The Funny Company

The Funny Company, a syndicated cartoon from the Ken Synder studio, was one of two shows debuting in 1963 that was a response to FCC chairman Newton R. Minow's comment that television was a "vast wasteland." It was an "edutainment" show, like the other show debuting the same year, Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales on CBS.

Buzzer Bell was the president of the Company, which was an offshoot of Junior Achievement. Through each five-minute episode, a live-action film demonstrating scientific feats, how things are made, etc., is featured. The cast includes inventor Jasper Park, treasurer Merry Twitter, Terry Dactyl (a prehistoric character in modern times), the computer Weisenheimer (who narrated the live-action bits), two Indians named Broken Feather and Super Chief, and a sweet, introverted little girl named Shrinkin' Violette.


 * Dastardly Whiplash: The show's token villain, Belly Laguna.
 * Deadpan Snarker: Terry Dactyl.
 * Edutainment Show
 * This Is Sparta: Super Chief's dialogue consists of a lengthy train horn.