in a trip to the store where it seems every flavoring is in stock except for rabbit. Unfortunately for Bugs, Mrs. Taz sees him shopping and decides on a different approach to making stew: real rabbit. There is a frenzied chase through and then out of the store.
Bugs runs into a department store and tries to gain some time by sending the She-devil spinning in a revolving door. This doesn't work as hoped and Bugs, playing the part of a fashion consultant, sets to work. Mrs. Taz finds herself in a special bikini that shrinks rather astonishingly.
Not yet done with Mrs. Taz, Bugs gives her make-over that would outdo Carmen Miranda with all the fruit stacked - if only for a moment - on her head. The She-devil is trying on outfits and asking for an opinion when she discovers that her fashion guide is really Bugs. Bugs causes confusion by misstating the line about feeding a colf and starving a fever several times. A dazed Mrs. Taz goes home and deals with Taz's illness in a Devilish, which is to say violent, way.
Did You Notice...
- The title might refer to the 1995 movie Devil in a Blue Dress or to the 1966 hit song (sung by Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels) Devil with a Blue Dress On, or possibly both.
- Smears, obviously a looney version of Sears, has the slogan "Where you can buy everything for a price."
- Page 16: Bugs examines carrots the way some examine fine wine.
- Page 22: Bugs suggests a Kevlar wardrobe, Kevlar being the material from which "bulletproof" vests are made.
- And in case you are wondering, none of the medical advice is considered sound, even if some bits are traditional lore.
Technical Nits
- Page 15: The box of tissues changes orientation from the first to the third panel.
- Page 22: The fitting room door number is missing in the fourth panel.
Credits
Synopsis
Marvin gives K-9 a bath and a brushing, getting him ready for the Martian Pet Show. This leaves Marvin not looking so good, so he leaves to take care of himself. K-9 is admonished not to get dirty in the meantime.
K-9 goes running around outside and just happens to stop in the wrong place long enough to pick up a space flea. Trying not to get dirty, the dog avoids scratching only to get bit hard. This sends K-9 running every which way until a sudden stop just short of the garden.
The jolting stop sends the flea flying, but it bounces back from a springy Martian flower. K-9 tries to back away and winds up falling into a puddle and getting dirty just as Marvin finds him. The dog is free of the flea, though, but now Marvin itches.
Did You Notice...
- Page 24: Marvin's comment makes sense if one has seen the Star Trek episode The Trouble with Tribbles which is regarded as perhaps the funniest episode of the original (late 1960s) series. This was too good to leave alone and the series Deep Space Nine had an episode Trials and Tribble-ations that played off the original rather well.
- Page 28: Marvin's Garden has sign proclaiming it to be just that. There is a Marvin Gardens that many may be familiar with; it's one of the yellow properties in the Parker Brothers game Monopoly. The game property, like all Monopoly places, is based on a real place in the Atlantic City area. The real place, however, is Marven Gardens (note the e). All attempts at getting Parker Brothers to correct the spelling have met with failure.
- The one moon visible in this story story seems to have much "Marsshine" (the part not brightly lit is somewhat lit). Considering how close the moons are to Mars, this is probably accurate.
Technical Nits
- Page 24: Marvin uses the term "light moment" as if it were a measure of time. Things like light years, light minutes, and light seconds, however are measures of distance rather than time.
- Pages 24 and 28: The phase of a moon is opposite that shown on other pages. While Mars has two moons that could be at different phases, they would not both be visible as opposing crescents at the same time.
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Last updated 13 April 2003