''The Ant and the Aardvark'' is a series of 17 theatrical short cartoons produced at

DePatie–Freleng Enterprises DePatie–Freleng Enterprises (also known as Mirisch-Geoffrey-DePatie-Freleng Productions when involved with the Mirisch brothers and Geoffrey Productions; and DFE Films) was an American animation production company that was active from 1963 to 1 ...

, originally released by

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stu ...

and currently distributed by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

from 1969 to 1971.

Plot

The cartoon series follows attempts of a blue

aardvark The aardvark ( ; ''Orycteropus afer'') is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa. It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata, although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. Unlik ...

(voiced by

John Byner John Byner (born John Biener; June 28, 1938) is an American actor, comedian and impressionist who has had a lengthy television and film career. His voice work includes the cartoon series ''The Ant and the Aardvark'', in which the title characte ...

, imitating

Jackie Mason Jackie Mason (born Yacov Moshe Maza; yi, יעקב משה מזא; June 9, 1928 – July 24, 2021) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. His 1986 one-man show ''The World According to Me!'' won a Special Tony Award, an Outer Critics Ci ...

) attempting to catch and eat a red ant named Charlie (also voiced by Byner, imitating

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

), usually doing so by inhaling with a loud vacuum cleaner sound. The aardvark character is essentially unnamed; in the episode "Rough Brunch", he claims his name is simply "Aardvark". Despite this, and his identification in the series title as an aardvark, in many of the shorts he refers to himself (and is referred to by the ant) as an

anteater Anteater is a common name for the four extant mammal species of the suborder Vermilingua (meaning "worm tongue") commonly known for eating ants and termites. The individual species have other names in English and other languages. Together wit ...

. The ant gives his nemesis a variety of names as sly terms of endearment (Ol' Sam, Ol' Ben, Ol' Blue, Claude, Pal, Buddy, Daddy-O). In several bumper sequences of ''

The Pink Panther Show ''The Pink Panther Show'' is a showcase of animated shorts produced by David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng between 1969 and 1978, starring the animated Pink Panther character from the opening credits of the live-action films. The series was pr ...

'', he is called "Blue Aardvark."

Production

''The Ant and the Aardvark'' series was originally released by

. Seventeen theatrical shorts were produced in the original series, and were subsequently featured in various

television syndication Broadcast syndication is the practice of leasing the right to broadcasting television shows and radio programs to multiple television stations and radio stations, without going through a broadcast network. It is common in the United States wher ...

packages, usually shown with DFE's other characters such as the

Pink Panther ''The Pink Panther'' is an American media franchise primarily focusing on a series of comedy-mystery films featuring an inept French police detective, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The franchise began with the release of the classic film ''The Pi ...

and

The Inspector ''The Inspector'' is a series of 34 theatrical cartoon shorts produced between 1965 and 1969 by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises and released through United Artists. The cartoons are dedicated to an animated version of Inspector Clouseau comical ...

. Most of the 17 entries appear in their television syndication form (complete with an audible

laugh track A laugh track (or laughter track) is a separate soundtrack for a recorded comedy show containing the sound of audience laughter. In some productions, the laughter is a live audience response instead; in the United States, where it is most common ...

added by NBC-TV) on the

video on demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of ...

service

Amazon Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service pr ...

. When ''The Ant and the Aardvark'' first appeared on '' The New Pink Panther Show'' in the fall of 1971, the series became wildly popular, so much in fact that the duo became a featured part of the NBC series. Even though the 17 entries remained popular throughout the broadcast run of ''The Pink Panther Show'', no new entries were produced. The series used several unique production techniques for the period. The aardvark's body was solid blue: his only clothes—a pair of blue shorts and matching T-shirt—were a matching blue. Similarly, Charlie Ant was solid red, and did not sport any clothing. As such, the character's solid colors allowed them to stand out clearly against the multi-colored backgrounds featured prominently in the series. Charlie also sported half-closed eyes, as a sign of a bon viveur. Musical director Doug Goodwin was responsible for the jazzy music score. Goodwin assembled an established group of jazz session musicians to perform the series' theme music and musical cues. For the first time in animated cartoons, all six musicians— Ray Brown,

Billy Byers William Mitchell Byers (May 1, 1927 – May 1, 1996) was an American jazz trombonist and arranger. Early life Byers was born in Los Angeles on May 1, 1927. He suffered from arthritis from a young age and was unable to continue his plans of a care ...

