MIGHTY CARTOON HEROES

There are many creators/writers/artists who do not like to tell of how they do certain things. Whether it is a technique or what the inspiration is that gave them their ideas...Every ego out there in the entertainment field wants to be coined "a genius" for coming up with something successful. Myself, I couldn't care less. I love what I do, & have no problems telling what inspires me & how I do what I do...Everybody swipes from someone else,..thats the way it is...Nothing is original today, yet you can make something your own by thinking it out properly & having imagination...This writing describes my inspirations & how I came to create my property of the "SPACE BANANAS"...

Appearing at Kevin Clement's "HORRORTHON" in New JERSEY, 1991. This was prior to the publishing of "DIMENSION X", Vol.1. Besides promoting our 1st product, we were selling & displaying the Artwork we had been producing for Bill Bruegman's "MODEL & TOY COLLECTOR" Magazine...

"DIMENSION X", Vol.1, 1992. Cover Painting by Fantasy Paperback Book Artist, RICHARD BOBER. "DIMENSION X" is © & TM 2010 Karl Art Publ., Inc. All Rights Reserved.

My buddy Michael Luck & I produced a quality Science Fiction Comic Mag in the tradition of the "E.C.'s" & "Warren's", & even though it was a labor of love, we did not study the market. Because of that it was a financial disaster as it was released when "Image Comics" started in 1992. Around this time we were also acquiring the Trademark rights to 1960's toy, "Captain Action", & then tried for some years to get the property going again. No one was interested except "Playin Mantis", who reproduced some of the original Toy line, but did not want to market it to the kids of today, only to collectors...I never felt comfortable with the property, because I did not create it. I am a very imginative person, & I felt the character looked ridiculous for todays market.

A good deal of people try to ride, old out-of-date properties, as they are not creative types, so they choose to rely on something someone else created. Copyright laws have drastically changed in recent years, allowing a property to eventually return to their original creators or inventors. So it is not really wise to try to make a fast buck on something you think is "public domain". Look at what the heirs of SUPERMAN Creators, SEIGEL & SHUSTER, are accomplishing today. By 2013, the rights to SUPERMAN will revert to the heirs, & DC will need to license from them to continue publishing the character...It has already happened with the SUPERBOY property...Now the JACK KIRBY Estate is charging forward with the same lawsuit, that DISNEY/MARVEL, must pull back from the characters KIRBY created, & pay past monies owed...If you have ideas & are of the creative type, just stick to your own original concepts...That is my advise...

Press Kit Promotional Still for Michael & I, for release of "DIMENSION X", Vol.1, 1992. © & TM 2010 Karl Art Publ., Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The incredible 1952 artistry of WALLY WOOD represented everything magical to a wannabe Science Fiction Artist like me. There will never be another. "WEIRD SCIENCE" & art is © & TM 2010 E.C. Publ., Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Columbian-born Alphonso Williamson pushed forward the idea that comic book art can be of the utmost highest qualities. Thanks to the help of talents like friends, ROY G KRENKEL. Panel from a 1952 ACG "FORBIDDEN WORLDS" #5.

When I produced "DIMENSION X", I was absolutely enchanted with the works of the great Sci-Fi comics artists, like WALLY WOOD, ROY G. KRENKEL, & the WILLIAMSON/FRAZETTA Team. I was trying to emulate & figure out their way of thinking & techniques. Trying to make my work look as close as I could to that quality. It's harder said than done. But also, I did not want to end up a clone, or someone who has to end up always using reference to keep up a certain look. The true talents are the ones who have established their own style...

Trying to evoke the quality of my artist-heroes at the time,...in sketchbooks, & for "DIMENSION X". © 2010 B. Krauz Prods. All Rights Reserved.

