Rare Commercials by Tex Avery, Ed Benedict and Tom Oreb | Cartoon Brew: Leading the Animation Conversation

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Rare Commercials by Tex Avery, Ed Benedict and Tom Oreb

December 20, 2008 5:22 pm

YouTube user ‘VidResidue’ has uploaded a couple of rare 1950s animated commercials worth sharing. The first is a Kool-Aid spot directed by Tex Avery and designed by Ed Benedict. I think it’s amazing that Avery’s last theatrical cartoon—Sh-h-h-h—was released in 1955 when he was only 47 years old. Tex’s flame burned out prematurely. As much as I enjoy his TV commercials (of which I’ve only seen a dozen or so out of hundreds that he directed), it’s disheartening that one of animation’s greatest directors has a late body of work that is comprised entirely of lightweight advertising jobs and cheap TV shows. (Earlier this year I did a lengthier post about Avery’s late-career.)

Next is a Peter Pan Peanut Butter spot designed by Tom Oreb. I’m guessing the director of the spot is Charles Nichols.

Here is the model sheet that Tom Oreb created for the TV version of Peter Pan characters (click for bigger version).

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Not Tom Oreb

Raid spot by Tex Avery

13 comments posted in Advertising, Cartoon Modern

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12/20/08 7:41pm	brigette b says:
	Mmmm…peanut butter in a vacuum tin. Delish. I was always curious what the commercials that correspond to these model sheets were like! Thanks for pointing them out.
12/20/08 7:41pm	joecab says:
	Wow, they used to sell peanut butter in big cans? Thanks for posting these. I’m a huge Charles Nichols fan and always loved his Fred Flintstone better than anyone else’s.
12/20/08 8:31pm	Andrew says:
	Tom Oerb’s designs remind me of the simplified re-designs to the characters of The Emperor’s New Groove and 101 Dalmations once they brought them back for their respective animated TV spin-offs. It really makes you think about the effort that went into the original films.
12/20/08 9:22pm	Mike Caracappa says:
	The Peter Pan spot was great! Thanks for sharing.
12/20/08 9:34pm	PCUnfunny says:
	At least Tex left theatrical shorts on top his game. I could care less about his TV work. That’s just the crap he did for a paycheck.
12/20/08 9:57pm	Katella Gate says:
	Not only did the Kool Aid spot feature top drawer visuals and direction, but voice work as well with Thurl Ravenscroft as the Pitcher and Mel Blanc as the Beaver. Either the advertising dollar went farther in the 50’s, or people actually cared how the product looked when done.
12/21/08 12:02am	Floyd Norman says:
	Yep, Charles Nichols and his crew was in 2G in the Animation Building. I was right down the hall from his guys. They did really cool work, and I was surprised they were doing much of their work in black and white.
12/21/08 1:41am	Mr. Semaj says:
	I love Bill Thompson’s voice work.
12/21/08 7:40am	Alex says:
	I love that little 2D Tinkerbell.
12/21/08 9:29am	Suz says:
	Hook looks very like Dick Dastardly, I enjoyed that commercial. Was very cute.
12/21/08 9:43am	Kelly says:
	I think it’s awesome these things were just short of 60 seconds! When I was in commercial animation and when we had a full :30 for a spot it felt as though we were luxuriously awash in time.
12/21/08 11:08am	John says:
	The timing and animation of the crock waiting in the water reminds me of Oerb’s designs for Avery in “Symphony In Slang”.
12/21/08 1:32pm	James Nethery says:
	Was that Thurl Ravenscroft (Tony the Tiger) voicing the narrator/Kool-Aid guy on the Tex Avery one?

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