Line #207 Creator/RobertMcKimson


1	[[quoteright:195:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mckimson2_5289.jpg]]
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3	Robert Porter "Bob" [=McKimson=] Sr. (October 13, 1910 – September 29, 1977) was an American animator and director who is most known for his work at Warner Bros. on the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' series. His "WesternAnimation/HillbillyHare" is generally regarded as a classic outing for WesternAnimation/BugsBunny.
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5	[=McKimson=] was an animator at Termite Terrace from almost the beginning, and had a knack for detail. For an example of his work, see the start of "What's Cookin', Doc?" when Bugs performs all the celebrity impersonations. He also was one of the animators on the classic short "WesternAnimation/ACornyConcerto" directed by Creator/BobClampett. There's a professionalism to the animation, and the graceful movement emphasizes Bugs's likeability. He also drew the definitive Bugs Bunny model sheet in 1943 (which ironically he didn't use himself when he began directing; see below). [=McKimson=]'s versions of the classic Warners characters generally seem rounder and fatter than most of the other directors' (though it was Clampett who introduced the infamous "Fat Elmer"), with rather small eyes[[note]]his characters have a tendency to peer out through half-closed eyelids[[/note]], at least in his earlier period.
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7	[=McKimson=] took his first shot at directing on a WartimeCartoon in 1945, the obscure "The Return of Mr. Hook" (which was strictly a cartoon meant for the troops to see and not the general public); his main directorial debut is generally considered to be the 1946 short "Daffy Doodles", taking over Creator/FrankTashlin's unit (Tashlin had left the studio in 1945). For almost fifteen years (1950-1964), he, Creator/ChuckJones, and Creator/FrizFreleng were the main directors at Termite Terrace, and due to the post-1948 television package that many networks used during the '70s-early '90s, [=McKimson=]'s work, like the other two directors, was often seen on TV.
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9	Despite these merits, as well as directing the third most shorts out of all the directors (141 total), [=McKimson=] isn't recognized as much as the other two "big" directors at WB. Part of this may be the fact that he never had a feature-length compilation film that highlighted his work; Chuck Jones had one film and Friz Freleng had three (it should be noted that two of Friz's movies featured [=McKimson=]'s cartoons, however). Part of this may also be due to his post-1955 shorts, which featured slower timing, simpler animation, and less interesting direction than his pre-1955 output [[note]]Explanation: WB briefly closed in 1953 and temporarily laid everybody off. Unlike Jones and Freleng, [=McKimson=] basically had to restart his unit from scratch when WB reopened its cartoon unit, so that certainly put him at a disadvantage for a while, not least because his new unit was mostly made up of the animators that Jones and Freleng didn't want.[[/note]] He also gave few interviews before his death, which made it difficult to get an insight into his directing methods and philosophies. Luckily, [[http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Interviews/McKimson/McKimson.html a vintage interview on Michael Barrier's website]], along with a [[https://www.amazon.com/Say-Son-Legendary-Animators-McKimson/dp/1595800697/ biography]] written by Robert [=McKimson=] Jr. released in 2012, rectify that.
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11	[=McKimson=] created WesternAnimation/FoghornLeghorn, Hippety Hopper (a recurring adversary of Sylvester whom he mistook for a giant mouse), and the Tasmanian Devil. In all three cases, he directed every outing for those characters. [=McKimson=] also created WesternAnimation/SpeedyGonzales (inspired on a pair of Mexican brothers he played polo with who were very friendly and excitable and, despite most outward opinions, was ''not'' meant to be a stereotype of all Mexicans), who was later finalized by Friz Freleng and Hawley Pratt as the sombrero-donning speedster we know today. Even as late as 1968, [=McKimson=] was creating new characters in the hope that they would catch on and become recurring (which, sadly, didn't happen, as the era of theatrical cartoons was waning, thanks to television). His Bunny and Claude (a parody of ''Film/BonnieAndClyde'') and Rapid Rabbit and Quick Brown Fox (a SpiritualSuccessor to WesternAnimation/WileECoyoteAndTheRoadRunner) characters are examples of this. He also directed two Road Runner cartoons ("Rushing Roulette" and "Sugar and Spies"), among 14 ''not'' directed by Jones (11 were directed by Rudy Larriva and [[FanonDiscontinuity are despised and/or forgotten about by amateur and professional theatrical cartoon fans alike]], and [[WesternAnimation/TheWildChase one]] was directed by Freleng), as well as the bumpers for ''The Road Runner Show'' and new material for ''WesternAnimation/TheBugsBunnyRoadRunnerShow''.
