#Salut les Toons

[nathanparisi]

[terribletoonietuesday]

Terror Toons 4 (2023)

Terror Toons 4 (2023)Due to several reasons I have not been doing reviews as often as I used to but I needed to write this one. I NEEDED to write it. Let me set things up with expectations. I was a big fan of the first film literally 20 years ago. Not because I thought it was amazing but because it was just shockingly silly , bizzare and that kind of nonsense that would shock normie film fans. It was a lot of fun to show people just for their reactions. Then parts 2 and 3 came and went and I was not too much of a fan. It was a bit of the same and just didn' do anything for me and I'm sure would be too weird for those pre mentioned "normies"… but.. but then came part 4. I was told it was an anthology and the post covid world of low budget anthologies don't exactly excite me anymore. So I went into this worried but only 30 seconds in, things changed… forever.The opening of this film explodes into visual overload and insanity so fast it feels as if Horonamus Bosch met Terry Gilliam in the digital age. it felt like that magnavox commercial where the screen literally exploded in your face. Then the movies starts and the screaming begins. The first short starts and gives us a mixed slash warped origin of the classic Terror Toon villains. It's so much a step up in concept , feeling, pacing and technical excellence then previous with a darker , scarier atmosphere. Imagine watching Adam Wests Batman one week and then seeing a multimillion dollar Batman movie the next week.So not to give any spoilers I will just say it feels like Alex De le Iglesia directed the hell scene in Bill and Teds bogus journey . Douglas Epps take on the less cartoony yet just as insane Dr Carnage is amazing. The killer gorilla Max Assassin is legit scary now. But it's the new sweet and innocent yet completely terrifying character Derrick or was it Eric that we meet that will change your life.I won't explain anything about him but you will know him when you see him. We get several other shorts but they definitely come in second to the first short however they are needed. Brinke Stevens stars and directs a short that is a much more sensible short that may have been fine on its own but felt a bit out of place, again only because the rest of the show was so wild. Brinke had made this short before thinking of connecting it to Terror Toons 4 , I'm pretty sure. It's a nice mellow out and does get us more Linnea Quickly and Debbie Rochon. Hell the cameos in this are wild.The third and fourth shorts come at you wild and fast giving no mercy. After the second short I was literally saying to myself "wait a Joe Castro film with no sexual symbolism, that's weird." but then the short The heads of Mr Switch comes at you and picks up for sexual lost time. This short is shocking, hilarious and ends so quickly you also want to know what happens next so badly. The most original villain in eons, all that and oh my god, Lizzy Borden is back.The final short gives us a 21 gun salute and takes us into the apocalypse . Oh look it's Rob Rhine of Girls and Corpses magazine , but of course he is here again. More cameos from more scream queen and b movie legends than you can shake a stick at in this octane charge non stop visceral explosion into madness as if Aphex Twin remade Monty Python's Meaning of Life.This is a huge achievement for the B movie world and even for those normie film nerds that may not understand this film , they will still be effected and never forget this facedive diving board launch into madness. So yeah I loved it. I'm exhausted.

[thebrownssociety]

Across The Serververse, Part 16

Hey, Roxy Goth here. Thank you to everyone who’s still reading this story. Updates may come a bit slower now because I have a lot on in RL. 

Anyway, I do not own Looney Tunes or any WB property. 

There was a beat after that and then Bugs said, somewhat awkwardly. “Eh...nice ta see ya to, Hazel.” 

The witch turned to look at Bugs like she’d never seen him before. “I don’t remember speaking to you...” She looked him up and down.  “...Rabbit.”

Bugs did a double take and folded his arms across his chest while behind him the other toons looked at each other, like ‘Did she really just say that?’

“Eh...” Bugs began.  “...Nice one, Hazel.  Very amusin’ , now shall we go cos we are on a deadline an’ we need at least a good couple of of hours to wrestle Lola out of DC world - I’ll explain back on the ship - so les go-”

Hazel just smiled and clicked her fingers. At least ten guards came down the stairs and stood behind the witch like some sort of flash mob or something.

“Guards, lock them up.” Hazel ordered before turning on her heel and walking off.

