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THE PULL LIST: Amazon Sends in the Drones, Cozy Bookstores, Reddit's 105 Top Fantasy Books & More!


Win THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES Digital HD Download!

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From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies," the third in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield and the Company of Dwarves. Having reclaimed their homeland from the Dragon Smaug, the Company has unwittingly unleashed a deadly force into the world.


But first check out The Hobbit The Battle of The Five Armies App!
  • Are you Battle Ready? Take the quiz to uncover your Middle-Earth Weapon of choice!
  • Mouse over the Interactive Map to learn fun facts about Middle-Earth.
  • Watch the official trailer & click the box art to bring the film home today! 



And we're giving away a (Digital Copy) of The Hobbit The Battle of The Five Armies to one lucky FOG! reader!

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First Look Scene From ORPHAN BLACK Season 3 From BBC America

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“Count your sisters….”


The highly anticipated season three premiere of Orphan Black, is drawing near and BBC AMERICA is rolling out a full week of content. Today, a first-look scene from the drama’s premiere episode, “The Weight of this Combination,” premiering Saturday, April 18, 9:00pm ET on BBC AMERICA and across all AMC networks, reveals a faceoff between Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany) and the crazed Castor Clone Rudy (Ari Millen), aka “Scarface.” In the clip, Sarah learns her sisters are in more danger than ever before when Rudy ominously warns her to “count your sisters…”

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FOG! Chats With CO-CREATOR Playwright LENNY SCHWARTZ About Bill Finger and Batman!

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Interview Conducted by Stefan Blitz
Co-Creator art by Arlen Schumer

Playwright, screenwriter and director, Leonard "Lenny" Schwartz, has two recent reasons to celebrate.

Batman and Lenny Schwartz
This past weekend saw a screening of Accidental Incest, a film directed by Richard Griffin that Lenny wrote, based on his own off-Broadway play.

And in approximately two weeks, his Daydream Theatre Company will kickoff the grand opening of the Arctic Playhouse with the launch of his new play, Co-Creator: The Man Behind The Bat, which focuses on the life of Bill Finger, the late writer who co-created Batman with Bob Kane.

Lenny took some time from his busy schedule to chat with FOG! about the genesis of the play, as well as Finger's life and legacy.


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The Guano Hits The Fan With DC's BATGIRL Boner

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Op/Ed by Benn Robbins

This was originally written on Tuesday March 17th 2015 after I watched the Internet explode for a bit. I wrote it and sat on it with exception of showing it to a few close friends. This is it in its entirety.

I am hesitant to say anything anywhere about the whole Batgirl variant cover kerfuffle. Because I have a lot of feelings revolving it.

But here I go.

I am a huge Batgirl fan.

Specifically Barbara Gordon, Batgirl.

I acknowledge the other who have donned the mantle of Batgirl however there will only ever be one true Batgirl.


I own every appearance of Batgirl from her "Million Dollar Debut" in Detective Comics #359 in January of 1967 to the latest issue #40 of the "Burnside" storylines in the New 52. I have countless original sketched adorning my walls of Batgirl art, my wife's 1st anniversary present to me (traditionally the paper anniversary) was the "first appearance" Batgirl Lithograph from the now defunct Warner Bros store signed and numbered by co-creator Carmine Infantino.

I completely blame Yvonne Craig and her lace frilled motorcycle from the '66 Batman tv show (and yes I have a signed photo of Batgirl riding said cycle from when I met her years ago at a small convention)

So when I begin and say that first off, it is a gorgeous cover, art wise, regardless of all the other shit surrounding it, that truly evokes the visceral emotion and terror of the original story it pays homage to. It is beautiful, horrible, thought provoking and hard not to be disturbed by it.


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Looking at TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: ATTACK ON TECHNODROME

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Review by Atlee Greene

Some big news took place in the world of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book series by IDW, as one of our heroes in a half shell has fallen. It was a move that wasn’t promoted or leaked weeks before the 44th issue was released this past Wednesday.

The culmination of this latest story arc was in many ways, what the series has built towards as Krang’s plan of using the Technodrome to terraform the Earth reaches a critical junction for everyone involved.

Even though Attack on Technodrome officially takes place in issues #41-44, issue #40 established a key ingredient that sets a particular act in motion, and you don’t even realize its true intent until later in the arc.

