I got a lot of positive response to my post about The Bugs Bunny Show last week – including this postcard from reader DJ Anderson. The image above is a cleaned up version of the original (front and back, below – click to enlarge). This card was created by Warner Bros. Publicity to respond to letters from viewers (essentially the younger ones) in the wake of the debut of the ABC prime time series.
The artwork looks like a hybrid of Jones and Freleng’s (i.e. Levitow and Pratt) styles – a rare attempt to homogenize the art into one house style.
Of course this isn’t the first time the studio authorized a post card – Here’s an rare example from twenty years earlier (1940, below), which I believe was distributed to souvenir stands at U.S. national parks. Great way to promote a cartoon, Leon!
Around the same time as The Bugs Bunny Show, sponsor Post Cereals had the studio create these character postcards (below, click to enlarge). They were featured on the backs of the cereal boxes and it was up to the kids to cut them out – and ultimately put them on eBay (where I found these fine examples):
(Thanks to DJ Anderson, Mark Newgarden and Jon Cooke)
Jerry Beck is a writer, animation producer, college professor and author of more than 15 books on animation history. He is a former studio exec with Nickelodeon Movies and Disney, and has written for The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. He has curated cartoons for DVD and blu-ray compilations and has lent his expertise to dozens of bonus documentaries and audio commentaries on such. Beck is currently on the faculty of Cal Arts in Valencia, UCLA in Westwood and Woodbury University in Burbank – teaching animation history. More about Jerry Beck [
An unusual, and quite successful, attempt at trying to simplify the character designs while still keeping the animators’ personalities. Much more appealing than later messes like this 1994 postcard to promote the opening of a Warner Bros. Studio Store in Gatwick airport.
Arguably this is the look of the characters I know and loved best. It could’ve stayed that way.
It would appear that postcard would be from 1962 or earlier, given the plug for the Warner feature “The Music Man” on the postmark.
Beautiful postcard, but where’s Porky?
Lost track of his schedule while following the Mad Bomber around town. Rumor has it his time bombs run late.
Isn’t Porky also missing from the opening credits of THE BUGS BUNNY SHOW?
If it is circa 1962, I’m not particularly surprised Porky Pig isn’t among the characters depicted. There weren’t many post-48 cartoons with Porky as the main figure. I think I remember him more as a symbol than a real cartoon heavyweight (no pun) at the time. What I am surprised by is that there’s no representation of the Tasmanian Devil, which I remember as the real breakout star of the TV series.
They certainly weren’t planning on that one.
Kevin: Yes, Porky is missing from the opening credits of “The Bugs Bunny Show.”
Postmark shows “Aug. 27 ’62”.
Looking for help Pricing up some WB animation postcards that were promotional for insurance purposes. I have images, but don’t know how to attach them here. :/