Happy New Year!

                                                        From Big Fat Baby and "Histeria!"

Have A Holly Jolly Christmas!

"The Stockings Were Hung By The Chimney With Care..."

"While Visions of Sugar-Plums Danced in Their Heads"

Yakko's Christmas Dream...from "Animaniacs."

Holiday Greetings! -- Christmas Card #3

Winter Solstice -- December 21, 2010

Have a great holiday season!

Christmas Is Coming...

                                              ...And winter is on its way!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas and All Through the House...

...Some creatures were stirring, including a mouse...

                                "Tonight, my dear Pinky, our plan is unfurled

                                We'll steal Santa's sleigh and take over the world!"

                                                                      From Animaniacs:  "'Twas the Day Before Christmas."

"A Pinky and the Brain Christmas" -- Pinky's Letter to Santa

Happy Holidays!

Here's a cell set-up from "A Pinky and the Brain Christmas."  This special won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program in the 1995-96 television season.  This is the one and only Primetime Emmy Award won by a WB program in the entire history of the WB network (1995-2006).  Ever!

                                           A Pinky and the Brain Christmas (1995)
                                                                  directed by Rusty Mills

"Merry Christmas from Pinky and the Brain"

 
                            Promotional art from "A Pinky and the Brain Christmas" (1995).  

Animaniacs: "Little Drummer Warners"

One of my favorite shorts of the series, "Little Drummer Warners" casts Yakko, Wakko and Dot as shepherds "abiding in the field at night" in this rendition of the Christmas story that offers up a jazzy swing version of "Little Drummer Boy."  Many thanks to Richard Stone, Steve Bernstein and Julie Bernstein for making the music work so well.  This cartoon was beautifully directed by Lenord Robinson.  Earl Kress and I worked on the script, and the vocal performances by Rob Paulsen, Jess Harnell, Tress MacNeille and Jim Cummings, among others, are outstanding.

"Batman: The Animated Series" Christmas Card -- 1992

This was the 1992 Christmas card sent out by Warner Bros. Animation.  "Batman:  the Animated Series" had premiered just a few months earlier.  This beautiful and funny holiday scene was created by Bruce Timm.   I had a few copies matted then sought out the autographs of some of the directors, writers and producers on the series.  

Tiny Toon Adventures TV Guide Cover: Merry Christmas!

December 19th-25th, 1992:  Buster, Babs, Plucky and Hamton make the cover of "TV Guide's" Christmas issue.   This is a copy of the artist's proof. 

Here's the original painted background and cel setup...preserved for posterity by Jean MacCurdy, who gave it to me as a Christmas gift back in '92.  Thanks Jean!  

 

Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering?

In the News:  Mice Created From Two Dads

December 9, 2010:   Scientists in Texas have created baby mice from two male mice, raising possibilities that double-father offspring could, in the future, repopulate vulnerable species.   Researchers yesterday reported using stem cell technology to create mice with two dads, and no mums, genetically speaking.   That is, the mice carried chromosomes from two males, rather than the usual assortment of genetic material from one male and one female.

The latest issue of the journal Biology of Reproduction claims that researchers have found a way to successfully produce baby mice using genetic material from two fathers.  The breakthrough could be a boon to efforts to save endangered species -- and the procedure could make it possible for same-sex couples to have their own genetic children.

Tonight, at Acme Labs, Pinky and the Brain's regularly scheduled plan to take over the world has been postponed due to much confusion.  According to a spokeman for the Brain, somebody has "a whole lot of 'splainin' to do."

Animaniacs Movie Poster #6: "Revolutionary Warners"

Here's another early draft of a movie poster for a proposed Animaniacs feature film:  "Revolutionary Warners."  While we plotted out an outline in which the Warners played an instrumental role in the battle for independence, Bob Doucette designed this patriotic promo piece. 

Tiny Toon Adventures vs. Batman: the Animated Series

Both "Tiny Toon Adventures" and "Batman: the Animated Series" have won their fair share of Emmy Awards.  On a couple of occasions, the two shows wound up in competition for the same award.  After one of those skirmishes when the toons prevailed over the superhero, Bruce Timm drew up this beautiful piece, below.  

At Warner Bros. Animation ( and most other studios)  many artists would celebrate birthdays, holidays, major events, studio politics and other humorous moments of life by drawing up cartoons and caricatures of fellow workers.  Batman producer/director/designer Bruce Timm was and is one of the very best at these works of comic art, and his caricatures have always been brilliant.  His cartoons of Eddie Fitszgerald and Tom Minton were used as the initial rough facial models for Pinky and the Brain.  (We just added ears, white furry bodies and pink tails to Bruce's drawings of Eddie and Tom.)

Animaniacs Movie Poster #5: "Hooray for Hollywood"

Here's another preliminary poster for a proposed Animaniacs feature film.  I love the Hirschfeld-like caricatures Bob Doucette drew into the margins.  Many of the elements of this story found their way into the Animaniacs two-parter, "Hooray for North Hollywood." 

The challenge:  1.  Name all the celebrities pictured.  2.  Name the celebrities who are still alive.  3.  If they were all still alive, who would be the youngest?

Animaniacs Movie Poster #4: "Little Orphan Warners"

Another early draft of a poster, drawn by Bob Doucette, for a proposed Animaniacs feature film.  This was Yakko, Wakko and Dot's take on "Oliver Twist."  Bob's designs are fabulous.  I love seeing the pencilwork on all of these efforts.  

This particular poster took a bit more time to restore than the others.  I found it folded up at the bottom of an apparently non-leakproof box.

Animaniacs Movie Poster #3: "Wandering Warners We"

Another preliminary movie poster designed by Bob Doucette for a series of  "Animaniacs" movie concepts that were developed in the late 90's.  Paul Rugg had his hand in the development of this scenario, and the treatment is hilarious.  Yakko, Wakko and Dot play troubadours sent on a mission by the King to track down his heir, the princess, in order to save the kingdom.  In "Wandering Warners We," the fourth Warner sibling is introduced:  the profoundly untalented "Lakko."  (Before the midpoint of the movie, Lakko is unceremoniously fired from the production by his brothers and sister due to an abject lack of timing and charisma.) 

 

Holiday Greetings! -- Another Chistmas Card

Animaniacs Movie Poster #2 : "The Road to Bohemia"

In the late 90's, we worked up a bunch of different feature film concepts for "Animaniacs."  Then Bob Doucette drew preliminary movie posters for some of the more promising ideas.  

Various elements from "The Road to Bohemia" found their way into the feature-length "Animaniacs" cartoon that we ultimately made:  "Wakko's Wish."