CHRONOLOGY of the Looney Tunes & Merry Melodies
 

• 1930   Harman and Ising sign with Leon Schlesinger. Release of first "Looney Tune" starring Bosko and Honey.

• 1931   Release of first "Merrie Melodie."

• 1933   Harmon and Ising part company with Schlesinger,who forms his own studio. Last Bosko cartoon released by Warner Bros. Introduction of Buddy and Cookie.

• 1934   Friz Freleng's first screen credit for direction. First color "Merrie Melodie" series goes all color by end of year.

• 1935   Introduction of Porky Pig. Last Buddy cartoon released. Tex Avery joins studio, releases first cartoon.

• 1936   Frank Tashlin rehired to direct. Carl Stalling and Mel Blanc join studio.  Treg Brown joins Schlesinger from Warner Bros. main studio.

• 1937   Introduction of Petunia Pig,Daffy Duck,and Egghead. Ub Iwerks makes two cartoons for Schlesinger. Bob Clampett directs first cartoon for Schlesinger. Friz Freleng leaves for MGM, is replaced by Hardaway and Dalton.

• 1938   Introduction of proto-Bugs Bunny.Tashlin leaves and is replaced by Chuck Jones.

• 1939   Jones introduces Sniffles,Inki,Minah Bird. Freleng returns,takes over for Hardaway and Dalton.

• 1940   Introduction of Elmer Fudd, followed by true Bugs Bunny.

• 1941   Avery leaves for MGM; Clampett takes Avery's unit, McCabe takes Clampett's.

• 1942   Last Avery cartoon released. Introduction of Beaky Buzzard, Henery Hawk, Tweety Bird. First color "Looney Tunes".

• 1943   Introduction of Hubie and Bertie. Tashlin returns,takes over for McCabe. Last black and white "Looney Tunes" released.

• 1944   Introduction of the Three Bears. Schlesinger sells out to Warner Bros.Tashlin leaves,is replaced by Robert McKimson.

• 1945   Introduction of Pepe Le Pew, Sylvester, Yosemite Sam. Clampett leaves, is replaced by Arthur Davis.

• 1946   Foghorn Leghorn introduced.

• 1947   The Goofy Gophers and Charlie Dog introduced. Tweety Pie-first pairing of Tweety and Sylvester-wins Warner Cartoon's first Academy award.

• 1948   Hippety Hopper and Marvin the Martian introduced.

• 1949   Introduction of Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. Arthur Davis unit discontinued. For Scent-imental Reasons and So Much for So Little win Academy Awards.

• 1950   Introduction of Rocky and Mugsy,and Sylvester Jr.

• 1952   First pairing of Wile E. Coyote and Bugs Bunny.

• 1953   Introduction of Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog, and Speedy Gonzales.

• 1954   Introduction of the Tasmanian Devil and Witch Hazel. Cartoon released in 3-D.

• 1955   Speedy Gonzales wins Academy Award.

• 1957   Birds Anonymous wins Academy Award.

• 1958   Knighty Knight Bugs wins Academy Award. Carl Stalling retires.

• 1963   Studio closes. DePatie-Freleng leases Warner Bros. cartoon plant.

• 1964   Last pre-shutdown cartoon released. Warner Bros. contracts DePatie-Freleng to produce cartoons.

• 1967   Warner Bros. discontinues relations with DePatie-Freleng and reopens own studio. Cool Cat, Merlin the Magic Mouse introduced.

• 1968   Introduction of Bunny and Claude.

• 1969   Closing of the Warner Bros Animation Studio.

ACADEMY AWARDS

The cartoons with a bold title won an Award -the rest were just nominated.

• It's Got Me Again,1932  (Ising)
• Detouring America,1939  (Avery)
• A Wild Hare,1940  (Avery)
• Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt,1941(Freleng)
• Rhapsody In Rivets,1941  (Freleng)
• Pigs In Polka,1943  (Freleng)
• Greetings Bait,1943  (Freleng)
• The Swooner Crooner,1944  (Tashlin)
• Life With Feathers,1945  (Freleng)
• Walky Talky Hawky,1946 (McKimson)
• Tweetie Pie,1947  (Freleng)
• Mouse Wreckers,1949  (Jones)
• For Scent-imental Reasons,1949  (Jones)
• From A to Z-Z-Z-Z,1954  (Jones)
• Sandy Claws,1955  (Freleng)
• Speedy Gonzales,1957  (Freleng)
• Tabasco Road,1957  (McKimson)
• Birds Anonymous,1957  (Freleng)
• Knighty Knight Bugs,1958  (Freleng)
• Mexicali Schmoes,1959  (Freleng)
• Mouse And Garden,1960  (Freleng)
• High Note,1960  (Jones)
• The Pied Piper of Guadalupe,1961  (Freleng)
• Beep Prepared,1961  (Jones)
• Nelly's Folly,1961  (Jones)
• Now Hear This,1963  (Jones)

From the new generation of WB cartoons: HARLEY QUINN!

Interview with creator Paul Dini

Q: How long did it take you to create/complete Harley Quinn's character?
Paul Dini: I created Harley in the space of the ten days or so it took me to write the Batman Animated episode "Joker's Favor". Her character slowly evolved over the next couple of months, helped along by discussions with co-producers Alan Burnett and Bruce Timm. Once Bruce and I sat down to create the "Mad Love" one-shot comic, we pretty much had Harley's personality all completed.

Q: It has been rumored that you were originally going to give Harley the alias Columbine. Is this true?
PD: That was one of the many names running through my head when I was creating Harley. I leaned more toward Harley Quinn because Collie would have sounded too weird.

Q: How old is Harley supposed to be?
PD: On the series and in comics, I always think of her as about 28, pretty much the same age as Poison Ivy. In the flashback scene in "Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker" I imagine her (as well as the other characters) about three to five years older. He doesn't say it directly in years, but Joker indicates that he, Batman and Harley have been doing their "little run-around" for some time and they are all getting older. So, Harley's anywhere between 28 and 33. Seven years younger than Batman at any rate, whom I always imagine at about 35.

Q: Is Harley your favorite female character ever?
PD: Of the one's I've created, Harley is definitely up there, though Jingle Belle tends to give her a run for her money, especially at this time of year. I also think Zatanna is rather swell.

Q: What is your personal favorite Harley episode?
PD: "Mad Love".

Q: What about Harley comic?
PD: See above.

Q: Are you still working on the Harley and Ivy mini-series with Bruce Timm?
PD: I finished the scripts five years ago. It's up to the inking and the coloring now.

Q: Do you have any idea why people started spelling her real name Harlene Quinzelle instead of Harleen Quinzel? Gosh, that bugs me...
PD: Yeah, it bugs me, too. I guess people spell it phonetically. Like the name Arleen, you can spell Harleen any number of ways. I borrowed the name Quinsel from a college teacher of mine, though I changed the s to a z for reasons that escape me now. Just wanted to be different, I guess.

Q: Do you ever regret bringing Harley into the mainstream comic continuity since you don't get to write for her much anymore?
PD: Enh. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I'm just happy I got to kick things off by doing that special one-shot. Besides, Alex gave me his original cover painting! Woo-hoo!

Q: If Harley was supposed to be in a new Batman film and you could choose anyone to play her, who would you pick?
PD: Hard to say as I can't think of anyone except Arleen Sorkin doing those lines. Then again, Joey Lauren Adams comes mighty close, look, attitude and voice-wise.