The Communist Manifestoon

In honor of this week's financial meltdown — and the acute denial of most Americans over how close we might be to total system failure — here's a fresh take on Karl Marx's 1848 classic, starring Betty Boop, Fred Flintstone, Yogi Bear, Underdog, Krazy Kat, Mr. Magoo, Bullwinkle the Moose, Boris, Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sylvester the Cat, and a cast of thousands.

And Now, For Something Completely Different

This 1932 Talkartune release is one of the most famous of the Betty Boop cartoons, and begins with the oldest known footage of Cab Calloway in existence. This is the sexualized pre-1935 Hays Act Betty Boop, and to "kick the gong around" means to smoke opium. The singing walrus is depicted using a process called "rotoscoping" where in the animation of the walrus is drawn over actual footage of Calloway's dancing. The whole thing is unbelievably surreal, and features a truly remarkable version of Minnie the Moocher. Below is a clip by the same artists of a Calloway/Betty Boop Saint James Infirmary.