Even Norman McLaren dvd released then why no Avery, no Lantz still?

[houserunner]

I discovered Norman McLaren seven disc box set released recently. That's really great news for animation fans. His revolutionary use of pixilated animation technic made his classic shorts truly unique and original. ( Neighbours is one of my favorite shorts ) But, I personally doesn't think his dvd box set ever available. Seven disc box set with over hundred shorts, that's amazing treatment any animation personality. Now, I seriously questioned myself as a classic cartoon fan, Even Norman McLaren set available then why there's still no Tex Avery set, no Walter Lantz set? I simply can't understand.

First, I read about Tex Avery dvd set issued post many times. But, now 2007 opened still no news for Avery set. I think whv did very wrong decision, personally I believe Tex Avery box set only left classic cartoon release will bring some great sale rate for whv. Think about it, LTGC set now reached number four, and many classic cartoon fans wanna be list almost released. Of course, still banned cartoons not released but that's another story. Even banned cartoons will be available sometime in the future I don't think it's sale rate over Avery's. Classic cartoon fans surely buy Avery set and I think many casual modern cartoon fans will buy, too. (Personally, I believe Tex Avery set and compleat Droopy set both will do a great business for whv) New generations of cartoon fans can't see King Size Canary, Bad Luck Blackie, Magical Maestro, that's a real shame.

How about Walter Lantz cartune collection? Walter Lantz studio made many classic shorts. Like Tex Avery's case, if Walter Lantz collection and Woody Woodpecker collection both available, that's a great gift for any classic cartoon fans. Don't forget Tex Avery's four Lantz cartunes, two of them deserved masterpiece statue. and there're Barber of Seville, Musical moments from Chopin and many more classic shorts.

Even lesser-known (for casual viewer) legendary name like Norman McLaren now gets his own dvd set, Tex Avery deserved his brilliant career into several disc box set. And studio like Walter Lantz deserving that honor, too. I hope companies own the rights for these classic cartoons must do the right thing. That's a one truly great gift for many generations of cartoon fans.
:droopy: If they'll do, that'll make me happy

p.s. Anybody have expanded entertainment released LD Outrageous Animation vol.1 , please let me know cartoon title track listing. That'll help me a lot. Thanks.

[Leviathan]

Universal doesn't want anything to do with the Walter Lantz Cartunes. It's actually a miracle that the Columbia House discs got released at all. DVNR'd/edited or otherwise.

On Tex Avery, a DVD set of his MGM cartoons has been rumored as being on Warner's backburner for years (WHV, at their 2006 Animation Chat, said that they were trying to drum up the $$$ needed for their restoration). It seems like a longshot now, but we were thinking the exact same thing about Popeye as recently as 7 months about (in fact, many of us here thought the Popeyes had even less of a shot at DVD than the MGM Averys), so we probably shouldn't thrown in the towel yet.

[Jack G.]

I think the Avery set will eventually happen but probably not in the timely manner we'd like.

Lantz cartoons are a different matter. There has to be some kind of change.
Either the properties have to be sold to someone else, or there has to be a regieme change at Universal.

I wish Ted Turner had bought the Universal film catalog back when he was buying the other film properties.
At least the cartoons would have been on Cartoon Network (when it was good) and maybe the stuff
would show up on Cartoon Alley now.

[MF TOON]

We Already know that a Tex Avery set IS coming... but unfortunately there's only a select number of classic animation releases that can be fit into schedule due to company and financial resources at WHV each year. Right now,l I believe the focus is on the newly restored Popeyes which are slated for release this Spring, I believe. I'm sure we'll hear more on a Tex Avery collection after that. I'd definitely say that we'll see something released within the next two years, at most.

[Jack G.]

We Already know that a Tex Avery set IS coming...I thought I heard that too. But so many here seem to doubt it that I was wondering if I heard the story wrong.

People get so impatient that they start think the next Looney Tune Golden Collection is doomed
whenever they don't announce the contents on time.:rolleyes:

[Sogturtle]

I think the Avery set will eventually happen but probably not in the timely manner we'd like.

Lantz cartoons are a different matter. There has to be some kind of change.
Either the properties have to be sold to someone else, or there has to be a regieme change at Universal.

I wish Ted Turner had bought the Universal film catalog back when he was buying the other film properties.
At least the cartoons would have been on Cartoon Network (when it was good) and maybe the stuff would show up on Cartoon Alley now.

