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{{Short description|American animator}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| image =
| name = Norman McCabe
| imagesize =
| image =
| caption =
| imagesize =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1911|2|10|mf=y}}
| caption =
| birth_place = [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], [[England]], [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|U.K.]]
| birth_date = {{birth date|1911|2|10|mf=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|2006|1|17|1911|2|10}}
| birth_place = [[England]]
| death_place = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2006|1|17|1911|2|10}}
| yearsactive = 1934-1999
| death_place = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| birth_name = Norman Hilderth McCabe
| yearsactive = 1934-1999
| othername =
| birth_name =
| spouse = Fern McCabe{{Sfn|Sigall|2005|p=119}}
| othername =
| website =
| website =
}}
}}


'''Norman McCabe''' (February 10, 1911 – January 17, 2006) was an animator who enjoyed a long career which lasted into the 1990s.
'''Norman Hildreth McCabe'''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yowp |date=2021-01-16 |title=Tralfaz: Leon's Staff, 1940 |url=https://tralfaz.blogspot.com/2021/01/leons-staff-1940.html |access-date=2023-04-17 |website=Tralfaz |archive-date=17 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417062125/https://tralfaz.blogspot.com/2021/01/leons-staff-1940.html |url-status=live }}</ref> (February 10, 1911&nbsp;– January 17, 2006) was an American animator who enjoyed a long career that lasted into the 1990s.


==Early career==
==Early life and Warner Bros.==
McCabe was born in [[England]] and raised in the [[United States]]. In the mid-1930s, he joined [[Warner Bros. Cartoons|Leon Schlesinger Productions]] (which produced cartoons for [[Warner Bros.]]) as an animator in [[Frank Tashlin]]'s unit. He moved over to [[Bob Clampett]]'s unit in 1938 where he animated and/or co-directed several classic black and white [[Looney Tunes]]. When [[Tex Avery]] left Schlesinger in 1941, Clampett took over Avery's unit and McCabe took over Clampett's old unit. In 1943, McCabe was drafted into the Army and was assigned to the Army Air Corps Training Film Unit (Tashlin took over McCabe's unit after McCabe's final cartoon). In his final Warner cartoon before he left (a black and white World War II-era cartoon called ''[[Tokio Jokio]]''), he was billed as "Cpl. Norman McCabe."<ref name="Sigall">Sigall (2005), p. 70</ref>
McCabe was born in [[England]] and raised in the [[United States]]. He worked in [[Tacoma, Washington]], as a [[Lobby (room)|theater lobby]] artist. During the [[Great Depression]], he moved to [[Los Angeles]] to look for work at lobbies, but to no avail.<ref name="cr" /> In the 1930s, he joined [[Warner Bros. Cartoons|Leon Schlesinger Productions]] (which produced cartoons for [[Warner Bros.]]) as a animator in [[Frank Tashlin]]'s unit. He moved over to [[Bob Clampett]]'s unit in 1938 where he animated and/or co-directed several classic black and white [[Looney Tunes]]. When [[Tex Avery]] left Schlesinger in 1941, Clampett took over Avery's unit and McCabe took over Clampett's old unit. In 1943, McCabe was drafted into the Army and was assigned to the Army Air Corps Training Film Unit (Tashlin took over McCabe's unit after McCabe's final cartoon). In his final Warner cartoon before he left (a black-and-white World War II-era cartoon called ''[[Tokio Jokio]]''), he was billed as "Cpl. Norman McCabe".{{Sfn|Sigall|2005|p=70}}


He served in the [[First Motion Picture Unit]], headquartered at the [[Hal Roach]] Studios. His commanding officer was Major [[Harman and Ising|Rudolf Ising]].<ref name="Sigall">Sigall (2005), p. 70</ref>
He served in the [[First Motion Picture Unit]], headquartered at the [[Hal Roach]] Studios. His commanding officer was major [[Rudolf Ising]].{{Sfn|Sigall|2005|p=70}}

All of his cartoons except [[Porky's Snooze Reel]] (co-directed with [[Bob Clampett]]) are in the [[Public Domain|public domain]].