Bugs watched her go, dumbfounded. “What’s up wiv ya!?” He yelled after her while the guards shoved them all back into the cell. “Even Elmer’s not this bad and he’s one of the most annoyin’ siblings we have!”

“That’s a bit harsh, dear.” Granny said, her voice muffled because she was pressed against the cell wall.

Bugs rolled his eyes, he’d forgotten Granny’s habit of leaping to other toons defence even if it wasn’t needed. 

He thought for a moment then asked. “Gossamer? Can you show us a flashback of what happened when you and Witch-Loonatic first got here?”

The red-mop nodded and, with a bit of effort, managed to create a flashback.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Approx 5 and a half months ago]

Both Gossamer and Hazel screamed loudly as they fell through the air, landing in an un-dignified heap in the middle of a forest.

Hazel got up and dusted herself off before helping Gossamer up. The two of them looked around cautiously. 

“Gossamer...” Hazel began. “I don’t think we’re in Toontown anymore. Where are we?”

Gossamer said something that Bugs couldn’t understand, but Hazel clearly did because she said, exasperatedly. “I can TELL we’re in a forest! Which forest!?”

The monster didn’t get to reply because at that moment the ground started shaking and the sky turned a dark grey. Gossamer and Hazel both shrieked and clutched each other before simultaneously wondering what the hell they were doing and arming themselves. Hazel with her wand while Gossamer grabbed a mallet out of hammerspace.

The dark sky turned out to be a clump of flying monkeys who swooped down alarmingly and landed on the ground with expert precision. One of the flying monkeys - the leader, Bugs reasoned - stepped closer to Hazel and Gossamer and started speaking to them rapidly. Bugs had no idea Hazel and Gossamer could speak ‘flying monkey’ but apparently they could because they showed no issue understanding the head monkey who seemed to be explaining to them they needed to come back to the castle.

The scene then switched to the inside of the castle where Hazel and Gossamer were looking around in awe. “I don’t know about you, Gossy.” Hazel was saying. “But I could get used to this style of living. Look!” She suddenly darted over to a suit of armour. “I’ve always wanted one of these! I had one actually, but then I accidently brought it to life with a potion and never got around to getting another one.”  There was a silence while Hazel reminisced.

The head Flying-Monkey chose this opportunity to present Hazel with a familiar-looking witches hat. “Your Majesty. Here is your hat. We have cleaned it three times.”

Gossamer and Hazel shared a look and Hazel took the hat by its edge and looked at it, gingerly. “Thank you...” She said, clearly insincerely. 

The monkeys looked at her expectantly and Hazel put the hat on and took her mirror out. “I suppose it looks nice.” She said, doubtfully. “What do you think, Gossamer?”

The red monster grinned and gave a thumbs up. 

[Flashback ends]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bugs did a double take. “Is dat it?” He asked. “She seemed alright then and now she’s more wakko than Wakko! De hell happened?”

Gossamer shrugged and held up a sign that said. ‘I don’t know. It’s been a long 5 months. She just got worse and worse. Kind of crept up gradually, you know?’

“When did she lock you in ze cage?” Pepe asked. 

Gossamer nodded and created another flashback.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[About two weeks ago]

Hazel was sitting on a throne that pretty much dwarfed her [having originally being made for the much taller  Wicked Witch Of The West] clicking her fingers and saying, loudly. “Goulash! Bring me more of those things like Smarties!”

The leader of the Flying Monkeys turned up holding a tray that had a bag of what looked suspiciously like M&M’s on it. 

Hazel took the bag and explained. “We can’t officially name them because Warner Brothers can’t be seen to be favouring one good over another, but we all know what they are.”

At this Gossamer, who was mopping the floor, gave a sharp laugh and slung his mop in the bucket.

Hazel glared at him and said, icily. “Is there something you wish to comment on, Gossamer?”

Gossamer looked at her, carefully considered whether it was worth saying what was on his mind. After less than ten seconds thinking time he went into a tirade [in his native language that was subtitled for the other toons benefit] accusing Hazel of being a dictator and becoming vain and selfish. “-Although you were already pretty vain before so I suppose it’s just selfish!” He ended, eyes bloodshot and panting heavily.

