Thud and Blunder in Knock off Time

Miners' safety training - marked by stylish animation and gallows humour.

Gallows humour and stylish graphics are the hallmarks of this animated training film. Hapless (i.e. bone stupid) miners Thud and Blunder starred in a whole series of cartoons produced for the National Coal Board's 1963-4 in-colliery safety campaign. In this episode, it's our heroes' misuse of underground conveyor belts that brings them grief.

The cartoons were produced for the NCB by production company TV Cartoons, headed by the artistically respected Canadian animator George Dunning. This item is typical of the company’s Coal Board commissions: visually fluent, wordless, witty, basic and brief.