Looney Tunes #93, the Chuck Jones tribute issue

[Brian Cruz]

Issue #93 of Looney Tunes went on sale Wednesday, August 7, 2002. The issue is a special tribute to Chuck Jones, who passed away earlier this year. Here is the official solicitation from DC Comics:

<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" id="AutoNumber1"><tr><td><a target="_blank" href="http://www.toonzone.net/comics/lt/covers/093.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://www.toonzone.net/comics/lt/covers/t-093.jpg" alt="Cover" width="125" height="190"></a></td><td><font face="Arial" size="2"><b>LOONEY TUNES #93</b><br><br>Written by Dan Slott, Bill Matheny and Barry Liebmann; art by David Alvarez, John Beatty, Walter Carzon, and Horacio Ottolini; cover by Alvarez and Mike DeCarlo<br><br>In stores August 7. The late, great animator Chuck Jones gets a Looney salute in a moving Coyote-Roadrunner tale. Plus, Bugs Bunny battles a rodeo bull and plays his one-millionth dirty trick on Elmer!<br><br>32 pages, $2.25</font></td></tr></table>

Click below to see the first four pages of this issue:

Page One (http://www.toonzone.net/comics/lt/pages/093-page1.jpg) | Page Two (http://www.toonzone.net/comics/lt/pages/093-page2.jpg) | Page Three (http://www.toonzone.net/comics/lt/pages/093-page3.jpg) | Page Four (http://www.toonzone.net/comics/lt/pages/093-page4.jpg)

Click here for an interview with writer Dan Slott (http://toolooney.toonzone.net/danslott.htm)

For more comics information, visit the Toon Zone Comics (http://www.toonzone.net/comics/) page. If you'd like to subscribe to one year (12 issues) of Looney Tunes for just $19.95, call the DC Comics subscription service at 1-800-887-6789. And to find a comic book store near you, visit the Comic Shop Locator Service (http://csls.diamondcomics.com/).

[The Dork Knight]

Uh, Brian.... You gave us a link to Justic League Adventures #10.

- Foley Is Good

[Matthew Hunter]

Well, I suppose now is as good a time as any to share this with you all. I have done an interview with artist David Alvarez, and I won't be able to post the edited version to a web page with any bells and whistles until Sunday....but for those interested here are my questions-and his answers to them. This issue is discussed.



1. When did you first begin drawing? Did you have any particular inspirations or favorite things to draw?
- Well... I've been drawing since I was five, (Ask my parents about the "1984 room wall grafitti incident"). By that age I used to watch EVERY Disney video available so I could learn to draw the "right way". I remember that I liked to draw the characters not in their "traditional" poses, but making unusual expressions on their faces.


2. How did you become an artist for DC's Looney Tunes series?

-I read in an Animation Magazine that Warner Bros. was cleaning and reviving the Looney Tunes characters by updating their looks and making new projects. Among those projects was "Space Jam" so I saw that as great oportunity to get inside the cartoon industry. I decided to try my hand on the comic books, so I asked for a submission guideline, (HINT: Hey kids...never aproach an angry editor with your drawings without that piece of paper first. He or she might bite), I sent samples of my work and I waited for 365 days....(sigh!)...and voila! I received a call at 8:35 pm from WB that night. I tought it was a joke at first...but then I realized that my uncle wasn't that good in english, so It couldn't be him.
The first story I drew was an Animaniacs story, (very rare to find, indeed), then the next one was a Sylvester story called "Frankentweety"...that's when I stayed with the Looney Tunes.

3. Who is your favorite writer to work with?

- Every writer is distinct in his own way. All of them are Top Notch! But I really enjoy working with Dan Slott. If there's someone who knows about the Looney Tune Universe is that man! He knows how to take a laugh out of the reader. And he has an extreme knowledge about "timing" in a story. That's a wonderful thing!

4. Who's your favorite character?

- Bugs Bunny. In order to draw him, you have to understand his moods. I love Daffy too, because he allows me to work with new expressions a lot, but is that delicate line between coolness and wisecracking that Bugs have that challenges me.

