The Magic Pencil (1940)
Article 5925 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 1-9-2021
Directed by Volney White
Featuring the voice of Arthur Kay
Country: USA
What it is: Gandy Goose and Sourpuss cartoon

Gandy Goose sends away for a magic pencil and draws things that come to life, much to the consternation of Sourpuss.

Here’s another Gandy Goose/Sourpuss cartoon, only this time there’s no dream-sharing going on; it’s mostly dealing with the aftermath of what happens after Gandy Goose draws several objects and people. For a Gandy Goose cartoon, this one is not too bad, but sometimes I really wish the Terrytoons cartoons had been better written. Gandy himself has very little presence for what is supposed to be a wild comic character, and Sourpuss seems to be grouchy for no other reason than he’s supposed to be; it would be more effective if Gandy’s creations took more of an active role in annoying Sourpuss to better motivate his behavior. Still, watching a lot of these Terrytoons is a good way of discovering the quirks of the series, and I notice that Paul Terry seems to have a weakness for mellerdrammers, as the plot of this one eventually turns into one.