==Post-World War II==
==Post-World War II==
After the war, McCabe worked on commercial illustrations for such works as the [[Bozo the Clown]] children's storybook records<ref>[http://clownflower.com/blog/2007/10/bozo_and_his_rocket_ship.html clownflower.com]</ref> and educational films.
After the war, McCabe worked on commercial illustrations for such works as the [[Bozo the Clown]] children's storybook records<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 26, 2007 |title=Bozo and His Rocket Ship |url=http://clownflower.com/blog/2007/10/bozo_and_his_rocket_ship.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090724205946/http://clownflower.com/blog/2007/10/bozo_and_his_rocket_ship.html |archive-date=July 24, 2009 |website=ClownFlower.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Knudde |first=Kjell |date=September 5, 2020 |title=Norm McCabe |url=https://www.lambiek.net/artists/m/mccabe_norm.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118153350/https://www.lambiek.net/artists/m/mccabe_norm.htm |archive-date=18 November 2020 |access-date=23 August 2020 |website=Lambiek.net}}</ref> and educational films.


In the 1950s, McCabe found himself working for various television commercial studios such as Swift-Chaplin Productions, Five Star Productions, [[FilmFair]], and [[TeleMation Inc.]] He worked as an animation director for All Scope Pictures, Inc., a commercial film division for [[20th Century Studios|20th Century Fox]] from 1958 until the early 1960s.<ref name=amid/><ref name="cr" />
He returned to animation in 1963 joining [[DePatie-Freleng]] where he worked on the titles for the feature film ''[[The Pink Panther (1963 film)|The Pink Panther]]''. McCabe animated at DePatie-Freleng working on [[The Pink Panther (character)|Pink Panther]] cartoons as well as Warner Bros. cartoons. He also directed made for TV cartoons at DePatie-Freleng. During that time, he was usually credited as 'Norm Mccabe'


He returned to animation in 1963, joining [[DePatie-Freleng]], where he worked on the titles for the feature film ''[[The Pink Panther (1963 film)|The Pink Panther]]''. McCabe animated at DePatie-Freleng, working on [[Pink Panther (character)|Pink Panther]] cartoons as well as Warner Bros. cartoons. He also directed made for TV cartoons at DePatie-Freleng. During that time, he was usually credited as "Norm McCabe".
McCabe moved to the [[Filmation]] animation studio in 1967 working on several Saturday Morning cartoon series. He returned to theatrical animation with the adult animated feature film ''[[Fritz the Cat (film)|Fritz the Cat]]'' in 1972 before returning to DePatie-Freleng where he animated until the end of the 1970s. An in-joke at the studio had the name of a villain in "The Houndcats" as being "McCabe".


McCabe moved to the [[Filmation]] animation studio in 1967 working on several [[Saturday-morning cartoon]] series. He returned to theatrical animation with the adult animated feature film ''[[Fritz the Cat (film)|Fritz the Cat]]'' in 1972 before returning to DePatie-Freleng where he animated until the end of the 1970s. An in-joke at the studio had the name of a villain in ''[[The Houndcats]]'' as being "McCabe".
In the 1980s, McCabe returned to [[Warner Bros. Animation|Warner Bros.]] where he worked on new animation for Warner cartoon feature film anthologies. He also trained a new generation of animators in working with the classic Warner cartoon characters.


Other studios McCabe worked for include [[Film Roman]] (''[[Bobby's World]]''), [[Hanna-Barbera]], [[Henson Associates]] (''[[Muppet Babies (1984 TV series)|Muppet Babies]]''), [[Murakami-Wolf-Swenson]] (''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series)|Teenage Muntant Ninja Turtles]]''), [[Pacific Title & Art Studio]], Pantomime Pictures (''[[Skyhawks (TV series)|Skyhawks]]''), Playhouse Pictures, [[Ruby-Spears]], [[Sunbow Productions]], and [[Universal Animation Studios]].
In the 1990s, McCabe was the animator in the 1990 motion picture ''[[Jetsons: The Movie]]''. and he also did the animation director in 48 episodes of ''[[Bobby's World]]'' in Film Roman Studios.