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13	[=McKimson=] was the only animator from the ''Looney Tunes'' glory days to come back for the brief revival and sad end of the animation unit in the late 1960s; he directed the very last ''Looney Tunes'' short: a Cool Cat cartoon called "WesternAnimation/InjunTrouble1969". After WB closed its animation department forever, [=McKimson=] went back to work for Creator/DePatieFrelengEnterprises, where he directed many ''[[WesternAnimation/ThePinkPanther Pink Panther]]'' shorts.
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15	[=McKimson=] died of a heart attack in 1977 while having lunch with Friz Freleng and David H. [=DePatie=]. Only a few days earlier, his doctor told him he was healthy and could expect to live a long time. [[TemptingFate He bragged to Freleng that he would outlive him.]]
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17	[[DownerEnding Unfortunately, he never lived long enough to see animation respected as an art form]], which debatably occurred starting in TheEighties and brought fame to Freleng, Jones and Creator/TexAvery ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and eventually Clampett, too]]).
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19	-------
20	[[folder:Filmography]]
21	[[index]]
22	!1945
23
24	* The Return of Mr. Hook: An obscure WartimeCartoon, which was his directorial debut.
25
26	!1946
27
28	* WesternAnimation/DaffyDoodles: His debut for a mainstream audience.
29	* Hollywood Canine Canteen
30	* The Mouse-Merized Cat
31	* WesternAnimation/WalkyTalkyHawky -- debut of Foghorn Leghorn
32	* Acrobatty Bunny
33
34	!1947
35
36	* WesternAnimation/HoboBobo
37	* WesternAnimation/EasterYeggs
38	* A Horsefly Fleas
39	* The Birth of a Notion
40	* Crowing Pains
41	* One Meat Brawl
42
43	!1948
44
45	* The Up-Standing Sitter
46	* WesternAnimation/DaffyDuckSleptHere
47	* Hot Cross Bunny
48	* The Shell Shocked Egg
49	* WesternAnimation/HopLookAndListen
50	* The Foghorn Leghorn
51	* WesternAnimation/GorillaMyDreams
52
53	!1949
54
55	* Henhouse Henery
56	* Hippety Hopper
57	* WesternAnimation/TheWindblownHare
58	* WesternAnimation/AHamInARole
59	* Paying the Piper
60	* The Grey Hounded Hare
61	* WesternAnimation/RebelRabbit
62	* Swallow the Leader
63	* Daffy Duck Hunt
64
65	!1950
66
67	* WesternAnimation/WhatsUpDoc
68	* Strife with Father
69	* A Fractured Leghorn
70	* WesternAnimation/HillbillyHare
71	* Hurdy Gurdy Hare
72	* WesternAnimation/BoobsInTheWoods
73	* Bushy Hare
74	* Dog Collared
75	* It's Hummer Time
76	* Pop 'im Pop
77	* The Leghorn Blows at Midnight
78	* An Egg Scramble
79
80	!1951
81
82	* Sleepy Time Possum
83	* Corn Plastered
84	* Big Top Bunny
85	* A Fox in a Fix
86	* The Prize Pest
87	* Leghorn Swoggled
88	* Hare We Go
89	* French Rarebit
90	* Lovelorn Leghorn
91	* Early to Bet
92
93	!1952
94
95	* Thumb Fun
96	* The Super Snooper
97	* Fool Coverage
98	* Who's Kitten Who?
