J.E. Daniels' Animated Topics & Headlines

David Alvarez Still Working on Tunes

2012-01-30T23:16:00.005-06:00

I was happy to find out today that one of my favourite, influential Looney Tunes comic book illustrators is still working with the characters from Termite Terrace.

David Alvarez has been storyboarding for The Looney Tunes Show for season 2 and has claimed that the series will soon be taking a "more classic" direction soon. Here's hoping!

Richard Williams Animated Ads

2011-12-03T14:33:00.002-06:00

Here's a couple of great commercials directed by Richard Williams who would go on to be the animation director behind "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". Love these Tex Avery homages...

I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat Ahead of Schedule

2011-11-15T20:54:00.004-06:00

There has been a change in schedule of the upcoming CG theatrical 3D Looney Tunes shorts.This weekend when Warner Bros Pictures releases "Happy Feet 2", expect to see Tweety Bird & Sylvester the cat opening, instead of Daffy Duck & Elmer Fudd.
http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/11/14/tweety-bird-sylvester-looney-tunes-clip-exclusive/#more-53075
"I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat" is another song recorded by Mel Blanc that was released in the late forties. You can see a clip of the newly animated short by following the link above...

Sam Register @ Keynote

2011-11-13T18:53:00.006-06:00

Sam Register, Executive VP Creative Affairs at Warner Bros Animation, spoke at Keynote MIPJunior 2011 giving the audience a look at what Warner Bros has coming up on their animated plate.

He speaks of the upcoming theatrical shorts starting with "Daffy Duck's Rhapsody" that will be shown before "Happy Feet 2" this holiday season. There is even a look at the last half of the short.I'm very impressed with the animation that is so fluid and wacky considering it is in CG and also they gave Elmer Fudd a rifle again. Can't wait to see the full short. Maybe in the theater, we'll have to wait and see...See the 27 minute mark of the video where Sam speaks of the upcoming shorts followed by the animated clip.

Looney Tunes Super Stars: Roadrunner & Wile E. Coyote

2011-10-10T18:39:00.020-05:00

Warner Home Video released a new Looney Tunes DVD collection headlining some new to DVD shorts featuring the Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote. The viewer has a selection of either Full Screen or Widescreen presentations.Here's a sneek peek at the latest release with shorts ranging from 2010 to the 1960's...
"Coyote Falls" (2010)"Fur of Flying" (2010)"Rabid Rider" (2010)"Whizzard of Ow" (2003)"Chariots of Fur" (1994) *widescreen*Full Screen"Little Go Beep" (2000)"Sugar and Spies" (1966)"Clippety Clobbered" (1966)"The Solid Tin Coyote" (1966)"Out and Out Rout" (1966)"Shot and Bothered" (1966)"Chaser on the Rocks" (1965)"Highway Runnery" (1965)"Boulder Wham!" (1965)"Hairied & Hurried" (1965)

Animation Homage in Upcoming Futurama

2011-09-06T20:22:00.003-05:00

The final episode of the new season of Futurama will be paying homage to three distinct animation styles.
http://www.animationmagazine.net/tv/futurama-pays-home-to-different-animation-styles/
"Reincarnation" will revamp the Planet Express crew with three new looks in the vein of a Fleischer-style, a low res video game style and finally an Anime style. Catch it this Thursday Sept. 8...

Zee Best of Zee Best

2011-09-05T21:51:00.003-05:00

Warner Home Video will be releasing a new Looney Tunes Super Stars collection this December starring Termite Terrace's self-proclaimed casanova, Pepe Le Pew.
http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Bugs-Bunny-Looney-Tunes-Comedy-Hour-Looney-Tunes-Super-Stars/15875
The new collection will contain the skunk's complete run of Chuck Jones directed shorts (1945-1957) as well as Arthur Davis' "Odor of the Day" (1948), Friz Freleng's "Dog Pounded" (1954) and Abe Levitow's "Really Scent" (1959).

The Essential Daffy Duck

2011-07-13T21:25:00.005-05:00

Looks like Warner Home Video is following up on last year's release of 'The Essential Bugs Bunny' with a new 2-DVD set featuring that screwy fowl, "The Essential Daffy Duck".
http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Bugs-Bunny-Looney-Tunes-Comedy-Hour-The-Essential-Daffy-Duck/15649
This new release will have a total of 21 cartoons, both classic and modern. You can find the cartoon listing by clicking the link to TVshowsonDVD.com...

Darkwing Duck/ Ducktales Crossover Coming

2011-07-13T20:57:00.004-05:00

The good people at BOOM! Studio are preparing a new crossover between two of their Disney titles.
http://www.comicvine.com/myvine/the_poet/news-darkwing-duck-duck-tales-crossover/87-70741/
There has always been a close connection between the two Disney Afternoon animated series, both on the screen and printed page, but this is the first story arc to feature both Disney Duck properties.
You can get a sneak peek of the artwork over on James Silvani's blog who is the primary artist working on the series currently.
http://silvaniart.blogspot.com/2011/06/finally.html

The Muppets are Coming

2011-07-13T20:48:00.002-05:00

An all new international poster has been released for the upcoming Muppets movie coming this holiday season...
http://www.diszine.com/content/international-poster-for-the-muppets-released

Pat Ventura Blog

2011-07-10T22:59:00.003-05:00

Animator Pat Ventura started his own blog recently and he's been posting some great artwork he created during several productions he worked on for Hanna-Barbera and Cartoon Network...
http://patcartoons.blogspot.com/

Looney Tunes #200

2011-07-10T22:41:00.002-05:00

As of July 6th, DC Comics has released the 200th issue of their long-running Looney Tunes title. Hopefully there is more than 1 new story released this issue...
http://dccomics.com/dcu/comics/?cm=19061

Don Gato y su Pandilla Trailer

2011-07-10T22:34:00.003-05:00

Here is the first trailer for the Mexican release of Top Cat: The Movie from Illusion Studios...

