The Creepy Creature

There’s a lot of running in this episode of Ruff and Reddy’s Muni-Mula adventure, and you know what that means—less footage for Ken Muse and more money saved by Bill Hanna.

From a story standpoint, this episode is unnecessary filler. The Creepy Creature shows up, menaces Ruff, then goes away and that’s the end of him. He doesn’t even show up in the episode until we see a background drawing for more than 100 frames over nothing but Bill Loose and John Seely’s pounding music.

The Creepy Creature is in a run cycle (four drawings on twos) behind the same metal-arch background painting that is used throughout the cartoon.



There's a cycle of Reddy running away. You can hear Daws Butler on the soundtrack but Reddy's mouth doesn't move. The Creature captures Ruff off camera (we hear a snap sound). Reddy goes to the rescue. With no feet.



Reddy is on a cel that slides into the shot of Ruff and the Creature. He uses a water pistol to spray the Creature, who drops Ruff. The cat lays on the screen for about 60 frames, blinking his eyes before the Creature runs away in a cycle in front of the same background art.



Then the Creature comes back in the same cycle (except he’s missing one arm). “Ruff takes off like a herd of birds,” says the narrator, as writer Charlie Shows tries to milk humour from a mixed metaphor. Reddy tries the water pistol again, but it’s out of water. Where'd he get the water pistol anyway, Charlie?



Someone didn't read the exposure sheet properly for a few frames. (Interestingly, there is the same kind of mouth error on Mr. Jinks a year later in a cartoon animated by Muse).



A stretch and dry brush.



There’s another chase cycle that ends when the Creature slows to a stop. The water has rusted him. There are shots of Ruff and Reddy where the only thing that moves is their mouths.



Now the whole Muni Mula army shows up. As the robots don't have legs, there's no need to animate them. They also roll along in front of the same background art. Or behind, as there are overlays.



“Well, it’s out of the frying pan and into the fire,” says the narrator. We now have to wait for the next episode to see if there’s a frying pan or a fire.

Loose, Seely and Spender Moore supply the Hi-Q stock music.

0:00 – No music.
0:06 – ZR-91C WEIRD EERIE (Hormel) – Recap of episode, Reddy destroys brain, all run in terror.
0:38 – TC-221A HEAVY AGITATO (Loose-Seely) – Creature appears, captures Ruff, shot with water pistol, runs away.
1:40 – no music. Ruff with water pistol, Gizmo looks at audience.
1:48 – L-657 EERIE DRAMATIC (Moore) – Creepy creature returns, water pistol empty, creature rusts, “Our troubles are over!”
3:10 – no music. Reddy points.
3:14 – TC-221A CHASE-MEDIUM (Loose-Seely) – Muni-Mula army, end of cartoon.