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.

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.

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!

A Hanna-Barbera Bicentennial

 This weekend marks 250 years since the United States declared its independence. I hope you all have a great weekend, but until then, I thought I'd roll the clock back 50 years and see how Hanna-Barbera celebrated the country's bicentennial in 1976. Because what could be more patriotic than pairing your favorite cartoon characters with the American flag?

For the special occasion, Hanna-Barbera produced stickers featuring Yogi Bear, Boo Boo, Fred Flintstone, and Barney Rubble, all pledging allegiance to the flag. The art is serviceable, though it is a little generic. Still, they could've done worse for a set of stickers. Also, is it just me, or does Fred kind of look like he has a chicken's arm in the first sticker?

Here's a reference to the bicentennial on Hanna-Barbera's employee calendar from the holiday season of '76. The photo has a collage of many Hanna-Barbera stars, as well as a message from Bill and Joe. They send a seasons greetings to their employees, and wish a happy 200th birthday to the country.

Craig Kellman Flintstones Goodness

 I've long been a fan of cartoonist Craig Kellman's take on the Flintstones characters from the mid-nineties. If you feel the same, then I hope you'll be as delighted as I was with today's find. From around 1994, here is a style guide filled to the brim with Kellman's Flintstones art. The entire guide can be found here, but I thought I'd look at some of the more interesting pages.

The first legitimate page is an interesting one. In it, the history of The Flintstones is discussed, as well as the impetus behind these redesigns. The background is adorned with several Wilmas, all with a clear Ed Benedict influence.

Another cool detail in this style guide is that there are pieces based on moments from specific episodes. Below are two examples, taken from the episodes "Hot Lips Hannigan" and "Fred Flintstone Before and After" respectively. 

And, as is typical with these guides, a few pages depict the art used on merchandise. In this particular instance, it's t-shirts. I don't know about any of you, but I would have definitely loved to rock any of these! Overall, it's a really cool little book, and it's a shame that there doesn't seem to be one for Kellman's take on other Hanna-Barbera characters.

Video of the Week: Flintstones Vitamin Commercial

 Not to get too personal here, but I've been fighting a nasty virus for the last week or so. Maybe if I had some Flintstones vitamins, things would've gone differently!

For this week's featured video, I'm sharing this 1972 commercial for those very vitamins. We've got Fred Flintstone himself suited up to tell viewers about how great these vitamins are, especially for fussy eaters. Like in most other appearances during this time, Fred is voiced by his original actor, Alan Reed, who apparently made more money off gigs like this than he did the proper Flintstones series.

A Great Day for the Great Gazoo

 It's Saint Patrick's Day yet again, and just as I did last year, I felt I should dedicate today's post to everyone's favorite Zetoxian, the Great Gazoo! This year, I'm sharing two commercials from Cartoon Network in the early 2000s featuring Gazoo, beginning with one from the year 2000 promoting a block entitled "My Favorite Fred". Gazoo gives us the lowdown on what the block is, and it even ends with a plug for the Viva Rock Vegas film, which saw the live-action debut of the Great Gazoo. Thankfully, they spare us from seeing any clips of that particular version of the character. 

The second ad aired in 2003 as part of Cartoon Network's "NBA All-Star Slam", which saw various NBA players sit down and chat with their favorite cartoon characters. In this particular promo, Latrell Sprewell talks with Gazoo, who, despite Gazoo's insistence, is not his favorite character. For more of these clips and Sprewell's actual favorite, check out this post from 2023. I'm also not entirely sure who voices Gazoo in these ads. I believe it's Jeff Bergman, but it may be somebody different.

The Almost Fred's

As a lot of Flintstones fans will know, today is the birthday of the one and only Fred Flintstone. I've made a post before covering some of the many actors who have voiced the character, but what about the men who almost portrayed him? 

Around sixty or so actors auditioned for The Flintstones. Of that group, we know of three that were considered for Fred before the role went to the great Alan Reed. I'll be going through all of them today, starting with the king of Hanna-Barbera voiceovers, Daws Butler. 

Daws voiced both Fred and Barney in the pitch film, The Flagstones. His performance as both characters is good, but nothing particularly special when compared to his other roles. That being said, this was a pilot, so who knows how he'd have sounded in the actual series. Daws would not voice either character when the show was picked up, supposedly because Joe Barbera felt the studio was stretching him too thin. Despite that, he'd go on to voice the occasional side character in the series, and famously filled in for Mel Blanc as Barney after his near-fatal crash.

For a time, the role was nearly George O'Hanlon's. If that name sounds familiar to you, it's because he would later voice George Jetson in The Jetsons. He had sent out a tape that Joe Barbera enjoyed, but there was one small problem: the network didn't, forcing Barbera to continue his search. Though O'Hanlon didn't get the role, Barbera kept him in mind and soon called on him for The Jetsons. O'Hanlon would also contribute to The Flintstones' later seasons as a writer. 

