do companies keep track of what cartoons have been released on video and DVD?

[speedy fast]

Does anybody know if, whenever a company releases a video, laserdisc, or DVD release of classic cartoons, the people in charge of putting the contents together keep track of what has and hasn't been released on other videos/ DVDs/ laserdiscs? Do the people in charge care whether the releases have cartoons that have been released on other releases? I am pretty certain that companiesa re at least sure of what's been released in other videos/ laserdiscs/ DVDs in the same video series (though the Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghron, and Pepe le Pew volumes in the Looney Tunes Golden Jubilee collection included some cartoons that were in that series' "Salute to" Mel Blanc and Chuck Jones videos). While some fans here have webspages that keep track of all Warner Bros. shorts that have been released on commercial video formats, do Disney, Warner Bros., and other companies have similar data?

[FleischerFan]

Obviously, Disney and WBHV keep track. The Walt Disney Treasures series had released the vast majority of their library of cartoon shorts without duplication within that series. They have also released a number of DVDs aimed at the general public. Those titles may feature duplications with the Treasures series (as WB's Spotlight Collection generally mirrors the Golden Collection), but as I said, are aimed at a different customer.

There was an inadvertent duplication of one of the Tom & Jerry cartoons on WBHV's DVD collections, but that was a mistake that was acknowledged. Beyond that, there has been no duplication.

WBHV has handled the release of the Warners and M-G-M libraries as well as the Popeye and Superman cartoons from Fleischer/Famous with only minor (and intentional) duplication of cartoons on such sets as the Academy Award collection and the use of various WB, MGM, and Superman cartoons as bonus features. The cartoons released as bonus features with live action films also show a very low level of duplication indicating that attention is being paid to what has already been released in this fashion.

While we only have two box sets so far, there has been no duplication on the Woody Woodpecker and Friends sets from Universal either.

Those really cover the major players from animation's Golden Age. The other companies: Terrytoons, Columbia/U-P-A, Iwerks, Van Bueren, Pat Sullivan, etc. have not received "authorized" releases.

As a great deal of these cartoons fall into the public domain, there are any number of companies releasing some of these cartoons in a variety of collections.

The sets from Steve Stanchfield (Thunderbean) have been put together with great care and I am sure Steve knows what he's released. Ditto for Ray Pointer, who focuses mainly on the silent era. The Cartoons that Time Forgot series from Imagine also appeared to have been assembled with some care and without much duplication.

When you get down to the dollar DVD level - all bets are off. It seems those companies assemble their offerings in a haphazard way, but then they are aiming at the low end of the market.

[ebrand11]

When you get down to the dollar DVD level - all bets are off. It seems those companies assemble their offerings in a haphazard way, but then they are aiming at the low end of the market.

DVDs that sell for $1 are obviousley aimed at the casual fan. People who remember cartoons from their childhood, and then they buy woody woodpecker, unaware that they are only getting pantry panic mixed with other cartoons. Then again cartoon fans like myself buy these DVDs out of curosity for what is on a DVD that dosen't havce the conetnts listed.
But Im pretty sure the dollar companies don't keep track of what they put on each DVD because simply, they don't care.

[speedy fast]

Actually, I know that the Walt Disney Treasures has repeated cartoons. Chicken Little is on both On the Front Lines and Disney Rarities, and the Oswald set has a few cartoons found on other sets (Steamboat Willie, Plane Crazy, The Skeleton Dance) as bonus features. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the same cartoons appear in On the Front Lines and some of the Chronological Donald sets.

There haven't been many repeated Looney Tunes, but there are really only two major Looney Tunes DVD collections, one being a two-disc version of a four-disc release. Certain cartoons have been released as bonus features on Warner Bros. movies, but I wouldn't call those Looney Tunes releases.

[CueBallCat79]

If WBHV was really paying attention to what they were putting on DVD "Texas Tom" wouldn't have shown up on two different Tom and Jerry Spotlight sets.

[speedy fast]

Back in 1996, there were two Road Runner video releases, Chariots of Fur and Stars of Space Jam: Road Runner and Wile E. Coyotie. I know that there is a cartoon or two that appeared on both videos, released around the same time. I wonder if Warner paid attention to that. After all, there are Road Runner cartoons that haven't been released on video that could have been included, like the oscar-nominated Beep Prepared (which still hasn't been released commercially, not even on the Oscar nominated cartoons set) and even the Rudy Larriva Road Runner cartoons. Most of the rest of the contents on those two videos were cartoons that were included in Road Runner and Wile E. Coyotie: The Classic Chase, including the same Bugs and Coyotie pairing and the same Ralph Wolf cartoon as on that video. Maybe it was a coincidence, though there are many Ralph Wolf cartoons that weren't released on video (only three had been released altogetehr), and I feel that both videos should have had a Bugs and Coyotie cartoon, and they both should have had a Ralph Wolf cartoon.

