FELIX IS THE SUN, FELIX IS THE EGG, FELIX IS THE POLICE OF POLICE

If you've talked to me in the past few months, you've probably heard about my epic, sprawling Dada comic book that I plan on creating. Also, If you know me well enough, you know that most of my projects end up being trashed, or reintegrated into new projects. This is usually because I spend 90% of my time educating myself on the subject matter at hand (in this case, surrealist/dadaist animations/comics), and sometimes less than 10% of the time actually creating. In the meantime, I've found some pretty cool stuff, using that as an excuse to avoid starting the comic.

Last night, I think I may have reached the end of the preparation stage when I found this cartoon. Felix the Cat "Skulls and Sculls" is one of Pat Sullivan's last Felix cartoons, which aired sometime around 1930. "Skulls" has been pretty heavily critically panned for its mediocre animation, bumbling plot-line, and general incoherence.

I guess that makes sense as when most people analyze the original Felix cartoons and comics, they expect something politically savvy, or biting. This assumption concerning the cartoons derives mostly from the fact that Felix was a highly socialist cartoon during the 1920's, a concept that definitely became less taboo as America moved into the Great Depression. As a result, Sullivan allowed the surrealism in Felix cartoons to flourish, cutting back on anything that may generate a negative morale at the time. However, if you're really looking for a plot in this thing, maybe we can break it down.

It's been suggested that this is a cartoon about college hazing, which may be apt due to a possible Skull and Bones reference in the title. In this case, Felix is being terrorized by his fraternity brothers, they realize the error of their ways, and the rest of the cartoon is a party. Pretty simple. The only problem I have with this is that the head "fraternity brother" much more resembles the Grand Wizard of the KKK. In which case, Felix would be the African American (ie. the first Felix comic strip... "I don't want any cats hanging around here!"). Under this assumption, the use of the pendulum makes sense as an allegory for the Spanish Inquisition (via. Edgar Allen Poe), and minority oppression/discrimination as a whole. And the cartoon is an example of what would happen if whites would have stopped being so god-damn oppressive (see: a party). Also, zoo implications (I know why the caged Felix sings), Skull and Bones society being metonymous for privileged white boys (AKA white brotherhood), so on and so forth.

In short, this is my favorite Felix cartoon. Totally surrealistic experience that allows the viewer to go however deeply that they want to go (which in this case was probably voiding the actual artistic intention). Am I defeating the purpose of Dada?


Other Cool Dada Comics:

David Lynch's The Angriest Dog in the World



Glen Baxter (more on him later)