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ducktracy · 4 years

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bob clampett’s daffy

i hated daffy as a kid. i thought he was annoying, unnecessarily rude, bitter, and mean. and he was. and now i’m going to preach to you about why he’s my favorite character in the franchise, and how bob clampett totally changed my view of him.

although tex avery was the father of daffy, bob clampett was the first director other than tex to use daffy in a cartoon. clampett’s 1938 “what price porky” pins daffy as the dictator and leader of a group of ducks who are currently in a war with a group of chickens, with porky in the crossfire.

daffy’s head is a perfect circle with no feathers, and he’s considerably taller than other appearances. he’s a bit more rotund too, making him seem more malleable and easier to manipulate with gags. notice how his eyes seem like they could continue to wrap around his head. we start to see what will stay in his design for years to come and what will go, such as lacking the trademark white ring around his neck. what he DOES have, however, and for the first time, is his trademark lisp.

his next appearance in a clampett cartoon is “porky and daffy” (1938). this is truly where his daffiness is allowed to shine. porky enters daffy in a boxing match against a burly, undefeated chicken. the match includes (but is not limited to) daffy acting like a lion tamer, riding an invisible bicycle, and hiding in the beak of a pelican. the short is really just daffy being daffy, but we get to see how he interacts with porky.

his eyes are much taller and skinnier than they were in “what price porky”, and his head and body have been slimmed down. the ring around his neck is jagged, something that would make a few appearances in his design for the next 2 years.

in around 1939-1940 daffy was drawn with a light colored “mask” around his eyes and the ring around his neck a zig zag. there’s a definite difference between these two pictures (left: wise quacks, 1939, right: porky’s last stand, 1940). on the left daffy’s eyes are rather skinny and tall like the rest of him, the mask around his face taking up half of his face, whereas on the right daffy’s eyes are shorter and wider (again, like the rest of him) with the mask taking up less room. interestingly to note, porky’s last stand would be the last short to feature daffy looking like that, aside from a few advertisements in the early 40s.

both continue to prominently feature daffy as unhinged, off the handle, giddy, and, well, daffy. he was truly the epitome of ignorance was bliss. he was oblivious and didn’t have a clue, but he didn’t care. he had such an energy to him that’s so addicting to watch. of course, nothing but screaming HOO HOO! CAN get old over time, but the way clampett just makes him so enthusiastic and such a firm believer in whatever he’s currently preoccupied with is contagious. it’s hard to be in a bad mood when daffy’s jumping around all corners of the screen screaming in your ears.

clampett’s “the henpecked duck” (1941) is really the first short that would dictate how daffy would look in the rest of clampett’s cartoons. his eye mask is gone and the ring around his neck isn’t jagged, and he’s considerably taller and skinnier. his head is still rather short and round, but he’s really starting to take shape.

daffy’s personality also changes in this short. previously he was just a prop, truly a daffy duck. but now “the henpecked duck” opens with daffy and his wife (yes, he has a wife in this short) in the courthouse in front of a judge porky, with his wife angrily demanding to get a divorce. daffy is depressed and devoid of energy, not for a quick, breathless joke, but for suspense. in his previous shorts he’d shown bouts of anxiety or anger, but typically they blew through for a punchline. now something serious is going on, he’s actually depressed, he’s something other than wacky.

the majority of the short is a flashback. daffy is supposed to be laying on an egg as his angry wife is out for the day. because he IS daffy, boredom strikes and he eventually does magic tricks with said egg, making it disappear, reappear, disappear, reappear, disappear..... disappear. the egg is gone and he freaks out, and suddenly we’re back in the courtroom. all eyes are on daffy as he does one last cautious “alakazam....” and the egg is back in his hand and his marriage is saved.

it’s a strange and goofy premise, sure, but it’s surprisingly riveting, primarily because this is when we really get to see daffy express some real emotion. he’s a very versatile character. clampett prioritizes his daffiness, but that’s not to say he’s purely daffy. he can be angry, anxious, upset... he expresses such a wide range of emotions which is what i love about clampett’s characterization. he’s so versatile and UNPREDICTABLE. you don’t know what you’re going to get. it’s an element of surprise. it’s formulaic, but at the same time it isn’t at all.

