In researching and gathering evidence of TV channels censoring the classic Warner Bros. shorts (and some post-classics as seen with “The Duxorcist,” “Blooper Bunny,” and “Museum Scream”), I do come across false evidence and conjecture that I either try to disprove or leave as legitimate evidence until proven otherwise. Well, this one I fell for hook, line, and sinker until proven otherwise. Why? Because I thought it was completely reasonable and believable that it would and could happen. So, in the spirit of April 1st (April Fools' Day), please enjoy this brief post:
Director: Norm McCabe (planned, credited as “Cpl. Norm McCabe”); Frank Tashlin (completed, uncredited)
Summary: A newsreel spoof of “vicious Japanazi propaganda,” showing the inner workings of one of our enemies during World War II…and just how incompetent they are, because this is U.S. propaganda against our enemies of the time, so, of course, we’re going to play just as dirty as they did.
Normally, this is where the “Channel” and “Part(s) Cut” segments would be, but not this time. It’s pretty clear that this cartoon never saw the light of day after it premiered in theaters, due to its heavy World War II references and offensive caricatures of Japanese people. However, I do want to point out that this short came close to airing in the modern day not counting that ToonHeads special about World War II cartoons (on that version, “Tokio Jokio” [a] wasn’t shown in full, but I watched the short enough times to recognize the scenes, and [b] actually was prefaced with the warning that the caricatures were unflattering and cruel by today’s standards. I don’t see Nickelodeon being that sensitive and discreet about such matters).
Nickelodeon (back when they had the rights to air Warner Bros cartoons as part of their Looney Tunes on Nickelodeon installment show) actually had the rights to air this, as well as “Goin’ to Heaven on a Mule” (a.k.a, “the Censored Eleven Cartoon that Could Have Been, But Never Was”), the 1938 version of “Injun Trouble” starring Porky Pig, the 1969 version of “Injun Trouble” that starred Cool Cat and was the final new Warner Bros short released theatrically (but not the last one overall), and “The Ducktators” (another World War II cartoon directed by Norm McCabe and one most people actually like more than “Tokio Jokio”), among other shorts. Of course, no censor in their right mind aired “Tokio Jokio” or any of the other shorts listed here (and some that weren’t, but were on the Looney Tunes Fandom Wiki page for Nickelodeon), not even in edited form, because an edited version of this would be too short and too nonsensical (even though this is one of those “string of gags” shorts and not one with an actual story) to air on television.
…which brings me to this point. When I was looking for video evidence of how the Warner Bros cartoons were censored on television, I came across a YouTube channel that has since been shut down that had what I thought was evidence that “Tokio Jokio” did air on Nickelodeon with parts cut (a lot of parts cut) before being phased out for other shorts. It seemed believable. Nickelodeon aired a lot of obscure and second- (third-, and sometimes fourth-) tier post-1948 shorts that the others channels wouldn’t touch...until Cartoon Network got their hands on them, so airing an obscure black and white World War II short could have made its brief, but memorable rounds before being yanked due to complaints from parents and/or racial advocacy groups or the censors sobering up and realizing their mistake felt like something Nickelodeon would do.
Turns out that wasn’t the case. Just as I had published my discovery on the Looney Tunes Fandom Wiki page for “Tokio Jokio,” it was taken down. I wasn’t punished for it, but I did feel kind of foolish. That’s why I do my best here to make sure my posts are accurate and welcome anyone who feels otherwise to tell me so, so I can correct my mistakes.
Video Comparison: I’m not going to explain how it plays uncut vs how it plays edited because this is one of those “You have to see it to believe it” moments. Plus, for a video alleging that it’s proof that Nickelodeon aired “Tokio Jokio,” whoever created it did their homework on how it hypothetically would be edited. That’s why I fell for it.
Uncut Version:
(Allegedly) Edited Version:
Availability Uncut: Considering how loathed it is in most classic cartoon fan circles, you can bet that no one is clamoring for this to be remastered and released for public consumption, at least not until a proper WWII cartoon collection on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K finally gets created. However, for the purist completionist collector and the morbidly curious, “Tokio Jokio” is readily available on online video sites, as it’s been in the public domain since 1971.
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