What resources should I use for comedy writing about American rural life and culture?

Forums: Animation, Writing, Culture, Society, Rural America
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Hi. I have a great idea for an original comedic kids'/family/all-age cartoon and/or comics series that I want to develop about rednecks, hillbillies and good old boys.

What resources should I use that will help me with writing comedy for it?

I'm open to suggestions. Please help. Thank you.

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Type: Question • Score: 4 • Views: 4,249 • Replies: 40

Firstly, what resources should I use to help me with writing about American rural life and culture in general?

Do we have any rural Americans on this site?

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Would it help anyone if I described my cartoon/comic idea?

1 Reply

@JGoldman10,

Contemporary rural life or as it is commonly depicted in the "good old days"?

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@JGoldman10,

It could be helpful to watch some old TV series that are available still, such as The Real McCoys and The Waltons.

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@JGoldman10,

You might want to check out Al Capp's "Lil' Abner":

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmcswine.files.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F11492003_nteg9-1.jpeg&f=1&nofb=1

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@JGoldman10,

Write about what you know is a handy rule of thumb. You can’t write with any sense of realism about something you know nothing about.

My first novel is set in Southampton, where I live. My second is set in Amsterdam, somewhere I have visited a great deal.

I would never try writing about a place I’ve never visited or people I’ve never had any dealings with.

You don’t know any good ‘ol boys and I’m concerned that any undertaking will be over reliant on stereotypes and cliches.

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@JGoldman10,

izzythepush wrote:

You don’t know any good ‘ol boys and I’m concerned that any undertaking will be over reliant on stereotypes and cliches.

Yes, JGoldman10, you should really consider this. He makes an excellent point.

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@JGoldman10,

Sort of a Dukes of Hazard meet The Beverley Hillbillies.

Edit together parts of both shows, along with a few clips from Carter County which had Victor French as a red neck sheriff, Roy Mobey. Might as well throw in more southern comfort with Claude Akins as Sheriff Lobo (yep, another supposed comedy program).

Basically, all the mentioned shows were highly offensive to folks everywhere, not just to those south of the Mason Dixon.

As others noted, create your work from your own experiences.

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@izzythepush,

What's wrong with stereotypes and clichés? A lot of popular and successful cartoons and comics, especially classic ones, thrive on stereotypes and clichés.

Speedy Gonzales from Looney Tunes was dubbed a non-PC character because he was seen as a Mexican caricature and stereotype, and it's for this reason they don't air classic Speedy cartoons on American TV anymore. Despite this, the Hispanic/Latino community loves the character. The character appeals to generations of fans.

Besides, I'm aiming my cartoon/comic at kids.

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@JGoldman10,

All series rely on cliches in one way or another. It's the original twist put on them while presenting a compelling cast with relatable human characteristics makes it a success.

1 Reply

@izzythepush,

I have a few rural American acquaintances. One guy I know said he liked my cartoon/comic idea.

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Am I the only person here who remembers Hee Haw?

1 Reply

@edgarblythe,

I was told by someone I know from Australia that they still air classic Looney Tunes shorts on broadcast TV on Saturday mornings in Australia because there's no censorship on TV there.

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@JGoldman10,

There is a channel that reruns Hee Haw all week long in my area.

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@JGoldman10,

JGoldman10 wrote:

What's wrong with stereotypes and clichés?

Everything. If you want to make some instantly forgettable rehash of other's work go ahead. Kids aren't idiots, lots of cheap generic cartoons have fallen by the wayside.

If you have rural acquaintances, go live with them, about a year should be long enough.

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@izzythepush,

I don't plagiarize other people's works.

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@JGoldman10,

You don’t do anything.

You’ve been talking about doing something for the past twenty years.

Write about what you know.

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@izzythepush,

There's nothing wrong with producing throwbacky material. There's a market for retro stuff. And just "writing about what you know" is boring and lacks creativity.

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What resources should I use for comedy writing about American rural life and culture?

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