Chuck Jones & Mike Maltese re 1965-66 Roadrunner & Coyote? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

cd637299 · 08-20-2025, 12:49 PM

Hey were there any public comments made, by Chuck Jones and/or Michael Maltese, regarding the [clears throat] updates of Roadrunner cartoons by Bob McKimson or Rudy Larriva in 1965 and 1966?

I don’t know how the licensing of the characters by WB gave free reign to “2.0” the Roadrunner & Coyote, and not, say, Bugs, Foghorn Leghorn, Tweety, et al.

Yeah, also the less said about the pairing of Daffy and Speedy, the better. And also in “Corn on the Cop,” seemingly Porky was the dumb one while Daffy was the smart one.

But I’m most concerned about what was put out there (if anything) by Chuck and Mike. I know they were busy with Tom and Jerry at that time, and WB fired Jones for his hand in “Gay Purr-ee.”

Anything? Maybe in the book “Chuck Amuck”?

cd

Charles Knox · 08-20-2025, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cd637299

I don’t know how the licensing of the characters by WB gave free reign to “2.0” the Roadrunner & Coyote, and not, say, Bugs, Foghorn Leghorn, Tweety, et al.
cd

The Warner execs thought they had enough Bugs, Tweety, Porky, and Foghorn cartoons for various television packages. What they didn't have, was enough Daffy Duck, Speedy and Road Runner cartoons So it was just a business decision to outsource more Speedy /Daffy and Road Runner/ Coyote cartoons.

cd637299 · 08-20-2025, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charles Knox

The Warner execs thought they had enough Bugs, Tweety, Porky, and Foghorn cartoons for various television packages. What they didn't have, was enough Daffy Duck, Speedy and Road Runner cartoons So it was just a business decision to outsource more Speedy /Daffy and Road Runner/ Coyote cartoons.

But even the 1964-69 output went to theaters. That included Cool Cat, Merlin the Magic Mouse….

CBS snagged the Roadrunner toons quickly for the new Road Runner show in ‘66. I don’t think Cool Cat was on TV until it was shown on “Lancelot Link.”

I’m just wondering how Jones & Maltese felt about their characters being, well like you said, outsourced.

cd

stevea · 08-20-2025, 08:23 PM

I wrote Chuck Jones a letter in the 1980s, telling him how much I appreciated his work. I must have negatively referenced a later Road Runner cartoon (regretfully, I didn't keep my letter), which was actually in one of his late 1970s specials. He didn't know those by individual cartoon titles, and he thought I was referring to one of the Larriva 11. He made sure I knew he and his animators had no association with the Larriva 11. I'm glad he misunderstood and I wish I knew exactly what I had written.

I don't know if he or Maltese made any public comments about them--they may have been too busy with their subsequent endeavors to care what Warner and DePatie-Freleng were doing.

He drew a cool freehand but perfect image of Daffy in the lower corner of his letter. Of course I still have it.

Much of theatrical animation was in a downward spiral in the mid to late 1960s. Jones and some of his animators were still putting out respectable product--it just seemed obvious that Tom and Jerry weren't their "thing."

08-20-2025, 12:49 PM	#1
cd637299 cd637299 Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 14, 2022 Location: South Florida Posts: 844	Chuck Jones & Mike Maltese re 1965-66 Roadrunner & Coyote? Hey were there any public comments made, by Chuck Jones and/or Michael Maltese, regarding the [clears throat] updates of Roadrunner cartoons by Bob McKimson or Rudy Larriva in 1965 and 1966? I don’t know how the licensing of the characters by WB gave free reign to “2.0” the Roadrunner & Coyote, and not, say, Bugs, Foghorn Leghorn, Tweety, et al. Yeah, also the less said about the pairing of Daffy and Speedy, the better. And also in “Corn on the Cop,” seemingly Porky was the dumb one while Daffy was the smart one. But I’m most concerned about what was put out there (if anything) by Chuck and Mike. I know they were busy with Tom and Jerry at that time, and WB fired Jones for his hand in “Gay Purr-ee.” Anything? Maybe in the book “Chuck Amuck”? cd

08-20-2025, 08:23 PM	#4
stevea 22 Years On Sitcoms Moderator Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 13, 2003 Location: Indy Posts: 44,160	I wrote Chuck Jones a letter in the 1980s, telling him how much I appreciated his work. I must have negatively referenced a later Road Runner cartoon (regretfully, I didn't keep my letter), which was actually in one of his late 1970s specials. He didn't know those by individual cartoon titles, and he thought I was referring to one of the Larriva 11. He made sure I knew he and his animators had no association with the Larriva 11. I'm glad he misunderstood and I wish I knew exactly what I had written. I don't know if he or Maltese made any public comments about them--they may have been too busy with their subsequent endeavors to care what Warner and DePatie-Freleng were doing. He drew a cool freehand but perfect image of Daffy in the lower corner of his letter. Of course I still have it. Much of theatrical animation was in a downward spiral in the mid to late 1960s. Jones and some of his animators were still putting out respectable product--it just seemed obvious that Tom and Jerry weren't their "thing."