Michael Luck & I had attended the "SAN DIEGO Comic Con" in 1991, to promote our new "DIMENSION X". We had a booth & the San Diego Con was not as huge as it is today. A woman approached our booth & said she was from Hanna Barbera Studios. Her name was Margot & she was the developer of properties at the time. She said that the company was trying new things, & would be interested to look at anything we may have to offer. She gave me her card,...& it was on the plane flight home to New York, that I came up with "SPACE BANANAS"...

As I sat with my sketch book, the 1st thing I thought of was, is to create an anthropomorphic property, as that is what Hanna Barbera is famous for. Animals acting like humans. I then thought,...which animal is the least used. Dogs are used a good deal...Cats the same...Then I thought of apes, & the few ape animated characters that exist. "GRAPE APE, MAGILLA GORILLA, & The Live-Action BINGO from the BANANA SPLITS". I also thought of how DC Comics Editor, JULIUS SCHWARTZ, would always tell of how, whenever he uses an ape on a comic cover, it always sold more copies. I decided then to focus on ape characters, a team, like BATMAN & ROBIN, with an "E.C."-like Science Fiction alternate universe. The name came first..."SPACE BANANAS"... I knew it was perfect,...many people have walked up to me asking when is it coming back on telelvision? I tell them it never has been...There is something about the name that just seems recognizeable & has subconcious familiarity. In that respect, I know I have something so right...

The 1996 "BATMAN" TV Series Explosion & Merchandising was my earliest & most powerful influence in my life as wanting to be an artist. It was inevitable that I would use the color scheme for my own "SPACE BANANAS". Many others have used the same thinking over the years, evident in the examples below. "BATMAN" & all characters, © 2010 DC Comics, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

One of the many, yet memorable cash-in properties following "Bat-Mania", on saturday mornings. The Ralph Bakshi-designed, Walter Lantz Studios', "THE MIGHTY HEROES" #1, as published by Dell, 1967. © 2010 W. Lantz Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Disney, thanks to Gold Key & Western Publ., gave iconic GOOFY, "Superman-like" powers, when he ingested a peanut shaped "goober". My "original" copy from 1971. "SUPER GOOF" © & TM 2010 W. DISNEY Prods. All Rights Reserved.

Thinking back, I know all my ideas stem from what I experienced in my childhood, especially the Comic Books & Television Animation I ingested. The 1966 "BATMAN" series & all it's cash-in copycats by others. There were many shows & properties trying to follow the success of Batman, & I was exposed to them all. My favorites were Walter Lantz Studios' "THE MIGHTY HEROES", a goofy Ralph Bakshi take-off on the JUSTICE LEAGUE. Even Gold Key, the rights holder of DISNEY Character Comics, made GOOFY into a superhero, called "SUPER GOOF". Super Goof, like The Mighty Heroes, copied the color combinations of Batman & Robin for the uniforms...Blues, Reds, Yellows...

Gold Key produced some of the most eclectic comics, with always top talents. Here is the 1st 1968 Issue of "Hanna Barbera's SUPER TV HEROES". The best anthology comic book series of animated heroes of all time. All characters are © & TM 2010 Hanna Barbera Prods., Inc. All Rights Reserved.

My fave of all the Hanna Barbera Heroes. The "GIGANTOR" clone,... "FRANKENSTEIN JR". From the Whitman 1967 Sticker Fun Book. © & TM 2010 Hanna Barbera Prods., Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The SID & MARTY KROFFT-designed, Bubblegum jammin mayhem of the "BANANA SPLITS". Showing the ultra-rare 1969 Club Kit envelope, & 45 Picture Sleeve. © 2010 Hanna Barbera Prods., Inc. All Rights Reserved.

One of my top fave shows as a kid & one that has played an immense part in developing my "SPACE BANANAS", has been "LANCELOT LINK, SECRET CHIMP". Created by two of the top writers for "GET SMART", BURNS & MARMER gave saturday morning tv viewers a bizarre & still-hilarious take on the spy genre, using chimps dressed like people, with peanut buttered mouths. Truly something not allowed today, & the chimps got their rightful revenge on certain sadisitic handlers on the sets. This is from the very rare 45 picture sleeve, to the bubblegum/psychedelic rockin of the"EVOLUTION REVOLUTION" on ABC Records, 1970. © SBM Prods. All rights reserved.

