The Complete Roadrunner, tweetstorm'd

Connor Ratliff hat jeden einzelnen Road Runner-Cartoon angesehen und live auf Twitter kommentiert: „It is clear, watching these now, that the coyote's curse is that he cannot win but he also cannot die. He is in HELL.“ (via MeFi)

Almost all of the Road Runner cartoons are available via the @BoomerangToons app. I subscribed for $5 & decided I'm gonna watch & tweet about 'em all in chronological order, even the later, terrible ones, for which I have an irrational affection. Here we go. #BeepBeep #MeepMeep

Hier der ganze Thread auf Darius Kazemis Spooler, hier der Thread via diesem Hack:

Almost all of the Road Runner cartoons are available via the @BoomerangToons app.

I subscribed for $5 & decided I'm gonna watch & tweet about 'em all in chronological order, even the later, terrible ones, for which I have an irrational affection.

Here we go.
#BeepBeep
#MeepMeeppic.twitter.com/URziMAFvXG

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:39 PM - 7 Dec 2017

Boomerang lists them alphabetically not chronologically so Chuck Jones masterpieces sit side-by-side with 1960s atrocities (& later 'revival' attempts.)

I am going to start at the beginning. I will also be including Wile E. Coyote/Bugs Bunny & Ralph Wolf/Sam Sheepdog shorts, FYIpic.twitter.com/vkRyJ0DoYa

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:47 PM - 7 Dec 2017

September 17, 1949: "Fast And Furry-ous"

Chuck Jones intended this short to be a parody of cat & mouse "chase" cartoons. Instead, he accidentally created the definitive chase cartoon series of all time.pic.twitter.com/Sy4cd18UH1

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:50 PM - 7 Dec 2017

Road Runner (Accelleratii Incredibus)
Coyoye (Carnivorous Vulgaris)

This is basically the proto-Simpsons Couch Gag, and they had it right out of the gate. This series took no time to find its footing, it emerged fully-formed.pic.twitter.com/SY0VYNjcxZ

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:57 PM - 7 Dec 2017

Immediately, we learn that the Road Runner is so fast he causes the roads' pavement to fly up in the air like ribbons.

ALSO: the RR is fast, but he can also go even faster if he needs/wants to.

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:59 PM - 7 Dec 2017

It took less than 60 seconds to establish the entire premise of this series: that the coyote will need to think of an extra-clever way to catch this fast bird.

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:01 PM - 7 Dec 2017

Coyote's first attempt is so BASIC!

He literally holds out the lid of a metal pot in the hopes that the RR will run straight into it. He is FURIOUS when this doesn't work.pic.twitter.com/0vucnbVJP3

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:04 PM - 7 Dec 2017

2nd attempt is an actual boomerang. (Hello, @BoomerangToons!)

He is thwarted by a 2nd genuine boomerang, used by the Road Runner.pic.twitter.com/fW3qG4vbQR

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:17 PM - 7 Dec 2017

This is great heightening.

After two very crude efforts, the Coyote's 3rd scheme involves a fake school crossing & dressing up like a little girl. The Road Runner's response is insane and also involves a wig.pic.twitter.com/pdB7OowzjN

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:20 PM - 7 Dec 2017

It did not take long for the coyote to involve a rocket. This is the first time he basically should have died as the result of his efforts.pic.twitter.com/cG50ObnkMd

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:21 PM - 7 Dec 2017

It is amazing that he bought a rocket BEFORE he tried a using a boulder.

This is also the first time when it truly felt like the laws of the universe were working against him. This SHOULD have worked.pic.twitter.com/tHe5OnutJT

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:25 PM - 7 Dec 2017

Look at these blueprints! This should work, right?pic.twitter.com/aTvmMg6Kq8

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:26 PM - 7 Dec 2017

It is amazing that "painting a tunnel using perspective" on the side of a mountain is a gag in the very first RR short.

Also, this confirms that REALITY is on the side of the Road Runner & actively against the Coyote.

SMALL MERCY: no truck drives out of the painting, this timepic.twitter.com/fK1CSaIHLV

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:28 PM - 7 Dec 2017

1st ACME product!

(The coyote has ordered several non-ACME products in this short, I wonder when he becomes "brand loyal"?)pic.twitter.com/da3bxfaMn1

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:30 PM - 7 Dec 2017

1st malfunctioning explosive. The first of many. And another time cheating death!

It is clear, watching these now, that the coyote's curse is that he cannot win but he also cannot die. He is in HELL.pic.twitter.com/TwkKH5OvRr

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:32 PM - 7 Dec 2017

He has already plummeted from a great height once before in this short, but here is the first use of this classic perspective as he falls to his non-death.pic.twitter.com/oeicruV7B9

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:33 PM - 7 Dec 2017

A "Merry XMAS" gag in the first Road Runner cartoon? A September release, no less? As if this series didn't already own my heart.pic.twitter.com/UJxCtbghFB

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:34 PM - 7 Dec 2017

Final gag doesn't make sense and doesn't need to. The deck is stacked against the Coyote should give up, although he never will, and that is why this series is basically perfect.pic.twitter.com/i7L1yzAM3N

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:40 PM - 7 Dec 2017

I will usually only do one of these shorts per day, but today I wanna start with two, because this is amazing.

The 1st Road Runner short was in 1949. The 2nd one wasn't until 1952! And guess what they did BEFORE that...?

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:48 PM - 7 Dec 2017

I grew up watching all these shorts in "shuffle mode" and had no idea that the idea to give Wile E. Coyote a voice and pair him with Bugs Bunny happened after only ONE Road Runner short!

This is astonishing to me.pic.twitter.com/rnG2QX6znj

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:50 PM - 7 Dec 2017

Also, @BoomerangToons:

"Operation: Rabbit" & the Ralph Wolf/Sam Sheepdog shorts need to be added to the Boomerang app ASAP!http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3dsl7i 

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:52 PM - 7 Dec 2017

January 19, 1952: "Operation: Rabbit"

Although a 2nd Road Runner cartoon wasn't far behind, Chuck Jones decided to give the Coyote a name + a voice + a fully articulated worldview. This could have been a disaster but instead it is a triumph.pic.twitter.com/xl3MiYvkSI

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:57 PM - 7 Dec 2017

Cartoon opens with Wile E. Coyote presenting his business card to Bugs and basically negging him.

Insults his intelligence & offers him a chance to surrender.

"WHY do they always want to do it the HARD way?" is a great line.

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:59 PM - 7 Dec 2017

I would've assumed that the Road Runner/Coyote cartoons were a well-established thing by the time they attempted this variant & it is really blowing my mind to think about this short in this context.

But it is also clear that it 100% works on its own, as a stand-alone cartoonpic.twitter.com/d0rJbDPxPz

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:15 PM - 7 Dec 2017

Hey, the coyote's 1st attempt on Bugs Bunny is basically a high-tech variation on his 1st attempt at catching The Road Runner!pic.twitter.com/wXe1e10spp

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:17 PM - 7 Dec 2017

The fact that Wile E. Coyote is waiting to hear from the U.S. Patent Office (presumably for MANY different inventions beyond this one) adds an additional layer of pathospic.twitter.com/60BMAFinLJ

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:18 PM - 7 Dec 2017

Coyote's first sex robot attempt foiled by preemptive retaliatory sex robotpic.twitter.com/Yk3QMEBUPz

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:20 PM - 7 Dec 2017

This is a very fine example of how funny Mel Blanc's voice acting is. That "OH NO" is so perfectly measured.pic.twitter.com/TbMgcOhDu6

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:22 PM - 7 Dec 2017

Everything about this sequence is perfect, but especially the fake-out where you think he hears the train whistle but instead you realize he is just processing the sound of his own voice:pic.twitter.com/qwv42NTlYl

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:24 PM - 7 Dec 2017

This closing joke always confused me as a kid. I always assumed it was too sophisticated for me, and that I was missing some additional layer of context or something. I still can't shake that feeling.pic.twitter.com/7V0XI6n2lw

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:26 PM - 7 Dec 2017

Okay, that is all for today. This thread probably won't be as long as the Porky Pig one, since there are fewer than 101 cartoons ahead.

But it will be interesting to process the way these shorts progress, in order. I've never experienced them that way.

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:36 PM - 7 Dec 2017

May 24, 1952: "Beep, Beep"

Almost 3 years after the first Road Runner cartoon comes this 2nd short, making the original more than just a one-shot.

ALSO: despite this title, everyone hears the noise the Road Runner makes as "Meep, Meep", right?pic.twitter.com/V58D4z4I66

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:26 PM - 8 Dec 2017

Road Runner (Acceleratii Incredibus)
Coyote (Carnivorous Vulgaris)

Interesting. They used the same Latin names as the previous short. They haven't yet realized that part of the gag will be to change them every time.pic.twitter.com/MajZd1CfB1

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:35 PM - 8 Dec 2017

The gradual speeding back up after the freeze frame is so iconic but I think it only really happens in the early shorts, IIRC. (After they did it a few times, they probably chose to drop it because it eats up precious seconds.)

I love the way this part looks and sounds.pic.twitter.com/4kjipFP5Bo

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:40 PM - 8 Dec 2017

I do love when these shorts take the time to include a sequence where the Coyote goes through a range of emotions as he realizes the Road Runner is too fast for him and then comes up with an new idea.pic.twitter.com/jelAMq0t2G

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:45 PM - 8 Dec 2017

1st attempt involves a contraption which fails inexplicably AND immediately:pic.twitter.com/pbBLcp6kRC

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:48 PM - 8 Dec 2017

Blueprints! Once again, the coyote includes a small joke at the end to amuse himself.pic.twitter.com/iTHXQwRaG8

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:51 PM - 8 Dec 2017

This clip was used in the opening of my dad's TV show for kids, "Showtime", which aired on @KRCG13 at 3:30pm Monday through Friday until 1985, when a big media company bought the station & decided to replace local programming. (He got bumped for syndicated reruns of "Dallas.")pic.twitter.com/83sjT7BxKh

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:56 PM - 8 Dec 2017

SIDE NOTE: "Dallas" was a huge hit show, so I'm sure they thought they were making a great decision, airing reruns in the afternoon instead of some local kids' show.

