LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.-One cool cat has been redrawn by another. Pop artist "SHAG" has remade "The Pink Panther" characters in a series of portraits, products and trinkets to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the animated feline and the renowned Inspector Clouseau comedies starring Peter Sellers, reported the Associated Press.
SHAG, whose real name is Josh Agle, is known for his depiction of slinky, kitschy, lounge-lizard characters designed in the sharp, cutout style of early-1960s illustrated advertising.
His "Pink Panther" art also is featured in the new DVD boxed set of "The Pink Panther" movies released April 6. His art of Clouseau and the slinky Panther also turned up on key chains, golf balls and other merchandise.
"The first thing I did was watch all the movies with a sketch pad and sketch things that would fit into the theme of the packaging, sketch things that I liked from the movies, different looks, different women, and had to figure out how to get it all into the illustration," Agle said.
His favorite thing to draw was the Panther itself. The original cartoon was created in 1964 by animators Friz Freleng and David DePatie for a prologue to the live-action Blake Edwards film.
Shag has redesigned the Pink Panther for MGM Studios to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the first Pink Panther film, which starred Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau. Shags designs play up the adult-oriented, sophisticated international flavor of the original Pink Panther movie, distinguishing the 40th Anniversary Pink Panther from some of the goofier, kid-oriented Pink Panther incarnations of the past four decades. The Shag/Pink Panther collection will be available on a variety of merchandise and DVD packaging through the year 2004, after which time the Pink Panther will return to his more common form.
