Splitting Hares (a.k.a. Wabbit Tweason) - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

mrklixx · 02-17-2005, 06:37 AM

http://www.nypost.com/commentary/22021.htm

February 17, 2005 -- HAS Warner Bros. gone daffy?

That's what fans of the studio's classic cartoon characters might be asking after they get a look at the new, futuristic versions of some of their favorite animated heroes, which Warner unveiled yesterday.

The Looney Tunes characters — six in all — have been "reimagined" (in studio parlance) for a new series called "Loonatics," which is set to air next fall on WPIX/Channel 11 as part of the Saturday morning Kids' WB program lineup.

The show features new versions of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote, the Tasmanian Devil, Road Runner and Lola Bunny (the newest of the characters, who was introduced in the 1996 Michael Jordan movie "Space Jam").

For "Loonatics," the six characters are being projected 700 years into the future, given superpowers, and outfitted in tight-fitting, slenderizing space gear.

Apparently, falling anvils and exploding cigars are no longer enough to keep kids 6 to 11 years old entertained.

"This is a kids show intended for kids today who are growing up in the Internet age, an age of technology, an age of hip, cool animation, and something that we hope will resonate with that age group," explained Sander Schwartz, president of Warner Bros. Animation, in a phone interview from Hollywood.

He said the characters' superpowers have not yet been finalized. And neither have their names, although they are expected to have names close to those of their ancestors (think Buzz Bunny).

And what of all the other classic Looney Tunes characters? What about Sylvester and Tweety, Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Pepe Le Pew, Speedy Gonzalez and Marvin the Martian?

And what about Porky Pig? Is poor Porky destined to stutter and remain fat and pantless for the rest of history?

Schwartz said Warner settled on six characters because that's as many as a half-hour ensemble show can handle. But he didn't rule out guest appearances by some of the other legends of Looney Tunes, although in futuristic form.

But cartoon purists, raised on the easy-to-understand hilarity of Elmer Fudd blowing Daffy Duck's bill off with a shotgun blast to the face, might rightfully lament the fact that their own kids won't get a chance to grow up exposed to that same kind of classic comedy.

To that complaint, Schwartz notes the old Looney Tunes cartoons will likely run forever on some channel or another, including the Warner-owned Cartoon Network and Boomerang cable channels.

"And secondly," he said, "these are cartoons. Lighten up! They're fun and the existence of one doesn't preclude the existence of another."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyone else think this is a bad idea? Seems to me to be the ultimate lack of creativity, instead of coming up with something new, just bastardize a classic.

Averett · 02-17-2005, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrklixx

Anyone else think this is a bad idea? Seems to me to be the ultimate lack of creativity, instead of coming up with something new, just bastardize a classic.

A bad idea? Worst. Idea. Ever.

This seariously makes me mad.

They say kids can't relate to the old cartoons? Bull Fuckin Shit. My neice (granted she's just 3 and will laugh at anything) thinks old Looney Toons cartoons are hilarous. She will sit there for hours watching them with my dad. And laugh like crazy.

I'm so glad I'm not a kid these days. It must truly suck. They have anime and video games and crap. What ever happened to Smurfs and Fraggle Rock and My Little Ponies and REAL Looney Toons.

Gah.

I really feel sorry for kids growing up now.

TheWalkinDude · 02-17-2005, 06:49 AM

I think I just lost all faith in humanity.

I feel like my childhood has just been thoroughly raped.

Averett · 02-17-2005, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheWalkinDude

I think I just lost all faith in humanity.

I feel like my childhood has just been thoroughly raped.

Seriously. My dad? Will Flip Out.

Charlatan · 02-17-2005, 07:58 AM

I am mixed on this...

First off, my son (10) likes the original Looney Toons... They play on Teletoon here in Canada and I caught him watching them the other day... He told me he thought they were pretty funny.

That said, this is just the latest in a long line of "reimagining" or "repurposing"... Warner Bros. has a property that they want to milk for more cash... They made Tiny Toons a few years back, which was a very good way of updating the classic line, in my opinion.

Other brands have taken the route of making their characters children... A Pup Called Scooby Doo and Flintstone Kids spring immediately to mind as examples of this odious practice.

While my gut tells me this will be more along the lines of Flintstone Kids, I have a glimmer of hope that they might do some something novel and entertaining...

I'll wait and see...

warrrreagl · 02-17-2005, 09:20 AM

I have no response, but I just felt like my post needed to be in here.

02-17-2005, 09:25 AM

Aww, you guys should give it to them. They've been out of ideas for YEARS now, and all of their talent is dead... cant expect much, right?