Masked Stinker~

The Lantz cartoons are a big problem... Universal has already had a scad of regime changes in the last twenty years... They went from the longtime ownership of MCA (under Lew Wasserman) to Matsushita (Japanese ownership) then to Seagrams (Canadian ownership by Seagrams under Edgar Bronfman Jr.) and then onwards and downwards:D to that French water and sewage and cable company:rolleyes:. NOW Universal is back under American ownership in the form of NBC (but really GE) and once again it seems nobody cares about or knows what to do with the Lantz cartoons...

And yeah, back when Ted Turner bought the MGM and pre-Fall '48 Warner films and those of RKO it would have been logical for him to have made a bid to buy either Universal en toto, or at least buy the Lantz cartoon library. The catch to that was that after his purchase of the MGM and Warner libraries he was laden with such massive bank debt that he bordered on total financial collapse... It was only by the act of a number of major cable companies agreeing to bail him out that he even survived another year. BUT it was in return for his agreeing to take them on as controlling "partners" in Turner... From that minute on he could NOT make any major decisions without the partners okay. Ted Turner was hogtied! Buying Universal would have been more than the partners would EVER approve.

Buuuuut who knows, with Ted now out of a job at Time-Warner and sitting around bored to tears amongst his huge herds of buffalo:p maybe, just maybe he'll start thinking about taking a part of his LARGE personal fortune and going after something again;). Let's see, NBC-Universal REALLY doesn't have any use for the Lantz library:cool: And likewise now that the financial partners that helped Sony buy MGM have wrested Metro away then likely it will come up for sale again... Hey! There's an idea, Turner go after MGM and then the Lantz library! [Course he'll have to get some bank financing...:daffy:]

[houserunner]

LTGC vol.1,4 don't have Avery shorts. His importance of wb animation's early days and lasting influence, two of four volumes don't have one Avery short made two option question pop up my head.
WHV doesn't care Tex Avery's legacy or They want Avery future dvd set include not only his MGM shorts but his WB shorts, too.
I hope my second guess is right.

[Jack G.]

Masked Stinker~

The Lantz cartoons are a big problem...Well for us that like to see them, it is!:woody: I don't if the folks in charge consider it a problem at all!
So Universal had that many changes? Yow! The corporate world is an ugly place.

As for the Avery not having many cartoons on the Golden Collections yet, I don't know how many cartoons Avery did at Warner,
but I think they will slowly appear on future volumes.

As for WHV caring. The only thing they care about is making money.
It's people like Jerry Beck (and another fellow who's name I can't remember) that care.
But they're not the one's with the money or final decision making power.

[Leviathan]

As for the Avery not having many cartoons on the Golden Collections yet, I don't know how many cartoons Avery did at Warner,
but I think they will slowly appear on future volumes.

Somewhere in the neighborhood of 60-70, IIRC.

But hey, who cares about those Tex Avery WB toons? WHV has to make room for all those wonderful Friz Freleng shorts after all.

[J Lee]

Unfortunately, all of Avery's WB cartoons are from 1935-42, which means they're the ones that Warners let get out from under their ownership in the 1950s, and as a result need more restoration. The post-48 cartoons of Freleng, Jones and McKimson require the least amount of work to get into shape for DVD release, since Warners has been very good to them for the past 47 years (since they realized how much $$$ they could make off their reuse, first on television and now in the home video sales market).

GC 4 was devoted to restoring a bunch of Frank Tashlin's work, all of which also was sold off by Warners between 1953 and '56 before being reacquired, and Bob Clampett's stuff falls under the same situation. But both those direcotrs worked after 1942 at the studio, which is when the "golden age" is generally agreed to have gotten into full swing. I'm sure Avery will get his own disc on GC V or GC VI -- hopefully with a few Avery Bugs Bunny Kool Aid ads thrown in as a bonus -- and eventually all the MGM cartoons (which are in much better shape to begin with) will see the light of day.

Now, those four Lantz cartoons Tex did, who knows when the folks at 30 Rock or Universal City are going to get around to putting those on DVD...:(

[Jack G.]

What you're saying J Lee makes sense to me.

Just be patient folks- I know it's hard, but at least WHV is puting stuff out, so there's good reason for hope.