Pete Candoli Pete Candoli (born Walter Joseph Candoli; June 28, 1923 – January 11, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played with the big bands of Woody Herman and Stan Kenton and worked in the studios of the recording and television industries. Ca ...

, Shelly Manne,

Jimmy Rowles James George Hunter (August 19, 1918 – May 28, 1996), known professionally as Jimmy Rowles (sometimes spelled Jimmie Rowles), was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, and composer. As a bandleader and accompanist, he explored multiple styles in ...

and Tommy Tedesco—received on-screen credit.

Art Leonardi Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wh ...

was responsible for the main title graphic for all DePatie-Freleng entries. For ''The Ant and the Aardvark ''series, Leonardi expanded on a technique first introduced for the first Pink Panther cartoon, ''

The Pink Phink ''The Pink Phink'' is a 1964 American animated short comedy film directed by Friz Freleng. It is the first animated short starring the Pink Panther. The short won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short at the 37th Academy Awards. Plot The Pi ...

''. This entailed tearing paper into the forms of objects and characters to form stylized images.

Additional characters

There were additional minor characters in the series. Among them were the following: * Computer (voiced by John Byner) - A computer that the aardvark built to help come up with ideas to catch the ant (''Technology, Phooey'') * Cousin Term the Termite (''Rough Brunch'') * Aunt Minerva - One of the Gi-ants (''The Ant From Uncle'') * Tiny the Elephant, an ape, and a look-alike of Roland (from another DePatie-Freleng series, '' Roland and Rattfink'') - Charlie Ant's lodge brothers (''Mumbo Jumbo'') * An unnamed green aardvark - He is similar to the blue aardvark except barrel-chested instead of pot-bellied (''I've Got Ants In My Plans'', ''Odd Ant Out'') * Tiger (voiced by

Marvin Miller Marvin Julian Miller (April 14, 1917 – November 27, 2012) was an American baseball executive who served as the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) from 1966 to 1982. Under Miller's direction, the players ...

) - A tiger that helped Charlie (''Scratch a Tiger'') * A scientist (''Science Friction'') * A nurse at an animal hospital (voiced by

Athena Lorde Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of v ...

) - She tended to the ant and the aardvark when they ended up in her hospital (''From Bed to Worse'') * An anteater-eating shark (''Isle of Caprice'') * A nearsighted lifeguard - Despite wearing glasses, he tends to mistake the Aardvark for a dog (''Dune Bug'') * A toastmaster ant - An ant (''I've Got Ants in My Plans'')

International versions

* In the German dub, the Aardvark is a female anteater named Elise (Eliza) voiced by

Marianne Wischmann Marianne Wischmann (1921–2009) was a German film and television actress, as well as a renowned voice actress. Selected filmography * '' Third from the Right'' (1950) * '' The Lie'' (1950) * '' Abundance of Life'' (1950) * ''Miracles Still Happ ...

while Charlie (voiced by Fred Maire) remains male. The cartoons are known under the title ''Die blaue Elise'' (The Blue Eliza). * In the Latin American Spanish dub, the Aardvark is a male anteater voiced by Pedro D'Aguillón (original dub) and Javier Rivero (dub on some re-airings). Charlie (voiced by Álvaro Carcaño and Salvador Nájar) remains unchanged. The series title is ''La hormiga y el Oso hormiguero'' (The Ant and the Anteater). * In the Brazilian Portuguese dub the Aardvark is an anteater voiced by Ionei Silva. The series title is changed to ''A Formiga e o Tamanduá'' (The Ant and the Anteater). *In the European Portuguese dub the aardvark remains an aardvark. * In the French dub, the Aardvark is a male anteater voiced by Michel Gatineau while Charlie is voiced by actress Marcelle Lajeunesse. The title is known as ''Tamanoir et Fourmi Rouge'' (Aardvark and Red Ant).

Films

All voices provided by John Byner unless otherwise noted.

