History WesternAnimation / LooneyTunes

''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' are two series of theatrical cartoon shorts first released between [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation 1930]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation 1969]]. [[Creator/WarnerBros Warner Bros. Pictures]] initially distributed the cartoons for independent producer Leon Schlesinger before buying the studio in 1944 and moving it in-house in 1955.

[[ArtifactTitle As the names indicate]], these cartoons were originally meant to be imitations of [[WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts Disney's]] ''WesternAnimation/SillySymphonies''. That basing cartoons around popular public-domain songs -- or, even better, ones the studio already owned -- was a fast and relatively cheap way of producing them didn't hurt any, either. Creator/HarmanAndIsing animated the shorts until 1933, when a dispute with Schlesinger over budgets led them to depart for Creator/VanBeurenStudios.

The first set, ''Looney Tunes'', was introduced with 1930's ''"WesternAnimation/SinkinInTheBathtub"'' featuring [[UncleTomFoolery minstrel-like]] mascot ''WesternAnimation/BoskoTheTalkInkKid'', and for its first decade relied more heavily on recurring characters and thus lower budgets. ''Merrie Melodies'', introduced in 1931's ''"WesternAnimation/LadyPlayYourMandolin"'' featuring the ([[CaptainErsatz suspiciously Mickey Mouse-esque]]) character "Foxy", were initially intended as the [[AnimatedMusicVideo music videos of their day]], basically animated commercials for the Warners-owned sheet-music library.

''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' are two series of American theatrical cartoon shorts first released between [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation 1930]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation 1969]]. [[Creator/WarnerBros Warner Bros. Pictures]] initially distributed the cartoons for independent producer Leon Schlesinger before buying the studio in 1944 and moving it in-house in 1955.

-->-- '''Lyrics to the iconic ''Looney Tunes'' theme song'''

''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' are two series of theatrical cartoon shorts first released between [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation 1930]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation 1969]]. [[Creator/WarnerBros Warner Bros. Pictures]] initially distributed the cartoons for independent producer Leon Schlesinger before buying the studio in 1944 and moving it in-house in 1955.

->'''til the Merry-Go-Round broke down.''

->''The Merry-Go-Round broke down,''

->''The Merry-Go-Round broke down,''
->''It made the darnedest sound,''

->''It made the darndest sound,''

Over the course of their tenures at "Termite Terrace", as the WB animation studio was informally known, legendary directors Creator/ChuckJones, Creator/TexAvery, Creator/BobClampett, Creator/FrizFreleng, Creator/FrankTashlin, Creator/ArtDavis, and Creator/RobertMcKimson -- assisted by talented animators such as Ken Harris, Ben Washam, Abe Levitow, Manny Gould, Emery Hawkins, Bill Melendez, Gerry Chiniquy, Virgil Ross, Charles McKimson, and Rod Scribner; brilliant writers like Warren Foster, Michael Maltese, and Tedd Pierce; ace musical arrangers Carl Stalling and Milt Franklyn; sound effects whiz Treg Brown; and, of course, the incomparable vocal range of one Creator/MelBlanc -- created and refined a large and diverse cast of characters, the most famous of which include (in chronological order of introduction):

Over the course of their tenures at "Termite Terrace", as the WB animation studio was informally known, legendary directors Creator/ChuckJones, Creator/TexAvery, Creator/BobClampett, Creator/FrizFreleng, Creator/FrankTashlin, Creator/ArtDavis, and Creator/RobertMcKimson -- assisted by talented animators such as Ken Harris, Emery Hawkins, Abe Levitow, Bill Melendez, Virgil Ross, and Rod Scribner; brilliant writers like Warren Foster, Michael Maltese, and Tedd Pierce; ace musical arrangers Carl Stalling and Milt Franklyn; sound effects whiz Treg Brown; and, of course, the incomparable vocal range of one Creator/MelBlanc -- created and refined a large and diverse cast of characters, the most famous of which include (in chronological order of introduction):

...along with dozens of lesser known and one-shot characters. Quite nearly all of these were voiced by Blanc, the ManOfAThousandVoices; in fact, that was used as a gag in at least one short. Other WB voice actors -- who, unlike Blanc, weren't credited onscreen -- included Creator/StanFreberg, Creator/JuneForay, Creator/DawsButler, Bea Benaderet, Pinto Colvig, Sara Berner, Hal Smith, Billy Bletcher, Arthur Q. Bryan (the voice of Elmer Fudd), and Robert C. Bruce (who narrated most of the "travelogue" and "newsreel" shorts).

