Looney Tunes: October 1997
Cover
The Tasmanian Devil glares from the driver's seat of a very beat up schoolbus. The mirrors are broken, as are windows in the bent and dented door. Wires hang from broken gauges. The windshield, while intact, is splattered with insect remains. The floor is also a mess and spiderwebs show that it's been that way for some time. The only neat part of the bus is lettering in the steps that reads "Welcome back to school, kids! Meet your new bus driver!"
Credits
Synopsis
A dazed Ralph Wolf, in a Little Bo-Beep costume, is about to be clobbered or dropped off of a cliff by Sam Sheepdog but the timeclock sounds and they stop for the day. At the timeclock they punch out and find pink slips; they've been fired as part of downsizing.
Ralph applies at the Acme Temp Agency only to find his skills are rather limited, but there are some jobs for which he is qualified. So at a petting zoo he's inside an alligator costume attempting to steal sheep. Sam is also at the zoo and sneaks up on Ralph with the aid of a shark fin disguise. The result is a sheep rescued and Ralph left dazed again.
Next, Sam is on a movie set, guarding Bruce Wooliest whom he catches when Ralph's plan backfires. After that Sam and Ralph end up in outer space, in their customary roles. Ralph sends Sam, who is perched on a separate rock from his flock, away with the aid of a rocket. Marvin the Martian sees the sheepdog as a threat and fires a ray at him, which Sam deftly deflects...right to Ralph.
Finally Ralph and Sam end up back at their original job. Evidently the place couldn't get along without them.
Did You Notice...
Page 1: Rather distraught sheep look on as the wolf 'Bo Beep' is held over the cliff.- Page 1: Sam is so surprised by the pink slip he lifts his forelock away and reveals his eyes.
- Page 2: It's interesting that running for President, or at least considering it, is only just above stealing sheep according to the questions from the Acme Temp Agency.
- Page 4: Bruce Wooliest is of course the sheep version of Bruce Willis. You might be wondering why he doesn't have horns. Well, some breeds of sheep are hornless. This also explains the lack of horns on the ram on page 7.
- Page 4: The middle panel show a backdrop of about the same background as can be seen out the windows.
Technical Nits
Page 2: The dog at the petting zoo isn't chasing the rabbit. This seems strange.- Page 3: The question mark really should belong to the alligator disguised Ralph and not the shark disguised Sam. (EC).
- Page 4: Sam did something to Ralph, the WHAM shows that. Yet just what happened isn't clear as Sam is suddenly a ways away holding the sheep.
- Page 7: The bubble helmets provide for some confusion here: the sheep are grazing through the helmets, only the heads of characters need protection from something it seems, and Ralph's nose protrudes from the helmet. Now, just what are the helmets really for?
- Page 10: The sheep has no helmet in the second panel.
- Page 10: In the third panel it appears that Sam and Ralph's speech balloons have been mixed up. The names are reversed and wouldn't Sam, who had just done extra traveling, be the one to complain about the commute?
Credits
Synopsis
Speedy Gonzales, carrying a wedge of cheese, is running from a cat. He zips into a construction area. The cat follows, only to get hit with a wrecking ball. Stunned and bedraggled, the cat collapses leaving Speedy to zip back to his friends with the cheese. One mouse isn't as thrilled as he might be. El Magnifico, dressed matador style, bemoans that he's now a forgotten has-been.
The mice spy a truck entering the cheese factory and speculate about cheese. The rear doors open only to reveal Sylvester who was sent to take care of the mouse problem. The mice, aside from Speedy, start to despair, but then El Magnifico announces he is back in action. Speedy points out how bad Sylvester is, but El Magnifico brushes off his concerns. Speedy decides to follow just in case.
Sword in hand, El Magnifico makes his attack on Sylvester. Sylvester is caught by surprise, first by the sword's point, then by Speedy's letting a light fixture drop on him. As Sylvester gives chase, Speedy lassos his tail and has him pull a wheel of cheese which results a crash. As he's about to go after El Magnifico again, Speedy plugs his tail into an electrical outlet.
El Magifico finally sees Speedy and confronts him about thinking he, Magnifico, is too old. Just then Speedy is caught, grabbed by Sylvester! The cat ignores the older the mouse, tossing El Magnifico away. The mouse matador lands near a bull.
El Magnifico, matador that he is, immediately gains control of the bull and directs it's charge at Sylvester. Sylvester drops Speedy just before he's sent flying. All the mice celebrate their two heroes, as the matador points out to Speedy.
Did You Notice...
- Page 11: Speed leaves payment for the cheese he takes. (EC)
- Page 18: Another skill for Speedy, not only is he fast, he can use a lasso too.
Technical Nits
- Page 11: A wrecking ball seems rather out of place at a construction site. Note the I-beam being hoisted up in the second panel as proof of construction.
- Page 14: The cheese factory sign is in English in a setting in Mexico. Perhaps there are signs in English, but I'd expect Spanish first, then English. Or just Spanish with a yellow translation box pointing it out.
- Page 22: Sylvester has moved from outside the fence to inside, with the bull, without explanation.
Credits
Synopsis
The Daffy Duck Institute of Comedy is open to educate future comedians in Daffy's image, and to make a lot of money for Daffy. Unfortunately for the duck, he has only one pupil: an exchange student from Tasmania. Since the school would lose accreditation without students Daffy has to do what he can to keep his one student.
Taz's interest however is not comedy. He just wants the waffles from the waffle iron that was promised as one of the extras. Daffy completely fails to get Taz interested in reading a script, improvising, or mime. Taz only wants the waffles. The duck finally tries slapstick, with the standard pie-throw. Taz doesn't throw the pies at first, he eats them instead. Finally convinced to throw pies, he does. He throws them straight up...and they all fall on Daffy to Taz's amusement. Daffy gives up.
Daffy does finally have another idea, borrowed after a fashion from Taz. The school is no more, but Daffy Duck's Breakfast Palace is open. The main attraction? Why, waffles of course.
Did You Notice...
- Page 26: Duck! Rabbit! Duck! is a classic Looney Tunes cartoon in which Bugs and Daffy argue over what hunting season it is, confusing Elmer, and Daffy, along the way. A nit: Daffy's line should probably be "Shoot 'im!" and not "Shoot 'em!" (EC)
- Page 27: Grasshopper as a term used by a teacher to refer to a pupil comes from Kung Fu.
Technical Nits
- Page 24: It seems odd for Daffy to have a trademark symbol on his own sign.
- Page 24: A newly opened school is already accredited?
- Page 26: Daffy's copy of the Duck! Rabbit! Duck! script has the title on the back. Taz's copy, though upside down, has the title on the front and not the back.
- Page 27: Daffy's Diploma or teaching certification would more logically be in an office than on a classroom wall.
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Last updated 26 April 2001