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beginning in mid-1927, and "Out of the
Inkwell" was retitled as "The Inkwell Imps". The series continued for two years until July 1929, ending with "Chemical Koko". Due to alleged mismanagement under Alfred Weiss, the Inkwell Studios filed bankruptcy in January 1929, and Koko was put into retirement for two years. In 1931, the legal entanglements regarding Koko were resolved, and he returned to the screen beginning with "The Herring Murder Case" (1931) and became a regular in the new Fleischer
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series for eight years. He redesigned the "Clown" for more efficient animation production and moved the
Fleischers away from their dependency upon the Rotoscope for fluid animation. Huemer created Ko-Ko's canine companion, Fitz. Most importantly, Huemer set the drawing style that gave the series its
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released through
Paramount (1918), and later Goldwyn (1919-1921). Aside from the novelty of the Rotoscoped animation, this series combined live-action and animation centered on Max Fleischer as the creative cartoonist and "Master" of "The Clown". "The Clown" would often slip from Max's eye and go on
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In the films produced from 1924 to 1927, the clown's name was hyphenated, "Ko-Ko". The hyphen was dropped due to legal issues associated with the bankruptcy of the
Fleischer's partnership company, The Red Seal Pictures Corporation. Alfred Weiss presented the Fleischers with a new Paramount contract
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in a clown costume. After tracing the film footage amounting to some 2,500 drawings and a year's work, the character that would eventually become Koko the Clown was born, although he did not have a name until 1924. "The Clown"'s appearance owes much to
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The series was very popular, and in 1921 Max and Dave
Fleischer formed their own studio, Out of the Inkwell Films, Inc. Their films were distributed through the States Rights method through
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Because of the realistic effects displayed in his sample films, the result of
Fleischer's Rotoscope, and a past relationship with John R. Bray, he was hired as production manager for
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Koko's first color appearance was a cameo in the cartoon "Toys Will Be Toys" (1949), one of the revived
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an adventure, pull a prank on his creator. Fleischer wrote, and animated the early shorts along with
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for television, and a series of 100 color episodes were produced in 1960–1961 by
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distinctive look. The illustration at the heading is an example by Huemer.
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came to the studio as their animation supervisor, having animated on the
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231:. Koko's last theatrical appearance was in the "Betty Boop" cartoon "
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The Art and
Inventions of Max Fleischer: American Animation Pioneer
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The Art and
Invention of Max Fleischer: American Animation Pioneer
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136:. Throughout the series, he goes on many adventures with his
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Funny
Pictures: Animation and Comedy in Studio-Era Hollywood
169:. Dave's clown costume was clearly inspired by one worn by
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Of Mice and Magic: A History of
American Animated Cartoons
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The character originated when Max Fleischer invented the
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companion "Fitz the Dog", who would later evolve into
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Animation in the United States during the silent era
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475:Television series by U.M. & M. TV Corporation
345:. University of California Press. pp. 42–43.
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414:Before Mickey: The Animated Film, 1898–1928
398:. May 9, 1961 – via Internet Archive.
253:. In 1958, Max Fleischer set out to revive
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429:Max Fleischer's Famous Out of the Inkwell
359:, McFarland & Co. Publishers. Pg. 39
465:Fleischer Studios series and characters
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515:Animated characters introduced in 1919
341:Daniel Goldmark; Charlie Keil (2011).
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267:. Only two episodes have resurfaced.
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118:. His first appearance as the main
480:Film characters introduced in 1919
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446:. McFarland & Co. Publishers.
289:Golden age of American animation
188:Bray Pictograph Screen Magazine
416:. University of Chicago Press.
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495:Television shows about clowns
437:The Search for Koko the Clown
505:Male characters in animation
396:"Out of the Inkwell (1961)"
263:using the voice talents of
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426:Pointer, Ray (2000/2002):
375:Don Markstein's Toonopedia
500:Animated human characters
490:Comedy films about clowns
180:, and in 1918 they began
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419:Maltin, Leonard (1987):
412:Crafton, Donald (1993):
315:. Movies & TV Dept.
510:Comedy film characters
442:Pointer, Ray (2016):
435:Pointer, Ray (2014) "
355:Pointer, Ray (2016).
223:series with costars,
128:(1918–1929), a major
114:character created by
485:Animated film series
460:History of animation
178:John R. Bray Studios
249:series produced by
186:as an entry in the
30:Fictional character
318:The New York Times
256:Out of the Inkwell
183:Out of the Inkwell
125:Out of the Inkwell
47:Koko the Clown in
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16:(Redirected from
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470:Fictional clowns
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120:protagonist
98:(1960-1961)
454:Categories
295:References
261:Hal Seeger
225:Betty Boop
148:cartoons.
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134:silent era
86:Gus Wickie
68:Created by
158:rotoscope
82:Voiced by
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130:animated
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380:2 April
152:History
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63:(1918)
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229:Bimbo
142:Bimbo
432:DVD.
382:2020
227:and
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