99	* WesternAnimation/TheTurnTaleWolf
100	* Kiddin' the Kitten
101	* The Egg-Cited Rooster
102	* Oily Hare
103	* Sock a Doodle Do
104	* WesternAnimation/RabbitsKin
105
106	!1953
107
108	* Cats A-Weigh
109	* Easy Peckin's
110	* Upswept Hare
111	* WesternAnimation/MuscleTussle
112	* Cat-Tails for Two
113	* Plop Goes the Weasel
114	* There Auto be a Law
115	* Of Rice and Hen
116	* A Peck O' Trouble
117
118	!1954
119
120	* No Parking Hare
121	* Wild Wife
122	* Quack Shot
123	* Little Boy Boo
124	* WesternAnimation/DesignForLeaving
125	* WesternAnimation/BellHoppy
126	* WesternAnimation/TheOilyAmerican
127	* Gone Batty
128	* WesternAnimation/DevilMayHare
129
130	!1955
131
132	* The Hole Idea
133	* WesternAnimation/LighthouseMouse
134	* Feather Duster
135	* All Fowled Up
136	* WesternAnimation/DimeToRetire
137
138	!1956
139
140	* Too Hop to Handle
141	* WesternAnimation/StuporDuck
142	* The Unexpected Pest
143	* Wideo Wabbit
144	* Weasel Stop
145	* Slap-Hoppy Mouse
146	* The High and the Flighty
147	* Half Fare Hare
148	* The Honey-Mousers
149	* Raw! Raw! Rooster
150	* Mixed Master
151
152	!1957
153
154	* Mouse-Taken Identity
155	* Fox-Terror
156	* WesternAnimation/TabascoRoad
157	* Rabbit Romeo
158	* WesternAnimation/BostonQuackie
159	* Bedevilled Rabbit
160	* Ducking the Devil
161	* Cheese It, the Cat
162
163	!1958
164
165	* WesternAnimation/PreHystericalHare
166	* Now Hare This
167	* Weasel While You Work
168	* Tortilla Flaps
169	* Don't Axe Me
170	* Dog Tales
171	* Gopher Broke
172	* Feather Bluster
173
174	!1959
175
176	* Mouse-Placed Kitten
177	* China Jones
178	* The Mouse That Jack Built
179	* A Mutt In a Rut
180	* Backwoods Bunny
181	* The Cat's Paw
182	* Bonanza Bunny
183	* A Broken Leghorn
184	* People Are Bunny
185
186	!1960
187
188	* Wild Wild World
189	* Mice Follies
190	* West of the Pesos
191	* The Dixie Fryer
192	* Doggone People
193	* Crockett-Doodle-Do
194
195	!1961
196
197	* Birds of a Feather
198	* Strangled Eggs
199	* Cannery Woe
200	* What's My Lion?
201	* Hoppy Daze
202	* Daffy's Inn Trouble
203
204	!1962
205
206	* Mother Was A Rooster
207	* WesternAnimation/WetHare
208	* The Slick Chick
209	* Bill of Hare
210	* Fish and Slips
211	* Good Noose
212
213	!1963
214
215	* The Million Hare
216	* Claws in the Lease
217	* Fast Buck Duck: Co-directed with Ted Bonnicksen, one of his animators
218	* Banty Raids
219	* Aqua Duck
220
221	!1964
222
223	* Freudy Cat
224	* WesternAnimation/BartholomewVersusTheWheel
225	* A Message to Gracias
226	* Dr. Devil and Mr. Hare
227	* WesternAnimation/FalseHare
228
229	!1965
230
231	* Moby Duck
232	* Go Go Amigo
233	* Chili Con Corny
234	* Suppressed Duck
235	* Tease For Two
236	* Rushing Roulette
237	* WesternAnimation/WellWornDaffy
238
239	!1966
240
241	* Swing Ding Amigo
242	* Sugar and Spies
243	* Feather Finger
244	* A Taste of Catnip
245	* WesternAnimation/DaffyRents
246	* WesternAnimation/TheAstroduck
247	* Snow Excuse
248	* WesternAnimation/AHauntingWeWillGo
249	* Mexican Mousepiece
250
251	!1967
252
253	* [[WesternAnimation/DaffysDiner Daffy's Diner]]
254
255	!1968
256
257	* Bunny and Claude: We Rob Carrot Patches
258
259	!1969
260
261	* The Great Carrot-Train Robbery
262	* Fistic Mystic
263	* WesternAnimation/RabbitStewAndRabbitsToo
264	* Shamrock and Roll
265	* Bugged by a Bee
266	* [[WesternAnimation/InjunTrouble1969 Injun Trouble]]: The last cartoon ever released by the original Warner Bros. cartoon studio. Should not be confused with the 1938 Bob Clampett cartoon of the same name.
267	[[/index]]
268
269	[[/folder]]
270
271	-----------------------
272	!!Robert [=McKimson=] (and his cartoons) provide examples of:
273	* ActuallyPrettyFunny: He was among few members of Termite Terrace that could stand Bob Clampett, even if he confirmed in an amused way to interviewers that [[WartsAndAll almost all the stories about him were true]].
