"The coffee and cigarettes are for the cartoonist."
The Tom and Jerry cartoons directed by Gene Deitch were always among my favorites…just a little off-model from the other Tom ‘n’ Jerry cartoons, scored a little differently, and slightly creepy. Even as a child, before I was generally aware of such things, I could tell that these cartoons were different from those cartoons. And this one, “The Tom & Jerry Cartoon Kit,” is just plain weird:
Another good sample of Deitch’s work is “Sorry Safari,” which features some beautifully-designed backgrounds, not to mention a great design for an elephant.
But my all-time favorite Tom and Jerry is this non-Deitch one:
I know it’s bit of a cliché to say this, but I have a hard time imagining “Heavenly Puss” being made today. The morbidity of the cartoon is surprising; the sackful of drowned kittens we meet in the afterlife is still quite affecting.
If you want to read more about Tom and Jerry, and of course you do, may I suggest this unofficial fan site? And remember, “the white mouse will not explode.”