Franchise co-creator Kevin Eastman helms a creative team that has done an exceptional job of giving this series an entertaining and distinctive voice. Tom Waltz and Bobby Curnow bring their expertise to the writing duties, Ronda Pattison’s coloring effortlessly complements the imagery on every page, and Corry Smith’s illustrations on three of the four issues hits every emotional note.


If you frequent comic book news sites, you already know which Turtle met their demise. For the sake of those who don’t know, I’m not going to spoil it until almost the very end of the review.

That way, you have a chance to get a feel for the arc without having the big climax spoiled.


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KILL ME THREE TIMES (review)

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Review by Sharon Knolle
Produced by Tania Chambers, Laurence Malkin, Share Stallings
Written by James McFarland
Directed by Kriv Stenders
Starring Sullivan Stapleton, Alice Braga, Teresa Palmer, 
Callan Mulvey, Luke Hemsworth,  Bryan Brown 
and Simon Pegg


Simon Pegg leads the cast of this comic Aussie crime caper as a stylish assassin named Charlie Wolfe who learns that he's not the only one trying to kill his latest target, Alice (Alice Braga of City of God).

In the small coastal town where Wolfe's been summoned, everyone's connected: There's Alice's abusive husband Jack (Callan Mulvey), his ambitious sister Lucy (Teresa Palmer of Warm Bodies) her meek, gambling-addicted dentist husband Nathan (Sullivan Stapleton of Animal Kingdom), and a more than usually corrupt cop, played with appropriate menace by Bryan Brown.

There's also Alice's lover, local garage owner Dylan; He's played by Luke Hemsworth, who's yet to make as big a splash as his more famous, hunkier brothers Chris and Liam.

After being hired by Alice's husband to kill her, Wolfe witnesses Lucy and Nathan shoving her into the trunk of their car. Since Nathan owes a bundle in gambling debts, their plan is to kill Alice – passing her off as Lucy -- and collect the insurance money.

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THE X-FILES Is Officially Back!

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As reported here back in January, the word is now official, and Fox is bringing back The X-Files for a six episode run (or an "Event Series), with creator Chris Carter and stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson returning.

According to Deadline, production begins this summer and there has been no confirmation whether or not any of the famous X-Files alumni (including  Frank Spotnitz, Howard Gordon and Vince Gilligan) would be back in any capacity.

According to Carter, “I think of it as a 13-year commercial break. The good news is the world has only gotten that much stranger, a perfect time to tell these six stories.”


Introducing FRESH ROMANCE, A Monthly Digital Romance Comic Magazine

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”Romance is coming,” promises FRESH ROMANCE, a new digitial romance comic magazine from Janelle Asselin, Senior Editor of ComicsAlliance.com and former DC Comics editor. If funded through the now-live Kickstarter campaign, Asselin’s new imprint Rosy Press will debut FRESH ROMANCE in May 2015. The first issue of the monthly anthology features sundry stories ranging from a clandestine, queer high school love affair to an impeccably researched and illustrated Regency-era romance.

In addition to three forward-looking romances, each issue of FRESH ROMANCE delivers a relationship advice column by a quartet of divorced writers, behind-the-scenes art coverage, and a fashion report.

“Rosy Press specializes in publishing romantic fiction and nonfiction aimed at attracting a diverse readership,” says Asselin. FRESH ROMANCE forges a new future for romance comics with modern characters, stories and a wide array of genres.

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THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES (Blu-ray review)

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Warner Bros. / Released 3/24/15

“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” brings to an epic conclusion the adventure of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) and the Company of Dwarves. The Dwarves of Erebor have reclaimed the vast wealth of their homeland, but now must face the consequences of having unleashed the terrifying Dragon, Smaug, upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town.

As he succumbs to dragon-sickness, the King Under the Mountain, Thorin Oakenshield, sacrifices friendship and honor in search for the legendary Arkenstone. Unable to help Thorin see reason, Bilbo is driven to make a desperate and dangerous choice, not knowing that even greater perils lie ahead. An ancient enemy has returned to Middle-earth. Sauron, the Dark Lord, has sent forth legions of Orcs in a stealth attack upon the Lonely Mountain.

As darkness converges on their escalating conflict, the races of Dwarves, Elves and Men must decide – unite or be destroyed. Bilbo finds himself fighting for his life and the lives of his friends as five great armies go to war.

