Tom Pigott -- the Great Irishman

In August 2009, my wife Annie and I went on a tour of Ireland with our old friends Parker and Betsy MacDonell and a bunch of new friends.  For the trip, we signed on with Enchanted Way Tours.  Our guide for the two-week adventure was Tom Pigott, surely one of the best travel ambassadors Ireland could ever want.  

Tom led us on an Irish Folk Music Concert Tour of the Emerald Isle, not only showing us the sights, but regaling us with Irish stories from the past and present, and taking us to unique venues where we enjoyed concerts by great Irish folk artists.  Tom also took us to venues where talented musical members of our own tour group gave concerts as well.  On a number of these stages, Tom himself would sing a beautiful Irish ballad or two.

Paddy Downes was the driver on our tour, with Tom Pigott always there in the co-pilot's seat.  The roads were very narrow, but that never seemed to slow down Paddy Downes.

On one stretch of road, a tiny red car actually drove UNDER our bus.  The red car didn't drive much further after that.  

Brendan Wall worked with Tom and Paddy throughout the tour, transporting various members of our group to different events.  Early one morning, Brendan had to transport a number of the guys to a prestigious golf course many kilometers away in order to make a 7:00 AM tee time.   This round of golf had been scheduled many months in advance in order for the group to play on this booked-up course.  Well, somewhere on the way to Ballybunion, Brendan and the golfers got lost in the fog.  Their tee time was missed by a couple of hours. 

At the spectacular Cliffs of Moher, we went on a boat excursion in hopes of seeing the colorful puffins that nest along the cliffs.  We didn't spot any puffins, but the boat ride made Brendan look pretty colorful -- it was a greenish color, and not what Brendan had in mind.  During the voyage, Tom got a kick out of ribbing Brendan, who recovered quickly once back on dry land.

At one of the concerts, a couple of renown and extremely talented Irish folk singers performed, but our constant whispering and chattering thoroughly irritated the handsome male singer of the duo.  But the guys in our group didn't seem to be too concerned with him.  Our attention was focused on the female singer, although for some of us, her voice was not the main attraction.  

At a pub concert, two members of our tour group, Peter and Colleen Pavarini, sang a duet that seemed to delight one of the locals in the audience, so much so that this audience member felt compelled to get up out of his seat, step onto the stage and plant a big wet smooch on the kisser of Mrs. Pavarini.    Her husband Peter just kept singing -- after all, the show must go.  And besides, what's wrong with a little PDA among music lovers?  

 


Yesterday, Annie and I learned the sad news that Tom Pigott passed away unexpectedly on February 4, 2012, while participating in an Irish Folk Music cruise in the Caribbean.  

Tom was a wonderful and lovable guy.   He had a gentle heart and a great voice.    He took great pleasure in telling a funny story and had a big laugh when your story happened to be funny.    He had a deep love for music, for his homeland, for his children and his grandson.

Tom Pigott and Tom Ruegger, Ireland, 2009

All that knew him will miss him.  He was one of the good ones.  This world won't be the same without him...

Doug and Beth Morgan, Annie Ruegger and Tom Pigott

 We love you, Tom!

On the Lot -- Warner Bros. Animation --1993

Here's a group shot taken in early 1993.  

Following the success of Tiny Toon Adventures, Taz-Mania and Batman: the Animated Series, Warner Bros. Animation was embarking on its second collaboration with Steven Spielberg and Amblin Entertainment:  Animaniacs. 

Pictured above are just a few of the people involved in these productions.   From left to right:  Bruce Timm (producer, designer -- Batman: the Animated Series), Terry Semel (Warner Bros. Co-Chairman & Co-CEO) , Kathleen Helppie (producer, Warner Bros. Classic Animation), Bob Daly (Warner Bros. Co-Chairman & Co-CEO),  Eric Radomski (producer, designer -- Batman: the Animated Series), Steven Spielberg (executive producer -- Tiny Toon Adventures & Animaniacs), Art Vitello, (director -- Tiny Toon Adventures; writer/producer -- Taz-Mania),  Jean MacCurdy (President of Warner Bros. Animation & executive in charge of production), Rich Arons (director -- Tiny Toon Adventures; producer -- Animaniacs), Sherri Stoner (writer/producer -- Tiny Toon Adventures & Animaniacs), Alan Burnett (writer/producer -- Batman: the Animated Series), and some guy named Tom Ruegger (writer/senior producer,  Tiny Toons & Animaniacs; writer/executive producer -- Batman: the Animated Series.)

Please note:  Many hundreds of other people -- not pictured above -- helped to make these shows successful.  

Animaniacs Valentines Card: Hello Nurse!

Happy Valentines Day!

Tiny Toon Adventures Valentines Cards

Happy Valentines Day!