two years later in 1943 we have “the wise quacking duck” with daffy taking on a role he hadn’t assumed for quite awhile: prey. in it, we have “mr. meek”, a dopey, meek, balding man who tries to appease his “sweetiepuss”’s hunger by serving her duck for dinner. daffy, of course, is said duck.

the short is just daffy teasing mr meek (quite literally, there’s an infamous scene where he does an actual strip tease) by throwing eggs at him, pretending his head was cut off, hitting him in the face with pies and coffee creamer, etc. it’s another “daffy daffy” short, but it’s so energetic and fun. there’s a method to daffy’s madness, and at the same time there isn’t one at all. you know he’s going to do some crazy stuff, but you don’t know what exactly he’s going to do.

daffy’s appearance is pretty solid from here on out. skinny, oval shaped head, long, slender bill, pear shaped body. i really like this design to him, he still looks like a duck. chuck jones draws a great daffy, but i just like clampett’s daffy more. it might be the bill. clampett’s cartoons make a point of daffy’s lisp, making him spew spit everywhere and his tongue has a life of its own. it’s great. they really took his physical qualities and had as much fun with it as they could.

in 1945 we have “draftee daffy”, about daffy getting drafted into the war and frantically trying to evade it. this is a personal favorite of mine, the energy is boundless. in a matter of seconds daffy is happily marching around, singing about how he was drafted, and all of the sudden he screams and breaks down into sobs. what an unpredictable mess! that’s why i love clampett’s daffy. he’s messy. a matter of seconds and facial expressions later he can act like a totally different person (or duck). again, he’s a firm believer in whatever scheme he’s riding the high on currently, whether that’s one-upping bugs, seducing his way out of becoming a roast duck dinner, or trying to dodge the draft. not much to note on his design here.

you knew this was coming! 1946 gives us “book revue” in a slew of continuous great shorts just before clampett left WB. i love how ridiculous daffy is in this. he’s not even in half of the cartoon, maybe topping out at about 3 minutes max, but he’s what makes it so memorable.

the short is another “books come to life” cartoon, a theme that had been popular in the late 30s and early 40s (another clampett cartoon starring daffy and porky was 1941’s “a coy decoy”, pertaining to this theme). as various book title pun related characters are playing a rousing rendition of frank sinatra’s “it had to be you”, daffy pops out of nowhere and throws on a zoot suit, wig, bad russian accent and danny kaye impression, and suddenly has disconcerting teeth. he screams at everyone to shut up, demonstrates his poor vocabulary by talking about sitting on balalaikas (a guitar like instrument), and sings “carolina in the morning” while rolling every “r” possible.

basically he encounters little red riding hood, warns her about the big bad wolf (by scatting), and the cartoon ends with the wolf chasing daffy around until the cops book him and the wolf, wooed by frank sinatra, passes out and literally goes to hell and tells everyone to stop celebrating his departure.

daffy’s just so good in this. he’s so in character and out of character. yes, i could see bugs putting on the same costume and same shtick, but it would be a bit predictable. funny? absolutely, but bugs is known for his costumes. what costumes has daffy ever worn? his wardrobe isn’t nearly as expansive as bugs’. it’s a nice surprise. just how out of character he is proves how in character he is.

“baby bottleneck” (1946) is next, one of my all time favorite cartoons. porky and daffy make such a great pair, they’re so different. daffy’s just completely off the handle in this one. i’ve rambled about this one a lot and repeated myself many times, so i won’t go too in depth here, but daffy’s unpredictability really carries the cartoon. he says he’ll sit on the egg. he doesn’t. he fights porky in a battle of strength and (lack of) wits. you just don’t know where the cartoon is going to head next, it’s packed with gags and so much action, i definitely recommend it. the jokes are nonstop.

and finally, saving the best for last... 1946’s “the great piggy bank robbery”, possibly my favorite clampett cartoon (just above baby bottleneck by a frog’s hair) and really one of my all time favorite cartoons in general.

the short starts off with daffy pacing around his mailbox impatiently (to the tune of raymond scott’s “powerhouse”—maybe that’s why i like this short and baby bottleneck so much, anything that uses powerhouse is automatically great to me) until exploding “WHY DON’T HE GET HERE!”

