I've already done a blog about teeth but there's lots more to say.
John used to say that Clampett was the first cartoon director to emphasize funny teeth. He's certainly the first one I know of. Clampett's teeth are especially funny because they reference the way teeth really are. They're not just horizontal and vertical lines. Look at the Clampett dog above -- the teeth are uneven in size and one row overlaps the other, just like real teeth.
Usually healthy teeth (above) are enough to convey a gag. Even healthy teeth are full of surprises. Notice the way the bottom row of teeth slant inward while the upper row grow almost straight down.
Some cartoonist prefer slightly unhealthy teeth. Here's (above) a set where the top teeth flare inward at the center and then outward as the teeth wrap around the muzzle. The bottom teeth are almost straight.
Other cartoonists prefer downright abnormal, Basil Wolverton teeth (above). Here the upper gum has wasted away leaving the irregular, shovel-type teeth exposed. I like that snaggle tooth on the bottom right.
Here's (above) a nice set: two almost normal front teeth, then a gap, then outwardly flaring teeth on the side. I like the way the six teeth appear in groups of two.
Here's (above) a wide, wide mouth full of squat little nuggets. There's almost no evidence of a rounded, horse shoe-type muzzle. The teeth all seem to be up front. Who would have teeth like this? Maybe an embezzling accountant. He's the butt of office jokes, and he often grinds his teeth in frustration, but he takes the jokes without complaint because he knows that he's only a few more withdrawls from a permanent vacation in Tahiti.
Here (above) the natural dominance of the top teeth is exaggerated. The top row covers the bottom like the lid on a piano keyboard, except that the bottom teeth flare out on the side.
You may have to draw trolls and witches someday so keep this hideous dwarf tooth (above) at hand.
I've already done a blog about teeth but there's lots more to say.
John used to say that Clampett was the first cartoon director to emphasize funny teeth. He's certainly the first one I know of. Clampett's teeth are especially funny because they reference the way teeth really are. They're not just horizontal and vertical lines. Look at the Clampett dog above -- the teeth are uneven in size and one row overlaps the other, just like real teeth. 
Usually healthy teeth (above) are enough to convey a gag. Even healthy teeth are full of surprises. Notice the way the bottom row of teeth slant inward while the upper row grow almost straight down.
Some cartoonist prefer slightly unhealthy teeth. Here's (above) a set where the top teeth flare inward at the center and then outward as the teeth wrap around the muzzle. The bottom teeth are almost straight.
Other cartoonists prefer downright abnormal, Basil Wolverton teeth (above). Here the upper gum has wasted away leaving the irregular, shovel-type teeth exposed. I like that snaggle tooth on the bottom right.
Here's (above) a nice set: two almost normal front teeth, then a gap, then outwardly flaring teeth on the side. I like the way the six teeth appear in groups of two.
Here's (above) a wide, wide mouth full of squat little nuggets. There's almost no evidence of a rounded, horse shoe-type muzzle. The teeth all seem to be up front. Who would have teeth like this? Maybe an embezzling accountant. He's the butt of office jokes, and he often grinds his teeth in frustration, but he takes the jokes without complaint because he knows that he's only a few more withdrawls from a permanent vacation in Tahiti. 
Here (above) the natural dominance of the top teeth is exaggerated. The top row covers the bottom like the lid on a piano keyboard, except that the bottom teeth flare out on the side. 
You may have to draw trolls and witches someday so keep this hideous dwarf tooth (above) at hand.
24 comments:
"John used to say that Clampett was the first cartoon director to emphasize funny teeth. He's certainly the first one I know of."
How about the fleischers? Talkartoons are full of weird/funny smiles, or at least weird/funny mouths!
And cartoon dentures!
Clampett was the first to do those cool teeth that actually had ugly little imperfections, as opposed to the smooth panels of old.
Te problem I have with weird teeth is that people are very self conscious about them :( It tried my will as a caricaturist, when someone would sit down who had an otherwise uninteresting face, so I ask em to smile and BOOM there you have it, really funny teeth! But almost every time I'd attempt to capture anything more snaggly than buckteeth, the look on their face when I'd show it to them would make me feel bad. Except this one little boy who had teeth very like the group of six above. His parebts actually requested that I draw his teeth funny, and I enjoyed doing so. They loved it!
