Fred and Barney had blank faces and the mouths were animated on a separate layer. Since they didn’t want to redraw the whole head each time, they separated the mouths from the head with the 5 o’clock shadow. Female characters didn’t move their whole mouths, just the lips, so they had blank faces and lips on a separate layer. Characters like Wilma’s mother had blank faces and they just animated simple lines for mouths.
Not really, just a bit younger.
Also, having just watched an episode on YouTube I’m not sure I buy the 5’oclock shadow breakpoint idea. Why not just color the face in and draw the mouths over it like a lot of other cartoons did. Everything about the mouth would cover over the face behind. The neck/head turn I agree with.
The shadow wasn’t necessary for the animation, just the style. Other HB characters didn’t have shadows. Check out Mr. Ranger Sir. I think the primary reason for the shadows was to identify Fred and Barney as laborers. There’s not much point in overthinking this, in the animation industry these type of characters are known as ‘ventriloquist dummies’.
I always interpreted it more as wrinkles. And, Mr. Ranger did have one–it’s just not a different color.
Of course they were chiseled, they were Bedrock men!
I never understood why Fred and Betty’s eyes are drawn with the sclera, but Barney and Wilma’s are just black.
If you ever notice Fred or Barney, or George Jetson or Spacely etc. And they are shown looking directly at the camera, their mouths are sideways!!! DRAW IT PROPERLY, im 54 now and that has bothered me and most friends since we were like 6 years old.
Caused, no doubt, by all the Winstons they smoked in those commercials. :mad:
Be thankful they didn’t do this:
