How to Take Care of Baby by Louis Schmitt

Close-up of Schmitt in the famous Bambi modeling photo.

This was originally posted on Cartoon Brew in 2012 by Amid Amidi, but I felt obliged to repost it, considering that site doesn't do anything like this anymore.

Louis Schmitt did the layouts for many of Tex Avery's hysterical late Forties films like Bad Luck Blackie, Half-Pint Pygmy (where he redesigned George and Junior), and most-notably Little 'Tinker. He also worked on Bambi, mainly designing animals, like the field mouse. He animated some, too, at both studios. I always liked his simple, squatty designs, and the eyeballs that curve inward was a huge influence on me, though I had not realized it at the time.

He started working for Hallmark in 1947 and did more than one greeting card with his characteristic cute-but-subtle animals. I got to throw out there that what he did then is way better than what I saw from Hallmark in Publix last Tuesday: different types of butts (flat, flabby, etc.) All of his cards were painted by Sam Spohn from Schmitt's designs.

So here is one great one in particular: a "congrats for the baby" card-cum-booklit, How to Take Care of Baby, year unknown. A commenter on the original article pointed out how alive the poses are, and how you don't even have to read the rhymes. I especially like the poses of the dad, particularly on pages seven and eleven.

(I'm curious who Ethel and Bud Bolton were.)