Charlatan · 02-17-2005, 09:27 AM

The one thing that does upset me is that they feel the need to create a female rabbit for Bugs...

Bugs looks way better in drag.

(PS just in case there are fanboys lurking I know there was a girl rabbit that appeared in a couple of toons... but she was never a regular per se).

mrklixx · 02-17-2005, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warrrreagl

I have no response, but I just felt like my post needed to be in here.

I don't think the "new" Bugs' hands are even equipped to play guitar.

mrklixx · 02-17-2005, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlatan

(PS just in case there are fanboys lurking I know there was a girl rabbit that appeared in a couple of toons... but she was never a regular per se).

And don't forget the female robot bunny.

One might even Argue that Bugs invented cybersex.

Charlatan · 02-17-2005, 10:25 AM

Robot sex... mmmmm

Especially when said robot is suffed with TNT!

Blaspheme · 02-17-2005, 11:18 AM

Warner Brothers is going to find themselves in serious legal trouble. You see, I'm pretty sure that George Lucas took out a patent on the process of taking cherished images from your childhood and using horribly altered versions of them to rape your inner child.

Is it just me, or do all the new "Loonatic" characters look like they're drawn to appear insane and/or evil? They probably play too many violent videogames.

Fremen · 02-17-2005, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blaspheme

Is it just me, or do all the new "Loonatic" characters look like they're drawn to appear insane and/or evil?

That's what I was just thinking.
They look like they were zapped here from an alternate universe where that version of yourself is a bad guy, or vice versa.
Like Evil Spock and Evil Kirk.

Cynthetiq · 02-17-2005, 01:16 PM

I wasn't happy when Tom and Jerry were given speaking voices...

and I'm not happy about this iteration as well.

Redlemon · 02-17-2005, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blaspheme

You see, I'm pretty sure that George Lucas took out a patent on the process of taking cherished images from your childhood and using horribly altered versions of them to rape your inner child.

*applause*

jonjon42 · 02-17-2005, 05:45 PM

gah....no, god damnit, my little bro still watches the classics. I watched the"ÍŠšÐzàU¢‰‹ZÕ2Ôp and loved them. don't mess with them. They look...horrible. how is bugs going to dress in drag now?

where is elmer fudd?

dear god, I watched the barbar of seville episode the other day...this is sad

guthmund · 02-19-2005, 12:04 AM

I'll watch the first few episodes if only for evaluation purposes.

I think it's certainly an interesting concept. I mean, the new Teen Titans is pretty solid, but I fear it's going to go the way of the 'new and improved' and re-imagined Batman, which is total and complete crap.

Charlatan · 02-19-2005, 05:49 AM

Batman Beyond was actually pretty good... I used to watch it with my kid.

Slavakion · 02-19-2005, 06:13 AM

I was just about to post this in General, then I found the thread. I would like to personally punch everybody involved with this cartoon in the face. Here's a link to a preview, to fuel your righteous anger.

http://www.toonamiarsenal.com/misc/l...icsPreview.mov

If you're not a fan of 8-bit Theater, you might miss Brian Clevinger's rebuttal to the Loonatics. It's definitely worth linking to. (Will fall off the front page in a few days)

Oh, and apparently "Buzz" Bunny was named after a vibrator.

theguyondacouch · 02-19-2005, 06:36 AM

What the fuck did they do to roadrunner!? blasphemy

Slavakion · 02-19-2005, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theguyondacouch

What the fuck did they do to everybody!? blasphemy

Edited for correctness.

guthmund · 02-19-2005, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlatan

Batman Beyond was actually pretty good... I used to watch it with my kid.

Maybe it's just me then. I just couldn't get into it.

Slavakion · 04-28-2005, 02:20 PM

Source

Quote:

Boy's campaign saves Bugs Bunny
Petition convinces network to make characters less menacing

Wednesday, April 27, 2005 Posted: 4:09 PM EDT (2009 GMT)

Thomas Adams
Thomas Adams' petition asked Warner Bros. to create new characters instead of "ruining" the old ones.

TULSA, Oklahoma (AP) -- Eleven-year-old Thomas Adams thought Warner Bros. had gone daffy when he saw the company's plans for a new cartoon called "Loonatics," based on Bugs Bunny and his Looney Tunes pals.

The grimacing, hollow-eyed, power-fisted prototypes of a futuristic Bugs, Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner struck the boy as dark and scary. In the words of Daffy Duck, he found them "dethh-picable."

