Tom and Jerry

We definitely live in a fast world that usually leaves us tired and exhausted from our daily activities. While some have a way of dealing with that, others do not know what to do to refresh their mind and body. What you need at such a time is fun, and lots of it. Well, treat yourself to Tom and Jerry's never-ending squabbles and you will wind up your day refreshed and in a perfect mood.

Ever wondered why Tom and Jerry at times seem to get along well and out of the blue Tom starts to chase Jerry so much, leaving a wave of destruction along the way? To your amazement, Tom will not eat Jerry whenever he has a perfect chance to: Jerry will always find a way out. Watch as Tom is entrusted with varied tasks by his master, including safeguarding of master's food. Jerry will employ all tricks in the book to get the food. Although Jerry may eat the food, he at times simply scatters it all over, resulting in Tom giving Jerry a chase that leaves you wonder.

What annoys Tom most is Jerry's tendency to saving potential prey that Tom spots. While Tom calculates and makes his moves, Jerry is always around at some corner, calculating other destructive moves against Tom. When Tom's moves are just about to bear fruit, Jerry comes in with well-calculated counter-moves that simply leaves Tom devastated and terribly annoyed.

Witty, clever, cunning, swift with luck on his side, Jerry is simply beyond Tom's reach. These attributes have always helped Jerry; Tom has never been able to catch Jerry. In a few instances that Tom has succeeded in catching Jerry, Jerry has always found a way out, tricking Tom into letting go. Very interesting is the fact that Jerry is always after Tom's tail. This is Tom's body part that Jerry always want to destroy. What do you make of the fact that it is Tom's tail that Jerry stuffs into a waffle iron or plugs it into an electric socket?

However, both Tom and Jerry are violent, at times to the extreme. While Tom will use an axe, firearm, poison and traps in an effort to finish off Jerry, Jerry will be using a mace, mallet or a club to pound Tom with. Jerry at times uses anything nearby to destroy Tom, including causing a tree on Tom's path to fall and hit him.

Watching Tom and Jerry brings out all the negative things you can imagine. Watch jealousy, revenge, meanness and pure hatred played out in the open, but with no blood spilt. Despite all the hatred towards each other, also watch that tender care one can extend to sworn enemy. Tom and Jerry become truly touched and concerned when either of them is 'hurt'. Jerry is wont to tricking Tom that he is injured and Tom dashes for the first-aid box. Generally, Tom has the size and power to do anything. In contrast, Jerry is small but with strength. Tom is usually defeated by Jerry in almost anything because of his wits. If it is fun an entertainment at its best that you need to wind your day, do not miss to watch Tom and Jerry in action.

Are you a fan of the Tom and Jerry tales? If the answer is yes then you wouldn't be the only one, millions of enthusiasts of this classic cat and mouse duo come from all over the globe, India, Vietnam, China, Sweden, Norway the list is endless. People have enjoyed their mischievous antics for well over 50 years now; whether it's the easy to understand slapstick comedy that people of any age, nationality or sex can share in or the unique relationship between the 2 characters that makes it so popular is anyone's guess.

There's no doubt that Tom and Jerry has become one of the most viewed animations in the world and has enjoyed an Oscar award for best short animation in 1943. In the U.K. during the IRA bomb scares, several of the main BBC television channels stopped their broadcasts to evacuate people from the studio buildings, during this time it was quickly decided by all that back to back episodes of the Tom and Jerry cartoons should be left running on air in hopes of putting peoples worry at ease. It worked and since then the Tom and Jerry series has been shown each time the channel went down for whatever reason.

So how did it all start? At first it was a chance collaboration between William Hannah and Joseph Barbara that sparked the creative genius for the Tom and Jerry Tales and several other cartoon classics; The Flintstones, The Jetsons and Yogi Bear are all their creations. When they first met Hannah had already had many years experience as a director and Barbara had a knack for story telling and knew how to design a character, together they would inevitably make some thing amazing.

Tom and Jerry has been airing for over 50 years and in this period of time the directors and artists have changed several times from Hannah and Barbara to a Czech director named Gene Deitch in 1960; though under his creative direction popularity for the series dropped and he only made 13 shorts. In 1963 MGM studios replaced Deitch with Chuck Jones a former Creative director from Warner Brothers studios and he continued the series until it hit the television screens in 1965 and continued on to collaborate with the first creators in both shorts and a Tom and Jerry movie.

