Looney Tunes

"A-ba-dee a-ba-dee a-ba-dee, a-ba-dee, that's all folks!"

Chuck Jones and Jim Henson in London in 1988, as seen in Jones' 1990 book Chuck Amuck.

Looney Tunes is the collective title for a series of Warner Bros. theatrical shorts featuring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and other characters. The blanket term is often used to encompass the related series, Merrie Melodies, which shared the same artistic team and pool of characters.

In 1969, Chuck Jones, one of the Looney Tunes directors, wrote the following letter about Sesame Street to a television critic at the Los Angeles Times:

“The major and most important phenomenon is that no commercial show will ever be quite the same...I have a feeling that Joan Ganz Cooney (Executive Director, Children's Television Workshop) and David Connell (Vice President and Executive Producer) have opened a Pandora's box that will scare the hell out of everybody in TV because the TV-watching child will devour Sesame Street to the last crumb. And if that is true, some network is going to realize that intelligence is just conceivably commercial, which is just so revolutionary, it just might be un-American.”

In 1990, Jim Henson, talked about animation for USA Weekend:

“Some of the funniest chase scenes ever captured on film star the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. You tend to root for both characters. You want the Road Runner to win because he’s an ‘innocent’ and you want the Coyote to win just because he deserves it after all he’s been through. Like Road Runner, the Sylvester and Tweety shorts are full of great chase gags. I sometimes felt that even if Sylvester did catch Tweety, he wouldn’t quite know wha to do with him.

“Now in his 50th year, Bugs is probably the cartoon character who works best with dialogue – as seen in the three cartoons in which Bugs, Daffy and Elmer Fudd argue over whether it is rabbit season or duck season.”

Muppet Mentions

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Baby Looney Tunes

Ernie and Bert in The Looney Tunes Show (see bottom right corner of the second page)

"When Marvin Comes Martian In"

• Looney Tunes #47, the December 1998 issue of the comic book series published by DC Comics, included an 8-page story called "Puppet Regime." The plot involved Daffy Duck's jealousy over the fact that he's not been cast in the new children's film Cuddly Buddies: The Movie. The film stars spoof versions of various children's TV icons, most notably Barney the dinosaur, but also Bananas in Pajamas and, in a two page section, Sesame Street. The street, renamed ABC Sunflower Street, is populated by a collection of "Schmuppets," including a purple Big Bird analogue, an orange Kermit the Frog spoof (whose eye pupils change into different punctuation marks, according to mood), a purple Oscar the Grouch, and a cheerful green monster combining aspects of Elmo and Grover. The scheming Daffy, posing as a health inspector, sucks up the whole bunch into a vacuum cleaner, prompting "Kermit" to shout, "It's not easy being cle-e-a-an!" The collective puppets get their revenge in the tale's final panel.

• The premise of Warner Bros' animated series featuring infantilized versions of the Looney Tunes characters is very similar to Muppet Babies, with the characters in a nursery under the watchful eye of Granny. One noticeable difference between the two shows is that Granny is seen in full-bodied form, compared to Nanny, who was mostly seen from the waist down.

• In the Baby Looney Tunes episode "I Strain", when the TV breaks down, the babies use a cardboard box to make their own TV and shows. One of the shows, "Caraway Street," is a parody of Sesame Street. Bugs dresses as a character named "Shlomo" (a parody of Elmo), Tweety is a character named "Yellow Bird" (a parody of Big Bird), and Taz is a character named "The Grump" (a parody of Oscar the Grouch) who lives in a crate. The show is sponsored by the letter "scribble" and the number "kagillion" ("All the real ones were used up by the other shows.")

• In The Looney Tunes Show episode "It's a Handbag," appearing in Daffy's book of criminals are caricatured versions of Ernie and Bert. The code under Bert's photo reads "11-10-BX," referring to the premiere date of Sesame Street. The code under Ernie's picture reads "01-28-EX," referring to his birthday.

• The New Looney Tunes episode "'Tis The Seasoning" ends with Yosemite Sam wrapped up in a box. Upon unwrapping him Christmas morning, a young boy is disappointed that he's not a "Tickle Me Barbarian."

• The New Looney Tunes episode "When Marvin Comes Martian In" features a sequence in which Marvin the Martian looks into Daffy Duck's subconscious and finds him painting an elephant pink. Storyboard artist Michael Ruocco confirmed on Twitter that it was a reference to Jim Henson in Time Piece.

Appearances

• Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck appeared in Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue, with members of the Muppet Babies and other characters.

• Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, and Tweety all made a cameo appearance in The Earth Day Special, which also featured a cameo by the Muppets.

• Bugs appeared in an anti-litter music video which aired on Sesame Street.

