Recently Steve Staunchfield said that a Felix the Cat collection had been in the works from Thunderbean, but got cancelled after the license for the character was sold to Dreamworks. Considering that people have been making public domain home video media with titles involving copyrighyed characters since the dawn of time, I don't know how this was much a problem.
I've always hated that there was no high-quality DVD or Blu-Ray of the original Felixes. I always ranked Otto Messmer as second only to Disney, even above Tex Avery. I enjoy Avery's work more--they're more polished--but Messmer was an undisputed genius, and I regret he got stuck with Little Lulu instead of adding his fingerprints to the Golden Age.
I think there is a Felix on a Cartoon Roots volume from Tommy Stathes, but I never bought any of those. honestly, I was never a fan of silent animation that's not Felix or Oswald. Stathes is my total inverse: he only likes silent animation except Felix or Oswald! (Staunchfield is my inverse too; he prefers the B Studios while I favor Disney, Warner Bros., MGM, etc...) The only real collection I found was some cryptic DVD called Sullivan/Messmer from the mysterious manufacturer "Tom's Vintage Films", with a beautifully-detailed cover:
Tommy does have a few Felixs on the Cartoon Roots collections (the first and "Halloween Haunts"). He did put out a Otto Messmer collection back in 2020, also featuring a few of his Charlie Chaplin shorts.
ReplyDeleteLooks good, but I wish a bigger collection would show up.
DeleteFelix cartoons always seem to have something entertaining and imaginative. I agree that's it a shame there is no widespread release.
ReplyDeleteThunderbean is performing a real service. The cartoons Steve et al have restored would be left to rot by just about everyone else. I'm not a fan of Iwerks or the Rainbow Parades (I'll take the Talkartoons over them any day) but it's important that these cartoons be available in their original condition for people to view and study.
I agree on Thunderbean, but I'd much rather have the Happy Harmonies on Blu-Ray by now.
DeleteThanks! I primarily know Felix from the comics. Amazing art work. Which will be presumably ignored when Dreamworks comes along. I believe there are other cartoon craze dvds that feature Felix. These dollar store dvds are a lot of fun, if you can forgive the rotten video presentation. I love Thunderbean and friends, but can't afford to build up a collection. I've their Halloween one, and it's wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI have not read the comics, but I think Messmer drew them. Which is more than what Walt did for his comic strip, given that Floyd Gottfriedson and Carl Barks were stand-ins for him.
DeleteI just got back from a trip to New York, which included dinner at the Russian Tea Room (and I swiped a small stack of RTR-imprinted paper napkins from the men's room to prove it, tourist that I am). At the entrance to the art-filled dining room is a large and unexpected portrait of Felix. The waitress said it was because "the artist" (she didn't specify who--Otto Messmer?--probably because she didn't know) was a regular and wanted to leave something to the restaurant.
ReplyDeleteInteresting ancedote. It was probably him. I found out recently that people actually believe Sullivan created him.
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