'Joe and Petunia' is another Public Information Office film series which Mike advised me to look at. They were created in 1968-1973, so are over forty years old! They were four in the series, and like 'Charley Says', they do not focus on one particular topic, but many. Their most famous one is 'Coastguard', the first in the series, where the couple, Joe and Petunia are enjoying their day out but finally see someone who is struggling in the water so call for help. The message is if you see someone in distress in the water, then you must call for help. The animation gives a helpline.
Apparently the character duo was so popular at first that 'Nicolas Cartoons', creators of 'Joe and Petunia', decided to kill them off in the fourth episode of the series to avoid the pressures of public demand. They wanted people to take the messages seriously, not turn them into a franchise, something very few people turn down in todays day and age! (And is the complete opposite to 'Dumb Ways to Die who have made a huge brand out of their public service broadcasts). The couple die when they don't get their tyres checked, so this is an example of road safety, my own topic!
It is interesting to see how popular this series was and how the artists didn't want to carry it on. I love the humour in it, which is very typically British, but I can see why so many people liked it. I think myself, I will only do around three animations, and although the look of mine will be extremely different, it will be good to look back on for inspiration and reference.
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