Plucky Duck as BatDuck in "Tiny Toon Adventures"

Here's a production cel from the Tiny Toons episode entitled "The Just-Us League of Supertoons," written by Paul Dini and directed by Byron Vaughns.  

Pictured from left to right:  that's Fifi as Scentanna, Buster as Superbunny, Plucky as BatDuck, Babs as Wonder Babs, Little Beeper as Dasher, Calamity Coyote as Keen Arrow,  and Sweetie as Pink Canary.  

This particular cel is owned by my good friend Captain Charles Clarke. 

Robert Hegyes: "Bobby"

Friend, comedian, actor and home town hero Bobby Hegyes passed away yesterday at the way-too-young age of 60.  

Bobby grew up in  Metuchen, N.J., and my brothers Jim and Pete and I knew him from our high school days.  I played football with Bobby on the Metuchen High team.  He was a fierce competitor and a force of nature on the field as well as off.  He caught the acting bug early and performed not only in  school productions but in "Summer Theater Under the Stars" at nearby Roosevelt Park.   Bobby pursued his education and career in acting with the same intensity and dedication that he applied to most things in his life.   

"Hey, Mr. Kotter, I got a note!"

Everyone in Metuchen was thrilled when  Bobby landed a starring role on a network TV series in 1975.   Bobby was only 24 when "Welcome Back Kotter" premiered.  He played one of the "Sweathogs," a foursome of incorrigible and wise-cracking high school students who amuse, challenge, and learn life's lessons from their beloved  mentor/teacher, Mr. Kotter.  

Bobby performed the role of Juan Epstein, a Puerto Rican Jew from a large family who had Latin good-looks and great comic timing.  His co-stars included Gabe Kaplan as Mr. Kotter, and John Travolta, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs and Ron Palillo as the other three sweathogs.  

 

Back in July of 2006, when I married Annie Malley, Bobby and his wife Cynthia Wylie attended the wedding.  In the wedding photo above, my brother Jim Ruegger, Bobby and Cynthia share a laugh during Paul Rugg's performance of "Manny the Uncanny."

Bobby was charismatic, infinitely likable and one-of-a-kind.  

Thanks for the laughs, Bobby.  You will be missed by your family, your friends and your fans.  

Pinky & the Brain Boy

In 1963, Dell published a short-lived series of comic books starring a flying semi-superhero entitled "Brain Boy."  It lasted six issues.  In its final issue -- according to its cover page -- Brain Boy encountered "A Fantastic Scheme To Conquer The Earth..."   

This scheme, and this comic book series, should not be confused with a certain mouse who has a similar name, and similar fantastic schemes and goals.    

Award Season Has Arrived!

And this year, just like every year...

...Mr. Skullhead waits for his nomination.  

He's been waiting quite a while.  He's starting to feel snubbed by the Academy.   Regardless of the fact that he hasn't appeared in any movies or TV shows this past year, Mr. Skullhead remains undaunted.  He knows his time will come. 

Until then, Skullhead can be reached at Le Parker Meridien Hotel in New York City, where he serves as the hotel's part-time  dog-walker, or via his publicist/personal manager/artist/creator/ and orthopedic cartoonist, Sherri Stoner. 

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from Histeria's Father Time and the (Big Fat) New Year's Baby.   

Farewell, 2011, we hardly knew ye!  And welcome, 2012!

May the new year be a great one for all of you, and for everyone important in your lives.  

Christmas Card from Warner Bros. Animation, 1999

Bugs Bunny, Scooby Doo, Superman, Taz, Buster Bunny and Babs Bunny (no relation), Yakko, Wakko and Dot Warner (related), Michigan J. Frog, Pinky & the Brain, Tweety and Sylvester, Wile E. Coyote, Father Time and Big Fat Baby from "Histeria," Batman from "Batman Beyond" and the cast from "Detention" wish you Happy Holidays!

An Animalia Christmas

Allegra the alligator in an image from the holiday episode of  Animalia, the BBC series based on the classic book by Graham Base.  

Animaniacs: "Little Drummer Warners"

The "Little Drummer Warners" cartoon from Animaniacs...as seen on YouTube:

 

Happy Holidays!

It's A Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas Special Logo

Here's the logo for "It's a Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas Special" which first aired on December 6, 1992.   This image was used in trade ads, in newspaper reviews, and in "TV Guide" promotions.   Whoever ordered this artwork must have requested "extra cel-shadows."  That request was granted.   

Merry Christmas!

Christmas with Laurel & Hardy

To celebrate the season, here are some holiday images from movies made by Laurel & Hardy, who remain among the very top comedy teams in the history of the movies.  

In "Big Business" (silent, 1929),  Stan and Ollie are door-to-door Christmas tree salesmen who run into a very difficult customer in the form of their recurring nemesis, James Finlayson.  