Though I love George O'Hanlon and his work, I have to go with the executives on this one. O'Hanlon's voice worked perfectly for someone like George Jetson, but he lacks the gruffness that Fred Flintstone needs. Funnily enough, that was the exact reason Bill Thompson was booted from the role. For a short time, Touche Turtle himself was going to play Fred Flintstone. He had recorded five episodes before being sacked. Hal Smith, the original voice of Barney, was thrown out with him. 

After a lengthy search, Alan Reed was finally chosen to play Fred Flintstone. Reed hadn't done much in the way of animation at the time (though he did contribute to Disney's Lady and the Tramp, which also featured Bill Thompson), but his voice had the grittiness Joe was looking for. Reed also chose to play the character straight, which I imagine put him above others auditioning for the role. And just like that, history had been made, and I don't think anyone can imagine anybody else voicing Mr. Flintstone.

Whacking the Flintstones Windows

 I've shown a lot of old-school Hanna-Barbera merchandise since starting this blog, but you know something I haven't really touched on? Promotional material for those items. And that is the focus of today's post. Below is a cool little ad for a Flintstones-branded window whacker game. This ad has everything: a cartoon mascot, a giant caveman, and, for whatever reason, a guy in a really creepy monkey costume. What more could you possibly ask for in a Flintstones commercial?

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.

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!

Video of the Week: The Women of Hanna-Barbera Use Dove

 For this week's video, I've decided to go with one that I think many of you will remember seeing back in the day. From the long-forgotten world of 2005 comes this commercial for Dove products featuring Wilma Flintstone, Jane Jetson, and Velma Dinkley. A pretty charming commercial, and one I still see people mention from time to time.

While I'm here, I thought I'd also go ahead and discuss the print campaign that was running simultaneously with this commercial. These aren't anything too special, just a side-by-side of the before and afters from the video, but I'm sure someone would've mentioned them if I did not. Interestingly, Marge from The Simpsons was also shown in this campaign, but not in the TV ad. I imagine that came down to licensing issues, but I can't say for certain.

Video of the Week: The Flintstones Playset Toy Commercial

 

The Flintstones have been the subject of numerous toy lines over the years, and in the seventies, Mego had a short-lived go at the license. Mego, for those unaware, produced toys for everything from Marvel Comics to Planet of the Apes. Yet, all that they produced for this series was a single playset, which you can view an advertisement for below.

For the curious, here's a photo of the playset and its contents. It's not too bad of a set, if you ask me, and the figurines, though obviously dated, aren't that far off from their screen counterparts. This set is apparently pretty rare, so if you have this one in storage or something, you might have some real money on your hands!

Video of the Week: Fred, Shaggy, and Dastardly Advertise Boomerang

 Practically everyone remembers those classic promos that used to air on Boomerang, but who recalls the commercials for Boomerang? Back in the 2000s, it wasn't uncommon to see an ad for the channel during a commercial break on Cartoon Network, and today, I'm looking at three of them.

These commercials started to pop up around 2004, and continued to air on CN throughout the decade. Each starred a classic Hanna-Barbera duo, informing the viewer of Boomerang and why they should get the channel. This first one has Fred and Barney doing the talking. As was common during this time, the two are voiced by Jeff Bergman.

The second ad in this series is all about everyone's favorite dastardly duo, Dick Dastardly and Muttley. Like in the first commercial, Bergman provides Dastardly's voice. Interestingly, this appears to be the only time he's voiced that character. He does the role pretty well, so I'm shocked he hasn't voiced him anywhere else.

The last commercial stars, you guessed it, Scooby-Doo and Shaggy. What's interesting about this one is that it features Scott Innes as the voice of the characters. By this point, Casey Kasem had returned to the role of Shaggy following his departure from it for several years. I assume Innes is heard here because he was cheaper and easier to get for a small project such as this. Also, I apologize for the spotty quality of this one. It's the only upload I could find by itself, and of course, it's recorded off a TV. Oh well!

Great Gazoo Day

 Today is St. Patrick's Day, and let us celebrate it the best way possible: By talking about the Great Gazoo. The original Scrappy Doo, Gazoo is a pretty infamous character among Flintstones fans, but in 2004, Cartoon Network gave him his own day.

That St. Patrick's Day, Cartoon Network hosted "Great Gazoo Day." It was a marathon that ran for five hours, consisting of Flintstones episodes with Gazoo and The Man Called Flintstone film. This was probably the last time that movie aired on the channel, and I imagine it was one of the last times they gave much attention to The Flintstones period. Only a few months later, Cartoon Network would rebrand and kick most of their older shows to Boomerang, Flintstones included.