Then "Dallas" brought back Bobby Ewing from the dead & the show's popularity fizzled:https://youtu.be/nCEjeTb1rrs 

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:01 PM - 8 Dec 2017

This is my first memory of being mad about a TV show being canceled by non-creative executives making what I regarded as a stupid, short-sighted decision. Just realizing now why it hits me on such a deeply personal level.https://youtu.be/VYgFV_ufOjI 

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:08 PM - 8 Dec 2017

Apparently, this sequence has often been censored on TV. They include the parachute fail but cut the part where he takes a handful of ACME Aspirin while plummeting to the ground belowpic.twitter.com/DrWrDbvxMa

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:17 PM - 8 Dec 2017

Carl Stalling's music is one of the main things that makes classic Warner Bros cartoons so great. I am really fond of this cue, which makes a static shot feel dynamic.

ALSO: another blueprint! Once again, he includes a little joke for his own benefit. It is lonely in the desert.pic.twitter.com/yuEXUcxdcU

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:21 PM - 8 Dec 2017

Callback to previous cartoon! They don't simply repeat the gag, they add to it.pic.twitter.com/5ZL3nTxRWW

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:23 PM - 8 Dec 2017

They reprise an overhead highway sequence from the 1st short where they are represented as dots, but this time they set it in an old cactus mine, wearing mining helmets with red & green lights! They are making a real effort not to simply repeat themselves, and it's fun:pic.twitter.com/WE5M4E3r3Q

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:29 PM - 8 Dec 2017

It is amazing to think about how they had to nail the comedic timing on these as they were animating them -- they really couldn't tweak it after the fact. This 30 seconds alone shifts gears multiple times and it is all basically perfect:pic.twitter.com/InwDv5C0Rp

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:35 PM - 8 Dec 2017

This short ends the same way as the previous short, but better. Instead of just getting hit by a random bus, this gag is meticulously set up so there is no mistaking the absurdity of it. He CANNOT win. Life is not fair, and he is owed zero explanations.pic.twitter.com/71xEsBdhMF

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:40 PM - 8 Dec 2017

I am not going to have a lot of criticisms of the shorts from 1949-1964, though it will be interesting to note the many ways the series changes over the course of 15 years.

But wait until 1965/66, when Chuck Jones is no longer making them! I will have *many* criticisms then.

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:47 PM - 8 Dec 2017

Going! Going! Gosh! - August 23, 1952

This 3rd Road Runner cartoon arrived only a few months after the 2nd one, establishing that this is definitely a series now. For the remainder of the 1950s, there would be at least one new RR short per year (sometimes as many as 2 or 3!)pic.twitter.com/ABXiehpWyp

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 11:53 PM - 9 Dec 2017

Road Runner (Acceleratti Incredibilis)
Coyote (Carnivorous Vulgaris)

This is the 3rd & final time they use these specific Latin names. On short #4, they start changing them each time.

This is a good example of a joke I didn't "get" at first as a kid but then it made me learn.pic.twitter.com/qDxhE7gt4L

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:01 AM - 10 Dec 2017

The "speeding back up from a freeze-frame" device is so great, especially the way it sounds. Really helps set the mood for the whole cartoon.pic.twitter.com/Qy9ezKPYqG

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:03 AM - 10 Dec 2017

The best Chuck Jones animation is really funny drawing/acting choices.

The stages the Coyote goes through while "realizing the Road Runner is too fast to catch/he will need to think of a new plan" are always a highlightpic.twitter.com/hmxpO89TnG

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:06 AM - 10 Dec 2017

LOOK how happy the Coyote is, if only for a moment.

(He just fired the bow but the dynamite arrow remains; this is milliseconds before he realizes the error.)pic.twitter.com/53H8dpLr8D

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:08 AM - 10 Dec 2017

This is milliseconds later.pic.twitter.com/TVvYHv2gWp

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:31 AM - 10 Dec 2017

One thing that keeps these shorts from being repetitive is that the cause of the Coyote's misfortune varies. This is an example where it is entirely his fault:pic.twitter.com/0wDEDpI7Cp

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:33 AM - 10 Dec 2017

Not 100% certain, but I think they reuse this exact image in at least one later short:pic.twitter.com/iRDVdaY6k6

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:36 AM - 10 Dec 2017

Carl Stalling's music is always great but this clip is especially nice. The opening set-up and then all the little ways he scores the action and makes it funnier.pic.twitter.com/0OZu23jn88

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:39 AM - 10 Dec 2017

It's always fascinating when the Coyote attempts to use sex to catch the Road Runner. He looks thoroughly humiliated when this ruse fails almost immediately.pic.twitter.com/7r0KvgFKyf

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:46 AM - 10 Dec 2017

2nd time the Coyote has painted a fake perspective to fool the Road Runner.

2nd time the Road Runner has entered the painting as if it was reality.

1st time a real truck has driven OUT of the painting.

This is not the Coyote's fault. Reality is actively working against him.pic.twitter.com/8fl7NflgCK

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:51 AM - 10 Dec 2017

One ACME product, but the Coyote is still buying from multiple vendors, including Excelsior.pic.twitter.com/doAkaSv7sR

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:52 AM - 10 Dec 2017

OOF this sequence is a tour de force:pic.twitter.com/8QtkfBEuNy

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:55 AM - 10 Dec 2017

Wow, the first 2 RR cartoons ended with the Road Runner passively lounging in the back of a bus & a train, but this time he is actually DRIVING THE TRUCK.

A perfect opening trilogy.

ALSO: look at that wowsa shot of the Coyote flying straight into the camera lens. Great stuff.pic.twitter.com/CRaqiDdC12

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:59 AM - 10 Dec 2017

Tomorrow: the 1st of 7 spin-off shorts starring Ralph Wolf & Sam Sheepdog!

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 1:12 AM - 10 Dec 2017

January 3, 1953: "Don't Give Up The Sheep"

I consider this series to be a spin-off of the Road Runner series, mainly because "Ralph Wolf" (yet to be named in this short) is identical to Wile E. Coyote, but with a red nose. I want to track its development along w/the RR shorts.pic.twitter.com/g5LCfTpFyT

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:06 AM - 10 Dec 2017

Sam Sheepdog opens the short by clocking in while Fred Sheepdog's shift is ending. ALSO: in this 1st short, Sam's name is Ralph.

(Considering how few of these shorts were made, that's a significant continuity error. But the main concepts of this series are all there.)pic.twitter.com/8bxuwozWy8

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:11 AM - 10 Dec 2017

They haven't yet established that what the wolf is doing is also just a job. The workplace aspect of this series is the main thing that makes it different from the Road Runner cartoons, where the pursuit is more primal.pic.twitter.com/QKLI7OOBXi

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:14 AM - 10 Dec 2017

Although there is no denying the crazed look of hunger in Ralph Wolf's eyes in this debut short. Maybe in this first one, it was not just a job for him. (They clearly hadn't thought of that element of the series yet.)pic.twitter.com/bHaHV6acoL

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:16 AM - 10 Dec 2017

One big difference that will vanish in later shorts: here, in his first appearance, the wolf is more muscular and way less wiry than Wile E. Coyote ever looks.pic.twitter.com/FmfVrCgaNh

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:17 AM - 10 Dec 2017

1st attempt: Ralph Wolf tries tricking Sam Sheepdog by manipulating the timeclock. And it almost works, too! Another key difference in the series. Sam Sheepdog always triumphs, but not as effortlessly as the Road Runner. He CAN be tricked, however briefly.pic.twitter.com/7NzSncMlSC

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:19 AM - 10 Dec 2017

ALSO: the all-or-nothing aspect of this near-victory seems like a different dynamic than trying to catch one fast bird. Makes me think Ralph Wolf could find success if he stopped trying to get the entire flock at once.pic.twitter.com/0HZMo9k0Ph

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:22 AM - 10 Dec 2017

Wolf disguised as bush is thwarted by Sheepdog disguised as tree. After a shaky start, we see that Sam Sheepdog is a professional.pic.twitter.com/Pru2FwS7pS

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:24 AM - 10 Dec 2017

So far each of Ralph Wolf's attempts has been varied and sophisticated, but this one was pretentious and the least likely to succeed.pic.twitter.com/RC6c8wWhNp

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:27 AM - 10 Dec 2017

Of the 4 attempts so far, Sam Sheepdog has been caught offguard 50% of the time. He recovers quickly, but he is not the totally calm, unflappable badass I remember, at least not in this first appearance.pic.twitter.com/AzyI75fcfH

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:31 AM - 10 Dec 2017

ACME! Another link beween Coyote & Wolf!

(Also, this is weirder than any of the ACME products Wile E. has ordered up to this point, most of which have been pretty basic mail order things, not a live, ferocious "wild cat" in a box.)pic.twitter.com/sKSvKJfCBn

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:34 AM - 10 Dec 2017

Also, I feel like this is the first instance in which ACME could have/should have been sued. They have no business selling live, dangerous animals via mail order.

Look at what happened to this paying customer upon receiving his package:pic.twitter.com/uiMp3dA8aP

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:36 AM - 10 Dec 2017

This sequence consists of a long stream of reversals. First, Wolf grabs Sheep but it turns out to be Dog. Wolf then climbs rope and saws branch to make Dog fall. Then wolf hears sawing behind him...pic.twitter.com/eLfFuGTuUd

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:39 AM - 10 Dec 2017

...MORE reversals! Dog is delighted to turn tables on Wolf, but then HE hears sawing behind him. Then it happens again, only this time Wolf hears chopping, from below...pic.twitter.com/EckvDLqR10

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:40 AM - 10 Dec 2017

...Dog chopping tree leads to Wolf with a pickax trying to chop off the end of the ledge, which leads to our first break with Basic Reality. The ledge floats while somehow everything else falls away.

I am not sure why this gag is less satisfying in this short than in the RR onespic.twitter.com/EpdAwsy06Y

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:44 AM - 10 Dec 2017

I like this cartoon a lot, but I must admit that I think the moments of vulnerability they give Sam Sheepdog somehow weaken the overall punch of the cartoon.