274	* AffectionateNickname: Creator/TexAvery nicknamed him "[=McKimp=]".
275	* AnimationBump: Any scene animated by him tends to be some of the best animation ever done at the studio. Take for instance the realistic human animation of Uncle Sam in Chuck Jones' "Old Glory" or Tom's father in "Tom Thumb In Trouble"; he did ''not'' use rotoscope to animate them! Bugs' death scene in "A Wild Hare" is another standout scene of his. His artwork in general tends to be so solid, that it alone makes it rather easy to spot his scenes.
276	* ArtEvolution: Besides what was mentioned in the intro paragraphs, his first few shorts still had the visual "feel" of a Frank Tashlin cartoon, no doubt due to inheriting Tashlin's unit after he left the studio.
277	* AsideGlance
278	* BreakingTheFourthWall: In "Cat's Paw", Sylvester is talking to his son about which birds to catch:
279	--> '''Sylvester''': It seems like the smaller and more helpless looking they are, the tougher and scrapper they turn out to be. I just hope we can find a small one around here. (to audience) An anemic sparrow would suit me just fine.
280	* CassandraTruth: The repeated premise of the Hippety Hopper cartoons. Nobody believes Sylvester when he tries to tell them that he saw a giant mouse (although unbeknownst to him, Hippety was a kangaroo).
281	* CompositeCharacter: [=McKimson=] was noted for evolving to the revised personalities of recurring characters at a much slower pace than Jones and Freleng, resulting in something of a blend of both the initial and modern depictions. This is particularly noticable with WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck, who gained some of the pompousness and wit akin to Jones' version but still maintained shades of his original hyperactive trickster role into the late fifties. [=McKimson=] by his own admission wasn't fond of the later [[{{Flanderization}} Flanderized]] characterisations (especially Bugs), and tried to dial them back whenever he could.
282	* CurbstompCushion: [=McKimson=] often adhered to the same ComicallyLopSidedRivalry formula as the other Warner directors, though not as cleanly. Being a WorldOfHam conveyer, few of his characters were ''completely'' ImmuneToSlapstick. His Porky vs Daffy and Foghorn vs Barnyard bouts in particular were usually played more as {{Escalating War}}s (even if Porky and Barnyard respectively still usually won ultimately). Most of the rare instances Bugs or Speedy [[NotSoInvincibleAfterAll suffered slapstick and humiliation]] instead of just administering it were also [=McKimson=] directed.
283	* ClintSquint: This trope is just as much his signature as {{aside glance}}s were Chuck's; it helped to make every character in his shorts except for the kids seem like a GrumpyOldMan.
284	* DerangedAnimation: In his 1946-1949 cartoons especially. Things toned down a bit starting in the '50s, but thanks to Rod Scribner (a former Clampett animator) returning to the studio, there were still flashes of this.
285	* DisabilitySuperpower: Kind of? In the early 30s, he was involved in a near fatal car accident from which he made a quick recovery. Upon returning to work, he would find himself animating between 50 and 70 feet (that's over a hundred-thousand frames) a day, more than he was ever capable of before his accident. And nobody knew why.
286	* DisneySchoolOfActingAndMime: Out of all the Looney Tunes directors, his shorts adhere most closely to the trope since it fit his WorldOfHam style of cartooning. Ironically, as an ''animator'' he would draw far more subtle character acting.
287	* DisproportionateRetribution: "Early To Bet" involves a cat going through Rube Goldberg-style punishments just for losing to a dog at a sadistic game of cards.
288	* ExecutiveMeddling: [=McKimson=] was ordered by producer Eddie Selzer not to make any more Tasmanian Devil cartoons after the first one. However, thanks to fan feedback and orders from Jack Warner, [=McKimson=] was allowed to make more Taz cartoons.
289	* FireAndBrimstoneHell: Hinted at in "The Hole Idea", when the devil actually throws Calvin Q. Calculus's wife ''out'' because she's so unpleasant.
290	* ItRunsInTheFamily: All three [=McKimson=] brothers worked in animation: Bob was both an animator and director, Tom was a background artist/layout artist/animator during the '40s, and Charles was an animator during the late '30s-mid '50s, later working for Bob (and animating in much the same style as his brother). Their mother was also a talented artist.