• An unproduced Sesame Street insert was to repurpose footage from a 1962 Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote cartoon, "Zoom at the Top," with new narration from Bugs Bunny to explain the difference between open and closed.

References

Baby Piggy encounters a scene from Puss N' Booty

The Muppets Go to the Movies

• In the December 10, 1964 episode of The Jimmy Dean Show, Rowlf the Dog thinks he's actually a cat. As he closes his eyes and probes his mind for the answer as to why, he jumps up, startled and exclaims Tweety Bird's catchphrase, "I tawt I taw a puttytat."

• In Episode 0161 of Sesame Street, Big Bird plays "road runner" by rushing around exclaiming, "Meep meep!" He similarly imitates the character in Episode 0479.

• Issue #115 of the Daffy Duck comic book series is seen hanging in the Hooper's Store window in Episode 1247 of Sesame Street.

• In an Ernie and Bert sketch, the duo search for Dr. Livingstone, so Ernie can ask him, "What's up, Doc?" Ernie laughs uproariously and credits Bugs Bunny with the phrase.

• Big Bird plays "road runner" in Sesame Street Episode 0512 while running around making beep noises and asks Susan if she wants to be the coyote who chases him.

• In episode 421 of The Muppet Show, a rabbit closes the show from Statler and Waldorf's box with Porky Pig's famous send-off line, "A-ba-dee a-ba-dee a-ba-dee a-ba-dee, that's all folks!"

• In the 1976 special Bob Hope's World of Comedy, when Bob Hope asks Big Bird who his favorite movie stars are, Big Bird names several famous birds (and Walter Pidgeon), including the Road Runner (along with Donald Duck and Woody Woodpecker).

• When a hole is torn through the movie screen in The Muppets Go to the Movies, Kermit ends the sketch by peering though and stating "That's awful, folks!" with a Porky Pig-like stutter.

• In Episode 1663 of Sesame Street, a Road Runner comic book can be seen on the door of Hooper's Store.

• In the Fraggle Rock episode "Gone, But Not Forgotten," a parrot says "What's up, Doc?"

• "Merrily We Roll Along," the theme for the Merrie Melodies shorts, is worked into the closing vamp of "Make 'Em Laugh" in Here Come the Muppets.

• During the Fozzie Bear cartoon scene in the Muppet Babies episode "Six-to-Eight Weeks", a brief clip from Fin 'n Catty (1942) can be seen.

• In the Muppet Babies episode "Comic Capers," the song "The Sunday Funnies" incorporates footage from Puss N' Booty (1943), the final black and white Looney Tunes short.

• When Baby Gonzo goes to the imaginary hospital to check on Camilla in "Faster than a Speeding Weirdo," he looks for her in two rooms. The first one is occupied by a large chicken who speaks with a Southern accent (Foghorn Leghorn) about a dangerous chicken hawk (Henery Hawk). In the second room is a bandaged bird who "tawt [he] taw a putty tat", a spoof of Tweety Bird.

• In the Muppet Babies episode "Whose Tale Is It, Anyway?," Baby Fozzie appeared as Farmer Fozzie, who laughs and talks with a lisp like Elmer Fudd. Baby Bean Bunny also dressed up as Bugs Bunny and says, "Neh, what's up, Foz?"

• In the Muppet Babies episode "Eight Flags Over the Nursery," when the babies appear in the movie studio section of the theme park, somebody asks if Baby Piggy is Porky Pig's sister.

• In the Elmo's World episode on balls, the ending line of the TV cartoon is, "That's ball, folks!", a play on Porky Pig's line, "That's all, folks!" Similarly in the episode about hats, the Hat Channel says the closing line "Hat's all, folks!" a play on Porky Pig's line, "That's all folks!"

• In the Sesame Street song "Don't Touch Me!", a monster sees Benny Rabbit and quotes the Abominable Snowman by saying he'll "hug him and pet him and squeeze him!"

• A Wile E. Coyote plush can be seen as a carnival prize in Follow That Bird, in the first shot at The Sleaze Bros. Fun Fair after the cast comes to rescue Big Bird.

• In Love the Earth!, the Bear Scouts are looking for the Blue-Feathered Swallowing Swallow and hear its distinctive call. Following the sound, they find they have been fooled by a rabbit unable to pronounce the letter R. Commenting on the coincidental speech impediment, Baby Bear says he won't be fooled again by the "wascally wabbit."

• In Miss Piggy's Rules, Miss Piggy reveals she answered a personal ad for a tall, handsome actor who loved fine dining and the rural life. When it turned out to be Porky Pig, her response resulted in his speech impediment.

• The Farscape episode "Revenging Angel" features an animated John Crichton and D'Argo in a series of scenes spoofing the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote cartoons.