I think they have yet to figure out that Sam Sheepdog is better when he is damn good at his job.pic.twitter.com/zVmhR3IpMw

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:46 AM - 10 Dec 2017

The final, satisfying twist at the end is when "Fred Sheepdog" clocks in and Sam immediately starts beating the hell out of him, instantly sussing out that it's just Ralph Wolf in a costume. Then the real Fred arrives and takes over the beating.pic.twitter.com/peghl1CYZr

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:06 AM - 10 Dec 2017

It is interesting that the Wolf/Sheepdog series starts out slightly less fully formed compared to the near perfection of the 1st RR short.

It does scratch a slightly different itch than that series, which is what makes it impressive. Jones & Maltese had a specific new vision.

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:12 AM - 10 Dec 2017

I am very curious to see how the series most likely changes in its 2nd short. My guess is that Sam Sheepdog becomes more surefooted, and that the dynamic is more clearly about two professionals, one of whom (Ralph Wolf) is solid but hopelessly outmatched.

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:15 AM - 10 Dec 2017

The next short I'm gonna watch is the 4th Road Runner cartoon & one which I feel a special connection to bc I also had an abridged version that I watched all the time using this Fisher Price handheld film viewer toy.

I would watch it fast, slow, backwards & frame-by-frame!pic.twitter.com/3mTzKrIum6

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:29 AM - 10 Dec 2017

For those of you who have no idea what this toy is/was, it was a magical handheld movie viewer that required no batteries to operate. I think it was absolutely my favorite toy as a kid.http://www.retroland.com/fisher-price-movie-viewer/ …

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 2:55 PM - 10 Dec 2017

In fact, I still have my entire collection of film cartridges for this (along with my other View-Master and reels), I could never bear to get rid of them.pic.twitter.com/uaMpz6NmiO

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 3:05 PM - 10 Dec 2017

SIDE NOTE: many of the 3D View-Master reels featured VERY cool adaptations of 2D cartoons done in a more 3D/stop-motion style. I had this Road Runner one & always wished it was a real cartoon instead of just a series of still images:pic.twitter.com/8lFqxQw9Z6

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 3:08 PM - 10 Dec 2017

It turns out there is a YouTube channel devoted to old View-Master reels that you can watch in 3-D using one of those little cardboard VR viewers they make to put your phone in!https://youtu.be/Rh_Laqv7NgE 

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:59 PM - 10 Dec 2017

Here are a few of the images from it. These were so nice, I wish someone would make a coffee table book of old View-Master things like this. They did them for Peanuts, Woody Woodpecker, Disney, Tom & Jerry, etc all in this style:pic.twitter.com/h4ImnyprcK

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:07 PM - 10 Dec 2017

September 19, 1953: "Zipping Along"

After two in 1952, it has been over a year since the last RR cartoon.pic.twitter.com/5srLWVw2PM

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:03 PM - 10 Dec 2017

Road Runner (Velocitus Tremenjus)
Coyote (Road-Runnerus Digestus)

This is the first time they decided to change the Latin names! It's a great running gag, both sophisticated and silly.

Also: one of the best-ever Coyote freeze-frames.pic.twitter.com/cbxLA2Occo

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:11 PM - 10 Dec 2017

The "speeding up" post-freeze frame is shorter this time. Maybe that's the end of this part of the opening ritual. If so, I will miss it. I think it was a cool way to start these. However, I'm sure the precious seconds they save will be put to good use elsewhere in the shorts.pic.twitter.com/wWQiwxJOvf

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:19 PM - 10 Dec 2017

Just want to point out how great this drawing is.pic.twitter.com/UNORUI6Fc3

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:20 PM - 10 Dec 2017

The opening still includes a "pure" 1st attempt to catch the Road Runner without any tricks or technology:pic.twitter.com/cSYjge77fo

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:23 PM - 10 Dec 2017

HA! I *knew* they re-used this establishing shot in another cartoon!

I didn't think it was gonna be in back-to-back shorts, though. And they did a good job of changing the coloring so it isn't exactly the same.pic.twitter.com/jHImSfECut

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:27 PM - 10 Dec 2017

A lot of the Coyote's misfortune can be chalked up to bad luck, and some of it can even be blamed on some kind of Higher Power actively working against him.

But so far, his mistakes involving grenades are his own fault. This is bad luck, sure, but also a very sloppy mistake.pic.twitter.com/ricEaUTSUp

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:34 PM - 10 Dec 2017

I like how this sequence is just a brief personal interaction. No traps or schemes. And a little glimpse to the camera at the end.

I always think that, on some level, the Road Runner is fond of the Coyote, even though he is 100% aware of what his intentions are.pic.twitter.com/nSFJj5xFPh

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:40 PM - 10 Dec 2017

I love the use of music and silence and sound effects here. The timing is all very delicate.pic.twitter.com/mxNIIHvpWj

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:43 PM - 10 Dec 2017

One (1) ACME Giant Kite Kit
One (1) non-ACME Bomb

Maybe he needs to start ordering everything from one companypic.twitter.com/2Db6V70p8i

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:48 PM - 10 Dec 2017

I thought this was going to be another gag where Gravity itself betrayed the Coyote, but no: this was entirely his fault. He should have seen this coming.pic.twitter.com/E8moQudvVg

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:50 PM - 10 Dec 2017

ACME Bird Seed
ACE Steel Shotpic.twitter.com/vmWCQZHP0b

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:52 PM - 10 Dec 2017

Ok, this one is NOT the Coyote's fault, at all. I'm not even sure we can ever know who or what caused a large metal explosive to be drawn to a magnet in the middle of the desert.pic.twitter.com/cHPf8yITfc

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:58 PM - 10 Dec 2017

Another great image:pic.twitter.com/69lBGVdbq5

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:01 PM - 10 Dec 2017

I have no idea who Hershenberger is, but this book is wildly irresponsiblepic.twitter.com/AwxQHUDfCB

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:06 PM - 10 Dec 2017

It is impressive that the Road Runner can suddenly whip out a large hand mirror the moment he needs it but it has already been established that he can instantly produce custom-made signs that say whatever the situation requires, so this is probably easy:pic.twitter.com/5PNe0PqXkr

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:09 PM - 10 Dec 2017

It is almost shocking to see a character in a Warner Bros cartoon walk off a cliff and instantly fall, without the customary 10 paces + moment of realizationpic.twitter.com/fP9tDUxWaW

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:13 PM - 10 Dec 2017

100% Coyote's faultpic.twitter.com/hVT7Q6IaUJ

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:15 PM - 10 Dec 2017

Now that I'm looking out for it, this short is re-using all sorts of backgrounds from the previous year's RR short!

Makes sense! Chuck Jones would often use these RR cartoons to funnel money into the budgets of his more ambitious shorts like "What's Opera, Doc?"pic.twitter.com/ChUUT6tOmo

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:22 PM - 10 Dec 2017

This gag was sometimes censored on TV because it was too violent but don't worry now u can buy a single gun that can shoot this much all at once and even terrorists & insane people are allowed to buy them because of a delberate misreading of the 2nd Amendment. #ThoughtsAndPrayerspic.twitter.com/4o3ueyEpBH

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:26 PM - 10 Dec 2017

This joke is basically repeated from the earlier Wolf/Sheepdog short, where it was the end of a log escalating sequence of gags. It works better here, as a standalone joke, than it did as a payoff in Don't Give Up The Sheep.pic.twitter.com/Mlp9Mh3299

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:29 PM - 10 Dec 2017

Whose fault, this time? I am uncertain. Did the Coyote order a cannon specifically designed for a "human cannonball"? Or did he rig this up himself? It's hard to know which is more likely, although so far I haven't noticed any ACME products being defective, just misused.pic.twitter.com/8zqtdJ45O5

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:34 PM - 10 Dec 2017

This one, I don't blame the Coyote for. It's pretty impressive how close he comes here, given how difficult this looks like it would've been to set up. Really think about it, this one looks exhausting:pic.twitter.com/EinaOFySHt

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:41 PM - 10 Dec 2017

So far, every RR cartoon has ended w/the Coyote getting run over by a vehicle, although this is the 1st one w/no sign of the RR.

I love how the panic leads him to trigger the explosives & then he still gets run over

Also, the Coyote deliriously imitating the RR is a nice buttonpic.twitter.com/8EIUv4uMUw

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:48 PM - 10 Dec 2017

One alarming realization: the Fisher Price film cartridge of "Zipping Along" is only partly excerpted from this short! It also contains footage that is clearly from a later 1950s RR short, and I somehow never noticed this when I was a kid.pic.twitter.com/sa7gZoUPwa

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 10:25 PM - 10 Dec 2017

August 14, 1954: "Stop! Look! And Hasten!"

Almost 5 years since their debut short, the fifth Road Runner cartoon arrives:pic.twitter.com/3I779wRlih

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 3:22 PM - 11 Dec 2017

Road Runner (Hot-roddicus Supersonicus)
Coyote (Eatibus Anythingus)pic.twitter.com/DKPxQLwc1M

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 3:24 PM - 11 Dec 2017

A sadder opening than any previous RR shows the Coyote eating bugs.

(Not Bugs Bunny-- actual insects)pic.twitter.com/lhFW3TCQ8d

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 3:28 PM - 11 Dec 2017

The sudden prospect of a delicious Road Runner dinner makes the Coyote reconsider eating a tin can:pic.twitter.com/VbeUAJff7A

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 3:30 PM - 11 Dec 2017

So far, each of these shorts has sort of started from scratch in terms of re-establishing the premise of the series. In this instance, they are really emphasizing the Coyote's hunger.

Really vivid animation of the Coyote hungrily licking his chops:pic.twitter.com/9bLDIS9YnC

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 3:33 PM - 11 Dec 2017

Coyote's eyeballs literally fall out of his head upon seeing how fast the Road Runner is. This is a gag but also makes me consider whether aspects of this series almost cross over into Cronenbergian body horrorpic.twitter.com/1uhmbK4fgF

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 3:38 PM - 11 Dec 2017

Another Coyote think sequence.

