The Flintstones (Almost) Come to Broadway

 They conquered televisions They made it to the big screen. They've appeared in countless video games, comic books, and commercials. It seems like The Flintstones has been able to find a home in practically every medium. Except for one: the Broadway musical. But that's not to say they didn't try.

Back in 2008, Warner Brothers Theater Ventures was hard at work on a musical adaptation of the modern stone-age family. Gary Griffin, who directed shows like The Color Purple and My Fair Lady, was locked in as the director. The score was being handled by Jeff Marx and Jake Anthony, the former of whom is best known for his work on Avenue Q.  Marco Pennette, a writer on many TV shows, was set to take care of general writing duties.

That's a lotta names for the project, but what exactly was this musical going to be about? Variety reported that the show would focus on modern day issues, including a plotline where Wilma considers leaving Fred, who's too much of a caveman for her taste. Barney and Betty would adapt Bamm-Bamm, and they'd deal with the issue of global cooling. Interesting, to say the least.

And that was more or less all we knew about the project. Despite having a director and (I would assume) a script, it never went into production. Perhaps the financial crisis at the time gave WB cold feet about pouring money into it? Or maybe they simply felt The Flintstones wasn't a popular enough IP to justify its own musical? Either way, it never went into full production, leaving news reports from the time to be the only information we have on it. 

Since it never truly got off the ground, we don't exactly know what this musical would've looked like. However, Universal Studios had a Flintstones live musical of their own in the nineties, so I've attached some images from that to show what this may have looked like. What do you think though? Did we dodge a bullet, or would you've liked to see this get made? I don't have much interest in a Flintstones musical myself, but at the same time, it couldn't have been worse than Viva Rock Vegas.

Video of the Week: A Retro Bite of Hanna-Barbera

 This week's featured video is an oldie, but also a goodie. From way back in 1961 comes this great archive footage of Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera showing how Hanna-Barbera animates its cartoons. It's a short clip, but they do a surprising job running through the key elements of making one of their shows. This video has been online for quite a long time, so I'm sure many of you have seen it, but if you haven't, definitely give it a watch. And even if you have already watched it, go ahead and watch it again!

Two Helpings of Hanna

 Today would've been the 116th birthday of the one and only William Hanna. This is the part where I'd tell you about his long partnership with Joe Barbera and all the toons they helped create, but you already know all about that, don't you?

In celebration of him and his legendary career, here are two videos spotlighting the man himself. They're pretty short, but I hope you'll still get a kick out of them. This first clip is Bill giving a couple words of encouragement to those who participated in the 1990 UNICEF animation workshop, which was held in Jamaica. 

Secondly, here's a 1994 Cartoon Network promo focused on Hanna, who tells viewers to keep watching The Flintstones on the channel. Both Bill and Joe made a couple appearances in promos for the network during their later years, and were also on the channel's advisory board alongside faces like Jerry Beck and Don Messick.

The Stars of Hanna-Barbera, Presented in Funkovision

 I like collectables as much as the next guy, but if I'm being honest, I've never been the biggest Funko fan. I don't hate their products as much as many seem to, but they aren't my cup of tea, either. That being said, they have had a couple offerings that I do dig, and one of those is the Funkovision line. Released in 2007, these were sets that contained two vinyl figures based on popular cartoon characters encased in a tube TV. From what I could tell, these weren't too successful when first released. The line ended that same year, and nowadays, some of these go for over a hundred bucks. Today, I'm going to showcase some of my favorite of the line's Hanna-Barbera offerings.

Starting off with The Flintstones, we have two sets for both the Flintstones and Rubbles families. I love that they took inspiration from Craig Kellman's 90's redesigns, and making the TV set look like one you'd see in the actual show is a very nice touch.

However, the Flintstones and the Rubbles aren't alone. Funko also produced a set based off the Gruesomes. I'm not crazy about these characters, but it is cool that they made them, especially since they're rarely ever seen in merchandise. These ones also had the bonus of being glow in the dark, which feels appropriate for these guys.

 Here's a set containing Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear, complete with a more traditional TV. You'll also notice here that there were only 480 versions of this set made. Most of these were made in limited numbers, which I'm sure has only added to their value in the years since.

The last two I'll show today feature Peter Potamus and So So, and Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har. Both look good, but I feel like the character choices are kind of strange. We got these guys, but no Quick Draw McGraw? What about any of the Jetsons? I feel like the picks may have also contributed to this line's quick death, cause these are definitely not the strongest ones to start off with. It's a real shame they didn't continue with this line, though. I'd take these over the same standard Funko POP figures any day personally.

Video of the Week: Hanna-Barbera Races Into Wendy's

 Hanna-Barbera definitely loved themselves a good fast-food promotion, and nowhere was that more evident than in the 90's. McDonalds,  Arby's, and Wendy's all put out a line or two of toys based on Hanna-Barbera cartoons. Today's video is a commercial for a Wendy's Hanna-Barbera racers promotion. 

This line, released in 1999, featured five race cars, each themed to a different series. Characters included Tom and Jerry, Yogi Bear, George Jetson, Dexter, and a car controlled by Droopy, Wally Gator, and Atom Ant. That last one is definitely a weird inclusion. I can only assume whoever was calling the shots on these wanted those guys in these, even if they had to share one vehicle. These toys are also interesting for being among the few times Hanna-Barbera characters produced under the Cartoon Network studio were featured alongside the classics. But I think that's enough out of me. Check this old-school commercial out below!

Hanna-Barbera Animation Art Statues

When it comes to Hanna-Barbera collectibles, a type that I haven't really discussed here before are the statues. They're have been a lot produced over the years, but the "Hanna-Barbera Animation Art" statues of the 90's have to be the most interesting. These were made by Hanna-Barbera themselves, rather than a third party, and were sold at various Warner Brothers Studio Stores. Each of these were made in small quantities, so they can be pretty expensive on the secondary market, but they're great pieces nonetheless. Today, I'll share some of my favorites, beginning with this Jetsons set.

These ones were released in 1996, with only 500 being produced. Collectors could purchase George, Jane, Judy, Elroy, and Rosie the Robot. Strangely, Astro was never made, and I couldn't tell you why. They're great takes on the characters though, but I must admit the scaling seems a bit off for them. The statues were apparently made based off maquettes created during the show's original production, so that may be the reason for that.

Another highlight of this line was the "Creature Comforts" series. Only two were produced, Fred and Barney, but both are fantastic statues. They look they came straight out of the show, and giving them tools goes a long way in adding some character to the pieces. I think I prefer the Barney statue, but both are lovely. 

As great as those two are, I think my favorite has to be this statue, based on the Wacky Races series. Man, they really went all out on this one. Not only do you get Dick Dastardly, but you also get Muttley, and an extraordinary base, complete with dynamite and bombs galore. The expressions for both characters are perfect, and the other items feel right at home here. More than any of these, it feels like a moment from a Wacky Races episode, just as a statue. It doesn't get any better than that.

Video of the Week: The Flintstones Head for Lake Financial

The Hanna-Barbera characters really do show up in a lot of banking commercials. Yogi Bear has advertised Rocket Mortgage, Top Cat promoted the Royal Bank of Scotland, and today, I'm reminding you of the time the Flintstones showed up for Lake, a credit firm found in Japan.

As you'd expect, the commercials feature both the Flintstones and the Rubbles in a variety of situations. The animation, more than any character, is the real star here though. They look pretty sharp for thirty-second clips, and it's far nicer on the eyes than anything the Hanna-Barbera studio was pumping out at the time. Check a bunch out in their full 1980s glory below!