Looney Toons get hideous makeover

[FigmentJedi]

They're bugging out: Rad makeovers for classic 'toons
By Sean L. McCarthy
Thursday, February 17, 2005

This fall, Bugs Bunny will become a lean, mean crime-fighting superhero.

Have our Looney Tunes taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque?

Warner Bros. announced yesterday it has reinvented the classic cartoon characters after almost seven decades, introducing them to a new generation of Saturday morning TV viewers as the ``Loonatics.''

Bugs, Daffy Duck, Tasmanian Devil, Coyote, Road Runner and Lola Bunny have been ``reimagined as futuristic heroes'' for the new show, set in the year 2772.

All six characters underwent extreme makeovers, featuring sleek lines and lots of black.

Their look is more snarky than cheerful. Let's just say the new Road Runner looks even more like a literal speed freak.

The WB has done this sort of thing before. Remember its ``Tiny Toons'' collaboration with Steven Spielberg in the 1990s (``They're tiny, they're toony, they're all a little looney'').

The WB also has remade Batman and Superman - both in toonland and in live-action movie remakes coming out this summer and next.

Ned Hinkle, creative director at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, has liked the new-look Batman but not the futuristic adventures of ``Duck Dodgers,'' which sent Daffy Duck and Marvin the Martian into the 24th century. ``I don't think that was very good,'' Hinkle said.

Others disagreed, since the Cartoon Network also announced yesterday it was ordering 13 new episodes of ``Duck Dodgers'' for 2005.

The classic Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies from the 1930s, '40s and '50s still show up every weekend on the Cartoon Network. The Brattle's 10th annual Bugs Bunny Film Festival, which begins tomorrow in Cambridge, shows old-school, pre-1960 Looney Tunes films each day through Feb. 27. No ``Space Jam'' on that marquee.

Hinkle said recent Looney Tunes efforts on TV and film have fallen flat because ``it seems as though the humor and creativity has been lost along the way.'' The new ``Loonatics'' series could ``work really well,'' he said, ``but then again, good Lord, it could be a huge disaster.''

there's more articles on this thing. I hope this fails so Disney doesn't do the same thing to Mickey...

 

[Legacy]

Okay...

Wile- eh

Taz- COOL!

Bugs- :hurl:

Daffy- Decent

Lola- Not too bad

Roadrunner- COOL

 

[Master Yoda]

That is simply the worst thing I have ever seen.

 

[General Grizz]

Disgusting.

If this was Disney, I'd be protesting.

 

[MKCP 1985]

They look like Henna tattoos. Stretch them one after another all the way around a big bicep.


Hate it.

 

[Legacy]

The more I look, the more I like.

 

[Figment1986]

And who is showing this "TV show" next season?? (they look.. um... interesting.. this comming from someone who remembers watching Looney Toons on nick growing up....)

 

[imagineer boy]

While we Disney fans suffer dark times no thanks to Eisner, we really should consider how lucky we are compared to the poor loony toons.

 

[WDWFREAK53]

I'm with Legacy...

The more I look at them, the more I like them. This isn't to say that the characters aren't the same...this is just a "new look."

Think of it this way. Chip and Dale in the old cartoons...and Rescue Rangers. The Rescue Rangers weren't the same Chip and Dale that we saw giving Pluto a headache.

This is just another role. I think the creative juices are flowing over at the WB and I, for one, applaud them for taking the risk.

 

[Legacy]

I LOVE Taz though. I just get a kick out of him.

 

[Disnut]

That is simply the worst thing I have ever seen.

...Ditto...Ditto...

 

[TTATraveler]

They look like Looney Tunes on steroids. I don't particularly care for them. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" I think the Looney Tunes are just as popular as they have always been and didn't need retooling.

 

[Legacy]

After contemplating individual character designs, and the personalities of each... I have officially concluded that this redesign is actually refreshing and great.

Except for Bugs. Bugs is the only one who seems off.

He seems too menacing.

 

[Boo's Mom]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: I'm not a fan of the looney's but :lol: thats crazy! They ran this story on the local news two days ago. The news anchor said "don't mess with my rabbit!" I woke up my dog because I was laughing (boo laughed too lol). Mickey, DON'T CHANGE!!!!!!

 

[FigmentJedi]

And who is showing this "TV show" next season?? (they look.. um... interesting.. this comming from someone who remembers watching Looney Toons on nick growing up....)

Kids WB gets it, probably to go with the other bad classic character overhaul(The Batman)

 

[monorail_man]

Confusicios predicts this show will crash and burn.

 

[MKCustodial]

After contemplating individual character designs, and the personalities of each... I have officially concluded that this redesign is actually refreshing and great.

Except for Bugs. Bugs is the only one who seems off.

He seems too menacing.

So are they following their established personas or are those being revamped as well? Cause I really don't see that Daffy spitting while talking, or a Brooklyn accent coming from that rabbit...

 

[SIR90210]

That is the most horrible, awful, frankly yuck thing I have EVER seen! We can but hope Mickey & Friends don't meet a similar fate.

 

[MKCustodial]

In a strange way, this guy actually made some sense to me.

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/archives/2005_02.html#000877

Please watch out, there's some strong language in this article.

 

[Legacy]

So are they following their established personas or are those being revamped as well? Cause I really don't see that Daffy spitting while talking, or a Brooklyn accent coming from that rabbit...

Actually, yeah. I can still see the personas in the characters (except Bugs). I honestly think this series will work and the more I think about the more I can't wait to see this show.