Before I start I must explain that I am a qualified ‘Toonologist. With my studies of ‘toons, I ought to have a ‘Th.D by now. So, understand that as I proceed: I’m an expert in the field.

I started my studies by watching Looney Tunes. I can tell you who directed any particular Warner Brothers’ cartoon without even seeing the credits. I can even tell you who did the music. Carl Stalling rocks! Milt Franklyn doesn’t. Tedd Pierce was the best storyteller, and Bob Clampett’s ‘toons were always way too topical.
I have a cartload of classic Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies on DVD and will watch them for hours on end. Chuck Jones walked on water.

I currently have a favourite ‘toon. I like anime, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Dexter’s Lab, and Jimmy Neutron; but my fave is Ed, Edd, and Eddy (3E) on the Cartoon Network. I was just watching a 3E marathon and wondering what it is that make it so great. Could it be that there’s a bit of Ed, and Edd, and Eddy in all of us? They’re all archetypes. They live on a cul-de-sac in the Peach Creek subdivision. Their neighbours are: Kevin, Rolf, Jonny 2 by 4, Nazz, Jimmy, and there’s Ed’s little sister, Sarah. The Kanker sisters live in a trailer park nearby.

Ed, the one on the right appears to have Asperger’s Syndrome. He may seem not too bright, but he comes out with incredible insights at the most improbable moments. “A lesson in life, I am sure I’ll get.” Then again, he can be counted on for the non-sequitur of the moment: “None for me thanks, I’m Russian”

Edd (also known as Double-D), the one on the left, is the obsessive-compulsive one. He is a boy-genius whose parents communicate with him through sticky-notes. His talents are always willingly misused by Eddy for his scams. Double-D obsessively wears a stocking cap and endlessly tries to educate the denizens of the cul-de-sac. He is prone to say things like, “Curse the consequences of an only child!”

Eddy is the short, thoughtless, insecure leader of the trio. His life goal is to be rich without doing anything to earn it. He’s the ultimate scammer. How he manages to get the others involved is beyond comprehension. The fact that each scam is doomed to failure is the only logical part.

I do realize that it’s impossible to explain something as ethereal as comedy. It’s especially hard to explain something like 3E. They are always going to make the same mistakes, they will never learn their lesson and they are wet-your-trousers funny. It’s also very intelligent, which is nice to find in something supposedly aimed at children.

*Edd