Seth MacFarlane Rebooting Bedrock

2011-07-08T18:34:00.004-05:00

Recently FOX announced that Seth MacFarlane, creator of "Family Guy" among others, has been given the go-ahead to reboot "The Flintstones" with a modern animated series.
http://tv.ign.com/articles/116/1168551p1.html
Hopefully the new show will capture the appeal of the original series from Hanna-Barbera and will not just be the same humor used on MacFarlane's other series.
The Flintstones had a resurrection once before on Cartoon Network back in 2001 with a brand new special that used new designs based on the old designs of the original series that ran from 1960 - 1966.

The Looney Tunes Show Comes Home

2011-07-08T18:12:00.004-05:00

Warner Home Video is releasing the newest Looney Tunes franchise to DVD sooner than expected!
http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Looney-Tunes-Season-1-Volume-1/15616
The first 4 episodes of the new animated series, "The Looney Tunes Show" will be released on DVD this September...

Hare in my Soup Artwork

2011-07-07T22:27:00.003-05:00

After the success of the first theatrical short starring Roger Rabbit, "Tummy Trouble"(1989), new stories and ideas were designed to create further adventures for the rabbit.One such idea had Roger working as a waiter in a restaurant where calamity was sure to ensue, but the creative differences between Amblin and Disney, who both owned rights to the character, had a disagreement over the story and it was eventually scrapped.
Some animation cel set-ups created during the creative process of the non-produced short "Hare in my Soup" have turned up on the great Roger Rabbit- related blog "Toontown Antics" and I must say the character design of the head waiter is very impressive.
http://toontownantics.blogspot.com/2011/06/hare-in-my-soup.html
Click the link to view more of the artwork. It's a shame that the short was never produced for it seemed to flush out another character-driven story for the bunny rather than being a super-sitter to Baby Herman...

Smears, Multiples & Other Animation Gimmicks

2011-07-07T21:54:00.005-05:00

A cool, new animation-related Tumblr that deals with a subject that usually passes by the viewers eye in a single frame: The animated smear.
http://animationsmears.tumblr.com/In live action - a motion blur is natural, in animation - you have to make your own.

New CG Looney Tunes Coming to Theaters

2011-07-07T21:08:00.006-05:00

It seems that Warner Bros Animation had some success with the 3 CG Roadrunner cartoons released theatrically in 2010 because they are planning on releasing 3 more, 2 featuring the voice recordings of the late, great voice artist Mel Blanc!
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2011/06/classic-looney-tunes-characters-returning-to-theaters-with-their-original-voice.html
Expect to see the first cartoon "Daffy Duck's Rhapsody" released with "Happy Feet 2" this holiday season...

Transformers: Headmasters - The Japanese Collection

2011-04-13T22:11:00.003-05:00

The continuing episodes of the original Transformers animated series that ran only in Japan is finally making it's North American debut this summer...
http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Transformers-Headmasters

Hanna-Barbera 1961 Interview

2011-04-13T21:59:00.003-05:00

The Canadian Broadcasting Co. takes us behind the scenes at the classic Hanna-Barbera studio to see how their animation process works - as explained by Joe Barbera & Bill Hanna...

The Looney Tunes Show Clipz

2011-03-30T19:07:00.003-05:00

Warner Bros Animation has released many clips online of the upcoming reboot of the Looney Tunes franchise and the results are..... different.

I'm glad they are bringing Bugs and the gang back for the new generation and trying new things, but these examples are no comparison to the classic theatrical shorts.

The "Merrie Melodies" examples are pretty terrible - I hope they can get away from the hip hop and turn back the clock to classical tunes at one point or another.

Personally, the CG Roadrunner & Wile E. Coyote shorts seem to be the highlight of the new series, but they have been my favorite characters since I first discovered the Looney Tunes.
The new show premieres on Cartoon Network this May and hopefully we get to see more DVD releases of the classic shorts along with new theatrical cartoons. Bring on the new Tunes!

Oswald's Theme

2011-03-05T21:28:00.002-06:00

Apparently, it has been mentioned that Oswald the Lucky Rabbit's theme from the Epic Mickey video game soundtrack may be related to the story of how Oswald came into creation by a young Walt Disney then quickly lost.
You can see the theme animated here to make the connection between song and story...

Top Cat and his Gang 2011

2011-02-27T18:45:00.004-06:00

South America will be graced with a new hand drawn film adaptation of Hanna-Barbera's Top Cat this September.http://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/mexican-top-cat-movie-in-3d.html
Check the link to learn more about the release at Cartoon Brew.com...

Bugs Bunny: F*ck Yeah

2011-02-25T22:44:00.003-06:00

Came across this enjoyable collection of Bugs Bunny-related material on tumblr...
http://fuckyeahbugsbunny.tumblr.com/ (pls xcuse the language ;))

Supernatural Anime

2011-02-24T21:07:00.005-06:00

Apparently old news, but I just heard about Warner Bros working with Anime studio, MADHOUSE to produce a series based on the live action series, Supernatural.I'm not a fan of anime, but I am a fan of Supernatural. Been a fan of Sam & Dean Winchester since I stumbled across an episode during it's first season run.If you're not familiar with the show - the series follows the lives of 2 brothers who were raised by their father to hunt demons and monsters across North America. I must say, this anime version looks a lot creepier than the actual series.