...along with dozens of lesser known and one-shot characters. Quite nearly all of these were voiced by Blanc, the ManOfAThousandVoices; in fact, that was used as a gag in at least one short. Other WB voice actors -- who, unlike Blanc, weren't credited onscreen -- included Creator/StanFreberg, Creator/JuneForay, Creator/DawsButler, Bea Benaderet, Pinto Colvig, Billy Bletcher, Arthur Q. Bryan (the voice of Elmer Fudd), Hal Smith and Robert C. Bruce (who narrated most of the "travelogue" and "newsreel" shorts).

Helping the anarchistic spirit along were a succession of humourless bosses that more or less invited open rebellion. Founder Schlesinger won unwitting immortality as the inspiration for Daffy Duck's trademark lisp: "You're dethpicable!". However, as much as a cheapskate Schlesinger was (the dilapidated studio that he provided was called "Termite Terrace" for a reason) he largely stayed out of creative affairs as long as the films made money. By contrast, the Warner Bros. themselves really didn't know or care what was going on in their animation unit, apparently studio head, Jack L. Warner thought they produced WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse cartoons, leaving hands-on oversight to bean counter Eddie Selzer, whom the animators considered an interfering bore. Recounting the genesis of the classic ''WesternAnimation/BullyForBugs'', Jones recalled the day Selzer showed up at his door as he and writer Mike Maltese were hashing out story ideas, and bellowed: "I don't want any pictures about bullfights! Bullfights aren't funny!" Then Eddie marched off, leaving his dumbfounded staff staring at each other. "Well," Maltese said, "Eddie's never been right yet..."

"Looney Tunes", the generic term by which all Warners animation is now known and sold, is a brand name more than anything nowadays, but is most heavily associated with the "classic" theatrical shorts. The Tunes have been the mascots of the Ride/SixFlags theme parks for years.

* '''WesternAnimation/ElmerFudd''' -- "WesternAnimation/ElmersCandidCamera", 1940, Jones. One of only three humans in the regular cast, the others being Yosemite Sam and Tweety's owner Granny. The ButtMonkey, often TooDumbToLive. An avid hunter, thus Jones' favourite adversary for both Bugs & Daffy, reaching a peak in the iconic [[DuckSeasonRabbitSeason Rabbit Season]] trilogy. Less popular with the other directors -- particularly Freleng -- who found him too wimpy. To compensate, the other directors often made Elmer crafty in their pictures; see "Quack Shot" by Robert [=McKimson=], where he's one step ahead of Daffy the entire cartoon, and "Hare Brush" by Friz Freleng, where it's debatable that [[ObfuscatingInsanity he faked being insane]] in order to both avoid the IRS and get revenge on Bugs Bunny. Surprisingly, Elmer didn't appear as frequently as most people think, only encountering Bugs in over 30 pictures out of Bugs' 168 short lineup.

* '''[[WesternAnimation/SylvesterTheCatAndTweetyBird Tweety Bird]]''' -- "A Tale of Two Kitties", 1942, Clampett. "I tawt I taw a puddy tat!" In Creator/BobClampett's hands, Tweety was a pink, sadistic trickster who used his wits to get rid of cats. Under Creator/FrizFreleng, Tweety became yellow (the Hays Office balked because the pink made him look naked), found a recurring adversary in Sylvester, and often depended on an umbrella-wielding Granny or an angry bulldog to get rid of the "bad old puddy tat". Time has seen modern generations often mistake Tweety for a female (this doesn't happen in Spanish-speaking countries, as its local name, "Piolín", is unequivocally male).