In the 1980s, McCabe returned to [[Warner Bros. Animation|Warner Bros.]] where he worked on new animation for Warner cartoon feature film anthologies. He also trained a new generation of animators in working with the classic Warner cartoon characters. His last job was as a sheet timer on the series ''[[Tiny Toon Adventures]]'', ''[[Taz-Mania]]'', ''[[Animaniacs]]'', ''[[Freakazoid!]]'', and ''[[The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries]]''.


==Death==
==Death==
McCabe died in January 2006, the last surviving director from the golden age of [[Warner Bros. Cartoons]] to pass away. He was 94 years old.
McCabe died in January 2006, at age 94, the last surviving director from the golden age of [[Warner Bros. Cartoons]] to die.<ref name="cr" /><ref name=amid>[https://www.cartoonbrew.com/old-brew/norm-mccabe-1911-2006-1538.html Norm McCabe (1911-2006)]</ref>


==Legacy==
==Legacy==
Even though McCabe's work was largely forgotten because he never made color cartoons during the golden age of Warner Bros. cartoons and created several cartoons that would not be considered "politically correct" due to heavy racial stereotyping (particularly true in his World War II-based cartoons, such as ''[[The Ducktators]]'', ''[[Confusions of a Nutzy Spy]]'', and ''[[Tokio Jokio]]''), he won recognition and accolades from those in the animation business.
McCabe's work is obscure today, because he never made color cartoons during his (relatively brief) directorial tenure at the Schlesinger studio, and several of his cartoons would now be considered offensive due to heavy racial stereotyping (particularly true in his World War II-based cartoons, such as ''[[The Ducktators]]'', ''[[Confusions of a Nutzy Spy]]'', and ''[[Tokio Jokio]]''). During a screening of his cartoons at [[ASIFA-Hollywood]], he spoke highly of Clampett, but was outright embarrassed by his old black-and-white cartoons.<ref name="cr">{{Cite web |last=Baxter |first=Devon |date=May 23, 2018 |title=Animator Profiles: Norm McCabe |url=https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/animator-profiles-norm-mccabe/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428145720/https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/animator-profiles-norm-mccabe/ |archive-date= 28 April 2021 |access-date=18 July 2022 |website=CartoonResearch.com}}</ref> However, he won recognition and accolades from those in the animation business.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wilding |first=Robin |date=March 8, 2012 |title=The Top 100 Most Influential People in Animation |url=https://www.animationcareerreview.com/articles/top-100-most-influential-people-animation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324214914/https://www.animationcareerreview.com/articles/top-100-most-influential-people-animation |archive-date=24 March 2019 |access-date=11 June 2019 |website=AnimationCareerReview.com}}</ref>

