Ken Muse - Tom & Jerry Animator Guide

How to identify Ken Muse's animation in Hanna-Barbera's Tom & Jerry films.
Special thanks to Whyx3, CJM, and Devon Baxter!
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[@davidgraham8840]

Another identifying factor is how he drew Tom's whiskers to look like a villain's moustache, especially in the early to mid 40's cartoons.

[@DucPr0]

Every animator did that in the 44-45 period though. The only episode where he does it and others don’t is Dr Jekyll and Mr Mouse.

[@davidgraham8840]

@@DucPr0 True, but somehow Muse makes him look more like a villain than the other animators. He didn't really look like much of one when Spence drew him.

[@DucPr0]

@@davidgraham8840 You do got a point. I think Patterson didn’t care much for the whiskers so he just drew them crossing simply, while Spence and Burness drew Tom’s face so goofily he just doesn’t look evil.

[@abdullahibouraleh6919]

@@DucPr0 Ed Barge joined Tom and Jerry in 1945 and he never drew Tom's whiskers like that.

[@firedragon7456]

Kenneth Muse is the reason why I want to become an animator

[@theoddbox]

The animation/visuals in a lot of tom and jerry shorts is just so satisfying to look at. It really shines in the hbo restoration.

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Lovely stuff!

[@FrizFreddy1994]

Excellent guide to one of the greats.

[@theaidsgiver21]

Personally I was able to tell just based on the fact that his animation was more fluid than the others.

[@isilije]

And also he drawed best

[@joecab1]

Loved this! And while at H-B animators were usually even more identifiable because things weren’t as strict when adhering to style. You can ID Muse by the little half crescent under an eye, and other actions like a bashful shoulder slump with a little shake.

[@elleroy9775]

I usually noticed certain similarities between some Disney shorts from the 1940's and many from Tom&Jerry. I noticed certain very similar movements and expressions in some scenes in Both Studios. Until now that I finally find the answer: KEN MUSE.

[@robochao1]

You can also cheat and watch "Smitten Kitten" and "Jerry's Diary". Ken does all the wraparounds

[@DucPr0]

I wonder when the first time Muse drew 2 chest bumps is. The earliest occurrence I can recall, surprisingly, happened in early 1948’s Kitty Foiled, between when Jerry drops the lightbulb and when it explodes.

[@jvgreendarmok]

Like Muse but Tom has two chest bumps while Muse was drawing him with three... hmmm... could you have discovered Irving Levine's animation?

[@tobiaskrebsanimation]

Please do more of these on other animators!! super insightful!

[@chaggy86]

This was excellent! thank you very much!
Yes, please, more animators!

[@johnnyfourth]

Excellent! Well done!

[@525Lines]

They did a Tom & Jerry Christmas movie a few years ago and it's kind of cool how they included characters and styles from different eras of Tom & Jerry in the film. The ballerina was very Chuck Jones but Tom was earlier.

[@user-hm8gw4gy9f]

how identifying the other animators:
irven spence:
he was the wildest tom and jerry animator with a very cartoony, loosey, goosey style, he drew his characters very off model in favor of animated broad energy! specially with tex avery irish eye takes, he was also a master in making the pain feel painful !and lots of squash and stretch! a cool trait of his: when a character exist the screen it's folllowed by furious motion blur effects
ray patterson: he excelled in cartoony movement and broad energy! he generally drew his characters with a lot more detail like extra haired furs on tom, as well as pouted lips and furrowed eyebrows! he was generally given dialogue scenes to animate.
he also drew some of the wildest and funny facial expressions. a cool trait of his is the way a character runs a make a turn!
pete burness: his animation style of movement was very "pose-to-pose" and bouncy. his animation timing was less fluid but very snappy and crisp! the way he drew facial expressions was usually off-model and uncanny... but still funny and expressive!
ed barge: he tended to drew his characters look more cute and youngful, the way he animated expressions was usually milder and more conservative looking. however, he could still pull off some great, funny animation! a cool trait of his: he liked to use smears and other distortion effects !

[@DantheToonMan]

Can ya do one of Irv Spence?

[@takitogr]

Beautiful vid. More uf you have the chance plz

[@NintendasticoAnimations]

So Good!!

[@garfeldi_gaming]

"he doesn't draw wild expressions" *shows a wild expression*

[@durece100]

Ken Muse didn't know about wild expression since he work from Walt Disney Studios.

[@walkingstudio4543]

Very good!

[@FriggenGrotRock]

Neat! Thanks for the vid

[@drekaflugan]

Highly interesting

[@3GoldBalls]

Do more like this. Like Irv Spencer or Ed Barge.

[@villalobosedwin1214]

*Irv Spence

[@jvgreendarmok]

@@villalobosedwin1214 The dude could even decide whether to spell his first name "Irven" or "Irvin", an extra R on the end of his last name won't do any harm.

[@theartman6297]

The music from tee for two

[@theartman6297]

I wish that I could hear some soundtrack from Carl starlling

[@johnwolfington1476]

Ibcf make a Rollin Hamilton Reel and play music like Can’t Touch This

[@coophouseanamation2854]

Do irv spence

[@PenParody]

Ibcf where are you i wanna watch with FuriousMan226 Ed Love reel?

[@FuriousMan226]

The reel was privated because of some mistakes, ibcf told me that on Twitter

[@velociwyatt9080]

Do Marc Davis animation.

[@plotwhist9364]

i would love to see an soviet animator reels :) russia has such an interesting and vast animation history

[@coophouseanamation2854]

Do a rod scribner one

[@raisonyoutube1]

Already did bud

[@FuriousMan226]

@@raisonyoutube1 He’s talking about guide

[@raisonyoutube1]

Oh my bad

[@mr.incognitoyt2235]

You've been gone for a year, what happened

[@joshh9431]

Can you do one for Popeye animators sometime?

[@SlapstickGenius23]

Yeah! Woohoo! Whoopee!

[@coophouseanamation2854]

Ugh 😠😠

[@johnarnehansen9574]

I think his work and Gerry Chiniqy should be a lot of inspriation for very wannabe animator!.