What's the Deal with This New Jetsons Movie?

 You know, since I started this blog, there have been a few posts I never in a million years imagined writing. Yet, I think I've reached one even crazier than Huckleberry Hound coming to Blu-Ray.

In case you haven't heard, several entertainment outlets reported last week that Warner Bros. is once again attempting a live-action take on The Jetsons. It's far from the first time (check out this post to learn the history of this project), so who knows if it will actually see the light of day. But if it does, it will star Jim Carrey as George Jetson. Colin Trevorrow is in talks to direct the flick, while Joe Epstein writes.

Alright, that's a lot of info right off the bat, so let's get into my thoughts. I'll start with the casting of Jim Carrey as George. Straight-up, I don't like this choice. While I enjoy Carrey and many of his performances, he's the wrong choice for George. George is a typical sitcom straight man, which Carrey is anything but. I'm all for new interpretations and am no Jetsons purist, but this feels like a casting choice made solely because Jim Carrey is a box-office draw. Yes, Carrey has done more dramatic roles in the past, but let's be real, for a movie of this size, they'll want the typical Carrey shtick. Now, if he were cast as Grandpa Jetson, then they'd have been onto something!

In the director's chair is Colin Trevorrow. He's best known for directing some of the Jurassic World movies, and not directing the last Star Wars film. His Jurassic World entries are among some of my least favorite blockbusters in recent memory, so I'm not too excited with that choice, not that I was expecting Scorsese or something. That being said, his experience with VFX-heavy films may make him a good pick at bringing the futuristic Jetsons society to life. I'm at least sure it played a part in him landing the gig. He'll write the movie alongside Joe Epstein. Epstein produced the HBO series The Idol and wrote one short film. That's not a particularly inspiring resume, but everyone's gotta start somewhere I guess.

With the announcement of this new Jetsons film, I assume this also means that the animated feature that was announced in 2015 is no more. We haven't heard any updates on that in years, while the Flintstones animated movie that was announced alongside it is deep in development. Who knows if this one will even become a reality, but if it does, I'll be ready to talk about it. I'm already prepping for the inevitable Danny Devito as Mr. Spacely casting news!

Video of the Week: ToonHeads Presents the Worst of Hanna-Barbera

 Halloween is fast approaching, and as scary as ghouls and goblins can be, you want to know what's really scary? Bad cartoons. And as much as I love their early work, Hanna-Barbera probably produced more bad series than good ones. 

These shows, alongside drivel from competitors like Ruby-Spears and Filmation, were the focus of an episode of ToonHeads, an animation-focused docuseries that aired in the early years of Cartoon Network. If you watched ToonHeads back in the day but don't remember this episode, that's for good reason. Despite much of the work being done on it, the episode was ultimately scrapped. Apparently, the execs at CN weren't really comfortable with an episode that lampooned the Hanna-Barbera programs. A little odd, since this was post-Adult Swim, but at the same time, I do understand. Thankfully, the rough cut of the episode has been preserved and uploaded to YouTube.  Check it out below, and see what Hanna-Barbera shows were among the best of the worst cartoons.

Cartoon Network Presents: You Are Cartoons!

 There's no better time than this month to talk about costumes. And for today, I've got a special find related to the Hanna-Barbera mascot costumes. Below is the front and back of a Cartoon Network mascot guide book from 1995. This item was given to events and locations where the costumed Hanna-Barbera characters would appear, the most notable being Universal Studios. 

Here are a few shots of the interior pages. We get a shot of the character, alongside a few personality traits and details that the performer should keep in mind. There's a ton of characters covered, ranging from Hanna-Barbera's entire history. Honestly, I didn't even know there were SWAT Kats mascot costumes!

In addition to the profiles, the book also has sections dedicated to costume maintenance, events, and assembling the costume. It's definitely a unique item for any Hanna-Barbera collector, and a real treat if you're interested in finding out more about these costumes.

Jean Vander Pyl Has a Yabba-Doo Time

 This weekend would've been Jean Vander Pyl's 106th birthday. The last surviving cast member of The Flintstones, she portrayed Wilma for four decades, one of the longest tenures on any Hanna-Barbera character. She was the one constant cast member in the many spin-offs and sequels, including 1993's I Yabba-Dabba Doo!, which focused on the marriage between Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm. 

At the time of its release, there was a pretty big publicity blitz by HB for the special, including a wedding shower between the special's stars. Jean Vander Pyl did a number of interviews and pieces to promote the special, including today's focus, this piece from the Beaver Country Times. This appeared in the February 7th, 1993 edition of the paper. Inside, Vander Pyl discusses coming back for the special, the early years of The Flintstones, and a glimpse at its future. 

Wilma reflects on yabba-dabba doo times

    By Debra Utterback

    Jean Vander Pyl savors her all-time favorite line from "The Flintstones."
    The scene: The paper boy throws a cement newspaper at the modern, Stone-Age family's house, knocking Fred Flintstone on his back.
    Fred responds: "Boy, I hate the Sunday paper." 