Video of the Week: Flintstones NFL, That's Enough Said!

 The NFL season may be over, but for the town of Bedrock, things are only getting started. Here's a 1993 commercial for a series of Flintstones NFL trading cards. This line was produced by Cardz Distribution, who made many other Hanna-Barbera series during this time, and they featured the Flintstones cast as members of various NFL teams. Also worth noting is that Wilma herself, Jean Vander Pyl, narrates the commercial. 

Here's a small sample of what these cards looked like. All of the main characters were represented, and they covered many of the NFL teams. It's a bit of an odd crossover, but this was the era of cartoon characters and sports mixing and mingling. At the very least, I'd say Flintstones and football make more sense than Looney Tunes and basketball. Why, who would ever think of such a ridiculous concept?

   

Coloring in Christmas With Yogi and Friends

 Have the holidays got you stressed? Perhaps you should sit down and relax with a coloring book featuring your favorite Hanna-Barbera stars. Over the years, many were produced, including a couple of holiday-themed ones. Here's a look at some of them, starting with what might be the best of them all: a Yogi Bear coloring book. This was released by Whitman in 1961 and features beautiful artwork adorning the front. Eagle-eyed viewers might also notice Pixie and Dixie near the bottom!

These next two are more themed toward all of the Hanna-Barbera characters, and their covers show them partaking in different Christmas activities. Of the two, I definitely prefer the first. The art and composition are just much nicer to look at. Honestly, some of the characters in the second look more like bobbleheads than the actual characters, though it's nice to see Mr. Jinks appear on one of these. 

Here are two Flintstones-focused coloring books. The first, from what I could gather, features art based on the 1977 Christmas special, while the second features appearances from other Hanna-Barbera characters. It's interesting to see the Flintstones alongside the Jetsons years before their crossover. Outside the World's Fair comic, merchandise like this is among the earliest instances of the characters crossing paths. It's a fun crossover all in all, even if a lot of the characters seem off proportionally. And is it just me, or did Wilma steal from Betty's wardrobe?

Video of the Week: Have a Cocoa Pebbles Christmas

 When people think of Fruity Pebbles commercials, most remember the Christmas-themed commercial featuring Barney impersonating Santa before any other. It's a classic for sure, but today, I wanted to share a more obscure commercial for the cereal from the holidays. This one aired in 1998, about a decade after that initial one, and was for the cereal's chocolate offshoot, Cocoa Pebbles. Fred is visited by three ghosts, and one in particular really wants his Cocoa Pebbles. While it isn't as memorable as that earlier commercial, this one is still a lot of fun, and sports some wonderful work by the one and only Scott Shaw. Check it out!

 

The Flintstones Celebrate Christmas the Plush Way

 We've looked at ornaments and stockings, now it's time we look at a few Christmas-themed plush toys. For The Flintstones, there's been several; far more than for any of the other Hanna-Barbera series (not counting Scooby). Here's a look at all of the ones that I've seen, starting with two made for Fred and Barney in 1989 by Nanco. Nanco made several Hanna-Barbera plush dolls and also made a few Halloween-centric ones as well. Like their Halloween plush toys, they're pretty standard. Just the characters with presents in hand and Santa hats on their heads. Beyond the two Flintstones characters, George Jetson was also produced for this line.

Near the end of the 2000s, a company appropriately known as the Toy Factory produced four Flintstones plushies for the holidays. Among these were Fred, Dino, Pebbles, and Bamm-Bamm. If that lineup looks odd, that's because it is. For whatever reason, Barney didn't get a plush in this series. I looked, and it doesn't look like he exists. Very strange, but considering he was covered by other companies, it's not too much of a loss. This set looks pretty nice, and it's fun seeing characters like Dino get into the holiday spirit.

Around 2011, Sugar Loaf, a titan in the plush toy world, decided to give The Flintstones a new holiday makeover. Like Nanco's effort, they only did Fred and Barney, though we did get two different versions of the former. The plush toys themselves also heavily resemble Nanco's take, though these match the show designs much better. Ignoring the fact Fred and Barney are the same size, these are easily the best of the bunch. Barney is especially good, but the two Freds are also quite good. These could be found in claw machines around the time, which I assume is also how the other sets were made available. 

As a quick side note, before I end this post, you might have noticed that the above plush of Fred dressed as Santa doesn't match how he looked in the Christmas episode of the original Flintstones series. It does, however, match a similar design that's been used in numerous pieces of art and other merchandise. Here it is being used for a rubber toy that was released in the early nineties. Kind of interesting most merch tends to use this design, rather than any of the ones seen in official media.