Chuck Jones (Sept 21, 1912 - Feb 22, 2002)

2011-02-22T22:01:00.008-06:00

It would be 9 years this day that Charles M. Jones passed away.
He was an animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer and director of animated films, most memorably of the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio.
Soon after his passing, DC Comics' Looney Tunes title prepared a simple yet very fitting tribute to the great animation director.

Supergenius Hijinks

2011-02-16T21:00:00.005-06:00

Warner Home Video is adding another DVD to their Looney Tunes Super Stars line up, Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote: Supergenius Hijinks, to be released on May 24th.
http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Bugs-Bunny-Looney-Tunes-Comedy-Hour-Looney-Tunes-Super-Stars/14987
UPDATED: The release date has been moved to FALL 2011

The single disc collection will feature 15 shorts including the 3 brand new 2010 CG cartoons that recently concluded their theatrical run.
The DVD will include modern shorts (Whizzard of Ow, Chariots of Fur, Little Go Beep, etc) that stretch back to the 1960's episodes (Highway Runnery, Boulder Wham!, Hairied and Hurried, etc).

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Slide shows

2011-02-16T20:39:00.003-06:00

I stumbled across a couple of slide shows that were created by YouTube user, The PixarPrincess who took the time to create her own renditions of Walt Disney's first animated creation Oswald.

I like the fact she kept redesigning Oswald as the time-line of Mickey Mouse's cartoons (and design) progressed...

Toby Shelton Blog

2011-02-06T22:00:00.005-06:00

I discovered an animation art blog created by a current Story Artist working at Dreamworks Animation.
http://tobyshelton.blogspot.com/Seems Toby Shelton has worked in the business for a while. What I find fascinating is the fact he has worked at Disney Animation and was responsible for designing a slew of characters used in several series that ran during the Disney Afternoon.His current work at Dreamworks is great to go through as well, his boards are full of great action and camera angles. I'm sure his blog will continue with great artwork...

Batman: The Brave & The Bold Humor

2011-02-03T21:14:00.004-06:00

Came across some interesting clips of Warner Bros Animation's current Dark Knight series, Batman: The Brave & The Bold. Seems like the production team have been trying to create some humor stories that are headlined by Batmite, Batman's biggest fan who happens to be a magical imp.
First up is a story parodying the 1970's New Scooby-Doo Movies that teamed up popular TV personalities with the Mystery INC. gang. Set in 'modern' times, the short features Scooby-Doo, Batman & Weird Al Yankovic(?).

Next is a parody of Daffy Duck's classic cartoon "The Great Piggy Bank Robbery" with Duck Tracy... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_7vZCb_2ss&feature=related
You can see the writers were trying their best to be funny but the stories themselves fall flat with stiff animation, bad acting and a poor music score. At least they're trying.

Animator: Ray Chase

2011-01-15T11:38:00.002-06:00

Came across this demo reel of Ray Chase's contributions to the new Looney Tunes CG shorts. According to his playlist, he has animated for companies such as Warner Bros - Dreamworks - Sony etc, etc...

Tummy Trouble TV Spot

2011-01-14T23:00:00.003-06:00

Here's the return of Maroon Cartoons to the big screen after 1988's Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Rabid Rider 2010

2010-12-31T13:34:00.003-06:00

Thanks to this brave soul who went to see the live-action version of Yogi Bear, they were kind enough to snag a peek at the third, hopefully not final, CG Looney Tunes short "Rabid Rider".
Oh, and Happy New Year everybody! All the best in 2011!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2010-12-24T20:40:00.004-06:00

In the spirit of the holidays, here is "Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales".
A special from 1979 that features three newly-created shorts: "Bugs Bunny's Christmas Carol", "Freeze Frame" and "The Fright Before Christmas".

Book Look: Jesus Needs Help

2010-12-15T22:40:00.010-06:00

I received a complimentary copy of David Germain's Jesus Needs Help for review recently. What a great story along with a great message.David Germain pits Jesus Christ up against his commentary characters The Censor Monkeys who are trying to protect the free thinking public from their own free will.Unfortunately these pushy characters aren't just localized in this funny book, all forms of expression are effected by people like the Censor Monkeys everyday and hopefully one day free will will be free again. (Not very likely they way the world is going...)You can get your own copy of this great story filled with great artwork by purchasing the book on Amazon or on CreateSpace by following the following links:
http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Needs-Help-David-Germain/dp/1453882715/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1290874941&sr=8-2
https://www.createspace.com/3491765
And remember, "Do not allow these monkeys to rule the day." - David Germain

Hey 2010, Make Way for 1964

2010-12-15T22:30:00.003-06:00

Before Warner Bros Pictures releases it's live action version of Hanna-Barbera's Yogi Bear this weekend, try some of the good ol' old school stuff here!

Road Runner & Coyote 3D Theatrical Cartoons

2010-11-18T23:06:00.003-06:00

You can have a sneak peek at all 3 CG Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote cartoons here:
http://thatsallfolks.com/
The CG animation really captures the look and feel of the classic traditionally animated cartoons of the golden age with a modern twist. I wonder if Warner Bros Animation will produce more (and longer) 3D cartoons?
Can't wait for a DVD/Blu-Ray release of these cartoons to enjoy at home eventually.

Animaniacs: South Park Styled

2010-11-14T21:52:00.002-06:00

Warner Bros Television Animation's Animaniacs intro animated with a South Park style.
One of the many things fans are doing to bring attention to the 90's series in hopes that Warner Bros will revive the popular franchise once again. You can support the efforts by joining the Animaniacs Revival Project here on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=327500352316

Disney's Next Traditional Animated Feature

2010-11-14T19:47:00.001-06:00

Be sure to keep an eye out for Walt Disney Feature Animation's next traditionally animated feature: "Winnie the Pooh". Coming Summer 2011.

