Animator Highlight: Rod Scribner
“Biggest animator who ever lived” is a frightening title, but when anyone deserves it, it may be Rod Scribner (1910-1976). Within the already loopy universe of the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons of the Nineteen Forties, Scribner’s animation stands out because the craziest of all. And in right this moment’s world of focus-tested blandness and homogenized AI sludge, watching Scribner’s boldly private weirdness is a breath of contemporary air.
Scribner animated for a lot of nice administrators, however he did his most memorable work underneath Bob Clampett, who sought to carry out the individuality of his animators relatively than have them conform to a standardized method. Collectively, Clampett and Scribner devised a wholly new method of animating that they dubbed “Lichty fashion.” Impressed by newspaper cartoonist George Lichty, whose brushwork was unfastened and spontaneous, Scribner wildly distorted his characters’ our bodies to seize a way of manic vitality that was worlds away from the Disney norm.
Have a look at the way in which Scribner restlessly performs with Daffy Duck’s physique and face in Clampett’s Child Bottleneck (1946). The jokes listed here are virtually all ’40s-era topical references, however the scene stays hilarious right this moment due to Daffy’s flamable performing.
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There are a lot of hallmarks of Scribner’s drawing fashion that you should utilize to establish his work: a lot of wrinkles, outstanding misshapen enamel with seen gums, and massive loopy eyes (in closeups, he would typically put little white circles in characters’ pupils, or generally give them pie eyes with a slice lacking). You possibly can see all of these qualities on this scrumptious Scribner bit from Falling Hare (1943).
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Greater than any of the aforementioned design quirks, nevertheless, what units Scribner’s work aside is the distinctive method he moved his characters. His characters aren’t simply rubbery; Scribner contorts their our bodies with such exhilaratingly livid vigor that they appear to blow up into frenzied hysteria. The characters’ relentless squashing and stretching reveals an unfiltered take a look at their inside madness. Each a part of this Scribner scene from Birdy and the Beast (1944) is superb, however take note of the propulsive vitality with which the cat smashes the meals within the canine’s face and hurls his physique each which method earlier than zipping off. The flurry of poses transfer too quick to get take a look at any single drawing, however you may really feel each considered one of them. No actual particular person may transfer like this, not even a comic book strip panel may seize it, it’s simply pure animation.
— Cartoon Examine (@CartoonStudy) December 21, 2024
My all-time favourite Rod Scribner scene is the bit the place Daffy Duck reads a Dick Tracy comedian e-book within the Clampett masterpiece The Nice Piggy Financial institution Theft (1946). Freeze-frame this scene and also you’ll discover that each particular person body comprises a completely distinctive and hilarious expression, and but all of it flows collectively fantastically. So many cartoons right this moment religiously observe restrictive mannequin sheets, biking by way of a small variety of expressions, however there’s no such factor as a inventory Rod Scribner expression. He by no means repeated himself, and as an alternative discovered a completely new face and pose tailor-made to every particular second. The outcomes had been all the time weird and deformed and so, so humorous.
— Cartoon Examine (@CartoonStudy) December 21, 2024
Scribner continued to animate after Clampett left the studio in 1946, however his work was considerably toned down underneath Robert McKimson’s extra restrained path. You possibly can nonetheless select Scribner’s fashion in scenes like this one from Hoppy Go Fortunate (1952), however his idiosyncratic drawings maintain settling again into extra “regular” McKimson poses.
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Clampett referred to as Scribner “a mischievous elf,” whereas storyman Lloyd Turner mentioned he was “completely loopy.” Sadly, Scribner lived a considerably tragic life; his psychological well being points and addictions finally prompted his work to undergo, and he was out and in of psychiatric hospitals till he died from tuberculosis in 1976 – a tragic finish for somebody who introduced a lot pleasure to others by way of his work, however his distinctive animation won’t ever die.
Right here’s Scribner at his wrinkly, misshapen finest in a scene from The Previous Gray Hare (1944), that includes Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd as previous males. This scene sums up the attraction of Scribner’s work: the extra he mangles his characters in methods that may solely be pulled off with shifting drawings, the extra convincingly alive they appear.
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There’s a lot I may say about Scribner, and there are far too many legendary scenes of his to spotlight right here, however let’s flip it over to you. Do you’ve gotten a favourite Scribner scene or a top quality you’re keen on about his work? Tell us within the feedback under.
— Cartoon Examine (@CartoonStudy) December 21, 2024
