A New Blu-ray Collection Opens the Warner Bros. Animation Vault — and Finds 50 Treasures Inside

In May of 2023, Warner Bros. released a postulation of classical cartoons connected Blu-ray done their boutique Warner Archive explanation that was straight aimed astatine superior enthusiasts. That set, “Looney Tunes Collector’s Choice: Volume 1,” was axenic golden for animation fans, featuring 25 cartoons that had ne'er been released connected DVD aliases Blu-ray successful remastered form.

The affirmative consequence from lovers of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig led to 3 much volumes, each collecting 25 caller shorts that were meticulously restored and presented successful exquisite transfers.

Now, Warner Archive is continuing their ngo pinch “Looney Tunes Collector’s Vault: Volume 1,” a group that continues nan label’s erstwhile activity and expands connected it. “I decided that alternatively of releasing a Volume 5 pinch nan aforesaid curation criteria we would grow to 2-disc collections,” film historiographer George Feltenstein, who oversees nan Warner Archive label, told IndieWire.

“The thought was to grow nan assortment of classical cartoons offered by letting nan first disc proceed nan ngo of what we had established pinch nan Collector’s Choice releases — 25 cartoons not antecedently disposable connected DVD aliases Blu-ray successful remastered shape arsenic portion of a WB classical collection,” he said. “However, nan summation of nan 2nd disc would incorporate 25 cartoons that person been disposable successful modular meaning connected DVD, but had yet to beryllium included remastered successful High Definition connected a Blu-ray disc.”

Among nan recently included cartoons are respective instrumentality favorites and rarities, including prime selections by legendary head Chuck Jones. Feltenstein said that choosing favorites is difficult since he, successful collaboration pinch animation historiographer Jerry Beck, selected each nan cartoons, but he has peculiar fondness for nan 1945 Jones short “Hare Conditioned.” In this hilarious cartoon, Bugs Bunny faces a threat from a section shop head who wants to get Bugs stuffed successful nan taxidermy department.

“Most of nan Warner Bros. animation board had their return connected Bugs, but Jones’ activity pinch nan characteristic conscionable seemed to get amended and amended complete nan years,” Feltenstein said. “This is simply a comparatively early Jones/Bugs cartoon, but it has been a favourite since childhood.” Feltenstein besides points to Jones’ 1948 Daffy Duck short “Daffy Dilly” arsenic a wealth that exhibits Daffy’s improvement nether Jones’ direction.

“I had nan pleasance of gathering Chuck Jones precocious successful his life, and we said astatine magnitude astir his activity astatine Warner Bros.,” Feltenstein said. “He erstwhile told maine — and I presume he told this to galore — that Bugs Bunny, for him, represented nan benignant of individual we aspire to be, and that Daffy Duck was nan individual we are acrophobic we’re really much like. I thought his connection was rather brilliant.”

In choosing nan cartoons for nan Warner Archive collections, Feltenstein and Beck — who person been collaborating connected nan programming of classical animation releases going backmost to nan laserdisc era — asked themselves what nan fans would want, which isn’t difficult since they’re fans themselves. In summation to nan Jones shorts, different highlights successful nan vault postulation see Friz Freleng’s “Each Dawn I Crow” (1949) pinch Elmer Fudd from 1949, and “The Goofy Gophers,” which was released successful 1947.

“‘The Goofy Gophers’ features nan surface debut of nan characters ‘Mac and Tosh,’ who appeared successful respective successive cartoons, but this was their preamble to nan large screen,” Feltenstein said. “It was allegedly started by legendary animator Bob Clampett, but nan equilibrium of nan activity was taken complete by Arthur Davis aft Clampett’s abrupt departure from nan studio.”

In summation to his activity connected nan Warner animation collections, Feltenstein oversees a wide array of releases from nan studio’s live-action catalogue, often putting retired pristine releases of classics arsenic good arsenic cult favorites and idiosyncratic oddities. Recent months person seen caller Blu-rays of titles arsenic varied arsenic nan criminally underrated Ryan Reynolds/Amy Smart drama “Just Friends,” Vincente Minnelli’s visually stunning melodrama “The Cobweb,” and nan blaxploitation gem “Melinda,” conscionable to sanction a few.

“We are usually moving connected respective twelve releases astatine immoderate fixed time, successful various stages of production,” Feltenstein. “This requires very adjacent coordination pinch different departments, truthful we tin make judge that our efforts are synchronized pinch nan company’s dedication to preservation efforts.” Right now, nan Warner Archive Collection is nan only studio-based “boutique” label, dedicated to what physical media collectors want most, and Feltenstein takes his domiciled arsenic curator seriously.

“There are galore factors that spell into what tin get released, and what is still waiting,” Feltenstein said. “We besides person various groups of die-hard enthusiast consumers who each want to make their voices heard loudly astir what they want to spot released. We’re listening, and our extremity is to effort and please each nan different instrumentality factions.”

Ultimately, Feltenstein’s activity is analyzable but his ngo is simple: to get arsenic overmuch of nan Warners room released from nan vaults and onto nan shelves of location viewers. It’s a ngo he’s been connected for complete 16 years that has now yielded respective 1000 releases; fixed really beardown nan company’s caller releases person been, here’s hoping location are thousands much to come.