Extras include featuretes, musics videos and trailers.


Last Word: Given what I know about Peter Jackson and what I have seen previously from the New Zealand film maestro I must say that the penultimate film in the Middle Earth Saga was kind of a let down.

This chapter of the Hobbit trilogy should have been entitled “A very expected journey and the desolation of a good film maker”

It was grand and epic and emotional and exciting.

But most of all it was really boring.

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The Name’s Newman…Thomas Newman

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For the first time since The Color Purple in 1985, someone other than John Williams will be scoring a Steven Spielberg movie.

The Spielberg/Williams connection is among the most prolific and longest-running partnerships in cinema history, but after nearly thirty collaborations in forty years, it’s high time a new composer stepped in to offer a completely different sound.


The new Spielberg movie is a cold war period thriller called Bridge of Spies starring Tom Hanks, and the composer picking up the baton from John Williams is Thomas Newman. Williams was unavailable to score Bridge of Spies because he took some time off recently due to health issues, but worry not: Williams has since recovered and is indeed still scoring Star Wars: The Force Awakens this Christmas, and he will reportedly return to the orchestra pit to score Spielberg’s subsequent movie, an adaption of Roald Dahl’s children’s book The BFG.

Thomas Newman comes from a famous family of musicians and he’s been scoring movies for decades. His gentle and ethereal signature style for such classic modern-day dramas as Scent of a Woman, The Shawshank Redemption, American Beauty and Road to Perdition tend to blend into his lighter motifs for movies like The Player, Finding Nemo and Wall-E, but he occasionally delivers something completely indelible, and he proved with the most recent James Bond flick Skyfall that he can compose something exciting and grand for a giant action picture. Newman also has a tenuous connection to John Williams that makes his assignment as his substitute on Bridge of Spies somewhat appropriate: he served as an (uncredited) orchestrator for Return of the Jedi.


Will Thomas Newman shake things up a bit and give audiences an entirely new musical soundscape for a Steven Spielberg picture?

Or, like co-producer/composer Quincy Jones did for The Color Purple, will he produce lovely orchestral music that simply emulates the distinctive John Williams style?

We’ll know when Bridge of Spies premieres in October. A month after that, we’ll get to hear what Newman has concocted for his second 007 adventure, SPECTRE.
 
Between the new Spielberg film, the latest James Bond outing, and the upcoming Finding Nemo sequel Finding Dory in 2016, it’s an exciting time to be a fan of Thomas Newman.

While we await his newest movie music, here’s a brief tour of some of my favorite Newman themes.


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Turn Your Crib Into a Shire With THE HOBBIT: THE DEFINITIVE MOVIE POSTERS

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Features 40 Removable Posters
Compiled by Insight Editions

Capturing the art and power of Peter Jackson’s epic film adaptation of the literary classic The Hobbit, The Hobbit Motion Picture Trilogy: The Definitive Movie Posters (Insight Editions / $24.99 / March 2015) features the many unique posters created for the films, including The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.

Illustrating the breathtaking visuals and undeniable global impact of the films, The Hobbit Motion Picture Trilogy: The Definitive Movie Posters features iconic and rare posters created for the extraordinary Trilogy. Filled with stunning poster art from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, this indispensable gallery perfectly captures the spirit of these beloved and remarkable films

Coming out this April, from our friends at Insight EditionsThe Hobbit Motion Picture Trilogy: The Definitive Movie Posters is a must have for any fan of Peter Jackson's adaptation of author J.R.R. Tolkien's seminal works.

After the jump check out some art from this upcoming book!

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KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER (review)

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Review by Generoso Fierro
Produced by Jim Burke, Andrew Banks,
Cameron Lamb, Chris Ohlson, Nathan Zellner
Executive Producer: Alexander Payne
Written by David Zellner, Nathan Zellner
Directed by David Zellner
Starring Rinko Kikuchi, Nobuyuki Katsube, 
Shirley Venard, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner


This past week on my blog, I discussed the concept of “Based On A True Story” in relation to Charles B. Pierce’s 1976 slasher film The Town That Dreaded Sundown, which uses as its source, the murders committed by “The Phantom” in and around the town of Texarkana, AR in 1946.  In his quest to utilize the ”true story” as a selling point for the film’s horror, Pierce went as far as to put the dates of the slayings on screen before the commission of the crime (many of the dates were incorrect).

