Video of the Week: 1981 Yogi Bear PSA

 Over the years, the Hanna-Barbera characters have appeared in many public service announcements, warning viewers about the dangers of drugs, pollution, and other concerns. This one from 1981 features Jellystone regulars Yogi and Boo discussing why smoking is a bad habit to start. Hey, they don't say he's smarter than the average bear for nothin'!

A Hanna-Barbera Inspired Wedding

 Here's a neat find I came across while doing research for yesterday's post. Commissioned sometime during the 1970s, it's a cel featuring several Hanna-Barbera characters as groomsmen in a wedding ceremony. This was done as a wedding gift for a woman who worked at the studio during the time, and it's a pretty cool gift if you ask me! Not only that, but the cel is also signed by both Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera! All in all, it's an amazing treat for an amazing event. I have to wonder if any other employees received special cels like this.

Hanna-Barbera Studio Store Swag

 I've talked about the extremely short-lived Hanna-Barbera stores that popped up in two malls in the early 1990s, but something I haven't touched on is the Hanna-Barbera Studio Store, which also opened around that time. Like a lot of studio stores, it offered a range of products exclusive to employees, from apparel to art pieces. Here are a few of the items sold at the store that I could find online. 

First off is a necktie with one of my favorite HB characters adorning it, Atom Ant! He doesn't get much representation in the world of merchandising, so I found this one to be a pleasant surprise.

The second piece of the day is a T-shirt featuring Mrs. Flintsone. The art on this shirt is not unlike the style Hanna-Barbera used on much of their branding during this time, with a close-up of a character's face inside a rectangle. I cannot say for certain, but I'd be shocked if there weren't more shirts available at the store in this style.

I'm not totally sure if this one was actually sold at the employee store or given through alternative means, but whatever the case, it was made exclusively for employees, so I'm looking at it anyway! It's an animation cel of Bill and Joe in front of the house they built, alongside their bedrock buddies, Fred and Barney. Their designs are also the same as the ones used in their cameo in the 1993 TV movie, I Yabba-Dabba Do! I don't know for certain, but I'm guessing this was commissioned around the same time as that film.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find that many items sold at the studio store, but I'll finish this short exploration with my favorite find, a 1996 jacket showcasing Hanna-Barbera characters, both from their glory years, and their years making original programming for Cartoon Network. Probably the coolest thing about this one is that we get to see Fred, Yogi, and Huckleberry Hound right next to the likes of Johnny Bravo, Dexter, and Cow and Chicken. Don't let modern CN and WB merchandise fool you; those latter characters were Hanna-Barbera first, and Cartoon Network second, a fact I think many overlook these days.

Like I said, this is everything I could find online that was sold at the location, but there's no way this was all. If there happen to be any former HB employees reading this, I'd love it if you left a comment about some of the other products that were sold at the store. And maybe, just maybe, you could send me some. I kid, I kid!

A Couple of Flintstones Model Sheets

 I shared these on my personal Facebook the other day, but I'm sure these will be of interest to all of you, so here they are. These are a couple of model sheets from The Flintstones that aren't too easy to find online. These are pulled from the Cartoon Network website circa 2001, which had a great section at the time known as the "Department of Cartoons", which showcased storyboards, model sheets, and video/audio clips of CN shows old and new. A lot of these, most notably the audio and video clips, seem to be lost to time, but most of the images survive. Look below to see some sheets for Fred, Wilma, Barney, and Betty! I especially love the page dedicated to showing the do's and don'ts of drawing Fred.

As an added bonus, here's some additional artwork done for "The Flintstone Flyer", the first aired episode of the series (second in production order). These also come from the old CN website. If you want to see more, you should definitely check out the website from around this time, which you can do with some help from the Wayback Machine. I plan on posting more stuff from it in the future, but if there's a certain series you'd like to see more BTS of, give it a try!

Before I wrap this up, I suggest you also check out my list of recommended blogs, as I have made several new additions. Some of them I really should have added by now, and others are completely new to me, but all of them were suggested by Kamden Spies, who you may know from either his work over at Cartoon Research, or his own blog, Termite Terrace Headlines. If you've never heard of him, check out both, and of course, check out all of the blogs in the aforementioned list. Many were inspirations for me to start this blog, and they are all great resources for those interested in learning more about classic cartoons, Hanna-Barbera or otherwise.

Mixed Nutz: A Canceled Crossover of Classic Cartoons

 In 1996, Time Warner merged with Turner Broadcasting. Among many other things, this meant that the Hanna-Barbera library of cartoons and characters now lived under the same roof as Bugs, Daffy, and the rest of the Looney Tunes. Yet, in the nearly thirty years since the two joined forces, they rarely crossed over. Aside from a few commercials, the occasional merchandise, and Space Jam 2, the characters have stayed in their own corners. But in 2008, that very nearly changed.

