Hit or Miss: Moby Duck?

[Marty26]

So, how does everybody feel about discussing the 1965 "classic" that arguably kickstarted a whole new generation of looney goodness?

In between for me. Like many D/S cartoons, it's basically a semi-remake of a GAC-era WB cartoon (in this case, Rabbitson Crusoe). Daffy's, of course, a cruel jerk (which kind of makes his whining throughout the cartoon a little ironic). And Speedy's, for all intents and purposes, hideously underused and really could've just been any old one-shot character.

[Geezil]

Thanks to my very fuzzy memory of the Daffy/Speedy era, about the only concrete observation I might offer is that this (http://www.toonopedia.com/mobyduck.htm) Moby Duck was moderately popular around that period, and (by contrast) deservedly so.

(Here's to the historically underrated Vic Lockman.) ;)

[Jon Cooke]

In between for me. Like many D/S cartoons, it's basically a semi-remake of a GAC-era WB cartoon (in this case, Rabbitson Crusoe).

Wasn't this one more of a remake of "Canned Feud"?

[Marty26]

Wasn't this one more of a remake of "Canned Feud"?

I guess it could be seen as a mixture of both.

[Matt the Y]

Miss, MISS, MISS, and DOUBLE MISS!!!!!

Seriously, this is one big unneccessary and completely useless mess with no gags to speak of whatsoever and the whole thing just plods along slowly and aimlessly with no direction or plot. Quite possibly one of the worst WB cartoons ever; of course, most of the Daffy/Speedy pairings that followed were just as bad, if not worse, which is the REALLY sad part of it all.....

[jonmayo15]

Daffy's just TOO cruel to Speedy and a completely unsympathetic character. None of the "gags" are really funny. It just fails.

[Daffysleftfoot]

I also voted Miss. One thing I do like about it is that Daffy sums up the Daffy?Speedy series right from the git-go. At the start of the cartoon he says "who ever heard of a duck chasing a mouse?" I'm certain that's how the staff at the time felt too. ;)

[Matt the Y]

One thing I do like about it is that Daffy sums up the Daffy?Speedy series right from the git-go. At the start of the cartoon he says "who ever heard of a duck chasing a mouse?" I'm certain that's how the staff at the time felt too. ;)

And yet they still went ahead and made the series anyway. Go figure.....:rolleyes:

[Mr. Semaj]

Miss.

You'd think at some point, someone would've stopped to ask, "Is this really Daffy Duck?".

[Marty26]

As for the positives of the cartoon, they DID pick good cartoons to rip-off at least (although Canned Feud IMO really should've had Sylvester win at the end). It's also better animated than some of the later D/S shorts, and seeing Daffy throw a big tantrum after his axe falls off the handle was actually pretty funny.

I guess, technically, this cartoon's more of a Miss than a Hit for me. But I'm still at least amused when watching it. So I voted In-Between. Besides, I actually found the way they turned Daffy into a heartless jerk kind of entertaining (in a "What the Hell is wrong with you?" sort of way).

[Speedy Boris]

Well... I liked the title card music.

The problem with the Daffy/Speedy cartoons is that the plot line is always the same: Daffy wants to squash Speedy. Now true, the backdrops change, but the plot doesn't. As such, it becomes difficult to place a specific gag with a specific D/S cartoon because they all run together. There are a couple of exceptions, like "Quacker Tracker" and "Snow Excuse", but overall I often have a hard time remembering the gags for these outings.

And that's true of "Moby Duck" as well. I've seen it a few times but I can never remember much about it. So I'd have to vote miss too.

[Marty26]

I also voted Miss. One thing I do like about it is that Daffy sums up the Daffy?Speedy series right from the git-go. At the start of the cartoon he says "who ever heard of a duck chasing a mouse?" I'm certain that's how the staff at the time felt too. ;)

As Oceansoul pointed out several times before, in theory, the idea of a duck chasing a mouse isn't any more bizarre than a western outlaw chasing a rabbit or (for a closer comparison) a duck chasing two chipmunks. Heck, it isn't even much more ridiculous than a duck and a pig being rivals.

