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Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons
Everything you always wanted to know about Warner Bros. cartoons but were afraid to ask, this complete and indispensable reference will delight adults, children, and audiences all over the world.
396 pages, Paperback
First published June 15, 1989
8 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
About the author
Jerry Beck
73 books25 followersJerry Beck (born February 9, 1955 in New York City) is an American animation historian, author, blogger, and video producer. The author or editor of several books on classic American animation and classic character, including The 50 Greatest Cartoons (1994), The Animated Movie Guide (2005), Not Just Cartoons: Nicktoons! (2007), The Flintstones: The Official Guide to the Cartoon Classic (2011), The Hanna-Barbera Treasury: Rare Art Mementos from your Favorite Cartoon Classics (2007), The SpongeBob SquarePants Experience: A Deep Dive into the World of Bikini Bottom (2013), Pink Panther: The Ultimate Guide (2005), and Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons (with Will Friedwald, 1989). He is also an authority on the making of modern films, with his books detailing the art of Mr. Peabody and Sherman, DreamWorks' Madagascar, and Bee Movie. Beck is also an entertainment industry consultant for TV and home entertainment productions and releases related to classic cartoons and operates the blog "Cartoon Research." He appears frequently as a documentary subject and audio commentator on releases of A&E's Cartoons Go To War as well as DVD collections of Looney Tunes, Popeye the Sailor, and Woody Woodpecker cartoons, on which he serves a consultant and curator.
Early in his career, Beck collaborated with film historian Leonard Maltin on his book Of Mice and Magic (1980), organized animation festivals in Los Angeles, and was instrumental in founding the international publication Animation Magazine. In the 1990s, Beck taught course on the art of animation at UCLA, NYU, and The School of Visual Arts. In 1993, he became a founding member of the Cartoon Network advisory board and he currently serves as president of the ASIFA-Hollywood board. He co-produced or was a consultant on many home entertainment compilations of Looney Tunes, MGM Cartoons, Disney Home Video, Betty Boop, and others. In 1989, he co-founded Streamline Pictures and first brought such anime as Akira, Vampire Hunter D, and Miyazaki's Laputa: Castle in the Sky to the United States. He himself compiled collections of cartoons of Warner Bros., Woody Woodpecker, and the Fleischer Studios. As Vice President of Nickelodeon Movies, he helped develop The Rugrats Movie (1998) and Mighty Mouse.
In 2006, Beck created and produced an animated pilot for Frederator Studios and Nickelodeon. That cartoon, "Hornswiggle", aired on Nicktoons Network in 2008 as part of the Random! Cartoons series. Currently, he is teaching animation history at Woodbury University in Burbank, California.
In 2004, Beck and fellow animation historian and writer Amid Amidi co-founded another blog, Cartoon Brew, which focused primarily on current animation productions and news. Beck sold his co-ownership in Cartoon Brew in February 2013 and started an Indiewire blog, Animation Scoop, for reports on current animation while continuing to write about classic animation at Cartoon Research.
Early in his career, Beck collaborated with film historian Leonard Maltin on his book Of Mice and Magic (1980), organized animation festivals in Los Angeles, and was instrumental in founding the international publication Animation Magazine. In the 1990s, Beck taught course on the art of animation at UCLA, NYU, and The School of Visual Arts. In 1993, he became a founding member of the Cartoon Network advisory board and he currently serves as president of the ASIFA-Hollywood board. He co-produced or was a consultant on many home entertainment compilations of Looney Tunes, MGM Cartoons, Disney Home Video, Betty Boop, and others. In 1989, he co-founded Streamline Pictures and first brought such anime as Akira, Vampire Hunter D, and Miyazaki's Laputa: Castle in the Sky to the United States. He himself compiled collections of cartoons of Warner Bros., Woody Woodpecker, and the Fleischer Studios. As Vice President of Nickelodeon Movies, he helped develop The Rugrats Movie (1998) and Mighty Mouse.
In 2006, Beck created and produced an animated pilot for Frederator Studios and Nickelodeon. That cartoon, "Hornswiggle", aired on Nicktoons Network in 2008 as part of the Random! Cartoons series. Currently, he is teaching animation history at Woodbury University in Burbank, California.
