Checkerboard Era: Tom
& Jerry
Tom and
Jerry were one of the original cat and mouse chases. Popularized by Loony Tunes
chase duos such as Sylvester & Tweety, Roadrunner & Coyote, and Bugs
Bunny and...the rest of the world I guess. Tom and Jerry stands out because of their
character dynamic, and the inclusion of familiar recurring characters that are
on and off the show occasionally.
The premise
is simple; Tom the cat chases the mouse Jerry through some various scenarios.
What make this show unique are the characters that show up from time to time.
Tom and Jerry themselves are straight forward. Tom is a headstrong cat who
tries various tactics to catch Jerry, and most likely eat him. Jerry is a
cheeky mouse who is always one step ahead of Tom. The reoccurring characters
are a bulldog that eventually gets a son, and he is protective of, Jerry’s
younger cousin that is just adorable half the time, a bully alley cat that also
antagonizes Tom, and a bunch of others.
Tom and
Jerry also go throughout different house owners. The earlier seasons had this
mean spirited middle aged guy that always ended up threatening and beating up
Tom. Later seasons usually have little to no owners at all. The most memorable
owner was a black lady that was actually named Mammy Two Shoes, no joke. I
never thought that Two Shoes was supposed to be racist; she was honestly one of
my favorite characters in the show. Just remember that this show takes place in
the “modern” 40’s to 60’s.
Tom and
Jerry weren’t always bound to the house. They go to other time periods and
settings as well. They could get pretty creative sometimes when they go to the
future or when they go to medieval eras. Sometimes the tone of the show is
lighthearted, and sometimes it can be surprisingly dark. There was indeed an
episode where Tom actually dies and needs to beg Jerry for forgiveness or else
Tom would be sent to hell.
Overall,
Tom & Jerry is a timeless classic. The show itself went on for almost 20
years. Even at today’s standards, the show still holds up well both in its
episodic storytelling and amazing animation. It’s still running re runs to this
very day. There are still Tom and Jerry movies being made even as recent as
2017. However, I don’t think flash animation will ever replicate the same
animation styles used traditionally.