Above is a piece of art created in a pitch to Warner Bros. Animation for a series titled Mixed Nutz. This comes to us courtesy of Tom Ruegger, who's no stranger to developing Hanna-Barbera projects that got canceled. The basic premise of the series is that each episode would be a series of skits featuring the Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera characters interacting. Some included Bugs getting a ride from Fred Flintstone, Marvin the Martian joining the Jonny Quest crew in the place of Hadji, El Kabong trying to stop the Road Runner, and Daffy going on a cross-country tour with Yogi Bear.

One recurring theme to these skits is that many would've been parodies or spoofs of other media. There were riffs on Casablanca and James Bond starring Bugs Bunny, as well as a take on The Terminator revolving around Rosie the Robot going after Daffy. Below is a piece of art developed for the show that showcases a planned South Park parody.

Different from the other projects I've looked at this month, which never made it past the initial development stages, this one was greenlit by the higher-ups at WBA, and got rather far into production. A series bible, scripts for several segments, and a fully-written pilot were all completed. So what happened? An executive shake-up at WBA is what happened. Sam Register was brought into the company (he had previously worked at Cartoon Network Studios), and he had his own idea for a new Looney Tunes cartoon. That became 2011's The Looney Tunes Show, and as soon as that had won over execs, Mixed Nutz fell out of favor and was canceled. However, despite this show never becoming a reality, it seems WBA was still really into the idea of a skit-focused animated series. In 2010, right around the time Mixed Nutz likely would have aired had it been ordered, MAD premiered on Cartoon Network. Based on the iconic magazine, the series filled the void left behind by this project. Although we got a Warner Bros sketch-comedy cartoon, the idea of a full-fledged crossover between the Looney Tunes and HB characters remains unrealized. 

Of course, that's the case only for the moment. I'm sure we'll eventually get some sort of major crossover between the two properties, but whether it'll be better or worse than what we could've gotten with Mixed Nutz will likely never be determined. If you'd like to know more about the show, I once again suggest you check out Tom Ruegger's blog. He has a great series of posts from 2011 all about the show and some of the sketches thought up for it. And with that, this first Scrapped September has come to an end! But that's not to say I'm done talking about canceled Hanna-Barbera media. Back during "Jetsons June", I spoke about three Jetsons projects that never quite got off the ground: a sequel series revolving around grown-up Judy and Elroy, the long-in-development live-action movie, as well as a planned revival of the series from the late nineties. And next month, I'll discuss a Hanna-Barbera video game that never saw the light of day. I hope you've enjoyed this series of posts, and I'll see you tomorrow with something different!

Video of the Week: The Funtastic Legacy of Hanna-Barbera Retrospective

 For this week's video, I've got a massive one to share with you all. Massive might be an understatement, as this video clocks in at a whopping three hours! This comes from Youtuber 47CartoonGuy, who I've featured on this blog before. If you're interested in YouTube channels that cover Hanna-Barbera, this is one to look out for. He has a deep knowledge of the studio, its library, and its legacy, and this video is all the proof you need. Check it out below...assuming you have the time, that is!

8 Hanna-Barbera Casting What-Ifs

 For today's edition of our ongoing "Scrapped September" series, I've decided to talk about something else besides canceled shows or movies. Over the years, many actors auditioned for the roles of some of Hanna-Barbera's most famous characters, even more than some may think! So let's take a look at the voices that almost were, with eight actors who very nearly portrayed our favorite cartoon characters.

1. Morey Amsterdam and Pat Caroll as George and Jane Jetson - We all know George O'Hanlon and Penny Singleton as the voices of Mr. and Mrs. J, but for a time, two others were signed on to play the characters. Morey Amsterdam, best known for appearing in The Dick Van Dyke Show, was to voice George, while Pat Carroll, remembered for portraying the unfeeling Ursula in The Little Mermaid, would play his wife. The pair only recorded one episode before being replaced but had already signed for a twenty-four-episode season, leading the two to sue Hanna-Barbera. Now, why were they replaced to begin with? Supposedly, it was due to sponsor conflicts the two had with other shows (Dick Van Dyke for Morey, and The Danny Thomas Show for Pat). In the end, the courts ruled in favor of Hanna-Barbera. That's where Amsterdam's association with the studio ended, but it should be noted that Pat Carroll did do several voices for the studio in the eighties.

2. Bill Thompson as Fred Flintstone - Jumping from the space age to the stone age, Fred Flintstone is a character who had many trying out for the part before Alan Reed was chosen. One of the more interesting names looked out was Bill Thompson, who did voices for everyone from MGM to Disney. He was Droopy, Jock the Scottish Terrier, and Touche Turtle. Thompson was later chosen to voice Fred and actually completed several episodes, but Joe Barbera felt his voice didn't have the roughness needed for a guy like Fred. He was ultimately replaced, as was Hal Smith's Barney, by Alan Reed and Mel Blanc respectively. Despite this, the two can still be heard in a few moments of the early episodes. If you'd like to hear more about the Fred and Barney we never got, I implore you to check out Tim Lawson's great The Magic Behind the Voices book. 

