History Creator / RobertMcKimson

Despite these merits, as well as directing the third most shorts out of all the directors (141 total), [=McKimson=] isn't recognized as much as the other two "big" directors at WB. Part of this may be the fact that he never had a feature length compilation film that highlighted his work; Creator/ChuckJones had one film and Creator/FrizFreleng had three (it should be noted that two of Friz's movies featured [=McKimson=]'s cartoons, however). Part of this may also be due to his post-1955 shorts, which featured slower timing, simpler animation, and less interesting direction than his pre-1955 output [[note]]Explanation: WB briefly closed in 1953 and temporarily laid everybody off. Unlike Jones and Freleng, [=McKimson=] basically had to restart his unit from scratch when WB reopened its cartoon unit, so that certainly put him at a disadvantage for a while, not least because his new unit was mostly made up of the animators that Jones and Freleng didn't want.[[/note]] He also gave few interviews before his death, which made it difficult to get an insight into his directing methods and philosophies. Luckily, [[http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Interviews/McKimson/McKimson.html a recently-posted vintage interview on Michael Barrier's website somewhat rectifies that]].

* ExecutiveMeddling: [=McKimson=] was ordered by producer Eddie Selzer not to make any more Tasmanian Devil cartoons after the first one. However, thanks to fan feedback and orders from Jack Warner, [=McKimson=] was allowed to make more Taz cartoons.

''''Robert [=McKimson=]'''' (1910–1977) was an animator and director who is most known for his work at Warner Bros. on the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' series. His "WesternAnimation/HillbillyHare" is generally regarded as a classic outing for WesternAnimation/BugsBunny.

'''''Robert [=McKimson=]''''' (1910-1977) was an animator and director who is most known for his work at Warner Bros. on the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' series. His "WesternAnimation/HillbillyHare" is generally regarded as a classic outing for WesternAnimation/BugsBunny.

* WorldOfHam: Subtlety was not something Rob was interested in--his characters are constantly shouting, pushing and shoving each other, or flailing their arms around like there's no tomorrow.

[=McKimson=] was an animator at Termite Terrace from almost the beginning, and had a knack for detail. For an example of his work, see the start of "What's Cookin', Doc?" when Bugs performs all the celebrity impersonations. He also was one of the animators on the classic short "ACornyConcerto" directed by Creator/BobClampett. There's a professionalism to the animation, and the graceful movement emphasizes Bugs's likeability. He also drew the definitive Bugs Bunny model sheet in 1943 (which ironically he didn't use himself when he began directing; see below). [=McKimson=]'s versions of the classic Warners characters generally seem rounder and fatter than most of the other directors' (though it was Creator/BobClampett who introduced the infamous "Fat Elmer"), with rather small eyes[[note]]his characters have a tendency to peer out through half-closed eyelids[[/note]], at least in his earlier period.

[=McKimson=] took his first shot at directing on a WartimeCartoon in 1945, the obscure "The Return of Mr. Hook" (which was strictly a cartoon meant for the troops to see and not the general public); his main directorial debut is generally considered to be the 1946 short "Daffy Doodles", taking over FrankTashlin's unit (Tashlin had left the studio in 1945). For almost fifteen years (1950-1964), he, Creator/ChuckJones, and Creator/FrizFreleng were the main directors at Termite Terrace, and due to the post-1948 television package that many networks used during the '70s-early '90s, [=McKimson=]'s work, like the other two directors, was often seen on TV.

Despite these merits, as well as directing the third most shorts out of all the directors (141 total), [=McKimson=] isn't recognized as much as the other two "big" directors at WB. Part of this may be the fact that he never had a feature length compilation film that highlighted his work; Creator/ChuckJones had one film and Friz Freleng had three (it should be noted that two of Friz's movies featured [=McKimson=]'s cartoons, however). Part of this may also be due to his post-1955 shorts, which featured slower timing, simpler animation, and less interesting direction than his pre-1955 output [[note]]Explanation: WB briefly closed in 1953 and temporarily laid everybody off. Unlike Jones and Freleng, [=McKimson=] basically had to restart his unit from scratch when WB reopened its cartoon unit, so that certainly put him at a disadvantage for a while, not least because his new unit was mostly made up of the animators that Jones and Freleng didn't want.[[/note]] He also gave few interviews before his death, which made it difficult to get an insight into his directing methods and philosophies. Luckily, [[http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Interviews/McKimson/McKimson.html a recently-posted vintage interview on Michael Barrier's website somewhat rectifies that]].