his attitude changes from pissed off to eager as the mailman arrives, slowly puts whatever daffy’s expecting in the mailbox, and walks away. we never see the mailman’s face or what it is that daffy is expecting, furthering the suspense. daffy tears through his mail and grabs what he was looking for and dashes over hill and dale before hugging his package, a comic book, and throwing himself upon it.

it’s a dick tracy comic, to which daffy declares “i LOOOOVE that man!”. what’s funny is that after this short i was watching frank tashlin’s “porky pig’s feat” (1943) and the antagonist gets his face pushed in by daffy, to which daffy looks at the camera and says “look, a dick tracy villain! pruneface!”. foreshadowing? 🤔🤔🤔

daffy reads to us the comic in excruciating detail (or lack thereof. he’s just manically sputtering out words. the change in emotion is what makes it so funny, from celebration to apprehension to despair, all in a matter of seconds). he celebrates the victory of dick tracy, saying how he’d love to punch those goony criminals, before punching HIMSELF in the face.

this is how we meet duck twacy, on the hunt for a case of stolen piggy banks (“it’s a piggy bank crime wave!”). daffy finds the case juvenile and a waste of his time... before he finds that his OWN piggy bank was stolen. he goes on a hunt for the culprit, kicking sherlock holmes off the streets, riding a trolley driven by porky for about 5 inches before arriving to the gangster’s hideout. he encounters a barrage of weirdly awesome villains, complete with a manic, breathless, and spitty narration of who is who. even though he thinks he’s about to be killed, you can tell that he’s totally eating up the fact that he’s in dick tracy’s shoes, that he recognizes all of these villains. after shooting all of the villains, he finds his own piggy bank and caresses it and kisses it. we’re now back in the real world where he’s kissing a barnyard pig who kisses him back and bashfully declares “i just love that duck!”, with daffy HOO HOO!ing off screen.

i should add, aside from the pig saying “i just love that duck!” and one of the villains grunting “guess who?”, no one in this short talks except daffy. and that’s why i love it so much. he carries the WHOLE thing. it’s all him and him alone. no one for him to upstage, no plans for him to ruin, we get to see his own motivations and his own personality.

i could ramble on forever about bob clampett and daffy, but i’ll try to summarize it the best i can here.

i love bob clampett’s daffy because he’s predictably unpredictable. his zaniness is prioritized above all else, but he’s able to feel emotions other than daffiness. he CAN be cynical, he CAN be depressed, he CAN be anxious, he CAN be happy... his emotions feel very believable, as zany as he is. you can go into each bob clampett daffy short knowing that he’s probably going to do something wild, but that’s it. you don’t know what he’s going to do. clampett keeps you on your toes with how he portrays daffy. daffy is TRULY unhinged in the best way possible.

thank you for reading! i’m sure i repeated myself and even contradicted myself dozens of times, but i love daffy and i love bob clampett. the best way to see for yourself how great he is is to watch some of these shorts. (i recommend the great piggy bank robbery, baby bottleneck, book revue, draftee daffy and the wise quacking duck, and the daffy doc and the henpecked duck are some really entertaining black and white shorts)

#analysis #long post #lt

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oliviarhee · 6 years

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The Adventures of the Singing Acupuncturist 6: Big O makes it in New York... or does she?

Diamond Wave Productions and Laughing Horse Comedy are delighted to present a stand-up Comedy debut, Adventures of the Singing Acupuncturist 6: Big O makes it in New York, or does she? Another world premiere, it will be presented at the Edinburgh Arts Festival in Scotland in August 2018. Written and Performed by Olivia Rhee. Directed by Sophia Charalambous.

Adventures of the Singing Acupuncturist 6: Big O makes it in New York, or does she? is a new stand-up comedy show.

Have you never been able to fit into a box? Not a physical box… a mental box… a box in your mind. As a Korean-American Olivia Rhee knows all too well about trying to fit in -when Kimchi, aka: "Fire-Breathing Garlic Dragon Breath", is your culture’s most famous export, how are you ever going to blend into a normal life in the land of burgers, fries & ketchup? As an acupuncturist, who fixes people for a living, this is frustrating… why can’t she fix herself? Adventures of the Singing Acupuncturist 6: Big O makes it in New York… Or, does she? is an hilarious hour of comedy where Olivia entertains you with her Korean-American wisdom, and you’ll leave with a transformed mind, bigger eyes, and an open heart… a heart that is open to explore new experiences…like French Fries with Kimchi (she calls it....Korean Ketchup). Another world premiere, this marks as her 6th solo show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The first musical show, Adventures of a Singing Acupuncturist: Olivia in Caledonia, was premiered in 2010.

