Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Creator / HarmanAndIsing

Go To

1[[quoteright:316:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hugh_and_irsing_7650.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:316:That's Hugh Harman on the left, and Rudy Ising on the right, pictured with creations Honey and WesternAnimation/BoskoTheTalkInkKid.]]
3
4Hugh Harman and Rudolf Carl "Rudy" Ising (both were born in August 1903, Harman on August 31st, and Ising on August 7th; Harman died on November 25, 1982 and Ising died on July 18, 1992) were former Creator/WaltDisney employees, getting their start on series such as the WesternAnimation/NewmanLaughOGrams, the ''WesternAnimation/AliceComedies'' and ''WesternAnimation/OswaldTheLuckyRabbit'', helping jump-start the [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Warner Bros. cartoon studio]] in 1929, and they helped get [[Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer MGM]]'s animation department off the ground. They were also the creators of WesternAnimation/BoskoTheTalkInkKid ([[CaptainErsatz and, more regrettably, Foxy]]) as well as MGM's ''WesternAnimation/HappyHarmonies'', the ''WesternAnimation/BarneyBear'' shorts, and [[WesternAnimation/MGMOneshotCartoons many oneshot shorts]], including the anti-war short ''WesternAnimation/PeaceOnEarth''. While barely remembered today (unless you are an animation historian, like Jerry Beck), they played a major role in shaping the events of UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation.
5
6An interview with Hugh Harman, courtesy of Micheal Barrier, can be found [[http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Interviews/Harman/interview_hugh_harman.htm here]], which gives much insight into his backstory, as well as his method of filmmaking and what he learned over the years of his career.
7
8----
9Notable shorts:
10* ''[[WesternAnimation/BoskoTheTalkInkKid1929 Bosko, The Talk-Ink Kid]]'' (1929): A pilot film for ''Looney Tunes'' that was only privately screened, but still exists today.
11* ''WesternAnimation/SinkinInTheBathtub'' (1930): The official debut of the WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes franchise.
12* ''WesternAnimation/LadyPlayYourMandolin'' (1931): The debut of the Merrie Melodies series.
13* ''WesternAnimation/ItsGotMeAgain'': Nominated for an Oscar.
14* ''WesternAnimation/HittinTheTrailForHallelujahLand'': One of the infamous WesternAnimation/CensoredEleven.
15* ''WesternAnimation/GoodLittleMonkeys'': A memorable short in the WesternAnimation/HappyHarmonies series.
16* ''WesternAnimation/TheCalicoDragon'': Happy Harmonies short that got nominated for an Oscar.
17* ''WesternAnimation/TheOldMillPond'': A jazzy mood piece in the Harmonies series, and one of only three shorts that Hugh was proud of making. Oscar nomination.
18* ''The Blue Danube'': An WesternAnimation/MGMOneshotCartoon, centered around the eponymous waltz by Johann Strauss II. Also one of three shorts Hugh was proud of making.
19* ''WesternAnimation/PeaceOnEarth'': UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominee. This short was considered by both fans and Hugh to be his best film.
20* ''WesternAnimation/TheMilkyWay'', which won the 1940 UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Animated Short.
21* ''WesternAnimation/TheRookieBear'' (1941): Ising-directed short featuring WesternAnimation/BarneyBear, Academy Award nominee
22* ''The Alley Cat'' (1941), the debut of Butch and Toodles Galore, who were soon {{transplant}}ed into the ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' franchise.
23* ''The Adventures of Sir Gee Whiz on the Other Side of the Moon'': A 1960 TV pilot. Prominently featured on Cartoon Dump.
24----
25Trope Demonstrated by the Mere Existence of These Two:
26* PunnyName: "Harman-Ising." [[DontExplainTheJoke HARMONIZING]]. They founded Looney ''Tunes'' and Merrie ''Melodies'' as well as Happy '''''Harmonies''''' (something pointed out as early as 1934 by a newspaper cartoon panel) and their cartoons were early experiments of harmonizing sound to pictures.
27** MeaningfulName: Their success was the result of harmonizing the talents of two creative friends.
28----
29!!Tropes Related To Them:
30* AnimationBump: Later installments in the ''Happy Harmonies'' series, and its successors in the WesternAnimation/MGMOneshotCartoons.
31* CaptainErsatz: Their Merrie Melodies characters Foxy and Roxy, who were literally the same designs as [[WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse Mickey and Minnie Mouse]] but with pointy ears and bushy tails. Walt himself quickly got wind of Foxy and personally told Rudy Ising to stop using the character. When Foxy and Roxy eventually reappeared in ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'' they were completely redesigned because of this.
32* CerebusSyndrome:
33** Harman's later work at MGM mostly consisted of sentimental, near-melodramatic stories.
34** Conversely, Ising's cartoons from the same time became DenserAndWackier than his 1930s shorts, with some gags channeling the style Hanna and Barbera were developing.
35* CreatorCameo: Rudy Ising plays himself as the cartoonist from the original 1929 Bosko pilot. He and other early ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' staffers also make cameos in the ending of "Ride Em, Bosko!" where Ising and the staffers can't come up with an ending on how Bosko is going to save Honey and decide to leave it hanging and just go home.
36* {{Expy}}: Some attribute their Bosko character as being a Mickey Mouse ripoff, but in truth the character was copyrighted by Hugh Harman in 1927, so he predates the creation of Mickey Mouse. The similarities between them owe simply to the fact that Hugh and Rudy both worked on Disney's silent cartoons before going it alone.
37* FriendlyRivalry: They never really lost contact with Disney after going their separate ways: They moonlighted for him for some early ''Mickey Mouse'' cartoons. Later on, they loaned their inkers and painters to complete ''Snow White'' on time (it was way behind schedule). Disney also released the H-I short ''Merbabies'' as part of his ''Silly Symphonies''.
38* HeterosexualLifePartners
39* WoodlandCreatures: Most of the ''Happy Harmonies'' shorts starred these.

Top