Favorite Cartoon/Animated Series (TV/feature films and other stuff)

[Woops]

"So Long Old Friend", from the 1983 "Here Comes Garfield" special



My eyes actually water-up when I hear this song. So emotional and sad.

[Out of the Blue]

Those early to mid 80s Garfield TV specials were the most true to the comic strip.  Those CGI movies aren't even close.

[Woops]

Hokey smokes! According to Toon Zone, the long awaited fourth season of "Rocky & Bullwinkle" will be released on DVD... 

After a long hiatus, the fourth season of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends hits DVD on 8/17/10, courtesy of Classic Media and Vivendi Entertainment. It will feature 19 episodes on 2 DVDs, and the running time is 418 minutes. Pricing and any potential special features aren't announced yet, but stay tuned to Toonzone for the info.

My local CW affiliate airs "Rocky & Bullwinkle" for an hour once a week.

I have most of the DVDs.

[Woops]

If there's a third installment of the Sat AM 1970's DVD:


(though never bothered on the first two)

*, if Time Warner gets the rights to the rest of MGM, though Fox has DVD distribution rights...though might be unlikely. (There's no tv package material on the sets)

**, Classic Media released the '70's  Godzilla cartoons (sans Jana) several years ago, could be unlikely since the show was co-produced by Toho.  Since a cartoon version of "Gilligan's Island" (produced by Filmation and not owned by Time Warner) and also Filmation's "Tarzan", owned by the estate of Edgar R. Burroughs, have been on previous Sat AM sets it could happen.

Time Warner also have released the "Josie & The Pussycats" & the cartoon version of Richie Rich, which both featured characters that  are owned by different companies, and are regularly shown on Boomerang.

1. "The Pink Panther Show" (with tv theme, bridging sequences)*
2. "Bugs Bunny & Road Runner Hour" (with some cartoons not  available on DVD)
3. "Daffy Duck Show" (with cartoons not available on DVD)
4. "Josie & The Pussycats in Outer Space" (for the cheese value, not on DVD)
5. "New Scooby Doo Movies" (episode featuring Josie & The Pussycats, not on DVD)
6. "Hong Kong Phooey" (though on vol. 1 and has a DVD set)
7. "Godzilla Power Hour" (with "Jana of the Jungle" included & another "Jana" episode on the bonus section)**

1980's:

Honestly, I think it's better if they release "Charlie Brown & Snoopy Show" as a set. Time Warner currently have distribution rights for the tv specials and series.

1990's:

1. "Tom & Jerry Kids" (mostly for Droopy & Dripple short/cheese value)
2. "Tiny Toon Adventures" (for cheese value and some hidden Looney Tunes cameos/references)
3. "Taz-mania" (see "Tiny Toons")
4. "Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries" (from second season, see "Tiny Toons")
5. "Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show" (with some cartoons not on DVD)
6. "The Daffy Duck Show" (first time pre-1948 cartoons were shown on network Sat AM/with some cartoons not on DVD)

[Woops]

According to an article about the Godzilla DVD, Time Warner's ownership of the cartoon expired in 2003 and Classic Media has the US rights and distribution rights to Sony Wonder/now Vivendi...which will release the long overdue 4th Bullwinkle volume.


According to Wiki, Classic Media owns the giant lizard half of the show...

Though there's no actual source for the ownership of Jana. The Wiki article stated that it's probably owned by Toho since the "Godzilla Power Hour" was co-produced by Hanna Barbera.  Though it stated that one episode was featured on a WB Hanna Barbera website several years ago. Though it's been revamped into Kids WB.com in 2008. (an OK site, though the Looney Tunes cartoons should change rotation every few months since it rarely changes)

 Toon Zone thread about the then fairly new WB site Hanna Barbera website from 2006...a clue since Time Warner's rights to the "Godzilla" cartoon expired in 2003. The link on the forum leads to the The Kids WB site, which  mainly feature a few popular titles from DC superheros, Flintstones, Jetsons, Scooby Doo, Looney Tunes, etc.
.

This is one of the very few Hanna-Barbera series that is yet to be seen on Cartoon Network or Boomerang, possibly due to licensing by Toho. However, one of the episodes, "The Cordillera Volcano", can be found on WB's Hanna-Barbera online stream.

update: Big Cartoon Database stated that Toho also co-produced the Jana segments as well, though not listed among the IMDB (just the Godzilla cartoon)...So confusing!!!

Though doesn't say it it still owns the rights or not.

If so...

