Think Pink: The Story of DePatie-Freleng Paperback – October 26, 2015

If you were a child of the Sixties or Seventies, you probably heard about The Pink Panther, but not so much about the creators behind it. Whenever you think of Saturday Morning, you probably think of Warner Bros., Hanna-Barbera, Filmation, Ruby-Spears and Rankin-Bass. But there was also a major contributor to Saturday Mornings which first began their start with theatrical shorts about a rose-coloured feline.Think Pink! The Story of DePatie-Freleng is an intensive look on how David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng established their animation studio and began their success with the Pink Panther as well as other staples within animated television. Mark Arnold gives us a wonderful foray into the people and creators of such works as The Pink Panther, The Houndcats, The Barkleys, Doctor Doolittle, Here Comes The Grump, Timer Specials, The Cat in the Hat and others.As I enjoy reading this book I learned about the successes of DFE and the not so-successful moments such as Super President and Spy Shadow.Currently I'm at the chapter over the most sought after DePatie-Freleng production, Luvcast USA.The funny thing about this show--which was a part of the Saturday Superstar Movie on ABC--was I do recall Ranton Rave who kept setting us up for 'Love Potion No. 9,' and the one episode which stuck out in my memory was the one called, "Moonlight Does The Strangest Thing to Me."Basically it was about two seemingly average boy and girl going out on a date, where everything goes wrong, until the moon comes out and reveals he's a vampire and she's a werewolf (Note: if I'm incorrect, remember I'm going by my child memory, I was about five when it aired). And the hilarious moment was when they were playing the song, the monsters go to the Moon Drive-In Restaurant, and everyone quickly departing and the restaurant closing.But one of the more fascinating articles within the book itself was "A Pink Christmas." Mainly because it was the first time the Pink Panther didn't resort to the typical antics you saw in his theatrical shorts. And it was the first Pink Panther animated tale to be adapted into his comic book form.Basically I recall what made this exciting back then was, this was during the time, 1978, this was before VHS became commonplace, and there was no such thing as DVDs or streaming videos (except possibly for the Jetsons). So if you missed a special back then, you were pretty much SOL (Strictly Out of Luck) and had to wait an entire year to see it again (or by some fortunate miracle, the networks would rerun it for an animated block). So when Gold Key (who had been publishing the Pink Panther comics since 1971) brought out this adaptation, it was real treat because if you missed the animated version, you still had a hard copy to go on.Back then, however, as with most adaptations, there were two subtle differences between the comic and the animated special. (1) As most Pink Panther fans know, though he never talked in the classic cartoons (except for two shorts), as with Tom & Jerry and the Road Runner, the comic version Pink Panther could speak; and (2) Whereas the animated special is based on an O. Henry tale, thus the setting is at the turn of the century, the comic version somehow mysteriously puts the story into the modern times. Though it really never hurt the story itself, because hey, the Pink Panther was just as cool and popular in the comics as his animated shorts, back then it sort of felt a little out-of-place.[Sidenote: Harvey Comics did reprint 'A Pink Christmas,' when they obtained the rights to re-publish the comics during the 90s. So if you have difficulty finding the original print, you can always search there.]Overall, Mark Arnold does an excellent and informative job with the book itself because as I'm reading it, not only do you learn more about the people behind DFE Studios and the characters, but you get to learn about how the classic shows came about and get an insightful look on why we going back to the days of Saturday Morning with a Pink Panther and friends.I definitely recommend picking up Think Pink! The Story of DePatie-Freleng, since I feel it's truly an invaluable component to any animation collector's library.Excellent job on the book, Mark!

In the year 1963, Warner Bros. the home of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner, Speedy Gonzales, Sylvester The Cat, Tweety Pie, Cool Kat, Bunnie And Clyde, Tasmanian Devil, Yosemite Sam and the rest of the Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies family, shut down their longest running animation facility. Leaving it's animation team to early retirement including animation legend Friz Freleng and Executive Producer David H. DePatie. After a generous gesture from a former Warner exec allowed Friz and David to lease the former cartoon studio on Burbank's California Street, along with it's equipment and supplies for a few dollars each year. And with that, the two set out to create their own animation studio that would be known as DFE: DePatie-Freleng Enterprises. The studio along with Legendary Producer Walter Mirisch, United Artists and Blake Edwards of Breakfast At Tiffany's and Petticoat Junction fame would go on to give birth to the legendary animated feline in cinema history: The Pink Panther and the french inspector Jacques ClouseauThink Pink is the ultimate inside look into the underappreciated DePatie-Freleng animation catalog, Mark Arnold takes his readers starting from Friz and David's final days producing cartoons for Warner Bros' Looney Tunes in the early 60s, creating animation advertisements all the while struggling to keep the animation studio in good measures through power struggles, budget, buyouts, changing of direction in the later years. You get to hear eyewitness testimonies from the DFE family including composer Doug Goodwin, Directors Art Davis, Gerry Chiniquy, Editor/Producer Lee Gunther, Writer John W. Dunn and many more. Arnold doesn't just give readers an into the creation of The Pink Panther and The Inspector cartoons, he also gives them a dive into some of DePatie-Freleng's other works including Dr. Seuss' The Cat In The Hat, The Lorax, Halloween Is Grinch Night, The Hoober-Bloob Highway, The Grinch Grinches The Cat In The Hat and Pontoffel Pock And His Magic Piano, The Ant And The Aardvark, Roland And Ratfink, The Tijuana Toads (would later be changed to Texas Toads), The Blue Racer, The Dogfather, Crazylegs Crane and Hoot Kloot through cel drawings, production stills, advertising flyers and appendices.Arnold's book is a thoroughly researched and richly detailed look into one of the most underrated animation companies that left a longlasting legacy. If you love animation, if you love cartoons and the process of how they are made, if you are an aspiring cartoonist/animator looking to get into the business. This is a book I would highly recommend for the artist in you.

I just got my copy of "THINK PINK!" and it is magnificent! The author Mark Arnold has accomplished a wonderful and amazing work of research with it! To put it bluntly, it is just mind boggling to think of the amount of hours he must've spent reading and classifying material for the book! But the end result is truly worth it! Everything, and I do mean everything you wanted to know about the Pink Panther and the DePatie-Freleng studio, is right here at your fingertips. It is nothing short of incredible! Mr. Arnold deserves all kinds of credit for doing the footwork and research for all of us Pink Panther and Depatie-Freleng enthusiasts! It is a reference book to be cherished and consulted time and time again! The book is chockfull of tidbits and never before revealed pieces of information that every fan will undoubtedly relish for many years to come. If you like The Pink Panther, the Inspector, the Ant and the Aardvark, and all the other DePatie-Freleng cartoons, then this book is a must. If you just simply love animation, more so. The book covers everything from comic books, to theatrical cartoons, feature films, TV specials, merchandising, unrealized projects and inside stories on the people who created the cartoons. Lots of pictures illustrate the extensive oeuvre, and a full filmography and bibliography complete this lavish edition. You'll be glad you got it! Think Pink: The Story of DePatie-Freleng

El libro está profundamente documentado, ilustrado, y lleno de fotografías.Es un tocho, por lo que compensa el precio y el trabajo realizado.Muy recomendado para seguidores de la animación en general.

Debería tener menos páginas, pero con ilustraciones a todo color y centrarse más en pink panther que en el resto de series de la productora. La verdad, esperaba otra cosa; más anécdotas y entresijos de la creación del personaje; el proceso de creación de las historias, la animación. Lo mejor es el título y la ilustración de la portada.