Credits

* Producers: David H. DePatie, Friz Freleng * Directors: Friz Freleng, Hawley Pratt, Gerry Chiniquy, Art Davis * Story: John W. Dunn, Irv Spector, Dave Detiege, Sid Marcus, Larz Bourne, Dale Hale * Animation: Warren Batchelder, Manny Gould, Manny Perez, Don Williams, Art Leonardi, Robert Taylor, Bob Goe, Tom Ray, Lloyd Vaughan, Bob Richardson, John Gibbs, Phil Roman, Robert Bentley, Ken Muse, Irv Spence * Graphic Designers: Corny Cole, Dick Ung, Al Wilson, Lin Larsen * Voices: John Byner, Marvin Miller, Athena Lorde * Color Designer: Tom O'Laughlin, Richard H. Thomas * Title Cards: Art Leonardi * Production Supervisor: Jim Foss * Coordinator: Harry Love * Camera: John Burton Jr. * Film Editor:

Lee Gunther Lee Gunther (May 30, 1935 – August 25, 1998) was a co-founder of Marvel Productions and a film editor (which, in animation parlance, means sound effects editor) on more than 85 animated shorts in all. Career Starting at Warner Bros. in the 19 ...

* Musical Director: Doug Goodwin * Musicians: ** Ray Brown - bass **

- trombone **

- trumpet **

- piano ** Tommy Tedesco - guitar/banjo ** Shelly Manne - drums

Revivals

The first revival featured the characters as part on the 1993 incarnation of ''

The Pink Panther ''The Pink Panther'' is an American media franchise primarily focusing on a series of comedy-mystery films featuring an inept French police detective, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The franchise began with the release of the classic film '' The Pi ...

''. The characters remained unchanged, though unlike the original 1969-1971 cartoons, they do not appear in their own segments but rather are included in segments featuring the Pink Panther (now voiced by

Matt Frewer Matthew George Frewer (born January 4, 1958) is an American-Canadian actor, singer and comedian. He portrayed the 1980s icon Max Headroom in the 1985 TV movie and 1987 television series of the same names. He became prominent when playing role ...

). John Byner returned to voice both Charlie Ant and the Aardvark. The second revival occurred in 2010 as part of ''

Pink Panther and Pals ''Pink Panther and Pals'' is an American animated television series and a modern adaptation of the classic DePatie-Freleng Pink Panther shorts from the 1960s. The program was produced for Boomerang by Desert Panther Production and Rubicon Stud ...

''. Eddie Garvar (occasionally John Over) voices the Aardvark, who retains his previous characterization.

Kel Mitchell Kel Johari Rice Mitchell (born August 25, 1978) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He was an original cast member of the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series ''All That'' for its first five seasons (1994–1999), where he was often paired a ...

, using his natural voice, voices the Ant.

Home video

The complete series was digitally remastered and issued on its own single-disc DVD collection by

MGM Home Entertainment Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC ( d/b/a MGM Home Entertainment and formerly known as MGM Home Video, MGM/CBS Home Video and MGM/UA Home Video) is the home video division of the American media company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. History ...

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 20th Century Studios Home Entertainment (commonly referred to as 20th Home Video, or 20th Home Entertainment, formerly known as 20th Century-Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video, Fox Video, and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) is a home video label of Wa ...

in 2007 as ''The Pink Panther and Friends Volume 5: The Ant and the Aardvark''. The complete series reappeared in January 2009 as part of the DVD collection ''Pink Panther & Friends Classic Cartoon Collection'' by

, a 9-disc DVD set containing all ''Pink Panther'', ''Ant and the Aardvark'', ''

Inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...

'' and (for the first time on DVD) '' Roland and Rattfink'' cartoons. ''The Ant and the Aardvark'' was released onto Region 1/A Blu-ray and DVD on 27 April 2016.

References

External links

Big Cartoon Database
*

at

Don Markstein's Toonopedia Don Markstein's Toonopedia (subtitled A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge) is an online encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation, initiated February 13, 2001. Donald D. Markstein, the sole writer and editor of Toonopedi ...

Archived
from the original on August 21, 2015. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ant And The Aardvark, The 1969 American television series debuts 1971 American television series endings Film characters introduced in 1969 Film series introduced in 1969 Animated film series DePatie–Freleng Enterprises Fictional aardvarks Fictional ants Fictional rivalries Television series by MGM Television The Pink Panther Show