3. Mickey Rooney as Top Cat - Much like Fred, TC was a character who many auditioned for before Arnold Stang was locked in. But the most intriguing name? Hollywood heavyweight Mickey Rooney. Rooney wasn't a big-time voice actor, but he did have a few credits to his name, and Top Cat was almost one of them. He was one of around a hundred actors who auditioned for the role, and according to Stang, was their number-one choice until he came in. After that, Rooney was out, and Stang cemented himself as the main character in one of the studio's most fondly remembered shows.

4. Lucille Bliss as Elroy Jetson - George and Jane weren't the only members of the Jetsons clan to go through some growing pains. The same holds true for their boy, Elroy. Initially, the part was to be played by Lucille Bliss, a voice actress legend whose roles range from Disney's Cinderella to Nickelodeon's Invader ZIM. She was voicing the character for six weeks, but was being credited as "Little Lou Bliss", as the team in New York wanted a little boy for the part. Her agent wasn't exactly a fan of this, and went forward to HB demanding she be credited with her real name and receive more money. The studio fired her shortly afterward, and Bliss went on to refer to the entire ordeal as a "heartbreaker", though she'd later return to the studio to play one of her most famous roles, Smurfette in The Smurfs. If you'd like to hear Bliss herself discuss the situation, check out the above Archive of American Television interview from 2005 (Jetsons talk begins at around 5:30). Some really fascinating stuff here!

5. Don Messick as Zorak - Trust me, I know exactly what you are all thinking right now, and yes, Messick did play Zorak in the original Space Ghost series from the 1960s. However, he was initially intended to reprise the role for Cartoon Network's late-night take on the series, Space Ghost Coast to Coast. This comes courtesy of a 2021 oral history piece on the show from Syfy's website that unfortunately doesn't seem to exist anymore, though I absolutely remember reading it. Apparently, the show's creators never thought for a moment that the role would go to anyone other than Messick, but there was one little thing standing in the way: Cartoon Network didn't want to pay him! Understandable since the network was still in its infancy at this time, and I imagine Messick wasn't a cheap name to get. Ultimately, the part went to the late C. Martin Croker, who mentioned he could do a good recreation of Messick's take on the character. He did a test line, and almost instantly afterward, the part was his!

6. June Foray as Betty Rubble - As most of you know, The Flintstones voice cast went through major changes from pilot to full series. Jean Vander Pyl stayed on as Wilma, but everyone else was recast, and that included June Foray's Betty Rubble. Losing out on the part somewhat soured Foray's relationship with Bill and Joe for the next few years following this, although she could be heard in a few Flintstones episodes following this, as well as The Man Called Flintstone feature film. Similarly to Bliss, her most notable Hanna-Barbera role would also come from The Smurfs, where she portrayed Jokey Smurf.

7. Daws Butler as Spook - This one was unearthed recently and comes from Yowp's great blog. Shortly before Top Cat premiered, it was announced that the spectacular Daws Butler was to portray Spook, the olive-green member of Top Cat's gang. However, when the show did premiere, the part was played by Leo De Lyon, so what happened? We're not entirely sure, but I should mention that Daws was close to playing Top Cat himself for a time, but Joe Barbera felt he was voicing too many major characters in their shows, causing him to lose out on the role. It's possible that it was this same line of thought that led to Butler not getting the role of Spook as well. Although, interestingly enough, Daws would play Top Cat in the 1972 TV movie, Yogi's Ark Lark.

8. Too many to name as Scrappy-Doo - If you know anything about Scrappy-Doo's inception, you probably know it was a tumultuous one. That extends to his voice, which is also known to be a complicated affair, but I don't think many know just how complicated it got! The character was initially to be voiced by the one and only Mel Blanc, due to his similarities to Henery Hawk, but he was too expensive. After that, the search really began, with almost every notable voice actor who worked for HB being in talks to play the role. Dick Beals, Howie Morris, Paul Winchell, Daws Butler, Frank Welker, and Don Messick were all considered for the role until finally, Lennie Weinrib got the part...until he asked for more money. Weinrib was then replaced by the previously mentioned Messick, whom Frank Welker actually suggested the part go to in the early days of development. If you want to know more about the casting process and work that went into bringing Scrappy to life, I suggest you check out animation writer and historian Mark Evanier's enthralling multi-part piece focusing on the matter. He puts this point in the character's inception rather succinctly, saying Scrappy may have been the first character to "have more voices than fans."

But I am curious as to what you all think. Are there any of these you would've liked to have seen happen, or are you perfectly happy with the voices we got? I cannot imagine anyone else as Fred, Top Cat, and Mr. Jetson, but maybe you might feel different? Sound off in the comments below!

Sitting Down With the Flintstones and the Rubbles

 On this day, sixty years ago, the fourth season of The Flintstones premiered on ABC. Though no viewer would have known it at the time, this season would prove to be a major chapter in the show's evolution. It was the season that introduced Bamm-Bamm to the show's cast. It was the last season where Bea Benaderet voiced Betty Rubble. But most importantly, it was the season where the show really started to become more kid-oriented. Admittedly, that shift had already begun in the previous season and would be pushed even further in the fifth, but the fourth season was where it became more apparent.