Now, nearly two months after starting an Internet petition drive against the TV series' fall debut, Thomas has gotten the company's attention.

Warner Bros. Entertainment spokesman Scott Rowe said his company wants the thousands of fans upset by the made-over characters unveiled in February to know "that's NOT all, folks." (Warner Bros. is a division of Time Warner, as is CNN.)

Those "early drawings" have been revised into characters that are softer and less menacing, he said.

"We heard the outcry from fans, including Thomas," Rowe said.

That's enough to draw an emphatic "YESSS!" from the lanky fifth-grader who started the stir with fewer than 20 signatures on a piece of paper at his private school.

Thomas couldn't figure out what was up with the plans to turn the old Looney Tunes gang into their Japanese anime-styled descendants. The prototypes depicted sword-eared superheroes, such as "Buzz Bunny," battling evil in the year 2772.

"Those weren't the Looney Tunes I know," said the boy, whose favorite classic character is the Tasmanian Devil "besides Bugs, of course."

Thomas' parents, Rachel and John Adams, suggested he might have more success by taking his drive to the Web. A family friend who runs an Internet design business was willing to help.

Between piano lessons and shooting hoops, the boy pedaled his bike to the friend's house over several evenings to work on the site's content. On February 28, www.saveourlooneytunes.com came on line.

The petition asked Warner Bros. to create entirely new characters for the series instead of "ruining" the old ones.

Within days, the response had overwhelmed the family's home computer. By late March, more than 25,000 people from around the world had signed the petition. After a CNN story on Thomas aired in mid-April, the site had tallied 80,000 signatures and 95,000 hits, the family said.

"Keep up the fight," fellow fans urged in their e-mails, calling the boy an inspiration.

The passion of fans for the old characters is understandable, said Bob Bergen, the voice actor behind Porky's stutter and Tweety's "putty tat" the past 15 years.
Loonatics
The "early drawings" of the original Loonatics characters.

"They've been around since the 1930s," he said. "They've been around as long as classic motion pictures."

Bergen, who decided at age 5 he wanted to be Porky Pig and "just pursued it," is not involved in the new series' development, but he cautions fans against rushing to judgment before it airs.

"The kids who are going to be seeing this are not as versed in classic Looney Tunes as these fans are," he said. "Let the target audience be the judge."

The "Loonatics" -- scheduled to air Saturday mornings come fall on Kids' WB! -- is aimed at 6-to-11-year-olds. Test groups loved it, Rowe said.

It's not intended to replaced the original characters, which appear in new episodes on Cartoon Network and classic shows on the network's station Boomerang.

"We just wanted to create something that would be accessible and fun to a new generation of kids," he said.

He said the redrawn characters will be unveiled at a later date but that "Loonatics" will remain an action-adventure show.

Thomas, who has dreams of becoming a cartoonist or comedian, hopes Warner Bros. also will continue to create new episodes for the old Looney Tunes gang.

Thrilled to have made a difference in a way his mother calls "a David and Goliath story," the young activist is considering a new protest.

"I was thinking about doing one against homework," he said.

Finally, Warner realizes that this is a terrible idea.

Cynthetiq · 04-28-2005, 02:26 PM

thanks for the follow up... I read it this morning in the trades and forgot to post it.

Tophat665 · 04-28-2005, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fremen

That's what I was just thinking.
They look like they were zapped here from an alternate universe where that version of yourself is a bad guy, or vice versa.
Like Evil Spock and Evil Kirk.

Holy shit! Bugs has a beard!

ranger · 05-05-2005, 08:52 PM

no...no... NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

what the hell are those people thinking? You cannot do that to Bugs Bunny!!!! he's... well... i can't even think of the words!!!

Charlatan · 05-25-2005, 12:04 PM

This is nowhere near as bad as what they have done to the original Looney Toons... They have censored swaths of content from them... I was watching the Sherriff of Nott get knighted (arise Sir Loin of Beef! WHAM! over the head with the sceptre)... only he got hit once... cut... and then there he is with several lumps and reeling. It was much funnier when Bugs hit him again and again and again.

This is sort of cutting is found throughout the catalogue of shorts... It always annoys me.

This is way less annoying than creating a new series with redesigned characters (and is a better analogy for the Lucas comparison... Han shot first!)

FngKestrel · 05-25-2005, 10:59 PM

There's an interesting edit in Bugs Bunny vs the tortoise. It's the rematch of Bugs and the tortoise (name escapes me at the moment) and the tortoise convinces Bugs to dress up like a tortoise for aerodynamic reasons. They hint that the mob will get involved in this one. At the end, the mob is helping the tortoise across because he dressed up as a rabbit.

