Anvils, Mallets & Dynamite: The Unauthorized Biography of Looney Tunes

What do you get when you mix a mischievous rabbit, an inept hunter, a wacky duck, and a stuttering pig? A tableau of subversive humor, madness, and mayhem that has delighted audiences of all ages, according to this insightful new book by pop culture writer Weinman (a contributor to Vox, Vice, and MacLean’s), which chronicles the creation of Looney Tunes cartoons by the Warner Brothers studio. He writes that Warner Brothers’ Looney Tunes were meant to compete with the popular animations of Walt Disney studios—specifically cartoons featuring Mickey Mouse—and became popular through the hard work of talented artists and directors such as Chuck Jones and Tex Avery. Weinman points to the vocal talents of Mel Blanc and the synergy of music cues and jokes (a technique used in silent films) as reasons that Looney Tunes overshadowed other popular cartoons such as Popeye and Betty Boop. Weinman’s analysis of Looney Tunes cartoons and their longevity, along with the book’s clear understanding of film and sound editing, makes this a vibrant and compelling read for animation buffs.