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I’m working on a new book project with Insight Editions (the same folks who published The Hanna Barbera Treasury) – and I need your help.

The concept is similar to my long out-of-print book, The 50 Greatest Cartoons (1994), only this time its all Warner Bros. Cartoons and we will highlight the top one hundred. I am personally contacting some of the top historians, animators, critics, filmmakers and authorities for their opinion. But why stop there? In 1994, for my previous book, we didn’t have the Internet to do the poll (nor did I have a blog). It should be exciting to see what the consensus of the online world is.

I’m asking all participants to list their “greatest” nominees in the comments section below. You can list your top ten, twenty or fifty – but please, no more than that. List them in order of greatness, #1 being the most important. I’ll cull the final one hundred out of what titles we receive by January 9th. Please include your real name if you wish to be acknowledged in the book.

This is open to the 1001 (or so) theatrically released Warner Bros. cartoons (Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies) created between 1930 and 1969 (though I tend to doubt we’ll receive too many entries from the 1960s). No government sponsored films (sorry Snafu), industrial or made-for-TV animation accepted. The classic shorts. You know what I mean. Here’s the complete list of eligible film titles.

What defines greatness? That’s up to you. I’m throwing the door wide open. Historical significance, biggest laughs, greatest character animation, important milestones… make a list and check it twice. And post it below.

365 Comments »   posted in Books

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The Twelve Animated Days of Christmas, #5

December 18, 2008 12:31 am

The holidays get the ‘cartoon modern’ treatment in this rare 1954 version of Frosty the Snowman directed by Bobe Cannon at UPA.

15 Comments »   posted in Classic

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New Star Trek trailer

December 17, 2008 4:30 pm

The wacky folks at NEO f/x took the soundtrack from this trailer for the upcoming Star Trek movie and combined it with images from Filmation’s animated Star Trek. The result:

(via Trekmovie.com)

24 Comments »   posted in TV

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Cartoon Brew TV: Like Me, Only Better

December 17, 2008 11:28 am

We’re a few days late with the new episode of Cartoon Brew TV but this week’s film is worth the wait. Like Me, Only Better by Martin Pickles is a film we’ve been seeing at animation festivals all year long and it makes us laugh each and every time. We’re delighted that Martin is doing the online premiere of the film here on the Brew. Watch Like Me, Only Better on Cartoon Brew TV.

No Comments »   posted in Site News

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Rankin/Bass’s Tale of Holiday Woe

December 17, 2008 4:05 am

The official Rankin/Bass website has a disturbing front page story that alleges Warner Bros. is witholding millions of dollars owed to Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass, creators of classic holiday specials like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman. More details about the situation can be found in this article printed in Rankin’s hometown Bermuda paper The Mid-Ocean News. According to that piece:

The dispute arose when popular 1980s cartoon ThunderCats was re-released recently as a DVD box set by Warner Bros, which owns the distribution rights to that and 21 other Rankin/Bass titles. The box set went on to sell over a million copies, prompting Mr. Rankin to wonder about profits owed to him and his colleagues. “Sales were jumping off the charts,” said Mr. Rankin in an exclusive interview with the Mid-Ocean News.”But Warner Bros said they didn’t have any accounting on it except that they’d sold a million copies. My legal team started investigating and found out that for the last 20 years they’ve been deducting handling fees of $200,000 annually.”

Mr. Rankin explained that while Warner Bros readily admits an accounting error resulting in $2.6 million of improper deductions, they claim he caught the mistake too late. “They knew it was wrong, but said that because it has been so long, the statute of limitations has kicked in. You would imagine that Warner Bros, which makes an awful lot of money with our productions would say, ‘We’re sorry about our mistake. Here’s what we owe you’.”

(Thanks, James Hutson)

10 Comments »   posted in Business

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2008 Brew Holiday Gift Guide #2

December 17, 2008 3:00 am

Three more books I’m recommending for holiday gift giving, mainly because they are really good reads.

Directing the Story by Francis Glebas (Aladdin, Lion King, Pocahontas, Hercules, etc.) is the ultimate book on storytelling and storyboard techniques. 346 oversized color pages explaining everything about the craft, with excellent informative text and hundreds of storyboard drawings to illustrate every point. Highly Recommended!

Ted Stearn is a storyboard artist (Beavis and Butt-head, King of the Hill, Futurama, Drawn Together, etc.) by day and an alternative comics genius at night. His Fantagraphics funny animal duo, Fuzz and Pluck, star in separate adventures in their latest graphic novel, Fuzz and Pluck: Splitsville. These are seriously demented stories, and hopefully the template for some future animated adaptation. Crazy drawings and crazy fun. Recommended!

I wish Fantagraphics had also printed Beetle Bailey: the First Years 1950-1952. This book doesn’t have the classy feel of the Peanuts or Dennis The Menace reprint volumes, but nonetheless is a fascinating volume tracing the origins of America’s favorite Army private. I spent a half hour going through this book at Barnes and Noble (note to my close buds or Brian Walker: I don’t own a copy and would love to get one as a a gift – hint, hint), I couldn’t put it down. Walker was a terrific cartoonist back then and you can see why the strip became a hit. Recommended!

2 Comments »   posted in Books

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The Twelve Animated Days of Christmas, #4

December 17, 2008 12:21 am

An irreverent take on the holidays by Monty Python animator Terry Gilliam. This piece originally aired in 1968 on the TV series Do Not Adjust Your Set.

6 Comments »   posted in Classic, Terry Gilliam

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