The character of Koko is likely recognized from his appearances in Betty Boop cartoons, if he's recognized at all. But he started out as a character in the Out Of the Inkwell series as a silent character (actually, he "spoke" by word balloons, but the shorts were silent) with a dog. These cartoons more or less followed a pattern-a live action sequence where either one or both of the Flieschers (or occasionally some other person) would bring Koko "out of the inkwell" (i.e., draw him, usually with a creative entrance) and the bulk of the cartoon would have Koko and/or Fitz the dog acting and reacting to a specific set of circumstances. Here, Max draws his characters with heated ink, which is obviously not comfortable for them, as they spend the time mainly trying to cool off, with comic results, if little success. Intensely visual (for obvious reasons) and often surreal. Fascinating to watch. Well worth tracking down. Recommended.