"HANNA BARBERA" Cartoons flooded the television airwaves back then, & ruled... My favorites were their Superheroes, again taking advantage of the Batman success. But their characters had more originality, due to master comic artist, ALEX TOTH, being in charge of designs & concepts...Of course a few were generic, but I loved them just the same. "FRANKENSTEIN JR. & The IMPOSSIBLES" was probably my favorite of them all. Of course that concept was swiped from Japanese Manga genius, MITSUTERU YOKOYAMA, & his "Tetsujin 28-Go" property, released in America, as GIGANTOR.

In the late-60's/early-70's HANNA BARBERA teamed with the talents of SID & MARTY KROFFT to create "THE BANANA SPLITS SHOW". This was very appealing to children, as it featured the characters in Live Action settings,...though only as short non-storytelling, "Laugh-In" type, segments...

The Dell 1967 Comic Adaptation of RANKIN BASS' immortal Classic Puppet Animated Monster Music Fest, starring BORIS KARLOFF & PHYLLIS DILLER,..."MAD MONSTER PARTY!?" © 2010 Embassy Pictures Corp.

The Hallucinagenics & OZ-inspired lunacy of SID & MARTY KROFFT'S drug-less experience for Saturday morning consumption, "HR PUF'N'STUF". Just what kind of "stuf" does a dragon "puf"? Obviously a nod to Peter, Paul & Mary's immortal childrens song. © 2010 Sid & Marty Krofft Prods., Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Probably the best of the ARCHIE COMICS adaptations for Animated programming, Hanna Barbera's 1969, "JOSIE & THE PUSSYCATS"! Long tails & ears to match! © 2010 Archie Comics, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

One of my favorite holiday showings on TV, was RANKIN BASS', "MAD MONSTER PARTY". My SVA teacher was co-writer, HARVEY KURTZMAN, the Creator of MAD... For SPACE BANANAS, I want to evoke the humor Harvey was famous for, especially how he applied it to the musical & innovative puppetry of "Mad Monster Party"...

SID & MARTY KROFFT soon created their own little empire of memorable Live Action shows, that pushed HANNA BARBERA out of the running for Saturday Morning supremacy...HR PUF'N'STUF was the most popular & 1st, & is undoubtably one of the most original & imaginative fantasies made for saturday mornings.

Even the ARCHIE COMICS line of properties made an impact, due to the burgeoning Rock'N'Roll/Bubblegum market to sell records. FILMATION & HANNA BARBERA acquired ARCHIE licensing, & made a successful cross-over to young consumers who were now buying 45's & LP's. All of them played & sang songs. THE ARCHIES/GROOVIE GOOLIES/& the most memorable & successful of the pack, JOSIE & THE PUSSYCATS...
When you spend your time focusing on trying to make your style a certain way, it's then difficult to just jump & do something totally different.

These above two scene drawings in Manhattan, show what I was developing my style to be, when then, I decided to try my hand at whacky stretchy loopy cartoony characters. As you will see, I have some difficulty at 1st,...but as time went on, I got looser & developed a nice feeling for achieveing expression & feelings through the movements...John Kricfalusi is amazing when it came to expression, with his immortal REN & STIMPY series...Also I was looking at my SVA schoolmate, KYLE BAKER's work, & that helped me to adapt to the twisty turny retardo style of cartooning.

These sketchbook drawings are the very 1st SPACE BANANAS concept ideas, as I scribbled in my seat flying home from San Diego. Right away I knew I was going to use the colors of "BATMAN & ROBIN" to give a subliminal appeal. For the next few weeks I tweaked & developed the Model Sheets of the different characters to be involved. The more I developed, the more ideas came, to create an even larger universe of off-shoot heros to coincide with the Adventures of the SPACE BANANAS... THE very 1st "SPACE BANANAS" sketches, done in my sketchbook on the plane home to JFK, NY...1991
Trying different head shapes to develop "WOODY"...