==Filmography==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
!Series
! Title
! Credits
|-
| rowspan="2" |1934
| rowspan="2" |[[Merrie Melodies]]
|''Goin' to Heaven on a Mule''
| rowspan="28" | animator
|-
|''How Do I Know It's Sunday''
|-
| rowspan="3" |1935
| rowspan="40" |[[Looney Tunes]]
|''[[Buddy's Theatre]]''
|-
|''[[Buddy's Pony Express]]''
|-
|''[[Buddy's Lost World]]''
|-
| rowspan="10" |1936
|''[[The Phantom Ship (film)|The Phantom Ship]]''
|-
|''[[Boom Boom (film)|Boom Boom]]''
|-
|''[[Alpine Antics (1936 film)|Alpine Antics]]''
|-
|''[[Westward Whoa]]''
|-
|''[[Fish Tales (film)|Fish Tales]]''
|-
|''Shanghaied Shipmates''
|-
|''[[Porky's Pet]]''
|-
|''[[Porky's Poultry Plant]]''
|-
|''[[Little Beau Porky]]''
|-
|''[[Porky in the North Woods]]''
|-
| rowspan="4" |1937
|''Porky's Road Race''
|-
|''[[Porky's Romance]]''
|-
|''Porky's Building''
|-
|''[[Get Rich Quick Porky]]''
|-
| rowspan="4" |1938
|''[[Porky's Party]]''
|-
|''[[Porky in Wackyland]]''
|-
|''[[Porky in Egypt]]''
|-
|''[[The Daffy Doc]]''
|-
| rowspan="5" |1939
|''Porky's Tire Trouble''
|-
|''[[Kristopher Kolumbus Jr.]]''
|-
|''[[Scalp Trouble]]''
|-
|''Porky's Hotel''
|-
|''The Film Fan''
|-
|1940
|''[[The Timid Toreador]]''
| rowspan="13" |director
|-
| rowspan="2" |1941
|''Porky's Snooze Reel''
|-
|''Robinson Crusoe, Jr.''
|-
| rowspan="7" |1942
|''[[Who's Who in the Zoo]]''
|-
|''[[Daffy's Southern Exposure]]''
|-
|''Hobby Horse-Laffs''
|-
|''[[Gopher Goofy]]''
|-
|''[[The Ducktators]]''
|-
|''[[The Impatient Patient]]''
|-
|''[[The Daffy Duckaroo]]''
|-
| rowspan="3" |1943
|''[[Confusions of a Nutzy Spy]]''
|-
|''[[Hop and Go]]''
|-
|''[[Tokio Jokio]]''
|-
| rowspan="4" |1964
|''Pancho's Hideaway''
| rowspan="89" |animator
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[List of The Pink Panther cartoons|The Pink Panther]]
|''[[The Pink Phink]]''
|-
|''[[Pink Pajamas]]''
|-
|Merrie Melodies
|''[[Road to Andalay]]''
|-
| rowspan="20" |1965
|Looney Tunes
|''[[It's Nice to Have a Mouse Around the House]]''
|-
|Merrie Melodies
|''[[Cats and Bruises]]''
|-
|The Pink Panther
|''We Give Pink Stamps''
|-
|Merrie Melodies
|''[[The Wild Chase]]''
|-
| rowspan="3" |The Pink Panther
|''Dial "P" for Pink''
|-
|''Moby Duck''
|-
|''Sink Pink''
|-
|Merrie Melodies
|''[[Assault and Peppered]]''
|-
| rowspan="3" |The Pink Panther
|''Pickled Pink''
|-
|''Pinkfinger''
|-
|''Shocking Pink''
|-
|Looney Tunes
|''[[Well Worn Daffy]]''
|-
|The Pink Panther
|''Pink Ice''
|-
|Merrie Melodies
|''[[Rushing Roulette]]''
|-
| rowspan="5" |The Pink Panther
|''The Pink Tail Fly''
|-
|''Pink Panzer''
|-
|''An Ounce of Pink''
|-
|''Reel Pink''
|-
|''Bully for Pink''
|-
|[[The Inspector]]
|''[[The Great De Gaulle Stone Operation]]''
|-
| rowspan="21" |1966
|Looney Tunes
|''[[The Astroduck]]''
|-
| rowspan="2" |The Inspector
|''[[Reaux, Reaux, Reaux Your Boat]]''
|-
|''[[Napoleon Blown-Aparte]]''
|-
|The Pink Panther
|''Pink Punch''
|-
|The Inspector
|''Cirrhosis of the Louvre''
|-
|The Pink Panther
|''Pink Pistons''
|-
|Looney Tunes
|''[[Daffy Rents]]''
|-
|The Inspector
|''[[Plastered in Paris (1966 film)|Plastered in Paris]]''
|-
|The Pink Panther
|''Vitamin Pink''
|-
|Looney Tunes
|''[[A-Haunting We Will Go (1966 film)|A-Haunting We Will Go]]''
|-
|Merrie Melodies
|''[[Snow Excuse]]''
|-
| rowspan="3" |The Pink Panther
|''[[The Pink Blueprint]]''
|-
|''Pink, Plunk, Plink''
|-
|''Smile Pretty, Say Pink''
|-
|The Inspector
|''[[Cock-A-Doodle Deux Deux]]''
|-
|The Pink Panther
|''Pink-A-Boo''
|-
|Looney Tunes
|''A Squeak in the Deep''
|-
|Merrie Melodies
|''[[Feather Finger]]''
|-
| rowspan="2" |The Inspector
|''[[The Pique Poquette of Paris]]''
|-
|''[[Sicque! Sicque! Sicque!]]''
|-
| rowspan="2" |Merrie Melodies
|''[[A Taste of Catnip]]''
|-
| rowspan="4" |1967
|''[[Daffy's Diner]]''
|-
| rowspan="2" |The Inspector
|''Sacré Bleu Cross''
|-
|''Le Quiet Squad''
|-
|The Pink Panther
|''In the Pink''
|-
| rowspan="3" |1969
| rowspan="2" |Looney Tunes
|''Fistic Mystic''
|-
|''Rabbit Stew and Rabbits Too!''
|-
|Merrie Melodies
|''Shamrock and Roll''
|-
| rowspan="6" |1973
| rowspan="3" |[[The Blue Racer]]
|''The Boa Friend''
|-
|''Wham and Eggs''
|-
|''Killarney Blarney''
|-
| rowspan="7" |[[Hoot Kloot]]
|''The Shoe Must Go On''
|-
|''Pay Your Buffalo Bill''
|-
|''Stirrups and Hiccups''
|-
| rowspan="11" |1974
|''Phony Express''
|-
|''Giddy Up Woe''
|-
|''Gold Struck''
|-
|''As the Tumbleweeds Turn''
|-
|The Pink Panther
|''Pink Aye''
|-
|Hoot Kloot
|''Saddle Soap Opera''
|-
|[[The Dogfather]]
|''The Dogfather''
|-
|The Pink Panther
|''Trail of the Lonesome Pink''
|-
| rowspan="5" |The Dogfather
|''Mother Dogfather''
|-
|''Bows and Errors''
|-
|''Deviled Yeggs''
|-
| rowspan="7" |1975
|''Rock-A-Bye Maybe''
|-
|''From Nags to Riches''
|-
| rowspan="2" |The Pink Panther
|''Pink Streaker''
|-
|''Forty Pink Winks''
|-
|The Dogfather
|''Goldilox & the Three Hoods''
|-
| rowspan="4" |The Pink Panther
|''Keep Our Forests Pink''
|-
|''Pink Campaign''
|-
| rowspan="4" |1976
|''Mystic Pink''
|-
|''The Pink Pro''
|-
|The Dogfather
|''Medicur''
|-
| rowspan="6" |The Pink Panther
|''Pinky Doodle''
|-
|1977
|''Therapeutic Pink''
|-
| rowspan="4" |1978
|''String Along in Pink''
|-
|''Pink Lemonade''
|-
|''Pink Trumpet''
|-
|''Yankee Doodle Pink''
|}