5. Have you ever worked on other comic book series?

- Not in the US market yet. Altough I did some original work in Dark Horse's 911 books last year. I had the great privilege to work with writer Gail Simone.
I used to self publish a comedy comic book in Puerto Rico named "Changuy" a Batman-like-cartoon crow with a super suit and super-“jerk-iness”
I’ve also published many comic strips in local newspapers.

6. When you draw, say, Wile E. Coyote, do you draw using a model sheet as an animator would, or do it completely from memory? Do you use the same methods with every character?

- Warner Bros is very aware that the characters have to look right, so they supply us with every visual reference that we need so we can meet those standards, say model sheets, books…etc.

7. Do you ever assist the writers in coming up with a story or ideas?

-Sometimes Dan Slott calls me and tell me what he has in mind and we come up with some gags. But usually the writers come up with all the story lines. Every now and then I add or delete some panels for comedy timing.

8. What is your favorite story you've ever drawn?

- I had a lot of fun with “Who killed Bugs Bunny”. It took me over a month to watch a big pile of Bugs Bunny videos looking for all those old Bugs Bunny villians and a week to throw darts at a picture of Dan Slott for writing that!! (Joke..he-he).
- But seriously, I really enjoyed that story a lot. It was a big challenge for me.

9. I have noticed a number of great cameos of obscure Looney Tunes characters...are those your idea or the various writers?
- I started that gag back when Dana Kurtin was still the editor. She had a great sense of humor , so she allowed me to draw weird cameos of old Looney Tunes characters every now and then. Joan Hilty, my actual editor, have that humor also. I don’t know, I just found funny that for no particular reason Michigan Frog’s owner was standing near a newspaper stand meanwhile Daffy Duck was leading the story in the foreground. It’s a way to make the panel less boring. I’m crazy, don’t mind me.

10. Has there ever been a story or a drawing within one that the editors didn't like?

- I remember a Marc Anthony and Pussyfoot story that I drew and Dana Kurtin looked at it and called me before faxing the corrections and these were her words: “David… the story looks great, but we have to work on certain details….don’t worry… we’ll work it out together”. When she faxed the corrections I saw that I had to draw the story AAAAALL OVER AGAIN!
- That day I learned the importance of visual gag timing and the virtues of caffeine.

12. My favorites in the LT comics are the Road Runner stories. In comics originally, the Road Runner actually talked, in rhyme, and had multiple kids...but I think the classic cartoon approach is much better. What do you think?

- I remember those stories. It’s kind of weird how they worked comics by that time, so they won’t look like the original item AT ALL. They had their innocence and particular charm. I LOVE the new Road Runner stories because it’s all up to the cartoonist to make the reader understand what is going on without using words. You can spot a good artist by looking at his or her sequential art without any confusions.

13. Who was your favorite of the classic Warner Bros. cartoon directors? Favorite cartoon by that director?

- The master of timing and expressions, Mr Charles M. Jones. He, along with Tex Avery and Bob Clampett are my greatest inspirations.

14. What do you think of all the recent controversy over Speedy Gonzales?
- With all due respect, that was a very unnecessary controversy. I mean…come on!! We all grew up with that little mexican mouse! Leave him alone!!! Let him run free and let him shout: “ARRIBA, ANDALE!”

15. I'd love to see a story with Speedy, Daffy Duck and Sylvester in the same story, ala "A Taste of Catnip"...do you think that could ever happen?
- If some writer has that Friz Freleng touch, I’m sure that it will happen.

16. Have you ever considered doing animation? You know, some of the stories in these comics are worthy of screen adaptation. I'm serious.
- Thank you. Some people have approached me with that question too, and to be honest, my training has been more animation-oriented, but I love the comic book media because you can have total control of the scenes and at the end the story has a very personal touch.

17. What do you think of Warner Bros. making new theatrical shorts and "Baby Looney Tunes"?
- I think it’s great! Reviving those theatrical shorts and the use of the Baby Looney Tunes is not only fantastic, but it’s a way of pumping new blood and gags to the classic cartoons.