[ebrand11]

Mickeys "The Castaway" was on bothe Mickey in B&W Vol2 and Vintage Mickey.

[FleischerFan]

Mickeys "The Castaway" was on bothe Mickey in B&W Vol2 and Vintage Mickey.In truth, EVERY cartoon on the "Vintage Mickey" DVD appears on some volume of the Treasures series because the 2 color and 2 b&w Mickey volumes of the Treasures series contain all the Mickey Mouse cartoons.

There is a difference (which I referenced in my first post above) between Disney's "Treasures" releases and the DVDs they manufacture for the general public.

Repeating a handful of cartoons between sets of the Treasures is totally understandable.

The "On the Front Lines" set was about Disney's contrbutions to the war effort in the 40's. Had they not included "Der Fueher's Face" in that set, some people would had complained about it not being there. If they then did not include "Der Fueher's Face" in the Chronological Donald series, some (maybe even the same people) would complain about its omission there.

Obviously, it's inclusion on both sets means Disney IS paying attention.

The original question at the top of this thread was wondering whether the producers of DVD sets pay attention to what they've already released.

The answer is overwhelmingly, YES.

If WBHV was really paying attention to what they were putting on DVD "Texas Tom" wouldn't have shown up on two different Tom and Jerry Spotlight sets.I am constantly astonished at the expectations of perfection that appear on these threads.

WBHV has released 3 volumes of Tom & Jerry cartoons. On those 3 volumes, there is a grand total of 1 cartoon repeated - and WBHV has freely admitted it was a mistake. Perhaps you never make mistakes or get caught in an oversight. I make mistakes daily. It doesn't mean I'm not paying attention. It means I'm human.


There haven't been many repeated Looney Tunes, but there are really only two major Looney Tunes DVD collections, one being a two-disc version of a four-disc release. Certain cartoons have been released as bonus features on Warner Bros. movies, but I wouldn't call those Looney Tunes releases. The point I was making was that even when including Looney Tunes or M-G-M cartoons as bonus features with live action movies, WBHV does seem to be paying attention as most of these bonus features are either totally new to DVD or have only appeared on the Golden/Spotlight Collections.

Again, your question was whether they are paying attention. The answer seems to be that they are. Are they doing a perfect job of it? No.

Will they every satisfy all cartoon fans? That appears to be an impossibility! :D

[Jon Cooke]

Back in the VHS days, I have a feeling the amount of repeated cartoons depended on who was put in charge of compiling the videos and how much they cared/were paying attention. Most VHS in those days were viewed as something to keep the kiddies entertained for a half-hour and nothing more, not really aimed to collectors like DVDs are today.

In addition to the Road Runner videos you mentioned that kept repeating cartoons from the Golden Jubilee video, you have to remember the Disney Cartoon Classics VHS that often repeated cartoons from each other.

[Steve Stanch]

The sets from Steve Stanchfield (Thunderbean) have been put together with great care and I am sure Steve knows what he's released.
.

I do???!

I didn't even know I had anything to do with DVDs! I have no idea how to put together a DVD collection, handle Nitrate film, rescontruct anything or much less know what 8mm is next to 16mm...wait- what IS 16mm? What are cartoons anyway? Van who?!?! Wasn't world war two before cartoons were invented? All of this is Greek to me.... In fact, I thought I was just an enthusiastic fan with good intentions! :tweety:

[MarkTheShark]

Worldvision Home Video released a bunch of Hanna-Barbera cartoons on VHS in the 1980s. They released two volumes of Atom Ant. Volume 1 had eight cartoons and Volume 2 had six (of 26 produced altogether). One title from Vol. 1 was repeated on Vol. 2.:rolleyes:

[Jon Cooke]

Worldvision Home Video released a bunch of Hanna-Barbera cartoons on VHS in the 1980s. They released two volumes of Atom Ant. Volume 1 had eight cartoons and Volume 2 had six (of 26 produced altogether). One title from Vol. 1 was repeated on Vol. 2.:rolleyes:

On a similar note, MGM/UA's Tex Avery's Screwball Classics series of VHS tapes included "TV of Tomorrow" on volume 3 and volume 4.

[Thad]

On a similar note, MGM/UA's Tex Avery's Screwball Classics series of VHS tapes included "TV of Tomorrow" on volume 3 and volume 4.

Originally, according to a press release, volume 4 was supposed to have Uncle Tom's Cabana!!

[Matt the Y]

Originally, according to a press release, volume 4 was supposed to have Uncle Tom's Cabana!!

I can totally believe that. Probably, one of the execs at MGM/UA Home Video turned chicken caca at the last second (probably because of the simultaneous whole uproar over "Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips" being included on the Golden Age of Looney Tunes set) and hastily replaced it with another Avery title, "TV of Tomorrow". Still, the least they could have done was chosen another Avery title that also hadn't already been released to home video yet such as "Lonesome Lenny", "The Early Bird Dood It", "Doggone Tired", or "One Cab's Family".