===Feature films===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Credits
|-
|1972
|''[[Fritz the Cat (film)|Fritz the Cat]]''
| rowspan="3" |animator
|-
|1982
|''[[Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales]]''
|-
|1983
|''[[Daffy Duck's Fantastic Island]]''
|-
|1986
|''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''
|animation director
|-
|1988
|''[[Daffy Duck's Quackbusters]]''
|animator
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Credits
!Notes
|-
| rowspan="2" |1972
|''Clerow Wilson and the Miracle of P.S. 14''
| rowspan="16" |animator
|TV special
|-
|''[[The Barkleys]]''
|3 episodes
|-
|1973
|''[[The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas]]''
| rowspan="14" |TV special
|-
|1974
|''The Magical Mystery Trip Through Little Red's Head''
|-
|1975
|''[[The Hoober-Bloob Highway]]''
|-
|1977
|''[[Bugs Bunny's Easter Special]]''
|-
| rowspan="2" |1978
|''Michel's Mixed-Up Musical Bird''
|-
|''[[Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween Special]]''
|-
| rowspan="2" |1979
|''The Bugs Bunny Mother's Day Special''
|-
|''[[Bugs Bunny's Thanksgiving Diet]]''
|-
| rowspan="2" |1980
|''[[The Trouble with Miss Switch]]''
|-
|''[[Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You?]]''
|-
| rowspan="2" |1981
|''[[The Pink Panther in: Pink at First Sight]]''
|-
|''[[A Chipmunk Christmas]]''
|-
| rowspan="2" |1982
|''Bugs Bunny's Mad World of Television''
|-
|''[[The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat]]''
|-
|1986-1987
|[[My Little Pony (TV series)|''My Little Pony'']]
|director
|
|-
|1990-1991
|''[[Tiny Toon Adventures]]''
|director/timing director
|
|}


