Apr 19, 2015

John Dilworth revives "Dardy Birdie"

John Dilworth, creator of Cartoon Network's "Courage the Cowardly Dog" series, has released a new version of his cult 90s short "The Dirdy Birdy". See below:

Dilworth restored the short last year to commemorate the film's 20th anniversary. The new version of The Dirdy Birdy Redux adds 50 seconds of previously unseen footage and sheds new light on Dirdy Birdy's unique expression of affection for his feline companion, Fergelina. Dilworth created the scene during the making of the original short, but decided to cut it from the story in the first installment; the 1994 version is available here for those who wish to compare it.

The original version of The Dirdy Birdy was, according to Dilworth's online biography, his "breakthrough film." The film was screened at dozens of film festivals and toured extensively on Spike & Mike's Animation Show. A year later, Dilworth produced the Hanna-Barbera short "The Chicken from Outer Space," featuring Courage, Muriel, and Eustace, which soon led to a television series that ran for four seasons.

Dilworth used "Dirdy Birdy Redux" to promote crowdfunding for a brand new Dirdy Birdy short called "A Night at Club Sheik," in which Purdy and Fagelina go on a date to a dance club. He explains the idea in this video: