Coming This June: MeTV Toons!

 Well, this might be the biggest piece of news I'll share on this blog all year.

In case you've been living under a rock the last couple of days, it was announced this past Thursday (and leaked the day prior) that MeTV, who has built an impressive roster of classic cartoons over the years, will be launching a spin-off network dedicated to classic cartoons. The channel, titled MeTV Toons, premieres on June 25th and will be available through several means, including OTA television, and free ad-supported services (think Tubi). Helping out with the channel are animation historian Jerry Beck and voice actor Bob Bergen. Beck will develop original content (but not new animation), while Bergen fills the role of the network's voice. If you'd like to know more about that original content, check out Cartoon Brew's write-up on the news.

Beck also took to Cartoon Research to dish out further details on the channel. He states it will not be a copy of Boomerang, but more like Cartoon Network in its early years. Here's that Cartoon Research article for those who've yet to read it. You can also check out the channel's official website, which features a teaser and a collage of cartoons that will be featured. They're pulling series from WB, MGM, UPA, Hanna-Barbera, and Fleischer, just to name a few. Probably one of the most exciting details about this channel is that there will be some shows not seen in decades on television appearing here, though Beck remains mum on what those shows will be (gotta have some surprises down the line!). 

So, what shows from the Hanna-Barbera catalog will be featured on the channel? From what marketing material we've seen, expect the following titles.

• Tom and Jerry
• The Flintstones
• The Jetsons
• Top Cat
• Scooby-Doo
• Jonny Quest
• Yogi Bear
• Wally Gator
• Snagglepuss
• Huckleberry Hound
• Touche Turtle
• Secret Squirrel
• Josie and the Pussycats
• Captain Planet
• Magilla Gorilla
• The Smurfs
• Dynomutt
• Frankenstein Jr. and the Impossibles
• Gobots
• 2 Stupid Dogs
• Atom Ant
• Captain Caveman
• Breezly and Sneezly
• Abbott and Costello 
• Kwicky Koala

And, for added measure, here's every show advertised on the channel's webpage! Credit goes to Hanna-Barbera Screencaps on Twitter for putting it together.

Quite the list if you ask me! As you can see, there are a few shows here that most probably wouldn't label as "classic cartoons", like 2 Stupid Dogs for example, but seeing as these shows aren't really available on cable or streaming, I think it's fine that they're here. Overall, I am ecstatic over this news, and I can't wait to tune in when the 25th of June comes around. An animated counterpart for MeTV has been rumored for quite some time (I believe there were rumblings around a trademark being registered last fall), and it's fantastic to finally see it not only become a reality but look even better than I could have ever imagined! It's also kinda funny this is happening right as Boomerang is, unfortunately, going to their old habits. I'll keep you all informed on the channel in the weeks leading up to its premiere, but for now, that's all of the key details announced thus far. Will you be tuning in to MeTV Toons?

Video of the Week: Hoyt Curtin at Work

 When people think of great composers in film and TV music, Hoyt Curtin isn't a name you usually see pop up, but he should be. Think of a random Hanna-Barbera cartoon; the chances are high that he did the music for it. Flintstones, Jonny Quest, Smurfs, Superfriends, Jetsons, and many more owe their musical identity to him. Some of these are themes we are born into the world knowing the lyrics to, and there are not many who can say they've accomplished that. He could compose everything from the whimsical to the adventurous, showing a level of range you don't often see in TV composers. His work on Jonny Quest I am especially a big fan of, and it's one series he really got to flex his talents on. Curtin worked with Hanna-Barbera on and off for nearly thirty years, beginning with Ruff and Reddy in 1957 until officially retiring in 1986. He passed away in 2000 at the age of 78, but his music continues to thrive, through both the cartoons themselves and the compositions on their own.

Of course, a lot of you probably already know all that. What you may not know is that Hoyt Curtin got the chance to sit down with NBC for an interview on his prosperous career. This is from a short-lived series called Sunday Best, which aired on NBC in the early 90s. I don't know if Curtin did any other TV interviews, so this is a real treat to watch. It's truly wonderful that he lived long enough to see the legacy his music had on pop culture, and from this short clip, you can really get the sense he loved his work. 

The Flintstones Take to a Galaxy Far, Far Away

 In 1977, a little independent movie would be released into theatres, and change Hollywood practically overnight. For those who've never heard of it, it was something called Star Wars. At least, I think that was the name. Regardless, with the movie's immense success, legions of copycats were quick to appear, and if there was anything the top brass at Hanna-Barbera liked, it was chasing trends. That led them to ask a question nobody asked before, and nobody has asked since: What if we crossed Star Wars with The Flintstones? 

Above is a piece of art commissioned for such a pitch. This comes from an old Heritage Auctions listing, but information about the concept is sparse apart from the fact it was created in the late seventies. I cannot say for certain, but I believe this was drawn by Iwao Takamoto, who did a lot of the art for Hanna-Barbera's pitches. Had this been greenlit, it looks like it would've followed Fred and Barney going on Star Wars-esque adventures in space, battling against a prehistoric-styled Darth Vader. In the end, the pitch didn't go anywhere, and Hanna-Barbera went instead with Yogi's Space Race as their attempt to cash in on the sci-fi craze of the time. If you'd like to know more about that series, check out Michael Lyons' piece on it on Cartoon Research. Maybe I'll discuss that show some other time, but until then, may the fourth be with you!

Jonny Quest Meets...Judy Jetson?

 You read that title right. For whatever reason, a company known as Modern Promotions released a coloring book in 1977 that featured both Jonny Quest and Judy Jetson crossing paths. I have no idea why they decided on these two characters, especially considering that both shows had long since been canceled by this point. Take a look at the cover art below, which features Jonny piloting the Jetsons ride, not particularly fazed by either the futuristic cityscape or the talking dog behind him.

Here's a look inside the book. While the focus is on Jonny and Judy meeting, we also get to see other characters from both shows interacting, like George and Benton Quest. It also goes without saying that it's pretty funny to see the realistic-looking humans of Jonny Quest interacting with the Jetsons, who are more in line with the classic Hanna-Barbera art style. You might also notice that the Jetsons are sporting their model sheet designs, like George with his cowlick. 

Another interesting fact about this book is it actually got a rerelease in 1981, though I should note its contents are essentially the same as the '77 version. Did any readers here have this in their collection growing up? If so, I'd love to hear your memories of it!

Top 10 Most Underrated Hanna-Barbera Voice Actors

If there's one thing you should have learned about me by now, it's that I love discussing the voice actors of Hanna-Barbera cartoons. If you're a longtime reader of this blog, I imagine you feel the same. While the animation and writing of their shows ebbed and flowed over the years, one can never say their voice actors were ever phoning it in. From the day their doors opened to the day they closed forever, Hanna-Barbera employed a large and talented cast of actors. But today, I'm not talking about Blanc, Butler, Messick, Waldo, or any of the well-known fellows. They were fantastic, but we all know that. Instead, I'm going to focus on ten classic-era Hanna-Barbera voice actors who I don't feel get the recognition they deserve. We'll be going from ten to one, and my only requirement to be considered here is that they were initially employed during the company's golden years (this fluctuates from person to person, but I'll label said years as 1957-1969). Let's get this show on the road!

10. Arnold Stang

To paraphrase a quote from Yowp and his fantastic blog, Stang wasn't an actor who needed a thousand voices to be funny. One got the job done and then some. While he did voices in several cartoons over his career, from Captain Planet to Courage the Cowardly Dog, Arnold Stang will always be remembered as the first and greatest voice of Top Cat. The search for an actor to portray the character was long and arduous, but it was Stang who got the gig. Now, you cannot imagine anyone else playing Top Cat. Even just a picture of T.C. is enough to get you to hear his voice. He might not have had the range of other actors Hanna-Barbera worked with (which is why he's placed here on my list), but in my humble opinion, Stang is every bit as important to Top Cat as Alan Reed is to Fred Flintstone and Don Messick is to Scooby-Doo.

9. George O'Hanlon

Much like Arnold Stang, George O'Hanlon wasn't exactly a master of the vocal arts. As Janet Waldo often said of him, his voice for George Jetson was essentially his normal voice. Yet, just like Arnold, I can't imagine any other voice coming out of George's mouth. Many would say George Jetson is a boring character, and while I understand those arguments, with O'Hanlon delivering his dialogue, I never felt a dull moment with him. You also have to give O'Hanlon a great deal of credit for returning for the revival series in the 80s and the succeeding feature film. While the quality of both projects is questionable, the fact he came back for both, despite major health problems, shows you just how much he loved not only The Jetsons, but acting in general. Who would've thought Joe McDoakes would turn out to be such a great voice actor?

