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.

Wally and Friends Make Their Way to Blu-Ray

 It looks like Christmas is coming earlier for Hanna-Barbera fans. Well, certain Hanna-Barbera fans, that is. On December 16th, both Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har and Wally Gator will come to Blu-Ray for the first time ever. Both releases will consist of two discs, derived from 4K restorations of the shows.

While I'm glad to see Warner Archive continue to pump out titles related to the Hanna-Barbera library, I must say I'm not the biggest fan of these toons. Wally Gator has its moments, and I very much enjoy the title character, but Lippy the Lion? My feelings on that show can best be summed up by a single "meh." It's also a little disappointing that neither release includes any bonus features, but given that the DVD releases didn't either, I cannot say I'm shocked. I don't even have a clue as to what they'd include.

Even though I'm not crazy about these shows, they clearly have their fans. If they didn't, WB wouldn't bother putting these out. I'm happy they're making them available to those who want them, and I hope they continue the solid work on these releases. 2025 saw plenty of great titles, including one none of us saw coming. I'm optimistic that 2026 will continue the trend.

Hanna-Barbera Gets Syndicated

 The summer is finally over. And with the peak of my job over with for this year, it's well past time I return to this blog. Today, I thought I'd start with a small but nevertheless interesting find. Below is an advertisement found in magazines from 1962 promoting the launch of The Hanna-Barbera New Cartoon Series. As the page itself mentions, these were the very first cartoons the studio made for syndication, and the ad urges stations to add them to their schedules. 

The advertisement also proclaims that these new characters—Lippy Lion, Wally Gator, and Touche Turtle—will become just as beloved and popular as the likes of The Flintstones and Yogi Bear. I don't know about that, but I'll give them credit for being confident. And check out Wally's blue color scheme, as was seen on a lot of promotional material back then.

That's all I've got for you today, but I've got a surprise or two in store later this week. If you know whose birthday is coming up within the next few days, you'll already know what one post will be about. I'll just leave it at that. See you then, and I hope you've all had a most splendid summer!