INTRODUCTION

So, you say you've got an idea for a product. You want to turn an honest profit, make a few bucks. If you're lucky, those few bucks could turn into a zillion simoleons. Pretty soon, you're holding a fat wad o' cash. But something is missing. You need a gimmick, a hook. Your customers want more. And what do they want? They want stars! If I've learned anything in this business, it's give the people what they want. No one is going to wear a shirt with a picture of someone they don't know on it. They want a shirt with a star on it. In other words, they want products with Looney Tunes on them. That means you want Looney Tunes on your products.

That's where I come in. I'm Bernie–agent to the stars. I represent all the Looney Tunes. When I say these Looney Tunes are stars, I mean they're superstars. They're big, big, big. They've got staying power. They've been winning the hearts of millions of fans for over 50 years. They're part of Hollywood history. To put it mildly, they're an American national treasure.

Why has America and the world fallen in love with these stars? I can answer that in one word. Personality. That's right. They have personality and lots of it. Believe me, personality isn't an easy thing to come by. Not everyone has it. I sure don't. You'd have to admit that it's quite a feat to have personality when you are a two-dimensional cartoon drawing.

The Looney Tunes are very important to us at Warner Brothers. We're proud of them and the quality entertainment they provide. Take Bugs Bunny, for instance. What an actor! We value Bugs Bunny so much we give him a better parking space than Clint Eastwood. The Looney Tunes have been very successful for us and we want them to be very successful for you, as well. What's the key to success? I can answer that in one word. Quality. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it Albert Einstein who once said, "Quality = Success"?  Warner Brothers has assured quality by applying exacting standards to how the Looney Tunes may be used. This keeps them vital and exciting.  Believe me, a Looney Tune is nothing if he's drawn poorly, reproduced without care, or stripped of his personality. Remember that.  Warner Brothers wants the Looney Tunes to be a huge success for you, so don't neglect quality. 

How can you ensure Looney Tune quality if you don't know who they are or how they're supposed to look? I can answer that with two words. Style Guide. This book is a style guide. It was developed to give you the information, inspiration and resources you need to make the most of your business venture with Looney Tunes. Say you've been on a deserted island for the last, oh, sixty years and don't know much about these movie stars. If so, this book was written for you. If on the other hand, you're a big fan like most people, this book is still for you. See, Warner Brothers has a lot of experience creating successful, quality Looney Tune merchandise. Passing along that experience to you is the purpose of this style guide.

Well, enough of the basics.  Let's dive right into the table of contents.

    

– Bernie, agent to the Looney Tunes stars

                "The Warner Bros. cartoons were my favorite.  They were

                 irreverent, anti-social and never took any guff from anyone."

                      – Stephen Spielberg, Producer of the #1 box office hit
                         Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Contents:

I     What's a Looney Tune, anyway?

II    The Birth of Our Stars - A Looney Tune history

III   Character Usage - A few guidelines

IV   The Stars

       (Descriptions by Bernie | Interview with Bernie | Model sheets | Typical  

       expressions & poses | Reproducible line art)

      *Bugs Bunny

      *Daffy Duck

      *Porky Pig

      *Elmer Fudd

      *Sylvester

      *Tweety

      *Road Runner

      *Wile E. Coyote

      *Yosemite Sam

      *Tasmanian Devil

      *Pepe Le Pew

      *Speedy Gonzalez

      *Foghorn Leghorn

V    Technical Specifications

        *Character colors

        *Comparative sizes

VI   Recommendations for product/art development and production

VII  Trademark | Copyrights | Names | Logos

VIII Quality Control Approval Procedures

        *At-a-glance character checklist

           "...we made pictures for ourselves, believing with childlike innocence

            that if we laughed at and with each other, perhaps others would follow

            and laugh too. The cartoons have survived, perhaps flourished is a
            better word, untarnished by faddism, unmarked by temporal jokes,

            uninhibited because those who made them were uninhibited, young,
            and governed only by the rule that there are no rules except the
            evocation of laughter."

                 – Chuck Jones, three-time Academy Award-winning director
                    of over 250 Looney Tune cartoons 

WHAT'S A LOONEY TUNE, ANYWAY?

Looney Tune comes from the Latin term, Looneyus Tuneus, which doesn't mean anything. In 1930, some very creative animation artists at Warner Brothers studios decided Looney Tunes would be a great name for their crazy cartoons. Separately, looney comes from luna (moon), which many believed for centuries caused people to act foolishly, silly, even insane and tunes is a slang term for cartoons. The artists had truly found the perfect title. There was much rejoicing. 

