Count Screwloose is a character in the comic strip ''Count Screwloose from Tooloose'' by Milt Gross, introduced on February 17, 1929. The count is portrayed as a mentally ill man who frequently leaves Nuttycrest Sanitarium, the

insane asylum The lunatic asylum, insane asylum or mental asylum was an institution where people with mental illness were confined. It was an early precursor of the modern psychiatric hospital. Modern psychiatric hospitals evolved from and eventually replace ...

where he resides, to go out into the rest of the world. There he often meets people who act crazier than he did and thus he always goes back, telling his dog Iggy: "Iggy, keep an eye on me", which became a national

catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...

at the time. The series was discontinued in 1935. In 1937, the comic strip was adapted into a short-lived cartoon series by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

. Two cartoons were released in 1939.

History

The

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio (also commonly referred to as MGM Cartoons) was an American animation studio operated by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during the Golden Age of American animation. Active from 1937 until 1957, the studio was responsi ...

brought in established newspaper cartoonist Milt Gross in an attempt to both bolster the Captain and the Kids product and create original properties for MGM, but his tenure at the studio was short-lived. Gross managed to complete two cartoons, ''Jitterbug Follies'' and ''Wanted: No Master'', with his characters Count Screwloose of Tooloose and J.R. the Wonder Dog. * ''Jitterbug Follies'' * ''Wanted: No Master''

References

American comic strips 1929 comics debuts 1935 comics endings Film series introduced in 1939 Count Screwloose MGM cartoon characters Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animated films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animated short films Comics adapted into animated series Screwloose Screwloose, Count Screwloose, Count Screwloose, Count Gag-a-day comics Screwloose, Count Screwloose, Count Screwloose, Count Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio film series {{animation-char-stub