Hazel regarded him coolly then stood up. “I see. Well. Thank you Gossamer. It’s nice that you feel so comfortable as to share your true feeling with me.”

Gossamer frowned and folded his arms, wondering where Hazel was going with this. He’d never heard her talk so formally before.

The witch smiled at him and clicked her fingers. “Oh, Goulash.” The flying monkey turned up and saluted. “Please take Mr Gossamer to the dungeon.”

Goulash pointed out that the cell would be a very tight fit for such a big toon but Hazel was adamant and Gossamer was duly led away.

[End of Flashback]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As the flashback finished Bugs hummed thoughtfully and tapped his fingers against the bars while trying to ignore Pepe’s tail which kept tickling his nose. “Sibs...Oi have an idea.”

[dere1897]

Salut les gens, vous utiliser quoi comme logiciel de dessin Pour ceux sui ont un graph? #dessin #draw #numerique #toon #graphic #france #guadeloupe https://www.instagram.com/p/CC9sOAMh6gM/?igshid=16l55f3jszz2s

[thejinichan]

Under the Circumstances Chapter 1- An Animaniacs Fanfic.

“Can someone change stations? Because that show is as stale as yesterday’s bread.” Yakko said with a long groan, when he saw what was playing on the TV that hung over the fire place in the dining area of "Chez Le Pu."  

"Just how many times did they have to broadcast that in a year?" He thought with a shudder, dropping a stack of dirty dishes into the cart before him. He hastily dashed through the large swinging doors to the safety of the kitchen. Away from all the prying eyes and away from the questions he was always asked while waiting tables. Most importantly though, to escape from the biggest slap in the face that had ever been aired on TV. 

 

And of course, it had to play on a Friday night during the dinner rush.  

With a heavy sigh Yakko pushed on ahead without paying attention and wound up hitting the wall. With a thunderous crash, the mountain of stacked plates came cascading down before he could grab them. The dishes shattered onto the floor, scattering pieces all over the kitchen.  

The chef and cook, froze in place from their tasks, and all eyes were on the toon.

 

Yakko furrowed his brow, scratching the back of his head as he snickered quietly to himself. Yup. It was going to be one of those nights and his shift had just scarcely begun.

 

“Everything alright in there?”  

 

Yakko snapped out of his daze to see his boss poke her head inside the kitchen. She frowned when she saw the wreckage of broken plates on the checkered floor. With small beady eyes glancing up from under her glasses, she took a step in. The sound of crunching porcelain under her heeled shoes made him wince.  

 

“Uhhhhhhh,” He hesitated, as he reached behind himself awkwardly for the broom. “We needed new China anyways."

Abigail remained unfazed by Yakko's failed attempt to make a joke. Punch lines like that might have worked with the customers, but it certainly didn't work on her as her expression remained unchanged.

"Oh well"  Yakko thought. You couldn't blame an out of work toon for trying.

 

“Yakko, I don’t know what has gotten into you lately, but clean this up right now.” She sighed, forcing the creases in her forehead to become more prominent. “And when you're done with that, please, for the love of god take a break or something.” She muttered with a wave of her hand.

 

“Yes, Dear Abby.”  

 

"Yakko?"

 

“Yeeees?” The Warner brother casually smirked.

 

“Please don’t call me that.”  With a turn of her pointy black heels, she exited the kitchen with the doors swinging behind her.

 

Yakko tried to settle the weariness in his stomach with a small chuckle."Might as well get this cleaned up." he thought. And after that he could sneak out the back, have a smoke, and maybe be back just in time for that damn “News reel of the stars" special to be over. Then at least that way, he wouldn’t have to entertain the customers with the story of the downfall of his acting career.

 

“Seriously, Yakko?"

 

Yakko swung his head up to see Skippy on the other end of the kitchen, sitting on a stack of crates, phone in hand. Shit. He hadn’t even noticed he was there. A few years his junior, Skippy was one of his old co workers back in his acting days on the Animaniacs. And here they were, all these years later, working together once more. Only this time the circumstances were much different.

 

“Hey, Yakko, you know better then to piss off the boss riiight?”

 

Yakko swept up some of the broken china and threw it into the trash receptacle behind him. “What can I say Skips? It’s a tough crowd out there tonight."