I love drawing gumlines :p
when i was learning english as a kid, i'd always forget that the plural of tooth is teeth, not tooths. Same problem with feet. And i always confused 'kitchen' with 'chicken'.
I like r
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amazon.com is great. Go today. :)
I can believe that Clampett was first to make teeth funny. I got the idea from John K.'s stuff as well as John Dilworth that awkward teeth are much more interesting to draw.
And you're right. Even healthy, normal teeth have flaws. I love it when animators emphasiz those flaws.
I saw some great funny looking teeth on this character that Jessica Borutski designed :
Bunny teeth
More funny Bunny teeth
There's more on her blog.
JessicaBorutski.blogspot.com
The shapes on the teeth are very well chosen (as are the rest of her designs) .
I'd swear teeth were invented just for cartoonists. Even pretty girls have to have individual funny looking bony chunks crammed together.
Like nostrils and tongues, they remind us of the reality of how rude and nasty we really are.
I don't favor those animation style "bar-teeth". Gimme God's mouth to draw anytime!
Buddy from the Incredibles had really awesome teeth.
Wow abnormal teeth are cool. While normal teeth are cool too, abnormal just gives it more character even on cute women drawings. Sometimes it even makes them more sexy for some odd reason. I guess I love imperfections depending on the person.
Man, really unhealthy teeth are cringe worthy to me.
But there's no denying the power of interesting teeth. I picked up on that sort of when I was a kid. I have childhood drawings where I did fun teeth. It was later when I started to understand what made a drawing funny.
What a great journey that is! Learning what makes funny drawings. That's going to go on forever. there will always be things to learn about finny drawings!
That 5th picture's gonna give me nightmares.
I'm always amazed how some people have the same kind of lipmovements/mouthmimic.
It's intruiging when someone's speechpattern(so to speak) looks& sounds similar to someone you know.
It must have alot to do with the shape of their teeth.
As to what Kelly said, I hate it when people refuse to smile, that is they are obviously trying to HIDE their teeth if a camera is pointed their way. But my natural smile is not that toothy, unless I'm laughing, so I tend to veer away from a toothy grin, which usually looks fake on me. I'm not that relaxed generally, or more negatively perhaps, I am not a mouth breather.
Teeth are funny, and great BUT I really hate it when ducks have teeth. Not funny. I generally dislike it when Ben Grimm shows teeth in his rocky puss mode too. Gumby with teeth would not be Gumby (gee does he have teeth?)
In fact, the past 30 years of animation character design has been ruined by mindless grinning, and perfect teeth! Dammit! There are other emotions! A smile means more when it is not plastered on continuously.
Quaaaaack!
I enjoy being the proud owner of some crooked and weird teeth- but I'm sooo glad I discovered bleach.
duck with teeth said: "Quaaaaack!"
That's not funny. Ducks can't type.
Kelly: It is hard to do caricatures when people won't show their teeth. Smiles without teeth just don't look right.
Kali: Is that really working? I heard that bleach isn't good for teeth! Anyway, you have great teeth! Nothing to be ashamed of!
Eddie, this post inspired me to brush up (ha) on caricaturing teeth, so thanks! I also drew from the shirley temple and uh, the other guy with the eyebrows and broad shoulder. The teeth are in my current post, sharing space with naked breasts sooo, I dunno, check it out if you like that combination *shrug*
Kali, are you applying bleach directly to your teeth?? That seems kinda risky! I personally recommend Rembrandt whitening strips, about $25 a box and they work very well and are easy to use. I started with them about a week before my wedding, and the whites were pearly on our big day :D four years of braces and a lifetime of tea drinking, conquered by modern technology!
I got buck teeth!
i have an over bite and bunny/horse teeth...... eddie you should do a post on just your teeth and their importance
You are aware I hope that the picture identified as Basil Wolverton teeth is actually upside down.
Yeah I'm a dental assistant and that photo IS upside down....
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