Rare "Cracks" animation from 1970's Sesame Street

[Drtooth]

If we're talking Noggin, there's no doubt the rabbit segment was cut for time.

 

[namowal]

I have to say that blog did come across really hard to believe.

Namowal here.
I really did get to meet Jon in 2009 and he really had a copy of the cartoon. I didn't make a copy, but I did take a few snapshots (which I promised to keep offline) but if you're in Los Angeles I can show you them.
I know the whole story sounds ridiculous. In fact, it wasn't until Jon showed up at our meeting place and the cartoon started playing that I completely believed his story.
Recently he's been rather quiet about the cartoon too- I've hit him up for another copy of the audio he made but never heard back. I'm wondering if his source got wind of the audio and told him it was violating the terms of the agreement? Either that or he's become very bored with the whole thing.
As for the discredited notion that Cosmo Anzilotti was behind it, I think that started when some unknown person made that claim in a comment on my blog. Incredibly, someone took that dubious source and added a paragraph about Cosmo Anzilotti (allegedly) creating this on Wikipedia (Ralph Bakshi article). I think the comment was later removed.
I still find it odd that it's never been released, as the mystery has given it a cult following and whomever owns the rights might be able to make some dough from it. Weird.
Some other things- I don't know the official name of the cartoon. The clip I saw didn't have any titles or credits. Rumor has it that it's called "Cracks" but who knows if it's true.
Also, I've never found any solid evidence that it was pulled for being too scary. According to Jon, it ran ten or eleven times between the mid 1970s and 1980. It's more likely they just phased it out in favor of newer cartoons.

If I learn anything new (the trail is pretty cold at the moment) I'll let you all know.

http://tailotherat.blogspot.com

 

[dycaite]

I really did get to meet Jon in 2009 and he really had a copy of the cartoon.

Did he happen to give any hints as to from where/whom he obtained it?

but I did take a few snapshots (which I promised to keep offline) but if you're in Los Angeles I can show you them.

Dangit, why must Australia be so far away from USA >.< Can I get a print-off of them from you, since technically, that is not online?

I've hit him up for another copy of the audio he made but never heard back.

Which email address did you contact? He tends to reply more (to me anyway) when I email him at his Portland Radio Group address.

Also, if I remember correctly, you said that the video actually began with a quick flash of Bert and Ernie right? Which means that the source ripped it from a full episode, and did not just possess the standalone clip...

 

[minor muppetz]

It's been announced that there's going to be a Sesame Street DVD called "Being Brave". My initial thoughts were, this would be a good one to feature Crack Master and other skits that scared kids, except I'm sure most of the scary skits don't involve characters having to be brave. And they probably wouldn't put these kinds of clips on a regular, non-collectors-edition, family-market aimed-at-the-current-target-audience DVD.

 

[namowal]

Did he happen to give any hints as to from where/whom he obtained it?

Very little. From what I gathered:
1. They never met face to face- it was mailed (or dropped off)
2. He suggested signed faxed paperwork was involved to get the copy (presumably "I will not copy, distribute etc..)
3. He suggested the source might have been an heir
4. He also suggested (in the audio clip) that his source seemed uncomfortable that that the cartoon existed in the first place.

Can I get a print-off of them from you, since technically, that is not online?

That's tempting, but I swore to Jon I wouldn't send it to anyone (plus I'd like to be on the good side of the source, as in "See? It's been 4.5 years and I haven't leaked my screen shots!" It's possible that the source is mad at me for putting my drawings online. (Jon seemed to think posting drawings was fair game, but maybe the source feels differently)

Also it could be that Jon's source really isn't the legal source at all- it could be that, while they own a copy of Uncle-so-and-so's cartoon about cracks, it's CTW who owns the goods. Or perhaps someone leaked it to Jon several years ago under the "It's just one of a zillion old clips we have and nobody will notice/care" guise, and later thought "Uh oh. I shouldn't have done that."

I've corresponded with one other person who claimed to have a copy (in this case, obtained from a CTW source, they said). I was never able to verify if they had it or were just playing with me. They didn't want to send me a copy because they didn't want to get into trouble.
Hard to separate the jokers from the "I know/have something but can't show/tell you!" crowd.

[Jon] tends to reply more (to me anyway) when I email him at his Portland Radio Group address.