”

" You're telling me! I swear to god if another person asks me to do the where’s Bumbi’s mom? thing one more time I think I might spew.” The squirrel stuck out his tongue to get the point across even more.

 

Yakko shook his head. “Story of my life Skips, story of my life.”

 

Skippy hopped down off the pile of crates he’d been sitting on. “Ugh, break's over, wish me luck out there.”

 

“Uhhhhh, Good luck?” Yakko didn't mean it though, and Skippy knew it. They both were aware of the things that lurked past the safe haven of the kitchen. He quickly swept of the last pile of debris from the floor, eager to get out. The soup of the day was boiling away on the stove, filling the room with a humid haze.

 

Skippy adjusted his white bowtie and smoothed his hair over. He gave Yakko a quick salute before stepping out into the noisy restaurant.

Just over the people outside, happily chatting while eating their meals, Yakko could hear a part of the segment. Why didn't anyone change that God damn channel like he asked? He should have just done it himself.

 

“With the introduction of computer animation, and its rise in popularity, many toons, like the Warner Bros, and their sister found themselves being served layoff notices with no warning at all.”

 

Time for that break.

 

Yakko crept quietly past the window out looking the dining area, hoping no one saw him. He turned the corner down the hall and stepped out the back door. The cool air hit his face and he took a deep breath, happy to be outside at last, and not stuck inside the stifling place he now called his livelihood.  

Taking a seat on top of one of the trash cans in the dimly lit alleyway, he loosened his white tie. It always was too tight, but if he wore it any looser than that, Abigail would be sure to notice. The strict uniform rules were only the tip of a long list of things he despised about his job. There wasn't a toon he worked with that didn't feel the same way either. To the outside world, being served drinks and food while being entertained by your favorite cartoon characters might have seemed like a great way to spend an evening. But it was a living hell for anyone employed there. But any other places that hired toons didn't even pay close to what he was able to make in tips. As much as Yakko didn't want to admit it, unless he ever got back into acting again this was the only way he could support his family and stay off the street.

 

 

 

He pulled a smoke from his front vest pocket, lighting it up . He had a pack stashed in his locker for occasions like this, and he knew if Dot found them on him, he’d never hear the end of it. Yakko was planning to quit. One of these days.

 

"Just when did things start getting so shitty? "

 

He took a long  drag off his cigarette, blowing a large trail up into the sky. The toon sat in the silence and watched the smoke swirl further upwards, dissipating into the hazy clouds above.

 

Maybe it was when, he and his siblings were told that, due to budget cuts, they would be producing half the episodes they normally did in a season. Or maybe when they were told if they wanted to remain in the water tower they would have to start paying rent.

 

Or maybe it was when Mr. Plotz brought them up to his office years ago, while they were still in their teens and informed them that the days of the Animaniacs were now over. It was time for Warner studios to move on with the times. Ratings were at an all-time low for 2d animation  and they were beginning production on their first computer animated series. There was no room in the budget for hand drawn cartoons, nobody had interest to watch them anymore. Mr. Plotz had told them, "Its time for you children to embrace the change, and try something new."The director assured them they were more than welcome to remain in the tower, so long as they continued to pay their rent. After all those years on the show, after all that revenue He and his siblings, had brought in for the studio. After all the awards. Mr. Plotz kicked them out after 2 months, because they were unable to find jobs.

 

Yakko took another puff.

 

That was 9 years ago.  

 

So where did that leave him now? At 23 years old with no prospects for the future, working the same shitty dead-end job he'd had for five years. At a  throwback cartoons restaurant that only hired washed up and out of work toons. Doing the same impressions, answering the same mundane questions, and doing the same dance routines over and over again. Every day, a reminder of the star he once was, and never would be again. He would have left Burbank and all the memories a long time ago had it not been for his younger brother and sister.

 

They were worth it.  There wasn’t a thing Yakko wouldn’t do to help Wakko and Dot make it out there. Even if he didn’t.  

 

Yakko flicked what was left of his cigarette into a puddle near his feet and watched it sizzle out, much like his career as a toon. He chuckled to himself in the irony of it all.  

