Apr 8, 2015

New 'Clarence' Episodes Pay Tribute to Fleischer Studios

Tomorrow's new episode of Cartoon Network's "Clarence" pays homage to the iconic rubber hose animation style of the 1920s and '30s.

In the episode "Goldfish Follies," Clarence buys a goldfish, but the bag of goldfish breaks before he gets home. The rest you can probably guess from the original title, "Clarence Puts a Goldfish in His Mouth."

Clarence's story director and voice actor Spencer Rosbell told Cartoon Brew that he conceived of this lengthy tribute as an episode that would give a glimpse into how Clarence sees the world. 'I'm a big fan of that era of (Fleischer) animation--Betty Boop, Popeye, Superman. There are some classic Disney/Felix The Cat/Tex Avery style moments.

"The design team did a fantastic job. They essentially had to redesign the show with a whole new visual style for this episode," said Rosbell.

Character designer Kari Fontecchio also worked on Disney's Mickey Mouse shorts and the late Genndy Tartakovsky's "Popeye." I really enjoy working in the classic animation style, including the "Fleischer" look. Personally, I took cues from Silly Symphony, Flip the Frog, and Betty Boop."

The episode also got a 1930s-style intro number by series music composer Simon Panlacker.

"Overall, it's a really fun episode," says Rosbell, "full of little gags and moments." "Goldfish Follies" airs Thursday, April 9 at 5 p.m. ET/PT on Cartoon Network.