In case you haven’t noticed, the classic Warner Bros. cartoons are nowhere to be seen on broadcast television or on cable. It’s been that way for a while (except for the New Years marathon on Cartoon Network). Folks (like us) on animation blogs and forums can bitch about it all day long — but does it mean anything to an average person? Has anyone in the “real world” noticed their absence?

This article, written by the local movie reviewer in Great Falls, Montana, provides an answer. Listen up, network execs: People still want their Looney Tunes back on TV where they belong.

(Thanks, David Gerstein)

Click image to enlarge. (from an idea by Jake Friedman)

Buena Vista International (aka Disney division that acquires material like The Secret of The Magic Gourd and Roadside Romeo) is distributing a stylish hand drawn/2D feature from Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon (the creators of Skunk Fu):

The Secret of Kells opens March 6th in Ireland. Chalk this up as another intriguing animated feature with, sad to say, little or no chance of being seen in the United States.

(Thanks, Matthew Gaastra)

Did you know George Pal and Bill Tytla animated Superman during the the Golden Age of animation or that Bob Clampett was the first animation cartoonist to spoof the Man of Steel? Jerry Beck is back this week to take us deep into the “Brew Vaults” with a look at the rarely discussed animated history of the Man of Steel. Head on over to Cartoon Brew TV to hear Jerry’s thoughts about Superman’s many animated incarnations!

Friday night the Annie Awards were presented at UCLA’s Royce Hall. The complete list of winners are posted here.

It was quite an evening, with Kung Fu Panda winning almost everything it was nominated for - including Best Animated Feature. Robot Chicken and Avatar: The Last Airbender were also big winners. Futurama: The Beast With A Billion Backs won for best direct-to-video. There were several memorable moments, including Billy Crystal giving John Lasseter his Winsor McCay award and likewise Henry Selick (pictured, above left) handing Nick Park (above right) his lifetime achievement statue. Tom Kenny was hilarious as our M.C. and other great presenters included Fred Willard, Brad Garrett, Seth Green, James Hong and Ahmed Best (Jar Jar Binks).

It’ll be interesting to see if an Annie sweep for Panda will have any affect on Academy voters.

Though Max Fleischer’s Gulliver’s Travels in public domain and widely available on several home video formats, the film has never been digitally restored to its full potential. Unfortunetly, the company with access to the original negative and soundtrack elements is not interested in restoring it and making it available on DVD.

However, a company called KOCH Vision is releasing a “digitally restored, re-mastered and enhanced” edition on both Blu-ray and standard DVD versions on March 10th. According to their press release, the DVD will include:

…the complete 77 minute feature film, two “Gabby” cartoons edited from the film’s outtakes and a Fleischer Studios “Making of a Cartoon” documentary.

KOCH Vision attained the original 35mm film and not only restored and re-mastered the film using a state-of-the-art digital process, but also enhanced the picture to a 16×9 aspect ratio. In addition, the DVD allows for three audio options: the restored original soundtrack, enhanced stereo, and 5.1 Dolby digital surround sound. Both bonus cartoons and documentary have also been restored, making the KOCH Vision version of Gulliver’s Travels a must-own for fans of classic animation and children of all ages.

I’ll withhold judgement on whether this release is a good thing or not till I see this dvd myself… but “enhancing” the picture to a wide 16×9 screen ratio, and remixing the track for surround sound, are not my ideas of restoration. To some, this might be a desecration. And the box art, designed to resemble a Disney Platinum Edition, looks like a scam. Someone needs to revive Fleischer’s Gulliver and Mr. Bug, but until the corporation with the ability to do it correctly realizes what they own, this is all we can expect. I applaud KOCH for making an effort. Let’s hope they do justice to this long neglected classic.