18. What can we expect to see in the Looney Tunes comics in the next year? Any issues or stories of note?
- The books are more comedy-oriented than before. Way back when they were starting, the humor was more child-like but right now, the Looney Tunes writers are creating hefty comical stories that can be compared to any humor book on the market.

19. I saw a story a year or so ago with Claude Cat in it...was that fun to do? I'd love to see more with him.

- I’ve drawn Hubbie and Bertie before , but I’ve never drawn Claude. Are you sure it was mine?

20. When I interviewed Dan Slott, he mentioned the "Who Killed Bugs" issue as one of his favorites. What did you think of that one?
- Like I said before, to me, “Who killed Bugs Bunny” is the best Looney Tunes book up to date.

21. Do you have any advice to aspiring comic book artists?
- Don’t ever give up! This is a very competitive market and if you are strong in your artwork and most of all, strong in your will, You can make it! God bless you all!

22. Did you ever meet any of the Warner Bros. directors, like Chuck Jones?
- Aaah… Sadly I never got to meet Mr Jones, or any of the classic directors. But I had the great privilege to illustrate a short Chuck Jones tribute story written by Dan Slott using Mr. Jones’s style. Another big challenge for me.

.23. Anything else you would like to say, about yourself, about doing the comics, about Looney Tunes, or anything?
- Working with the Looney Tunes books have not only shaped and strengthened my drawing skills but have also teached me a lot about the comic book industry. I’m looking forward to take my characters to the US market and get them published, so be on the lookout for more stuff!
- I thank Warner Brothers and DC Comics for all the trust that they have deposited in me during this years and years to come. There’s nothing better that to work on something that you like and really enjoy it. God is good!

[Tintin]

I see the 4 pages and that's a montage of Jones' classic cartoons scenes. (Michigan J. Frog, Elmer, Ralph, etc.)

[Dan Slott]

That was just a four page preview. The story itself is six pages... So you're still missing the best bit... and the punchline.

[Jon Cooke]

I really hope I can find this one at the bookstore. The Jones tribute looks really nice. But LT comics have become so darn hard to find in my area...


-Jon

[Jack]

Yeah, I'd like to find this tribute issue, as well as the one where Daffy acts nutty (supposedly the one and only time he ever acts that way in the comics), but the comics are sort of hard to find around here too. I'll look around, though. This new issue looks really interesting.



Jack :D

[rodney]

Am I the only one who doesn't like the LT comics? I can't stand the character designs, and I think the stories are poorly written.

[candy17]

I did get issue #93 through the mail (because that's how I get the LT comics, duh!) and I almost cried over that ending

Chuck Jones 1912-2002 (2002 is crossed out and replaced with "As long as cartoons run")

And it's true too! :p

[candy17]

Originally posted by Jack
Yeah, I'd like to find this tribute issue, as well as the one where Daffy acts nutty (supposedly the one and only time he ever acts that way in the comics), but the comics are sort of hard to find around here too. I'll look around, though. This new issue looks really interesting.



Jack :D

You can find the Looney Tunes comics in any comic book store (and if you can't, you can write to D.C. Comics to subscribe to the series, though you can't get back issues through there, so the comic book store would be your best bet).

[candy17]

Originally posted by rodney
Am I the only one who doesn't like the LT comics? I can't stand the character designs, and I think the stories are poorly written.

No offense to you, but probably. I like the series and it doesn't matter to me if the characters are drawn off-model, but the stories don't suck. In fact, most of them are what I would expect if the WB animators of yore (i.e., [Bob] Clampett, [Tex] Avery, [Chuck] Jones, [Friz] Freleng, [Arthur] Davis, [Frank] Tashlin, and possibly [Norm] McCabe) were alive and making cartoons (or if someone revamped the Looney Tunes and made it into a series a la "Animaniacs")

Anyway, that's my two cents and I don't care what anyone says!

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :p :p :p :p :p :p :p