Coyote Falls 2010

2010-11-07T12:39:00.002-06:00

Gotta admit they really captured the style and look of the classics with CG animation finally.
My only complaint would be the Roadrunner's design - his tail is one big feather? I hope they continue producing more shorts in 3D - but only Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner, it may look really odd putting Bugs and Daffy in a 3D setting.

What a Cartoon Show - Snoot's New Squat

2010-11-07T12:22:00.004-06:00

One of the more interesting ideas I've seen from this series. Kind of an updated version of Robert Clampett's "An Itch in Time".

Happy 50th The Flintstones & Rubbles

2010-09-30T02:25:00.003-05:00

Sept.30th marks the 50th Anniversary when The Flintstones aired their first episode back in 1960. Time does fly, doesn't it?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/8033894/The-Flintstones-50th-anniversary-is-celebrated-by-Google-Doodle.html

A Look @ Looney Tunes Super Stars: Daffy Duck

2010-08-26T18:47:00.013-05:00

Warner Home Video released a couple of new DVD releases of classic Looney Tunes earlier this month.
I already provided a look at the Bugs Bunny collection, so let's move onto that wacky webfoot wonder, Daffy Duck.Like the Bugs Bunny set, 10 out of the 15 new-to-DVD cartoons have been cropped to widescreen dimensions. CinemaScope was introduced in the 1950's so many studios took advantage of the newly-sized theater screens. Warner's developed animated shorts that could be viewed on both standard and wide screens where the actual footage could be cropped on the top and bottom of the picture. I still wish the DVD developers gave the consumer a choice to watch the cartoons cropped or not.
Let's have a look at the classic cartoons that were released in this new collection:
"Tick Tock Tuckered" (1944)
"Nasty Quacks" (1945)"Daffy Dilly" (1948)"Wise Quackers" (1949)"The Prize Pest" (1951)"Design for Leaving" (1954)"Stork Naked" (1955)"This is a Life?" (1955)"Dime to Retire" (1955)"Ducking the Devil" (1957)"People Are Bunny" (1959)"Person to Bunny" (1960)"Daffy's Inn Trouble" (1961)"The Iceman Ducketh" (1964)"Suppressed Duck" (1965)Unlike Bugs' collection, Daffy's comes with a warning on the back cover of the DVD: "Intended for the Adult Collector and May Not Be Suitable for Children" - so you know they have to be good. Pick up a copy today so all the classic Looney Tunes can be released onto home video!

I'm in Lesbians with You

2010-08-18T22:18:00.002-05:00

I highly enjoyed this film and recommend it. The whole concept of living in a comic book-like world really appeals to me for some reason....

Eric Cartman Sings Poker Face

2010-08-16T22:26:00.003-05:00

Came across this enjoyable parody (tribute?) of Lady Gaga's Poker Face sung by South Park's Eric Cartman...

This scene is from a Season 13 episode entitled "Whale Whores".

The Storyteller

2010-08-15T23:04:00.006-05:00

2010 marks the 50th Anniversary of Dr. Suess' "Green Eggs And Ham".
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/13/dr-seuss-green-eggs-and-h_n_681343.html
Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904 - 1991) was an American writer and cartoonist best known for writing children's books under he pen name Dr. Seuss.
I came across this little tribute to Dr. Seuss in a 1992 issue of Marvel Comics' "What The--?!"(no. 17). Written by Barry Dutter with artwork by Keith Wilson.

A Look @ Looney Tunes Super Stars: Bugs Bunny

2010-08-15T02:39:00.016-05:00

Warner Home Video released a couple of new DVD releases of classic cartoons this week.
The first of "Looney Tunes Super Stars" DVD collections features the iconic wabbit, Bugs Bunny, starring in 15 new-to-DVD cartoons.There has been controversy over the fact that 10 out of 15 shorts have been cropped into Widescreen dimensions. Even though WHV clearly states on the packaging: STANDARD VERSION presented in a format preserving the aspect ratio of their original theatrical exhibition. Let it be known that animated shorts produced during the 1950's were developed to be shown on both a standard and wide theater screen since CinemaScope had been introduced and was becoming the normal size for screen ratios of feature films. Personally, I do not mind the cropped versions of the cartoons, however I wish I was given the choice to view the cartoons in wide screen since I do have a wide screen television.
I have provided screen shots of the cartoons featured in the collection to let you choose if you prefer the standard or wide screen versions of the animated shorts. I do highly recommend picking up the set in order to see all of Warner Bros classics released onto home video.
"Mutiny on the Bunny" (1950)"Bushy Hare" (1950)"Hare We Go" (1951)"Foxy by Proxy" (1952)"Hare Trimmed" (1953)"Lumber Jack-Rabbit" (1953) (released in 3D theatrically)"Napoleon Bunny-Part" (1956)"Bedevilled Rabbit" (1957)"Apes of Wrath" (1959)"From Hare to Heir" (1960)"Lighter than Hare" (1960)"The Million Hare" (1963)"Mad as a Mars Hare" (1963)"Dr. Devil and Mr. Hare" (1964)"False Hare" (1964) (The last Bugs Bunny cartoon from the original studio)

Animaniacs Tribute

2010-08-11T07:06:00.003-05:00

The Nostalgia Critic pays great homage to Warner Bros Animation's Animaniacs by interviewing producers, writers, voice actors while getting the inside scoop on how the show was created and came together.See the 3-part tribute by checking out That Guy with the Glasses.com by following the link:
http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/27440-animaniacs-tribute

Yogi Bear's All-Star Comedy Christmas Caper DVD

2010-08-10T21:06:00.002-05:00

While the first Yogi Bear holiday special from 1980 was only a direct-sale MOD from "the Warner Archive" last year, Warner Home Video is releasing the 1982 holiday reunion special as a general release on December 12th.Read more about this upcoming release here:
http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Yogi-Bear-Yogi-Bears-All-Star-Christmas-Caper/14223

Looney Tunes Show Info

2010-08-02T12:04:00.001-05:00

Supervising producer Tony Cervone and writer Hugh Davidson give fans a sneak peek at The Looney Tunes Show, a new animated series coming this fall to Cartoon Network...

