Silver Anniversary: "Tiny Toon Adventures"

Greetings Toonsters!  

"Tiny Toon Adventures" premiered on Friday night, September 14, 1990 -- 25 years ago today!

It began its daily weekday run on the following Monday, September 17th.

Thanks to all who made "Tiny Toons" happen.  

There's a book in this adventure.  Until then, enjoy a few visual memories...

"Tiny Toon Adventures" pep rally, Warner Bros. lot, 1990.  

"Tiny Toon Adventures" at the Rose Bowl parade, 1992 (above).  And below, a pre-internet visit to the bizarre.   

  

It Was Twenty Years Ago Today: The Premier of "Pinky & the Brain"

That's "Pinky & the Brain" the primetime series, which premiered at 7pm on Sunday night, September 10, 1995 on The WB.  After their success on "Animaniacs," the two lab mice broke into primetime with their own show.  The title of the first episode:  "Das Mouse," written by Peter Hastings, directed by Liz Holzman and Al Zegler, produced by Peter, Rusty Mills, me and Mr. Spielberg, and starring the vocal performances of Rob Paulsen as Pinky and Maurice LaMarche as the Brain.  

And, now it's 20 years later, and since the world is not yet in the Brain's control, we must assume that Pinky & the Brain have spent the last 7305 nights attempting to take over the world -- without success.  

But there's always tomorrow night.

"Why, what are we going to do tomorrow night, Brain?"

"The same thing we do every night, Pinky -- try to take over the world." 

"They're dinky, they're Pinky & the Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain." 

"Narf" forever!    

On the Lot -- Warner Bros. Animation --1993

Here's a group shot taken in early 1993.  

Following the success of Tiny Toon Adventures, Taz-Mania and Batman: the Animated Series, Warner Bros. Animation was embarking on its second collaboration with Steven Spielberg and Amblin Entertainment:  Animaniacs. 

Pictured above are just a few of the people involved in these productions.   From left to right:  Bruce Timm (producer, designer -- Batman: the Animated Series), Terry Semel (Warner Bros. Co-Chairman & Co-CEO) , Kathleen Helppie (producer, Warner Bros. Classic Animation), Bob Daly (Warner Bros. Co-Chairman & Co-CEO),  Eric Radomski (producer, designer -- Batman: the Animated Series), Steven Spielberg (executive producer -- Tiny Toon Adventures & Animaniacs), Art Vitello, (director -- Tiny Toon Adventures; writer/producer -- Taz-Mania),  Jean MacCurdy (President of Warner Bros. Animation & executive in charge of production), Rich Arons (director -- Tiny Toon Adventures; producer -- Animaniacs), Sherri Stoner (writer/producer -- Tiny Toon Adventures & Animaniacs), Alan Burnett (writer/producer -- Batman: the Animated Series), and some guy named Tom Ruegger (writer/senior producer,  Tiny Toons & Animaniacs; writer/executive producer -- Batman: the Animated Series.)

Please note:  Many hundreds of other people -- not pictured above -- helped to make these shows successful.  

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!  

 

"Animaniacs" Recording Session Photo

Actors, writers, sound engineers, producers, the voice directing team, film editors, sound effect editors and series composers gather at the Sound Castle studio for an "Animaniacs" recording session.

Front Row:  Deanna Oliver, Jeff Bennett, Maurice LaMarche, Andrea Romano, Jess Harnell, Tress MacNeille, Rob Paulsen, Rich Freeman, Mark Keats.

Middle Row:  John Mariano, Tom Ruegger, Sherri Stoner, Randy Rogel, Harry Andronis, Kelly Foley, Leslie Lamers.

Back Row:  John McCann, Jean MacCurdy, Paul Rugg (in the bright light), Peter Hastings, Nicholas Hollander, Tom Minton, Joe Gall, Julie Bernstein, Kathy Page, Richard Stone, and a Sound Castle engineer.