* '''[[WesternAnimation/SylvesterTheCatAndTweetyBird Sylvester the Cat]]''' -- "WesternAnimation/LifeWithFeathers", 1945, Freleng. A cat with a speech impediment who usually tries to eat Tweety or Speedy Gonzales, with little success, making him a mild version of the VillainProtagonist. One of the most versatile of the ensemble, prone to neuroses and usually the star of the comic melodramas. In Robert [=McKimson=]'s hands, slobby Sylvester has a hyper-articulate son named Sylvester, Jr., whom Dad tries to impress by chasing what turns out to be a baby kangaroo; when he retreats gibbering at the "giant mouse!" Junior is mortified. Also known for a trio of spooky cartoons in which he is Porky Pig's pet, where, despite being TheVoiceless for these shorts, Sylvester attempts to convey to his master that their lives are in danger (twice from murderous mice, once from a curious alien); unfortunately, Porky is CaptainOblivious for most of this, believing Sylvester to be cowardly and paranoid, and only in the first short of the trio does he realize the truth.
* '''WesternAnimation/YosemiteSam''' -- "Hare Trigger", 1945, Freleng. A brash little outlaw with handlebar mustachios and a severe temper problem, introduced as 'a more worthy adversary' for Bugs than the meek Elmer. Said to be a [[{{Expy}} caricature]] of his short, brash, redheaded creator. Introduced as a Wild West bandit, he eventually became the stock blowhard villain character: Civil War general, Viking, pirate, Black Knight (no [[Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail Python]] references please), politician, Arab sheik, ''etc.''. Oddly enough, he wears his bandit mask no matter what role he plays. Said to have been inspired by Chuck Jones' great-uncle, a short, redheaded retired Texas Ranger.
* '''WesternAnimation/FoghornLeghorn''' -- "WesternAnimation/WalkyTalkyHawky", 1946, [=McKimson=]. A loud, obnoxious rooster with a Southern accent, based on Kenny Delmar's 'Senator Claghorn' radio character. Considers himself the life of the party; demonstrates by tricking little Henery Hawk out of capturing him, abusing the barnyard dog by whomping his ass with a wooden board and painting his tongue green, or babysitting a genius chick named Egghead, Jr. in order to cozy up to his widow hen mother.
* '''Marvin The Martian''' -- "WesternAmination/HaredevilHare", 1948, Jones. An IneffectualSympatheticVillain who wants to see an EarthShatteringKaboom, and is the TropeNamer thereof. Invariably foiled by Bugs. Like the Tasmanian Devil, he only appeared in a handful of shorts from the original shorts, but became popular enough to be featured in nearly every adaptation thereafter. His universe was expanded in the 2000s animated show ''WesternAnimation/DuckDodgers''. A CGI film starring Creator/MikeMyers as Marvin was planned in 2008 and ultimately shelved.

* '''Marvin The Martian''' -- "Haredevil Hare", 1948, Jones. An IneffectualSympatheticVillain who wants to see an EarthShatteringKaboom, and is the TropeNamer thereof. Invariably foiled by Bugs. Like the Tasmanian Devil, he only appeared in a handful of shorts from the original shorts, but became popular enough to be featured in nearly every adaptation thereafter. His universe was expanded in the 2000s animated show ''WesternAnimation/DuckDodgers''. A CGI film starring Creator/MikeMyers as Marvin was planned in 2008 and ultimately shelved.

[[ArtifactTitle As the names indicate]], these cartoons were originally meant to riff on the sweet, sentimental musical shorts then in vogue, such as [[WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts Disney's]] ''WesternAnimation/SillySymphonies''. That basing cartoons around popular public-domain songs -- or, even better, ones the studio already owned -- was a fast and relatively cheap way of producing them didn't hurt any, either. Creator/HarmanAndIsing animated the shorts until 1933, when a dispute with Schlesinger over budgets led them to depart for Creator/VanBeurenStudios.

->''The merry-go-round broke down,''

->''The merry-go-round broke down,''

->'''til the Merry-Go-Round boke down.''

->Laffs are guaranteed by ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies''.
-->-- '''Poster {{Tagline}}'''

...along with dozens of lesser known and one-shot characters. Quite nearly all of these were voiced by Blanc, the ManOfAThousandVoices; in fact, that was used as a gag in at least one short. Other WB voice actors -- who, unlike Blanc, weren't credited onscreen -- included Creator/StanFreberg, Creator/JuneForay, Creator/DawsButler, Bea Benaderet, Pinto Colvig, Billy Bletcher, Arthur Q. Bryan (the voice of Elmer Fudd), and Robert C. Bruce (who narrated most of the "travelogue" and "newsreel" shorts).

...along with dozens of lesser known and one-shot characters. Quite nearly all of these were voiced by Blanc, the ManOfAThousandVoices; in fact, that was used as a gag in at least one short. Other WB voice actors -- who, unlike Blanc, weren't credited onscreen -- included Creator/StanFreberg, Creator/JuneForay, Creator/DawsButler, Bea Benaderet, Billy Bletcher, Arthur Q. Bryan (the voice of Elmer Fudd), and Robert C. Bruce (who narrated most of the "travelogue" and "newsreel" shorts).