That's not to say the fourth season was without its merits, however. Plenty of episodes in this season have become classics, such as the premiere episode, "Ann-Margrock Presents", and Bamm-Bamm's debut, "Little Bamm-Bamm." If you're curious, I think my personal favorite episode of the season has to be "Ten Little Flintstones", an episode so strange and absurd in its concept that I can't help but love it.

Whether you love the season or hate it, it's undeniable that the season had a big impact on the show's future, and the Flintstones franchise as a whole. To celebrate the occasion, here's an article from The Tennessean Sun discussing the fourth season from November 17, 1963, two months after the season premiered. It is notable for being one of the few pieces I could find that interviews the entire cast of The Flintstones. The interviews are sadly a bit on the short side, but it's a great piece nonetheless. And, as an added bonus, I threw in a photo of the entire cast at work! You may have seen it before, but it's a lovely photo that I couldn't help but share with this article.

Flintstones Enter Their Fourth Year

    WITH THE hayseed growing amongst the "diachronda" in Beverly Hills, the German army surrendering all over again for a new generation, and doctors flashing their scalpels and libidos into millions of living rooms, Hanna-Barbera's "The Flintstones" will enter its fourth year on television.

    (The Flintstones) has proven a smash not only in America but throughout the world as well. It is currently playing in over 42 countries.

    One of the little-known aspects of the show is the marked effect it has had on its real-life stars, Alan Reed, Bea Benaderet, Mel Blanc, and Jean Vander Pyl.

    "I just completed a trip to various parts of the country," states Alan Reed, the burley voice of Fred Flintstone, "and because people recognized my voice and realized it was Fred, I really had some wonderfully warm experiences."

    "In all the years I was doing radio, my voice was never as familiar to the public as it is now with the 'Flintstones.' It's a good feeling that you are that close to the public."

    Bea Benaderet, the voice of Betty Rubble, says, "There's no doubt that being the voice of Betty Rubble has brought added excitement to my life.

    "All my friends, both professional and non-professional, feel very personally and unusually interested in the fact that I am doing the part. 

    "I am very proud to be doing the series," she said.

    Fred Flintstone's ever-loving spouse, Wilma, portrayed by Jean Vander Pyl, has this to say: 

    "I think the most gratifying reaction I get to doing the voice of Wilma Flintstone is the delightful prestige that goes along with it. As opposed to doing most other shows, this is not only unique but virtually unheard of. It's a real joy. It doesn't matter about all the other characters I've done throughout the years."

    Rounding out the cast, the versatile Mel Blanc, who essays Barney Rubble on the show, stated:

    "Being the voice of Barney Rubble in the Flintstones has been one of the most fun things I have ever done. Mostly because of the reactions I get from my fans and from the public in general. They love Barney and consequently, they love me. That's nice.

    "I have yet to talk to anyone who is not familiar with the series, and that's mighty unusual these days for television, now that people are getting a little more choose.

    "I had this exciting popularity driven home to me when I was in the hospital after my automobile accident.

    "The mail I got was fantastic, and most of it came from those who were sorry to know that Barney Rubble had been injured.

    "I found that Barney had a good many friends, and that's a gratifying reaction to an actor who never appears on the screen. Let's face it. The 'Flintstones' are practically a national institution."

Two More Hanna-Barbera Movies That Never Were!

 In last week's installment, I discussed The Quickest Draw in the West, an unmade Quick Draw McGraw film pitched to HB in the late eighties. Now, I bring you two more TV movies from around the same time that never came to be. First, take a look at this poster below.

This was a poster for the Hanna-Barbera's Superstars 10 series of films. For those who don't know, in the late eighties, ten two-hour TV movies were commissioned by Hanna-Barbera, featuring many of their most beloved characters and franchises. It was this line of films that gave us The Jetsons Meet The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf, Rockin' With Judy Jetson, and Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats, just to name a few. The poster highlights some of the characters who were featured in these movies, but one stands out from the rest here. That is Penelope Pitstop, of Wacky Races fame. At some point in the development of these movies, one was intended to focus on Wacky Races, and that was Around the World with the Wacky Racers. The film would be about, unsurprisingly, the various Wacky Racers embarking on a race all around the world. Unfortunately, that's where what we know about the film both begins and ends. The project was canceled early in development, supposedly due to issues with Heatter-Quigley Productions (they were co-producers on the original series), but elements of it did get incorporated into the films we did get. Don't forget that the aforementioned Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf flick had a race featured prominently in its story. Where do you think that came from?