 

Here one minute and gone the next.

 

“Ummmm, excuse me?”

 

Yakko jumped up from where he sat when he felt someone tap him from the side.

 

“Hello?”

 

Startled, Yakko glanced at the figure. It was a girl.

 

And she wasn't too bad on the eyes either.

Part of him wondered how a fan might have found their way to the back alleyway but he didn't question it, feeling too lazy to care.. He gave her his signature flirty smirk that always got the women going. “How’d you find your way back here? Lemme guess, you sneaked in just to meet me?" Yakko joked. He felt around his shirt and pockets, “If you’ll just give me a sec, I’ll get a pen and give you my John Hancock.”

 

She giggled lightly. " An autograph?" She said in confusion. "Actually all I need is that." She gestured at the trash can he was sitting on top of.

 

Yakko gave her a puzzled look. “Oh wait, haha, the garbage?”

 

She nodded with a smile, rustling the black plastic bag in her hand. “Bingo."

 

“Well, if you didn’t want my autograph, babe, all you had to do was say so." Yakko teased, hopping down off the metal canister. He removed the lid while bowing deeply. “And here you are, fair lady.”

 

She tried to hold back a snicker with her free hand as she dropped the bag into the can. “I have a name you know, it’s Kori, if  you're curious, and lemme guess, you're Ya-"

 

“Yup, Yakko, the one and only,” He boasted, not even noticing he cut her off. “And what brings you out here amongst the rubbish like myself?”

 

“I, uh, actually got a job at the restaurant next door, been there a few days now.” She laughed “I was wondering when I might run into a toon...never in a million years did I think it would be you, though.”

 

"Well I guess today is your lucky day, then." Yakko said slyly while raising an eyebrow.

Yakko took a moment to check out the fellow food server. Her uniform wasn't much different from the one he wore, spare for the fact it was red and done up the front with gold buttons. Her chestnut Brown hair was thrown up in a loose ponytail, with a few stray pieces framing her face. Across her nose was a light dusting of freckles. Her emerald green eyes glanced at him in confusion. 

"Dammit." Yakko thought. She was really, really cute.  

"Keep it cool." Yakko told himself. The thumping of his heart told him that it was not going to be easy, though. Toons were never very good at hiding their feelings and thoughts, with them often coming out in exaggerated ways. The whole hello nurse thing was funny on the show, but this was real life.

"Umm, are you ok?" She questioned.

The toon pointed at himself. "Uhhhhh me?” He glanced away, hoping she wouldn't notice the sweat that was now dropping down his forehead. He silently cursed the fact that toons emotions showed so easily.  "Nope, everything is all good here, just been a super slow shift that's all...”

"Tell me about it.” 

"Think fast." Yakko's mind raced. "Think of something funny to say to break the awkwardness.

"So are all the girls working over there as cute as you?" 

"Wait. Why say something so stupid? "He sighed inwardly. 

"Your still a giant flirt, aren't you?" Kori teased. " Just like the old days when I watched your show as a kid."

"Yeah, just like the old days," Yakko muttered somewhat quietly. He didn't enjoy being reminded of his former career even if the comment had been made by a cute girl.

"Oh poop!" She said nervously ,sensing the sadness in his voice. " I'm sorry, If I said something wrong."

"No offence taken." Yakko chuckled, seeing how apologetic she looked over a small comment. He felt almost guilty now. "But oh poop'? Hah, who even says that?”

"Umm I do?.”

"Shit. You mean, Oh Shit.” Yakko teased.

"Pretty much" She giggled. "I have younger siblings back home that are still in grade school so I'm trying to clean up my language? My parents are always complaining about it. I got a swear jar and everything. My co-workers are always teasing me though."

"Well, if you hang around me any longer you might have to start over." Yakko said  sarcastically. "Now wouldn’t that be poopy?"

Kori burst into giggles. "Oh my God! you are so much funnier in person!"

Yakko laughed with her, their laughter rising into the cramped alleyway that separated the two restaurants. It felt like ages since he had last shared a laugh with someone and  actually meant it. It felt so refreshing, to just have a normal conversation with a person who didn't ask him to sing nations of the world for the millionth time.  

