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Today (October 2nd) is the 60th Anniversary of Charlie Brown, Snoopy and all the Peanuts Gang.
In 1950 Charles Schulz debuted his comic strip of little people (kids) that acted more like adults than children. Starting only in seven newspapers, "Peanuts" would go on to be the most successful newspaper strip ever printed.
Above are some of the ads used in newspapers to announce the coming of the new comic strip. As you can see they feature Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Shermy, Violet, Patty and Schroeder. Lucy, Linus and Pigpen would be introduced in the next couple of years and Charlie Brown's sister Sally would be "born" before the end of the decade.
Peppermint Patty, Marcie and Franklin would be introduced in the 1960's and Woodstock would debut in 1970.
The strip ended in February of 2000, the day after Schulz passed away, but is still printed today in reruns in as many newspapers as it did when they were brand new.
Today is the 62nd Anniversary of "The Huckleberry Hound Show".
In honor of this great occasion, above is the original opening titles to the syndicated show. What's interesting about this is that Huck only show's up in a poster behind Cornelius Rooster of Kellogg's Corn Flakes fame, in fact the whole piece features Cornelius!
Why? Back in the early days of television, usually one sponsor brought rights to have their products featured on a particular show. The sponsor then would help the show find a place on one of the networks or (in the case of The Huckleberry Hound Show) in syndication.
When Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera were starting out in television, they made a deal with Kellogg's to sponsor their shows and in turn Huck, Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw and other H-B stars would be featured on Kellogg's cereal boxes and premium toys that came in the box or you sent away for.
So sit back, fill up a bowl with some Corn Flakes and enjoy the Huckleberry Hound Theme Song.
And now the original End Titles to The Huckleberry Hound Show. Here (unlike the opening theme) Huck is featured prominently with the Kellogg's cereal characters.
In the closing titles you can see the stars of the Kellogg's Cereal Family. We have Snap,Crackle and Pop of Rice Krispies; Tony the Tiger and Tony Jr. of Frosted Flakes; Smakey the Seal, the original mascot the Sugar (Honey) Smacks; and Sugar Pops Pete, the original mascot for Sugar Pops Cereal.
Mmmm! Mmm! All this writing about cereal is making me hungry!
Before The Simpsons, before Family Guy, there was The Flintstones!
On roll with the success of their two syndicated animated shows Huckleberry Hound (and it's spin-off Yogi Bear) and Quick Draw McGraw, Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera, seeing that these shows played in primetime in many markets, decided to make a show that would play on one of the major networks.
Settling on a stone age theme, Hanna and Barbera came up with "the Gladstones", the story of two family's that would have modern homes, cars, appliances, etc. made out of stone, wood and (especially funny) pre-historic creatures.
They made a pilot and sold it to ABC, picked up sponsors and the show was ready to air. But a problem arose, the name "Gladstones" was the last name of the comic strip characters "Hi and Lois". Wanting to avoid any legal ramifications, the name was changed to "Flagstones" but that name didn't seem to work. Finally "The Flintstones was chosen and on September 30, 1960, history was made as the first animated series made it's debut.
We were introduced to Fred and Wilma Flintstone and their friends and neighbors Barney and Betty Rubble and each week audiences followed the misadventures of Fred and Barney in a modern stone age era.
The show was very successful and lasted for six seasons on ABC. In a 1967, the reruns played on Saturday Morning TV and shortly after that, week day syndication. "The Flintstones", even though no longer on primetime television, never really left the air.
Above is a sketch I did of Fred and Barney, done especially for the show's 50th Anniversary. Fred and Barney are the first two cartoon characters I remember learning how to draw while watching the reruns every afternoon.
So let's all have a YABBA-DABBA-DOO time and celebrate with the Flintstones!
It's a shame Superman is only a fictional character, because if he was real maybe he and his fellow members of the Justice League could have help prevent the tragedy of 9-11.
But in the real world we honor our dead and the brave men and women who came to the call to this horrific act.
Please take time today to remember America's second day of infamy.
God Bless America.
He was The King of Comic Books.
'Nuff Said!
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