Jumping forward a few short years, let's talk about the Magilla Gorilla film we never got, A Night at the Ape-Ra! Pitched sometime in 1991, this one may very well be even more shrouded in mystery than the Wacky Races film was. All I could learn about it was the fact that it exists, and what little info was given on it in a listing on Heritage Auctions. Looking at the poster, we can see plenty of friends and foes who would have been along for the journey alongside Magilla. Dick Dastardly, Muttley, Top Cat, and Wally Gator would've all appeared. The poster also proudly announces the introduction of a new character: Matilda Gorilla. I imagine this would have been a female counterpart and possible love interest to Magilla. As interesting as all of this sounds, the project never got past the pitch stage. I have no idea as to why, but considering it was developed in '91, the same year Hanna-Barbera was bought out by Turner, perhaps the new heads in charge of the company had little appetite for more Magilla. I do know that anything that was in development at the time of the Turner acquisition was indeed halted, so it's very possible that that was the reason the movie never moved forward. It's unfortunate neither of these films panned out, but that's the business for 'ya. 

Check in next week for the last installment of this "Scrapped September" series, showcasing what might be the craziest and most fascinating canceled Hanna-Barbera project of them all! I won't say much right now, but let's just say it involves the HB characters crossing over with another iconic library of cartoon characters.

Video of the Week: Flintstones Midas Commercial

 As weird as it sounds, for the past twenty or so years, the primary source of new Flintstones media has come from TV commercials. While the majority of these appearances come from Fruity Pebbles ads, there have also been many for other products. One I only learned of this week was this 2005 commercial for Midas, featuring Fred and Barney coming into the shop to get some brake work done. Probably the most interesting thing about this ad is the fact that this is one of the first, if not the first, Flintstones productions to feature James Arnold Taylor as the voice of Fred. He began playing the character in most of his advertisement-based appearances after Henry Corden, Fred's second voice, passed away earlier that year. Voicing Barney is the legendary Frank Welker, who was still regularly voicing the character at this time. Check out the commercial below!

And, before I wrap up this week's posts, here's some neat trivia regarding how James Arnold Taylor got the part of Fred Flintstone. In the 2013 documentary I Know That Voice, Taylor says he was by far the shortest person out of anyone who was auditioning for the part. So short in fact that the individual who called up each actor for their audition practically looked over him. Only after Henry Corden interjected and asked they give him a shot was Taylor able to actually audition. Thus, James Arnold Taylor joined the ranks of the great voice actors who have given life to Freddy Flintstone!

Wacky Races' Legacy in Japan: Games, Books, and More!

 Today marks the fifty-fifth anniversary of Wacky Races, one of my personal favorite Hanna-Barbera cartoons, and one I haven't gotten to talk about to this point. But I'm not going to be discussing the show itself. Instead, I'll be looking at the show's legacy in Japan. You never know how a cartoon will be received in other territories, and there have been several Hanna-Barbera shows that have reached greater heights abroad. For example, Top Cat has quite the following over in Mexico, so much so that two animated theatrical films were released for the show. But it was the hijinks of those daffy drivers that captivated Japanese audiences. In the country, Wacky Races  (known better in the region as Chikichiki Machine Mo-Race) is among one of the more popular Hanna-Barbera franchises, and both Dick Dastardly and Muttley are extremely beloved and prone to merchandising. So fasten your seatbelts as we take a tour threw some of the more interesting Wacky Races products to come from the rising sun.

Starting us off is one of the more unique pieces exclusive to the country, a Wacky Races video game! There have been a couple of games based on the series throughout the years, but this one never made it outside of Japan. Released on the relatively overlooked 3DO, this game was a racing title featuring computer-animated cutscenes, something that was still a novelty at the time. Check out the box art below, showcasing all the racers in their old-school 3D glory!

Maybe video games aren't quite your thing. Perhaps you are more of a board game person. Fret not, for Japan has you covered with this Wacky Races-themed board game, made by Takara! From what I could decipher, this came out sometime in the early 1990s.

Another interesting find I came across was these notebooks, both featuring Muttley and Dastardly adorning them. The first one is a lot closer to the art used in most promotional pieces, while the second takes a more stylized and unique approach. Your mileage may vary, but I think the art on the latter notebook looks great!

I've got only one product left to show you all, and I saved the strangest for last. Released in 2015, it's a set of Wacky Races...paper towels? As usual, Muttley and Dick Dastardly are the characters featured, although I wouldn't be surprised if some of the other racers also appeared during this promotion. It's definitely an odd find, for both Wacky Races products and Hanna-Barbera merchandise in general. After all, when was the last time you saw a cartoon character advertising paper towels? You also have to love how the packaging displays Dastardly's colors. A nice touch if I do say so myself!

Before I wrap up this short look at Wacky Races' enduring fame in Japan, I'll leave you with this commercial that aired in the country around the late nineties, showing the racers making a stop at a Mobil gas station! I hope you enjoy, and I also recommend you check out this fascinating article on Cartoon Research, which shows how some of Hanna-Barbera's cartoons made the jump to the East. This is one of my favorite articles on the site, and it also served as a great starting point for this piece. Happy fifty-five years of Wacky Races, and let's hope the next fifty-five are just as wacky as the first!