They Actually Went Through With It

2010-07-28T22:09:00.003-05:00

The upcoming CG/live action film from Warner Bros, "Yogi Bear", has had a teaser trailer premier.
http://www.shockya.com/news/2010/07/28/yogi-bear-trailer-is-no-pic-a-nic/
As much as I like the classic Hanna-Barbera character, the choice to bring Yogi and Boo Boo into the real world just seems like bad idea. If anything, I hope this brings about a new DVD release featuring the rest of the classic television series.

Coyote Falls Clip

2010-07-27T18:19:00.003-05:00

A short peek at the first of 3 upcoming CGI Roadrunner-Coyote shorts premiering in theaters soon.
Coyote Falls will debut on July 30th in front of "Cats & Dogs 2"...
Read more about this new series here on Cartoon Brew: LINK

Happy 70th Birthday Bugs!

2010-07-27T18:08:00.002-05:00

July 27th, 1940 marks the debut of Bugs Bunny's definite personality in Tex Avery's "A Wild Hare".

Warner Bros should have released the upcoming "essential" DVD collection today to mark the event. But I suppose a couple of new DVD releases and a new animated TV show is tribute enough.

First Look @ The New Looney Tunes Show

2010-07-18T17:16:00.001-05:00

Elmer Plays it Cool

2010-07-18T00:12:00.001-05:00

RoboCat BG Artwork

2010-07-12T18:32:00.018-05:00

The 1992 film "Stay Tuned" includes a fun animated segment called "RoboCat" which features the voice talent of the film's stars, John Ritter & Pam Dawber, as they suddenly find themselves as animated mice. Chuck Jones directed the segment while paying homage to his roots at Warner Bros.
The story, music, animation and artwork capture the feel of a classic cartoon from the old days. Here is a collection of the backgrounds that you can see as you watch the segment.

The Essential Bugs Bunny 2-DVD set

2010-07-03T22:14:00.003-05:00

Warner Home Video will be releasing a new 2-disc DVD set this October that will include "career-building cartoons" as well as "choice TV specials, shorts and rare appearances" of that wascally -wabbit: "Bugs Bunny".
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Bugs-Bunny-Looney-Tunes-Comedy-Hour-Essential-Bugs-Bunny/13982

More Looney Tunes Re-Designs Unveiled

2010-07-03T21:49:00.004-05:00

More character designs that will be featured in Warner Bros Animation's new television show, The Looney Tunes Show, have be posted over at "Blogomatic3000".
http://www.blogomatic3000.com/2010/06/15/new-looney-tunes-character-designs-unveiled/
Warner Bros have finally decided to re-launch the classic Looney Tunes franchise to a new generation with a new animated TV series and new CG theatrical cartoon shorts, that will feature The Roadrunner & Wile E. Coyote.I like the new modern take of the characters and hope they are rebooted with audiences today. Nothing will ever take the place of the classic cartoon short from the Golden Age, but the characters themselves are timeless. As long as they bring the laughs and chuckles, they should be around for a lot longer.

The Making of Day & Night

2010-06-28T00:14:00.002-05:00

Just saw Pixar's Toy Story 3 today, what a great film. The opening short Day & Night is now my favorite Pixar short. It looked absolutely amazing in 3D. If you haven't seen the film yet, go check it out!
I came across this behind-the-scenes look at Day & Night which "describes" what the short is about.

Tom & Jerry Deluxe Anniversary DVD Set

2010-06-03T21:49:00.004-05:00

Warner Home Video is releasing yet another Tom & Jerry collection for the modest collector.
Coming June 22nd is the Tom & Jerry: Deluxe Anniversary Collection, a 2 disc set that features various shorts of the comic duo plus excerpts from Anchors Aweigh and Dangerous When Wet. Follow the link for more info on this upcoming release...
http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Tom-Jerry-Deluxe-Anniversary-Collection/13859

Day & Night Clip

2010-05-31T23:03:00.003-05:00

Pixar's new short that will be playing in front of Toy Story 3.

Expect to see Teddy Newton's "Day & Night" in theaters on June 17th 2010!

Animated American Trailer (2008)

2010-05-18T22:19:00.005-05:00

I almost forgot about this independent film from 2008. I haven't seen it personally, but now I want too.
http://www.animatedamericanmovie.com/Involving a mixture of traditional animation and live-action, this film deals with a digital loving executive who is mansion hunting and winds up dealing with his realtor, an out-of-work 'toon rabbit.

Marvin the Martian Trailer (1996)

2010-05-18T21:59:00.005-05:00

I was always under the assumption that the 1996 3D animated short was traditionally animated rather than being CG.

After reading over the description of the limited edition cel, "You Can't Escape Me, Dodgers!" from the book, "Warner Bros. Animation Art", I can see now what escaped my eyes before. The image is "culled" from the animated short.
Now I'm not so sure I want to see the final product with that bland CG animation...

Inspector Gadget Champs Commercial (1987)

2010-05-10T21:23:00.005-05:00

Back in 2006 I purchased this production cel of Inspector Gadget selling his collectible cups from Champs (KFC) Chicken. And yes, I have held onto a collection of those cups for the past 23 years. lolI finally came across the original commercial that ran locally in Manitoba, Canada way back in 1987.