So why be concerned with the origins of these clever cartoons produced decades ago?  It's because these cartoons and the characters who starred in them were extremely popular, are extremely popular, and will continue to be extremely popular. Today, just the mere thought of a Looney Tune star causes people of all ages to chuckle. This popularity is easily explained. For one thing, great care and workmanship went into creating precise animation. Warner Brothers set very high-quality standards for Looney Tunes and they met those standards. Perhaps more importantly, Looney Tunes are simply hilarious.

Zillions of people have grown up with Looney Tunes. Bugs Bunny and his friends are part of our lives. Everyone has their favorite star and cartoon. When Sylvester the cat lisps "Sufferin' Succotash," we laugh even though 90% of us don't know that succotash is an American Indian corn and lima bean dish. It's just plain funny. That's probably why Looney Tunes remain so timeless in their appeal.

But, what makes Looney Tunes so funny to so many? Originally released theatrically, Looney Tunes were made for adult audiences; and since 1962, everyone from children to college students turn on their televisions each Saturday morning to see reruns of these rapidly-paced, action-packed classic cartoons. Unlike most cartoons, the humor works on all levels. 

Kids love the broad, exaggerated slapstick. They appreciated the harmless, hysterical violence. Wile E. Coyote could get hit in the face with a frying pan, retain the shape of the frying pan, and then just shake it off. Daffy Duck could get his bill blown off by a stick of TNT and then screw it back on in the next scene. 

Adults love their highly-developed personalities. Although most of the Looney Tune stars are animals, they act like real people–like real movie stars in a motion picture. They're right on target at revealing the best and worst about humans: the frustrations, compulsions, wit, cleverness, etc. Adults can laugh at themselves and those they can't laugh at. Who wouldn't want to have Bugs Bunny's rapier wit. Porky Pig is a stuttering, stupid pig. He's very funny, but you wouldn't feel right laughing at him if he were a real person. 

Today's teens and young adults get the best of both worlds. While many teens would feel embarrassed admitting they watched Mickey Mouse cartoons, they actual think it's hip to like Looney Tunes. They associate with the irreverent humor and wisecracking slang. Nothing is taken seriously in a Looney Tune cartoon. Teens buy Looney Tune merchandise because it lets others know they have a sophisticated sense of humor. 

Merchandisers love Looney Tunes because everyone else does; plus, their job is made easier by the far-reaching fame of the Looney Tune characters and their expressions.  Characters like the Road Runner and phrases like "Th-Th-That's all folks!" transcend the cartoons. They stand on their own. They sell on their own.

BUGS BUNNY

This rabbit has come a long way since he first asked, "What's up Doc?" in A Wild Hare (1940). Next thing you know he's got his own star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Not bad for a witty, wisecracking practical joker who lives in a hole in the ground. 

I'm sure other rabbits have other ways of making sure they're not the main ingredient in some hunter's rabbit stew. Bugs Bunny's strategy is let the hunter think Bugs is going to be the entree. Let is the key word here. Bugs Bunny is always in control. With all the tricks and disguises up his sleeve, Bugs' adversaries really never have a chance against the master trickster. Bugs doesn't so much act smarter then them; he makes them act dumber than they already are. 

I can describe this rabbit with a New York accent and a carrot in his hand in one word.  Cool. He's got it and he never loses it. Over the years, he must have ended up on the wrong end of Elmer Fudd's or Yosemite Sam's gun about a hundred times. And every time he stands there as calm as, well, as calm as Bugs Bunny. I guess it's because he knows he's going to outwit them and turn the situation around. This is one clever hare.  I've been around and even I don't know how he does it. He'll sass anyone and he never takes anything seriously. Frankly, I wouldn't mind trading places with Bugs Bunny. I wouldn't be surprised if there were millions of fans out there who feel the same way.

A CONVERSATION WITH BUGS BUNNY

BERNIE:  Hey Bugs, come here a minute, will you?

   BUGS:  Ahh, What's up Doc?

BERNIE:  I want you to tell these people a little about yourself and

                 I also want my 30% commission you owe me from your last

                 paycheck.

   BUGS:  What!  Why this is highway robbery. Doc, you're draining me.

                 I feel trapped. I can't breathe! The lights. The lights are

                 going dim. I can't see! Doc? Is that you? Help me, Doc.

BERNIE:  Alright, calm down. Just pay me when you can.

   BUGS:  But Doc, I don't have to pay, remember?

BERNIE:  You do have to pay!

   BUGS:  I don't have to pay!

BERNIE:  You do have to pay!

   BUGS:  I don't!

BERNIE:  You do!

   BUGS:  I don't!

BERNIE:  You do!

   BUGS:  Look, Doc. I insist. You don't have to pay me.

BERNIE:  I do!

   BUGS:  You don't!

BERNIE:  I do!

   BUGS:  You don't!

BERNIE:  I do have to pay you. And that's final. Here. Here's a

                 check plus interest. Take it.

...To see the complete style guide, visit https://www.thaliaink.com/print-outdoor.