This was another entry I found on Saturday Morning Blog that was focused on Halloween. In this Max Fleischer-Inkwell Imps episode, we see Max and another cartoonist next to him (probably his brother Dave) at the drawing board with the other artist stealing Max's inkwell. That inkwell becomes a big house (well, big enough for the board) that Ko-Ko and his dog Fitz go into. They encounter several ghosts and skeletons (many of those in chalk white drawings on black paper-supposedly construction). Plenty of weird gags abound like seeing a tiny ghost using a pickaxe on Fitz' tail or a person being human on the back and skeletal on the front! Then there's some statues moving that scares the other cartoonist at the end that makes Max laugh. The print I saw on YouTube wasn't in great condition and the score that was picked seemed a little cheery. Despite that, Ko-Ko's Haunted House is well worth a look.
5 Reviews
Ko-Ko's Haunted House was another fascinating live action/cartoon hybrid from Max Fleischer
tavm30 October 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Poor Koko and Fitz!
planktonrules11 May 2020
In this installment of the Koko (also called 'Ko-Ko') series from the Fleischer Brothers, the animators have decided to jerk Koko and his dog Fitz around by dropping them into a haunted house model they've constructed. In it, they run from room to room to room discovering all sorts of crazy and scary things. This continues for some time until ultimately the pair end up leaving the house and entering the real world...at which point the studio becomes haunted.
This is a cute and funny cartoon...not among the very best but still fun and enjoyable....and well worth seeing.
This is a cute and funny cartoon...not among the very best but still fun and enjoyable....and well worth seeing.
Excellent "Inkwell Imps" short
llltdesq1 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This is a cartoon in the Koko the Clown series produced by Fleischer. There will be spoilers ahead:
I'll admit that I'm a fan of the Koko series, so I may be biased towards this one. Having said that, I love this cartoon! It's one of the better spooky cartoons I've seen.
It starts with a live action sequence where another animator takes Max's inkwell and stretches it into a beat up, rundown old house. Max draws Koko and gets him to go into the house, which the other animator doesn't like.
Koko gets Fitz out of his cap and they start looking around. The first door Koko opens has a ghost behind it, while the second has a skeleton. This understandably upsets Koko and Fitz. The gags in here are very good, so I won't spoil them. I will say that the standout here has Koko in front of a fun-house mirror.
Koko and Fitz ultimately end up running from a crowd of ghosts. Meanwhile, the animator who created the house is doing everything he can think of to get the two out. Fitz gets back in Koko's cap and they leave the house. Koko tells Max what happened and Max comes up with a way for Koko to get even. It's great! This cartoon deserves to be more widely seen. Most recommended.
I'll admit that I'm a fan of the Koko series, so I may be biased towards this one. Having said that, I love this cartoon! It's one of the better spooky cartoons I've seen.
It starts with a live action sequence where another animator takes Max's inkwell and stretches it into a beat up, rundown old house. Max draws Koko and gets him to go into the house, which the other animator doesn't like.
Koko gets Fitz out of his cap and they start looking around. The first door Koko opens has a ghost behind it, while the second has a skeleton. This understandably upsets Koko and Fitz. The gags in here are very good, so I won't spoil them. I will say that the standout here has Koko in front of a fun-house mirror.
Koko and Fitz ultimately end up running from a crowd of ghosts. Meanwhile, the animator who created the house is doing everything he can think of to get the two out. Fitz gets back in Koko's cap and they leave the house. Koko tells Max what happened and Max comes up with a way for Koko to get even. It's great! This cartoon deserves to be more widely seen. Most recommended.
A haunted cup of Ko-Ko.
morrison-dylan-fan10 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Whilst reading reviews for Dave Fleischer's very good Ko-Ko's Earth Control,I noticed a reviewer mention that Fleischer had made a Ko-ko short based around a haunted house,which led to me getting ready to go searching for ghosts with Ko-ko.
The plot:
After getting drawn,Ko-Ko enters a house that an animator has recently made.Entering the house,Ko-Ko finds the place to be filled with endless corridors.Pulling his pet dog out of his hat,Ko-Ko starts searching round the mysterious house,and soon begins to run into some spooky ghosts.
