Video of the Week: The Jabberjaw Dinnerware Collection

It goes without saying that the Hanna-Barbera characters and merchandise are like a match made in heaven. If it exists, you can get it with the mugs of Fred Flintstone, Scooby-Doo, or Yogi Bear slapped onto it. But one character who wasn't as lucky was Jabberjaw. He'll get a t-shirt and a Funko Pop, but if you're craving something more, I'm afraid you're out of luck.

But if you specifically want a set of Jabberjaw plates, well, you're still out of luck. That didn't stop Cartoon Network UK from making a parody ad for such a set, which you can check out below. This aired around 1998, and interestingly features the voice of Tom Baker, best known to audiences in the U.K. and elsewhere as the Fourth Doctor in Doctor Who. The "commercial" is very well put together, and if you look at the comments, you'll find plenty were disappointed to find out this was merely a joke. I won't lie, I'd buy a set if they made these. Are you listening, Warner Bros. Consumer Products?

Yogi Gets Down to Business

 Yogi Bear's always said he's smarter than the average bear. If the fact that he can talk isn't proof of that, surely his business card will do the trick.

What you're looking at is a business card holder Hanna-Barbera gave out at business conferences circa 1991. Themed after the infamous Yo Yogi!, this set features a couple of generic Hanna-Barbera business cards, but what I found really intriguing were the "joke" cards,  all themed around Hanna-Barbera productions of the era. Scroll below to find cards focused on The Jetsons, Young Robin Hood, and Fish Police.

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!

Huckleberry Hound Goes HD

Well, this is a post I didn't think I'd be making anytime soon.

In case you haven't heard already, The Huckleberry Hound Show: The Complete Original Series will be arriving on Blu-Ray courtesy of the folks at Warner Archive on August 26th. Coming in at a whopping eleven discs, this will mark the first time the entirety of Huckleberry Hound will be available on physical media.

For those who may not understand why this is such a big shock, let me explain. Despite being one of HB's most important series, Huckleberry Hound has been almost entirely absent from the home video space. Warners did release the first season on DVD in 2005, but according to several involved in putting that together, it sold quite poorly. Besides that, there were also licensing issues that stemmed from the show's musical cues. (This same licensing problem is the reason Quick Draw has yet to see a release.) Considering both of these problems, an all-new release of the show seemed unlikely. 

But, after nearly two decades of waiting, the unthinkable has happened. Huckleberry Hound is headed to Blu-Ray, and he's not alone. Also coming along are Yogi Bear, Hokey Wolf, and the other segments featured in the show, which only makes this release all the more exciting. This release will also, like most other Hanna-Barbera Blu-Ray titles, feature all of the bonus materials included on the original DVD release. The set will retail for $70, a lot more than prior titles, but given this is eleven discs, I'm not in the least bit surprised. 

Before I conclude this post, I really want to give a big round of applause to the people at Warner Archive. They've been pretty kind to fans of animation, Hanna-Barbera or otherwise, over the last couple of years, and I don't think they receive enough appreciation for the work they put into these releases. I'm very excited to pick this release up, and I cannot wait for what the future holds. 

Video of the Week: A Belated Father's Day Celebration

 I missed out on a Father's Day post this year, so I hope I'm making it up to you guys now with this week's featured video. Here is a 1995 Cartoon Network promo for that year's Father's Day festivities, a marathon titled "Greatest Toon Dads Ever". The characters showcased were Fred Flintstone, George Jetson, and Harry Boyle. If that last name doesn't sound familiar, he was the protagonist of Hanna-Barbera's short-lived Wait Till Your Father Gets Home. This is just my opinion, but I think calling him one of the greatest toon dads is a bit of a stretch.

While one of these characters is not like the others, this is still a fun promo. I really dig the look and vibe of Cartoon Network's original branding, and it brings back memories of a time when the channel had fun with its marathons. Those sure were the days.

The Jetsons Radioshack Ads: From Storyboard to Screen

 You know, I've always been a fan of the Jetsons Radioshack commercials that aired in the late nineties. While commercials with classic cartoon stars are a dime a dozen these days, they were still relatively original back then. These ads also featured some great artwork and animation, although unfortunately, it's unknown who worked on them. Here are all the commercials below in 360p glory.

Now, remember two sentences ago when I said the crew behind this was a mystery? Well, that was the case until about two weeks ago. Skull Island Productions, the social media handle of animator Spike Brandt, recently revealed some great storyboard panels for this campaign. You can check all of them out here, but I'd like to show off a few, right next to the finished product. In hindsight, I'm not surprised this was his work. He's done plenty of HB-themed commercials beyond this, including a Yogi Bear mortgage commercial I looked at last year. If that interests you, you can find that here.

 

Another interesting tidbit Brandt mentioned regarding these was this wonderful "Gift Cel" given to those involved in the campaign. It's a pretty nice cel featuring the entire Jetsons family, sans Rosie. 

And, as a tiny bonus, here's another Jetsons Radioshack goodie. This is an Astro alarm clock that was sold at the store, depicting the canine of the future on a treadmill, not unlike the one seen in the show's credits. Nothing too groundbreaking, but a novel piece of Jetsons merchandise for sure. 

The Willie Ito Website: Now Open!

 If you're reading this blog, you are likely at least a little familiar with artist Willie Ito. An artist who has been active in the animation sphere since the 1950s, Ito has worked at practically every major animation production company. Over a forty-year career, he worked at Walt Disney, Warner Bros., and Hanna-Barbera, among others. 

Today, I am pleased to announce that Willie Ito now has his very own website. Yesterday was its official opening, and you can find it at this very link. Visitors will find a biography on Ito's career, signed prints, upcoming appearances, and more. While the site has only just gotten off the ground, it's shaping up to be a great resource for those interested in classic animation. So what are you waiting for? Check it out!