  

While it seems a little strange that Laurel & Hardy are dressed in winter attire in a sunny Southern California landscape filled with palm trees, in the end, what matters is the comedy of perfectly-timed and ever-escalating destruction.  

As a kid, my family owned a super-8 mm copy of this movie -- bought for $8.99 from Blackhawk Films out of Davenport, Iowa.   It's the only movie we owned.  When our projector was functioning, which wasn't often, we'd thread this baby up, turn out the lights, and project it onto a sheet.  Movie night! 

In another classic, "Below Zero" (talkie, 1930), Laurel & Hardy are pan-handling street musicians playing the one song that they know, "In the Good Old Summertime," in the middle of a blizzard.   

This isn't a Christmas movie, per se, but it has a very wintry feel, and brilliant comic timing throughout. 

My Uncle Richie --  Richard McLaughlin, writer and author of the novel "Into the Dangerous World" -- was a film buff who saw almost every film that came out in his many years living in New York City.   He was a big fan of Laurel & Hardy, and once made a comment that I've never forgotten.  

Uncle Richie said:  "It's too bad they never made a short about trimming a Christmas tree.   I always thought that Laurel and Hardy would be able to turn the trimming of a Christmas tree into something hilarious."  

I think Uncle Richie was right.  

Happy Holidays!

It's A Wonderful Life

For me, "It's A Wonderful Life" is the ultimate Christmas movie.   

But when I was very young, I happened to watch part of it on TV and had no idea what it was or what it was about, and it freaked me out.  From my five-year-old point of view, it seemed to be a scary domestic drama that featured a husband yelling at his wife, the wife crying, the kids weeping ("What's wrong with daddy?"), the mother encouraging them to pray for him, followed by a bar fight, the husband considering suicide, and the mother turning dowdy, apparently losing her mind and being unable to even recognize her increasingly-desperate husband -- Yikes!  A total nightmare!    

So, whenever I got scared by something in the movie, I ran out of the TV room and hid, just like I did when Lou Costello unwittingly sat on the monster's lap in "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein."  I ran out of the TV room a bunch of times during "It's A Wonderful Life."  No doubt I missed many crucial plot points during my frequent absences.  Finally, too spooked by the increasingly-bizarre story ("You were never born."  What?!?),  I ran out of the TV room and stayed out.  I could watch no longer. 

 

Years later, I sat down and watched "It's a Wonderful Life" from start to finish.  The opening is pretty crucial to understanding the plot, and I had missed that starry set-up when I was young.  I was  happy to learn that the movie was actually about a man who had lost his way and who found redemption through the love of his family, his friends, and thanks to a little heavenly intervention.    (During my previous viewing, I had not only missed the opening, but I had bolted before the happy ending.)  

Now I watch the film every few years at Christmastime, and have to fight back tears when the townsfolk show up at the end, chip in to pull George's cookies out of the fire, and toast George as "the richest man in town."  Just thinking about it makes me a little misty.  

Just one question:  Why is Uncle Billy ever allowed to handle the Building & Loan's funds?  I mean, really.  The guy is clearly non compos mentis.  He unwittingly handed a huge wad of the Building & Loan's cash to Old Man Potter and then sauntered off as if he didn't have a care in the world.  

I'm thinking that on the first work day after Christmas, at the Bailey Building & Loan, George forces Uncle Billy into an early retirement and a rigorous 12-step program.  

 Now there's an even happier ending! 

 Merry Christmas to all!    

Santa Claus by Haddon Sundblom

When I was a kid, one of the things I looked forward to at Christmastime was the annual Coca-Cola advertisement created by the remarkable illustrator Haddon Sundblom.   Clement Moore's 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" may have describe the jolly old elf in detail, and Thomas Nast's 1881 caricature of Saint Nick may have brought the image of Santa into focus, but not until the middle of the 20th century did one artist perfect the image of Santa and make it stick.  That artist was Michigan-native Haddon Sundblom (1899-1976), who created expressive paintings of the magical Mr. Claus for the Coca-Cola Company over a period of 33 years.  Here are three of my favorite Sundblom Santa ads...

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Holidays!

Miss Information from "Histeria!" -- by Bob Doucette

This stunning portrait of Miss Information was painted by the producer of  the Histeria television series, Bob Doucette.   You can see more of Bob's brilliant artwork at http://bobdoucette.com.  

Miss Information was Histeria's tour guide through history.  The role was performed by the hilarious comedienne and voice over artist Laraine Newman.    If you want to see and hear Laraine in action, you'll find her impressive list of credits at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0628170/ .

Buster Bunny Cel -- Tiny Toon Adventures

Buster Bunny

One of my favorite cels of Buster.  Can you name the episode?  Do you remember the scene?  Do you know which studio animated this episode?

