Looney Tunes: November 2002
Cover
Daffy, as Duck Twacy, proclaims, "Nobody escapes detective Duck Twacy and the long arm of the la--" as he suddenly notices a pencil drawing his right arm very long. The duck yells, "Now cut that out!"
Credits
Synopsis
Porky Pig introduces the story as the final voyage of a cursed ship, lead by an obsessed Captain played by Yosemite Sam, and his cabin boy, Daffy. After missing some not quite as obvious references, Daffy hears the word whale and realizes the story is, roughly, Moby Dick. The duck demands a change, as he's tired of acting in that story.
The scene changes and Daffy is Duck Twacy in a small private detective's stereotypical office. The title even changes to "Who Killed Daffy Duck?" The duck revels in the detective role and how he only has to catch the bad guy, at least until he realizes the title means it will be his own demise. The panicked duck asks for a different story.
Daffy gets a new story, again shipboard, titled "Oil Aboard." Before he can find his place, the duck is trampled as sailors rush to their stations. Sam is back as Captain, even wearing the same outfit as on the opening page, and tells cabin boy Daffy to work the harpoon gun. After the harpoon gun is fired too soon and blows up in his face, Daffy again suggests forgetting about Moby Dick.
Another scene change can Daffy is in a gunfight, only he's in a video game. Worse, the player seems to get bullets but he can fire some crude block graphics. Having played the game himself, Daffy knows a cheat to another level. Unfortunately for him, he winds up in a level set in a desert. Just after he finds water, he's suddenly swimming in an ocean. Now Daffy is a whale, Moby Duck, and gets harpooned. He lists things very clearly after that. He wants to star in his own story, as a duck, and without any whales.
Once more the scene changes and now Daffy is hosting a talk show in "Mano A Mano Con Daffy." The studio is so decrepit that even a light bulb is held together with tape. Worse, Daffy has no guest to interview. Daffy is about to make do by interviewing himself when the show is cancelled and he's back in the ocean holding on to a piece of flotsam, once more in "Duck Adrift." He consoles himself that at least it's the end of the story. In the final panel, Bugs is revealed as the writer who is working on a sequel.
Did You Notice...
The title hints at the name of the cartoon that this story is like, Duck Amuck (Jones, 1953).- Page 1: Besides the white whale, Moby Dick is refered to by the names Fishmeal (Ishmeal), Queepeeg (Quequay), Pequliar (Pequod), and Ahambone (Ahab). This, however, is the first time that Daffy has been involved in a Moby Dick based story, at least in the U.S. comic book.
- Page 6: Carzon's rendition of the pistols for the video game is quite good. It's something of a rarity to see any properly drawn gun in the Looney Tunes comic nowadays.
- Page 8: The canvasback is a species of duck.
Technical Nits
Page 10: The computer mouse is shown backwards, with the mouse cord coming out to the front of the desk.
Credits
Synopsis
A hypnotist is giving a show when Taz whirls into things. The hypnotist hypnotizes Taz, but Taz misunderstands what he says and things get worse. In the commotion of everyone else fleeing, Taz winds up wearing the hypnotist's hat. It turns out that the hat did the real work and now Taz can control anyone's mind, but another misunderstanding results in the hat convincing Taz that he is a rabbit.
Bugs finds the hat next and tries to practice with it, but also manages to hypnotize himself. A warning completes things and Bugs thinks he is a duck and starts acting like Daffy in his zanier moments. Daffy, the real duck, sees the hat and hopes to use it profitably. Elmer shows up in time to cause another mix up which results in Daffy thinking he is Fudd.
Fudd thinks Daffy is mocking him and the pair have a fight that results in them swapping hats. Another bit of confusion has Fudd thinking he is a gun. The result is Daffy (who thinks he is Fudd) hunts using Fudd (as the gun) as Bugs (as Daffy) and Taz (as Bugs) argue about which season it is. A sign seems indicate that it is duck season which sends Bugs (as Daffy) running, but Taz (as Bugs) has pulled a fast one.
Did You Notice...
- This certainly is an unusual story. If nothing else, it illustrates how poorly a summary compares to seeing the actual comic. Not only does Denning provide a new twist on a story, Alvarez does a very good job of showing the characters as who they are and as who they think they are, making the story easier to follow.
- Page 5: Grandma Moses was Anna Mary Robertson Moses, who achieved considerable fame as a painter though she had no formal training and only started painting in her seventies.
Technical Nits
- Page 1: The hypnotist's shoes have curled, pointed toes in the first panel, but have rounded toes in the later panels.
Credits
Synopsis
Hubie and Bertie are at the site of an invention show the day before it opens. They aren't interested in the inventions, but in the samples which include cheese. In their search for cheese the mice awaken Claude, the sleeping guard cat. Hubie and Bertie find a container of melted cheese and after a moment figure out how to get to it. They also manage to keep the cat away from them with a spray of hot cheese.
As Claude cleans himself up he notices a flier for a robotic cat and in soon has it set to do his work. Hubie and Bertie flee after the robot blasts a hole in the counter and the cheese container on it. The resulting cheese spill slows Claude as the mice run through the displays. When they find stringless yo-yos, Hubie manages to get one into Claude's mouth and then clobber the cat by controlling the toy. Hubie manages to knock Claude unconscious and paints his face while he's out. When the cat comes to, the mice control the robot and have it chase out the different-looking Claude as a burglar.
Did You Notice...
- The titles plays on the name of the Tennessee Williams play, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.
- Page 1: The "Miracle Rear" parodies the Miracle Ear hearing aid.
- Page 2: Frommage is the French word for cheese.
- Page 5: The "Tootie Tuna" Pocket Fish really exists as the Billy Bass. Some people actually did buy the plaque-mounted singing fish.
- Page 6: Claude winds up looking like Sylvester.
Technical Nits
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Last updated 04 March 2004