User Reviews

Max has gotten a new real dog. Koko and Fitz are jealous, so they lock the pup in a valise. When Max discovers this, he takes his revenge by drawing leg irons on the unruly pair, paints a prison and sticks them in it, in this typically fine Out of the Inkwell cartoon.

Koko was one of the two best cartoon series of the 1920s -- the other was Felix the Cat -- and what made Koko so good was the wacky logic, that when Max drew a wall, there was something behind it: an entire world. That world was plastic and weird, but always made sense on its own terms and mostly in ours. At least they did, until they interacted beyond the safe confines of Max' studio.

Dave Fleischer was responsible for many gems. Ones that were amusing and charming, though over-cuteness did come through in some efforts and the stories were always pretty thin, with appealing characters, outstanding music and visuals that were inventive and with innovative animation techniques.

Ko-Ko similarly was an always amiable character to watch and among the better recurring characters in Fleischer's early work. Likewise, his series of Out of the Inkwell cartoons were among the best early efforts of Fleischer and silent cartoons in general. Fleischer may not be at his very finest and there are other cartoons of his that fit the word gem more. It is impossible to dislike 'Ko-Ko the Convict' however as it is so enjoyable to watch and really put a smile on my face and provided plenty of laughs, a perfect antidote for when you're in a not so good mood.

Actually can find very little to fault 'Ko-Ko the Convict'. The story is slight and it can get slightly erratic on occasions.

Everything else though is done so brilliantly that any issues had with the story don't stay for long. The delight of the character interplay and how well the animation and live action is handled so seamlessly for so early on, the wild fun and the ever entertaining and brilliantly used inclusion of Max are just a few of the great things.

One expects the animation to be primitive and very low quality, judging by that it's the early 20s when animation techniques were not as many, as refined, as ambitious and in their infancy. While Fleischer became more refined and inventive later certainly, the animation is surprisingly good with some nice visual wackiness and wit.

Pacing is lively and the bizarre and wild nature of the humour is done very imaginatively and never less than fun to watch, making the most of a strong concept. Koko as ever is very likeable and amusing, Fitz is just a fun supporting character and what else can be said about Max?

In summation, hugely enjoyable. 8/10 Bethany Cox

The Koko the Clown cartoons are among the very best silent cartoons ever made and they hold up very well today. They manage to integrate cartoon characters into the real world in a way that sure looks way ahead of their time.

The story begins with Koko and his dog Fitz using the mirror in preparation for an outing. However, this is interrupted by something that horrifies them....Max has gotten himself a new puppy! They are quite jealous and lock the puppy in a suitcase....and when they are caught they are sent to prison and nearly executed! Wow...talk about a harsh punishment!!

This is a very funny cartoon...very well made, clever and cute. Plus, you get to see a puppy wearing a bowtie....how cool is that?! Among the better installments of the series.