Acme Looniversity team colors (including their varsity jackets) matched the colors of my home town team, Metuchen High School (Metuchen, New Jersey).  

Yakko and Hello Nurse -- Best. Animaniacs. Cel. Ever.

Okay, maybe it's not the best Animaniacs animation cel ever.  But it's definitely one of the prizes of my limited collection.   The cel comes from the unedited version of "King Yakko."  While Yakko, as ruler of Anvilania, cuddled up to Prime Minister Hello Nurse throughout this half hour episode, the close encounter pictured in this particular cel set-up did not make it into the final broadcast version of the show.   

Thanks to Dave Marshall, who co-directed the episode with Alfred Gimeno, for not only saving this cell from the retake dustbin, but for framing it and sending it to me.  It hangs in a prominent location on my office wall.   Let the anvils ring! 

Animaniacs and Freakazoid Emmys -- 1996

This ad appeared in the trade papers, including Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, the week after the Emmy ceremonies in May, 1996.   

"Iggy" by Milt Gross

Of all the oddball characters drawn and created by Milt Gross, Iggy is by far my favorite.

   

In the "Count Screwloose of Tooloose" comic strip (1929-1934), Iggy is the emotionally unstable pooch with a Napoleonic complex who resides at the Nuttycrest Sanitarium along with the other patients, including Count Screwloose.   Iggy is hopelessly devoted to the Count, who is constantly escaping from the asylum, leaving Iggy behind in a state of utter distress and nonstop weeping at the thought of being away from the Count for even a moment.  Outside the walls of Nuttycrest, the Count invariably finds the real world to be much crazier than the nuthatch, and in the final panel of each Sunday strip, we find the Count racing back to Nuttycrest, where Iggy reacts with tears of joy at the return of his beloved pal.   Every time the Count jumps back into the compound, he calls out:  "Iggy, keep an eye on me!"

Milt Gross's drawings of Iggy were always a batch of fast and frantic lines that captured extreme cartoony emotions, filled with goofy expressions, tics, laughter and tears. 

At some point during the course of the strip -- and by the time Gross arrived at MGM to make a couple of Count Screwloose cartoons --  he had replaced Iggy with a different cartoon pooch named J.R., who didn't have a hundredth of the demented personality of Iggy. 

There have been many great cartoon dogs in the history of  comics, and while Iggy may not be one of the most famous of the group, he is truly one of the funniest and most emotive, quirky and unique canine creations in the realm of comics and cartoons.   

Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation

Question:  What part of the animation industry began with Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation? 

Answer:   Direct-to-home video animated features.  Steven Spielberg presents "Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation" was the first animated feature film released directly to home video by one of the major studios.  It hit the retail stores March 11, 1992.  Disney's first direct-to-video animated feature, The Return of Jafar, came in 1994, as did the first of The Land Before Time direct-to-video sequels.  

I just uncovered my copy of the original promotional poster, which I scanned and posted directly above.  

Below are a few of the gag credits that appeared during the end scroll of  How I Spent My Vacation...

Reason This Movie Went Straight To Home Video

Cuz It's So Darned Good!

Original Running Time:    

8 Hours, 47 Minutes

Hey, What About That Urkel Kid?  

Is He Funny Or What? 

First Theatrical Screening:   

June 8, 1991, Old Orchard Theatre,  Skokie, Illinois

Last Theatrical Screening:  

 (Same As Above)

This Film Has Been Edited 

For Your Protection.

Do Not Back Up 
Severe Tire Damage

Man In Sound Recording Booth Who Pushes That Funny Red Button A Lot 

Link Poonie

Moral of the Story (Pick One):

1. Enjoy Your Vacation.

2. Relish Your Youth.

3. Don't Pick Up Chainsaw-Wielding Hitchhikers.

4. Feature Length Movies Should Not Have 18 Different Plots. 

These End Credits

Are Interminable. 

Top 4 Reasons A Caricature Of David Letterman Is In This Video:

4. We Admire His Comedy Stylings.

3. We Wanted To Use Merv Griffin, But He Threatened To Sue.

2. We Needed Some Filler.

1. We're Brown-Nosing Weasels Who Want Him To Mention Us On His Show.

Other Stuff Done By

Some Guy Named Bob. 

And That's The Final End Credit. 

We Lied.

The Cast

Valhalla ....... As Himself 

Suggested Retail Price

$19.95 Without Rebate

With Rebate 

About A Buck And A Quarter

"Facebook Addiction" by Luke Ruegger

From the September 29th, 2011 edition of the Pepperdine University newspaper The Graphic, here's a visual commentary from my son Luke, who is the editorial cartoonist and art editor for the paper.  

Nice job, Luke!