Click here to pre-order Tom & Jerry Spotlight Collection, Volume 3

Coming September 18, 2007 from Classic Media is The Best Of Rocky And Bullwinkle, Vol. 2. The DVD will include the stories "Wossamotta U," "Treasure of Monte Zoom" and "Goof Gas Attack". Pre-order link and cover art will be added when they become available.

--- Ha-ha-ha-HA-ha! Yes, Universal is finally issuing a comprehensive DVD set of the classic Walter Lantz cartoon shorts... and it was worth the wait. The Woody Woodpecker & Friends Classic Cartoon Collection gathers 75 of the greatest Lantz cartoons on three DVDs. Included are the first 45 Woody Woodpecker cartoons presented in release order. Other highlights include the first 5 Chilly Willy cartoons, 5 classic Andy Panda shorts, Tex Avery's 2 one-shot masterpieces ("Sh-h-h-h-h" and "Crazy Mixed-Up Pup"), some rarely seen Swing Symphonies, and an assortment of black-and-white gems with characters such as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Pooch the Pup. Plus, some great bonus material including behind-the-scenes segments with Walter Lantz from the original Woody Woodpecker Show, "Walter, Woody and the World of Animation" featurette, the complete Halloween "Spook-a-Nanny" episode of The Woody Woodpecker Show, and more! All are promised to be unedited and restored from the original negatives. Don't miss this collection! Scheduled release date is July 24, 2007.


Click here to order Woody Woodpecker & Friends DVD from Amazon.com!

--- Coming shortly after the success of the Ant and the Aardvark DVD, MGM is bringing us The Pink Panther and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection, Vol. 6: The Inspector on July 24, 2007. The disc will gather the first 17 theatrical shorts starring the bumbling French crime-solver from DePatie-Freleng. There were 34 Inspector shorts in all, making a second volume gathering the other 17 cartoons likely at some point.

--- June 26, 2007 brings two volumes of The Best of Casper from our friends at Classic Media. Each disc will contain 12 cartoons (all cartoons on these discs are repeats from previous Casper DVD collections and The Complete Harveytoons DVD set). Here are the details anyway:

Best of Casper, Vol. 1: Includes "True Boo," "Boo Ribbon Winner," "Good Scream Fun," "Fright from Wrong," "Zero the Hero," "Ground Hog Play," "Boo Hoo Baby," "Spooking About Africa," "Puss 'N Boots," "Hide and Shriek," "Red, White, And Boo," and "Pig-a-Boo."

Best of Casper, Vol. 2: Includes "Frightday the 13th," "Hooky Spooky," "Little Boo Peep," "North Pal," "Keep Your Grin Up," "Penguin for Your Thoughts," "Spook and Span," "Spook No Evil," "Spunky Skunky," "Boo Bop," and "To Boo or Not to Boo."



--- To tie-in with the upcoming live-action movie, Classic Media releases three new Underdog DVDs on July 24. The three volumes of The Ultimate Underdog will feature the following Underdog adventures in addition to segments featuring characters such as Tooter Turtle, Tennessee Tuxedo and the Go-Go Gophers. Bonus material will be recycled from previous Underdog DVD collections.

The Ultimate Underdog, Vol. 1: Perils Of Sweet Polly: Includes "The Big Dipper," "The Gold Bricks" and "Fearo the Ferocious."

The Ultimate Underdog, Vol. 2: Simon Says...Melt!: Includes "The Great Gold Robbery," "The Big Shrink" and "The Marbleheads."

The Ultimate Underdog, Vol. 3: Riff Raff's Greatest Hits: Includes "Weathering the Storm," "Riffraffville" and "Round and Round."



---- It's official! Walt Disney Home Video has officially announced that there will indeed be a Walt Disney Treasures, Wave 7. The release date is currently set for December 11, 2007. This wave was made possible by the huge collector and fan support. The 7th wave will contain The Chronological Donald, Vol. 3, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and Disneyland: Stories, Secrets, and Magic. More information, cover art, and pre-order links will be added as they become available.

---- Shout Factory releases Batfink: Complete Series June 19, 2007 featuring all 100 made-for-TV shorts from Hal Seeger on 4 discs.

---- Earl Kress reported on his blog that Classic Media seems to have plans to release Jay Ward's George of the Jungle by the end of the year. No news on the remaining seasons of Rocky & Bullwinkle.

--- Kress also reports that the future of the Quick Draw McGraw DVD is in trouble... again... this time due to problems with music rights.

--- Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection, Vol. 3, collecting the remaining MGM Tom & Jerry shorts made by Hanna and Barbera is in the works (again, as reported by Earl Kress).

--- Finally, you never know what will show up in the $1.00 DVD bargain bin. Public domain DVD distributor EastWest has released a DVD of Jay Ward's rarely seen Hoppity Hooper cartoons. Be aware, this is NOT an official release and I have no idea how the quality is. Keep an eye on the displays of $1 DVDs at your local stores. Here's an Amazon link with a closer look at the cover art.

--- The long delayed Mr. Magoo Show: The Complete DVD Collection 4-disc set is now available exclusively through the new Classic Media Online Store. A wide release still hasn't been officially announced but appears to be likely. If you can't wait... go grab a copy straight from Classic Media and don't pay the ridiculous prices on eBay!