I like how they clearly felt this was a crucial beat, deserving of a small pause in the action. It buys them a lot, showing this; we assume that each of the schemes we see later was the result of a great deal of cateful consideration.pic.twitter.com/kpGj7RxsE1

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 3:42 PM - 11 Dec 2017

I have to say, I have a preference for the gags where the Coyote has clearly done a good & thorough job and the inevitable bad result is out of his hands. This plan looks like it should work:pic.twitter.com/o5GoJVb0St

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 3:46 PM - 11 Dec 2017

It did not work.pic.twitter.com/lrvur7OdeA

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 3:46 PM - 11 Dec 2017

This scheme is pretty basic.

It fails when, instead of catching the Road Runner, it "catches" a large truck with a similar sounding beep.

(By now, this is a clear hazard that the Coyote should factor in: every large truck seems to also make a "meep meep" noise.)pic.twitter.com/CzqR33qxuU

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 3:49 PM - 11 Dec 2017

This scheme fails by catching an actual Burmese Tiger. Is this the only time they did a Latin species name gag mid-short, for a non-Coyote/Road Runner? I really like this.

Burmese Tiger (Surprisibus! Surprisibus!)pic.twitter.com/YqSFzzzBWR

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 3:53 PM - 11 Dec 2017

They spend 30+ seconds setting up a gag that won't pay off until the end of the short.

It's effective, and makes this film particularly memorable in a series where it is easy for them to all become a blur.pic.twitter.com/RYmnsSh20E

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:04 PM - 11 Dec 2017

I feel like the Road Runner's life is like 90% whimsy.pic.twitter.com/o1WW1PKvOQ

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:06 PM - 11 Dec 2017

The early RR shorts love these sequences where they pull back to show how these chases play out in the big picture.

This one is great because it is deceptively simple: a single background painting, and the camera pans up and down, yet it feels much more complicated than that!pic.twitter.com/DnK00GLT9p

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:14 PM - 11 Dec 2017

The combination of lighting, music & sound effects (plus the expression on his face) makes this feel more terrifying and painful than the other times the Coyote has been injured in this short. Something about this one makes me really feel it.pic.twitter.com/cFmySQJI49

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:17 PM - 11 Dec 2017

Coyote's fault! He is too careless with explosives. But this is also bad luck.

(ALSO: non-ACME TNT.)pic.twitter.com/CxPZl8o5Ub

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:19 PM - 11 Dec 2017

On its own, "Coyote is on a motorcycle and immediately crashes into a pole" isn't even much of a gag, is it?

I guess it works because it happens so fast in the middle of all the more complicated failures.pic.twitter.com/3vSe0yI1bf

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:25 PM - 11 Dec 2017

ACME Bird Seed. So far, I think I have only found fault with one ACME product (the live "Wild Cat" in the first Ralph Wolf short). Most of their stuff seem to be "as advertised."

It does seem like, in 2017, the Coyote would be an Amazon Prime member.pic.twitter.com/Qyb5Ad7yBv

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:29 PM - 11 Dec 2017

This is at least the 3rd time Jones & Maltese have used this gag, although visually this instance feels different.

Having it play out in an extreme wide shot feels funnier. It's more brazen: "Yeah, so what if it makes no sense? This is what happened! Deal with it!"pic.twitter.com/tprMRRoUrP

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:33 PM - 11 Dec 2017

ACME Triple-Strength Fortified Leg Muscle Vitamins (Family Size)

Okay, this is a crazy product, especially since it actually works & makes the coyote's leg muscles expand instantly.pic.twitter.com/VcIuBFqfEh

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:37 PM - 11 Dec 2017

More Cronenbergian body horror:pic.twitter.com/Pep39gn64g

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:38 PM - 11 Dec 2017

A fantastic conclusion, as the leg muscle vitamins make it look like he is FINALLY fast enough to catch the Road Runner.

The cut to the trap from earlier allows JUST enough time for your brain to catch up & enjoy a half-moment of anticipation of the final gag. PERFECT timing.pic.twitter.com/KTepUd2fge

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:43 PM - 11 Dec 2017

A striking final image, as the Road Runner writes out the farewell in the dust, and you can see the Coyote very small off to the side, either stunned or trapped or both.pic.twitter.com/RD79fzk0ii

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:46 PM - 11 Dec 2017

December 11, 1954: "Sheep Ahoy"

The 2nd Ralph Wolf/Sam Sheepdog cartoon is even better than the first. They figured out at least two big things since the first one...pic.twitter.com/xMZgdIWntp

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:02 PM - 11 Dec 2017

The short opens with this well-paced & visually striking sequence where the wolf sneakily tries to take advantage during a sheepdog shift change:pic.twitter.com/pUtoe01XFD

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:09 PM - 11 Dec 2017

Even though he is almost identical to the Coyote, the opening shots of the wolf so far are much more disturbing.pic.twitter.com/yZ9GLnlsYl

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:10 PM - 11 Dec 2017

1st scheme is so simple. Show up early, grab a sheep.pic.twitter.com/gstwxttANX

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:14 PM - 11 Dec 2017

The 1st big change since the first short is that the Sheepdog is still slow but he never appears to be rattled by anything the Wolf does. He is quiet, calm & confident.pic.twitter.com/6pliaoOyMa

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:16 PM - 11 Dec 2017

Wolf attempts to drop boulder on sheepdog, who is saved by a tree above him. I choose to think this is not bad luck on the wolf's part, but skill on the dog's end of things in choosing where to sit. He knows what he's doing.pic.twitter.com/7HsFUzb7rr

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:23 PM - 11 Dec 2017

Likewise, a pole-vaulting trick is easily thwarted. The wolf consistently underestimates what he is up against.pic.twitter.com/3pgAOvZcs3

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:25 PM - 11 Dec 2017

ACME Smoke Screen Bomb creates a cloud of smoke that disguises you when you walk around. (Unlike the Coyote at this point, so far the wolf ONLY orders ACME products.)pic.twitter.com/tVKLUt1qUq

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:27 PM - 11 Dec 2017

It really makes such a huge difference that the Sheepdog never seems panicked. Also, he has always reminded me of Wilford Brimley, although I think DeNiro would also be good casting in a live action version of this. He's stoic.pic.twitter.com/DxpBMTQWo3

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:30 PM - 11 Dec 2017

This is the first ACME product that seems like it's trying too hard.pic.twitter.com/LB8tfXUBcA

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:31 PM - 11 Dec 2017

This Sheepdog is a PROFESSIONALpic.twitter.com/W9w82yYafu

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:34 PM - 11 Dec 2017

The angle hides the violent act that happens below the frame, but that actually makes it feel MORE violent.pic.twitter.com/XEr2AKsgwf

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:35 PM - 11 Dec 2017

In the previous short, it felt like the Wolf occasionally had the upper hand. It lent the debut a slightly weird energy that this 2nd one doesn't have. It's funnier when the Wolf THINKS he has the upper hand while we wait for the reveal that he does not.pic.twitter.com/sviGgeYGhY

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:38 PM - 11 Dec 2017

These two are not equals. The Wolf is outmatched every step of the way.pic.twitter.com/K8lp59JWYm

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:39 PM - 11 Dec 2017

Even when the Sheepdog makes an effort now (signage), he makes it seem so simple by comparisonpic.twitter.com/EAQYm6wyew

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:41 PM - 11 Dec 2017

Blueprints! Done in the identical style to the Coyote's, although -- slight but telling difference -- the Wolf's blueprints don't end with little jokes for his own amusement.pic.twitter.com/calpsCOyma

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:43 PM - 11 Dec 2017

Final sequence reveals this short's other big innovation: the Wolf ALSO punches a clock and works a shift! This move is a masterstroke.

ALSO: the names are still all screwy.

Sam Sheepdog is "Ralph"
Ralph Wolf is "George"
The other wolf is named "Sam"
And then there's Fred.pic.twitter.com/nnvv1O06Mn

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:47 PM - 11 Dec 2017

I think this is one of the first WB shorts where Milt Franklyn was musical director instead of Carl Stalling. He was Stalling's arranger since 1936 & eventually takes over completely when Stalling retires in '58 but then Franklyn dies of a heart attack in 1962. This got sad quickpic.twitter.com/BB40k0Y8VY

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:59 PM - 11 Dec 2017

April 30, 1955: "Ready.. Set.. Zoom!"

The 6th Road Runner cartoon shows the subtle ways that the series avoids merely repeating itself...pic.twitter.com/aIMliWu5OT

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:43 PM - 11 Dec 2017

We open on the Road Runner, standing still...pic.twitter.com/9oWc1B7JRX

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:44 PM - 11 Dec 2017

Since the films are no longer using the freeze-frame, the Road Runner zips out of the foreground before the Latin species text can appear on screen:pic.twitter.com/7VziHLkT2Z

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:49 PM - 11 Dec 2017

Road Runner (Speedipus Rex)
Coyote (Famishus-Famishus)pic.twitter.com/hZaxwBrUsz

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:50 PM - 11 Dec 2017

Take note of the BONES scattered on the ground outside of the Coyote's cave. Did he successfully kill something in between films? Are we only being shown his failures?pic.twitter.com/Y12NxM2f4S

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:52 PM - 11 Dec 2017

Are we ever meant to specifically think these films exist in any kind of continuity? Or is each one a new reality, or a different Coyote/Road Runner pairing? So far, he has only been named "Wile E. Coyote" in the single short with Bugs Bunny.pic.twitter.com/4ReebRkEdc

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:54 PM - 11 Dec 2017

Terrific deliberately off-model reaction shot:pic.twitter.com/mE0UgfnOMZ

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:55 PM - 11 Dec 2017

A cloud of dust obscures some more Cronenbergian body horrorpic.twitter.com/kaEC7RvkzS

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:56 PM - 11 Dec 2017

Coyote thinking sequence, with final glance-to-camera overtly breaking the 4th wallpic.twitter.com/UsZWQEDJrg

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:57 PM - 11 Dec 2017

The first few shorts all concluded with the Coyote being run over by a vehicle; here, they get that out of the way with his 1st attempt.

