''Hunky and Spunky'' are fictional characters appearing in the series of

animated Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...

short subject A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film or ...

s produced by

Fleischer Studios Fleischer Studios () was an American animation studio founded in 1929 by brothers Max and Dave Fleischer, who ran the pioneering company from its inception until its acquisition by Paramount Pictures in 1942, the parent company and the distri ...

for

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

from 1938 to 1941. Filmed in

Technicolor Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...

(three-strip), the series revolves around a mother burro and her son.

History

Hunky is a mother burro and Spunky is her young son. The initial film, titled ''Hunky and Spunky'', takes place in the Old West, where a prospector attempts to make Spunky into his pack animal. ''Hunky and Spunky'' was nominated for the 1938 Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoons). A positive contemporary review of ''Hunky and Spunky'' in ''

Film Daily ''The Film Daily'' was a daily publication that existed from 1918 to 1970 in the United States. It was the first daily newspaper published solely for the film industry. It covered the latest trade news, film reviews, financial updates, informati ...

'' praised the short for introducing "funny new characters", and stated that the short's device of having the animals speak in "donkey talk" "will amuse the kids".(July 1, 1938). Review of ''Hunky and Spunky''. ''Film Daily'', Vol. 74, No. 1, p. 4 Fleischer Studios went on to produce six more cartoons featuring Hunky and Spunky: ''Always Kickin''' (1939), ''The Barnyard Brat'' (1939), ''A Kick in Time'' (1940), ''Snubbed by a Snob'' (1940), ''You Can't Shoe a Horse Fly'' (1940), and ''Vitamin Hay'' (1941). After

Famous Studios Famous Studios (renamed Paramount Cartoon Studios in 1956) was the first animation division of the film studio Paramount Pictures from 1942 to 1967. Famous was established as a successor company to Fleischer Studios, after Paramount seized contr ...

succeeded Fleischer Studios in 1942, they revived the Spunky character alone for three animated shorts in their Noveltoons series: the patriotic ''Yankee Doodle Donkey'' (1944), in a supporting role to Casper the Friendly Ghost in ''Boo Kind To Animals'' (1955), and in a simplified drawing style in ''Okey Dokey Donkey'' (1958). A donkey which looks similar to Spunky has a cameo role in the 1957 Casper cartoon '' Ghost of Honor''.

Filmography

''Color Classics''

''Noveltoons''

''Casper The Friendly Ghost''

References

External links

''Hunky and Spunky''
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 ...

. at

Archived
from the original February 6, 2015. Film characters introduced in 1938 Film series introduced in 1938 Animated characters introduced in 1938 Fleischer Studios series and characters Television series by U.M. & M. TV Corporation Fictional donkeys Anthropomorphic donkeys Animated duos Animated film series Children's film series {{animation-char-stub