    That's real humor, says Vander Pyl. "As long as there is a Sunday paper, 'The Flintstones' is going to last."
    You might not recognize her name. Or her face, for that matter. But her voice is bound to sound familiar. A radio disc jockey once told Vander Pyl she had the most recognizable female voice in America.
    Why? She's Wilma Flintstone—the one-and-only wife of Fred, mother of Pebbles, and best friend of nice Betty Rubble. She's the matriarch of the prehistoric cartoon world.
    Vander Pyl has supplied the voice of Wilma since"The Flintstones" first aired on TV in 1960. "I'm the only original cast member surviving," she says.
    Now she's back in Bedrock as Pebbles and neighbor Bamm-Bamm Rubble prepare to tie the prehistoric knot before a national TV audience. Vander Pyl continues her role of Wilma as TV's longest-running animated situation-comedy returns with the primetime feature, "I Yabba-Dabba Do!" from 7 to 9 tonight on ABC0TV stations, including WTAE-TV (Channel 4) in Pittsburgh.
    Vander Pyl knew the sequel was bound to happen. Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm have been friends since babyhood. Vander Pyl was only too happy to return to her role of Wilma.
    She speaks pleasantly late one morning over the phone from her home in San Clemente, Calif., where the sun has disappeared behind fog that clouds her view of the ocean.
    Her voice—Wilma's voice—is easily recognizable, although she doesn't seem to think so. To make WIlma come alive, Vander Pyl says she has to make her voice sound higher.
    She gives an example: "Freeeed! Freeeed! If you don't...!" She admits she sometimes falls into the Wilma mode when she gets excited. "When my voice gets high, I find myself slipping into it." 
    Vander Pyl doesn't look like Wilma, not at her age, she says. She's a sprightly 73. When she was younger, however, her hair was red, like Wilma's. And she shared Wilma's slender figure. Those were only coincidences, though. 
    She was picked to be the voice of Wilma by show creators, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, after they had used her voice for other cartoon projects.
    Vander Pyl, a widower, mother and grandmother, talks proudly about the new, prime-time special. The show, produced by the original creators, H-B Production Co., offers a "prehistoric poke at the sanctity of marriage."
    Wilma, who once was known around town for gossiping and her shopping cry "Charge it!" is being plucked out of the Stone Age and into a modern woman's world. She and Betty have opened their own catering business—much to Fred's chagrin.
    The Flintstone household is more up-to-date now. It features a video cassette recorder and a microwave. Pebbles has her own apartment and works for an advertising agency. Her betrothed, whom she calls "Bammer," works in an auto shop.
    Fred is still Fred, however. He never seems to have enough cash. He continues to drag friend Barney into his get-rich-quick schemes, which leads to a fiasco in the wedding planning.
    How does Wilma put up with the big lug?
    "It's what young people would call an old-fashioned marriage. She really loved the big galoot, but got mad at him," Vander Pyl explains, laughing.
    She isn't surprised "The Flintstones" has survived for more than three decades. She credits the writers for creating "so much human comedy." 
    "This is real humor. The writers haven't had to rely on smut like some other shows have," she says.
    She's pleased she's able to continue in the role of mother of the bride for the "I Yabba-Dabba Do!" special. She hints Wilma will be popping up in future "Flintstone" shows as well. 
    Is there a grandchild in Wilma's future?
    "You bet there is!" Vander Pyl says, excitedly.

Video of the Week: A Scoobtober Special

 It's October once again, and considering WB has been pushing this whole "Scoobtober" thing the last couple of years, I felt I had to post something about those meddling kids. Today, I've got two Scooby-Doo commercials from years past. This first one was aired in 2007, and advertises DirecTV. It was part of an extensive marketing campaign that saw faces from various movies and TV shows promote the cable company.

This next one, which aired in 1996, advertised a Burger King promotion for Scooby-Doo toys. It's quite an infamous one as well. From my understanding, this was the first time Casey Kasem did not portray Shaggy in animation. Kasem was a vegan and had no interest in advertising a hamburger restaurant. Thus, he left the role and did not return until 2002's What's New Scooby-Doo. I can't say for certain who voices him here, but most of the comments believe it's Tom Kenny. It certainly sounds like him. This was also one of the last times Don Messick voiced Scoob before his retirement later that year. 

Huckleberry Hound Has Some Carnival Fun

 The Flintstones wasn't the only Hanna-Barbera property to get a piece of the carnival game pie. Take a look at "Huckle-Chuck," once again made by our friends at Transogram (or Transy, as seen on the top of the package). The packaging boasts it as three carnival games in one: ring-toss, bean bags, and pitch dart. Huckleberry Hound also sports "moving head action" and is a sturdy Masonite construction. As opposed to a frail Masonite construction, I guess?

Here's what he looks like out of the packaging, and it appears the photographer captured him in the middle of the moving head action mentioned in the packaging. You can also see a couple of Huck's friends on the board, including Yogi, Quick Draw, Pixie, Dixie, and Mr. Jinks. I also just love how they modified his hat so rings could be thrown onto it more easily. It's a pretty neat package, and Huckleberry Hound seems to agree. Just look at that smile!

Pitchin' and Bowlin' with the Flintstones

 Bowling is one of the things Fred and the rest of the Flintstones crew do best, so it's not shocking that a toy company would come along someday and make a bowling set based on the show. That moment came in 1961 courtesy of Transogram, which produced a variety of toys for Hanna-Barbera cartoons and other popular series of the 1960s. Here they are below, both in and out of the box. Compared to much of the early merchandise, these guys aren't too shabby-looking. I also dig the packaging, which sports solid artwork and a nice color scheme.

While I'm here, I'll also share this tiny print ad for the game. This ad depicts the game less as one based around bowling and more as a generic carnival game. This game retailed for a whopping $3.98 when it was released in 1961. Nowadays, even a loose set costs about $70. Not bad for a couple of pinheads!