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Koko the Clown was an animated character created by animation pioneer, Max Fleischer. It is disputed whether the character's name is spelled "Koko" or "Ko-Ko" as it varies between films.
Koko was created when Max Fleischer invented the rotoscope, a device that allowed for animation to be more lifelike, by tracing human movement. To test out his new invention Fleischer photographed his brother, Dave in a clown suit. After tracing and animating the footage, Koko the Clown was born. Using this device, the Fleischer brothers were able to secure a contract with the John R. Bray Studios in 1919 to produce their own series called Out of the Inkwell. Aside from the use of the rotoscope, the new series also offered a combination of live-action and animation. The films usually were centered on Max Fleischer as the creative cartoonist who would always have to keep Koko in check. Koko would often slip from Max's eye and end up either going on an adventure of some sort or pulling a prank on his human superior. The series became very successful and in 1921, Fleischer Studios was born.
Throughout the 1920s, the studio proved to be one of the top producers of animation with clever humor and numerous innovations. In 1924, Fleischer decided to go a step further and introduce a new series called Ko-Ko Song Cartunes, sing-along shorts (featuring "The Famous Bouncing Ball"). These early cartoons were actually the first films ever to use soundtracks (three years prior to The Jazz Singer and four years prior to Steamboat Willie). Sadly, the sound shorts attracted little interest at the time, in part because only a small number of theaters were equipped with electronic speakers at the time. The Fleischers would not venture into the sound venue again until 1929, and by that time, could make the transition with relative ease.
Eventually, a new character, Fitz the Dog (later known as Bimbo) was added to the series. Together, Fitz and Koko would wreak all sorts of havoc on Fleischer and anyone else would just happen to be in the cartoon studio with him. So, in 1927, the series was renamed Inkwell Imps. Chemical Ko-Ko (1929) would be the last of these shorts.
In 1931, Koko was taken out of retirement and became a regular in the new Fleischer Talkartoons series with contemporary costars, Betty Boop and Bimbo. After Fleischer was bought out by Paramount Studios, Koko continued to be revived periodically for made for television cartoons into the early 1960s.

// posted by wibsio3 @ 8:19 AM