View on the film:
Starting in the "live action" world, director Dave Fleischer 3 different styles for the movie,thanks to the delightfully off-beat live action scenes being matched by the animation being given a vibrant, comic-book appearance,with Fleischer bringing the ghosts to life in stylish silhouette.Along with the various filming styles,the screenplay by Fleischer moves at a lightning fast pace,as Ko-Ko jumps from the real world into a haunted house where things go bump in the night,and there is no cup of coco to calm his nerves.
The plot:
After getting drawn,Ko-Ko enters a house that an animator has recently made.Entering the house,Ko-Ko finds the place to be filled with endless corridors.Pulling his pet dog out of his hat,Ko-Ko starts searching round the mysterious house,and soon begins to run into some spooky ghosts.
View on the film:
Starting in the "live action" world, director Dave Fleischer 3 different styles for the movie,thanks to the delightfully off-beat live action scenes being matched by the animation being given a vibrant, comic-book appearance,with Fleischer bringing the ghosts to life in stylish silhouette.Along with the various filming styles,the screenplay by Fleischer moves at a lightning fast pace,as Ko-Ko jumps from the real world into a haunted house where things go bump in the night,and there is no cup of coco to calm his nerves.
Spooky Ko-Ko
TheLittleSongbird6 March 2018
Dave Fleischer was responsible for many gems. Ones that were amusing and charming, though over-cuteness did come through in some efforts and the stories were always pretty thin, with appealing characters, outstanding music and visuals that were inventive and with innovative animation techniques.
Ko-Ko similarly was an always amiable character to watch and among the better recurring characters in Fleischer's early work. Likewise, his series of Out of the Inkwell cartoons were among the best early efforts of Fleischer and silent cartoons in general. 'Ko-Ko's Haunted House' for me is one of the best Ko-Ko cartoons, and a great representation as to Ko-Ko's, Fleischer's and Out of the Inkwell's appeal. It is hugely successful in being deliciously wild, creative and suitably spooky.
The story, as can be expected, is slight but also boasts one of the most imaginative and oddball concepts of a Ko-Ko cartoon. Really though the criticisms are next to none.
Everything else though is done so brilliantly that any issues had with the story don't stay for long. The delight of the character interplay, the creepiness of some of the visuals and the wild fun are just a few things.
One expects the animation to be primitive and very low quality, judging by that it's the early 20s when animation techniques were not as many, as refined, as ambitious and in their infancy. While Fleischer became more refined and inventive later certainly, 'Ko-Ko's Haunted House' is one of the best-looking Ko-Ko cartoons with great eerie visuals that create a spooky atmosphere.
Pacing is lively and the bizarre and wild nature of the humour is done very imaginatively and never less than fun to watch (mostly hilarious even), making the most of a strong concept. Ko-Ko as ever is very likeable and amusing and love his interaction with the every bit as strong a character that is Fitz. Max is great fun as well.
In summary, great cartoon and one of Ko-Ko's best. 9/10 Bethany Cox
Ko-Ko similarly was an always amiable character to watch and among the better recurring characters in Fleischer's early work. Likewise, his series of Out of the Inkwell cartoons were among the best early efforts of Fleischer and silent cartoons in general. 'Ko-Ko's Haunted House' for me is one of the best Ko-Ko cartoons, and a great representation as to Ko-Ko's, Fleischer's and Out of the Inkwell's appeal. It is hugely successful in being deliciously wild, creative and suitably spooky.
The story, as can be expected, is slight but also boasts one of the most imaginative and oddball concepts of a Ko-Ko cartoon. Really though the criticisms are next to none.
Everything else though is done so brilliantly that any issues had with the story don't stay for long. The delight of the character interplay, the creepiness of some of the visuals and the wild fun are just a few things.
One expects the animation to be primitive and very low quality, judging by that it's the early 20s when animation techniques were not as many, as refined, as ambitious and in their infancy. While Fleischer became more refined and inventive later certainly, 'Ko-Ko's Haunted House' is one of the best-looking Ko-Ko cartoons with great eerie visuals that create a spooky atmosphere.
Pacing is lively and the bizarre and wild nature of the humour is done very imaginatively and never less than fun to watch (mostly hilarious even), making the most of a strong concept. Ko-Ko as ever is very likeable and amusing and love his interaction with the every bit as strong a character that is Fitz. Max is great fun as well.
In summary, great cartoon and one of Ko-Ko's best. 9/10 Bethany Cox
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