Tapum! The History of Arms
"Tapum! The History of Arms", (a.k.a. "Tapum! La Storia delle Armi"), released in 1958, is the first cartoon ever produced by Italian cartoonist Bruno Bozzetto, produced with a makeshift equipment (the vertical movie camera used to shoot the film was made with an ironing board with a camera on it!). It features an ironic look at the history and evolution of the weapons used by the men throughout the centuries, and ends with an alarming prevision: the constant improvement of weapons will be the cause of the destruction of the whole humanity in an undetermined future...
It's a nice cartoon with some very funny gags, and a style that reminds of the one used by UPA in the same period.
And now, for your enjoyment, here are some pictures from this cartoon:
We can assume what the reason of the first fight was: the shining smile of a woman...
It was probably a woman who invented the first weapon: the club…
Here we can see the testing of an armour...
Nothing could ever stop the man... 
posted by mmm...donuts at 4:54 pm
6 Comments:
Keep the good work coming , mmm...donuts !
A great and interesting post about Bozzetto 's work !
6:12 pm
Yeah, Bozzetto's a genius. I wish his cartoon pilot about the cat got the ok from Cartoon Network.
Anyone seen that one?
9:57 pm
Have not seen it ?
Could you be so kind to describe it , my friend ?
3:26 pm
It was called Help! and that was the only dilogue in the cartoon. The cat, after pricking his hand while doing a cross stitch of a fish, go to the hospital to have a doctor look at it. However, he soon learns that the place isn't as prossional as it used to be.
1:27 am
Funny someone managed to get this film already and I haven't!
Had to make it a thing of collecting some of Bozzetto's films myself since I admire much of what he has to say about the world-at-large. I don't really see it much in domestic productions.
Supposibly he was inspired from the Disney film "Toot, Whistle, Plunk & Boom" to produce his first film, and had his dad's ironing board to use for the camera stand or whatever contraption he had to cook up. It was after submitting it to Cannes that he turned to animation after pursuing other possible careers, at first producting TV commercials and a few shorts such as the familiar Mr. Rossi series, and two feature films, "West & Soda" and "VIP: My Brother Superman", later to produce his send-up to Fantasia, "Allego non Troppo" in the 70's (not to mention a few live-action shorts and the feature, "Under the Chinese Restaurant").
More about Bruno Bozzetto can be found here...
http://www.bozzetto.com/
6:04 am
There's a video for Jason Forrest's song "War Reporter" that apes Bozzetto's style. Search YouTube for it -- it's actually very cool.
1:25 am
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