{"id":97268,"date":"2026-09-17T00:01:19","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T07:01:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/?p=97268"},"modified":"2026-09-16T21:19:35","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T04:19:35","slug":"herman-and-katnip-in-frighty-cat-1958","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/index.php\/herman-and-katnip-in-frighty-cat-1958\/","title":{"rendered":"Herman and Katnip in “Frighty Cat” (1958)"},"content":{"rendered":"\"\"\n

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A short TB Thursday<\/em> today again! School is taking over my life, plus getting a bunch of orders out the door for Rainbow 2 and special discs<\/a>, so I\u2019ll keep it short. Looking forward to sitting down and writing about some of the current projects getting the most work right now. We have a whole bunch of stuff up our sleeves that we\u2019re looking forward to getting out \u2014 so more soon!<\/p>\n\"\"\n

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Today\u2019s cartoon kicks off Halloween early! <\/p>\n

There really should be a advent calendar for Halloween so we can each get a piece of candy with a new film for each countdown.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>I don\u2019t know about you folks, but I really enjoy the little period in Famous Studio\u2019s history where they\u2019re trying to be \u2018modern\u2019 in their design sensibilities. Their commitment to coming up with a new style in this period is a sort of half-commitment\u2014 there\u2019s some color styling and background ideas that are interesting- but the characters themselves are nearly the same, except for cornering off arms and legs a little. It\u2019s a strange idea of what making the films \u2018modern\u2019 meant, but sort of fun to see them carry on otherwise.<\/p>\n

Frighty Cat<\/em> (1958) isn\u2019t much different than it would have been five years earlier in the studio\u2019s timeline, honestly, except for the backgrounds and blocky characters. There\u2019s not a whole lot here to be excited about, but I did enjoy seeing the two mice carrying around skulls and dancing, and Katnip playing a bar from \u2018It\u2019s a Hap-Hap-Happy Day\u2019. I wonder if that song was still ringing in the Famous animator\u2019s heads all those years later (since it shows up in so many later films).<\/p>\n

A few years after this the studio would be producing the TV Popeyes, and other TV things. They\u2019re another step down in simplicity, but they\u2019re pretty informed by this particular era of simplifying the animation.<\/p>\n

This 16mm print courtesy of my friend Tommy Stathes, who probably has scared audiences showing it at some point.<\/p>\n

Have a good week all!<\/p>\n