As a youth I would watch the locally aired syndicated cartoons repeatedly until I knew many of them by heart. In latter days when I have occasion to think back on them I often amuse myself by removing all “PG” restraints and imaging them redone with adult levels of violence, gore, profanity and innuendo. For example, the 1960s-era King Features Popeye cartoons featuring Popeye and Brutus* easily lend themselves to Grand Guignol levels of violence. Any examples you care to share?
Those were produced by Famous Studios, and distributed by King Features. I’ve only known this since yesterday because Cracked.com ran an article explaining how Famous’ Herman and Katnip, with its ultra-violence, not Tom & Jerry, was the inspiration for Itchy and Scratchy.
Not that the Famous/Paramount/AAP cartoons didn’t have equally high levels of violence but the King Features cartoons have a different pedigree as exemplified by the Brutus/Bluto thing.
If y’all would like to see what a family friendly cartoon would look like if there were no restrictions, check out “Happy Tree Friends” on YouTube and elsewhere .
The comic book Eek The Mouse (or is it Squeak The Mouse?) goes pretty much as far as you can go with this premise. It throws in a bunch of sex for good measure.
When John Kricfalusi did Ren & Stimpy Adult Party on Spiked TV he was allowed to make it as disturbing as he wanted. They were some of the worst cartoons of all time and exposed him as the hack that he is.
I didn’t have a website (it was the 80s) but back in college a buddy and I used to do this all the time. A little white-out, a felt tip pen, and hours of laffs.
Oh, and it’s Family Circus. Family Circle was the ladies’ magazine.
I remember the one with the mother dressed up elegantly for a night out, and one of the children is saying “Escort my ass! You’re a hooker, Mom! A hooker!”
Re: Ren and Stimpy’s Adult Party: I guess I’m weird. I really liked it except for the last episode, which I personally believe was their “well, let’s go hog wild” episode.