Time Warner could retain the rights (I know, very unlikely). Or atleast  distribution rights for few episodes for DVD  (sans the giant lizard)...
 

Also wouldn't  expectied to be  released  anytime soon since it's extremely  obscure and not sure if there's actually a third volume of the Sat AM DVDs and even if there was it'll more likely have one episode... (obscure titles have appeared on the 'Saturday Morning Cartoons' sets, so who knows...more likely the debut, though the "Race For Life" episode with Jana racing an Amazonian warrior would also  be worth watching in restored or atleast decent  quality)

Overall, doubt it

Also there's an unrelated character from "Jungle Girl" comic named Jana created by Frank Cho... (unless Time Warner or Toho or the Doug Wildey estate forced Cho to use the generic "Jungle Girl" title, which would make sense since "Jana" isn't listed on Dynamite comics' character page besides the synopsis)

Or nothing since the '70's cartoon is very obscure and Toho & Time Warner probably don't have a clue about it...

Dynamite Comics doesn't even have much detail of the comic and even stated that the source from it's web page is from Wiki.


Lurked around the Dynamite comic forum...

under "Jana Jungle Cartoon"...

Beside one suggestion for "Jungle Girl" comic Jana to be animated.... when searched under "Jana Jungle Cartoon"  that only led to one   result...nothing...though not suprised

Also no results for the Godzilla cartoon either...

[Woops]

"Toy Story"  and it's sequel still holds up. Though there's a plot hole considering that Woody  since the toy was passed down from generation to generation, but the character only mentioned Andy as his owner.

Honestly, I would rank it as among the Top 5 CGI movies, though majority in the past decade have been hit or miss and also tend to be hard to distinguish since most look similar (plus, motion capture tend to be creepy).



Short clip that was shown on ABC Family several months ago

"Toy Story 3" looks OK, though probably would do well since it's a Pixar film. As long that it's the final film, though there's word for CGI shorts with the characters.

[Woops]

Just watched "Toy Story 3"... Actually better than expected.

One of those rare sequels that actually comes close and even tops the previous two films. Also made great closure for the trilogy.  Some comedy (especially with Ken and "Spanish mode"  Buzz Lightyear), emotion, suspense, and even some references of the first two films (ie the aliens fascination with "the claw").


The "Day & Night" short was creative (with the blend of traditional & CGI animation) and amusing.

[Woops]

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A new Looney Tunes DVD set is coming on 10/12/10. The 210 minute, 2-disc set will contain seventeen Bugs Bunny cartoons, and three of those haven't been released on DVD before. The second disc will contain an hour of special features, including the uncut version of Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers (a 1992 short from Greg Ford and Terry Lennon), a brand-new featurette called "Ain't He a Stinker?", and TV specials, shorts, and rare appearances. The price will be $26.99.

Clips from "Baseball Bugs" (1946), "Rabbit of Seville" (1950), "Carrotblanca" (1995 theatrical short).

"Hare & Loathing In Las Vegas" (2004) is listed on the bottom, which is one of the Larry Doyle Looney Tunes that were (thankfully) never shown theatrically nor on tv. Though was released in Australia as the bonus cartoons for the DVD release of  "Looney Tunes Back In Action".

So only 12 of the original Warner Bros. Bugs Bunny  cartoons (1940 to 1964)  and 5 later shorts (ie from tv specials and '90's theatrical cartoons)...

How about 30 classic cartoons instead and about three discs (first two with the classics and the third with the bonus features  & some of the later cartoons).

Would get it for "Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers", which is an OK cartoon, &   don't mind some double dipping.  I wonder if the "3 new to DVD  cartoons"  the original cartoons or the later...

Well, have to wait 'til the content is listed.

[Woops]

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7/5/10 Update: Here is the list of cartoons that will be on the set:

Disc 1: * Elmer's Candid Camera (1940, Jones)
* A Wild Hare (1940, Avery)
* The Old Grey Hare (1944, Clampett)
* Baseball Bugs (1946, Freleng)
* Hair Raising Hare (1946, Jones)
* Haredevil Hare (1948, Jones)
* 8 Ball Bunny (1950, Jones)
* Rabbit of Seville (1950, Jones)
* Rabbit Fire (1951, Jones)
* Show Biz Bugs (1957, Freleng)
* Knighty Knight Bugs (1958, Freleng)
* What's Opera Doc? (1957, Jones)

Disc 2: * Any Bonds Today? (1942, Clampett)
* Excerpt from "My Dream is Yours" (1949)
* How Bugs Bunny Won the West TV special (1978)
* Bugs Bunny Wild World of Sports TV special (1989)
* Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers (1992, Ford/Lennon)
* Carrotblanca (1995, McCarthy)
* Hare and Loathing in Las Vegas (2003 [unreleased], Kopp/Shin)

I wonder if "Any Bonds Today" is uncut (with an unskippable disclaimer from Jerry Beck or  Leonard Maltin   ) since it features a scene with Bugs imitating Al Jolson.