Bugs rips off all of his tortoise gear and berates them. The mob turns to the screen and says, "Now he tells us" and shoots themselves in the head! The ending is usually cut out. I can't really say it was funnier with them shooting themselves.

02-17-2005, 06:37 AM	#1 (permalink)
mrklixx President Rick Location: location location	Splitting Hares (a.k.a. Wabbit Tweason) http://www.nypost.com/commentary/22021.htm February 17, 2005 -- HAS Warner Bros. gone daffy? That's what fans of the studio's classic cartoon characters might be asking after they get a look at the new, futuristic versions of some of their favorite animated heroes, which Warner unveiled yesterday. The Looney Tunes characters — six in all — have been "reimagined" (in studio parlance) for a new series called "Loonatics," which is set to air next fall on WPIX/Channel 11 as part of the Saturday morning Kids' WB program lineup. The show features new versions of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote, the Tasmanian Devil, Road Runner and Lola Bunny (the newest of the characters, who was introduced in the 1996 Michael Jordan movie "Space Jam"). For "Loonatics," the six characters are being projected 700 years into the future, given superpowers, and outfitted in tight-fitting, slenderizing space gear. Apparently, falling anvils and exploding cigars are no longer enough to keep kids 6 to 11 years old entertained. "This is a kids show intended for kids today who are growing up in the Internet age, an age of technology, an age of hip, cool animation, and something that we hope will resonate with that age group," explained Sander Schwartz, president of Warner Bros. Animation, in a phone interview from Hollywood. He said the characters' superpowers have not yet been finalized. And neither have their names, although they are expected to have names close to those of their ancestors (think Buzz Bunny). And what of all the other classic Looney Tunes characters? What about Sylvester and Tweety, Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Pepe Le Pew, Speedy Gonzalez and Marvin the Martian? And what about Porky Pig? Is poor Porky destined to stutter and remain fat and pantless for the rest of history? Schwartz said Warner settled on six characters because that's as many as a half-hour ensemble show can handle. But he didn't rule out guest appearances by some of the other legends of Looney Tunes, although in futuristic form. But cartoon purists, raised on the easy-to-understand hilarity of Elmer Fudd blowing Daffy Duck's bill off with a shotgun blast to the face, might rightfully lament the fact that their own kids won't get a chance to grow up exposed to that same kind of classic comedy. To that complaint, Schwartz notes the old Looney Tunes cartoons will likely run forever on some channel or another, including the Warner-owned Cartoon Network and Boomerang cable channels. "And secondly," he said, "these are cartoons. Lighten up! They're fun and the existence of one doesn't preclude the existence of another." -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anyone else think this is a bad idea? Seems to me to be the ultimate lack of creativity, instead of coming up with something new, just bastardize a classic. __________________ This post is content. If you don't like it then you are not content. Or perhaps just incontinent. This is not a link - Do not click here I hate animated avatars.

02-17-2005, 07:58 AM	#5 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	I am mixed on this... First off, my son (10) likes the original Looney Toons... They play on Teletoon here in Canada and I caught him watching them the other day... He told me he thought they were pretty funny. That said, this is just the latest in a long line of "reimagining" or "repurposing"... Warner Bros. has a property that they want to milk for more cash... They made Tiny Toons a few years back, which was a very good way of updating the classic line, in my opinion. Other brands have taken the route of making their characters children... A Pup Called Scooby Doo and Flintstone Kids spring immediately to mind as examples of this odious practice. While my gut tells me this will be more along the lines of Flintstone Kids, I have a glimmer of hope that they might do some something novel and entertaining... I'll wait and see... __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

02-17-2005, 09:20 AM	#6 (permalink)
warrrreagl pinche vato Location: backwater, Third World, land of cotton	I have no response, but I just felt like my post needed to be in here. __________________ Living is easy with eyes closed.

02-17-2005, 09:27 AM	#8 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	The one thing that does upset me is that they feel the need to create a female rabbit for Bugs... Bugs looks way better in drag. (PS just in case there are fanboys lurking I know there was a girl rabbit that appeared in a couple of toons... but she was never a regular per se). __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

02-17-2005, 10:25 AM	#11 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	Robot sex... mmmmm Especially when said robot is suffed with TNT! __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

02-17-2005, 06:49 AM	#3 (permalink)
TheWalkinDude Crazy	I think I just lost all faith in humanity. I feel like my childhood has just been thoroughly raped.

