The Abbott and Costello Cartoon Show is an American half-hour animated series of the famous comedy duo that aired in syndication from September 9, 1967, to June 1, 1968. Each of the 39 individual episodes consisted of four five-minute cartoons. The cartoons were created jointly by Hanna-Barbera, RKO General, and Jomar Productions between 1965 and 1967. The series was syndicated by Gold Key Entertainment and King World Productions, with the rights now owned by Warner Bros. Television Distribution (through Turner Entertainment). Bud Abbott provided the voice for his own character. Stan Irwin provided the voice of Lou Costello, who had died in 1959. The rest of the voice cast was composed of Hanna-Barbera regulars. Canadian cartoonist Lynn Johnston, best known for her comic strip, For Better or For Worse, was an uncredited cel colorist.

Production

Abbott and Costello is among the animated programs of the 1960s that are based on the decade's nostalgia craze which animated other comedy teams of the past such as Laurel and Hardy and The New 3 Stooges. It was pitched by the duo's manager Eddie Sherman to producer Lee Orgel, who also worked on The New 3 Stooges and further developed the concept. Orgel originally planned for the series to be produced at Cambria Productions, however the show's sponsor insisted it be done entirely at Hanna-Barbera instead. The show created work for the ill and impoverished Bud Abbott, who provided the voice of his animated character. Lou Costello had died in 1959, and his voice was supplied by nightclub manager Stan Irwin (1920-2015), who was a close friend of the duo.

Voices

Additional voices: Mel Blanc, Don Messick, Hal Smith, John Stephenson, Janet Waldo

Episodes

Comic book series

A comic book based on the TV show was produced by Charlton Comics. Starting in February 1968, it ran for 22 issues, ending in August 1971.

Reception

Hal Erickson, author of Television Cartoon Shows, An Illustrated Encyclopedia gave the program a negative review, stating that Abbott and Costello episodes were difficult to tell apart. Erickson stated that "virtually every one them features the tubby Costello being pursued by some bugeyed monster or giant sized garden pest" and that "None of the classic verbal exchanges which brought the real Abbott and Costello to fame in the first place are evident."

Home media

An episode of the show, "Gadzooka" was released in May 2013 as part of The Best of Warner Bros.: Hanna Barbera 25 Cartoon Collection DVD set.