"This is so cool!" Kori said cheerfully. "If someone had told me as a kid I'd be sitting in an alleyway behind a restaurant with Yakko Warner I'd have called them crazy.”

Yakko leaned up against the wall and pointed at it with his thumb. "If someone told me I'd be stuck working at a joint like this I'd have called them crazy, too."

"Well..." Kori murmured quietly. "At least-"

She never got to finish the thought.

Just then, Abigial burst through the doorway., glaring at Yakko with the same blank expression from earlier.

"Yakko, I said a break? It's been over 20 minutes now."

"I'll be right in Abbey." Yakko reassured. "After all I know my adoring crowd awaits."

"Save the sarcasm for the fans Yakko, that's what your paid to do" She said coldly. " I'll see you inside." Abigail slammed the door behind her, the noise echoing through the brick walls of the alleyway.

The two of them stood in awkward silence for a moment before Kori finally spoke up. "Wow, and I thought my boss was cold? He's got nothing on her."

"My boss is so icy that if she went to hell it would freeze over."

"Hah, good one! Kori remarked. " I'll have to remember that one for later."

"Thanks! Yakko smiled, even though he was feeling annoyed he had to leave. Especially since all he wanted to do now was stay and chat with this girl he just met. "I'm only speaking the truth though."

"Well, I'm sure we'll bump into each other again." Kori said shyly. "And maybe we can gab over garbage again?"

"Sounds like a trashingly good time to me," Yakko winked. He opened the door but hesitated a moment before shutting it.

“Guess I’ll see you around then?” Yakko asked with a grin. "I'm out here most evenings."

Kori gave him a small wave. “As long as there's trash to be taken out, then I guess you will.”

She walked backwards waving, towards the door of her own workplace and backed herself into the wall. “Oops,” She chuckled. Kori reached behind herself blindly for the doorknob.  

“Need a hand there?”

“No, no, uh, I got it!”  Finally her hand made contact with the door and she awkwardly opened it. "Have a good night Yakko, and it was awesome to meet you."  

“Likewise Kori.” He grinned, and he gave her a small wave before she stepped out of the alleyway,

When Yakko walked back into the kitchen, a lineup of orders was already on the warming shelf, ready to be brought out. The kitchen staff had been cooking up a storm.  

Skippy gave him a confused look.

“Dude, what’s with the dorky grin?”

“Uhhhhh, no reason really.” Yakko said dreamily.  

“Yeah, ok then.” The squirrel rolled his eyes. “You might wanna bring extra napkins over to table 14.” Skippy warned him. “This monster of a kid thinks it’s hilarious to spit juice at the toons.”  Also, there’s a table of crazy fan girls that just walked in. They asked for you specifically.”

“All in a day’s work, my friend.” Yakko smiled while patting his co-worker on the back. “Let the games begin.”

Yakko tightened up his bow tie once more, and grabbed the large tray of orders for table 14. He stepped out into the dining area of "Chez Le Pu." with a large smile plastered on his face. Only this time it wasn't as fake as it normally was. The restaurant was packed to capacity, with toons running all over the place trying to meet the demands of the hungry crowd. But for once, he wasn't feeling as bitter about it. He quickly served the table their orders, then waltzing over to the table that had asked for him. It was a typical scene. Three woman in their early thirties who could barely contain their excitement.  

"Helloooooo Ladies!" He chimed, " Yakko Warner here, and welcome to Chez Le Pu! Can I start you beautiful women off with some drinks?" He pulled a notepad out of his vest pocket to write down their requests.

"OHHH MY GOD ITS YAKKO GUYS!" One of them screamed. "CAN I TAKE A SELFIE WITH YOU BEFORE WE ORDER?"

Yakko did his best to smile sincerely at their request. Even though he was so tired and done with all this, maybe, for tonight at least, he would make it.

[loxint-blog]

blog#2 la serie des side story de fairy tail

Salut je vais vous presanter  les side story de Fairy tail il y a actuellement 3 tomes reprenant chacun un  nouveau regard sur une partie de l histoire de base. Le tome 1 parle des dragon de saber toon ,le 2 parle de la vie d avant l entrée de gadji.(spoiler alert ) le 3 parle d apres l explosion de fairy tail on suit luxus et sa clic.

