Premiering Tonight...The Flintstones!

 On September 30th, 1960, The Flintstones premiered, and forever changed animation on television. If you weren't aware of it at the time, don't worry, as Hanna-Barbera worked hard to make sure you did! Here's a compilation of newspaper ads from across the country that were used to get the word out!

First up is one from Tampa, showing Fred attempting to walk a rather uncanny T-Rex!

 

This one from California shows a pretty odd-looking Fred Flintstone. Perhaps he's shocked to see someone who looks like an exact duplicate of him?

Here's another from California. Instead of using original art, this paper used Ed Benedict's concept sketches of the characters. They even threw in the unused character of Fred Junior, too!

The next one comes from Salt Lake City, Utah, and shows Fred with a giant dinosaur egg in his shopping cart. This one also features yet another weirdly realistic dinosaur!

Last but not least, we have an ad from a paper in Texas, featuring Fred working to balance his budget. We know how that feels!

All in all, these ads are a truly fascinating look back to the early days of the Flintstone's history. As someone who finds the marketing and promotion of material like this intriguing, I hope you enjoy these as much as I did!

Introducing the Cast of The Jetsons!

 Here's something you don't see every day. From the Cumberland Evening Times, it's an article announcing the cast of the then-upcoming animated series, The Jetsons! You may have heard of it.

One interesting thing to note about this article is that it's dated July 14th, 1962, over two months before the series premiered. As of now, it's the earliest bit of press I can find related to the show.

Video of the Week: The Summer of Goodwill Passport

 Commercials featuring classic cartoon characters are relatively easy to find, so that's why I was surprised to learn of this 1998 commercial while browsing Twitter last night! It features a collection of Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera characters to promote that year's Summer of Goodwill Passport. Given this was only two years after the Time Warner/Turner merger, this may also be one of the earliest promotional pieces to cross over these characters. Check out the video below!

Cartoon Network Pre-Launch Marketing Materials

 In yesterday's post, I made note that the art used on the tag of many Cartoon Network tees from the 1990s used a piece of art that was used to promote the channel prior to its launch. Now, I think it's time to show some of the various places this artwork of Fred, George, and Yogi ended up! First up is a promotional button, most likely given out at events related to the network's launch.

Next is a kid's activity booklet that was given away at press events. Don't get too excited, there's nothing inside the booklet that you haven't probably seen before.

Last but not least is a shirt that was, like the others, given away at some sort of media event. The back even has a design of its own, featuring the original CN logo and text that reads "Let's Do Launch. Oct 1, 1992."

Hanna-Barbera Basketball Themed Shirts

 When you think of cartoons crossed with basketball, the chances are high your mind will immediately think of Space Jam, and all its related merchandise that crossed over the stars of both the NBA and the Looney Tunes. However, they weren't the only cartoon stars to get on board that train! Throughout the early 1990s, a number of Cartoon Network-themed shirts were released that featured the stars of Hanna-Barbera in sneakers and jerseys. Here are just a few of the ones I've scoured online.

One thing I find interesting about these shirts is the tag featured on some of them. It's the same art that was used in many pieces of promo material for Cartoon Network prior to its 1992 launch. Check the pic out below for a quick comparison. I'm honestly thinking about making a much more in-depth piece on all the 90s shirts that featured classic cartoon characters playing basketball. Trust me when I say that there's more than you think!

Video of the Week: The Voices of Hanna-Barbera Come to Life!

 If you're following a blog like this, I think it's safe to assume you know most of the individuals who gave life to your favorite Hanna-Barbera characters. But how many of them have you seen on camera? Probably not many.

Fear not, for there exists a great series of videos on Youtube that highlight the on-screen roles of the voice actors for not just the classic Hanna-Barbera characters, but many other golden-age favorites as well. Posted below is the third video in the series, featuring actors like Arnold Stang (Top Cat), Bea Benaderet (Betty Rubble), and Mel Blanc. I'd add a role for him, but I think you know plenty!

In general, this channel is a great resource if you want to see some rare interviews and featurettes with Daws Butler, Don Messick, and many other voice-acting legends. I cannot recommend them enough!

Happy Belated Birthday to Daffy Duck!

 Yesterday marked the 86th birthday of everyone's favorite cartoon duck, Daffy Duck! Unfortunately, I forgot to post something for the occasion, but there's always the next day (which, oddly enough, is my own birthday). To celebrate, here's a newspaper snippet that shows how Six Flags Great America celebrated Daffy's fiftieth birthday back in 1987. Looks like they themselves were also a little late to the party!