Besides making shorts for television several directors and artists collaborated together to make long running motion pictures, these weren't simply made up of various shorts, but were long adventures with a plot and storyline. One of their more popular films was titled Tom and Jerry the movie, which had a popular following of viewers both young and old. The basic story sees our cat and mouse duo working together for a change, they meet a young run away Robyn who is desperately searching for her father. As our heroes attempt to help the young girl their plans are thwarted by Robyn's aunty Mrs. Figg who tries everything possible to stop them; the usual slapstick comedy that everyone loves is seen through out as they work towards their goal.

If you're a fan of the Tom and Jerry tales, then you'll be happy to know that even though the series and films have finished you can still get hold of their classic episodes Tom and Jerry DVD choices are cheaper than ever to buy. They make a great gift for young children and even for adults with a soft spot for the hilarious antics of these two lovable cartoon characters.

Everyone has their own favorite animated cartoon movie or television show; in fact cartoons are now a big part of a child's early years and not to mention entertaining to adults as well. If you were young in the 60's, 70's or 80's then you'll have been lucky enough to have enjoyed the original hand drawn animated classics, like the Flintstones, The Jetsons or one of the most popular and longest running, Tom and Jerry.

The Tom and Jerry show started out as a TV series and then went on to become several feature films; it has been running since the 40's and has since won 7 separate Oscar awards for best animated short. Back then you had to wait for the show to come on at a certain time, though today were lucky enough to be able to buy a Tom and Jerry DVD set anytime we like and relive the magic in our own homes.

The characters are simple Tom a mischievous house cat with a taste for mice and Jerry a shy mouse with a kind heart; the two are friends at heart, but always end up trying to win one over on each other usually with Jerry winning the day. The simple and hilarious slapstick comedy of this crazy duo is what's made it so popular in countries all over the world; you'll find the popular movies playing in just about any hotel room on all continents.

So where did it all begin? Most people don't realize that Tom and Jerry has had more than one creator in over 50 years of air time; the original two were the talented William Hanna and Joseph Barbara. They came to the MGM studios in the 40's with their idea and Tom and Jerry became a reality in people's homes. After a short time the show was cut and the team split up until the 1960's when MGM decided to restart the project, they hired Gene Deitch for 2 years, but his eccentric creativity didn't mix well with the show. In 1963 the studios hired a new director Chuck Jones who became the next creator of the movies.

An example of a particularly good film is the magic ring which came out in 2002, it was written and directed by both of the original creators and also collaborated on by Chuck Jones. If you're an enthusiast of the lovable cat and mouse duo then you'll love this film, it would also be a great introduction to the characters for your own kids.

The magic ring takes a mixture of the best scenes from the 40's and 50's episodes and combines them to make an amazing kids cartoon movie that will have your children and you bursting with laughter. The story starts with Tom as a wizards apprentice, he is left to guard a magic ring, unfortunately it gets stuck on Jerry's head and the power of the ring begins to have a life of its own; The cat and mouse scramble desperately for a way to remove the ring before the wizard returns.

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Old Cartoons

An extraordinary relationship between word and image is developed within the pages of cartoon books. For some people cartoon books teach history lessons, for others, they are simple ways of relaxation and amusement, a way of access to fantasy, adventure and horror stories.

Nowadays, cartoon books became a widely accessible commercial way of expression in the form of visual narratives. They are tailored to specific loyal audiences. These can exchange views on the latest editions or simply talk about them.

People have also access to more technically sophisticated cartoon books. Better printing techniques and paper of higher quality are currently increasing these books' value.

More and more cartoon fans amuse themselves searching for cartoon books for their collections. They go to stores or they surf online for the best cartoon books related to subjects they know or they want to discover. Usually they look for old cartoon books, limited editions, no longer available on the market, so popular decades ago. For them, the period in which these cartoons were conceived is very important and they evoke their childhood.

Many of these cartoon books were transposed into television cartoons and characters became more and more popular. Some of the old characters are still very popular and producers are struggling in making new episodes.

Where can a cartoon collector find books? One can find them in the flea markets, other collectors that sell their collections, book stores, antique stores, auctions and online sources.

Cartoons are the very essence of entertaining television. They inspire our imagination and can't help but make us smile with their slapstick jokes.

A lot of care and attention was put into the making of the really old cartoons. Some of them were very well animated with intricate plots, hilarious voices and music that followed the action to perfection.

I'd like to cast your mind back to a few cartoons you probably loved when you were growing up, and which are now classics.

Many people loved to watch the Jetsons, a cartoon created in the 1960s about a space age family. I grew up with it in the 1980s and I remember believing that the future would be just like that.