--- The final two volumes of the Disney's It's a Small World of Fun! DVDs are due on Feb. 13, 2007. Volume 3 will feature such cartoons as "Johnny Appleseed", "Tiger Trouble", and "Alpine Climbers". Volume 4 is expected to contain "The Reluctant Dragon", "For Whom the Bulls Toil", "The Little House", "Goddess of the Spring", and "Polar Trappers". An additional volume in the Disney's Timeless Tales series is expected to be released in 2007 as well.


--- The 2-disc of Walt Disney's Peter Pan: Platinum Edition will be released March 6, 2007. It will have a new "digitally remastered transfer" and many extras. The 2-disc Jungle Book: Platinum Edition will be released on October 2, 2007.

--- Pink Panther Classic Cartoon Collection, Volume 5: The Ant and the Aardvark will be released on April 3, 2007. This single disc release will collect all 17 of DePatie-Freleng's Ant and the Aardvark cartoons.

--- "You know what? I'm happy." Warner Home Video will release Tex Avery's Droopy: The Complete Theatrical Collection on May 15, 2007. Details haven't been announced yet. It is uncertain if the set will include the non-Avery theatrical Droopy cartoons. Hopefully this set won't have the same problems that have plagued Warner's Tom & Jerry sets. It has also been said that if the Droopy set sells well enough, Warner Home Video will consider releasing a Complete Tex Avery DVD collection.

--- Warner Home Video's first volume of classic Popeye is due in July. No release date has officially been set and no details have been announced. Expect it to include the first 60 Fleischer Popeye cartoons, including two of the three Technicolor 2-reelers A Volume 2 is expected around November (and is expected to be released alongside Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume 5). Two more volumes, collecting the color Famous Studios shorts, are planned for 2008.

--- Another very exciting DVD release is expected in July (no official announcement has been made yet), but some details have surfaced in this thread on the GAC Forums.

--- Disney's existing vintage Oswald the Rabbit cartoons will be released on their own DVD as part of the new series of Walt Disney Legacy Collections this year. No release date has been announced yet.

--- The future of the Walt Disney Treasures DVD series is uncertain at this time. Click here to see how you can help show your support!

--- As mentioned on Earl Kress' blog, Quick Draw McGraw and Wally Gator are on Warner Home Video's tentative list of Hanna-Barbera DVDs for 2007.

Warner Home Video Opens a Can of Spinach as It Prepares to Distribute Popeye

Tuesday June 6, 3:46 pm ET
I Yam What I Yam!
The Most Popular ''Sailor Man'' Comes to DVD in 2007

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 6, 2006--Warner Home Video (WHV), Hearst Entertainment and King Features Syndicate have reached an agreement for the exclusive worldwide home entertainment distribution of both the classic Popeye theatrical animated shorts and the Popeye made-for-TV animated shorts. The announcement was jointly made by Jeff Brown, WHV Senior Vice President and General Manager TV and Franchise, and T.R. ("Rocky") Shepard III, President of King Features Syndicate.

WHV will be the exclusive worldwide home entertainment distributor for all classic Popeye theatrical and television properties. The new agreement has cleared Warner's home video distribution rights for the original 231 Popeye animated shorts released theatrically by Paramount Pictures between 1933 and 1957. In addition, WHV has licensed the exclusive rights to 220 Popeye made-for-TV animated shorts produced from 1960 to 1962, 65 episodes of The Continuing Adventures of Popeye, produced from 1978 to 1981 (consisting of 161 animated shorts) and 26 Popeye & Son shorts produced in 1987. Warner's first Popeye DVD release is expected to street in 2007.

The theatrical library consists of 120 black & white shorts (106 of these were produced by Fleischer Studios, the remaining 14 were produced by Famous Studios) and 111 Technicolor cartoons (three produced by Fleischer Studios and 108 produced by Famous Studios). Warner Home Video plans to commence preservation and restoration activities immediately.

Regarding the announcement, Brown remarked, "We are extremely excited to bring fans one of the most recognized, iconic characters who has spanned seven decades. Popeye is the only major theatrical franchise in film history that never received a legitimate home video release."

He added, "For years Warner Bros. had been inundated by consumer letters demanding the release of Popeye, an underdog, a hero, a character who always represents good, and WHV is proud to bring this illustrious collection to DVD."

King Features and Popeye go back 77 years, from the minute he walked into Elzie Segar's THIMBLE THEATER comic strip and muttered his famous "D'ja think I'm a cowboy?" line, to his recent primetime CGI special, Popeye has captured the hearts of millions of fans around the world.

Shepard said "In all my years at King Features and with the Hearst Corporation, I have yet to experience the enthusiastic outpour of support and love for a dynamic character as I have witnessed with Popeye. That's why I'm thrilled to be able to give the fans a chance to relive some of their favorite Popeye, Bluto, Olive Oyl, Wimpy and Swee' Pea moments on a soon to be released Warner Home Video DVD. Fans can now own, enjoy and share Popeye with many spinach-loving generations to come."

With operations in 90 international territories Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video's film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Video and New Line Home Entertainment.

King Features Syndicate is a member of Hearst Entertainment and Syndication Group, which combines The Hearst Corporation's cable network partnerships, television programming activities, newspaper syndication, and licensing. King Features Syndicate is the world's premier distributor of comics, syndicated columns, editorial cartoons, puzzles and games. It is also one of the largest licensing agencies in North America representing both classic and new properties such as "Popeye," "Betty Boop," "Krazy Kat," "Dennis the Menace," "David & Goliath" and "Mutts."