Here’s some vintage black-and-white cartoon fun from 1931: Flip the Frog in The New Car. Who knew? Cars can be a challenge for frogs or humans. 

Flip the Frog is nearly forgotten today, but in the early ’30s he was a cartoon favorite, distributed by MGM and produced by Ub Iwerks, a former associate of Walt Disney. A number of famous animators learned their chops with Iwerks, including Chuck Jones, Irv Spence, and Grim Natwick of Betty Boop fame. (See our CarTune with Betty as a singing auto shop manager here in So Does An Automobile.)

Flip, an anthropomorphized frog, was a fairly typical cartoon hero of the period, facing everyday human challenges with Chaplinesque humor and resignation. In this episode, Flip buys a new car—actually, a thoroughly used one. We apologize in advance for the horrible ethnic stereotype of the used car dealer. Indeed, these were different times, and the representation is unforgivable by modern standards. Still, it’s a part of history that should be faced, not swept under the rug. That unfortunate moment aside, here’s a delightful look at auto ownership circa 1931 with some charming gags and visual detail, including the imaginative backgrounds. Enjoy our CarTune.