Felix the Cat: creation of Otto Messmer and a grand classic of film animation, with a history going back to 1919.
But, like most baby boomers, I know him through the cheesy television cartoons of the late '50s and early '60s.
These cartoons introduced ancillary characters…the grasping, sneaky Professor, the amoral boy genius Poindexter, and the mystical Bag of Tricks.
There was also a Guest Villain who appeared in several episodes, when someone deemed that an evil greater than The Professor was necessary. This was the non-human monstrosity, the gleaming robotic antiChrist, the epitome of malevolence…
The Master Cylinder.
Okay, what the fuck? There’s GOT to be an in-joke here somewhere. No way could they have come up with a big shiny metal can for a villain and called it something so dopey WITHOUT there being a story behind it.
The only reference I can figure is the master recording used to create music-for-sale back through the ages: CDs, LPs, 78s, and…cylinders.
This CAN’T be it.
Help.
Don’t forget The Professor’s henchman, Rock Bottom
“Master Cylinder” is an engineering term. It shows up in engines, but for the life of me I don’t know more than that. Obviously it’s the cylinder that the others are al referenced to somehow.
Ah HA. Thank you! Now we just need an engineer to come in and clear this up.
BTW: This question came up when I was watching the video of the crummy 1988 Felix feature movie with my kids last night. Rock Bottom did not appear in the film; wonder why? (Poindexter got a fashion makeover though…instead of the lab coat with the pushbutton on his chest, he was wearing a snazzy sweater-and-necktie combo.)
Master cylinder like in a car’s brake system? Weird.
I’ve always assumed it was the automotive reference, Gunslinger (master cylinder in the brake system). Probably just a play on the world master, as in master of the universe, master & slave, etc.
Ummm… I think Gunslinger’s probably right. I’ll have to check.
Maybe because he breaks things?
<ducks & runs>
Nothing to add about Master Cylinder, except General Clang, his sidekick, was a bomb. And does cartoon Master Cylinder look like an automotive Master Cylinder (I thought he looked like a piston but I’m not really up on my automotive parts)?
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And also I am personally stunned, STUNNED by the results of this Garfield vs Felix the Cat Fight.
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