Comments on: What were these cartoons called?

Question: What were these cartoons called?

flod logic — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:13:48 -0800

What were these traceable cartoon characters with mix-and-match features called that I remember getting handouts of in elementary school?

In several grades during elementary school, I remember the class getting handouts copied from some books. They were traceable characters that you'd mix and match the features of. Each sheet would have one kind of body part on it - eyes, outlines of faces, hair, bodies, etc. in a cartoony big-head-smaller-body style. There were no recognizable characters like Mickey Mouse or anything, just cartoon people. I'm thinking this was a series or something and that they had a specific name but I can't remember what it was. Anyone know what this is?

By: synecdoche

synecdoche — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:47:50 -0800

I don't know what they were called, but I remember having them as well. I'd love to see them again, for nostalgia's sake.

By: k8t

k8t — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:50:06 -0800

Dates?

By: flod logic

flod logic — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:51:47 -0800

Mid-90s.

By: Miko

Miko — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:30:34 -0800

Oh, I totally remember those books. They were tall and narrow and sawed into three parts, so that you could flip the pages for different combinations. There were ones with people and also with animals (like lion head, giraffe neck, leopard legs kind of thing).

I think that copying them as handouts was unique. I certainly never saw them in school copied as handouts. I remember them from libraries and bookstores.

By: doift

doift — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:05:13 -0800

Miko, I don't think you're thinking of the same thing. If I'm remembering what flod is remembering, these handouts would be a page with maybe 15 pairs of eyes, another page with 15 noses, one with 10 head shapes, etc. You would trace your chosen shapes together onto a new piece of paper to create a cartoon face.

I remember them vividly from the same time period but can't remember the name either.

By: twoporedomain

twoporedomain — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:00:13 -0800

I'm not sure if the pages you got were from the same books I had, but I remember having this Funny Faces book (unfortunately, no search-inside available, and $70?!). I also had a monster faces tracing book, but I'm not finding that one...

By: twoporedomain

twoporedomain — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:11:58 -0800

Ah, the other one I had was Wacky Animals Tracing Fun

By: flod logic

flod logic — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:42:19 -0800

That was it, twoporedomain! Thanks!

By: synecdoche

synecdoche — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:47:51 -0800

Oh, awesome. My teacher passed these out photocopies of these when I was in fourth grade and they were among my favourite things ever.