==Sources==
==Sources==
* {{Cite book|last=Sigall|first=Martha| title=Living Life Inside the Lines: Tales from the Golden Age of Animation | chapter=The Boys of Termite Terrace| year=2005 | publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]]| isbn= 9781578067497| url =http://books.google.gr/books?id=diKnDBs0wrIC&pg=PA49&dq=%22The+Heckling+Hare%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=BQonU_TYJ-XoywPj8IGQBw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22The%20Heckling%20Hare%22&f=false}}
* {{Cite book|last=Sigall|first=Martha| title=Living Life Inside the Lines: Tales from the Golden Age of Animation | chapter=The Boys of Termite Terrace| year=2005 | publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]]| isbn= 9781578067497| chapter-url =https://books.google.com/books?id=diKnDBs0wrIC&pg=PA49 }}


==References==
==References==
Line 47: Line 475:


== External links ==
== External links ==
* [https://www.lambiek.net/artists/m/mccabe_norm.htm Lambiek Comiclopedia article.]
* [http://www.filmbuffonline.com/InRemembrance/NormanMcCabe.htm Norman McCabe tribute]
* [http://www.filmbuffonline.com/InRemembrance/NormanMcCabe.htm Norman McCabe tribute]
* {{IMDb name|id=0564495}}
* {{IMDb name|id=0564495}}
{{Winsor McCay Award 2000s}}
{{Looney Tunes & Merrie Melodies}}
{{Authority control}}


{{Authority control|VIAF=29733206}}
{{Persondata
| NAME =McCabe, Norman
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = British animator
| DATE OF BIRTH =February 10, 1911
| PLACE OF BIRTH =[[England]]
| DATE OF DEATH =January 17, 2006
| PLACE OF DEATH =[[Los Angeles, California]]
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCabe, Norman}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCabe, Norman}}
[[Category:English animators]]
[[Category:Animated film directors]]
[[Category:1911 births]]
[[Category:1911 births]]
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
[[Category:English expatriates in the United States]]
[[Category:Artists from Newcastle upon Tyne]]
[[Category:English animators]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:British animated film directors]]
[[Category:American animated film directors]]
[[Category:British emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:First Motion Picture Unit personnel]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces soldiers]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces soldiers]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. Cartoons directors]]
[[Category:Filmation people]]

Latest revision as of 21:03, 6 October 2024

Norman McCabe
Born
Norman Hilderth McCabe

(1911-02-10)February 10, 1911
Newcastle upon Tyne, England, U.K.
DiedJanuary 17, 2006(2006-01-17) (aged 94)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Years active1934-1999
SpouseFern McCabe[1]

Norman Hildreth McCabe[2] (February 10, 1911 – January 17, 2006) was an American animator who enjoyed a long career that lasted into the 1990s.

Early life and Warner Bros.

[edit]

McCabe was born in England and raised in the United States. He worked in Tacoma, Washington, as a theater lobby artist. During the Great Depression, he moved to Los Angeles to look for work at lobbies, but to no avail.[3] In the 1930s, he joined Leon Schlesinger Productions (which produced cartoons for Warner Bros.) as a animator in Frank Tashlin's unit. He moved over to Bob Clampett's unit in 1938 where he animated and/or co-directed several classic black and white Looney Tunes. When Tex Avery left Schlesinger in 1941, Clampett took over Avery's unit and McCabe took over Clampett's old unit. In 1943, McCabe was drafted into the Army and was assigned to the Army Air Corps Training Film Unit (Tashlin took over McCabe's unit after McCabe's final cartoon). In his final Warner cartoon before he left (a black-and-white World War II-era cartoon called Tokio Jokio), he was billed as "Cpl. Norman McCabe".[4]

He served in the First Motion Picture Unit, headquartered at the Hal Roach Studios. His commanding officer was major Rudolf Ising.[4]

Post-World War II

[edit]

After the war, McCabe worked on commercial illustrations for such works as the Bozo the Clown children's storybook records[5][6] and educational films.