Though the technique added an element of fear as the actual killer was never caught, its overall treatment did somewhat of a disservice to that community, and especially to the families of some of the “Phantom’s” victims, who even filed suit against the distributor.

Considering the fuss that normally ensues (or perhaps the benefit of extra publicity) it makes one wonder about the necessity of using the tagline “Based On A True Story” when approaching the production of a project that could still effect the people who might be connected to it.

The “true story” of Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter is based on is that of Takako Konishi, a 28 year old Japanese office worker who was found dead in a field outside Detroit Lakes, Minnesota in 2001.

Originally the media had fabricated a story in which Konishi had died while trying to locate the money that Steve Buscemi’s character had buried in the snow in the Coen Brothers fictitious 1996 crime film, Fargo. The actual “true story” was that Konishi had come to Minnesota to visit an ex-lover who was a  married businessman, but when her feelings were not returned by him, she (Konishi) committed suicide by overdosing on alcohol and sedatives. This was confirmed when a suicide note that she had written to her parents was discovered in Bismarck. Her actual story was smartly detailed in the 2003 documentary, This Is A True Story, directed by Paul Berczeller.

David Zellner’s new film, Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter, is inspired more by the myth, than the actual events surrounding the death of Konishi.

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Viz Media Announces Release of Deluxe Omnibus Edition of JUNJI ITO's Horror Series GYO

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Death From The Sea Ravages Japan In The Definitive New Hardcover Edition Of Horror Master’s Celebrated Manga


VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, delivers a lavish new edition of one of the manga (graphic novel) genre’s most seminal horror titles with the publication of the GYO Deluxe Edition on April 21st.

This hardcover version of Junji Ito’s story of an invasion of the Japanese island of Okinawa by mutated sea creatures is presented in a definitive 400 page, 2-in-1 edition that features a new cover design and full-color endpapers. The GYO Deluxe Edition will be published under the VIZ Signature imprint, is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $22.99 U.S. / $26.99 CAN.

InGYO, the floating smell of death hangs over an island. What is it? 

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THE JINX Is Not A Documentary

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HBO’s The Jinx has been the topic du jour for the last week.

In what’s probably a first for true crime TV entertainment, a TV program appears to have cracked a case and surreptitiously recorded a confession. Everyone hoped Serial would do this, but it didn’t come close to what The Jinx has apparently done. There are certainly ethical issues with the fact that director Andrew Jarecki withheld information from the police so that he could be the one to break the case, but what troubles me is how the mini-series masquerades as a documentary so that it can appear an authoritative voice and what really happened. 


Now I enjoyed the mini-series and praise Jarecki’s interviewing skills and the vivid portrait he painted of Robert Durst.

But from the start of The Jinx one choice of his that bothered me was the heavy use of reenactments.

I’ve always felt that reenactments clash with the fundamental idea of documentary filmmaking. But I understand that directors don’t want their whole film to just be talking heads, and I know I’m in the minority on this.

Fair enough.

Jarecki, however, pushes reenactments into a new territory by reenacting events that are unconfirmed.


Reenactments are dramatizations of stories told by primary sources. And, the authenticity of those stories is generally undisputed.

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FOG! Chats With CULLEN BUNN about THE SIXTH GUN: DUST TO DUST

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Interview conducted by Clay N Ferno

The Sixth Gun is headed toward its final issues but the legacy of the Western will live on.

Before the close of the final The Sixth Gun ongoing series at issue #50, Cullen Bunn explores the story of one of the more important and favored characters of the book, Billjohn O’Henry in the latest mini-series The Sixth Gun: Dust to Dust from Oni Press.


You're Darn Tootin’ we were able to wrangle some precious time from the very busy Cullen (Hellbreak, Empty Man, Magneto, Brides of Helheim to name a few!) to tell us about Dust To Dust with art by Tyler Crookm as well as another upcoming project.

The Sixth Gun: Dust to Dust can be best described as Lovecraft meets the Spaghetti Western. Issue #2 comes out April 15, so don’t forget to tell your LCS to order some more of this three issue mini and the trades while you are at it!

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COOL SHIRTS: A Look At T-Shirt Offerings From 80sTEES.com!