[=McKimson=] created FoghornLeghorn, Hippety Hopper (a recurring adversary of Sylvester whom he mistook for a giant mouse), and the Tasmanian Devil. In all three cases, he directed every outing for those characters. [=McKimson=] also technically created Speedy Gonzales (basing it on a Mexican man he met once who was very friendly and excitable and, despite most outward opinions, was ''not'' meant to be a stereotype of all Mexicans), though it was Friz Freleng's version which everyone knows and remembers today. Even as late as 1968, [=McKimson=] was creating new characters in the hope that they would catch on and become recurring (which, sadly, didn't happen, as the era of theatrical cartoons was waning, thanks to television). His Bunny and Claude (a parody of ''Film/BonnieAndClyde'') and Rapid Rabbit characters are examples of this. He also directed two RoadRunner cartoons (Rushing Roulette and Sugar and Spies), among 14 ''not'' directed by Jones (the rest were directed by Rudy Larriva and [[FanonDiscontinuity are despised and/or forgotten about by amateur and professional theatrical cartoon fans alike]]).

After WB closed its animation department for the final time, [=McKimson=] went back to work for Creator/DePatieFrelengEnterprises, where he directed many PinkPanther shorts.

'''''Robert [=McKimson=]''''' (1910-1977) was an animator and director who is most known for his work at Warner Bros. on the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' series. His "WesternAnimation/HillbillyHare" is generally regarded as a classic outing for BugsBunny.

* CompositeCharacter: [=McKimson=] was noted for evolving to the revised personalities of recurring characters at a much slower pace than Jones and Freleng, resulting in something of a blend of both the initial and modern depictions. This is particularly noticable with DaffyDuck, who gained some of the pompousness and wit akin to Jones' version but still maintained shades of his original hyperactive trickster role into the late fifties.

* Bunny and Claude

[=McKimson=] created FoghornLeghorn, Hippety Hopper (a recurring adversary of Sylvester whom he mistook for a giant mouse), and the Tasmanian Devil. In all three cases, he directed every outing for those characters. [=McKimson=] also technically created Speedy Gonzales (basing it on a Mexican man he met once who was very friendly and excitable and, despite most outward opinions, was ''not'' meant to be a stereotype of all Mexicans), though it was Friz Freleng's version which everyone knows and remembers today. Even as late as 1968, [=McKimson=] was creating new characters in the hope that they would catch on and become recurring (which, sadly, didn't happen, as the era of theatrical cartoons were waning, thanks to television). His Bunny and Claude (a parody of ''Film/BonnieAndClyde'') and Rapid Rabbit are examples of this. He also directed two RoadRunner cartoons (Rushing Roulette and Sugar and Spies, among 14 ''not'' directed by Jones).

[=McKimson=] took his first shot at directing on a WartimeCartoon in 1945, the obscure "The Return of Mr. Hook"; his main directorial debut is generally considered to be the 1946 short "Daffy Doodles", taking over FrankTashlin's unit (Tashlin had left the studio in 1945). For almost fifteen years (1950-1964), he, Creator/ChuckJones, and Creator/FrizFreleng were the main directors at Termite Terrace, and due to the post-1948 television package that many networks used during the '70s-early '90s, [=McKimson=]'s work, like the other two directors, was often seen on TV.

Despite these merits, as well as directing the third most shorts out of all the directors (141 total), [=McKimson=] isn't recognized as much as the other two "big" directors at WB. Part of this may be the fact that he never had a feature length compilation film that highlighted his work; Creator/ChuckJones had one film and Friz Freleng had three (it should be noted that two of Friz's movies featured [=McKimson=]'s cartoons, however). Part of this may also be due to his post-1955 shorts, which featured slower timing, simpler animation, and less interesting direction than his pre-1955 output. (Explanation: WB briefly closed in 1953 and temporarily laid everybody off. Unlike Jones and Freleng, [=McKimson=] basically had to restart his unit from scratch when WB reopened its cartoon unit, so that certainly put him at a disadvantage for a while, not least because his new unit was mostly made up of the animators that Jones and Freleng didn't want.) He also gave few interviews before his death, which made it difficult to get an insight into his directing methods and philosophies. (Luckily, [[http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Interviews/McKimson/McKimson.html a recently-posted vintage interview on Michael Barrier's website somewhat rectifies that]])