[bollywoodirect]

Remembering #JahanaraKajjan on her birth anniversary. Hailed as the reigning queen of the stage, the glamorous movie actor, the trained singer, the fashionable modern girl, and the trendsetter, Jahanara Kajjan or Kajjan Bai, better known as Miss Kajjan was many a splendored personality. No wonder, in her heyday she was saluted as the ‘Lark of Hindi cinema’ and the ‘Beautiful Nightingale of Bengal Screen’. As a young lad in Lahore, I dimly remember, seeing her in Madan Theatres’ “Laila Majnu (1931). I recall its roaring publicity through splash of posters and eye-catching hoardings all over the city with dazzling pictures of Miss Kajjan. The novelty of Talkies was still fresh and cinema houses attracted big crowds, more so when films were packed with songs. “Laila Majnu” featuring Miss Kajjan and Master Nissar, the most popular singing pair of the stage was a spectacular success. I vaguely remember, a scene from the film, where Majnu (Nissar) looking for Laila (Kajjan) in the wilderness sings Laila Laila Pukarun Mai Ban Mein, Laila Pyari Basi More Man Main. “I am crying for Laila in the jungle when the beloved Laila is residing in my heart”. Those days, there were hardly any film magazines and the practice of publishing spicy interviews of stars was still a couple of decades away. There is a mention of Kajjan by Kathryn Hanson, a leading scholar of South Asian theatre history in her book “Stages of Life” (2011). Jahanara Kajjan (1915-1945) is pronounced there as ‘Popular singing actress, daughter of the courtesan Suggan and the Nawab of Bhagalpur’. There is a question mark on her date of birth since no authentic information is available. This applies practically to all female artistes from the professional class, who turned famous as theatre and cinema actors. However, the circumstantial evidence culled from Kajjan’s stage and cinema career in the late 1920s and early ’30s and also some reference to her love affairs during that period leads us to conjecture that she was born sometime around 1910. Kajjan belonged to a family of professional artistes, who carried the tag of tawaifs or courtesans. They were also invited by the princely courts and aristocracy to perform at their private mehfils. With their refined manners they provided stimulating company to the male elite. An established code of conduct ruled out marriage in their profession but they were allowed to have a liaison with a chosen patron. Kajjan’s mother Suggan apparently had one such relationship with her father. The anti-nautch campaign at the beginning of the 20th Century denigrated the singing and dancing profession. Some, among them, became gramophone singers or theatre stage actors. Kajjan received education at home and even learnt English. Well versed in Urdu literature, she wrote poetry under pen name “Ada” and some of her poems were published in Urdu magazines. She received intensive training in Hindustani classical music from Ustad Hussain Khan of Patna. Noting her mastery of ragas, her mellifluous voice and also her charming looks, she was hired by a theatre company at Patna. She is said to have performed on stage for three days at a fee of Rs.250 per show. She enchanted the audience with her golden voice. This paved the way to her joining Alfred Company owned by Madan Theatres of Calcutta. According to Fida Hussain, a Parsi theatre legend, “He worked with actress Jahanara Kajjan becoming her director and leading man”. Kajjan attained name and fame as a very popular singer and actor of the stage. The advent of talkies in 1931 brought a revolution in the entertainment scene. The phenomenal success of the first talkie “Alam Ara” in March 1931 inspired a number of producers to make their “all talking, singing, dancing films”. Madan Theatres of Calcutta, were already in the field and were only a few weeks behind when they hit the screen with “Shirin Farhaad” based on the stage play scripted by the renowned playwright Agha Hashar Kashmiri. “Shirin Farhad” beat “Alam Ara” as it was more refined technically and featured 42 songs by Kajjan and Nissar, already popular singing pair of the stage. The film was a tremendous success across India with Kajjan emerging as the first superstar of Hindi cinema. It is said that a tongawala in Lahore pawned his horse to see “Shirin Farhad” 22 times. It was followed by another super hit “Laila Majnu”, featuring the same duo Kajjan and Nissar. Another film that created history was “Indrasabha” based on the play written by Agha Hassan Amanat, the court poet of Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh. Loaded with 71 songs, the film still holds the world record as “film with most number of songs”. The film with duration of three and half hours (211 minutes) was entirely in verse and Kajjan sang several songs, ensuring its roaring success all over the country. Some of the most popular numbers sung by Kajjan were — “Toone to mora man har leeno more banke saanwaria ” (Oh my dearest you have captivated my heart); “Chaman ko yun mere saqi ne maikhana bana diya ” (My wine server has turned the garden into a tavern); “Kab se khadi hun terey dwar, bula le mohe balam re ” (My love please call me as I have been waiting at your door for so long). Some of her other memorable movies were “Bilwamangal”, “Shakuntala”, “Alibaba aur Chalis Chor”, “Aankh ka Nasha”, “Zehari Saanp”, etc. By mid 1930s, the early enthusiasm for song-dramas, mythological stories and Persian love tales was wearing off and many film producers were forced to close shop, Madan Theatres among them. The classical numbers sung by the likes of Kajjan were losing their appeal and so was her theatrical acting style. She failed to receive any offers from the new producers. A wealthy woman, she stayed on in Calcutta, but after a couple of years with depleting resources, she was compelled to move to Bombay. Her Parsi connection, especially with Sohrab Modi, the doyen of Parsi theatre, helped her to get some acting assignments there. Kajjan’s career in Bombay was short-lived from 1941 to 1944, during which she appeared in six marginal films, with the exception of Sohrab Modi’s “Prithvi Vallabh”. Further, she was given only minor roles and got little chance to display her singing calibre. She lived a lavish life at Calcutta. Fond of pets, she even had two tiger cubs for some time. Kajjan was cited as a fashionable modern girl. A studio portrait of late 1920s shows her wearing makeup, ear rings, nose pin with finger waived hair, dressed in a sari with laced blouse. This very photograph was carried in an advertisement for face powder and hair products by “The Crisis (New York) 1928”. Kajjan had learnt western dancing and was a regular visitor to Calcutta Club, mixing freely with the elite gentry. On a personal front, she had a colourful life, with roaring love affairs with many of her co-stars. Fida Hussain, her theatre director and co-star openly speaks about the ups and downs of his romantic relationship with her. She was also intimately involved with Najmul Hassan, a very handsome actor of his time, who landed at New Theatres, Calcutta after being sacked by Bombay Talkies for his notorious affair with the leading star Devika Rani. There is little information about her personal life in Bombay, where she passed away unsung in 1945. Courtesy- The Hindu

