Eric is "Bananaman"!

When it comes to adapting a popular book series through television or the big screen, almost always people will admit that "the book was better". It can sometimes be done right, in case of the Harry Potter series, or even Charlotte's Web (2006), when the producers opt to staying as faithful to the original text as possible.

But then you look at how certain other titles have been "adapted", which disregards everything about its "roots" from the start and bearing little resemblance to the original book, apart from the use of characters.

But that's another story...

Back in the day, when a children's book or comic was adapted for media it was done properly. Cosgrove Hall, for instance, with Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows and Terry Pratchett's Truckers with no complaint - and of course there's Bananaman!

Drawn by John Geering, Bananaman originally featured in a British Comic known as Nutty during the '80's before it merged with The Dandy. It was a complete farce on the equally-popular Superman, featuring villains galore (regular ones include General Blight and Dr. Gloom). But it still gave plenty of nods towards Silver Age and Marvelman whilst chock-a-blocked with surreal British Humour.

The premise was simple: whenever schoolboy Eric eats a banana, he transforms into Bananaman, "ever alert to the call of action!", with helpful allies Crow and Chief O'Reilly by his side.

Three years after his comic strip debut, the creators approached animator Terry Ward of Flicks Films (Mr Men, Nellie the Elephant, Junglies) to turn their comic into an animated series by the BBC and 101 Productions. As Terry Ward would do so with Beano Videostars later on, he and his team set off with a will - the icing on the cake being that the voices (and ad-libbing) were provided by The Goodies, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie, three talented chaps who aren't afraid of still being silly after a successful live-action cartoon-type series of their own.

Which only goes to prove that with the right people involved, a truer adaptation can be made possible without too much meddling involved...!

Goody Goody Yum Yum!

Bananaman continues to fly through the comics to this day - through the 2010 revamp that had Dandy fans riled up at the drastic changes made, before eventually reverting back to his original look for the Digital Dandy comic online. And even then, the original Geering strips have been reprinted in the Beano after the Dandy's printing shop closed up in 2012 - proving he still has massive a-peel to fans old and new!

LINKS OF INTEREST:

Snap up a copy of the Bananaman DVD collection!

An interview with Terry Ward of bringing Bananaman to animation

Toonhound's Bananaman Page

Bananaman on Wiki

"9" - where even Ragdolls have souls...

Shane Acker may be "new" in the big game of directing an animated-feature, but if you've not seen "9" yet, you should - it shows plenty of untapped potential to what I feel is a long, great career for him.

Originating from a student film made by Shane, which took him 4 years to make, "9" is set in a scientific-mythology world, which feels like Earth in a sort of parallel universe - starting off in a post-apocalypse where machines have revolted against the humans and have killed all living beings...apart from 9 rag dolls, each literally containing a part of the scientist who created them, and who all hold the key to fight against the monstrous machines and begin new life.

Co-produced by Tim Burton (Corpse Bride, Nightmare Before Christmas) and story contribution by Pamela Pettler (Clueless, Monster House), this CGI feature-length is, without a doubt, 115% original. Rated 12, it is not for the faint-hearted with its nightmare fuel and creepy settings...yet despite the fear factor, there is a sense of emotion and thought for the future. Of the world as we know it or our own lives, how we choose to live them.

It is brilliant. Absolutely fantastical.

What makes this movie even more perfect is not just making each character their own - both in design and personality - it's the all-important and often neglected rule of showing rather than telling what goes on. The characters move the story along terrifically, only speaking when necessary, often to explain the past or express thoughts to one another, leaving plenty of theatrical pantomime for the vast action sequences.

The designs and setting for the movie appear to be set in the future or even on a different Earth-like planet. But looking more closely, there are plenty of nods towards the 1920's and '30's in the use of derelict tanks, spitfires and architectural buildings yet indulges a futuristic/fantastical feel for the mutinous machines - the Seamstress, the Cat-Beast, the Winged Beast, the Fabrication Machine - these mute, expressionless beasts each have nods towards the Mystical Greek Monsters to an artistic eye while, amazingly, also maintain some form of character within them...


Shane admits himself on the DVD special features that it was more of a collaborative effort than all his own, and it really shows. Working from his original 10-minute student project, expanding it for the theatre with additional characters, their origins and a fuller storyline, Shane is clearly open to new ideas and accepting feedback from others; sharing out creativity from others - from story artists to animators to the voice cast - while inputting his own. Least of all that the team behind this movie opted for ideal voice actors, who become the characters they play, rather than forking out for big names who put little effort in their performances...you know which ones.

In short, Shane has filled me with hope for future animated-features to come. To run alongside Pixar and, hopefully, stamp out the bland, cut-and-paste clichés of Hollywood storytelling by being, like all the "stitchpunk" ragdolls, different. Unique. Special =)


What really peaked my interest in Shane's work in recent months was hearing the news of him being brought forth to direct a new Thomas the Tank Engine movie for 2014, with visual designs by Weta Digital. Having been spellbound by 9, and after laying eyes on this stunning teaser poster (an actual Billington E2 locomotive, the original Thomas form in The Railway Series books, modelled by Nitrogen Studios of Canada), I seriously hope that the prepared script would showcase Shane's talents and skills further still, even injecting some of his own if possible.

While I do not wish for this Thomas movie to be as dark as 9, I honestly hope that it would do him proud - while also breathing new life into the Thomas brand in a respectable, mature light as opposed to the current flawed TV Series for the pre-school market...