The gag is basically a repeat, but structurally they are mixing it up.pic.twitter.com/5JSu3qf2tS

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:01 PM - 11 Dec 2017

The next gag starts as kind of a repeat: Coyote covers street with glue; RR speeds through & splashes it off the road, splashing all over Coyote.

Previously, it was quick drying cement; this time, it's glue & there's a stick of dynamite in the mix...pic.twitter.com/kLonsuWEIL

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:05 PM - 11 Dec 2017

...and it leads to a series of reactions as it gets worse and worse. Every frame of this is funny.pic.twitter.com/KBoxkIcnjk

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:07 PM - 11 Dec 2017

All of this leading up to the best part, when the Coyote painfully uses his ass bones to walk over a small cliff to land in the water, cringing in pain the whole way, and all for nothing.

This is SO well-animated:pic.twitter.com/ASmk7nuPOL

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:12 PM - 11 Dec 2017

The Coyote is, I think, at his most relatable when it seems like the Universe itself is out to get him:pic.twitter.com/gwaboTdTuB

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:15 PM - 11 Dec 2017

And yet, it does feel like most of the time his misfortunes are his own fault. (Also very relatable.)pic.twitter.com/H1IK5pde1n

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:17 PM - 11 Dec 2017

It is easy to like the Road Runner, but harder to relate to him.

It is my aspiration to be able to live like the Road Runner, I think. Stress-free despite ample reasons to be concerned at any given moment.pic.twitter.com/mk8dBvCuaW

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:20 PM - 11 Dec 2017

5 items, but only the Out-Board Motor is an ACMEpic.twitter.com/HFj6epnJJG

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:23 PM - 11 Dec 2017

This is one of my favorite parts, the moment where he triumphantly frees himself from the contraption only to watch the thing make it all the way across:pic.twitter.com/y559vpfc6M

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:26 PM - 11 Dec 2017

ACME's Female Road-Runner costume is way better than the officially licensed Road Runner costumes that were available when I was a kid.pic.twitter.com/RqdaPQoQS2

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:32 PM - 11 Dec 2017

The ending to this film is a mind-blower, and leads back to the unanswerable question I posed at the top of this short: is it always the same Coyote & Road Runner?pic.twitter.com/ATJJ368VoA

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:35 PM - 11 Dec 2017

Did those Coyotes catch and eat the original Coyote? Wait, were those COYOTE BONES at the top of this short? Is this a Mobius strip??pic.twitter.com/vHgWcU4uah

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:37 PM - 11 Dec 2017

ALSO: dear readers, it has been brought to my attention by @theadamhayden that the "Jim-Dandy Wagon" identified several tweets ago as a non-ACME item is, in fact, visibly labeled as a product of the ACME Toy Co.

WE REGRET THE ERRORpic.twitter.com/8rzFWJn5r2

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:43 PM - 11 Dec 2017

July 23, 1955: "Double Or Mutton"

The 3rd Wolf/Sheepdog short, and another one of the very few shorts in this series that for some reason isn't currently showing up on @BoomerangToons. (I'm sure this could be easily remedied!)pic.twitter.com/pC7KKrvroT

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:16 PM - 12 Dec 2017

This is the 1st time we see Ralph & Sam arriving at work at the same time & clocking in using the same punch clock.

(The previous short established that they were both on the job, but this one establishes that they are colleagues & polite to one another outside of work.)pic.twitter.com/aQE5UOVnMv

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:21 PM - 12 Dec 2017

Finally, this series settles on the "correct" character names!

Although their "last names" are actually their job titles, and Sam's has a hyphen in it! "Sheep-dog"

ALSO: this short takes place on Hump Day.pic.twitter.com/RjLRmcjQau

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:24 PM - 12 Dec 2017

This is the first time that Ralph Wolf hasn't started out by trying to manipulate the timeclock or take advantage of the shift change. He starts work at exactly the same moment as Sam Sheep-dog.pic.twitter.com/9XZIQGS5zc

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:40 PM - 12 Dec 2017

1st attempt: tunneling.

Ralph does this well but Sam is ready for him. The sad truth is that both of them are really good at their jobs, but Sam is better, and indisputably so.pic.twitter.com/Ed4QVzLD3n

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:42 PM - 12 Dec 2017

Wolf thinking sequencepic.twitter.com/YJuLfz5thd

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:45 PM - 12 Dec 2017

No amount of preparation, equipment or technology seems to be enough to thwart Sam Sheep-dog's ability to be wherever he needs to be at any given moment, even if it seems impossible.pic.twitter.com/70ZLXe9bJO

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:48 PM - 12 Dec 2017

A rare moment of victory for Ralph Wolf.

One key difference compared to their 1st short is that, while Ralph momentarily seems to have the upper hand, Sam Sheep-dog doesn't look even slightly panicked, even as a rocket carries him away...pic.twitter.com/U5uNluDMHc

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:51 PM - 12 Dec 2017

Another advance: in the first short, Ralph attempted to take the whole flock at once. Here, he wisely settles for one. (Not that it matters.)

They are BOTH getting better at their jobs, but Ralph will never, it seems, be better than Sam.pic.twitter.com/gyeV51yZYD

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:55 PM - 12 Dec 2017

Ralph Wolf's more theatrical/literary attempts seem like real long shots.

At least when he uses a rocket or a helicopter it feels like he has a fighting chance.pic.twitter.com/4LLe87Jrvu

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:57 PM - 12 Dec 2017

Sam's counter-move is especially humiliating, as it reveals a level of skill & theatrical flair that puts Ralph to shame. Plus, he follows it with a beating.pic.twitter.com/a8FQiMUF9q

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:05 PM - 12 Dec 2017

Helicopter pulled down within seconds.pic.twitter.com/eA6AOgob20

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:07 PM - 12 Dec 2017

Canon turned to face other direction. That's two big & expensive pieces of equipment in a row, both immediately rendered useless.pic.twitter.com/Azccv0VaoF

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:11 PM - 12 Dec 2017

A SECOND Wolf thinking sequence? Also, what is that cave, his office? And what are those bones? Did he get to eat something recently? SO many questions!pic.twitter.com/IvJGFzjKSe

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:13 PM - 12 Dec 2017

ACME Patented Hair Grower (GUARANTEED).

Also: this rain is nicely dramatic, and emphasizes Sam Sheep-dog's quiet commitment to his job.pic.twitter.com/9b02B85BKL

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:14 PM - 12 Dec 2017

These are just 4 moments from a nicely drawn-out sequence.

Every gag in these shorts is somewhat predictable/inevitable, the pleasure is in the surprise of how they play out.

The patient confidence of a scene like this is impressive & fun.pic.twitter.com/x2vhggPNk3

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:17 PM - 12 Dec 2017

There is something so sad and beautiful about the ending of this short. It's just a job. They go home to their lives. It's Wednesday evening.pic.twitter.com/CgKgXSKpUo

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:18 PM - 12 Dec 2017

December 10, 1955: "Guided Muscle"

The 7th Road Runner cartoon was the 2nd one released in 1955.pic.twitter.com/LL7Hsqn0Qn

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:49 PM - 12 Dec 2017

We open with a seemingly content Coyote, happily preparing a tin can for his dinner.

Compare this to the earlier "hungry coyote" opening, which showed him miserably choking down insects.

Could it be that the Coyote has found a non-Road Runner meal option that satisfies him?pic.twitter.com/Z9Yoalv9eV

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:54 PM - 12 Dec 2017

The answer is NO.pic.twitter.com/W59imTY8cZ

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:55 PM - 12 Dec 2017

Incidentally, this short was featured the very fun "100 Greatest Looney Tunes" book, in which the great animation historian @jerrybeck, wrote: "if I had to pick a 'pure' Road Runner-Coyote film, this would be it."pic.twitter.com/3itTLUp6W7

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:00 PM - 12 Dec 2017

Road Runner (Velocitus Delectiblus)
Coyote (Eatibus almost anythingus)pic.twitter.com/h2fXUwFpie

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:02 PM - 12 Dec 2017

Coyote thinking sequence. I tend to think the glance-to-camera makes us complicit on some level. We, the audience, ARE the Coyote.pic.twitter.com/beWfJY7umr

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:04 PM - 12 Dec 2017

1st attempt: Coyote transforms himself into an arrow.

(No indication as to whether the large bow or arrowhead nose attachment were ACME products.)pic.twitter.com/9pmNcI7PbQ

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:06 PM - 12 Dec 2017

1) It's going well
2) confident glance-to-audience
3) sudden failure
4) additional surprise bonus failurepic.twitter.com/qT7qt8dBJs

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:08 PM - 12 Dec 2017

The 1st fail was entirely the Coyote's fault. This, however, is not.pic.twitter.com/be3QjRNzo1

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:11 PM - 12 Dec 2017

One can hardly blame the Coyote for being baffled by this. Even so, by the end, he was sort of asking for it.pic.twitter.com/Jyc7OzDwBo

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:14 PM - 12 Dec 2017

It can be reasonably argued that even if everything with that slingshot had gone exactly according to plan, it still would have ended like this.

Perhaps the Universe is simply trying to send the Coyote a message, emphatically.pic.twitter.com/wfq3RzTotc

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:16 PM - 12 Dec 2017

How many different ways can a cannon malfunction? Hard to know if this was user error, Act Of God or ACME product defect (perhaps a combination of all three?)pic.twitter.com/Kqr3bNSV0a

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:19 PM - 12 Dec 2017

I think my favorites are when the Coyote's plans come impressively close to working and then fail simply & spectacularlypic.twitter.com/otTQiKXo21

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:21 PM - 12 Dec 2017

And I like how this is basically the exact same gag but staged in the opposite direction:pic.twitter.com/ayeQHkKGJr

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:22 PM - 12 Dec 2017

ACME greasepic.twitter.com/JM1eeR03Xt

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:23 PM - 12 Dec 2017

Normally, a vehicle running him over is the climax of a sequence; here, it is the first thing that happens, as a prelude to a series of smaller, quieter failurespic.twitter.com/csZcPtGNFn

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:26 PM - 12 Dec 2017

Non-ACME Bird Seed
Non-ACME TNTpic.twitter.com/INf0MaCtYh

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:28 PM - 12 Dec 2017

Many of the Coyote's mishaps with explosives have been the result of carelessness on his part.