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By Stefan Blitz

There's no doubt that the boldest and most personal fashion statement anyone can make is in one's selection of t-shirt.  Personally, I love them.  It's an opportunity to show the world what pop culture I care about, a wonderful flashback to the past and a fantastic way to initiate any nerd discussion.

For this installment of Cool Shirts, I took a look at some of the shirts from 80sTees, which was the first 80s memorabilia online store and has now become a prime destination for pop culture tribes everywhere to come together and share their geekery!

80sTees sells more than shirts.  Among their wares are socks, costumes, ugly Christmas sweaters, hoodies and more.

These are a few of my recent favorites.


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THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION Trilogy Comes To DVD & Blu-ray on 6/30!

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PENELOPE SPHEERIS’ CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED FILMS TO RECEIVE A MUCH ANTICIPATED DELUXE BOX SET COLLECTION


The highly-celebrated and long-awaited trilogy known as The Decline Of Western Civilization will receive a deluxe box set release on June 30, 2015, from Shout! Factory. The 4-disc set will be available in both Blu-ray and DVD formats, and will contain Penelope Spheeris’ The Decline Of Western Civilization (1980), The Decline Of Western Civilization Part II : The Metal Years (1988), and The Decline Of Western Civilization Part III (1998), a 40-page book containing an essay written by rock historian Domenic Priore (Riot on Sunset Strip: Rock ‘n’ Roll’s Last Stand in Hollywood), rare stills, and bonus features including extended interviews, a commentary recorded by Dave Grohl in February 2015, and more. This is the first ever official Blu-ray or DVD release of the films. The set is available for pre-order on Amazon.com and ShoutFactory.com.

The Decline Of Western Civilization box set features a new 2K high-definition scan of each film, supervised by Spheeris. In keeping with the spirit of the rebellious times in which they were shot, the vintage aspects have been respected, and the films retain their original feel.

Spheeris, who also directed Suburbia, Black Sheep and Wayne’s World, regards the Decline films as her most personally rewarding work. “I am so grateful to the fans of these films, and the bands that appeared in them, for their loyalty and patience. This is my life’s work, and I like to think that when I go to my grave, The Decline is what I’ll be remembered for.”

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Double Take Announces ULTIMATE NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD Comic Book Line

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This June, the will dead rise again as Double Take (2T) launches Ultimate Night of the Living Dead, with three new comics set in the universe of the 1968 film. Two series, Rise and Z-Men are written by preeminent Zombie writer, Jeff McComsey, while the third, Home, is written by Moth Grand Slam Champion, Peter Aquero. Digital previews of all three premier issues are available now at doubletakeuniverse.com.

Much more than just a singular launch, this marks the first releases in a major initiative surrounding the classic horror franchise, which frightened moviegoers all around the world and made zombies a household name. Having commissioned a new generation of writers to breathe new life into the classic franchise, 2T has a dozen series in the works – some following characters from the film in surprising new directions; other stories are all new. All creators are working in collaboration with 2T GM, Bill Jemas.

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THE TOP TEN CARTOONS OF 1944

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Here we are in 1944, still in the midst of World War II, and Hollywood animation is in peak form.

This is as good as it ever gets, folks, with studios like Warner Bros. and MGM churning out masterpiece after masterpiece, and even lesser studios like Walter Lantz and Famous Studios releasing some high-quality work.

Among new characters brought to the screen this year - Columbia attempted to adapt Al Capp’s wonderful Li’l Abner strip to the screen, but the series (featuring titles like Amoozin’ But Confoozin’ and Kickapoo Juice) failed to capture the satirical wit of the comic strip. Over at Walter Lantz, the ever-irritable Wally Walrus was introduced as a foil for Woody Woodpecker in The Beach Nut. Famous Studios gave us Herman Mouse in The Henpecked Rooster, although he wouldn’t be paired with his frequent co-star Katnip until Mice Meeting You in 1949. Tex Avery unleashed Screwy Squirrel at MGM, perhaps the zaniest cartoon character ever created. And Chuck Jones introduced the Three Bears, the most dysfunctional cartoon family of all time, in the Warner Bros. cartoon Bugs Bunny and the Three Bears. 

On this list, you’ll find a heavy amount of Warner Bros. shorts, including two Bugs Bunnys, one Daffy Duck, one Porky Pig and one war-related one-shot from Bob Clampett. But there’s also a handful of shorts from MGM, a couple from Walter Lantz and one from Disney.

Take a look:


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