From: rjung@aludra.usc.edu (Robert A. Jung)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.tiny-toon,rec.arts.animation
Subject: Are the Tiny Toonsters rip-offs? (was Re: Weekday Afternoon Live)
Date: 22 Nov 92 18:42:34 GMT
Organization: Southern California Lynx Enthusiasts
NNTP-Posting-Host: aludra.usc.edu

(Rob reaches into the closet, and pulls out a sign reading "Toon Metaphysics
discussion in progress". He plants it into the ground with a low THUD.)

Dave Litchman originally writes:
>As it is, we have a cast of characters which just rips off
>the classic WB 'toons. Do we really need ripped-off characters
>performing ripped-off material?

To which Synth Oberheim replied:
>Okay, who left the door to the newsgroup unlocked again?

And then Dave Litchman clarified with:
>Hey, don't get me wrong. I enjoy watching Tiny Toons (well, the GOOD episodes,
>anyway) but I hold no delusions about the character of the characters.

  Well, Dave, you sorta set yourself up with the use of the words "just" and
"ripped-off" in your original post. While I agree that there is a lot of flow
between the original Loonies and the Tiny Toonsters (sounds like cartoon
softball teams, if ya ask me), I disagree with your original statement that
the Tiny Toonsters are "just" rip-offs of the classic WB toons. See below.

>You have to admit, there is a young 'toon for every popular Classic
>'toon, except in the case of Bugs Bunny, in which there are two.

  First flaw with this argument: Yes, every Looney has an equivalent
character in the TINY TOONS cast, but it's not always a direct copy. Can you
honestly say there is much of a relationship between Porky and Hamton, other
than them being pigs? And while Buster and Babs may be bunnies to Bugs, their
personalities are VASTLY different, IMO (Bugs is too unflappably perfect for
my taste, sorta the WB equivalent of Superman. Buster and Babs, meanwhile,
are flawed, screw up on occassion, and are therefore more identifiable to
me). How about Furrball and Sylvester? And I won't even need to mention
Sweetie and Tweety...  >wince<

  Now, granted, some of the characters DO seem like direct copies -- Plucky
and Daffy, Li'l Beeper and the Road Runner, and Calamity and Wile E. come to
mind.  But if you work out "Number of direct copies" vs. "Number of
non-copies", the original Tiny Toons characters outnumber the "clones"
easily.  Throw in the Tiny Toonsters who have NO equivalent in the Looney
Tunes cast, and it becomes a chasm of difference. Arnold the pit bull?
Shirley the Loon? Byron Bassett? Concord Condor? GOGO?  B-)

>And the young
>'toons often perform routines which were done originally by their classic
>counterparts. I've seen Buster holding up a sign saying "Silly, isn't he?".

  Yes, but there's a difference between "often" and "always". Even a casual
glance of TINY TOONS will indicate that the show is not out to copy verbatum
the original Looney Tunes routines. And, as mentioned before, the character
interactions between the Tiny Toonsters allow for MORE story ideas and scripts
than the original Loonies could ever do. As with the characters themselves,
there is some recycling of old ideas; but for the most part, there is more
original material here, and certainly not enough (in my mind, anyway) to
justify calling TINY TOONS a "ripoff".

>So, we can enjoy the Tiny Toons for what they are, without trying to make
>excuses for their origins. 

  I have nothing with calling a rip-off a rip-off, if there's justification
for the label. I think (and I believe Synth agress with me here) that, in the
case of TINY TOONS versus the original LOONEY TUNES, though, there's not much
to support the call...

                                                --R.J.
                                                B-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Flavio: "You shall play one of the proud, the few, the underpaid -- you are
            a green valet!"
 Hamton: "But I don't know how to drive."
 Flavio: "Hey, typecasting! Even better!"
~~~~~~~~~~~ These opinions are all mine, but you're welcome to 'em. ~~~~~~~~~~
Stay Tiny Tooned!                     Send assorted silliness to rjung@usc.edu
Newsgroups: alt.tv.tiny-toon