Helping the anarchistic spirit along were a succession of humourless bosses that more or less invited open rebellion. Founder Schlesinger won unwitting immortality as the inspiration for Daffy Duck's trademark lisp: "You're dethpicable!". However, as much as a cheapskate Schlesinger was (the dilapidated studio that he provided was called "Termite Terrace" for a reason) he largely stayed out of creative affairs as long as the films made money. By contrast, the Warner Bros. themselves really didn't know or care what was going on in their animation unit, apparently studio head, Jack L. Warner thought they produced WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse cartoons, leaving hands-on oversight to bean counter Eddie Selzer, whom the animators considered an interfering bore. Recounting the genesis of the classic ''WesternAnimation/BullyForBugs'', Jones recalled the day Selzer showed up at his door as he and writer Mike Maltese were hashing out story ideas, and bellowed: "I don't want any pictures about bullfights! Bullfights aren't funny!" Then Selzer marched off, leaving his dumbfounded staff staring at each other. "Well," Maltese said, "Eddie's never been right yet..."

Helping the anarchistic spirit along were a succession of humourless bosses that more or less invited open rebellion. Founder Schlesinger won unwitting immortality as the inspiration for Daffy Duck's trademark lisp: "You're dethpicable!". However, as much as a cheapskate Schlesinger was (the dilapidated studio he provided wasn't called "Termite Terrace" for nothing) he largely stayed out of creative affairs as long as the films made money. By contrast, the Warner Bros. themselves really didn't know or care what was going on in their animation unit, apparently studio head, Jack L. Warner thought they produced WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse cartoons, leaving hands-on oversight to bean counter Eddie Selzer, whom the animators considered an interfering bore. Recounting the genesis of the classic "WesternAnimation/BullyForBugs", Jones recalled the day Selzer showed up at his door as he and writer Mike Maltese were hashing out story ideas, and bellowed: "I don't want any pictures about bullfights! Bullfights aren't funny!" Then Selzer marched off, leaving his dumbfounded staff staring at each other. "Well," Maltese said, "Eddie's never been right yet..."

The freewheeling house style was also heavily influenced by, well, the house movies. Answering [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids accusations of excessive violence from parental action groups in later years]], Jones noted that these shorts were originally intended to ride with such [[SarcasmMode sweet, wholesome family fare]] as ''Film/LittleCaesar'' and ''Film/ThePublicEnemy''. "We didn't make them for kids," he explained. "We made them for ourselves."

"Looney Tunes", the generic term by which all Warners animation is now known and sold, is a brand name more than anything nowadays, but is most heavily associated with the "classic" theatrical shorts. The Tunes have been the mascots of the Six Flags theme parks for years.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[{{Tagline}} Laffs are guaranteed]]]]

->''"What's up, Doc?"''
-->-- '''WesternAnimation/BugsBunny'''

Over the course of their tenures at "Termite Terrace", as the WB animation studio was informally known, the legendary directors Creator/ChuckJones, Creator/TexAvery, Creator/BobClampett, Creator/FrizFreleng, Creator/FrankTashlin, Creator/ArtDavis, and Creator/RobertMcKimson -- assisted by talented animators such as Ken Harris, Emery Hawkins, Abe Levitow, Bill Melendez, Virgil Ross, and Rod Scribner; brilliant writers like Warren Foster, Michael Maltese, and Tedd Pierce; ace musical arrangers Carl Stalling and Milt Franklyn; sound effects whiz Treg Brown; and, of course, the incomparable vocal range of one Creator/MelBlanc -- created and refined a large and diverse cast of characters, the most famous of which include (in chronological order of introduction):

The cartoons starring this pantheon originated many of the classic AnimationTropes, co-opting or perfecting most of the rest. Being primarily character-driven comedy, with the various stars working and reworking their shticks solo or in combination, their comedic style is firmly rooted in vaudeville, early Broadway, and silent-film slapstick -- an ancestry they cheerfully acknowledged: as in Robert [=McKimson=]'s 1950 short "What's Up Doc?", an AnimatedActors look at Bugs's rise to stardom by way of Elmer Fudd's vaudeville act.

Over the course of their tenures at "Termite Terrace", as the WB animation studio was informally known, the legendary directors Creator/ChuckJones, Creator/TexAvery, Creator/BobClampett, Creator/FrizFreleng, Creator/FrankTashlin, Creator/ArtDavis, and Creator/RobertMcKimson -- assisted by talented animators such as Ken Harris, Emery Hawkins, Abe Levitow, Bill Melendez, Virgil Ross, and Rod Scribner; brilliant writers like Warren Foster, Michael Maltese, and Tedd Pierce; ace musical arrangers Carl Stalling and Milt Franklyn; sound effects whiz Treg Brown; and, of course, the incomparable vocal range of one Creator/MelBlanc -- created and refined a large and diverse cast of characters, the most famous of which include (listed in chronological order of introduction):