We really enjoyed watching the portrayal of life for the Jetsons out in the cosmos, and we didn't find it too hard to believe, either.

Watching one of Popeye's fine episodes, you'd be hard put to believe that it was made over fifty years ago. It always had a 'good versus evil' story line that has stood the test of time.

Popeye's nemesis was Bluto, his rival for Olive Oil's affections. Just as Clark Kent became Superman, Popeye, once he'd eaten a can of spinach, became a super hero. Every child would get excited as he combated evil thanks to spinach.

Lonely Toons is a time-honored cartoon that deserves to be on my list. Bugs Bunny is the mythical star of this classic show and is as relevant to the world of entertainment now as he ever was.

Back in the good ole days' those of us in our 20's, 30's, and maybe even early 40's enjoyed some great cartoons back in the 80's. There might be a Saturday where we long for some of our old cartoon companionships on a dreary rainy or snowy morning. When we were children, we woke up early in the morning, just so we could begin the day with our favorite pals.

Now as the years have passed, and watching some of the newer and futuristic cartoons, we long for the familiar. Where have some of our old favorite cartoons gone? Will we ever get to see them again? With the great birth of the internet, it could be possible to see some of our old friends and possibly even introduce them to our own children.

One of the old popular cartoons was the Smurfs. They aired on television from 1981-1986, and some channels even carried some reruns as well. Actually, for the year 2008, the Smurfs are celebrating their 50th anniversary on their website. Fans of the Smurfs can purchase figurines to celebrate the special occasion. You can also catch the celebration at Happy Smurf Day on the internet too. While the Smurfs aired as cartoons in the 80's, their first appearance was actually on October 23, 1958. They were featured in a story of Johan & Peewit in "Le Journal de Spirou". They were also just secondary characters. After being in the story, then the Smurfs appeared in a film called The Magic Flute with music that was written by Michel Legrand. While the cartoon may have aired long ago, the Smurfs are still widely popular. Their books, figurines, and toys are still the most popular in the world, and their cds have sold 10 million copies in the last three years. For those who long to see episodes of the Smurfs, you can purchase the video collection in a dozen different languages and also in story-cd's as well. Also, you can watch free episodes on the popular video website, youtube.

Another popular series was the almighty, "She-Ra, Princess of Power." Young girls all over wanted to be powerful and beautiful just like the princess She-Ra. Shera was a spin-off cartoon from the He-Man series. Girls longed to wait for her to change over to She-Ra as she withdrew her sword into the air while a wild pop music tune played as she announced that she was yet, "Shera-Princess of Power." Her long flowing blond hair danced in the wind as she road upon her horse to go save the world and rescue those in need. And her brother He-man she stayed loyal and true, as they fought on the same side with the good trying to put evil in its place. Season one began with its first episode, Into Etheria Part , which aired September 9th, 1985. She-Ra-continued on through 1987 with over ninety cartoon episodes. Along with the airing of the cartoon, popular figures and toys were released during the period. Some of these toys can now hardly be found and are now considered rare items. For those who want to relive the Shera days, DVD collections of the show were released in 2006 and 2007. She-Ra: Princess of Power, Season 1, Volume one was released in November of 2006 and Season 1, Volume 2 was released April of 2007. Old episodes of She-Ra can also be watched at youtube.

One last great cartoon to watch on Saturday mornings was a cartoon about a family of little people who lived in people's homes. It was called "The Littles." There were William and Willa Little, the children, Tom and Lucy, and Uncle Pete. The Littles had some amazing adventures and viewers would even get a little nervous when these little gals found themselves in some trouble or danger. The Littles became friends with the young boy, Henry, whose home they lived in. Henry was one of the few who really knew about the Littles. The Littles were always running away from the evil scientist, Dr Hunter, who was always trying to capture this little family. He wanted to try and catch them so that he would become rich and powerful. The Littles aired on the ABC network from 1983-1985. Some of the shows even reaired on the Toon Disney network from 1998-2002. They have also been in syndication from 2003-2007. So there is a chance that you might have even caught this widely popular cartoon show. If you are craving some of the non-stop action adventures of the Littles Family, the entire series from 1984 can be purchased at amazon for $35.99. If you want to relive some parts of the cartoon, there are videos of the Littles found at youtube.

So if you find yourself craving some of the old cartoons from your childhood, remember, that our favorite best friends aren't that far away. There are dvd collections,books, cds, and even memories of them distributed across the world wide web. While we might have thought that we had lost that part of childhood, they were still never really that far away.

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