02-17-2005, 09:25 AM	#7 (permalink)
thinktank Guest	Aww, you guys should give it to them. They've been out of ideas for YEARS now, and all of their talent is dead... cant expect much, right?

02-17-2005, 11:18 AM	#12 (permalink)
Blaspheme Tilted Location: Oregon, USA	Warner Brothers is going to find themselves in serious legal trouble. You see, I'm pretty sure that George Lucas took out a patent on the process of taking cherished images from your childhood and using horribly altered versions of them to rape your inner child. Is it just me, or do all the new "Loonatic" characters look like they're drawn to appear insane and/or evil? They probably play too many violent videogames. __________________ Faith: not wanting to know what is true. ~Friedrich Nietzsche

02-17-2005, 01:16 PM	#14 (permalink)
Cynthetiq Tilted Cat Head Administrator Location: Manhattan, NY	I wasn't happy when Tom and Jerry were given speaking voices... and I'm not happy about this iteration as well. __________________ I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. What's the best nation in the world? DO-NATION!

02-17-2005, 05:45 PM	#16 (permalink)
jonjon42 Psycho Location: inside my own mind	gah....no, god damnit, my little bro still watches the classics. I watched the"ÍŠšÐzàU¢‰‹ZÕ2Ôp and loved them. don't mess with them. They look...horrible. how is bugs going to dress in drag now? where is elmer fudd? dear god, I watched the barbar of seville episode the other day...this is sad __________________ A damn dirty hippie without the dirty part....

02-19-2005, 12:04 AM	#17 (permalink)
guthmund big damn hero	I'll watch the first few episodes if only for evaluation purposes. I think it's certainly an interesting concept. I mean, the new Teen Titans is pretty solid, but I fear it's going to go the way of the 'new and improved' and re-imagined Batman, which is total and complete crap. __________________ No signature. None. Seriously.

02-19-2005, 05:49 AM	#18 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	Batman Beyond was actually pretty good... I used to watch it with my kid. __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

02-19-2005, 06:13 AM	#19 (permalink)
Slavakion Mjollnir Incarnate Location: Lost in thought	I was just about to post this in General, then I found the thread. I would like to personally punch everybody involved with this cartoon in the face. Here's a link to a preview, to fuel your righteous anger. http://www.toonamiarsenal.com/misc/l...icsPreview.mov If you're not a fan of 8-bit Theater, you might miss Brian Clevinger's rebuttal to the Loonatics. It's definitely worth linking to. (Will fall off the front page in a few days) Oh, and apparently "Buzz" Bunny was named after a vibrator.

02-19-2005, 06:36 AM	#20 (permalink)
theguyondacouch salmon? Location: Outside Providence	What the fuck did they do to roadrunner!? blasphemy __________________ "Lick my frozen metal ass!"

04-28-2005, 02:26 PM	#24 (permalink)
Cynthetiq Tilted Cat Head Administrator Location: Manhattan, NY	thanks for the follow up... I read it this morning in the trades and forgot to post it. __________________ I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. What's the best nation in the world? DO-NATION!

05-05-2005, 08:52 PM	#26 (permalink)
ranger Crazy Location: antioch IL	no...no... NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! what the hell are those people thinking? You cannot do that to Bugs Bunny!!!! he's... well... i can't even think of the words!!! __________________ there are three ways to do things: the right way, the wrong way, and my way, which is the wrong way faster.

05-25-2005, 12:04 PM	#27 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	This is nowhere near as bad as what they have done to the original Looney Toons... They have censored swaths of content from them... I was watching the Sherriff of Nott get knighted (arise Sir Loin of Beef! WHAM! over the head with the sceptre)... only he got hit once... cut... and then there he is with several lumps and reeling. It was much funnier when Bugs hit him again and again and again. This is sort of cutting is found throughout the catalogue of shorts... It always annoys me. This is way less annoying than creating a new series with redesigned characters (and is a better analogy for the Lucas comparison... Han shot first!) __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

05-25-2005, 10:59 PM	#28 (permalink)
FngKestrel Junkie	There's an interesting edit in Bugs Bunny vs the tortoise. It's the rematch of Bugs and the tortoise (name escapes me at the moment) and the tortoise convinces Bugs to dress up like a tortoise for aerodynamic reasons. They hint that the mob will get involved in this one. At the end, the mob is helping the tortoise across because he dressed up as a rabbit. Bugs rips off all of his tortoise gear and berates them. The mob turns to the screen and says, "Now he tells us" and shoots themselves in the head! The ending is usually cut out. I can't really say it was funnier with them shooting themselves.