The Funtastic World of Hanna & Barbera, A Hanna-Barbera Podcast

 How come there are almost no Hanna-Barbera podcasts?

That was a thought that crossed my mind about a week ago. Mind you, I did say "almost", but even the existing ones appear to have been inactive for some time. It should be noted that there is a variety of podcasts focused on Scooby-Doo, but if you're looking for ones that cover all of the works and history of Hanna-Barbera, you'll be out of luck. 

That all changed this week. Someone out there heard my question, and that someone is animation historian Greg Ehbar. Ehbar is an accomplished freelance writer, and one I'm sure you've heard of if you frequent Cartoon Research. He's the author of a series of posts on the site titled "Animation Spin", which highlights records based on the cartoons of yesteryear. He's also very well-versed in the world of Disney. He's collaborated with them on multiple projects across TV, print, online publications, and more, including his book Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records. He's a great fan and authority on Hanna-Barbera, as well, and it is that particular passion that's led Ehbar to create The Funtastic World of Hanna & Barbera, a podcast about everything to come out of 3400 Cahuenga Boulevard.

There have been two episodes produced so far, and both I highly recommend. Episode one focuses on the very beginning of Bill and Joe's partnership and features Jerry Beck, another great animation historian. Episode two is all about the old Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera ride at Universal Studios. Ehbar is joined in this episode by Michael Lyons, another freelance writer whose work you've likely seen on Cartoon Research. You can find a direct link to the podcast right here, but it's also available on Amazon, Google, and iHeart Radio. I also recommend you check out the official Facebook page for the podcast, as well as Gregovision.net, Greg Ehbar's personal website. I found both episodes to be excellent, and I cannot wait to see what Ehbar has in store for the series. Give it a listen, and show Ehbar your support! He more than deserves it!

The Quickest Draw in the West

 In the second installment of "Scrapped September", I thought I'd highlight an unmade project regarding one of my favorite Hanna-Barbera shows and characters, Quick Draw McGraw! I haven't really talked about him on this blog yet, so it's well past time I fixed that. This silly sheriff has actually been involved in a few canceled projects over the years, but for today, I'm highlighting the 1989 TV movie that never was: The Quickest Draw in the West.

The saga of The Quickest Draw is a short one, but it's an interesting one nonetheless. The film was the brainchild of two animation writers: Tom Ruegger and John K. Ludin. These writers would later rise to prominence through their work at WB Animation, working on shows such as Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain, but at this time, the two were stationed at Hanna-Barbera. They worked on several shows, including The Smurfs, Flintstones Kids, Pound Puppies, and more, but the two had an idea for a TV movie starring Quick Draw McGraw. Both were big fans of the character, and since Hanna-Barbera had several TV movies in the works at the time covering a variety of different franchises, they hoped one of them could be given to McGraw. At this point, Quick Draw had been mostly relegated to cameos and supporting roles in crossovers with other Hanna-Barbera characters, so this would have been his biggest outing since the end of the original series. Not much is known about what their pitch for the movie contained, but there was at least one piece of art created for the pitch, which you can check below. This comes courtesy of a 2020 listing on Heritage Auctions, for those curious.

While I and I'm sure many others would have been intrigued by the prospect of a Quick Draw movie, there was one person who wasn't quite feeling it, and that was none other than Joe Barbera himself. He wasn't that into the concept, and steered Ruegger and Ludin into another direction, leading to the creation of The Good, the Bad, and the Huckleberry. That was the end of the Quick Draw film, but I am confident a few ideas from the movie were remixed for the one we got. Sadly, it wouldn't be the last time Quick Draw McGraw would get a movie pulled out from under his hooves, but that's a story for another day.

Beyond the piece of art accompanying this article, all of the information featured here comes courtesy of Tom Ruegger's blog, Cartoonatics. It doesn't get a ton of updates these days, but if you are a fan of his animation writing, I cannot recommend it enough. As a starting point, I suggest you check out this post, as it's where the info regarding this movie comes from. It also features some fascinating details behind the production of the film we did get, including a photo of the script signed by the legendary Daws Butler.

Video of the Week: Chatting With Don Messick

 It was 97 years ago today that the amazingly talented Don Messick, one of the most prolific and well-known performers in the world of Hanna-Barbera, was born. To celebrate his birthday, watch this interview Messick did on some sort of talk show back in the 1980s. He talks about many of his characters, from Scooby to Boo Boo to Papa Smurf, although I must admit that I wish the questions he's asked were a bit more interesting. Honestly sounds like they didn't do much in the way of preparation or research for this interview. That being said, interviews with Don aren't too common of a find, so I guess I can't be too picky. 

Speaking of Messick's TV appearances, would you believe he was interviewed on a 1995 episode of Maury Povich? According to several fan wikis, this was his last TV appearance before his retirement in 1996. Sadly, I can't find any remnants of the interview, but I did find this image of what appears to be Messick on the show's set. Has anyone happened to have ever seen or heard of this before? I for one would love to see this segment in its entirety!

