Cat and Mouse -- Poor Kitty: Poor Kitty

Author: Hanna-Barbera
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: "Tom and Jerry" is entirely characterized by slapstick humor, with extremely lively. Tom is a common gray and white house cat with a strong desire to catch Jerry, a mouse that lives in the same room with him but is hard to catch. He constantly tries to drive away these annoying houseguests, but always fails. In reality, the fun he gets from chasing is far greater than catching the mouse. Even when he occasionally catches Jerry, he doesn’t know what to do with the mouse! The famous "Tom and Jerry" animated series was created by producer Fred Quiney, director William Hanna, and Joseph Barbera in 1939. After the highly successful short animated film "Tom Gets Boots," Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer produced over 100 "Tom and Jerry" cartoons in the following 25 years. This animated series is entirely characterized by slapstick humor, with extremely lively plots. In 1942, "Tom and Jerry" and all of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s other works were compiled into the comic magazine "We the People" by Dell/Western Publishing. Starting from the 40th issue, Tom and Jerry became the cover image of the magazine. In 1948, after "Tom and Jerry" reached its peak popularity in the 193rd issue of "We the People," it completely replaced the magazine starting from the 194th issue.
Initially, Jerry and the baby-sitter Wee Willie Winkie (noted for stealing) shared a mousehole in the same home and seemed to be watched by Tom, who made a great effort to drive away these annoying houseguests. The story of these clever mice and the clumsy cat can be compared to the partnership of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. There is no cruelty of the strong oppressing the weak in the animal world, only the daily trivialities and conflicts between two neighbors. Examples include small mice stealing Tom’s cheese, Tom setting a mousetrap at Jerry’s doorstep, and countless pranks and humorous scenes, making people feel a sense of nostalgia for innocence. The relationship between the cat and the mouse often changes instantly—becoming friends or enemies; when enemies, they try their best to outsmart each other; when friends, they are as close as brothers, never holding grudges.