Although I'm guessing here judging by the art & animation style, I believe that the commercial was created by local animator Cordell Barker who went on to direct popular National Film Board animated shorts "The Cat Came Back" (1988) and "Strange Invaders" (2002).

Futurama Returns This Summer

2010-05-02T22:17:00.002-05:00

Aj-aj-aj Wilma: här kommer Wilma...

2010-04-28T23:33:00.004-05:00

Here's an odd find. If you're a fan of the classic Flintstones show, you may remember this little ditty from a season three episode called "Swedish Visitors".

As it turns out, if these facts be true, the song actually existed before the episode was created and it was called "Wilma" by Owe Thörnquist. Owe was contacted by Hanna-Barbera lawyers about the song which was thought to be a copyright issue, but Owe replied that the name Wilma was very common in Sweden and "jabadabadoo" was an old Viking sound when a woman was found. Owe was asked to record his song in English for The Flintstones in 1962.

The Duck Knight Returns

2010-04-27T13:09:00.003-05:00

Coming from BOOM! Studios this June is a brand new 4-issue miniseries featuring Disney's Darkwing Duck.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=25219
According to the series' writer, Ian Brill, the new storyline features the classic show's characters leading new lives where Darkwing's alter-ego, Drake Mallard, has hung up his cape for a desk job while Gosalyn is being suffocated in a new school and Launchpad McQuack is no longer speaking to Drake.
Times have changed for the city of St. Canard including Darkwing's rogues gallery. "There have been big changes and everyone's dealing with them in their own way."

Another Look at The Looney Tunes Show

2010-04-26T22:55:00.004-05:00

Jessica Borutski, a freelance artist from Ottawa, ONT, Canada, was given a chance by one of the producers of the new "Looney Tunes Show" to redesign the classic characters and she did a pretty awesome job.Some people may think it's wrong to change the designs of classic characters like Bugs and the crew, but this sneek peek at a few of the upcoming designs are very promising. They have a slick, modern look but personally, I think they still carry a classic feel to them. Can't wait to see these new Tunes animated.
http://jessicaborutski.blogspot.com/2010/04/yes-i-can-finally-blog-about-my.html

3 Heads are Better than 1?

2010-04-26T22:24:00.002-05:00

CN Announces New 2010 Shows

2010-04-22T21:22:00.008-05:00

As of April 21st, Cartoon Network announced it's new 2010 lineup featuring an array of new shows.
http://www.toonzone.net/news/articles/33313/toonzone-at-the-cartoon-network-2010-upfront-updated-1145-am
12 shows have been presented and in my personal opinion, these are the ones I'm most curious to check out.Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated: yet another series featuring those meddling teenagers and their goofy dog. Seems to be a throw-back to their roots with modern cartoony-cartoonists Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone acting as supervising producers.Young Justice: Teen superheroes have to start somewhere. Various young heroes of the DC variety prove they have what it takes to join the ranks of the Justice League.MAD: The popular spoof magazine finally gets animated in several styles in order to poke fun at almost everything that makes up pop culture.Sym-Bionic Titan: Genndy Tartakovsky's return to animation features alien teenagers and their giant robots. Should be awesome.
And the most-anticipated series I've been looking forward too:The Looney Tunes Show: Those wacky Warner Bros characters are now living the suburban lifestyle in half-hour adventures made up with musical segments(?) and CG Roadrunner shorts. In the long run, this seems like a terrible idea for classic cartoon stars but at least it's a step up from Baby Looney Tunes and Loonatics. Supervising producers Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone have handled the Tunes well-enough before, so this show could live up to it's roots. For today's standards that is.

Disney-fied Fashion Designers

2010-04-17T10:45:00.003-05:00

A current spread in the April issue of Elle Spain pays tribute to some famous fashion designers by turning them into Disney-style characters with great artwork by Ulrich Schröder.
http://www.rottenfresh.com/fashion-designers-in-disney-world/
(A big thanks to Jamie for pointing this out!)

Road Runner Meat Chart

2010-04-10T13:31:00.003-05:00

I was watching "The Adventures of The Road Runner (1962)" and wondered what the prime cuts and chops chart looked in full. Here it is.To quote Wile E. Coyote - "..the road runner is to the taste buds of a coyote what caviar, champagne, fillet Mignon and chocolate fudge are to the taste buds of a man..."

Looney Tunes #185

2010-04-09T22:24:00.004-05:00

DC Comics has recently released the newest issue of Looney Tunes on April 7th.According to the preview, "Daffy Duck has purchased all the cheese in Mexico! Now it's up to Speedy to get some in order to feed his hungry mouse brethren..."
http://dccomics.com/dcu/comics/?cm=14555
It's a shame that modern issues only feature 1 brand new story with re-prints making up the rest of the issue. It would be kind of cool if they reprinted stories from earlier comics from the 40's - 60's...

A Look at "Almost There"

2010-03-29T20:48:00.014-05:00

I've been enjoying a copy of Disney's "The Princess & The Frog" and I must admit one of my favorite scenes is the fantasy sequence "Almost There".The art design of the scene is quite inspired by the popular styles of the early 1900s.According to Sue Nichols, visual development artist, "Art styles such as art deco in the style of Erté, art nouveau with poster designers like Alphonse Mucha and ethnic American art from such Harlem renaissance artists as Aaron Douglas helped me create a look that's new and different yet still feels like it would have existed during the time period."Enjoy a brief clip of the visually appealing scene here:

Roger Rabbit Rarities

2010-03-11T22:15:00.003-06:00

You can come across the unexpected so often on YouTube these days.
Here's a couple of clips featuring behind-the-scene looks at Roger Rabbit during the characters' heyday. The first clip features very early pencil & animation tests of early character designs of both Jessica and Roger. It would seem that Paul Reubens (a.k.a. Pee Wee Herman) was an early cast choice to voice the funny bunny.