Happy heavenly birthday, Don Messick. I sincerely wish the best for his family, friends, and anyone else who knew this voice-acting giant!

Hanna-Barbera Cartoons...On Disney and Nickelodeon?

 If you're around my age and enjoy the works of Hanna-Barbera, I'm willing to bet you began watching them through the same means I did: Cartoon Network, and its sister channel, Boomerang. Of course, these cartoons aired on many stations over the years, and two of those just so happen to be Cartoon Network's biggest competitors: Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel.

Starting with the House of Mouse, the Disney Channel seems to have aired many of the TV movies Hanna-Barbera produced for their series, instead of the shows themselves. The earliest one they played appears to be the 1987 film Yogi's Great Escape, which aired on the channel in January of 1995. Over the next several years, they played several more of the eighties TV movies, including The Jetsons Meet The Flintstones in 1997. Check out the promo for that airing right below!

Moving on, let's talk about the first network made by kids, and for kids, Nickelodeon! Nick's been around since the seventies, and since a lot of their pre-Nicktoons programming was acquisitions, it's not quite as surprising that they would have aired anything from the HB library. However, in their over forty years of operation, it appears that they've only aired one Hanna-Barbera cartoon: Yogi Bear. To be more specific, the show was aired as Nickelodeon's Most Wanted: Yogi Bear. Each episode featured four Yogi cartoons, totaling about a thirty-minute runtime. The series began airing in 1990, and was gone by the end of '93. Below is the opening to the series (I'd also like to shout out the site Nickandmore! for preserving when and where all of these films/shows aired).

 Now, as I alluded to earlier, if you're an older Hanna-Barbera fan, this news probably isn't too shocking for you. Their library has aired on countless TV stations over the years, so obviously they'd air on two channels that relied heavily on animation. Still, I imagine this is a surprising revelation to younger fans. It definitely was for kid me when I came across these videos years back!

The New (and Never Made) Flintstones Show

 The Exposure Sheet is back after a little Labor Day break, and just as I promised, I introduce you to the first of several posts for what I call "Scrapped September". Each week, I'll discuss a different Hanna-Barbera project that never came to be, showing what it would have looked like, who was working on it, and why it was ultimately canceled. Our first project of the month is a Flintstones one, and it asks a question probably nobody has ever asked: What if we took the "stone-age" part out of "the modern stone-age family?"

Developed around 1972, The New Flintstones Show would've seen a more modern take on the denizens of Bedrock. Or, more specifically, an early 1970s idea of how a modernized Flintsones would look like. From what I could find, not much exists in regard to this project and its history. It was only a few years ago that we even learned this was an idea, and that was through a listing on Heritage Auctions from 2017, which is where all the concept art you see in this post comes from. It should also be mentioned that these concept sketches come from Willie Ito, who worked on many Hanna-Barbera cartoons between the years 1961 and 1975. That aforementioned Heritage Auctions post also includes this snippet of info on the project in its description (you can also find the original auction right here).

"'THE FLINTSTONES' was also considered for an updated version. Pebbles and Bamm Bamm are now teenagers with the usual trials and tribulations, Fred and Barney are the usual "blue collar" workers, Wilma and Betty, the loving housewives putting up with their shenanigans."

In the end, however, the show was never greenlit. Instead, we got 1972's The Flintstone Comedy Hour, which kept the Flintstones and Rubbles in prehistoric times, which is where they have stayed ever since. It's never been elaborated on as to why this show never entered production, but I have to imagine it's because the heads of Hanna-Barbera came to the same conclusion most of us have already had: Who would want to see The Flintstones without all of the elements that made them iconic?

 

Even though I'm not really a fan of this concept, it would have been interesting to see how the franchise would have evolved if they had modernized the characters. Had it been successful, maybe we would have seen Fred and the rest of the crew in other time periods, like medieval times, or something like that. Whether it worked or not, I think it would have definitely been a game-changer for The Flinstones!

Sites for Hanna-Barbera Fans to Check Out!

 To start off September, I thought I'd do a post that's a bit different from the usual ones. Instead of highlighting a voice actor or sharing a rare video, I have a list to share with you today, and it's one on the subject of Hanna-Barbera websites. Though I do believe myself to be quite knowledgeable in regard to the studio, I am far from the only or best authority on the matter. As such, here's a collection of eight websites I urge fellow Hanna-Barbera fans to look at. Whether you want to know more about the cartoons or just want to kill a couple minutes, I hope this list introduces you to at least one site you haven't heard of before! At the very least, I hope you come away from these sites looking a bit happier than George Jetson is up above!

1. Yowp - Despite this being a numbered list, I'm not ranking these from most to least good or anything like that. But if I was, Yowp would still be the first one I'd mention. A blog that's been going since 2009, Yowp covers the golden era of Hanna-Barbera cartoons in amazing detail. From old newspaper articles to episode breakdowns, if you can think of something from the studio's early years that intrigues you, Yowp has a post that discusses it. I've mentioned this blog many times here, and I will likely continue to do so for a long time. As a quick disclaimer, I should note that this blog is essentially retired, save for a couple of posts released this year. Even so, Yowp's blog remains the best source for any aspiring Hanna-Barbera historian, and a big inspiration for the blog you are reading right now!

