WB Archive Collection: Discs On Demand!

[Daniel]

Besides, the Droopy reissue is still in print.

[Daniel]

Details from Jerry:

The set contains 19 cartoons.

Tex Avery Classics
RED HOT RIDING HOOD
WHO KILLED WHO?
WHAT’S BUZZIN BUZZARD?
BATTY BASEBALL
THE HICK CHICK
BAD LUCK BLACKIE
GARDEN GOPHER
THE PEACHY COBBLER
SYMPHONY IN SLANG

Screwy Squirrel
SCREWBALL SQUIRREL
THE SCREWY TRUANT
BIG HEEL-WATHA
LONESOME LENNY

George & Junior
HOUND HUNTERS
RED HOT RANGERS

Droopy
DUMB HOUNDED
WAGS TO RICHES
THE CHUMP CHAMP
DAREDEVIL DROOPY

Not chronological, ala Compleat or Popeye. That's slightly disappointing since I know that's what a lot of us were hoping for. "Big-Heel Watha" is on the disc though and that's one of the controversial shorts. That right there shows promise.

If that screenshot is anything to go by, doesn't look like there will be any special features either. Still, seems like a solid start. Still buying!

[Ben]

A good start, chronological or otherwise. I quite like having the character shorts grouped, though, even if Droop will crossover some sections. This should easily go to three, probably four volumes, unless they up the count on future sets.

[Randall]

Best of all, to me, is news from Jerry that Warner is going through the MGM cartoon library, not necessarily just the Avery shorts. I'd love to see the Happy Harmonies on Blu-ray, for example, though we'll have to see how they do with the Tex discs first...

[Daniel]

Pre-order now up! Reserved mine.

Jerry shared a few comments on Facebook:

The cartoons are uncut.

I suspected as much, but great to have confirmation.

Nothing is being "skipped" - there were technical reasons for the choices on volume one. That's all I'll say about that for now.

Good enough. Still a miracle we're getting this at all!

[droosan]

Also (apparently) according to Jerry Beck, via a reply I'd read on Cartoon Brew:

"At present this release is just blu ray. No DVD at this time. IF there is enough interest shown in a DVD version, it will go on sale at a later time."

Like Randall, I'd also love to see the early M-G-M Harmon/Ising cartoons get a WA release .. and/or the Tom & Jerry Golden Collection volume 2 Blu-ray set, which was 'cancelled' by WBHV at the last moment (and would thus -- presumably -- be a 'quick & easy' release, for WA) .

[EricJ]

Not chronological, ala Compleat or Popeye. That's slightly disappointing since I know that's what a lot of us were hoping for. "Big-Heel Watha" is on the disc though and that's one of the controversial shorts. That right there shows promise.

Looks like Warner's doing what they did the last time they got nervous, with the LT Blu-ray:
Taking the most pop-iconic characters most non-collector poseurs remember--Warner hates collectors, those stingy, ungrateful, never-satisfied SOB's--and giving us "Complete" lists:
Just like we got the Complete Marvin and Complete Taz on the first LT Blu set, now we're getting the Complete Screwy Squirrel (think there were only four, Tex didn't like the character) and the Complete George and Junior for non-fans who first heard of Tex Avery after watching "Roger Rabbit"...Just in case.

Surprised they didn't give us the Complete Red, but that might have overlapped with the Droopy cartoons.

[droosan]

Curiously, there is one 'Screwball Squirrel' cartoon missing from this first set: Happy Go Nutty.

I presume the more popular 'Red' cartoons will be sprinkled throughout future volumes, to encourage sales .. i.e., Swing Shift Cinderella on vol. 2, Wild and Woolfy on vol. 3, etc. Probably the same for remaining Tex M-G-M 'one-shot' classics, like King Size Canary or The Cat Who Hated People.

[EricJ]

Probably the same for remaining Tex M-G-M 'one-shot' classics, like King Size Canary or The Cat Who Hated People.

And the GLARING, conspicuous absence of Magical Maestro among the classic Tex MGM one-shots.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5smu6k
Not a deal-breaker, but close. They'd better have those Vol. 2 strategies announced pretty soon.

(Just off the subject: Our local opera group is putting on Barber of Seville this weekend, and I have tickets. Thank you, discussion, for putting this cartoon back in my head.)

[Ben]

Wouldn’t it be hysterical if DVNR erased the hair in the gate from Magical Maestro?

[droosan]

There are (perhaps apocryphal) stories of projectionists who panicked and began frantically searching their projectors for that hair, during initial screenings of that cartoon.

[Daniel]

and the Complete George and Junior for non-fans who first heard of Tex Avery after watching "Roger Rabbit"...Just in case.

Two of their shorts are absent; "Henpecked Hoboes" and "Half-Pint Pygmy".

[Ben]

The hair gate projectionist story is apparently true: Tex and MGM got a lot of letters of complaint after that gag (hence why Tex used it again, to even better effect, in Maestro, just to wind them up)!

[Daniel]

Currently #68 on WB Shop's list of best-selling Blu-rays!

[Daniel]

Prerelease screenshots from "Hound Hunters" and "Dumb-Hounded". Boy, do they look beautiful!