Looney Tunes is an American animated comedy series produced by Warner Bros. from 1930 to 1969 during the golden age of American animation alongside its sister series Merrie Melodies. It was known for introducing Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Tweety Bird, Sylvester the Cat, Granny, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Marvin the Martain, Pepé Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales, Tasmanian Devil, Wile E. Coyote, the Road Runner, and many other cartoon characters. Looney Tunes' name was inspired by Walt Disney's musical series Silly Symphonies. They initially showcased musical compositions whose rights were held by Warner's music publishing interests through the adventures of cartoon characters such as Bosko, and after losing him, Buddy. The animation studio gained a higher profile, however, following their addition of directors Tex Avery and Chuck Jones and voice actor Mel Blanc. From 1942 to 1964, Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies were the most popular animated shorts in movie theaters. Looney Tunes has since become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television series, feature films, comic books, music albums, video games, and amusement park rides, as well as serving as Warner Bros.' flagship franchise. Many of the characters have made and continue to make cameo appearances in various other television shows, films, and advertisements.
Tiny Toon Adventures is an American animated comedy television series that was broadcast from September 14, 1990 to December 6, 1992 as the first collaborative effort of Warner Bros. Animation and Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment after being conceived in the late 1980s by Tom Ruegger. The cartoon was set in the fictional town of Acme Acres, where most of the Tiny Toon characters live. They attend Acme Looniversity, a school whose faculty primarily consists of the mainstays of the classic Looney Tunes series. In the show, the university is founded to teach cartoon characters how to become funny. The school is not featured in every episode, as not all of its storylines revolve around the school. Like the Looney Tunes, the series makes use of cartoon violence (ex. anvils falling on someone, liberal use of explosives) and slapstick. However, the series also parodies and references the current events of the early 1990s and Hollywood culture. Occasionally, episodes delve into veiled ethical and morality stories of ecology, self-esteem, and crime. The pilot episode, "The Looney Beginning", aired 14 September 1990 as a prime-time special on CBS; while the series itself was featured in first-run syndication for the first two seasons. The last season was aired on Fox Kids. The series ended production in 1992 in favor of Animaniacs. However, two specials were produced in 1994.
Taz-Mania is an American animated sitcom produced by Warner Bros. Animation from 1991 to 1995, broadcast in the United States on Fox. The show follows the adventures of the Looney Tunes character Taz in the fictional land of Tazmania (based on Tasmania). Similar to other Warner Bros. cartoons of its time, such as Animaniacs and Tiny Toon Adventures, the show frequently broke the fourth wall, and often made jokes showing that Taz could actually speak perfectly normally when he wanted to. The intro indicates that, in this rendering of Tasmania, "the sky's always yellow in rain or shine". The title song is performed by Jess Harnell and Jim Cummings.
History with the Macy's Parade
The Looney Tunes had their own float sponsored by their owners, Warner Bros. In 1989. The same year, a balloon based on Bugs Bunny was supposed to debut, but due to the balloon being punctured before the parade starting, it had to be left out, resulting in the float debuting alone. The float featured many film reels and film strips, showcasing the best moments in Looney Tunes history. A giant camera sat at the back of the float, with Looney Tunes characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester, Tweety, Wile E. Coyote, The Road Runner and Yosemite Sam, scattered around the float.
In 1990, the float returned, this time just featuring Bugs Bunny, as it was made to promote Tiny Toon Adventures, and so walk around versions of the characters from the show appeared alongside Bugs, which were Buster, Babs, Plucky, and Dizzy Devil. The Bugs Bunny balloon made its proper debut that year after the float.
In 1991, the float promoted the series Taz-Mania, and featured characters from the show such as the Tazmanian Devil, Bull Gator, Axel, and Didgeri Dingo. Once again the Bugs Bunny balloon was after the float. This float was retired for unknown reasons and was never refurbished to another Looney Tunes float for the 1992 Parade, possibly due to barely any new Looney Tunes series premiering that year.
In 1992, only the balloon appeared, and was retired shortly afterwards. The float was later reused as many different themes, such as the Salute to Movie Musicals float in 1994 to 1996, Barney's Great Adventure in 1997, and M&M's Network from 1998 to 2003.