[=McKimson=] created FoghornLeghorn, Hippety Hopper (a recurring adversary of Sylvester whom he mistook for a giant mouse), and the Tasmanian Devil. In all three cases, he directed every outing for those characters, just as Creator/ChuckJones directed every Pepe le Pew cartoon. [=McKimson=] also technically created Speedy Gonzales, though it was Friz Freleng's version which everyone knows and remembers today. Even as late as 1968, [=McKimson=] was creating new characters in the hope that they would catch on and become series. His Bunny and Claude (a parody of ''Film/BonnieAndClyde'') and Rapid Rabbit are examples of this. He also directed two RoadRunner cartoons (Rushing Roulette and Sugar and Spies, among 14 ''not'' directed by Jones).

[=McKimson=] took his first shot at directing on a WartimeCartoon in 1945, the obscure "The Return of Mr. Hook"; his main directorial debut is generally considered to be the 1946 short "Daffy Doodles", taking over FrankTashlin's unit (Tashlin had left the studio in 1945). For almost fifteen years (1950-1964), he, ChuckJones, and Creator/FrizFreleng were the main directors at Termite Terrace, and due to the post-1948 television package that many networks used during the '70s-early '90s, [=McKimson=]'s work, like the other two directors, was often seen on TV.

Despite these merits, as well as directing the third most shorts out of all the directors (141 total), [=McKimson=] isn't recognized as much as the other two "big" directors at WB. Part of this may be the fact that he never had a feature length compilation film that highlighted his work; Chuck Jones had one film and Friz Freleng had three (it should be noted that two of Friz's movies featured [=McKimson=]'s cartoons, however). Part of this may also be due to his post-1955 shorts, which featured slower timing, simpler animation, and less interesting direction than his pre-1955 output. (Explanation: WB briefly closed in 1953 and temporarily laid everybody off. Unlike Jones and Freleng, [=McKimson=] basically had to restart his unit from scratch when WB reopened its cartoon unit, so that certainly put him at a disadvantage for a while, not least because his new unit was mostly made up of the animators that Jones and Freleng didn't want.) He also gave few interviews before his death, which made it difficult to get an insight into his directing methods and philosophies. (Luckily, [[http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Interviews/McKimson/McKimson.html a recently-posted vintage interview on Michael Barrier's website somewhat rectifies that]])

[=McKimson=] created FoghornLeghorn, Hippety Hopper (a recurring adversary of Sylvester whom he mistook for a giant mouse), and the Tasmanian Devil. In all three cases, he directed every outing for those characters, just as Chuck Jones directed every Pepe le Pew cartoon. [=McKimson=] also technically created Speedy Gonzales, though it was Friz Freleng's version which everyone knows and remembers today. Even as late as 1968, [=McKimson=] was creating new characters in the hope that they would catch on and become series. His Bunny and Claude (a parody of ''Film/BonnieAndClyde'') and Rapid Rabbit are examples of this. He also directed two RoadRunner cartoons (Rushing Roulette and Sugar and Spies, among 14 ''not'' directed by Jones).

[=McKimson=] was an animator at Termite Terrace from almost the beginning, and had a knack for detail. For an example of his work, see the start of "What's Cookin', Doc?" when Bugs performs all the celebrity impersonations. He also was one of the animators on the classic short "ACornyConcerto" directed by BobClampett. There's a professionalism to the animation, and the graceful movement emphasizes Bugs's likeability. He also drew the definitive Bugs Bunny model sheet in 1943 (which ironically he didn't use himself when he began directing; see below). [=McKimson=]'s versions of the classic Warners characters generally seem rounder and fatter than most of the other directors' (though it was BobClampett who introduced the infamous "Fat Elmer"), with rather small eyes[[note]]his characters have a tendency to peer out through half-closed eyelids[[/note]], at least in his earlier period.