"WOODY", "PROF. CARMINE", the "BANANA FORCE 1" ship, "BANANA SCOOTERS", "EMPEROR LAPHOUND"...
"EMPEROR LAPHOUND", PRISON SECURITY GUARDS"...

Cast of Villians, "FERRET-MASTER", "NAUTILUS MIND", "BRAIN BAT", PRISON GUARD"...

I designed all the Characters, their motives & backgrounds, & to start producing some kind of promotional merchandise for Coventions to get the exposure going. A Comic Book eventually, was the logical choice...I broadened the self-contained universe by creating even more characters that can interact, or have a series all their own...THE AQUAHOUNDS,...& CHAMELEON KAT...More Superhero anthropoids, allowing for unlimited possibilites. My only rules are, "No Humans,... & each property is fashioned specifically for children. I always make sure it remains appealable to anywhere from a 4 year old, up to their parents approving of it's nature & message...I have been approached at conventions by many parents who adored the work, & were proud to find something they would allow their child to read. I also recieved many letters & artwork from children,...parents too....

The 1st "AQUAHOUNDS" sketches...
"Chucklemutt" of the "AQUAHOUNDS" fleshed to go...

Some characters just come immediately...The 1st "CHAMELEON KAT"
Sketch. I knew exactly from the beginning how the look should be & it's not common to get something right away,...but this one worked... All sketches & art of the "SPACE BANANAS", "AQUAHOUNDS", & "CHAMELEON KAT" are © & TM B. Krauz Prods. All Rights Reserved.

Sometimes when you are designing concepts, they are done very quickly, raw & primitive. Of which I know these original designs show...

After I produced the 1st SPACE BANANAS Comic in 1994, I discovered a series of funny animal comics, produced by AVON Publishing in the 1950's...I found it very charming to see the similiar ideas I had, were not only used in the 60's, & but also 10 years earlier than that...

SPACE MOUSE (not the Walter Lantz version of the early 1960's), but an earlier property, that began as a back-up with other similiar anthropoids, in Avon's, "PETER RABBIT COMICS", in 1956. What I found so wild, is that the artist/creator, FRANK CARIN, a former 1940's animator & Timely cartoonist, had used the same Blue, Red, & Yellow, "BATMAN & ROBIN" color scheme, for his heroes...I found that prior to SPACE MOUSE, PETER RABBIT had his own Space travel experiences. Yes,...he too, had that same costume "color scheme" for he & his companion...When SPACE MOUSE came around, he was in a total of 4 different titles for AVON: The New Adventures Of PETER RABBIT/FUNNY TUNES/SPACE COMICS/& SPACE MOUSE...All together he existed from the years 1954-57. These books are very charming & simplistic, & represent the similiar overall charm & quality I try to accomplish with my own SPACE BANANAS, & others...

AVON's 1954 "PETER RABBIT" Jumbo Comic, features art by FRANK CARIN.

Beautiful cover by FRANK CARIN, featuring many fun characters, including, "SPACE MOUSE"...AVON Publ., "SPACE COMICS" #4, 1956.

"SPACE MOUSE" gets his own title from AVON, 1954...Art by FRANK CARIN...

My very 1st piece of the "SPACE BANANAS", done as an animated cel. Figures are painted on acetate. Background is watercolor on illustration board. 1992. Printed as a Holo-Prism Trading Card & as a Greeting Card..."SPACE BANANAS" © & TM 2010 B. Krauz Prods. All Rights Reserved.

In my next installment, I will tell of my meeting with Margot at HANNA BARBERA, when I returned to Los Angeles, Ca. in 1993, to follow up our initial introduction in San Diego. I will also show my Model Sheets, & document the experiences I had over that next few years, trying to create exposure for the "SPACE BANANAS"... property...