Beatles Saturday Morning Cartoons

It’s Saturday morning September 25th 1965 and I just can’t wait. Normally I would be watching Looney Tunes, the Flintstones, the Jetsons or Tom and Jerry or I would already be outside playing with my friends. But this Saturday morning was going to be very different the premier episode of The Beatles Saturday Morning Cartoons was going to be broadcast on ABC TV. When you are ten years old and already a confirmed Beatlemaniac this is huge news. A few of my friends came over and we sat in my basement watching our old  black and white TV and boom…bam…pow…zap (oops wrong show) heard the now familiar chords to the theme song. It was like magic, there they were the Beatles in Cartoon form and they sounded and looked just like the real Beatles, little did we know that the Beatles themselves had nothing to do with this program and it wasn’t even their real voices. The voices were done by Paul Frees (who handled the voices of John and George) and Lance Percival (who did Paul and Ringo’s voices)

A total for 39 half hour shows were produced between 1965 and 1967 and broadcast on ABC at 10:30 EST. In 1986 and 1987 MTV would bring the Beatles Cartoons back to Television exposing them to a whole new generation. Each 30 minute show, consisted of two 5-7 minute cartoons, each cartoon was named after the song it would feature, plus two sing-a-long segments complete with on-screen lyrics. One of my favorite parts of the show was the introduction to the sing-a-longs. John, George or Paul would come out to do the intro and then call out “Prop Man…Oh Prop Man” and out would come Ringo who was always filling in for the absent prop man. And of course something would go wrong and many times the cartoon Ringo would crunched or smashed and end up with stars circling around his head.

Here are just a few of those Ringo mishaps

1. John introduces a song with "a lot of punch in it." Ringo brings out a kangaroo wearing boxing gloves, who ends up punching Ringo in the nose.
2. John introduces a "romantic ballad." Ringo comes out in a voting booth (ballot).
3. John introduces a "real jump tune." Ringo dresses up as a paratrooper.
4. John introduces a song "that'll make the folks at home want to join in." Ringo comes out as an Army recruiter.
5. George asks for something for the appropriate mood. Ringo brings out a cow (she MOOED!).
6. George introduces a song that's a "real swinging, ringer, dinger." Ringo brings out the Liberty Bell.
7. Paul asks Ringo to bring out the sing-a-long sign.  Ringo keeps dropping the "g" sound at the end of his words ending in "ing." Finally, the "g" on the sign drops and hits Ringo on the head.
8. Paul gets interrupted by Ringo learning to "pronunciate" and makes him promise to help him learn the proper English.
9. George introduces a song that's "really wild and comes on like gangbusters." Ringo comes out as a gangster.
10. George asks Ringo to provide the proper atmosphere for the folks at home to "sing up a storm." Ringo brings out a rainmaking machine.

The Beatles Cartoons were a King Features production from legendary cartoon creator Al Brodax and were produced in four separate locations around the world by numerous animators, layout and background artists, writers and directors.

Here is a fairly complete list of the people behind these cartoons:

• Executive Producer: Al Brodax
• Associate Producer: Mary Ellen Stewart
• Production Manager: Abe Goodman
• Voices of the Beatles: Paul Frees (John and George) Lance Percival (Paul and Ringo)
• TVC-London Staff: (English Production)
• Producer: George Dunning
• Directors: Jack Stokes, Snav Sniekus, Bob Godfrey
• Animators: Tom Halley, Mike Stuart, Peter Green, Hester Coblentz, Rich Cox, Reg Lodge, Eric Radage, Ron Bijlesma, Don MacRae, Frank Terry, Bob Godfrey, Tony Gearty, Ron Coulter, Joan Gerrick

Canawest Staff: (Canadian Production)

• Producer: Jack Gettles
• Directors: John Dunn, Frank Andrina, Tom MacDonald
• Animators: Howard Baldwin, John Dunn, Frank Andrina, Dale Case, Russ Von Neida, Ray Young

Artransa/Graphik Staff: (Australian Production)

• Producer: Leon Becker
• Directors: Graham C Sharpe, Ron Campbell, Ray Leach
• Animators: Richard Jones, Kevin Rober, Peter Cardiner, Laurie Sharpe, John Taylor, Richard Dunn, Leif Gram, David Whittam, Barbara Millar, Kevin Deane, Chris Cuddington

The Beatles and Apple Corp. have yet to authorize reproduction of this product for a DVD release but you can find unauthorized copies on Ebay. I have had to purchase them twice as the first VHS copy I bought was watched so many times by my son that had to be replaced with a DVD version. The quality is not perfect but I still enjoy watching them and invariably my son will join me and say “Hey I remember these.” As I’m sure you all do.

Since animation is a form of art and this is a very popular Beatles product, an entire Art Industry selling the Animation Pictures (known as Sericels) has cropped up. Many of the original artists like Ron Campbell have created a nice little business for themselves selling these Sericels. I am the proud owner of one of Ron Campbell’s Saturday Morning Sericels and one of his Yellow Submarine Sericels.

I have created an affiliation with the two most prominent locations for purchasing this artwork, and make no mistake about it, this is ART.

If you are interested in purchasing either a Ron Campbell recreation (this is not a direct sericel from the cartoon but a hand-drawn recreation from the cartoons or another well known Beatles scene like an album cover) or an Officially Licensed Apple Corps Beatles animation product, produced by the original artists for the Dennilu Co. go to http://www.beatlescartoon.com .

These Sericels and Giclees on Canvas come with the Dennilu Co. Certificate of Authenticity so you know that you have an authentic and authorized Beatles product.

Recently they have introduced a series of animations products called “The Affordables” that sell for less than half of what I paid for my two pieces.

If you tell them you heard about at www.the-beatles-history.com  they can get it signed by the animator for you.

There is also a great book that has been written about the Beatles Saturday Morning Cartoons, by Mitch Axelrod, called Beatlestoons: The Real Story Behind the Beatles Cartoon. It was originally issued in 1999 and is still available through Amazon.com. If you are into the Beatles Cartoons this book will tell you everything you have ever wanted to know about their creation.

Below is a group of nine recreations from Ron Campbell (as you can see his are interpretations of familiar Beatles scenes) followed by six directly from Dennilu Co (with their permission). If you decide to purchase one I’m sure you’ll as proud as I am to hang these on the walls of your home. Mine is the first one you see and is autographed to me.

• Yellow Submarine Cartoons
• Back to Beatles Animation