Despite the animated short winning an Oscar nomination, the animators were not credited. In 1940, MGM released “Puss Gets the Boots.” The studio’s first production went on to become a phenomenal success.
The cartoon series dealt with the rivalry and companionship of Tom and Jerry. However, with Hanna and Barbera developing the idea of a cat and mouse cartoon, the studio’s fate began to change. While other major studios had created characters like Mickey Mouse and Porky Pig, MGM was still behind in the race. Creators Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera, both in their 20s, created the first version of the cat and the mouse out of boredom. The journey of the iconic cartoon began 82 years ago. We will explore the history, evolution, reasons for its popularity, and what graphic designers can learn from Tom and Jerry, all in this article. Jerry’s victories and the beautiful bond between the cat and the mouse make the cartoon series what it is today-ICONIC! Well, when I further analyzed, I found that it was not Jerry’s mishap that made us tickle, but it was his victory over adversities. Both you and I enjoyed the series because we liked watching another individual’s mishap. Honestly, when I began analyzing what attracted me to the iconic cartoon series, I realized that it could have been the dark humor. But when you think about what really attracts different generations to the cartoon series, you may feel that it is its malicious plot. Nibbles then says ”C'est la guerre” (that’s war), shrugs and the two simply move on.Be it baby boomers, millennials, or Generation Z, the iconic cartoon series has excited many age groups. In the next scene, a guillotine can be seen chopping through (although Tom is not visible) in front of the two mice eating cheese and sausages. The cat tries very religiously to fight them away but does not succeed.
Jerry and Nibbles are portrayed as two swordsmen, looking for food when a very loyal Tom is given the task of getting rid of them by his master. Beheading In Front Of A Child - The Two Musketeers
There is a movie franchise in which the bad guy boobytraps his victims to death and it’s called Saw and guess what… IT’S NOT FOR KIDS.Ĥ. He then boobytraps the bottle in such a way that if they try to get out of it, a gun will blow their brains off. Planned Homicide - Year of the MouseĪfter Jerry and his friend prank Tom a number of times, Tom gets them on gun-point and traps them inside a bottle. As the rope unties, three little kittens pop their heads out, purr and rush towards their paradise.Īnd the guard, while shaking his head, says “what some people won’t do.” Imagine explaining this scene to your kid. Before Tom’s turn comes, the guard is caught by surprise as a squishy, wet pouch hops its way towards him. Child Murder - Heavenly PussĪfter being crushed by a piano (promising start, no?) Tom’s spirit needs to get past a security guard who decides if a cat goes to heaven or not. In order to do so, he spends all his savings on a diamond ring, which is too small for her and buys a new car by signing a 20-year slavery contract (remember, it’s a humourous show for KIDS) but fails to impress her.Īfter the love of Tom’s life marries a rich cat from town, a depressed Tom can be seen binge-drinking (albeit milk), and sitting in the middle of a railway track, awaiting his death. Recognised as the most depressing episode of them all, Blue Cat Blues shows Tom being deeply in love with a female cat, desperately trying to win her love. Here are 4 times Tom & Jerry was too dark and disturbing to be a ‘cartoon show for kids’. Having said that, even one of the most beloved shows of all time had certain dark and disturbing undertones to a few of their episodes hinting that maybe, just maybe, the show wasn’t for the kids but for their parents as well. Even then, whenever we tuned in to watch our favourite pair of ‘frenemies’ they seemed to entertain us, just the same. The original show ran for over 64 years, and a total of 162 episodes were produced during this time. Generations have grown watching them try to catch and beat each other up. People from all over the world love the endless war between the cat and the mouse. First aired in 1940, Tom & Jerry has become a timeless classic.