The Iron Giant is a story about a boy who befriends an alien visitor during the paranoid times of post-war America during the fifties. It is a smartly crafted and emotionally moving film that has been greatly underrated over the years.
Here is a great tribute article for the Warner Bros animated film written by Scott Thill over at Wired.com: http://www.wired.com/underwire/2009/08/a-decade-later-the-iron-giants-weaponized-soul-still-stirs/
I was watching the film again in celebration and noticed some inside jokes that blew by me so many times before, that I decided to make a little collection of screen shots to share with you here.
Hogarth has one of those Looney Tunes steel money banks in the shape of Sniffles the Mouse on his table. Hard to catch in the actual film, because it breezes by so quickly. This is a shot of the background from the stills gallery included on the Special Edition DVD of the movie.
A Bugs Bunny figure can be seen in Hogarth's toy chest here.
The Giant's hand watches John Hubley's Maypo Oat Cereal commercial.
Hogarth teaches Giant about DC Comics' Superman...
...Will Eisner's The Spirit...
...and MAD magazine. All WB properties by the way.
Osmosis Jones must have gone into production during The Iron Giant judging by that article on the second page of the paper. lol
Warner Brothers' Bunny makes another cameo in the medicine cabinet.
Love that mock-ad for "Holy Smokes: for your health" on the wall of the drug store.
There's that Sniffles again.Happy Birthday Giant! You can enjoy this film by adding it to your collection with the purchase of The Iron Giant from Warner Home Video.