what's original?

after lamenting the rigid character animation in new Simpsons intro, i think it best to post some of their very earliest work. here's a short from the Tracy Ullman Show back before they were picked up for a series. this is the 22nd of 48 shorts to run from 1987 to 1989 when the segment as mentioned got expanded to the half hour format.



interestingly enough, after the show became a big success, Tracy Ullman sued the network arguing that her program was the springboard for The Simpsons' success. needless to say, she did not win -- and The Simpsons has outlasted anything she has done culturally.



and just when you thought The New Yorker couldn't get any more "huh? that was a joke?" yep, they've gotten into the animation game. have a chuckle at the expense of February!



its not unfunny...its just not suited to the animation medium i think -- its all punchline and no setup. then again, many of their "comics" aren't suited to print either.

here's one of the very early episodes, "The Pacifier"



speaking of very early versions of enormously popular animated television shows, here's the "original" South Park short that Matt and Trey created at the University of Colorado in 1992. personally, i think the show has only gotten better through the years, especially in terms of style and animation. that said, there are still a few chuckles here. its always fun to see how characters change and grow -- Kenny looks a *tad* different than usual.



with all the animated primetime shows having mostly been on television for a while now, i'm curious as to what comes next other than a new Seth MacFarlane and Mike Judge show...here's hoping for something that's been as memorable and lasting as The Simpsons!