Does anyone remember Perry Gunite from the first season of the Flintstones? I love that character!
The cool detective with Cary Grant's voice, a funny walk who was always surrounded by hot chicks?
In 1985 Bill Hanna told me I could have any job I wanted in the whole studio, so I said "Bill, I would like the same opportunity that Fred
Quimby gave you and Joe back in 1939. The opportunity to write and direct my own cartoons without any interference from story editors or department heads. I want to have all the creative work done by cartoonists and I want to use a character you created from the Flintstones. I want to do this the old way - the way you guys did it that won you so much love and awards and fame in the first place!"
Bill jumped out of his seat and smashed his fist on his desk. "
Damn right!! That's the way to do it! Like we used to do!" Then he switched on his intercom and called the head of the writing department:"Jeannie, get in here. John has a
great idea he wants to tell you about!"
Then Jean
McCurdy (
sp?) skulked in, her tail between her legs. "Hello Mr. Hanna."
Bill was beaming. "Sit down Jeannie. You know
John here don't you?"
She shot me a less than friendly glance and squeezed out "Yes, Mr. Hanna, between her gritted teeth."
Then Bill leaned in real close to her and said, "John has a great idea and I want him to tell it to you.
Go ahead John."
I cracked out..."Uh...well, you see Jean, I wanna do a cartoon series the old way, without scripts and have all the artists
write the stories on storyboards like Bill and Joe did ."
Bill's eyes lit up and he practically sat in Jean's lap with glee. "Well what do you think of that idea, Jeannie?" He wiggled his eyes at her.
She squinted and swallowed hard and gurgled, "I think it's a great idea Mr. Hanna."
Bill said "I knew you'd like it! Yeah John wants to make the cartoons himself! Without having to run it through your department! Well you can go now. I just wanted to be sure you'd approve!"
Jean scurried out of the room and Bill shook my hand with great vigor.
"John, you bring me your ideas anytime. I haven't had this much fun in years!"
So he set me up in a
trailor in the parking lot and let me hire Mary Fitzgerald to work with. We did a presentation with some art and wrote some stories. Charlie Howell - one of the writers in Jean's department who was a friend of mine contributed too. And so did Tom Minton. It was fun for the whole 2 weeks it lasted!
Please excuse my 1985 pitch-writing style above. God, so cheesy, but that's how I thought you had to sell stuff then.
This last story is actually written in much more detail somewhere. I'll have to dig it up.
tomorrow maybe:
Jetson stories
Boy there are some dated stories there that make fun of long gone sitcoms.
Here's my favorite with crummy breakfast scribbles
Elroy and a playmate look down over the precipice of their apt building and ponder the unknown and unexplored.
Elroy's young and still forming synapses blister with curiosity.
He convinces the the brood to slide down the 17 mile long pole to find out what's down there.
Primitive man awaits.
The end