In the 1950s, McCabe found himself working for various television commercial studios such as Swift-Chaplin Productions, Five Star Productions, FilmFair, and TeleMation Inc. He worked as an animation director for All Scope Pictures, Inc., a commercial film division for 20th Century Fox from 1958 until the early 1960s.[7][3]

He returned to animation in 1963, joining DePatie-Freleng, where he worked on the titles for the feature film The Pink Panther. McCabe animated at DePatie-Freleng, working on Pink Panther cartoons as well as Warner Bros. cartoons. He also directed made for TV cartoons at DePatie-Freleng. During that time, he was usually credited as "Norm McCabe".

McCabe moved to the Filmation animation studio in 1967 working on several Saturday-morning cartoon series. He returned to theatrical animation with the adult animated feature film Fritz the Cat in 1972 before returning to DePatie-Freleng where he animated until the end of the 1970s. An in-joke at the studio had the name of a villain in The Houndcats as being "McCabe".

Other studios McCabe worked for include Film Roman (Bobby's World), Hanna-Barbera, Henson Associates (Muppet Babies), Murakami-Wolf-Swenson (Teenage Muntant Ninja Turtles), Pacific Title & Art Studio, Pantomime Pictures (Skyhawks), Playhouse Pictures, Ruby-Spears, Sunbow Productions, and Universal Animation Studios.

In the 1980s, McCabe returned to Warner Bros. where he worked on new animation for Warner cartoon feature film anthologies. He also trained a new generation of animators in working with the classic Warner cartoon characters. His last job was as a sheet timer on the series Tiny Toon Adventures, Taz-Mania, Animaniacs, Freakazoid!, and The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries.

Death

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McCabe died in January 2006, at age 94, the last surviving director from the golden age of Warner Bros. Cartoons to die.[3][7]

Legacy

[edit]

McCabe's work is obscure today, because he never made color cartoons during his (relatively brief) directorial tenure at the Schlesinger studio, and several of his cartoons would now be considered offensive due to heavy racial stereotyping (particularly true in his World War II-based cartoons, such as The Ducktators, Confusions of a Nutzy Spy, and Tokio Jokio). During a screening of his cartoons at ASIFA-Hollywood, he spoke highly of Clampett, but was outright embarrassed by his old black-and-white cartoons.[3] However, he won recognition and accolades from those in the animation business.[8]