8. Doug Young

You probably know the first two men in the above image as Daws Butler and Don Messick, but you might not know the man in the middle. That, my friends, is Doug Young. Alongside Messick and Butler, Young was one of the first actors the studio hired after opening, but unfortunately, his name is not nearly as well known as his colleagues. A major reason for that is that he didn't stay with the studio for nearly as long as they did (the last show he did for HB was Laurel and Hardy in 1966), which is a real shame. He played several characters for the studio in their early years, but my favorite role of his would have to be Ding-A-Ling Wolf. I mean, with a name like that, how could you not love him? As one of Hanna-Barbera's first voice actors, Young deserves not just a spot on this list, but more attention in general for his invaluable work for the studio in its infancy.

7. Julie Bennett

This spot goes out to another unsung talent from Hanna-Barbera's early years. When people discuss the actresses hired by the studio, many will point to Jean Vander Pyl as being the first employed. But right there by her side was Julie Bennett. Bennett had just as long of a career, appearing in everything from Quick Draw McGraw to the 1990s Spider-Man cartoon, but she sadly seems to have been overlooked in discussions surrounding classic cartoon actors. Her most prolific character was Cindy Bear, who she voiced on and off for 30 years. She was a truly versatile actor, having done voices for not only Hanna-Barbera, but also Warner Brothers, UPA, and MGM. With such a resume, it really does make me wonder why more don't bring Bennett up when discussing the voice actresses of yesteryear.

6. Henry Corden

Known best for being the second voice of Fred Flintstone, Corden had an impressive niche carved out for him at Hanna-Barbera years before he took over the role of their most famous character. He was their go-to actor whenever they needed a villainous, bruiser-type character. He was featured in practically every episode of Jonny Quest, where he displayed not only his talent for voicing villains, but also his knowledge of various dialects. I feel like for many, his time as Fred Flintstone somewhat overlooks the rest of his voice-acting career, and quite unfairly, too. While I have mixed feelings about his version of Fred Flintstone, Corden was undeniably a great voice actor. I can completely understand why he was chosen for the role, and realistically speaking, I'm not sure if there's anyone else who could have fit into Alan Reed's shoes as well as he did.

5. Tim Matheson

Child voice actors, are, like their onscreen counterparts, hit or miss. I've heard plenty of great children VA's in cartoons, and some that left a lot to be desired (and I do mean no offense to any of those actors). Tim Matheson, however, definitely fits into that former category. Matheson had a lot on his plate when he did Jonny Quest. Not only was he a child doing a voice for a big-budget ABC cartoon, he was doing the voice of the series. The whole show would've fallen apart if audiences didn't buy into him as an eleven-year-old adventurer. So how did he do? Given we're still talking about the show sixty years later, I think he did alright! Matheson did a wonderful job as Quest. He felt like a real kid, and choosing to hire a child voice actor made the show feel somewhat grounded in the face of all the sci-fi elements. And clearly, Matheson enjoyed working on the show. Not only did he appear in a few of their post-Jonny Quest series, but he still does voices in animation even today! Overall, he's a man of extraordinary talent, though his vocal work especially needs more love from fans.

4. Gary Owens

A man whose personality was every bit as large as the heroes he voiced were super, Gary Owens is best remembered for voicing the original Space Ghost, but he appeared in many of their cartoons, from Dyonmutt to SWAT Kats. His voice just screams heroism and justice, making him the obvious choice for characters like the Blue Falcon. With that voice, it's rather surprising he never voiced any major comic book superhero character during his career (except for a small part as Batman in an episode of The New Batman Adventures). Even when the shows were less than stellar, Gary Owens gave every episode and every role his all. I'll have more to say about Owens next month (I've got a post planned for his birthday), so I'll leave you with this. If there was any Hanna-Barbera voice actor who I'd want to narrate my life, it would have to be Owens!

3. Ted Cassidy

Not many people can say they've voiced either Galactus or Godzilla, but Ted Cassidy can say he's voiced both. When you take a look at the guy and hear his voice, you understand why. He was one of those actors just born to play the bad guys, but it's not that his voice is deep. Plenty of actors can do that. No, what I love about Cassidy's voices is there's a real scratchiness to them, which makes his characters feel all the more threatening. But while Cassidy might've been typecasted as villains, he could also show off a bit of a softer side, which he did when he portrayed Frankenstein Junior. Ted Cassidy was, both literally and figuratively, a giant in the entertainment world. The fact he isn't discussed more for his voiceover work is a real shame.

