Field Assignment #5: Animal Mashup

Giraffasaurus

Classic Animation

For me the most classic animation is Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies from the early 1950s. I don’t remember when I started watching the hour long anthologies called the Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show, but it stuck with me, and holds quite a bit of nostalgia, which is part of what makes it classic.

Merrie Melodies was originally aired in colour, while Looney Tunes was black and white. From the Looney Tunes franchise came several differently named cartoon anthologies like the Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show, comics, films (more recent), video games, DVD releases, and clothing. This franchising keeps the “Looney Tunes” brand alive.

The animation was hand drawn, the shorts given a lower budget, but still contested with early Disney animation.

The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show was created by Warner bros., and ran on Saturday mornings for almost 40 years.

Also part of what makes Looney Tunes classic is it’s movement outside of reality where the characters can playfully die and come back to life, putting a humorous spin on death and attempted murder (ie. While E Coyote always trying and failing to elaborately capture the Road Runner). Looney Tunes was highly satirical for the time, and influenced future cartoons to step out of the more “kid-friendly” stereotype.