Duck Dodgers and the Return of the 24½th Century

Duck Dodgers and the Return of the 24½th Century is a 1980 Merrie Melodies short directed by Chuck Jones.
== Plot ==
Duck Dodgers is assigned to locate the rack-and-pinion molecule needed for yo-yo polish. Dodgers and his assistant, Eager Young Space Cadet, crash their spaceship into a giant egg planet, breaking the shell. Dodgers finds Marvin the Martian, who is scheming to destroy Earth in an attempt to solve the "fuel problem". Upon realizing Marvin's intentions, Dodgers tries to arrest Marvin, but fails when Marvin tells what setbacks there are to blowing up the Earth. Marvin complains about Dodgers delaying his procedure, and plans to release a monster named Gossamer to attack Dodgers.
Marvin asks Dodgers to visit the boudoir of Gossamer. Dodgers thinks Gossamer is a space princess, but is quickly proven otherwise when he sees a giant, orange hairy monster. As a scared Dodgers tries to surrender to Marvin, Marvin states that he is unable to take prisoners, "especially cowards." Meanwhile, Porky sees the situation and tranquilizes Marvin by launching a straitjacket at him. Marvin commands Gossamer to attack Dodgers, while Dodgers absentmindedly walks towards the monster before fleeing. Porky uses electronic clippers to literally haircut Gossamer into nothingness. Dodgers, furious of his assistant's all too literal interpretations of his commands, repeatedly fires his ray gun at Porky's rear. During the chase, when Porky asks what the people on Earth will do without the rack-and-pinion molecule, Dodgers simply says, "Let 'em eat cake!"
With Dodgers out of the way, Marvin can finally launch his planet smasher cannon towards Earth. Marvin asides that the missile will reach the planet in three days. However, at the "That's all Folks!" card, Marvin assures not to worry as it is only a cartoon.
== Availability ==
10966549 det.jpg|(1992) VHS Daffy Duck's Thanks-for-Giving Special
Marvin and K9 50 Years on Earth.jpg|(1996) VHS Looney Tunes Presents Marvin the Martian & K-9: 50 Years on Earth!
Bumper08.jpg|(1998) VHS Special Bumper Collection (Vol. 8)
Jlaser-bnm.jpg|(1998) LaserDisc Bugs and Marvin: Martian Mayhem (1997 dubbed version, only in PAL regions)
Space Tunes.jpg|(1999) VHS Looney Tunes Presents Marvin the Martian: Space Tunes [reissued version]
lt ddq dvd.jpg|(2009) DVD Daffy Duck's Quackbusters (theatrical cut 6:40 min)
51LA0AzTVqL. SL500 AA300 .jpg|(2011) Blu-ray Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1, Disc Three (theatrical cut 6:40 min)
The Essential Daffy Duck.jpg|(2011) DVD The Essential Daffy Duck, Disc 2 (as part of Daffy Duck's Thanks-for-Giving Special director's cut 9:26 min)
Lt 4kf ltc.jpg|(2015) DVD 4 Kid Favorites Looney Tunes Collection
lt df tlts ddq.jpg|(2016) DVD Looney Tunes Double Feature The Looney Tunes Show Daffy Duck's Quackbusters
Lt double.jpg|(2020) DVD Bugs Bunny's Lunar Tunes Marvin the Martian Space Tunes Double Feature
Looney Tunes Holiday Triple Feature.jpg|(2020) DVD Looney Tunes Holiday Triple Feature (as part of Daffy Duck's Thanks-for-Giving Special director's cut 9:26 min)
=== Streaming ===
Lt boomerang.jpg|Boomerang App (2020 - ) (theatrical cut 6:40 min)
Lt hbo max.jpg|HBO Max (2020 - 2022) (restored) (theatrical cut 6:40 min)
Lt max.jpg|Max (2024 - ) (restored) (theatrical cut 6:40 min)
== Censorship ==
The following scenes were cut when this cartoon was reformatted as an individual animated short to be aired in theaters:
*Dodgers telling Marvin he is under arrest.
*Dodgers referring to several locations in New York City that he will miss after Marvin tells him of his plan to blow up the Earth.
*Porky using a straitjacket gun to capture Marvin the Martian.
*The real ending where Marvin (still wrapped in the straitjacket) aims his missile at Earth and fires it, then tells the viewers that the missile will take three days to reach Earth, giving everyone time to get their affairs in order before everyone gets annihilated, which explains the "That's All Folks!" ending card where Marvin says, "Don't worry, folks. After all, it's only a cartoon".
The reformatted version of this cartoon is the version aired on all television networks (though ABC's version and Nickelodeon's version [back when that channel wasn't allowed to air opening and ending credits on the Warner Bros. cartoons] cut the end card where Marvin the Martian assures the audience that the Earth won't be destroyed because "...it's only a cartoon". Other channels, like MeTV, Boomerang, The WB, and Cartoon Network don't do this), home media releases, and streaming releases. The 2020 restored version currently on Max is also from the cut theatrical version. The special it originates from, Daffy Duck's Thanks-for-Giving Special, contains the full, uncut version, although it has not been restored.
== Notes ==
* This cartoon is the sequel to "Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century". 
* This was the first Daffy and Porky cartoon since 1965.
* This cartoon first aired as part of an animated TV special called Daffy Duck's Thanks-for-Giving Special, with scenes that would later be cut when this cartoon was reformatted as a short.
* This is the first cartoon where Gossamer gets his official name. He was not named in "Hair-Raising Hare", and named Rudolf in "Water, Water Every Hare".
* This cartoon reuses music cues from The Bugs Bunny Road-Runner Movie, which was released the previous year.
* This cartoon reveals that Gossamer consists entirely of hair, hence once his fur is shaved he becomes completely invisible. This was even lampooned in one of Cartoon Network's The Bugs & Daffy Show bumpers during the "Powerhouse" era where Bugs Bunny, in his barber outfit from "Rabbit of Seville", gives Gossamer a haircut.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-yn5i2U2IU&ab_channel=RetroCCN However, in "Water, Water Every Hare", Gossamer is seen with a scalp under his top hair.
*K-9 was in the original storyboard by Michael Maltese, but did not appear in the finished cartoon.
*This short was intended to be shown theatrically before Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, but was not included in its theatrical release.http://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/cartoons-considered-for-an-academy-award-1980/
*This short was considered for an Academy Award in 1980, but was not nominated.
*The beginning of the short was referenced in Cartoon Network's Toonami promos, which feature a similar pan-through of the Absolution.
==Gallery==
DuckDodgersandtheReturnCredits1.png
DuckDodgersandtheReturnCredits2.png
DuckDodgersandtheReturnCredits3.png
DuckDodgersandtheReturnCredits4.png
DuckDodgersandtheReturnCredits5.png
DuckDodgersandtheReturnCredits6.png
==External links==
*“The Return of Duck Dodgers” Storyboard by Michael Maltese – Part 1 on cartoonresearch.com
*“The Return of Duck Dodgers” Storyboard by Michael Maltese – Part 2 on cartoonresearch.com
==References==
 
Category:Duck Dodgers
Category:Daffy Duck Cartoons
Category:Porky Pig Cartoons
Category:Shorts
Category:1980
Category:Cartoons directed by Chuck Jones
Category:Cartoons written by Michael Maltese
Category:Cartoons written by Chuck Jones