"How Bugs Bunny Won The West" & "Bugs Bunny Wild World of Sports", how about some more uncut classic cartoons  instead of forgettable  tv specials, which both mostly feature clips...

added:


The WB Shop also features the list of the content (sans "Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers"), which it'll feature an episode of "The Bugs Bunny Show". Though doesn't give more details since several episodes have appeared on "The Golden Collection" and the second volume of the "Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1960's" set.

The DVD cover states that it features 17 classics, which the first disc includes 12 of the true classics and the second 3 '90's/2000's cartoons, a film clip the wabbit appeared in, 2 tv specials, short documentry, and an episode of "The Bugs Bunny Show" (which might include three classic  shorts...perhaps incliuding  one Bugs)


Don't think  "Any Bonds Today?" would count as one of the "classic" Bugs Bunny cartoons since it was an advertisement for war bonds rather than  a 7 minutes short.

[Woops]

Added: It's been rumored that "Any Bonds Today" won't appear on the set. Though wouldn't be suprised if true.


What would be better...

Disc One: 20 Classic Bugs Bunny cartoons

1. "A Wild Hare"
2. "Wabbit Twouble"
3. "Bugs Bunny Gets The Boid"
4. "Little Red Riding Rabbit"
5. "The Old Grey Hare"
6. "Hare Trigger"
7. "Baseball Bugs"
8. "Hair Raising Hare"
9. "Acrobatty Bunny"
10. "Rhapsody Rabbit"
11. "Bugs Bunny Rides Again"
12. "Haredevil Hare"
13. "High Diving Hare"
14. "Hillbilly Hare"
15. "Rabbit of Seville"
16. "8 Ball Bunny"
17. "Rabbit Fire"
18. "What's Opera, Doc?"
19 "Knighty Knight Bugs"
20. "Transylvania 65-000"


Disc Two: Thru The Years (similar to the recent Tom & Jerry anniversary set)



"Ain't He A Stinker" featurette
"Elmer's Candid Camera" (one of the early cartoons with the proto-Bugs)
"Any Bonds Today?" uncut and with a brief disclaimer
"My Dream Is Yours" clip
Two episodes of "The Bugs Bunny Show" with cartoons & bridging sequences intact

Later cartoons: (semi-decent & the unwatchable)
"Bugs Bunny's Christmas Carol" (from "Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales")
"Portrait of an Artist as a Young Bunny" (from "Bugs Bunny Bustin' All Over")
"Box Office Bunny"
"(Blooper) Bunny!"
"Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers"
"Carrotblanca"
"Hare & Loathing In Las Vegas"
"Looney Tunes Back In Action" clip with Elmer chasing Bugs at the Louvre

[Woops]

No "Bugs Bunny Show" episode. Plus some more tv specials...  

Considering that some of the tv specials appeared in the bonus features of the Golden Collection, they could've added an episodeof "The Bugs Bunny Show" from the sets and insert the  classic cartoons that were included for the episode (or at least a Bugs cartoon).


Not suprised by the omission of "Any Bonds Today".

Official Press Release for "The Essential Bugs Bunny Collection"
 
For a "Best of"  set (especially that 2010 is the 70th anniversary of the debut of the certain wabbit), it could've been done better, IMHO. Well, atleast there's another Bugs Bunny DVD release (along with Daffy) as part of the "Looney Tunes Super Stars" series with new-to-DVD/remastered cartoons.  

Disc 1: Essential Theatrical Shorts  

1. "Elmer's Candid Camera" (proto-Bugs cartoon, which should either be a "bonus" or on the second disc, IMHO)
2. "A Wild Hare"
3. "The Old Grey Hare"
4. "Baseball Bugs"
5. "Hair Raising Hare"
6.  "Haredevil Hare"
7. "8 Ball Bunny"
8.  "Rabbit of Seville"
9.  "Rabbit Fire"
10. "Show Biz Bugs"
11. "Knighty Knight Bugs"
12. "What's Opera Doc?"