NOT THIS TIME: this non-ACME TNT is dangerously defective!!

It is a shame we never got to see the Coyote take a manufacturer to court.pic.twitter.com/XixYidjptn

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:31 PM - 12 Dec 2017

No author listed. (Seems like a missed opportunity either for a gag or to sneak a friend or fellow animator's name in)

Also, 10th printing? This fuels my speculation that it is a different Coyote every time - they all ordered this book.pic.twitter.com/PYUFOQ7BVv

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:35 PM - 12 Dec 2017

One part of this book is instructions for building this absolutely terrifying machine which seems like it makes more sense for committing hate crimes.

Presumably, the rest of this book is other ways? That don't involve this crazy machine? This book is a real puzzler.pic.twitter.com/UrkHtTlBfR

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:38 PM - 12 Dec 2017

The Road Runner also calls bullshit on that book.pic.twitter.com/9MxmtpgrKF

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:39 PM - 12 Dec 2017

A nicely-timed fail, rooted in the Coyote's psychological weakness, his anger and frustration causing him to forget the trap he JUST set.pic.twitter.com/WHsHnQ0mOP

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:42 PM - 12 Dec 2017

"Manager of this theater? I watched this on my phone via the @BoomerangToons app."pic.twitter.com/VQF2dxmELJ

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:47 PM - 12 Dec 2017

These cartoons are keenly aware of how important it is to stick the landing.

Having the Coyote quit & literally drag the end titles card across the screen would've been a fine finale of this had been where the series ended.

Thankfully, there is much more still to come.pic.twitter.com/SptVJtYFps

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:49 PM - 12 Dec 2017

May 5, 1956: "Gee Whiz-z-z-z-z-z-z"

Road Runner cartoon #8 opens with the Coyote interacting with the title cards:pic.twitter.com/3R6sDONoY6

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:35 AM - 13 Dec 2017

Road Runner (Delicius-Delicius)
Coyote (Eatius Birdius)pic.twitter.com/XAIXJ78kej

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:38 AM - 13 Dec 2017

Road Runner runs makes an unusual turn. Keep an eye out for it later...pic.twitter.com/MjlrhvxExs

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:40 AM - 13 Dec 2017

Coyote thinking sequence, this time involving signage for the audience's benefitpic.twitter.com/SbLpryWobG

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:41 AM - 13 Dec 2017

1st attempt: a shotgun

In 2017, this would no doubt be a semi-automatic weapon but it still wouldn't work. Coyote would most likely just shoot himself with more bullets, faster.

#ThoughtsAndPrayerspic.twitter.com/YvSX8TQ8ku

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:43 AM - 13 Dec 2017

Bullet cannot catch the Road Runner, is confused, explodes (uncharacteristically.)

This is one crazy bullet.pic.twitter.com/QkuXpWQtW3

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:45 AM - 13 Dec 2017

A 2nd Coyote thinking sequence? And so soon? The insane, inexplicable way that bullet malfunctioned must have really shaken his confidence.pic.twitter.com/gVSrhF96vv

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:48 AM - 13 Dec 2017

ACME triple-strength Battleship Steel Armor Plate (1 sheet)pic.twitter.com/QLuY304mg0

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:49 AM - 13 Dec 2017

More Cronenbergian body horrorpic.twitter.com/Y2WHRvRchj

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:51 AM - 13 Dec 2017

Is this the Coyote's fault? More often than not, explosives mishaps are his fault. I think this one falls more under the heading of Bad Luck...pic.twitter.com/hbEdSbqBMK

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:53 AM - 13 Dec 2017

...but I will bet that the Coyote spends these few seconds wondering if there is anything he could've done differently.pic.twitter.com/rvVgKs8Szi

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:54 AM - 13 Dec 2017

ACME Bat-Man's Outfit (Reg. Size)pic.twitter.com/oV4PkK5PZs

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:55 AM - 13 Dec 2017

Wait, this is just a costume, why is the Coyote acting like this actually makes him Bat-Man? He is about to jump off a clip simply because he ordered an outfit!pic.twitter.com/KHdBmzNWcl

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:01 AM - 13 Dec 2017

Having said all that, it worked!

I guess there must've been special instructions indicating that the outfit was capable of actual flight?

In any case, this is a regrettably careless mistake he makes at the end. He doesn't even come close to using this to catch the Road Runner!pic.twitter.com/v3SN7BLA4o

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:04 AM - 13 Dec 2017

ACME Anvil (375 lbs.)
ACME Giant Rubber Band

It is worth noting that I think this is the first RR short where ALL the products have been ACME brand!

(I think Ralph Wolf has been ACME loyal from the start, although he orders fewer items, generally)pic.twitter.com/Q58XblcUqI

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:07 AM - 13 Dec 2017

I mean, this was NEVER going to work.pic.twitter.com/4Tz7PlakjI

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:08 AM - 13 Dec 2017

Really cool camera angles here, and a device that honestly should have worked.pic.twitter.com/tTdhd30Lnc

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:10 AM - 13 Dec 2017

It did not work.pic.twitter.com/AEr9FGdgFU

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:10 AM - 13 Dec 2017

It must be said, the Coyote is really fucking good at painting. And fast! Although this isn't perfect. Look at how poorly it lines up at the sides! Then again, he is just a Coyote. But also, he's a GENIUS. Anyway, all in all, this is impressive.pic.twitter.com/mvtHgiZcrQ

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:13 AM - 13 Dec 2017

ROAD RUNNER: ignores "Bridge Out" sign! Smashes through painting. Rules, warnings mean nothing to him!

COYOTE: runs into the reality of his own painting. How does he get out? Do the rest of the scenes take place inside the world of the painting? We never see him escape from it.pic.twitter.com/0uDK7gAGho

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:17 AM - 13 Dec 2017

Coyote rigs a bomb to blow up a bridge!

This is basically an act of failed terrorism, dedicated to this week's Port Authority bomber who injured only himself and, unlike the Coyote, gets zero additional chances + has fucked his own life up forever.pic.twitter.com/iX8Y5XUjaY

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:21 AM - 13 Dec 2017

Yep! All ACME now. Brand loyalty has arrived for the Coyote.

ACME Handle Bars
ACME Jet Motorpic.twitter.com/SQeKQ2OGQl

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:22 AM - 13 Dec 2017

It is fun watching the Coyote fall behind and then catch up, as these are minor moments of success for himpic.twitter.com/edJ4Oidn5T

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:23 AM - 13 Dec 2017

There it is again! It's a callback!pic.twitter.com/csDpyjiC6z

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:24 AM - 13 Dec 2017

Late-in-the-game Coyote thinking sequence leads to actual final failurepic.twitter.com/A4muZhmlRr

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:25 AM - 13 Dec 2017

Backing up a moment to appreciate a couple of things: Carl Stalling's use of Raymond Scott's "Powerhouse"!pic.twitter.com/rOo6ILs77C

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:27 AM - 13 Dec 2017

AND: this freeze-frame I accidentally captured, of the Coyote going super fast. Frameable.pic.twitter.com/KxcsHSe1qt

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:28 AM - 13 Dec 2017

Now back to the Coyote, just now realizing that he is floating in mid-air:pic.twitter.com/9FsmAENUtx

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:29 AM - 13 Dec 2017

Last time, the Coyote handed in his notice to management & dragged the end titles onto the screen.

This time, he is less defiant and more defeated, begging for the cartoon to end early as an act of mercy.pic.twitter.com/3EvEA7Wydf

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:33 AM - 13 Dec 2017

November 10, 1956: "There They Go-Go-Go!"

The 9th Road Runner cartoon, and by now I can only assume that keeping this series fresh was a challenge. Its look had subtly evolved, steadily becoming more abstract in its depiction of desert vistas, but the central joke was unchangedpic.twitter.com/5RBgGiRI6H

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:03 PM - 13 Dec 2017

We open with a lengthy, patient "starving coyote" prologue. He is making a bird carcas out of clay or mud. He does not seem unhappy.pic.twitter.com/LYy4Zc1Xdc

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:05 PM - 13 Dec 2017

They are in no hurry to get to the regular gags, taking their time with every beat of this sequence. We know where this is going, but they are having fun in delaying.pic.twitter.com/7xeSVqQdw3

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:08 PM - 13 Dec 2017

The payoff to this is equally deliberate, a slow burn as he loses a tooth biting into hardened fake bird. One would assume that the next & final beat would be an unhappy sulk to-camera...pic.twitter.com/8iFZXrGICo

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:10 PM - 13 Dec 2017

But WAIT: it's not over! Is he making another fake bird? Did they accidentally go back to the beginning? What is happening? Is this a Road Runner cartoon or the first Coyote solo short?pic.twitter.com/rxkUoWfdxn

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:12 PM - 13 Dec 2017

The fastidiousness of the Coyote making a wastebasket for his fake bird carcus is only matched by that of Jones & Maltese making a full meal out of this prologue.

(Not one word of this is intended as criticism; I love it & genuinely could have watched a whole short of only this)pic.twitter.com/0NRFpUASLt

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:17 PM - 13 Dec 2017

And now, down to business:

Coyote (Famishius Fantasticus)
Road-Runner (Dig-Outius Tid-Bittius)pic.twitter.com/V1W8pWYvdg

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:18 PM - 13 Dec 2017

Excellent final flourish for the prologue items as he stops fooling himself and gives in to his true hungerpic.twitter.com/10Xc9VgOTD

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:19 PM - 13 Dec 2017

Is the Road Runner getting faster? Because this is new, right?

Did the RR *learn* this by observing how the Coyote set the road on fire after taking those leg muscle vitamins & nearly catching him several shorts ago?pic.twitter.com/ZTuRdn2YPN

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:21 PM - 13 Dec 2017

Even the quickest moments in the RR shorts make the most of every beat.pic.twitter.com/39dcRLR0Zu

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:23 PM - 13 Dec 2017

Again, they are in no hurry to get to the trap gags...pic.twitter.com/rs4XodZfxU

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:26 PM - 13 Dec 2017

It almost feels like they were close to making a short where the Coyote never even made it to the point of trying to really trap the Road Runner; he just happens to see one and that moment alone triggers a chain reaction of bad luck eventspic.twitter.com/QLpFEtKvCy

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:28 PM - 13 Dec 2017

This sequence confused the hell out of me as a kid. Were divining rods a more commonly known thing in the 1950s?