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Ernan Cirianni

Après une enfance passée au Mexique il vit et travaille à Buenos Aires où il est l’un des membres les plus (hyper)actifs du milieu de la bande dessinée latino-américaine. Ses récits autobiographiques mettent en scène un alter ego survolté qui expose aussi bien ses déboires sexuels que ses théories complotistes, en attendant le Grand Soir.

Éditeur de la revue Cábula et co-fondateur des éditions Burlesque editorial, il a fait partie du blog collectif Historietas Reales qui recrée une véritable communauté de lectrices et de lecteurs au début des années 2000. Il a contribué à la création de plusieurs festivals (Viñetas Sueltas, Festival Increíble, Comicópolis) et collabore à Gorgonzola (Les éditions L'Égouttoir) depuis 2011. En 2018 il coordonne l’exposition « Taco de ojo: Latino Toons » au Centro Cultural Recoleta de Buenos Aires.

http://decomomehicericoyfamoso.blogspot.com/

Vernissage "Planches de Salut. BD argentine alternative"

2/14 – Ernan Cirianni

à la Maison de l'Argentine du 8 au 30 novembre

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Le 30ème anniversaire du Docteur Globule, c'est dans 6 jours !

Ce dessin où Globule voit du rose partout coïncide avec le 30ème anniversaire du décès d'Henry Mancini, le compositeur de la Panthère Rose.

En Transylvanie, on n'aiment pas le rose !

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Il y a 42 ans, E.T., l'extra-terrestre, le chef d'œuvre de Steven Spielberg sortait sur les écrans.

Voici mon parodie de l'affiche du film. Horrifido, le chien-squelette de Globule et UV prennent la place d'Eliott et E.T.

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