Knowledge (XXG)

Koko the Clown

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173:, with the additions of a black ruffled collar replacing the big white bow, three pom-pom front buttons, and a prominent cone-shaped cap also with three pom-poms. The white face with slit eyes was a design common among German circus clowns. Both costumes have white gloves with long fingers, white foot coverings, and a hat with the same white pom-pom as in front. A 1922 sheet music drawing makes the connection more explicit, saying "Out of the Inkwell, the New Yama Yama Clown", with a picture of Koko. 217:
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
160:, a device that allowed for animation to be more lifelike by tracing motion picture footage of human movement. The use of the clown character came after two previous tests and a search for an original character. Fleischer filmed his brother 198:
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
283: 464: 514: 479: 195:, with Dave directing the live action filming, performing on camera as "The Clown" for Rotoscoping, and assisted with the animation and Roto tracings. 312: 494: 504: 499: 489: 288: 509: 484: 459: 202:, Winkler Pictures, Standard, and finally The Red Seal Pictures Corporation. The "Clown" was named Ko-Ko in 1924 when 232: 469: 228: 141: 436: 308: 243:
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
219: 203: 133: 119: 17: 260: 235:" (1934), a remake of an "Out of the Inkwell" silent film, "The Cure" (1924). 224: 145: 85: 157: 129: 108: 213:
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
111: 370: 231:. Koko's last theatrical appearance was in the "Betty Boop" cartoon " 357:
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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Funny Pictures: Animation and Comedy in Studio-Era Hollywood
169:. Dave's clown costume was clearly inspired by one worn by 421:
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
81: 67: 56: 35: 475:Television series by U.M. & M. TV Corporation 345:. University of California Press. pp. 42–43. 8: 414:Before Mickey: The Animated Film, 1898–1928 398:. May 9, 1961 – via Internet Archive. 253:. In 1958, Max Fleischer set out to revive 41: 429:Max Fleischer's Famous Out of the Inkwell 359:, McFarland & Co. Publishers. Pg. 39 465:Fleischer Studios series and characters 300: 515:Animated characters introduced in 1919 341:Daniel Goldmark; Charlie Keil (2011). 336: 334: 332: 32: 267:. Only two episodes have resurfaced. 7: 118:. His first appearance as the main 480:Film characters introduced in 1919 25: 446:. McFarland & Co. Publishers. 289:Golden age of American animation 188:Bray Pictograph Screen Magazine 416:. University of Chicago Press. 1: 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 531: 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 40: 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 167:The Yama Yama Man 102: 101: 27:Cartoon character 16:(Redirected from 522: 470:Fictional clowns 423:. Penguin Books. 400: 399: 392: 386: 385: 383: 381: 371:"Koko the Clown" 369:Markstein, Don. 366: 360: 353: 347: 346: 338: 327: 326: 321:. Archived from 305: 61:Experiment No. 1 57:First appearance 45: 33: 21: 530: 529: 525: 524: 523: 521: 520: 519: 450: 449: 409: 407:Further reading 404: 403: 394: 393: 389: 379: 377: 368: 367: 363: 354: 350: 340: 339: 330: 313:"Max Fleischer" 307: 306: 302: 297: 273: 241: 239:Koko in "Kolor" 193:Roland Crandall 154: 94: 89: 52: 49:KoKo's Showtime 31: 28: 23: 22: 18:Ko-Ko the Clown 15: 12: 11: 5: 528: 526: 518: 517: 512: 507: 502: 497: 492: 487: 482: 477: 472: 467: 462: 452: 451: 448: 447: 440: 433: 424: 417: 408: 405: 402: 401: 387: 361: 348: 328: 325:on 2014-10-17. 299: 298: 296: 293: 292: 291: 286: 281: 278:Song Car-Tunes 272: 269: 251:Famous Studios 240: 237: 153: 150: 132:series of the 105:Koko the Clown 100: 99: 83: 79: 78: 76:Dave Fleischer 69: 65: 64: 58: 54: 53: 46: 38: 37: 36:Koko the Clown 29: 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 527: 516: 513: 511: 508: 506: 503: 501: 498: 496: 493: 491: 488: 486: 483: 481: 478: 476: 473: 471: 468: 466: 463: 461: 458: 457: 455: 445: 441: 438: 434: 431: 430: 425: 422: 418: 415: 411: 410: 406: 397: 391: 388: 376: 372: 365: 362: 358: 352: 349: 344: 337: 335: 333: 329: 324: 320: 319: 314: 310: 304: 301: 294: 290: 287: 285: 282: 280: 279: 275: 274: 270: 268: 266: 262: 258: 257: 252: 248: 247: 238: 236: 234: 230: 226: 222: 221: 214: 211: 210: 209:Mutt and Jeff 205: 201: 196: 194: 189: 185: 184: 179: 174: 172: 168: 163: 159: 151: 149: 147: 143: 139: 135: 131: 127: 126: 121: 117: 116:Max Fleischer 113: 110: 106: 97: 92: 87: 84: 80: 77: 73: 72:Max Fleischer 70: 66: 62: 59: 55: 50: 44: 39: 34: 19: 443: 427: 420: 413: 390: 378:. Retrieved 374: 364: 356: 351: 342: 323:the original 316: 309:Hal Erickson 303: 276: 265:Larry Storch 254: 246:Screen Songs 244: 242: 218: 215: 207: 200:Warner Bros. 197: 187: 181: 175: 171:Bessie McCoy 155: 123: 104: 103: 96:Larry Storch 91:Cab Calloway 60: 48: 233:Ha! Ha! Ha! 220:Talkartoons 204:Dick Huemer 120:protagonist 98:(1960-1961) 454:Categories 295:References 261:Hal Seeger 225:Betty Boop 148:cartoons. 146:Betty Boop 134:silent era 86:Gus Wickie 68:Created by 158:rotoscope 82:Voiced by 311:(2014). 271:See also 130:animated 109:animated 380:2 April 152:History 144:in the 112:cartoon 138:canine 107:is an 93:(1933) 88:(1933) 63:(1918) 51:(1924) 229:Bimbo 142:Bimbo 432:DVD. 382:2020 227:and 162:Dave 122:in 456:: 373:. 331:^ 74:, 439:" 384:. 20:)

Index

Ko-Ko the Clown

Max Fleischer
Dave Fleischer
Gus Wickie
Cab Calloway
Larry Storch
animated
cartoon
Max Fleischer
protagonist
Out of the Inkwell
animated
silent era
canine
Bimbo
Betty Boop
rotoscope
Dave
The Yama Yama Man
Bessie McCoy
John R. Bray Studios
Out of the Inkwell
Roland Crandall
Warner Bros.
Dick Huemer
Mutt and Jeff
Talkartoons
Betty Boop
Bimbo

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