Looney Tunes: March 2004
Cover
Pepe Le Pew stands, holding a bouquet of roses behind him, saying, "Nothing says love like flowers, ma cherie!" Alas, the roses are wilted and droopy from the cloud of the skunk's odor.
Credits
Synopsis
Pepe Le Pew arrives at work, in the sewers of Paris, to find a letter waiting for him. Rather than a speculated bonus, it is notice that he has been fired. The skunk is upset for a moment, then vows to find a job in a sewer someplace else. Pepe first tries the sewers of New York City which look like they need attention. The alligators already there, however, don't want the skunk around and make it painfully obvious.
Pepe tries again in Tokyo, only to find the sewers astonishingly clean. It seems the Japanese have a large sewer cleaning robot taking care of things. Since he's not needed in Tokyo, Pepe tries Cairo. There, the skunk finds ancient treasure in the sewer. Before he can take advantage of the find, a gold-crazed Daffy Duck chases him off.
Trying yet again, Pepe looks to the sewers of Hollywood and finds them in need of help. He also finds himself in the crossfire of a gun battle, but the only thing actually being shot is a movie scene. Pepe finally realizes he needs to start at the top and heads for city hall to see about employment. Everyone there flees when they get a whiff of the skunk, leaving Pepe to conclude that he is now in charge.
Did You Notice...
This may be the first time Pepe has been shown as having a job, and also having any regret about his behavior.- The sign on a pipe in the very first panel of the story translates as "This is not a sewer pipe." This refers to the René Magritte painting of a pipe which is title "This is not a pipe."(ARM) The pipe in the comic doesn't seem like it would be a sewer pipe, with so many valves in it.
- Pepe's last check is for three "francs & beans."
- Pepe's line, "New York is where I'd rather stay."is from the theme of the television show Green Acres.
- The notion that alligators infest the sewers of New York City is an old one, but modern video inspection systems have never found any evidence of alligators beneath New York. Also, a sewer is a very inhospitable place for alligators.
- A New York City landmark, the Chrysler building is visible in the first two panel of the New York City page. (EC)
- Even the airplane has a clothespin its nose upon arrival in Tokyo
- The sewer cleaning machine has a look reminiscent of Voltron or other mecha-style creations found in Japanese manga comics.
- Daffy is dressed in the style of Indiana Jones.
- Drachmas are a Greek currency, but there were post-Alexandrian Greek dynasties that ruled Egypt, Cleopatra being the most famous. (EC)
- Pepe's comment on the output of Hollywood seems sadly accurate.
Technical Nits
Pepe's notice is from "Office de Sewair." The "de" implies that the French language treats the word sewer as male, but Pepe bids it farewell as if it were female. If it were considered female, the notice would have read "...de la Sewair." (EC)- France no longer uses francs, but the new Euro currency.
- How can Pepe jet around the world if he is bankrupt?
- That's a poor rendition of Mt. Fuji, which is known for its symmetry. (EC)
- A curiosity: The cast and film crew, unlike everyone else, don't flee Pepe. (EC)
- Hollywood is no longer a city of its own, but a district of Los Angeles. Hollywood, therefore, has no city hall. Los Angeles' City Hall looks rather different from what is drawn in the comic.(EC)
Credits
Synopsis
Porky Pig answers the door of his lavish residence to discover pushy salesman Daffy Duck who barges in and tries to sell him things. This time the duck has an unusual problem: Porky already has everything. Not one to back down from such a challenge, Daffy tries to demonstrate some products, but each time Porky has what he needs to take of the problem.
Hours pass as Daffy lists various products and Porky explains he has each item. In fact, sometimes the pig has more than one version. Porky even has an item he hadn't been able to identify, but he has it. As the pig tries to see him to the door, Daffy realizes the one thing Porky doesn't have is a salesman ejector. Daffy demonstrates it on himself and finally makes a sale.
Did You Notice...
- The nameplate, Porky Pig, Esq. suggests that Porky is a lawyer. The appellation "Esq." has been customarily adopted by lawyers, at least in the United States. Alternately, Porky could be descended from British nobility.
- Porky reads the New Pork Times.
- Veeblefetzer describes some odd item, much like thingamajig or doohickey. The derivation, as it is speculated, suggests that veeblefetzers are loud, complicated, and very active devices.
- Daffy has even tried, and failed, to sell Porky a Rabbit Season sign.
Technical Nits
- Whatever breed that dog is, it is not a schnauzer. (EC)
Credits
Synopsis
A black sheep frolic in a field as an unseen narrator gets the start to the nursery rhyme Baa Baa Black Sheep wrong by mentioning a chicken. At this, Foghorn Leghorn appears and corrects the narrator. Now the narration mentions eggs. Foghorn corrects the narrator again. After another bad start, the sheep getting more irked all the while, Foghorn starts the rhyme himself. The conclusion is not what he expected as the sheep yells that while there is wool, Foghorn can't have any.
Did You Notice...
- The correct version, or versions, of the rhyme don't seem to make much more sense than this. There is one suggestion that the rhyme was originally a commentary on an English wool export tax imposed in 1275.
Technical Nits
Credits
Synopsis
Burrowing Bugs Bunny emerges not in Palm Springs where had expected, but in the desert. As he looks over a map, he is grabbed by both Beaky Buzzard and Pete Puma. Each claims the rabbit for himself. Bugs breaks up the resulting argument and suggests a contest, with himself going to the winner.
Before they can argue, Bugs sets up the contest. The first to return from running around a distant cactus wins. Pete and Beaky both start running, then find that the cactus is sitting on a series of planks that stretch over a cliff and they both fall. To Bugs surprise, they both return and claim it was tie. The rabbit sets up an obstacle course, and manages to trick Beaky and Pete into being hit on the head several times.
Despite a falling wall, exploding tires, alligators, and barbed wire the pair ties again. Bugs comes up with another race, one with the original cactus as the finish. Having learned, Pete and Beaky race on the planks. The rabbit sees to it that the planks don't hold, and again the pair falls. After hitting the ground, Beaky spots free birdseed and he and Pete rush into one of Wile E. Coyote's traps. When Wile E. comes to see how his trap worked, the pair grab the coyote and start fighting over him.
Did You Notice...
- On the second page Bugs addresses Pete and Beaky in a manner suggesting the title of the 1994 movie Dumb and Dumber.
- The exploding tires are Firestump tires. Some types of Firestone tires were recalled in 2000 for being unusually susceptible to blowouts.
Technical Nits
- While Bugs can cause hit Pete and Beaky with a shovel, trick them over cliff, and feed them to alligators, somehow he can't have a starter's pistol. (EC)
- Bugs' use of a flag, like in auto racing, at the start of the first race is wrong in two ways. A starting flag is green, not checkered. The checkered flag is used at the end of a race, and that flag is black and white, not red and white. (EC) and (RM)
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Last updated 03 March 2004