Olivia Rhee has been writing one-woman shows since studying at New York University. Her professional debut, Who Knows? An Emotional Journey through the Eye of I, was well received by New York audiences in 2000. And in her Cabaret performance, New York Times: The Best and the worst of It, before leaving New York in 2001, she brought her audience to happy tears. She has also delighted audiences with her Cabaret show, An Evening of Songs with Olivia Rhee, in San Diego, California in 2003, which celebrated the release of her 2 CDs.

Now a working Acupuncturist in Las Vegas, Nevada and New York, NY (USA), she is excited to be performing her 11th new solo show, Adventures of the Singing Acupuncturist 6: Big O makes it in New York, or does she?, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2018.

Sophia Charalambous (Director) is a qualified NQJ journalist, writing for regional and national UK publications including the Independent, Mirror, Mail Online and the Daily Star Online. Theatre, film and comedy feature writing was part of her role as Deputy Entertainment Editor at the Essex Chronicle newspaper. Prior to this, she was a writer and director at Nottingham's New Theatre from 2007 to 2010. Sophia began directing stand-up comedy in 2016, and her directorial debut show IlluminArchie was transferred to Soho Theatre after its run at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017.

Barry Lamm (Script Supervisor) originally hails from Nebraska, where he utilized his degree in theater and communications as a teacher and active member of the Omaha community and professional theater scene. He has lived in New York City for the past 19 years and now works as a professional development, training and process coordinator for an online software company. Barry is proud to be working with Ms. Rhee again after directing her in New York in her production of Who Knows? and the past 5 shows at Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Troy Sanford (Costume & Make-up Consultant) hails from Nebraska also and has worked in fashion for over 22 years (although with prolonged use of Botox retains his youthful look and presence). He’s worked for companies like Ralph Lauren as a production manager overseeing blue label and the Wimbledon Launch of the Big Pony campaign as well as the uniforms for the Olympics in China for Ralph Lauren. He also helped with the re-Launch of GAP with Patrick Robinson and the CFDA as well as the re-Launch of Ann Taylor several years back. Not only has Troy helped other friends launch their own fashion labels, he also launched his own fashion line. He has worked with Olivia on costume, hair and makeup for her past (5 shows). Always ready with fashion advice and costume quick-change suggestions to help transform her from a mere mortal to a living goddess. Modesty being one of his strong suits, he loves doing what he does and likes giving back to the community. Just ask him how great he is and he’ll tell you himself.

Thanks go to Laughing Horse Comedy, director, Alex Petty and the Laughing Horse team.

And Special Thanks to: Sem @ The Lantern and Tess Henry @ Under St. Mark’s Theatre for allowing me to Preview my show in New York City this July (see below for Preview show details).

And to: Chris O’Neill @ Jesters / Sin e Pub in Dublin, Ireland for allowing me to Preview my show in Dublin on 25 July (see below for Preview show details).

Olivia would like to thank the following for help with her project: God, SAM, mom & dad, my brother Chris, my sister Sandy, Tamra M, Barry Lamm, Troy Sanford, Sophia Charalambous and all my aunts, uncles, and cousins.

My teachers: Tom Burke Voice Studio, including Jen DeRosa & Robert Sussuma, my comedy teachers Philip Peredo and Jerry Corley.

To all my comedy friends who have supported me in Dublin/Europe: Chris O-N., Joe R., Tom W., Larry B., Vinny D., Martin A., Frank B., Brian O-T., Seamus S., Ted L., Gerard J., Margaret McH., Lizzy W., Christina McM., Seosamh P., Barry M., Duane D., Alan H., Kevin O-S., Spunkster., Apollo Sessions, Jay P. Hardy, Adam B @ Hardy Har Comedy club, Unhinged Comedy club, Battle of the Axe Comedy club, the International Comedy Club, Jonathan H., Thom E., & Chris D.