• In a Super Grover 2.0 sketch, Grover helps a duckling trying to cross a stream should swim across, at one point remarking, "Do not be daffy, duck!"

Connections

• Eric Bauza voiced Marvin the Martian in The Looney Tunes Show and New Looney Tunes, where he also voiced Pepé Le Pew.
• Dee Bradley Baker voiced Daffy Duck in Space Jam and in New Looney Tunes.
• Jack Benny voiced a mouse version of himself and appeared as himself in live-action footage in the short The Mouse That Jack Built.
• Bob Bergen is the official voice of Porky Pig and others.
• Mel Blanc was the voice of many of the characters in the Looney Tunes stable, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, Speedy Gonzales, Foghorn Leghorn, and countless others.
• David Bowie appeared in the special Bugs Bunny's Looney Tunes All-Star 50th Anniversary Special.
• Dan Castellaneta played a basketball fan in Space Jam
• Chevy Chase appeared in the special Bugs Bunny's Looney Tunes All-Star 50th Anniversary Special.
• Bill Cosby appeared in the special Happy Birthday Bugs: Fifty Looney Years.
• Dave Coulier voiced a gremlin in The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries episode "The Scare Up There".
• Joan Cusack played Mother in Looney Tunes: Back in Action.
• Danny DeVito provided the voice of Swackhammer in the movie Space Jam.
• Jessica DiCicco voiced Lexi Bunny in Loonatics Unleashed.
• Sholly Fisch has written several Looney Tunes comic books for DC Comics.
• Stan Freberg provided voices in the original shorts, as either Hubie or Bertie (alternating with Blanc), Tosh of the Goofy Gophers, Junyer Bear, Pete Puma in Rabbit's Kin, the Gambling Bug in Early to Bet, the narrator and all voices in Three Little Bops and others, and reprised several of the roles on Tiny Toon Adventures, Duck Dodgers, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, and assorted specials and videos.
• Joan Gerber voiced Granny in the short Corn on the Cop.
• Whoopi Goldberg appeared in the special Happy Birthday Bugs: Fifty Looney Years, and made introductions on the Looney Tunes: Golden Collection Volume 3 DVD set.
• John Goodman appeared in the special Happy Birthday Bugs: Fifty Looney Years.
• BJ Guyer was a puppet wrangler on Baby Looney Tunes: Musical Adventures.
• Albert Hague played a psychiatrist in Space Jam.
• Dan Haskett did character designs for Looney Tunes Cartoons.
• Jeremy Irons appeared in the special Bugs Bunny's Looney Tunes All-Star 50th Anniversary Special.
• Jim Kroupa was a puppet consultant on Baby Looney Tunes: Musical Adventures.
• Maurice LaMarche voiced Yosemite Sam and others in various projects and Pepe LePew in Space Jam
• Jack Lescoulie voiced Caspar Caveman in Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur (1939) and "Jack Bunny" (a Jack Benny caricature) in Malibu Beach Party (1940).
• Abe Levitow was an animator in Chuck Jones' unit, working on countless original theatrical shorts and several subsequent compilation features and specials.
• Matthew Lillard played himself in Looney Tunes: Back in Action.
• Bruce Lanoil puppeteered Daffy Duck in green-screen shots and voiced Pepé Le Pew in the film Looney Tunes: Back in Action.
• Heather Locklear played Dusty Tails in Looney Tunes: Back in Action.
• Rick Lyon puppeteered Baby Bugs Bunny in green-screen shots for Baby Looney Tunes: Musical Adventures.
• Lara MacLean was a puppet wrangler on Baby Looney Tunes: Musical Adventures.
• Danny Mann voiced the Robo Dog and the Spy Car in Looney Tunes: Back in Action.
• Steve Martin appeared in Bugs Bunny's Looney Tunes All-Star 50th Anniversary Special and as Mr. Chairman in Looney Tunes: Back in Action.
• Laraine Newman voiced various characters on The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries.
• Rob Paulsen voiced a casino cat, a crewman, and the sphinx in Tweety's High-Flying Adventure, Mac Gopher on The Looney Tunes Show, and various characters on The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries and Duck Dodgers.
• Robert Picardo played the Acme Vice President of Rhetorical Questions in Looney Tunes: Back in Action.
• Little Richard appeared in the special Happy Birthday Bugs: Fifty Looney Years.
• Will Ryan voiced Papa Bear in Looney Tunes: Back in Action.
• Hal Smith voiced Elmer Fudd in Dog Gone People and What's My Lion?.
• Frank Welker voiced Hector the Bulldog, Mugsy, and others on The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries, Charles the Dog in Space Jam, K-9 on Duck Dodgers, and Scooby-Doo in Looney Tunes: Back in Action.

See also

• Tiny Toon Adventures
• Taz-Mania