The problem with the Daffy/Speedy series is that, often times, Daffy and Speedy's individual personalities just didn't mix. In a lot of cartoons, Speedy plays the "little guy". The underdog. For such cartoons to work, he really needed a more boisterous and villainous antagonist. Daffy, of course, is neither a boisterous nor villainous character. So, in these "Speedy plays the underdog" cartoons, he was basically made into a mercilessly mean and villainous character. Part of the reason why cartoons like Feather Finger and Daffy Rents were among the better D/S cartoons is because Speedy was not playing the underdog or "little guy" in those cartoons. So Daffy was (decidedly) more in character.

[oceansoul]

As Oceansoul pointed out several times before, in theory, the idea of a duck chasing a mouse isn't any more bizarre than a western outlaw chasing a rabbit or (for a closer comparison) a duck chasing two chipmunks. Heck, it isn't even much more ridiculous than a duck and a pig being rivals.

The problem with the Daffy/Speedy series is that, often times, Daffy and Speedy's individual personalities just didn't mix. In a lot of cartoons, Speedy plays the "little guy". The underdog. For such cartoons to work, he really needed a more boisterous and villainous antagonist. Daffy, of course, is neither a boisterous nor villainous character. So, in these "Speedy plays the underdog" cartoons, he was basically made into a mercilessly mean and villainous character. Part of the reason why cartoons like Feather Finger and Daffy Rents were among the better D/S cartoons is because Speedy was not playing the underdog or "little guy" in those cartoons. So Daffy was (decidedly) more in character.

You're right here. :)

I should add the mediocre animation and the usually worthless Bill Lava score (other fellas weren't much better). That's why basically all cartoons failed for some extent after 1960 or so. When Milt Franklyn died, it became even worse.

[Speedy Boris]

The problem with the Daffy/Speedy series is that, often times, Daffy and Speedy's individual personalities just didn't mix. In a lot of cartoons, Speedy plays the "little guy". The underdog. For such cartoons to work, he really needed a more boisterous and villainous antagonist. Daffy, of course, is neither a boisterous nor villainous character. So, in these "Speedy plays the underdog" cartoons, he was basically made into a mercilessly mean and villainous character. Part of the reason why cartoons like Feather Finger and Daffy Rents were among the better D/S cartoons is because Speedy was not playing the underdog or "little guy" in those cartoons. So Daffy was (decidedly) more in character. Don't forget "Swing Ding Amigo", where Speedy and the gang kept Daffy up all night with their loud music. I think in that instance, Daffy had a right to be upset at Speedy.

I also would include that in my "exceptions" listed above- I love the gags in that cartoon, too. But that's for another thread. ;)

[oceansoul]

Don't forget "Swing Ding Amigo", where Speedy and the gang kept Daffy up all night with their loud music. I think in that instance, Daffy had a right to be upset at Speedy.

I also would include that in my "exceptions" listed above- I love the gags in that cartoon, too. But that's for another thread. ;)

That cartoon had a very awful score, it was hard to like.

[Marty26]

Don't forget "Swing Ding Amigo", where Speedy and the gang kept Daffy up all night with their loud music. I think in that instance, Daffy had a right to be upset at Speedy.

I also would include that in my "exceptions" listed above- I love the gags in that cartoon, too. But that's for another thread. ;)

GAC Forums - Hit or Miss: Swing Ding Amigo (http://forums.goldenagecartoons.com/showthread.php?t=7644&highlight=Swing+Ding+Amigo)

And Oceansoul, I have to disagree with you about Swing Ding Amigo's score. I actually found it pretty catchy. Even though it's pretty obvious Walter Greene was trying to rip off Tequilla with the cartoon's theme song.