And my friends in the USA: Joe DeSantis, Steve & Carla McInelly, Jonathan Smilowitz, Manfred Hein, Travis R., Kirk S., Adam S-W., Laughing Buddha Comedy Club, Dylan F., Sean F., Paul S., Kon., Matt S., Jordan H., Neil P., Barry B., Bobby S., Mike S., Don B., Joe F., Jerry K., Jeff R., Chris S, Mia A., Wanda & Brian M., Diane B., Emme L., Joey I., Mick M., Alex S., and other new friends I have met since this website went live…

My friends in England and Scotland: Lucy G, Jenny L, Peter S, Gerard L, Colin H, Lynda P, Gill L, Johnny F, Paul H, Mark M., Tim R., Owen F., Clare H., Julia, Martyn H., David V-J., Tom S., Lucy F., & etc.

My production crew: Dave George (Graphic Designer: www.GeorgeCreative.uk), Christopher John-Stone (headshots/photography/flyers in NY), Abbie Glennie (lights/sound for 2016 show), Troy Sanford (costume/makeup), Woon-Sun J-C (make-up in NYC), Mary L. (video in NYC), Pegasus Sound and Light, And my past production crew: [email protected] and listed below in previous show info.

And everyone else who has helped me in one way or another.

To everyone, I am grateful from my love of kimchi and comedy, as I could not have endured the struggles of writing a 60-minute comedy show without all of you…

“A tragedy is a tragedy, and at the bottom, all tragedies are stupid. Give me a choice and I'll take A Midsummer Night's Dream over Hamlet every time. Any fool with steady hands and a working set of lungs can build up a house of cards and then blow it down, but it takes a genius to make people laugh.” ― Stephen King

“Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.” ― Mel Brooks

“Thankfully, persistence is a great substitute for talent.” ― Steve Martin, Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

“Comedy is the art of making people laugh without making them puke.”― Steve Martin

“What is in your way? It’s not in your way… Get it out of the way.” – Marinda, dance teacher/choreographer

“Kimchi is not for sissies… it’s an acquired taste, but it is delicious and good for your health (i.e. improves your immune system like acupuncture / herbal medicine)” – Olivia Rhee

4 Preview shows in New York, NY:

The Lantern

When: 17 July 2018 (Tuesday): Time: 4:30pm (16:30). Where: The Lantern, 167 Bleecker St., New York, NY 10012. Tickets: purchase one item minimum (a drink or one food item)

Under St. Mark’s Theatre

When: 18 July 2018 (Wednesday) Time: 9:00pm (21:00) Where: Under St. Mark’s Theatre: 94 St. Mark’s Place, New York, NY 10009, Tickets: $10.00 ($5.00 for students, seniors, and comedians) http://www.horsetrade.info/under-st-marks

When: 20 July 2018 (Friday) Time: 8:00pm (20:00) Where: Under St. Mark’s Theatre: 94 St. Mark’s Place, New York, NY 10009, , Tickets: $10.00 ($5.00 for students, seniors, and comedians) http://www.horsetrade.info/under-st-marks

When: 21 July 2018 (Saturday) Time: 7:00pm (19:00) Where: Under St. Mark’s Theatre: 94 St. Mark’s Place, New York, NY 10009, , Tickets: $10.00 ($5.00 for students, seniors, and comedians) http://www.horsetrade.info/under-st-marks

1 Preview show in Dublin, Ireland:

Jesters EDge Comedy

When: 25 July 2018 (Wednesday) Where: Jesters EDge Comedy @ Sin E Pub, 15 Ormond Quay Upper, North City, Dublin Time: 7:40 pm (19:40) Tickets: please purchase a drink at the Pub to show support.

*Main Shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival*

Venue: Laughing Horse @ Espionage (The Bunker) (Venue 185), 4 India Buildings (Entrances on Victoria Street and Cowgate), Edinburgh, EH1 2EX

Time: 0:00 am (Midnight: 24:00) (Duration: 50 mins)

Dates: August 15-26, 2018

For all press inquiries please contact: Olivia Rhee

email: [email protected]

Web: http://www.oliviarhee.tumblr.com

http://oliviarhee.weebly.com (for bio info)

Phone: (619) 606-0496

(in UK in August 2018): (07981) 010343

Social Media:

Twitter: @OliviaRhee1

Instagram: olirhee

Facebook Page: Olivia Diamond Comedy

#oliviarhee #edinburghfringe

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