I remember trying to do this (after seeing it in multiple cartoons) with of course zero luck.pic.twitter.com/7RLsCLmIaw

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:33 PM - 13 Dec 2017

Coyote thinking sequence, starting with pure rage at having been set on fire but it doesn't take long for him to get an ideapic.twitter.com/mlCMYV013L

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:36 PM - 13 Dec 2017

Attempt #1: the rope was too long.

Given the impressive complexity of previous endeavors, a mistake like this is unacceptable.pic.twitter.com/616Hub6wKn

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:38 PM - 13 Dec 2017

This is another example where I'm not sure it would have worked even in the best case scenario. The coyote is off his game so farpic.twitter.com/Z1HxqaYB5s

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:41 PM - 13 Dec 2017

Coyote, in what world do you think the Road Runner is going to be foiled by this? It's vicious, yes, but it will neither lure him nor move as fast as him, and those are really your only 2 pathways to possible success.pic.twitter.com/2C5fVePzvN

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:44 PM - 13 Dec 2017

Having said that, this was just bad luck.

(Only the Coyote's fault in the sense that he should by now be braced for the worst.)pic.twitter.com/n7rlr1axul

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:45 PM - 13 Dec 2017

I think it is no coincidence that this short hasn't featured any ACME products whatsoever and it is also a possible low point for the Coyote.pic.twitter.com/I7DUdIDAo3

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:49 PM - 13 Dec 2017

In the previous short, the Coyote blew up an actual bridge. Now he is making his own fake bridge in order to sabotage it. (SO fake it requires a sign identifying it as a bridge)

Are we to assume that he has already blown up all the existing bridges in the area?pic.twitter.com/fVpkbQPPUa

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:55 PM - 13 Dec 2017

Always a dangerous moment when the Coyote's well thought-out plans are ruined and he is tempted to think on his feet.pic.twitter.com/g3rWfgFWXm

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:57 PM - 13 Dec 2017

Even as a backup plan, climbing a ladder up a cliff is a contender for the single most pointless idea the Coyote has ever come up with: significant risk and 0% chance of success.

Is he hoping that the Road Runner will just wait at the top to be caught by him?pic.twitter.com/2uyN5zr3ks

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:01 PM - 13 Dec 2017

Impressive Tom Cruise/Mission: Impossible-level mid-air ladder moves, it must be said.pic.twitter.com/4eMDYeR8TK

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:03 PM - 13 Dec 2017

Deserved, if only to learn the lesson that he needs to start thinking more clearly and never try to improvise a new plan on the spot. He's terrible at it.pic.twitter.com/3d2zJO7rmg

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:05 PM - 13 Dec 2017

We see him salvage this wagon wheel from some wreckage. Why isn't he ordering from ACME? Maybe he is trying a new approach. Admittedly, it's hard to know what to do when you literally NEVER succeed.pic.twitter.com/AgCnesaoln

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:08 PM - 13 Dec 2017

Not Coyote's fault.

Although maybe this is a non-ACME product, in which case: you get what you pay for.

And it *could* be user error. He is not at his best, admittedly.

Regardless, I am inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt on this one.pic.twitter.com/xBsH6koN1s

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:12 PM - 13 Dec 2017

In any other previous short, I'd say this is bad luck or the Universe working against him.

But I think he just packed those rocks too tight. Coyote's fault!pic.twitter.com/jEpbQgRrrn

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:14 PM - 13 Dec 2017

Nine shorts in, the Coyote finally loses his mind. None of this is rational behavior.pic.twitter.com/Qh9WbxLNRo

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:15 PM - 13 Dec 2017

Coyote realizes that he is the problem.

This is a real breakthrough moment, although he is also about to get crushed by falling rocks.pic.twitter.com/YKPNc2O6Yo

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:16 PM - 13 Dec 2017

1st appearance of a tiny, useless umbrella!

Empty symbolic gesture, or a healthy admission that he needs help?pic.twitter.com/grIjogwfOd

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:18 PM - 13 Dec 2017

This was a tough one, in the sense that it is more painful to watch the Coyote when the mistakes are mostly his own fault.

It is actually easier when they are mixed in with some unavoidable bad luck and some Job-like cosmic persecution.pic.twitter.com/qgxWC0v8oq

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:20 PM - 13 Dec 2017

Carl Stalling's excellent orchestral score for this specific short can be heard in its entirety on Spotify, from the first volume that came out on CD of selections of his work:https://open.spotify.com/track/5OHYOJKRc7Erj2T6TnlG5d?si=AW713_j6RfqZ2vj6s5_6iw …

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:25 PM - 13 Dec 2017

December 15, 1956: "To Hare Is Human"

Almost 5 years since their previous encounter, Wile E. Coyote (here pronounced "kiy-oh-TAY") once again attempts to kill & eat Bugs Bunny.pic.twitter.com/UtsR30bizD

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:50 AM - 15 Dec 2017

I should have noted this in the previous RR short, that Charles M. Jones is now officially credited as Chuck Jones!pic.twitter.com/cCqnTNGn3T

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:54 AM - 15 Dec 2017

Last time, Wile E. Coyote installed a collapsible doorway and Bugs rose out of his rabbit hole via his own hydraulic lift.

This time, Wile E. installs his own collapsible elevator over Bugs' rabbit hole and emerges carrying a sack...pic.twitter.com/UXlGlki9PG

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:57 AM - 15 Dec 2017

Zero tension upon the reveal that Bugs is in the sack.

By this time, the Coyote's reputation with the audience precedes him. No harm will come to the Rabbit, and he is not the least bit worried.pic.twitter.com/ypIQ7roUQE

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 1:07 AM - 15 Dec 2017

New business cards add a slogan ("Have Brain Will Travel") but he has seemingly re-thought the self-upgrade to "Super-Genius"pic.twitter.com/4eAgMK8cm0

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 1:09 AM - 15 Dec 2017

Coyote begins by condescending to Bugs, referring to him as his "breakfast" & explaining what he thinks Bugs' first move will be.pic.twitter.com/XfuyCwVWTp

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 1:11 AM - 15 Dec 2017

Debate over whether or not there is something in the sack once Bugs has stepped out of it.

Bugs insists there is something else in the bag, but the Coyote is convinced it is empty.pic.twitter.com/AjubvL6bp7

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 1:27 AM - 15 Dec 2017

So, to re-trace our steps a little: when the Coyote initially went down into Bugs' home and put him in the sack, Bugs surrendered easily but also snuck along some explosives.

COLD AS ICE, THIS RABBIT.pic.twitter.com/t6YGiOb8OK

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:51 AM - 15 Dec 2017

1st instance of scat singing in a Coyote cartoon:pic.twitter.com/G75DgrQt09

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 4:55 AM - 15 Dec 2017

How many explosives does Bugs Bunny keep at the ready in his underground apartment?? That cannot be safe.

And it seems unnecessary, for a guy who mostly gets by on his wits.pic.twitter.com/CDafUfEVdG

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:02 AM - 15 Dec 2017

In addition to the power of speech, Wile E. Coyote also has a place to live in these first two cartoons with Bugs. (Or at least some kind of office/workshop space.)

He seems to be doing better overall in these shorts.

At the very least, he doesn't start out depressed in them.pic.twitter.com/eaP18bL7Lm

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:10 AM - 15 Dec 2017

WHAT? "UNIVAC"??? Why not ACME??

The previous RR short was the first to feature ZERO ACME products. Now this? What is going on here? Something is happening.pic.twitter.com/ZcQhiBTS9W

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:39 PM - 15 Dec 2017

Holy shit. Pretty impressive machine for 1956. Military grade.

Maybe something like this was simply beyond ACME's capabilities.pic.twitter.com/1xeYMMeUtZ

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:41 PM - 15 Dec 2017

Unlike the Road Runner or the flock of sheep, Bugs Bunny is active in terms of both offense and defense, here adding a higher level of security to prevent, say, a makeshift elevator from being installed.pic.twitter.com/cUTJrn5ru4

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:45 PM - 15 Dec 2017

We see how the UNIVAC Electronic Brain works.

Based on what's visible here, it has about 130 options for type of animal, 12 possible locations & I can't see how big the panel is for type of lock.

I would like to see Wile E. Coyote match wits with a Potato Bug or Hoop Snake.pic.twitter.com/uPijj4hcJJ

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:52 PM - 15 Dec 2017

The UNIVAC Electronic Brain provides a detailed solution.

As far as I can tell, the Coyote interpreted "Burglary Methods" to involve the highly theatrical use of a fake bedroom window (with curtains drawn) and a burglar-style cap.

Unable to simply follow instructions.pic.twitter.com/GLYrwY9Y8v

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:57 PM - 15 Dec 2017

By contrast, Bugs Bunny does what is required without a bunch of unnecessary flourishes.pic.twitter.com/wwn6XaZwe5

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:59 PM - 15 Dec 2017

It is easy to imagine this not working, but I cannot argue with the results here.pic.twitter.com/pjvMpTf56E

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:48 PM - 15 Dec 2017

The ugly, unseen side of the "Coyote Disposal" mechanism.

Also, the banana peel went through but where did the Coyote's green burglar cap go? (I don't think this is a continuity error, I think Bugs owns that cap now.)pic.twitter.com/Yz4MR6CC3r

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:51 PM - 15 Dec 2017

2nd song of this short. Bugs basically turns these into mini-musicals.pic.twitter.com/LArV2PvSPW

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:58 PM - 15 Dec 2017

Here's a 1939 Guy Lombardo version of that song. Warner Bros. music division owned it, so it was among the songs Carl Stalling returned to more than once...https://youtu.be/5RLRfguH1dI 

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:00 PM - 15 Dec 2017

The Rabbit-Scope is pretty amazing for 1956.