2. John Stephenson

If there was any voice actor on The Flintstones who could be dubbed the show's most valuable player, it would have to be John Stephenson. While he's best known for voicing Mr. Slate, he played an insane amount of minor characters throughout the show's run. He could also be heard in just about every other series they made, playing everyone from Doggie Daddy to Fancy Fancy. So why don't more people talk about him? Maybe it's because he rarely ever had a starring role in their cartoons, but in my mind, Stephenson is every bit as important to Hanna-Barbera as people like Don Messick, Daws Butler, or Frank Welker. You just cannot imagine their cartoons without his voice. He was a tremendous talent who worked in animation for fifty years, and his name should be every bit as important to Hanna-Barbera's legacy as those aforementioned names.

1. Bea Benaderet

Getting the top spot on this list is the woman who gave Betty Rubble life, Bea Benaderet! I could sing the praises of Benaderet's voice-over work for days, but I'll try to be brief here. Benaderet wasn't just one of the first voice actresses Hanna-Barbera hired, she was one of the first voice actresses period. She voiced many characters for WB throughout the 40s and 50s, and then moved onto Hanna-Barbera afterwards. She was a true vocal wizard, and it was her work with both studios that proved it. Take a look at the character of Betty, for example. She's a pretty simplistic character, but Benaderet gives her depth. She felt like a real person, especially in her scenes with Wilma. The fact she was friends with Wilma's VA, Jean Vander Pyl, certainly helped there. Nobody else has ever voiced Betty as well as she did, and considering the character's been voiced by everyone from June Foray to Grey Delisle, I'd say that's quite the accomplishment.

Benaderet gets the number one spot here because not only is her work underappreciated by animation fans, but by her employers as well. From WB refusing to credit her in their cartoons to Hanna-Barbera's recasting of her in The Flintstones, Benaderet never got the praise she rightfully deserved for her animation work. Considering her role in shaping not just early Hanna-Barbera cartoons but also those of Warner Brothers, how could I not place her here? 

Video of the Week: A Sample of Boomerang

 With April winding down, I felt like I should make one more post focused on the Boomerang channel, as it did have its 24th anniversary this April Fools Day. I'll have a lot more to share with you next year during its 25th birthday (yes, I am indeed already planning that far ahead), but here's something that I think will interest a lot of you. I certainly found it intriguing!

When Boomerang launched, Turner Broadcasting issued a set of promotional VHS tapes to encourage viewers to ask their cable providers for the channel. A similar tape had been done for Cartoon Network back when that channel had launched, but not as many people seem to be aware of the Boomerang one. Below is the sleeve art for the tape. To my knowledge, two others were made as well: one promoting "Boomeraction", a block of programming dedicated to action cartoons, and another containing the entire Hey There, It's Yogi Bear! feature film.

And here's the contents of the tape, uploaded to YouTube by Techatax, a channel I really recommend you check out. Like the CN tape from '93, it features snippets from some of the shows that aired on the channel, as well as those oh-so-iconic bumpers that accompanied them. As Techatax notes in the description, said bumpers sound a little different from the finished versions that aired on television. It's a pretty cool rarity in the world of Hanna-Barbera home video releases if you ask me. I've never seen a listing for these on eBay or similar sites, but I cannot imagine that they're cheap to get ahold of.

Cartoon Blow Ups, Only 25 Cents a Pop!

 Now here is a lovely little oddity I found on Facebook several weeks back. Ever wanted blow-up versions of The Flintstones, Jetsons, Yogi Bear, and more? I imagine most of you will say "no", but if you said yes, you could get just that for 25 cents in 1972! Below is a display card for these toys, which were produced in Taiwan, and sold through vending machines. But the main reason I want to showcase these is because of just how off-model the characters look here. Earlier Hanna-Barbera merch was known for not being completely faithful to the source material, but these ones might be among the most egregious examples of that in action. Why does Quick Draw McGraw look like that? Since when did Top Cat wear a t-shirt? And why is Pebbles taller than Bamm-Bamm? I have no clue, but given that these were only 25 cents, I guess I can't whine too much.

So what did these blow-ups look like? Luckily for you, I managed to find photos of the Flintstones and George Jetson ones. The Flintstones ones don't look too bad (except for the look on Fred's face), but George looks rather sickly if you ask me. He looks less like a blow-up, and more like he's about to throw up!