Koko The Clown

1766. KOKO THE CLOWN (1915-1927-USA). BACK WHEN THE MOVIES WERE YOUNG, LEGENDARY ANIMATORS MAX AND DAVE FLEISCHER CREATED THE POPULAR CARTOON CHARACTER “KOKO THE CLOWN,” AN AGILE, DEVILISH CHAP WHO WOULD CONSTANTLY FIND HIMSELF IMMERSED IN A SEA Of HOT WATER (AND WHO ORIGINALLY WAS MODELED AFTER DAVE FLEISCHER POSING IN A CLOWN SUIT). KOKO WAS THE STAR Of A FILM SERIES CALLED “OUT Of THE INKWELL,” WHICH WAS INITIALLY PRODUCED AT THE STUDIO Of PIONEER ANIMATOR JOHN RANDOLPH BRAY, WHO SERVED AS MENTOR TO THE FLEISCHERS. EVENTUALLY, THE BROTHERS TRANSFERRED “OUT Of THE INKWELL” TO THEIR OWN ANIMATION SHOP, WHICH THEY FORMED IN 1921 AND NAMED, APPROPRIATELY, INKWELL STUDIOS. THE SERIES, WHOSE NAME THE BROTHERS FINALLY CHANGED TO ÒLNKWELL IMPS,'” MAGICALLY COMBINED LIVE-ACTION WITH ANIMATION. IN EACH FILM, KOKO WOULD BE CREATED BEFORE THE VIEWER’S EYES IN A DIFFERENT MANNER. SOMETIMES, THE ANIMATOR WOULD DRAW HIM ON A SHEET Of PAPER, USING A VARIETY Of TECHNIQUES; OTHER TIMES, THE CLOWN WOULD SIMPLY POP OUT Of AN INKWELL. IN THE COURSE Of THE CARTOON, KOKO WOULD SNIFF OUT MISCHIEF WHEN HIS CREATOR BECAME OTHERWISE OCCUPIED AND TURNED HIS ATTENTION FROM HIS ART. ADDITIONALLY, KOKO WOULD ON OCCASION “ESCAPE” FROM THE PAPER ON WHICH HE WAS DRAWN, AND ROMP ABOUT IN THE STUDIO OR ON THE STREETS OUTSIDE. HERE’S A WONDERFUL SAMPLING Of KOKO, AND HIS VARIOUS ADVENTURES.
1. THE TANTALIZING FLY (CIRCA 1915-1920). THIS IS A PERFECT OPENING SEGMENT, WHICH INTRODUCES BOTH ANIMATOR AND CLOWN AND DISPLAYS THE MANNER IN WHICH THE FORMER CREATES THE LATTER. THE CARTOONIST IS HAMPERED BY A BOTHERSOME FLY AS HE PENS KOKO; ONCE THE CLOWN COMES TO LIFE, IT WILL BE HIS TURN TO FIGHT OfF THE PEST. ALSO, ONE CAN CLEARLY SEE HOW KOKO IS MODELED AFTER DAVE FLEISCHER.
2. THE CLOWN’S LITTLEBROTHER (CIRCA 1915-1920). KOKO IS JOINED BY HIS YOUNGER SIBLING, WHO’S BARELY AS TALL AS HIS KNEE, AND WHO PROVES TO BE QUITE A PEST. KOKO’S FIST/PAW FIGHT WITH A CAT IS EXCEPTIONALLY CLEVER.
3. PERPETUAL MOTION (CIRCA 1915-1920). THIS TIME, DAVE FLEISCHER, THE ARTIST, POURS SOME INK INTO HIS HAND, BREATHES ON IT, AND, PRESTO, KOKO COMES ALIVE. KOKO SOON BECOMES BEFUDDLED AS HE CONTENDS WITH A MAGNET.
4. OUIJA BOARD (CIRCA 1915-1920). KOKO MUST FACE AN ARMY Of GHOSTS WHO EMERGE FROM A HAUNTED HOUSE. THINGS BECOME ESPECIALLY SPOOKY WHEN THE DWELLING BEGINS TO DANCE! AN INTERESTING LOOK AT THE OUIJA BOARD CRAZE Of THE ERA.
5. BUBBLES (1922). AFTER KOKO CRIES BECAUSE HE CANNOT HAVE A BUBBLE, HE’S PROVIDED WITH A SPECIAL PIPE THAT ENABLES HIM TO BLOW ALL HE DESIRES. EACH BUBBLE TAKES ON A LIFE Of ITS OWN, AND PROVIDES KOKO (AS WELL AS HIS CREATOR) WITH A CHALLENGE.
6. MODELING (1921). KOKO IS LISTLESS, SO HIS CREATOR ENERGIZES THE CLOWN BY PLACING HIM ON ICE SKATES. IT WILL THEN BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR KOKO TO KEEP STILL (BUT AT LEAST HE’S A GAY BLADE!).
7. KO-KO SONG CAR-TUNE (1927). HERE, THE AUDIENCE IS ENCOURAGED TO JOIN IN THE “KO-KO KOMMUNITY CHORUS,” AND SING “IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME” (WHOSE WORDS ARE INGENIOUSLY ANIMATED). THIS IS ONE Of A SERIES Of “SONG CARTOONS” THE FLEISCHERS CREATED IN THE MID-1920S. COME ON AND SING ALONG!
8. KOKO THE KOP (1927), KOKO IS A PART Of “INKWELL IMPS,” BUT HE’S STILL HIS SAME RAMBUNCTIOUS SELF. HERE, HE’S A POLICEMAN WHO TANGLES WITH A HUNGRY PUP WHO’S INTENT ON STEALING A BONE. BY NOW, THE KOKO FILMS HAD TAKEN ON AN ALMOST SURREAL QUALITY: THE CHASE Of CLOWN AFTER DOG TAKES THEM, LITERALLY IN SECONDS, FROM SMALL TOWN TO FOREST TO OCEAN TO BIG CITY.
9. KOKO’S EARTH CONTROL (1927). WATCH WHAT HAPPENS WHEN KOKO AND HIS CANINE COMPANION LITERALLY CIRCLE THE GLOBE. AMONG THE HIGHLIGHTS: THE MEETING Of THE SUN AND THE MOON, AND THE EXPLODING WORLD! WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT? “SILENT” FILMS WITH MUSIC SCORE. 49 MINUTES TOTAL. ÒSILENTÓ CARTOONS.