* '''WesternAnimation/SpeedyGonzales''' -- "Cat-Tails for Two", 1953, [=McKimson=]. Another FunnyForeigner and good-natured [[TheTrickster Trickster]] who moves at SuperSpeed to help his poor Mexican mouse friends get cheese from "el gringo pussygato" (usually Sylvester). Has a lethargic cousin named (inevitably) "Slowpoke Rodriguez" who uses a gun to incapacitate cats instead. [[DorkAge For obvious reasons]], the Speedy shorts -- particularly the late 1960s ones with Daffy as his antagonist -- tend not to be received well by animation fans and historians. Ironically, despite being blacklisted for a while in the U.S. for stereotyping, [[MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales he's the most popular Looney Tunes character]] ''[[MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales in Mexico]]''.

Warners ceased production of the classic series in 1963 and outsourced new cartoons to other entities in something of a DorkAge until 1969; a Revival of new production of the classic cartoons occurred during the '90s. Moving to television in 1960 with the original incarnation of the ''[[WesternAnimation/TheBugsBunnyRoadRunnerShow The Bugs Bunny Show]]'', the Warners' shorts took a level in ubiquity. Various repackagings became staples of the American [[SaturdayMorningCartoon Saturday morning]] schedule for the next forty years, reintroducing themselves through the generations, until they had permanently entered the collective consciousness.

%% NOTICE: Do NOT add tropes related to The Looney Tunes Show, Wabbit: A Looney Tunes Production/New Looney Tunes or Looney Tunes Cartoons. That goes on their respective pages.

[[folder: Looney Tunes Main Cast]]

* '''WesternAnimation/PepeLePew''' -- "Odor-Able Kitty", 1945, Jones. A FunnyForeigner and HandsomeLech, completely oblivious to his body odor problem... and thus to why all the pretty 'young ladiee skonks' keep running from him in disgust. Of course, the fact that they're nearly all actually ''cats'', unaware that they've had white stripes painted on their backs, doesn't help either. Can at times be a DepravedBisexual: Pepé has gone after a male cat who was painted up as a skunk in his first cartoon, a white-striped Sylvester at the end of 1954's "Dog Pounded", and accidentally made out with a man on a Tunnel of Love ride in 1951's "Scent-imental Romeo." Based in part on characters made famous by actor Creator/CharlesBoyer.

* '''WesternAnimation/YosemiteSam''' -- "Hare Trigger", 1945, Freleng. A brash little outlaw with handlebar mustachios and a severe temper problem, introduced as 'a more worthy adversary' for Bugs than the meek Elmer. Said to be a [[{{Expy}} caricature]] of his short, brash, redheaded creator. Introduced as a Wild West bandit, he eventually became the stock blowhard villain character: Civil War general, Viking, pirate, Black Knight (no [[Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail Python]] references please), politician, Arab sheik, ''etc''. Oddly enough, he wears his bandit mask no matter what role he plays. Said to have been inspired by Chuck Jones' great-uncle, a short, redheaded retired Texas Ranger.

* '''WesternAnimation/SpeedyGonzales''' -- "Cat-Tails for Two", 1953, [=McKimson=]. Another FunnyForeigner and good-natured [[TheTrickster Trickster]] who moves at SuperSpeed to help his poor Mexican mouse friends get cheese from "el gringo pussygato" (usually Sylvester). Has a lethargic cousin named (inevitably) "Slowpoke Rodriguez" who uses a gun to incapacitate cats instead. [[DorkAge For obvious reasons]], the Speedy shorts -- particularly the late 1960s ones with Daffy as his antagonist -- tend not to be received well by animation fans and historians. Ironically, despite being blacklisted for a while in the U.S. for stereotyping, [[MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales he's the most popular Looney Tunes character]] ''[[MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales in Mexico.]]''

It is impossible to discuss the impact of animation on any culture in the world without mentioning these characters and their famous shorts. They have a global influence equaled only by the WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts. Not only by dint of their quality and originality, but by the scope of their exposure, Looney Tunes have influenced every corner of the animated world. In the 1940's in particular, nearly everybody copied their antics--even Disney tried their hands at Warners-esque comedy from time to time!

For a complete filmography of the original cartoons, [[UsefulNotes/LooneyTunesAndMerrieMelodiesFilmography visit this page]]. For the 2011 animated sitcom that premiered on Cartoon Network, go [[WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow here]]. For an index of related ''Looney Tunes'' media outside of the main shorts (including films, TV shows, and video games), go [[Franchise/LooneyTunes here.]]