Toonerville Folks (aka The Toonerville Trolley That Meets All the Trains) was a popular newspaper cartoon feature by Fontaine Fox, which ran from 1908 to 1955.
The single-panel gag cartoon was a daily look at Toonerville, situated in what are now called the suburbs. Central to the strip was the rickety little trolley called the "Toonerville Trolley that met all the trains," driven in a frenzy by the grizzly old Skipper to meet each commuter train as it arrived in town.
A few of the many richly formed characters included the Terrible-Tempered Mr. Bang, the Physically Powerful Katrinka, Little Woo-Woo Wortle, Aunt Eppie Hogg (The Fattest Lady in 3 Counties) and Mickey McGuire, the town bully.
The first of three Van Beuren Studios animated cartoons adapted from the syndicated panels was released by RKO on January 17, 1936.
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Toonerville Trolley (Van Beuren 1936)
The Skipper's morning trolley run is disrupted by several forces; first, a steep hill where all his passengers get out to help push and are left behind.
Next, Molly Moo-Cow chases after the trolley and climbs on; her weight sends it into a muddy lake. The Skipper calls for Katrinka (her motto: "I fix.") who pulls him and the car out of the mud.
The car is too filthy, even after a quick wash, so Katrinka repaints it in red thanks to a handy paint shed. This incites a bull, so after the Skipper's bullfighting skills prove inadequate, another call to Katrinka.
She flings the bull, then the Skipper. He finally gets to the train station, only to discover the train's been cancelled until next week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhmqV9BnL_Q-
Trolley AhoyMr. Bang bets the Skipper ten dollars he can't get the trolley to arrive at the train station on time.
The terrible tempered Mr. Bang is commuting to work. When the trolley takes more than 5 seconds to arrive, he follows the tracks to the Skipper's house, where he bets him $10 he won't get to work on time.
So motivated, the Skipper cuts breakfast short, but he hasn't paid the bill and his power is off. His wife rigs a sail, which gets him going, but a typhoon blows them off course. They land atop Mr. Bang's train. A tunnel knocks the trolley off the train and Mr. Bang into the train but he hasn't paid the $10 bet.
The Skipper's wife, Powerful Katrinka, reels in the railroad track to bring the train back, then gets the $10 from Mr. Bang.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vouFPPmjdy8-
Toonerville Trolley - PicnicThe doctor prescribes rest and relaxation at the beach for the hot-tempered Mr. Bang, who ends up suffering a crowded trolley, a hiccuping dog, an uncooperative beach chair and a goofy octopus.
Mr. Bang is a bundle of nerves. This is the character who is always angry and is yelling. You may have seen him in a few other cartoons. In this one, he sees a doctor right away about his condition, and the doctor advises he go down to the seashore and relax, that he needs "peace and quiet" to calm himself down.
Interestingly, Mr. Bang gets mad when the doctor tells him the bill is two dollars! Wow, what we couldn't give to have a doctor tell us that today.
Mr. Bang, with his old-fashioned swim suit on and a big picnic basket, takes the trolley, the one operated by our old friend, "The Skipper." The ride is anything but peaceful. On the first stop, the trolley gets packed with a ton of people, including a drunken dog wearing a straw hat!
By the time he arrives at the beach, he's more of a wreck. It gets worse for Mr. Bang at the shore, of course. If you've ever wanted just to relax and people and things are annoying you, you can relate to this guy. He might be a crab, but I can relate to a few of his frustrations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khOaptmN174
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