In 2004, Beck and fellow animation historian and writer Amid Amidi co-founded another blog, Cartoon Brew, which focused primarily on current animation productions and news. Beck sold his co-ownership in Cartoon Brew in February 2013 and started an Indiewire blog, Animation Scoop, for reports on current animation while continuing to write about classic animation at Cartoon Research.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 25, 2009
"Illustrated" is a bit of a stretch. For that, and for a better overall general history, turn to "That's All Folks!".
But this guide is more like a traditional reference book, capsule credits and ample synopses for all the WB classic cartoons from the 1930s through the 1960s. A good cross-reference in the back by characters. Perhaps for the specialist. I like this kind of book, though. It gives you all the essential info on a film-by-film basis.
But this guide is more like a traditional reference book, capsule credits and ample synopses for all the WB classic cartoons from the 1930s through the 1960s. A good cross-reference in the back by characters. Perhaps for the specialist. I like this kind of book, though. It gives you all the essential info on a film-by-film basis.
February 17, 2021
Definitely one for dedicated and/or slightly crazy cartoon fans, as it is exhaustive, and not far off exhausting in its coverage and detail. Both Beck and co-author Will Friedwald write engagingly, with Friedwald comfortably the more opinionated one, which may or may not be an issue depending on whether you agree with him or not; personally, I thought he was a little too gushing over Tashlin and a little harsh on McKimson. Also, the book is littered with typographical errors of all descriptions: spelling mistakes, missing words, missing letters, transposed words, grammatical glitches, characters not properly listed (Poor Wile E) and more besides.
As a means of tracking the development and phases of the classic Warner cartoons, and their stars on and off the screen, this is pretty much unmatched, and is an invaluable reference book for cartoon fans, as long as you have the stamina for it, and can tolerate the poor proof-reading.
As a means of tracking the development and phases of the classic Warner cartoons, and their stars on and off the screen, this is pretty much unmatched, and is an invaluable reference book for cartoon fans, as long as you have the stamina for it, and can tolerate the poor proof-reading.
December 1, 2020
Very nice and informative read, unfortunately it’s outdated from the moment it’s published. My version was from 1989 and in black and white. The “illustrated” portion is far and few between really.
The book is essentially the summaries of each episode and the people who worked on them. It’s not necessarily historical but it does have dates between each entry and it is a very immersive guide. I think it’s only real practical purpose would be to find out which characters appeared in what and the introduction of certain characters.
The book is essentially the summaries of each episode and the people who worked on them. It’s not necessarily historical but it does have dates between each entry and it is a very immersive guide. I think it’s only real practical purpose would be to find out which characters appeared in what and the introduction of certain characters.
December 28, 2025
Since WB insists on releasing their shorts on blu-ray and DVD in no particular order, it’s helpful to have this chronological listing of all the shorts from 1930-1988. I think more attention might have been given to the award-winning (and nominated) shorts, and I would have loved there to be an image from every short. It also could have benefited from a closer proofreading. There are many incomplete sentences and misuses of punctuation.
September 17, 2008
An indispensible guide to a subject of extreme importance. The works of the gentlemen of "Termite Terrace", Tex Avery, Friz Freling, Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett, and many others, the creators of Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Daffy Duck, and a huge supporting cast of characters that populated the wonderful Warner Brothers cartoons from our childhood.
One wishes that more criticism and history could have been included, but the information that is presented is in an efficient capsule format with synopses, and full credits - a most helpful bit of information to scholars like me that want to know who supplied the voice of the spider in "Meatless Flyday".
One wishes that more criticism and history could have been included, but the information that is presented is in an efficient capsule format with synopses, and full credits - a most helpful bit of information to scholars like me that want to know who supplied the voice of the spider in "Meatless Flyday".
December 27, 2012
If you like Warner Brothers' cartoons, then this is the book to get. Every single Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies cartoon is here, with in-depth description, several indexes (including one by characters) and loads of promotional ad flats and lobby card reproductions. From Sinkin' in the Bathtub to Senorella and the Glass Huarche and beyond, Jerry Beck writes an encyclopedia that will have you scurrying to Netflix and Hulu to re-watch some forgotten cartoon classics!
January 28, 2008
Everything is here. An essential guide if Warner Brothers cartoons is your bag. Author Jerry Beck has a wonderful animation blog that you should check out.
July 25, 2013
If you are obsessed with Warner Bros. cartoons, this is a great companion to have at your elbow while you watch.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews