Wile E Coyote Wile E Coyote
Cartoon Study

Exhibits A Through P: Wile E. Coyote’s Historic Case Against Acme

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The long-awaited Coyote vs. Acme comes crashing into theaters this weekend. In honor of Wile E. Coyote’s legal battle against the Acme Corporation, we’re taking a look at some of the most memorable Acme products throughout the Road Runner cartoons to see if Wile E. has a case against this corporate behemoth.

Acme was firmly established as the go-to manufacturer of anvils and explosives in the Looney Tunes cartoons even before the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote first appeared in 1949. According to Wile E. Coyote’s creator, Chuck Jones, the name Acme “was adopted by many struggling and embryonic companies because it put them close to the top of their chosen services in the Yellow Pages. Today, of course, it is commonplace to see AAAA Cleaners and Dryers or AAABBBCCCDDD Drugs, which sounds like a Porky Pig establishment.” The Dehydrated Boulder is a good example of the destructive nature of Acme’s products.

 

 

Wile E. Coyote (Litigious-Maximus) has long been a loyal Acme customer, purchasing products including Acme Indestructo Steel Balls, Acme Triple-Strength Fortified Leg Muscle Vitamins, and Acme Christmas Package Machines. The company’s unreasonably dangerous products have led to devastating health consequences for the plaintiff, including but not limited to being flattened like a pancake, seeing stars and/or chirping birds rotating around his head, and growing a pinkish lump with a few stray hairs out of his cranium, requiring the use of a Lump Massager (pat. pending). The plaintiff also experiences back and neck pain due to his neck elongating as a delayed reaction to his body dropping off a cliff.

Defects in Acme products have been an ongoing problem in the Coyote’s quest to catch the Road Runner, as evidenced by one of his earliest Acme purchases: Rocket Powered Roller Skates. (As a side note, if you’ve ever wondered where Acme’s headquarters are located, they are apparently in Fairfield, New Jersey.)

 

 

So does Wile E. have a case? Well, the Coyote’s injuries are incontrovertible, but he may have trouble proving fault, given that many of his explosions and flattenings could be attributable to operator error. For instance, the Acme Bat-Man Outfit seems to have functioned as advertised, and the Coyote might be denied compensation due to his own contributory negligence (on the other hand, this particular item could result in a lawsuit of a different kind from DC Comics).

 

 

The Coyote’s repeated mutilations can often be traced to his own failure to read the warning labels on products like the Acme Earthquake Pills. And claiming ignorance would be impermissible, given the plaintiff’s status as a self-proclaimed, card-carrying “super genius.”

 

 

On the other hand, products like the Acme Triple-Strength Battleship Steel Armor Plate are clearly defective, and Acme is directly responsible for the Coyote’s Road Runner-shaped bodily damage. Wile E. would be well within his rights to, in the words of Daffy Duck, “slap them with a habeas corpuscle.”

 

 

The various detonators and explosives the Coyote purchases from the Acme Corporation seem to activate on their own schedule, and their irregularity has caused Wile E. to suffer painful second- and third-degree fricasseeing.

 

 

The paints Wile E. buys in order to create decoy tunnels also have the unfortunate tendency to take on fourth-dimensional qualities at inopportune moments. At the very least, they should carry a warning label that cautions buyers about the risk of a tear in the fabric of reality. Otherwise, these paints are in clear violation of consumer product safety laws, not to mention the laws of physics (Road Runners are, of course, exempt from this, as they haven’t studied law).

 

 

Acme’s likely defense in these instances would be that Wile E. was not using the products as intended. This premise is refuted by the Acme Giant Rubber Band, which clearly specifies on the box: “perfect for tripping Road Runners.” This is negligent misrepresentation, and the product’s failure to perform as advertised caused the plaintiff serious injury. More damningly, Acme failed to even provide the Coyote with a tiny umbrella to defend himself with.

 

 

The company should be well aware of these risks after repeated complaints, and yet they knowingly sell defective products like the Acme Do-It-Yourself Tornado Kit without adequate warnings. The company should also be obliged to cover the cost of Wile E.’s Acme Aspirin.

 

 

As you can plainly see on the invoice shown below, every single one of the materials Wile E. used to launch his rocket sled were purchased at the Acme Shopping Center, and their shoddiness led to his crash. Acme is not only liable for his injury but also guilty of consumer fraud for taking his money and then giving him a product that doesn’t work as promised. According to the precedent set by the landmark case The Little People vs. Porky Pig, a defendant found guilty of stealing a pot of gold may be sentenced to the wearing of the green shoes.

 

 

The Tar and Feather Machine is another clear case of the product itself being at fault rather than anything Wile E. did. The logo is not actually visible on this one, but I’m assuming this is an Acme product based on Wile E.’s steadfast brand loyalty. (Who else would sell a Tar and Feather Machine?) Let us ignore, for the moment, the irrelevant question of how the Coyote expects to eat a tarred and feathered Road Runner; the important thing is the product backfired. I would also pin some partial blame on that book, which might be due for an 11th printing.

 

 

 

Acme would do well to recall units of its Instant Icicle Maker, as there’s obviously some sort of manufacturing defect. The Coyote could justifiably file an unliquidated damages demand due to his having been liquidated.

 

 

One thing that helps Wile E.’s case is that other customers have had similar issues with Acme products. Daffy Duck had trouble with the Acme Disintegrating Pistol, Sylvester ran afoul of the Acme Electric Eye, and let’s not even discuss Elmer Fudd’s issues with the Acme Future-Antic Push-Button Home of Tomorrow. Ralph Wolf, another loyal Acme shopper, has many incriminating stories of Acme products gone awry, most notably the Acme Artificial Rock.

 

 

Even beyond its faulty products, the Acme Corporation’s shady business dealings have been called into question by many. Accusations of deforestation and wasteful practices have plagued the company for years. Acme’s accountability for devastating environmental damage, as revealed in Friz Freleng’s searing docudrama Lumber Jerks (1955), could lead to further legal trouble and loss of public support.

 

 

In light of all of this, as well as Wile E. Coyote’s visible bruises and bumblebee stings, I feel he is fully entitled to seek redress to the fullest extent of the law, including court costs, legal fees, and accrued Filet of Road Runner Smothered in Poinsettia Sauce as compensation for time lost in pursuing the Road Runner.

 

 

But now we’ll turn it over to you. What Acme products stand out to you? Let us know in the comments below.

 

Pictured at top: Wile E. Coyote in “Stop! Look! And Hasten!” (1954)

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Vincent Alexander

Vincent Alexander is an animator and cartoonist who works in 2d and stop motion. He received an MFA in animation from the Columbus College of Art & Design in 2018, and has directed music videos for D.P. Dough and Pretend Collective. He created the Youtube series "Cartoon Remakes" and directed the animated short "Musical Man and the Magic Kazoo."

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