THE “NEW” SOUNDS OF THE SLAP-OF-THE-STICK - Termite Terrace 1937-1943 and the Slapstick Tradition

Aug 26, 2026

This thesis argues that slapstick is a mode of comedy that becomes a tradition through the development of physical violence and disruption, alongside conventions of grotesque movement and mockery or abuse of the body, across media, cultures, and historical periods. It studies comic routines or lazzi as modular micronarratives, focusing on sound practices and technologies used to produce comic effects. It also analyzes Termite Terrace’s 1937–1943 theatrical animation, detailing production processes and an audiovisual study of seven shorts to identify a sonic vocabulary and sound-driven body depiction.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages153

Reading Time6 h 26 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Slapstick across Media

The Slapstick Tradition

The Sounds of the Slap-of-the-Stick

Animating Tradition: That’s Not All Folks!

Lunacy at Termite Terrace (1937-1943)

Collaborative Technologies, Collaborative Practices

The Elements of a Complex Soundtrack

The Audiovisual Rhythm of Wackyland

The Loney Sounds of the Slap-of-the-Stick

Sound/Image Relationships

The Audible Cartoon Body

Innovative and Conventional

Conclusions

Appendix

Works Cited

THE “NEW” SOUNDS OF THE SLAP-OF-THE-STICK Termite Terrace ( 19 3 7-1943 ) and the Slapstick Tradition by Andres Alberto Lombana Bermudez B.A. Political Science B.A. Literature Universidad de los Andes, 2003 SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF COMPARATIVE MEDIA STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN COMPARATIVE MEDIA STUDIES AT THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AUGUST 2008 © Andres Alberto Lombana Bermudez. All rights reserved. The author hereby grants to MIT permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document in whole or in part in any medium now known or hereafter created. Signature of Author: _______________________________________________________ Program in Comparative Media Studies August 8, 2008 Certified By: _____________________________________________________________ Henry Jenkins Peter de Florez Professor of Humanities Professor of Comparative Media Studies and Literature Co-Director, Comparative Media Studies Thesis Supervisor Accepted By: Henry Jenkins Peter de Florez Professor of Humanities Professor of Comparative Media Studies and Literature Co-Director, Comparative Media Studies 2 (blanc page) 3 THE “NEW” SOUNDS OF THE SLAP-OF-THE-STICK Termite Terrace ( 1937-1943) and the Slapstick Tradition by Andres Alberto Lombana Bermudez Submitted to the Program in Comparative Media Studies on August 15, 2008 in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Comparative Media Studies ABSTRACT This thesis argues that slapstick is a mode of comedy that has become a tradition because its basic principles of physical violence and disruption, and its conventions of grotesque movement and of mockery and abuse of the body, have been developed across media, cultures, and eras. Accordingly, this thesis examines the comic routines or lazzi —independent and modular micronarratives—where the slapstick principles and conventions have been formalized, and explores their different reinterpretations: from Commedia dell’Arte to American Vaudeville to American live-action comedy to American animation. Since sound plays a major role inside the lazzi, the analysis focuses on the sound practices and technologies that have been used across media to produce comic effects. In addition, this thesis claims that the theatrical animated cartoons—Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies—made at Termite Terrace between 1937 and 1943 embody the slapstick tradition, reinvigorate it, and transform it. The thesis explains the production processes (technologies and practices) that led up to the creation of an energetic audiovisual rhythm and the sophisticated orchestration of all the sound elements (music, voices, sound-effects) in complex soundtracks. Finally, an audiovisual analysis of seven animated shorts reveals a sonic vocabulary for depicting the cartoon body and shows the schizophonic mimesis that takes place when using it. All in all, the study of the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies of this time period reveals the interplay between convention and innovation that characterizes the slapstick style of Termite Terrace, a style that years later became the trademark of Warner Bros. animation. Thesis Supervisor: Henry Jenkins Title: Professor, Co-Director Comparative Media Studies 4 (blanc page) 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I want to express my gratitude to the people who have accompanied and supported my journey and development while producing this project. To my thesis committee members: Henry Jenkins III, for his guidance, support, and inspiring peripatetic conversations, and for sharing with me his vast knowledge of comedy and popular culture; Stefan Helmreich, for his insights and questions, and for introducing me to the anthropological study of sound; and Martin Marks, for his suggestions and thoughts, and for showing me ways of understanding

FAQs

What core idea does the thesis use to explain slapstick as a tradition?

It argues that slapstick becomes a tradition because its principles of physical violence and disruption, plus conventions of grotesque movement and body mockery or abuse, are carried across media, cultures, and eras.

What are “lazzi,” and how does the thesis analyze them?

The thesis treats lazzi as independent, modular micronarratives where slapstick principles and conventions are formalized. The analysis centers on the sound practices and technologies used to create comic effects.

How does the thesis connect Termite Terrace cartoons to the slapstick tradition?

It claims that Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies produced at Termite Terrace (1937–1943) embody, reinvigorate, and transform the slapstick tradition through specific production technologies and the orchestration of music, voices, and sound effects.

Aug 26, 2026

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