Filmography

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Film

[edit]
Year Series Title Credits
1934 Merrie Melodies Goin' to Heaven on a Mule animator
How Do I Know It's Sunday
1935 Looney Tunes Buddy's Theatre
Buddy's Pony Express
Buddy's Lost World
1936 The Phantom Ship
Boom Boom
Alpine Antics
Westward Whoa
Fish Tales
Shanghaied Shipmates
Porky's Pet
Porky's Poultry Plant
Little Beau Porky
Porky in the North Woods
1937 Porky's Road Race
Porky's Romance
Porky's Building
Get Rich Quick Porky
1938 Porky's Party
Porky in Wackyland
Porky in Egypt
The Daffy Doc
1939 Porky's Tire Trouble
Kristopher Kolumbus Jr.
Scalp Trouble
Porky's Hotel
The Film Fan
1940 The Timid Toreador director
1941 Porky's Snooze Reel
Robinson Crusoe, Jr.
1942 Who's Who in the Zoo
Daffy's Southern Exposure
Hobby Horse-Laffs
Gopher Goofy
The Ducktators
The Impatient Patient
The Daffy Duckaroo
1943 Confusions of a Nutzy Spy
Hop and Go
Tokio Jokio
1964 Pancho's Hideaway animator
The Pink Panther The Pink Phink
Pink Pajamas
Merrie Melodies Road to Andalay
1965 Looney Tunes It's Nice to Have a Mouse Around the House
Merrie Melodies Cats and Bruises
The Pink Panther We Give Pink Stamps
Merrie Melodies The Wild Chase
The Pink Panther Dial "P" for Pink
Moby Duck
Sink Pink
Merrie Melodies Assault and Peppered
The Pink Panther Pickled Pink
Pinkfinger
Shocking Pink
Looney Tunes Well Worn Daffy
The Pink Panther Pink Ice
Merrie Melodies Rushing Roulette
The Pink Panther The Pink Tail Fly
Pink Panzer
An Ounce of Pink
Reel Pink
Bully for Pink
The Inspector The Great De Gaulle Stone Operation
1966 Looney Tunes The Astroduck
The Inspector Reaux, Reaux, Reaux Your Boat
Napoleon Blown-Aparte
The Pink Panther Pink Punch
The Inspector Cirrhosis of the Louvre
The Pink Panther Pink Pistons
Looney Tunes Daffy Rents
The Inspector Plastered in Paris
The Pink Panther Vitamin Pink
Looney Tunes A-Haunting We Will Go
Merrie Melodies Snow Excuse
The Pink Panther The Pink Blueprint
Pink, Plunk, Plink
Smile Pretty, Say Pink
The Inspector Cock-A-Doodle Deux Deux
The Pink Panther Pink-A-Boo
Looney Tunes A Squeak in the Deep
Merrie Melodies Feather Finger
The Inspector The Pique Poquette of Paris
Sicque! Sicque! Sicque!
Merrie Melodies A Taste of Catnip
1967 Daffy's Diner
The Inspector Sacré Bleu Cross
Le Quiet Squad
The Pink Panther In the Pink
1969 Looney Tunes Fistic Mystic
Rabbit Stew and Rabbits Too!
Merrie Melodies Shamrock and Roll
1973 The Blue Racer The Boa Friend
Wham and Eggs
Killarney Blarney
Hoot Kloot The Shoe Must Go On
Pay Your Buffalo Bill
Stirrups and Hiccups
1974 Phony Express
Giddy Up Woe
Gold Struck
As the Tumbleweeds Turn
The Pink Panther Pink Aye
Hoot Kloot Saddle Soap Opera
The Dogfather The Dogfather
The Pink Panther Trail of the Lonesome Pink
The Dogfather Mother Dogfather
Bows and Errors
Deviled Yeggs
1975 Rock-A-Bye Maybe
From Nags to Riches
The Pink Panther Pink Streaker
Forty Pink Winks
The Dogfather Goldilox & the Three Hoods
The Pink Panther Keep Our Forests Pink
Pink Campaign
1976 Mystic Pink
The Pink Pro
The Dogfather Medicur
The Pink Panther Pinky Doodle
1977 Therapeutic Pink
1978 String Along in Pink
Pink Lemonade
Pink Trumpet
Yankee Doodle Pink

Feature films

[edit]
Year Title Credits
1972 Fritz the Cat animator
1982 Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales
1983 Daffy Duck's Fantastic Island
1986 The Transformers: The Movie animation director
1988 Daffy Duck's Quackbusters animator

Television

[edit]
Year Title Credits Notes
1972 Clerow Wilson and the Miracle of P.S. 14 animator TV special
The Barkleys 3 episodes
1973 The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas TV special
1974 The Magical Mystery Trip Through Little Red's Head
1975 The Hoober-Bloob Highway
1977 Bugs Bunny's Easter Special
1978 Michel's Mixed-Up Musical Bird
Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween Special
1979 The Bugs Bunny Mother's Day Special
Bugs Bunny's Thanksgiving Diet
1980 The Trouble with Miss Switch
Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You?
1981 The Pink Panther in: Pink at First Sight
A Chipmunk Christmas
1982 Bugs Bunny's Mad World of Television
The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat
1986-1987 My Little Pony director
1990-1991 Tiny Toon Adventures director/timing director

Sources

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  • Sigall, Martha (2005). "The Boys of Termite Terrace". Living Life Inside the Lines: Tales from the Golden Age of Animation. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 9781578067497.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Sigall 2005, p. 119.
  2. ^ Yowp (16 January 2021). "Tralfaz: Leon's Staff, 1940". Tralfaz. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Baxter, Devon (23 May 2018). "Animator Profiles: Norm McCabe". CartoonResearch.com. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  4. ^ a b Sigall 2005, p. 70.
  5. ^ "Bozo and His Rocket Ship". ClownFlower.com. 26 October 2007. Archived from the original on 24 July 2009.
  6. ^ Knudde, Kjell (5 September 2020). "Norm McCabe". Lambiek.net. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  7. ^ a b Norm McCabe (1911-2006)
  8. ^ Wilding, Robin (8 March 2012). "The Top 100 Most Influential People in Animation". AnimationCareerReview.com. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
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