Not what we could expect from the 2014 movie, but it's a tempting idea anyway - Oliver and his crew escaping from scrap in the Rev. W. Awdry's Enterprising Engines.

A New Dream Everyday, Huxley Pig...

FilmFair produced many wonderful stop-motions programmes back in the day, a seemingly vast portfolio back in the mid-60's consisting of The Herbs, Paddington Bear, The Wombles, The Gingerbread Man, Hattytown Tales, Astro Farm and many others. And like all of these, Huxley Pig was uniquely funny in premise and characters =)

Huxley Pig began life as a series of picture books by Rodney Peppe (who also created Angelmouse for the BBC), which was about a young pig and his seagull mate Sam letting their imaginations run wild thanks to costume box. And once the stories were brought to television, their daydreams really ran amok, featuring vampire pigs, lisping snakes, giant monster pigs and "rotten rodents".

I utterly adored this series from the many times I recall watching them on my aging VHS videos me Mum used to record for me regularly. Let's say this was part of the fuel that set alight my love for terrible jokes! XD

What makes this series so memorable was the British-ness of it all - the manic slapstick, the groan-worthy jokes and the brilliant voices all provided by versatile actor Martin Jarvis (Fourways Farm, Doctor Who-1965). When shows for kids wasn't all about teaching lessons or morals about everything - it was a chance to just have fun telling a story and enjoying it.

There are a couple of DVD releases already out, but this series demands SO much more. If you check out a sample episode below, you may find yourself agreeing with me...



Be sure to also check out:

Toonhound's Huxley Pig page

An article featuring The Extraordinary Talents of Rodney Peppe

"Jimbooooo...!"

Among many artists and shows that have influenced me greatly, Peter Maddocks is one of them. Born and bred in Birmingham, he made a name of himself by drawing cartoons for British Newspapers such as the Daily Express, next to a collection of glorious paintings which he creates in Southern Spain to this day.

Penny Crayon can draw anything she likes...

But my first experience of Maddock's work was through Children's BBC in the form of three individual shows: The Family-Ness, Penny Crayon and Jimbo and the Jet-Set. Each have Peter's trademark of resembling an "animated comic strip" - with on-screen sound effects displayed - and like a proper comic should (here's looking at YOU, Marvel =P ), they just have fun telling a good story with memorable characters.

All three of Maddock's shows probably wouldn't have received the same fond memories to date without the vocal talents of Peter Hawkins and Susan Sheridan (Su Pollard for Penny Crayon) and Father and Son composers Roger and Gavin Greenaway.

Yes, these were my top faves at that young age I saw them, but it was Jimbo I first saw on a little VHS video, which I still have tucked away somewhere for memories' sake. I'll never forget how much me and Mum would giggle madly at the silly but clever episodes featuring that junior jet-plane. And the Greenaway's soundtrack also sowed the seeds for my love of synthesized music - corny to some, but the 80's / 90's just wasn't complete without memorable music to go with.

The Nessies have come out to play.

And it was when I first discovered Family-Ness and Penny I couldn't help but think: "why does Penny's friend sound like the Chief Controller?" or; "Hey, that boy almost sort of sounds like Jimbo!" before I finally made the connections...


Why not check out Peter Maddock's official website to view more of his work - or check out an episode of Jimbo below to revive those old memories...or make new ones, one or the other ;-)

"Jimbooooo...!"

JIMBO PLAYLIST

Jimbo on Toonhound

TUGS - Regatta

In honour of our American Friends, here's a 4th of July-related episode of TUGS for nostalgic fans to enjoy!

 

By the way, hawk-eyed fans would also recognise this parade float bearing a resemblance to a certain company logo...

LINKS OF INTEREST:

TUGS FANSITE - Bigg City Port

TUGS on Toonhound
The Star Tugs Trust - Facebook!

Foster's Home - CocoNuts

Although Craig McCracken's Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends has been THE most imaginative series made so far, it's stuff like this that make me feel how much better suited the characters are in a 2-minute / 5-minute format as opposed to a half-hour episode. Short but sweet, in other words!

So consider the above artwork a "tribute" of sorts to one of the funniest short made by the Foster's crew =)

Follow Mr Spoon

With so many Classic Kids Shows being released on DVD these days, from all corners of the globe in many different languages, I feel it's a shame that FremantleMedia Enterprises haven't thought of releasing a complete DVD collection of Button Moon, considering they've already granted the same wishes for fans of Danger Mouse, the Wind in the Willows and Count Duckula with box sets of their own.


Button Moon...gad how do I - how can I - describe this series? It's a quirky kids show from the 80's, featuring the spoon family making regular trips to Button Moon in blanket sky, where they often come across the "regulars" up there - the Bottle Army, Freddy Teddy and Ragdoll and the kazoo-sounding Vacuum Cleaner.

There's no strict theme nailed down. No moral lessons required. Just surreal, clever humour that'll win the hearts and interest of kids and adults alike.

Oh, and did I mention that everything in the series is made out of kitchen utensils and other bits 'n' bobs?


The same folks who gave us this jolly series - Playboard Puppets - also brought forth the Spooks of Bottle Bay, which had a fair bit more "nightmare fuel" than this innocently mad show...but still remains as classic ;)


Here's a few Button Moon eps to watch for yourselves, which demonstrates how to create something crazy while still being inventive - and without being stupid for the sake of stupidity:

Hose on Charlie's Nose

Rag Doll Moves House

Mice Play on Button Moon

Bobbing Bottles

Don't forget to check out Toonhound, too, for tons more British Animation!