Disc 2: Bugs Bunny from the Vault

"My Dream Is Yours" clip
"How Bugs Bunny Won The West" (tv special with clips of western themed Looney Tunes shorts)
"Bugs Bunny Wild World of Sports" (another mediocre clip show)
"Carrotblanca" (1995 cartoon short)
"Hare & Loathing In Las Vegas" (2004 cartoon short)
"Bugs Bunny Bustin' All Over" (1980 tv special)
"The Carnival of the Animals" (1976 tv special)
"Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers" (1992 cartoon short)
"Ain't I A Stinker" (featurette/mini-documentary)

[Woops]

July 27th is in fact  the 70th anniversary of "A Wild Hare", which was the debut of a certain iconic animated wabbit!

[Woops]

Early review for "Daffy Duck: Frustrated Fowl" DVD, which is part of the Looney Tunes Super Stars series with previously unreleased on DVD shorts..

The shorts haven't been restored on the level of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection selections, instead veering from great to middling over the course of the set. The earlier shorts tend to suffer from a lot of scratches and flecks, while the later entries (particularly the wide screen shorts) tend to look sharp and vibrant. There's a bit of color bleeding on occasion. Also is mostly fine, though there's some hiss and distortion here and there. No extras of any sort are included on the disc.

Would definitely get it, though the wide screen isn't necessary since Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies shorts  were never formatted in CinemaScope in the 1950's/1960's.

[Woops]

There's an uproar on several animation forums...


Despite the flaws stated, I'm still considering on getting the DVDs. Especially that the pre 1953 shorts are full frame.

Though suprised that the Tweety & Sylvester DVD will have repeats despite that there's still many cartoons that haven't been released.




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Okay, I listened to the entirety of the Stu's Show internet radio program to give you this news straight from Jerry Beck:

-He was suprised when he found out about the widescreen thing, and suspects it'll be fixed by the next batch of Super Stars DVDs

-Super Stars DVDs will be released in pairs, and from now on one release will be a "double-dip" and the other will be all new. This November's Sylvester and Tweety disc will be all Golden Collection releases, the Foghorn Leghorn ("and Friends") DVD will be all new cartoons.

-The Super Star DVDs aren't intended for fans, they're for the soccer mom, kids, casual buyer set at Wal*Mart and Target.

-He doesn't give any concrete info, but he says that the future of Warner toons for fans is the Warner Archive DVD-R service avaliable through their website and amazon.com. This service has become so successful that from now on they will be remastering the titles for release and not simple offering them "off the shelf" as they have been. He teases things like the Censored 11 and the Complete MGM Tex Avery. His main message was for cartoon fans to buy Warner Archive titles and support this service... I think he even says "Warner Archive is the future" at some point.

[Woops]

Watched 5 of the 1940's/early '50's Daffy Duck cartoons (that are full framed) and "Daffy's Inn Trouble"...

"Nasty Quacks" is slightly grainy, though still watchable and there's some "fuzzyness" in one scene on  "The Prize Pest".

"Tick Tock Tuckered" (yes Ke$ha, it's the correct spelling) is one of my favorites. Especially when Porky tries to throw a shoe at some cats and when Daffy shoots the moon.

"Daffy's Inn Trouble" is one of the few decent '60's cartoons, which feature a rivalry between Daffy & Porky with both having their Western hotels across the street of each other. I recall the cartoon airing time to time on television.  It's also the only post 1953 cartoon I watched today... found nothing disctracting.




The Bugs Bunny DVD was decent, though watched a few  cartoons I haven't seen in ages or have forgotten about.

"Lighter Than Hare" with Yosemite Sam as a space man... not a good short and Sam is better off as a Western bandit, pirate, sheik, politician running for mayor, Revolutionary War era soldier...

"Hare We Go" featuring Bugs with Christopher Columbus... It's fairly OK and also interesting to see the wabbit paired with a historical figure hundreds of years before it's time. Bugs Bunny also have met Napoleon in "Napoleon Bunny-Part", which is also included on the disc.

"Lumber Jack Rabbit", the only 3-D Warner Bros. cartoon made. It's very much mediocre, in which Bugs meets Paul Bunyun's dog Smidgon (Yeah, I know he has a blue ox, which was never mentioned). Also looked odd in wide-screen. Especially from the fact that I either don't remember or have forgotten about the cartoon. 

There's a (very) few gems from "Mutiny On The Bunny" & "Foxy By Proxy". Like the Daffy DVD, 5 cartoons are in full screen.


The wide screen format takes  away portions from the top & bottom of the film. I'm not too sure if Warner Home Video will release the cartoons in their original aspect ratio in the next batch. (More likely not)