Ruff And Reddy Pitch Picture Tubes | Cartoon Brew: Leading the Animation Conversation

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Ruff And Reddy Pitch Picture Tubes

January 29, 2009 12:05 am

Yesterday I appeared on Stu Shostack’s internet radio show. While waiting for our broadcast to begin, I was rummaging through several copies of Stu’s collection of vintage TV Guide back issues. In one 1960 edition, I found two cartoon items of interest. The first was this full page ad for Sylvania television picture tubes featuring radio and TV personality Arthur Godfrey interacting with Hanna Barbera TV stars Ruff and Reddy.

I love it when cartoon stars were used to sell products to adults. This was the same year The Flintstones were sponsored by Winston cigarettes and Mr. Magoo was hawking Stag Beer. And what a great sketch of the characters! An very appealing pose of Ruff — and check out the attitude on Reddy.

As for the second animation item I found in that TV Guide — check back tomorrow.

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8 comments posted in Advertising, TV

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01/29/09 7:12am	Kevin Wollenweber says:
	This ad with RUFF ‘N’ REDDY should be part of the package art for an ultimate Hanna Barbera DVD set, on the inner flap or something like that, next to possible episode stills from actual RUFF ‘N’ REDDY cartoons. Great stuff!
01/29/09 7:16am	Doug Drown says:
	Ruff, Reddy and Arthur Godfrey, all on one page — now, THERE’s a juxtaposition I never thought I’d see.
01/29/09 9:27am	protogenes says:
	Watch out for the Men from Munimula!
01/29/09 11:57am	Christopher Cook says:
	Given the crisp lines, I’d hazard a guess that Dick Bickenbach drew Ruff and Reddy.
01/29/09 6:44pm	doug holverson says:
	This makes think of the cartoon where Huckleberry Hound was a TV repairman who had a tube with a really long part number swiped by a dog. Probably started my fondness for long numbers. 40-some years later, I’m wondering about how Huckleberry and the four-legged dog can both be dogs.
01/29/09 7:58pm	Joel O'Brien says:
	Re: The comment by Doug Holverson…”I’m wondering about how Huckleberry and the four-legged dog can both be dogs.” For the same reason anvils drop on peoples heads and they walk away unharmed. They’re cartoons, that’s why!
01/30/09 5:52pm	OM says:
	…The real historical gem is the fact that this harkens to a long gone day when a TV set cost a sizeable portion of a family’s yearly income, and upgrading the picture tube - especially a color one - was considered a viable option. Most of you old hands remember TV tube testers in the convenience stores. Can you imagine something like that for today’s computerized LCD TV’s? Not hardly, as the manufacturers want them to be disposable at the drop of a diode so you’ll have to buy a new one instead of getting the old one repaired.
01/31/09 7:05am	Bob says:
	It would have been even better if they added Julius LaRosa.

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