Showing posts with label Telecomics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Telecomics. Show all posts

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Telecomics: The Search for Surviving Elements of A Pioneering TV Cartoon Series

Telecomics was considered the first "animated" TV program in some sources, even though technically there is little to no animation. The process of having voice overs with storyboard art under the name "Telecomics" goes back to 1942. 

The first version of the program aired in 1949, but none of the earlier shorts are known to exist. According to the Tralfaz animation history blog, and various animation encyclopedias, the earlier stories were: “Brother Goose” by Cal Howard; “Joey and Jug”, a clown story by Arnold Gillespie; “Rick Rack Secret Agent,” by Miles Pike and Pete Burness, and “Sa-Lah,” (Sa-Lih in some sources) an Arabian Knights fantasy drawn by A.J. Metcalf." 

Duke University in Durham, North Carolina holds the Dick Moores Papers, 1937 - 1976, which includes some correspondences related to Telecomics, Inc. 

Drawings from the Rick Rack series have resurfaced in online auctions. Also cels were auctioned from Hakes. Rick Rack is almost identical to "Dick Tracy" which is fitting since the series was created by cartoonist Dick Moores, a former assistant to Tracy's creator Chester Gould. If footage or production elements exist from the other titles, they have yet to surface online or in another listed archives collection. 



Recently in my own research I found out that Telecomics did a Christmas special called "Santa and the Angel" in 1947 narrated by Ireene Wicker, radio's "Singing Story Lady". This may have been the first "animated" Christmas special in TV history. 

The NBC Comics version began in 1950, and was supposedly network television's first cartoon series, This version featured "Space Barton", "Kid Champion", "Danny March" and "Johnny and Mr. Do Right". 

At least 3 complete episodes of the NBC version exist in the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Film TV Archives: 





In 2008 a channel posted 2 episodes of NBC Comics/Telecomics to YouTube claiming that the prints were found in a New York camera shop.



Telecomics 113 Space Barton https://youtu.be/knBxnltsEGE

Telecomics 113 Kid Championhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDxlShHSFCQ

Telecomics 113 Danny March https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVd-4hiDtpI

Telecomics 151 Danny March https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OACym1TX2ZM

Telecomics 151 Space Bartonhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP4JdmoPNuY

Telecomics 151 Kid Championhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1N-1W4bRig

"Johnny and Mr. Do Right" survives in scenes reused for a classroom educational film "Good Health Habits" (1950) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI24wv30Kn8

Recently I came across articles saying that Telecomics, Inc, changed their name to Illustrate, Inc and moved to Hollywood. There many of the same creators began "The Search For Christ" a religious series for children around 1952. There were at least 13 episodes, some made available for classrooms, and it did receive some praise for audience surveys in Variety as one of the best syndicated religious programs on TV. Some elements of this series exist in the film research center at Regent University.

At some point in the future (way beyond the pandemic) I would love to see the Moores collection, and the film elements at UCLA for more pieces on the story of the Telecomics, Inc. Also it is hopes that more prints of the works of Telecomics, Inc., and Illustrate, Inc., will resurface.  

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Island of Lost Christmas Specials: "Santa And The Angel" & "Gingerbread Man" by Telecomics (1947)

Illustration frame from "Santa and the Angel", the lost Christmas special that aired December 24, 1947.
From the cover of Radio Daily, December 24, 1947. Image scan from americanradiohistory.com


Santa and the Angel [Santa and the Little Angel]
Based on a story by Oskar Lebeck
Cast: Ireene Wicker (narrator)
Premiered: Wednesday, December 24, 1947, WCBS-TV New York. Repeated Dec. 25, 1947.

Gingerbread Man
Telecomics Inc, produced Christmas special
Premiered: Sunday, December 21, 1947, WCBS-TV New York

Newspaper Ad for the premieres of "Gingerbread Man" and "Santa and the Angel" produced by Telecomics, Inc.
From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Saturday, December 20, 1947.
For full page view go to - https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52874851/

The "Gingerbread Man" and "Santa and the Angel" were a pair of "Telecomics" TV specials from the earliest days of network television. In one since of the term "cartoon", they may have been TV's first animated Christmas specials.

Newspaper ad for the premiere of "Santa and the Angel", Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Wednesday, December 24, 1947. Note that this feature was produced by "Telecomics, Inc." With Stephen Slesinger as president.
For full page view - https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52877207/


Telecomics were literally illustrated comic strip stories for television with very, very, limited camera movement. This was pioneered by former Disney animators Dick Moores and Jack Boyd, and media legend Stephen Slesinger who demonstrated this process as early as 1944. Moores and Boyd had a syndicated Telecomics series in 1949. The NBC Telecomics series from 1950 was the most successful example of this storytelling method. Please view this 1950 NBC Telecomics episode of "Speed Barton" a sci-fi serial, posted below for an idea of what the 1947 special may have been like.



While a few examples of that series have survived, both "Gingerbread Man" and "Santa and the Angel" are forgotten Telecomics. They aired on WCBS-TV in New York and could be view by TV audiences in Chicago and Washington, D.C. Both specials were promoted in New York area newspapers as a "Television Christmas Fantasy".

No detailed information could be found for the Gingerbread Man special. "Santa and the Angel" was based on a children's story by Oskar Lebeck and was narrated by Ireene Wicker (1905-1987) radio's famous "Singing Lady" [Yes, her first name was spelled with 3 "e"s]. Wicker was already a veteran in hosting TV Christmas specials, which I will detail in another "Lost Christmas Special" article. Oscar Lebeck (1903-1966) was the author of numerous children's stories, some published by Dell Comics of which he was a co-founder. "Santa and the Angel" was published as a one-shot comic by Dell in 1950, and this comic book is in the public domain.

As a common practice of the time these TV specials were most likely never recorded and if they were the films are long lost. Hopefully some film elements, illustrations, behind the scenes photos, or a script of the "Gingerbread Man" and "Santa and the Angel" specials will resurface someday. If you were part of that rare 1947 TV audience and can recall this special, or have any information about these specials please write to archivebuilder@gmail.com.

BONUS: Ireene Wicker narrated many Christmas albums and a few films for children. Please checkout these videos from the Children's Media Archive channel for her legendary voice talent.


Ireene Wicker narrates "Madeline's Christmas" for Science Pictures c. 1956




Ireene Wicker tells Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" ...in 3 minutes!