291	* LimitedAnimation: “WesternAnimation/BartholomewVersusTheWheel“
292	* MickeyMousing: As with all Looney Tunes composed by Carl Stalling or Milt Franklyn.
293	* MimeAndMusicOnlyCartoon: "WesternAnimation/RabbitStewAndRabbitsToo" Also "Swallow the Leader" is mostly dialog-free, aside from the opening narration and a couple lines from the cat.
294	* MortonsFork: In most Hippety Hopper shorts, Sylvester falls victim to a CassandraTruth scenario, with his son Junior failing to believe his stories of getting overpowered by a "giant mouse", and shaming his father into going back and dealing with the seemingly ordinary rodent. There are times Hippety is exposed to Junior however, in such cases he gets excited by the discovery and pressures his father to catch it anyway (most of these instances [[TemptingFate follow right after Sylvester]] [[MilesGloriosus exaggerating his mousing capabilities to his son]], leading the latter to believe he could easily catch one of such size).
295	* {{Motifs}}: Moreso than the other two major directors, many of [=McKimson=]'s cartoons had a unique father/son dynamic; in addition to his Sylvester and Sylvester Jr. cartoons, Foghorn acted as a surrogate father figure to Egghead (and Henry Hawk to a lesser extent) in many shorts. And Bugs acts a surrogate father figure to Shorty in ''Rabbit's Kin''.
296	* OddCouple: Daffy and Porky in the shorts he directed.
297	* ParodyEpisode: [=McKimson=] was fond of these, especially in the late '50s.
298	** "The Honey-Mousers", "Cheese It! The Cat", and "Mice Follies", three cartoons parodying ''Series/TheHoneymooners''.
299	** "The Mouse That Jack Built", a parody of ''Radio/TheJackBennyProgram'', except the characters are mice.
300	** "Boston Quackie", a parody of "Boston Blackie" starring Daffy Duck in the titular role.
301	** "China Jones", a parody of "China Smith". Once again, Daffy stars.
302	* RedOniBlueOni: As an animator for Bob Clampett, he was the Blue (being called on for close-ups with far more subtle character acting than Clampett's usual fare) to Rod Scribner's Red (as a champion of Clampett's style of DerangedAnimation). Ironically, Scribner later ended up working for [=McKimson=] in the 50s.
303	* SignatureStyle: As animator for Bob Clampett, he was known for his very graceful, professional animation; he was often called upon for scenes where the characters were closer to the camera because of his talent for character acting. As director, his characters often had half-shut/relaxed eyes, especially compared to Jones and Freleng's units. “WesternAnimation/BartholomewVersusTheWheel“ is the [[LimitedAnimation only exception]].
304	* ShrinkingViolet: Most accounts describe Bob himself as very mild mannered and passive. This was apparently a key reason there are so few interviews and accounts from him, and why he turned down on-camera participation in ''Bugs Bunny Superstar''.
305	* TheUnfavorite: [=McKimson=] generally got the lesser animation staff in most of his later cartoons, with any exceptional talent usually going to Freleng's and Jones' units instead. Eddie Selzer claimed to him this was because, being an advanced animator, he thought he could manage them better, though [=McKimson=] admitted to feeling like a third wheel.
306	* {{Workaholic}}: Had a positive reputation in the animation industry as a hard worker; on his first day at Warner Bros., for example, he got right to work at 8 o'clock. He also consistently completed ''twice'' the amount of required footage per day, and did it professionally to boot!
307	* WorldOfHam: Subtlety was not something Rob was interested in--his characters are constantly shouting, pushing and shoving each other, or flailing their arms around like there's no tomorrow. His creation ''Foghorn Leghorn'' is probably the hammiest character in the whole Looney Tunes series.
308	* WorldOfJerkass: His cartoons tend to have a cynical worldview. Almost all of his characters--even his interpretation of Bugs--are grumpy, middle aged curmudgeons (except, obviously, the [[AdorablyPrecociousChild cute kids]] said curmudgeons had father/son relationships with), with the main contrasts in the different characters' personalities being how smart or how stupid the various curmudgeons were. Ironically, Rob himself was by all accounts a [[NiceGuy soft-spoken, conservative and pleasant fellow in real life.]]

Context Creator / RobertMcKimson