[[DownerEnding Unfortunately, he never lived long enough to see animation respected as an art form]], which debatably occurred starting in TheEighties and brought fame to Freleng, Jones and TexAvery ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and eventually Clampett, too]]).

[=McKimson=] took his first shot at directing on a WartimeCartoon in 1945, the obscure "The Return of Mr. Hook"; his main directorial debut is generally considered to be the 1946 short "Daffy Doodles", taking over FrankTashlin's unit (Tashlin had left the studio in 1945). For almost fifteen years (1950-1964), he, ChuckJones, and FrizFreleng were the main directors at Termite Terrace, and due to the post-1948 television package that many networks used during the '70s-early '90s, [=McKimson=]'s work, like the other two directors, was often seen on TV.

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: "Bartholomew Versus The Wheel".

[=McKimson=] was an animator at Termite Terrace from almost the beginning, and had a knack for detail. For an example of his work, see the start of "What's Cookin', Doc?" when Bugs performs all the celebrity impersonations. He also was one of the animators on the classic short "ACornyConcerto" directed by BobClampett. There's a professionalism to the animation, and the graceful movement emphasizes Bugs's likeability. He also drew the definitive Bugs Bunny model sheet in 1943 (which ironically he didn't use himself when he began directing; see below). [=McKimson=]'s versions of the classic Warners characters generally seem rounder and fatter than most of the other directors' (though it was BobClampett who introduced the infamous "Fat Elmer"), with rather small eyes[[hottip:*:his characters have a tendency to peer out through half-closed eyelids]], at least in his earlier period.

Despite these merits, as well as directing the third most shorts out of all the directors (141 total), [=McKimson=] isn't recognized as much as the other two "big" directors at WB. Part of this may be the fact that he never had a feature length compilation film that highlighted his work; Chuck Jones had one film and Friz Freleng had three (it should be noted that two of Friz's movies featured [=McKimson=]'s cartoons, however). Part of this may also be due to his post-1955 shorts, which featured slower timing, simpler animation, and less interesting direction than his pre-1955 output. (Explanation: WB briefly closed in 1953 and temporarily laid everybody off. Unlike Jones and Freleng, [=McKimson=] basically had to restart his unit from scratch when WB reopened its cartoon unit, so that certainly put him at a disadvantage for a while, not least because his new unit was mostly made up of the animators that Jones and Freleng didn't want.) He also gave few interviews before his death, which made it difficult to get an insight into his directing methods and philosophies. (Luckily, a recently-posted vintage interview on Michael Barrier's website somewhat rectifies that: http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Interviews/McKimson/McKimson.html )

'''''Robert [=McKimson=]''''' (1910-1977) was an animator and director who is most known for his work at Warner Bros. on the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' series. His "Hillbilly Hare" is generally regarded as a classic outing for BugsBunny.

* DisproportionateRetribution: "Early To Bet" involves a cat going through Rube Goldberg-style punishments just for losing to a dog at cards.

[[DownerEnding Unfortunately, he never lived long enough to see animation respected as an art form]], which debatably occurred starting in TheEighties and brought fame to Freleng, Jones and TexAvery (and eventually Clampett, too).

[=McKimson=] died of a heart attack in 1977 while having lunch with Friz Freleng and David H. [=DePatie=]. [[DownerEnding Unfortunately, he never lived long enough to see animation respected as an art form, which debatably occurred starting in the '80s.]]

After WB closed its animation department for the final time, [=McKimson=] went back to work for {{Depatie-Freleng Enterprises}}, where he directed many PinkPanther shorts.

[=McKimson=] created FoghornLeghorn, Hippety Hopper (a recurring adversary of Sylvester whom he mistook for a giant mouse), and the Tasmanian Devil. In all three cases, he directed every outing for those characters, just as Chuck Jones directed every Pepe le Pew cartoon. [=McKimson=] also technically created Speedy Gonzales, though it was Friz Freleng's version which everyone knows and remembers today. Even as late as 1968, [=McKimson=] was creating new characters in the hope that they would catch on and become series. His Bunny and Claude (a parody of Film/BonnieAndClyde) and Rapid Rabbit are examples of this. He also directed two RoadRunner cartoons (Rushing Roulette and Sugar and Spies, among 14 ''not'' directed by Jones).