I'm still in touch with Jon- we're facebook friends- but he hasn't gotten back to me about the audio clip. He has told me that a few people have "stalked" him online demanding a copy of the cartoon (no, they didn't get a copy.)

 

[dycaite]

That's tempting, but I swore to Jon I wouldn't send it to anyone

That's OK, I figured as much If the clip hasn't found its way online within the next few years, I might save up for a ticket to America so I can come and see the pictures (and maybe even the short itself, if Jon would be willing to do another screening).

He also suggested (in the audio clip) that his source seemed uncomfortable that that the cartoon existed in the first place.

So, did you have a copy of the audio at one point? Also, that is quite odd... The questions just keep piling up >.>

it's CTW who owns the goods

Yeah, when I contacted them, they seemed pretty adamant that it was simply not allowed to be released (for whatever reason). I suspect that an ex CTW employee may have obtained a copy without permission, which ended up leaking to whomever, who then passed it onto Jon; my guess is as good as anyone's though.

He has told me that a few people have "stalked" him online demanding a copy of the cartoon (no, they didn't get a copy.)

Hah, I hope he doesn't regard me as such -_-' I've emailed him a few times, but never in a stalker-ish manner (at least, not intentionally), just out of sheer curiosity. I thought I had maybe annoyed him when he stopped replying.. Dunno.. I hope not.

 

[minor muppetz]

I'm pretty sure Sesame Workshop owns the distribution rights to all its segments, even if they have to clear certain rights for video. Actually I know that in the 1990s there was a recycling PSA that aired on the show but had already existed outside of the show, but I think that's the only exception.

It'd be great if Sesame Workshop would provide a full list of every animator/animation studio and every animated film made from them. I know some of the animators have official websites which list their Sesame Street contributions. None of us know who made the Crack Master segment, so it's interesting that the person who obtained a copy knew how to get one.

 

[AquaGGR]

The guy who did the Crack Master-Rickroll prank used a fake thumbnail for the YouTube video to trick people into thinking it was Crack Master. Could he possibly have the real thing? Here's the screenshot:

 

[wiley207]

Well, the giant rabbit was part of an episode. I don't think there would be any other call for it otherwise. Aside from the frightening aspect, it's a terrible sketch that does nothing. it seems like an independent animation and that's that. Now that I see it, the artist's rendering of the girl looks just a little like the kids in that animation.

All that segment seemed to teach was about the old cartoon "hide behind a tree to avoid an enemy" routine. Plus, the giant rabbit didn't seem to be THAT much of a threat; it was just walking the whole time! Were the kids afraid the mutant rabbit would squash them?
The music was pretty cool though, that fast rock sound with drums and bass guitars, except when it came to a halt briefly when the mutant rabbit walked by the trees.

Now the apple tree on a hill with the iguana on top and a monster face on the hill, that seemed uncalled for. SO uncalled for, I just HAD to throw it in my "A Muppet Family Christmas" poop during a fake "commercial break" (Complete with Sam the Eagle commenting, "Is nothing sacred?!")

It's been announced that there's going to be a Sesame Street DVD called "Being Brave". My initial thoughts were, this would be a good one to feature Crack Master and other skits that scared kids, except I'm sure most of the scary skits don't involve characters having to be brave. And they probably wouldn't put these kinds of clips on a regular, non-collectors-edition, family-market aimed-at-the-current-target-audience DVD.​

That's a possibility, but another likely choice would that it would be on a Halloween-themed DVD of some sort, due to the creepiness of the crack monster. Some sketches would seem more limited to their subject matter in terms of what gets put on home video (like "Mysterious Theater," that would seem more in place on a mystery or Halloween-themed DVD release as well.)

BTW, welcome to the forum Namowal!

 

[namowal]

The guy who did the Crack Master-Rickroll prank used a fake thumbnail for the YouTube video to trick people into thinking it was Crack Master. Could he possibly have the real thing? Here's the screenshot:

I remember seeing this "screenshot" and thinking "wow, it looks a bit different than I remember."
Here's a drawing I did based on the characters when I saw the clip again as an adult. The animals are more accurate than the girl- should have paid more attention to her:

(For one thing, I made her hair a bit too big, and didn't get the face quite right.)