Bobby Bumps Fly Swatter (1916)Bobby Bumps Chicken Dressing (1923)
Bobby Bumps is the titular character of a series of American silentanimatedshort subjects produced by Bray Productions from 1915 to 1925. Inspired by R. F. Outcault's comic strip Buster Brown, Bobby Bumps was a little boy who, accompanied by his dog Fido, regularly found himself in and out of mischief.[1] Each cartoon begins with a cartoonist's hand drawing Bobby, Fido and the backgrounds.[2]
The first two cartoons were released in 1915 by Universal; the next few years' titles were released by Paramount Pictures as part of their Paramount Bray Pictograph and, later, Paramount Magazine short-subjects packages. Mid-1920s shorts were released by Educational Pictures.
The series was created by Earl Hurd, who directed and/or animated most of the films. The Bobby Bumps cartoons were the first to be produced using the cel animation process.[3] Previously, animated cartoons were produced using paper animation: a new drawing was made for each frame of film. With cel animation, Bray drew his characters on clear sheets of celluloid, which he placed over still backgrounds during the photography process. Cel animation revolutionized the animation industry, and Hurd and his employer J.R. Bray held a patent for the process (and received licensing payments from all studios using the process) until 1932.
A 1918 short, Bobby Bumps Becomes an Ace, reflects the country's concerns about World War I. In this short, Bobby dreams that he shoots down German fighters and tries to sink a U-boat.[4]
In 2019, a comprehensive Blu-ray/DVD collection from animation researcher/restorer Tommy José Stathes, Cartoon Roots: Bobby Bumps and Fido, was released, containing fifteen shorts and much background material.
Filmography
1915
Bobby Bumps Gets Pa's Goat
Bobby Bumps Adventures
1916
Bobby Bumps and His Pointer Pup - first Bobby Bumps cartoon produced at Bray Productions.