The second clip talks about the making of Tummy Trouble, the first single Roger Rabbit/Baby Herman short created in 1989. If you watch carefully, there seems to be a scene featuring an out-of-place scene of Roger singing "Happy Birthday". Could this be an early animatic of the scrapped short, "Hare in my Soup"?

There seems to be so much forgotten material left out of the Vista Series DVD special edition from 2003. Hopefully we can see more of this rare material eventually on another home video release in the future. (Maybe when the rumored sequel hits home?)

Son of the Return of the Revenge of the 3D Man

2010-03-11T21:52:00.008-06:00

Keeping up with the recent 3D fad, I've decided to share a Darkwing Duck story that was originally printed in a special 3D issue of Disney Adventures magazine from 1992.
Darkwing battles 3-D Man, a villain who is out for revenge. (sorry, you gotta find your own red/blue glasses)

Disney's Newest Hand Drawn Feature Hits Home Soon

2010-03-09T23:28:00.005-06:00

Disney Animation's return to traditional 2D animation will be released on DVD & Blu-ray on March 16th!
The Princess & The Frog from the classic Disney animation directors, John Musker and Ron Clements will be available to own next week and I am looking forward to it. The film itself wasn't the best thing Disney has done, but it is a well-put together film with great animation, songs and story.
Toonzone.net has a sneek peek of the special features that should be available on the upcoming release as well as some great "fun facts" that went into the film's production.
http://www.toonzone.net/news/articles/32909/disney-releases-bonus-video-clips-from-princess-and-the-frog-dvdblu-ray

Pink Panther & Pals Premiere

2010-03-08T21:27:00.004-06:00

There was a post on this blog speaking of a new Pink Panther animated series back in 2008 and now Cartoon Network has premiered the first episode as of March the 7th.
http://pinkpanther.mgm.com/
Thanks to YouTube, you can watch the first episode here. Better make it quick before it gets yanked. I really like the fact that the show's creators rethought their original "baby-versions" of the Pink Panther gang, but instead, redesigned the characters with a "modern" take. I do not care much for Pink's design but The Ant and The Aardvark make up for it. I don't know why, but their first cartoon really reminded me of watching Disney's Shnookums & Meat for the first time. Can't wait to see more of these shorts, they might just get better over time.

I hope Cartoon Network continues this classic cartoon resurgence with "Looney Tunes: Laff Riot" soon. They may be on their way to bringing funny cartoons to television again...

Happy 102nd Tex Avery

2010-02-26T21:25:00.015-06:00

If you don't know who Fred "Tex" Avery is, you probably shouldn't be here.
That animation pioneer of the Golden Age of Animation would be celebrating his 102nd Birthday today if he hadn't passed on back in 1980.
Tex Avery was the ultimate animation director because he created cartoons that took full advantage of the art form. When you watch a cartoon filled with outrageous gags, wild takes, unexpected 4th wall jokes and ultimate humor, you know you are watching a Tex Avery cartoon.

He helped shape many of the classic Looney Tunes characters at Warner Bros during the 30s and early 40s and perfected his craft at MGM during the rest of the 40s while introducing The Wolf, Red, Droopy and Screwy Squirrel. He went onto create Chilly Willy at Walter Lantz, invented the crazy cartoon bugs that still feature in Raid commercials to this day, and continued to create characters and stories for Hanna-Barbera up until his death.

Back in 1995, Dark Horse Comics wanted to celebrate the animation director's career with his own line of comic books featuring his characters that were created at MGM. The Mask live action feature with Jim Carrey was based on a Dark Horse comic line and the film featured a heavy influence of the classic shorts by Tex Avery, this could have been their way to say thanks for the inspiration. Here is a story that was featured in Tex Avery's Wolf & Red #1...

Panini: Disney's Tale Spin

2010-02-19T21:38:00.004-06:00

I received an interesting stocking stuffer this past Christmas, a couple of packs of Tale Spin Panini album stickers from 1991.If you grew up during the 80's and 90's, you may have collected these along with similar sticker sets featuring popular animated TV shows and films.
I had thought that Panini was long gone, but according to their current website, they seem to be prospering in Europe and many other countries rather than North America like they used to.
http://www.paninionline.com/collectibles/institutional/bt/uk/faq.asp
Being a cartoon nut, I collected many of these sets because it was a unique way to own screen-shots of your favorite cartoon characters. I may still have some collections packed away somewhere and maybe I'll share some examples in the future.
If memory serves me, I collected album sets featuring the Looney Tunes, Tiny Toon Adventures, Darkwing Duck, Roger Rabbit, The Transformers, Garfield, Ghostbusters, Slimer!, Alf, The California Raisins, etc..etc...
Also I remember during the 80's, Panini was trying something creative with their sticker albums by providing 3D glasses with illustrations that would animate when you closed one eye and switched between blinks. That little trick taught me simple animation techniques for sure.
And yes, I actually owned the I Love Snoopy album at one point. LOL

3-D Beauty and the Beast in '11

2010-02-18T18:30:00.004-06:00

According to Animation Magazine.net, Walt Disney Animation will be releasing the 3-D version of the classic film, "Beauty and the Beast" in 2011 to coincide with the original film's 20th anniversary.
http://www.animationmagazine.net/article/11185
There are no immediate plans of re-releasing other classic films in 3D, but it could be a possibility in the future.

Anvil Shooting: It's Actually Real

2010-02-13T11:51:00.001-06:00

Hope they have their little umbrellas with them, just in case...

Yikes...