2. Cartoon Research - Another blog, Cartoon Research comes from the mind of animation historian Jerry Beck and is the best resource for anybody interested in researching animation. Though the focus is on animation in all of its various forms, there are plenty of posts related to the house that Bill and Joe built. The website has all kinds of great series, from Devon Baxter's animation breakdowns to Michael Lyons'  "Animation Cel-ebration." The site also has a great section dedicated to keeping track of books and other blogs on animation. Give the place a look, and I can assure you you'll come away having learned a thing or two. An all-around great resource, and one I would love to contribute to in the future. Maybe someday!

3. Stu's Show - Coming to us from Stu Shostak, Stu's Show is a podcast all about classic TV and its history. As such, it's no surprise that the topic of Hanna-Barbera cartoons has come up a lot since the show's start in 2006. He's interviewed voice actors (Janet Waldo), writers (Tony Benedict), animators (Jerry Eisenberg), and many others who are well-versed in the world of Hanna-Barbera.  He's also interviewed plenty of animation historians, such as the aforementioned Jerry Beck, and more recently, Keith Scott, author of the Cartoon Voices book. The website has a great archive going back all the way to the beginning, and with each episode only being 99 cents to purchase, you really can't go wrong with this one. And before you ask, no, this isn't an advertisement for the show. Whether you love HB cartoons or classic TV in general, this is one I highly recommend!

4. Hanna-Barbera Wiki - Fan-wikis are all over the internet, and there are more than a few focused on Hanna-Barbera Productions. However, if I had to highlight only one, it would be this one. The youngest site on this list (I believe it was created around 2019), the Hanna-Barbera Wiki is exactly what it sounds like. From Joe Barbera to the latest Scooby-Doo movie, this site has over 8,000 articles covering everything in the funtastic world of Hanna-Barbera. The main reason I chose this one over its contemporaries is that it is completely owned by the people writing it, and not some corporation forcing ads and quizzes down your throat (looking at you, Fandom). If it has any drawbacks, it's that, there are still plenty of redlinks and empty articles running amok on the site. However, that can be remedied with some new contributors, so if this sounds interesting to you, I urge you to join the site's user base and help flesh it out. This is already a great site, but with some more users, it can only get better and better!

5. MeTV - More of a "for fun" website than a "for research" one, MeTV, as a lot of you probably already know, has aired both The Flintstones and The Jetsons, alongside several other classic cartoons, for a couple years now. On their website, all of these shows have their own dedicated page, which are surprisingly intricate. These pages feature episode guides, as well as links to fun quizzes and articles discussing interesting pieces in the history of all of these franchises. I was honestly really surprised by the amount of great content on the site about these shows. And if I come away happy having visited the site, I am sure you all will, too!

6. Daws Butler - Okay, this one might be considered cheating, as it isn't technically up and running these days. However, thanks to the Wayback Machine, the website, as well as pretty much all of its contents, can be easily accessed even now. Created by Joe Bevilacqua, a student of Butler's and author of the amazing Daws Butler, Characters Actor, this site is the number one authority on all things Daws. From old interviews to images to a biography, there's a reason why this site is recommended reading on Daws' own Wikipedia page. As I said, as this site is only preserved through Archive.org, there are a couple of links that don't appear to work. But the ones that do far outweigh those ones in my experience. Overall, it's an amazing website and a tribute to one of the best talents that ever worked at 3400 Cahuenga Boulevard.

7. Fred Seibert - Here's a website from somebody who actually worked at Hanna-Barbera! Fred Seibert is a pretty well-known figure in the world of animation and TV, but for HB in particular, he was their president from 1992 to 1996, also making him the last president of the company. His website is all about his experience in the entertainment industry, and that includes his work at Hanna-Barbera. He's shared plenty of writings, memories, and images focused on the studio, and I find all to be highly captivating. Whether you're a fan of the early days of HB or their programming for Cartoon Network in the nineties, this website has all of that covered and more!

8. Webrock Online - The last website I have to share with, this one is also the oldest, debuting all the way back in 1995. It's a Hanna-Barbera fansite, although it does skew more towards The Flintstones than any other franchise. It's full of trivia, character guides, show guides, and more. Admittedly, many might find this one to be a bit dated, as a lot of the info stored on it is easily accessible through other means now, but how could I not share the oldest Hanna-Barbera fansite on a list like this? Especially when, against all odds, it still gets updated to this day!

That does it for today, but as I mentioned in my last post, get ready for some great things coming to this blog later in the month. Chief among them is a series of posts I'm working on called "Scrapped September." Every week during the month, I'll highlight one Hanna-Barbera project that didn't become a reality. Canceled/abandoned media is something that I always love to discuss, and I hope you all will be into it too!