ALSO: the fact that 3 of the buttons on the UNIVAC Electronic Brain are for "breakfast" "toaster" & "carrots" is especially impressive and makes me think this machine is highly customizable.pic.twitter.com/xW2v3gQvMN

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:07 PM - 15 Dec 2017

This time, he follows the instructions with no embellishments, and I have to say that, at first, this is among his most successful efforts, for what it's worth.pic.twitter.com/dPjpM59tzZ

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:10 PM - 15 Dec 2017

TFW u drop 2 grenades into a carrot toaster & they both spring back up & then one of them explodes but the other one hasn't exploded YET but u know it will like 2 seconds from nowpic.twitter.com/dLapx9SbHC

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:15 PM - 15 Dec 2017

Pushing the buttons for "WHAT" and "NOW" and "[question mark]" gets an immediate and specific response.

This is better than Siri.pic.twitter.com/gQ6wwfTULM

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:18 PM - 15 Dec 2017

"Use a plunger" was apparently the answer to "What Now?"pic.twitter.com/eBixJgiuuK

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:21 PM - 15 Dec 2017

We can only assume that Bugs Bunny has a tremendous amount of storage space down below for things like this that take up a lot of room but which he probably only uses on rare occasions.pic.twitter.com/ElBxP3Zrya

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:24 PM - 15 Dec 2017

Bugs keeps a clean apartment (and pretty modern in terms of decor)

ALSO: Bugs is dressed like this for himself. Usually he we see him dress like this to trick predators but here he is, clearly just more comfortable like this, in the privacy of his own homepic.twitter.com/shnitA9rGD

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:27 PM - 15 Dec 2017

This is another solid plan that should have worked...pic.twitter.com/1pK4MJRid0

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:30 PM - 15 Dec 2017

The Coyote's decision to hide in a nearby trash can instead of getting as far away as possible makes this result 100% his fault. Although Bugs' decision to immediately stop vacuuming was incredibly bad luck (suspiciously so)pic.twitter.com/FQl6iQWunc

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:32 PM - 15 Dec 2017

The less-than-confident tone now taken by the UNIVAC Electronic Brain is disconcerting.

ALSO: it must be a lot of work to maintain a carrot patch in the desert, and if the Coyote is truly hungry, he should maybe eat some of those carrots.pic.twitter.com/qXSRLij46M

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:37 PM - 15 Dec 2017

Song #3! "Time Waits For No One" but with totally new lyrics about carrotspic.twitter.com/9prGCzmiPe

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:44 PM - 15 Dec 2017

I believe this was yet another song in the huge Warner Bros music catalog at their disposal:https://youtu.be/mO1paYN50l4 

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:45 PM - 15 Dec 2017

The desperation in Wile E. Coyote's voice here is yet another example of what a great comic actor Mel Blanc was.

ALSO: the Coyote's faith in technology is unshakable. He does not hesitate to obey the UNIVAC Electronic Brain.pic.twitter.com/MUf4veG4cT

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:48 PM - 15 Dec 2017

Pretty significant twist ending answers a lot of questions but also raises a few.

Most importantly, it explains why this machine wasn't an ACME product.pic.twitter.com/2JaITTTQqH

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:51 PM - 15 Dec 2017

January 26, 1957: "Scrambled Aches"

This is the first Road Runner cartoon to feature a title with an emphasis on pain rather than speed.pic.twitter.com/UY9VsYHsao

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:46 PM - 15 Dec 2017

Road-Runner (Tastyus Supersonicus)
Coyote (Eternalii Famishiis)pic.twitter.com/yK5S4z9qSD

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:54 PM - 15 Dec 2017

No need for a Sad Coyote Prologue this time, just quick intros and cut right to the PAINpic.twitter.com/Jq8ooWMdcu

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:15 PM - 15 Dec 2017

Coyote Thinking Sequence fades out this time as we see him sorting through the specifics of his new idea:pic.twitter.com/KRmAPvb5Hz

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:17 PM - 15 Dec 2017

Attempt #1: Fake Coyote Leg for tripping Road Runner

I cannot think of a single reason why this would be more effective than a simple tripwire.pic.twitter.com/0teSvJUtqq

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 9:19 PM - 15 Dec 2017

I'll be honest, this seems like a weak first idea on every level.pic.twitter.com/40dBYW0rAU

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 10:00 PM - 15 Dec 2017

I guess the upside of such a weak plan is that the consequences of failure are relatively mildpic.twitter.com/CmIJ4ngLIa

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 10:05 PM - 15 Dec 2017

More Cronenbergian Body Horrorpic.twitter.com/jRLC8gLAi9

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 10:06 PM - 15 Dec 2017

A 2nd Coyote Thinking Sequence after such a meager 1st plan makes me nervous.pic.twitter.com/9McenlqRWZ

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 10:08 PM - 15 Dec 2017

100% Coyote's fault.pic.twitter.com/OiMzYrtqu0

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 11:39 PM - 15 Dec 2017

In its own strange way, this series is highly inspirational.pic.twitter.com/uOyy0vUYRI

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 11:43 PM - 15 Dec 2017

This makes me wonder how much time passes between scenes. Weeks, maybe months?pic.twitter.com/naBsn08Bu3

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 11:45 PM - 15 Dec 2017

Likewise, some of these plans must take a very long time to set up. Even the simpler ones seem like they would take a full afternoon.pic.twitter.com/Srt03MZyLG

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 11:51 PM - 15 Dec 2017

Nothing good ever starts like thispic.twitter.com/gOa6pnHI3i

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 11:54 PM - 15 Dec 2017

TFW it's going to be alright but then really it's NOTpic.twitter.com/kLV4PYHMHH

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 11:55 PM - 15 Dec 2017

More Cronenbergian body horrorpic.twitter.com/jt8evlXINF

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 11:58 PM - 15 Dec 2017

ACME is BACK!!!

After shorts in a row filled with non-ACME products, they are back in a big way.pic.twitter.com/nAf45QiXhU

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:00 AM - 16 Dec 2017

A) A box of Dehydrated Boulders is the craziest ACME product yet
B) I'm certain their intended purpose isn't to kill Road Runners but don't know what it's legitimate use would be
C) guarantee the back of the box warns not to do thispic.twitter.com/TxzOHdAC5U

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:10 AM - 16 Dec 2017

ACME is back in such a big way that there are ZERO non-ACME products in this short AND in this instance, they only need their first initial to identify themselvespic.twitter.com/s2qg1KzgTB

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:12 AM - 16 Dec 2017

The final 97 seconds of this cartoon contain pretty much everything that is great about these shorts.

I particularly like the confident patience of the section where he is happy & out of breath. They resisted the temptation to skip or shorten that part.pic.twitter.com/gY6ty7v4m4

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:48 AM - 16 Dec 2017

June 8, 1957: "Steal Wool"

The title card confirms what his work punchcard told us previously: Sam Sheep-dog's last name has a hyphen in it!pic.twitter.com/2joEre9Wh7

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:30 PM - 16 Dec 2017

Look how much personality Chuck Jones can put into animating an alarm clock and a hand!pic.twitter.com/YTYweLsBjq

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:33 PM - 16 Dec 2017

Of course. See you at 1000 replies.

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:24 PM - 7 Dec 2017

MEEP MEEP

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:42 PM - 7 Dec 2017

We wish you luck as you embark on this epic journey. Godspeed, Connor.

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:44 PM - 7 Dec 2017

Thank you!pic.twitter.com/BCe6NRfdS8

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 8:43 PM - 7 Dec 2017

Road Runner / The Lost Scrapbook

@LincolnSelwyn

@dtmax

@mattbucher

@coweyepress

@bwhobson

@edevere17

@Johnny_Volume

@EmmettStinson

@JeffFalzone

@greenlitcrit

@chrislhayes

@NRGaddis

@debraski

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:01 AM - 28 Dec 2017

I'm loving loving Connor's step-by-step journey through the Road Runner cartoons.

I can't help but think of the section of The Lost Scrapbook with the hitchhiker and the truck driver.

I thought our anonymous author wouldn't mind if we place it as a deeply buried footnote...?

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:02 AM - 28 Dec 2017

-You think... ?

-Definitely, he said: every film, if you think about it, is just a sequence of discrete smaller films, each of which retells essentially the same story;

-OK...

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:02 AM - 28 Dec 2017

-That of the Coyote trying something, then killing himself;

-OK

-They all replay the same microdrama of compulsive self-destruction, endlessly repeated;

-Of course;

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:03 AM - 28 Dec 2017

-Certainly more could happen in these films, but of all the possible pathways to funniness, the Coyote favors just one;

-That's what makes him the Coyote;

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:03 AM - 28 Dec 2017

-Precisely; moreover, the Coyote seems to retain nothing from blackout to blackout: after every scene he's right back at it again, intent on killing himself one more time; it's out of view-finder, out of mind, for this guy: the boulder and the abyss teach him nothing; (cont’d)

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:04 AM - 28 Dec 2017

(cont’d) one frame later, he's forgotten everything;

-Funny;

-And he's none the wiser for his experience;

-Mm;

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:04 AM - 28 Dec 2017

-So, OK, that's part of it, he said: but for me, the more significant thing is that, every time, the Coyote just comes back: the world somehow allows him another chance; he's always given another shot, as if he had not just killed himself; (cont’d)

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 5:05 AM - 28 Dec 2017

Chuck Jones said he got the production time on some of these down to two weeks, so they could spend more time on more elaborate cartoons, like "What's Opera, doc?"

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 11:47 PM - 15 Dec 2017

There are no terrible ones.

I have seen Scooby Doo.

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 2:25 AM - 26 Dec 2017

Screw It, We’re Just Gonna Talk About Road Runner?

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 2:04 AM - 20 Dec 2017

I am very excited for this.

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 12:08 AM - 19 Dec 2017

Just want to let you know I really enjoyed the Porky Pig thread and I'm 100% in favor of this one. Thanks.

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 7:05 PM - 7 Dec 2017

Can’t wait!

— Better Toronto (@betteryyz) 6:46 PM - 7 Dec 2017