2010-02-09T22:15:00.002-06:00

That is all.
http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Flintstone-Kids-Saturday-Morning-Cartoons-1980s-V1/13320

Coke: Hard Times

2010-02-07T23:17:00.002-06:00

The 2010 Super Bowl Coca-Cola spot featuring the cast of The Simpsons...

Spidey Reboots ....Again

2010-01-25T07:23:00.004-06:00

Columbia Pictures has picked up Marc Webb to direct the next Spider-Man film since Sam Raimi has left the franchise. The new film will be a "reboot", having Peter Parker back in high school.
http://www.animationmagazine.net/article/11074
How many times has Marvel re-invented Spider-Man now? Don't get me wrong, I have respect for the character - I think he's great, but this is getting a bit out of hand. I have a feeling that this new movie is going to adapt tales from the "Ultimate Spider-Man" comic series which updated the character 10 years ago and put Peter back to his hero origins while he was still in school.

Warner Bros Animation Hits Home

2010-01-20T21:22:00.003-06:00

YES!!! The touring art exhibition "The Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons" will be available for viewing at The Winnipeg Art Gallery starting this March.
http://wag.ca/art/upcoming-exhibitions/667/60/the-art-of-warner-bros-cartoons
The show will be displaying production artwork created and used by Warner Bros. Pictures' Termite Terrace artists from the 30's through to the 60's. Complete with a chronological history, evolution of famous cartoon stars, a breakdown of how classic animation was created and an in-depth look at Bugs Bunny, this is a show not to be missed!
(a great big thanks to Doug for this information!)

More Looney DVDs in April

2010-01-19T20:22:00.005-06:00

Warner Home Video is finally releasing more from the classic Looney Tunes library this spring.
"Looney Tunes Super Stars" kicks off with Bugs Bunny: Hare Extraordinaire & Daffy Duck: Frustrated Fowl with more releases to follow.Each disc will contain 15 restored and uncut shorts that haven't been available on DVD.
http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Bugs-Bunny-Looney-Tunes-Comedy-Hour-Looney-Tunes-Future-Plans/13214
Jerry Beck has even hinted that Warners may have a Blu-Ray release planned for the Tunes in the future as well. Be sure to add these new collections to your library when they become available April 27th!

Bat-Bat By Marvel

2010-01-05T21:52:00.005-06:00

In celebration of the long-awaited DVD release of "Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures" complete series, may I present a story from the only issue of "Mighty Mouse" I own from Marvel Comics. Bat-Bat may very well be my favorite secondary character on the show after watching only a few of the episodes so far.
I remember grabbing this issue because it featured a hilarious character with great cartoon artwork. Little did I know that the artist Mike Kazaleh worked on the short-lived animated series which explained a lot about the excellent illustrations. I would go on to enjoy more of his art in "Ren & Stimpy", another Marvel Comics' cartoon adaptation.

New Looney Tunes Text in April

2010-01-04T21:08:00.004-06:00

For all you Warner Bros. Classic Animation fans out there, Jerry Beck's next book, "The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons" will be hitting shelves this spring.
http://www.amazon.ca/100-Greatest-Looney-Tunes-Cartoons/dp/1608870030/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260726141&sr=1-1
This should be a great addition to any animation lover's library since it will be a great hardcover, 256 page book that covers the best Warner's cartoons, I'm sure complete with write-ups, screen grabs, animation art and hopefully never-before-seen production artwork.

Toy Story 3 Sneek Peek

2010-01-02T12:30:00.003-06:00

Toonzone has an exclusive 2-minute sneek peek at Pixar's next feature: Toy Story 3 with an introduction by director Lee Unkrich.
http://news.toonzone.net/articles/32224/toonzone-presents-2-minute-toy-story-3-sneak-peek-video-clip
In the clip, Andy is heading to college and needs to decide what to do with his old toys, put in storage or throw out with garbage?

Happy New Year Everyone!

2010-01-01T14:10:00.001-06:00

U.S. Acres Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T15:03:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas 2009 Everyone!

Marvin the Martian Planned for X-Mas '11

2009-12-23T22:10:00.004-06:00

According to a recent Animation Magazine article, Warner Bros Pictures is gearing up to give the classic Looney Tunes character his own feature film.
http://www.animationmagazine.net/article/10993
With a director, writers and a possible voice actor lined up, fans can "look forward to" Marvin's big screen debut in 2011.

U.S. Acres Christmas #5

2009-12-23T18:38:00.002-06:00

YOU Can be Mighty Mouse

2009-12-23T18:31:00.003-06:00

In celebration of the upcoming Jan.5th release of "Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures", CBS has released a website that helps you create a photo of yourself as the show's headliner.
http://www.iammightymouse.com/

U.S. Acres Christmas #4

2009-12-22T06:50:00.002-06:00

U.S. Acres Christmas #3

2009-12-21T22:55:00.003-06:00

A Very Merry Cricket: Background Art

2009-12-20T22:57:00.015-06:00

Keeping up with the Christmas theme, may I share with you some screen grabs of Chuck Jones' 1973 television special "A Very Merry Cricket", which was itself a sequel to "The Cricket in Time Square".People of New York seem to have forgotten the Christmas spirit so Harry Cat and Tucker Mouse head off to the country to find help from their old friend, Chester C. Cricket, who once before calmed the citizens with soothing music.You can find this classic special among other Chuck Jones Productions animated shows on The Chuck Jones Collection DVD from Lionsgate.

U.S. Acres Christmas #2

2009-12-20T13:08:00.002-06:00

U.S. Acres Christmas #1

2009-12-19T12:46:00.003-06:00

Starting today I thought I would present a series of strips with a Christmas theme featuring the U.S. Acres gang from 1988, created by Jim Davis and Brett Koth.