The Blue Racer
| The Blue Racer | |
|---|---|
|
The Blue Racer and a Japanese beetle appeared in Blue Racer Blues. | |
| First appearance | A Snake in the Gracias (1971) (Tijuana Toads cartoon) |
| Portrayed by |
Larry D. Mann Bob Holt |
| Information | |
| Species | Snake |
| Gender | Male |
The Blue Racer is a series of 17 theatrical cartoons produced from 1972 to 1974.
Production
The cartoons are directed by Art Davis, Gerry Chiniquy, Sid Marcus, Bob McKimson, David Deneen, Bob Balser, Cullen Houghtaling and produced by David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng. The majority of the cartoons were animated at the DePatie-Freleng studio, except for two done overseas: Aches and Snakes at Australia's Filmgraphics studio, and Little Boa Peep at Spain's Pegbar Productions.
Plot
A fast blue snake named Blue Racer (voiced by Larry D. Mann) tries unsuccessfully to catch a stereotypically-Japanese beetle (voiced by Tom Holland), who is a black belt in karate. Both characters spun off from Tijuana Toads in "Hop and Chop" (the Japanese beetle) and "Snake in the Gracias" (the Blue Racer). The goofy bird from the Tijuana Toads (Crazylegs Crane, who also repeatedly failed to collar the Racer and Toads himself) also later appeared in the series as well. 17 cartoons were produced.[1]
Production
- Bob Holt voiced both the Blue Racer and the Japanese Beetle in the 1972 short Support Your Local Serpent.
- The Japanese Beetle's last appearance was in the 1972 short Blue Racer Blues.
Filmography
All cartoons written by John W. Dunn.
| № | Title | Directed by: | Released: | Synopsis: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Hiss and Hers" | Gerry Chiniquy | 1972-Jul-03 | |
| 2 | "Support Your Local Serpent" | Art Davis | 1972-Jul-09 | |
| 3 | "Nippon Tuck" | Gerry Chiniquy | 1972-Jul-16 | |
| 4 | "Punch and Judo" | Art Davis | 1972-Jul-23 | |
| 5 | "Love and Hisses" | Gerry Chiniquy | 1972-Aug-03 | |
| 6 | "Camera Bug" | Art Davis | 1972-Aug-06 | |
| 7 | "Yokahama Mama" | Gerry Chiniquy | 1972-Dec-24 | |
| 8 | "Blue Racer Blues" | Art Davis | 1972-Dec-31 | |
| 9 | "The Boa Friend" | Gerry Chiniquy | 1973-Feb-11 | |
| 10 | "Wham and Eggs" | Art Davis | 1973-Feb-18 | |
| 11 | "Killarney Blarney" | Gerry Chiniquy | 1973-May-16 | |
| 12 | "Blue Aces Wild" | Gerry Chiniquy | 1973-May-16 | |
| 13 | "Fowl Play" | Bob McKimson | 1973-Jun-01 | |
| 14 | "Freeze a Jolly Good Fellow" | Sid Marcus | 1973-Jun-01 | |
| 15 | "Snake Preview" | Cullen Houghtaling | 1973-Aug-10 | |
| 16 | "Aces and Snakes" | David Deneen | 1973-Aug-10 | |
| 17 | "Little Boa Peep" | Bob Balsar | 1974-Jan-16 |
Other appearances
The Blue Racer (or a snake looking just like him) appeared in the 1978 Pink Panther cartoon "Pinktails for Two" where he mistook the Panther's pink tail for a lady Snake. In this film, The Blue Racer did not speak or move with super speed.
Blu-Ray/DVD releases
The complete series is going to be digitally remastered, issued (first 8 cartoons and final 9 cartoons) on its own single-disc Blu-Ray/DVD collection by Kino International in 2016. But it is unknown if it will be released before the end of the year.
References
- ↑ Beck, Jerry (2006). Pink Panther: The Ultimate Guide to the Coolest Cat in Town. New York, New York: Dorling Kindersley, Ltd. ISBN 0-7566-1033-8.