Kurtz & Friends

This is an original production cel from a 1970s commercial by the animation house Kurtz & Friends. I have no idea what the product is. If anyone can shed any light on it, please let me know.

I got this art in trade for something years ago. Bob Kurtz was one of my animation heroes as I was growing up. He and his staff have produced tons of great animation, from commercials, to film credits, to George Carlin routines.

Watching this the off-the-wall approach to animation, design and storytelling was a great contrast to the high art of Disney that I was constantly feeding myself. It was like enjoying a shot of bathtub hooch after sipping on fine wine. What a wake-up call!

Check out the line work. Even though it's rough, the drawing is solid. The shape doesn't change form from drawing to drawing. They style might look whimsical, almost childish, but the artist knew what he was doing. It's  great drawing. 

UPDATE: I just got this email from Kenneth Smith at Kurtz & Friends:

This cel is from a Holly Farms 30second commercial called "Frozen" - 

Agency: Long Haymes Carr - dated 9/1/89

This cell refers to the line "Chicken-cicles" - in another scene there's a chicken frozen from the neck down in a block of ice. There were 2 other spots in the series, "No Preservatives" with a chicken mummy and "Color" with technicolor chickens, none of which would be acceptable to the folks at Holly Farms.