Of Course You Realize THIS Means Podcast - A Looney Tunes Discussion · thismeanspodcast

The True Grit of Looney Tunes Cartoons with Animator Robert Griggs

·52 min·4 clips

Jonathan opens by framing the final batch of the Looney Tunes Cartoons revival as a last chance to talk about the work while it is still fresh. Robert Griggs joins in as a layout artist and character designer with credits across the series and other projects. The conversation starts from that ending and keeps returning to the sense that this is the close of a particular Warner Bros. animation run. There is excitement, but also a little sadness, because the show is out in the world now and this version is finished. Jonathan brings up the revealed Bubble Brain movie with Daffy and Porky as the next thing that might have followed it. The two of them also talk through what another batch could have looked like if the revival had kept going into another decade of style. That opens into a broader appreciation for how much the classic shorts can still support new ideas. Robert and Jonathan touch on characters that had not been revisited in a long time, including Wile E. Coyote, Ralph Wolf, Sam Sheepdog, and Mark Anthony and Pussyfoot. Jonathan especially latches onto Mark Anthony and Pussyfoot as one of the great adorable-and-chaotic Looney Tunes pairings. Robert explains the title-card side of the work and notes that he was pulled in at the last minute for that piece. The episode makes clear that the visual branding around a short can be just as memorable as the cartoon itself. Jonathan keeps pressing on the details of how these shorts were assembled, which gives Robert room to talk about the collaborative nature of the production. The show spends as much time on the designers and artists behind the scenes as it does on the characters on screen. That fits the episode’s overall mood, which is appreciative without getting stiff. There is also some wistfulness in the background, since the conversation keeps touching on what might have come next. The hosts talk about how long the show had been in development and how burnout can shape the life of a revival. Even so, the episode keeps its tone light and warm. The closing stretch turns into a friendly sendoff, including a running joke about calling each other doctor because they treat pencils like surgeons. Jonathan ends by encouraging listeners to follow Robert for more behind-the-scenes work and to keep up with the podcast. The result is a conversation that feels both archival and personal, built for listeners who want the art, the process, and the affection all in one place.

As heard by us

A craft-first farewell to the last Looney Tunes Cartoons batch.

Robert Griggs brings a working-artist view to the last batch of the 2020 to 2023 Looney Tunes Cartoons revamp, and the strongest stretches stay close to the craft.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Hear Robert Griggs talk through the last batch of the 2020-2023 Looney Tunes Cartoons revamp.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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