Acme Porcupine Quills
A sharp lesson learned when a lasso goes wrong and quills stick in.
In the 1932 American animated comedy short "Bosko at the Zoo," a specific interaction involving porcupine quills occurs during Bosko's chaotic pursuit of an ostrich. This sequence, directed by Hugh Harman with musical direction by Frank Marsales, takes place on January 9, 1932. Unlike the fictional Acme Corporation products found in later Looney Tunes entries, these quills belong to a real zoo animal within the film's narrative. The incident serves as a brief but pivotal turning point where Bosko's frustration with the hat-stealing bird leads him to accidentally land on the porcupine, resulting in the quills sticking into him rather than the porcupine losing them.
- Manufacturer
- Acme Corporation
- Primary Target
- Wile E. Coyote (and occasionally Bugs Bunny)
- Category
- Hazardous Consumer Good
- Function
- Defensive Deterrent / Offensive Trap
- Status
- Active in Catalog, Frequently Malfunctioning
Lore & Background
The lore of this specific event is confined strictly to the events of "Bosko at the Zoo." In the film, Bosko uses a lasso in an unsuccessful attempt to restrain an ostrich that has stolen his bowler hat. The lasso fails, causing Bosko to fall directly onto a porcupine. This impact causes the quills to stick into Bosko, but the porcupine does not lose all its quills, and it does not 'forcefully reclaim' them—the quills remain on Bosko until he pulls them out. This moment highlights the physical comedy typical of Harman's direction, where animals react with human-like annoyance to slapstick injuries.
In Their Own Story
The story unfolds as Bosko and Honey bike to the zoo, where an angry lion initially scares them away from a tank featuring swimming fish and an octopus playing carousel. The focus shifts when an ostrich steals Bosko's bowler hat. Enraged, Bosko chases the bird but fails to catch it with a lasso. He falls onto a porcupine during this pursuit. The impact causes the porcupine to lose all its quills. Annoyed by the loss, the porcupine immediately reclaims its quills forcefully. Meanwhile, the ostrich eats Bosko's hat while he holds onto its tail. When the ostrich lays an egg containing the hat, Bosko traps it in a nest. The ostrich cries miserably until Bosko plays the clarinet, leading to a musical number. Later, after disciplining a monkey and being chased by an ape, Bosko swings on a giant snake, lands on a lion, and finally jumps onto a fence as the lion, ostrich, and walrus slam into the wall together.
Reader's Guide
Coyote, or any manufactured hazardous consumer goods. The only reference to porcupine quills is a natural event where a zoo animal loses and regains its own spikes after being landed on by Bosko. Therefore, there are no catalog numbers, manufacturer details, or functional guides for Acme products in this 1932 short.
Did You Know?
- The film was released on January 9, 1932, and is the fifteenth film in the Looney Tunes series featuring Bosko.
- During the porcupine incident, Bosko falls on the porcupine while chasing an ostrich that stole his hat, and the quills stick into him; the porcupine does not lose its quills.
- Frank Marsales served as the musical director for this short.
- The film ends with Bosko amused by the sight of a lion, an ostrich, and a seal all smashed into one against the enclosure wall.
More in Gags & Props
Elsewhere in the Looney Tunes universe
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