Mel Blanc

2013 Best Book of the Year - Classic Images Mel Blanc needs no introduction to cartoon and radio fans. He was The Master of the funny voice. For the first time ever, here is the ultimate biography, encompassing Noel Blanc's unpublished biography, with an introduction by Bugs Bunny, plus a complete (and Huge) credit list and discography. Over 700 pages. Indexed.

The legendary cartoon and radio voice man offers a behind-the-scenes chronicl of his many-voiced career, detailing his creation of world-famous voices and his work with the best-loved cartoon characters and radio personalities.

Meet young Melvin—the future Mel Blanc of Looney Tunes fame—as he drives everyone a little nuts with the noisy soundtrack to his day-to-day life Melvin is an imaginative and noisy little boy who grows up to be Mel Blanc, Looney Tunes cartoon character pioneer and the voice behind Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Woody Woodpecker, the Tasmanian Devil, and so many more familiar personalities. Readers are treated to a typical day for young Melvin, when ordinary tasks like getting ready for school, riding the bus, and completing his chores are charged with sound effects and accompanied by his own personal soundtrack. His knack for making funny noises and using the versatility of his voice was like no other—much to the relief of his teachers. Penned by Blanc's daughter-in-law, this first-person fiction-based-in-reality story is a fun romp and is sure to inspire young readers to turn trouble into triumph! “Reading this book aloud will guarantee a boisterous romp of a story time in a library or classroom setting.” —School Library Journal

The Magic Behind the Voices is a fascinating package of biographies, anecdotes, credit listings, and photographs of the actors who have created the unmistakable voices for some of the most popular and enduring animated characters of all time. Drawn from dozens of personal interviews, the book features a unique look at thirty-nine of the hidden artists of show business. Often as amusing as the characters they portray, voice actors are charming, resilient people—many from humble beginnings—who have led colorful lives in pursuit of success. Beavis and Butthead and King of the Hill's Mike Judge was an engineer for a weapons contractor turned self-taught animator and voice actor. Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson) was a small-town Ohio girl who became the star protégé of Daws Butler—most famous for Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, and Quick Draw McGraw. Mickey Mouse (Wayne Allwine) and Minnie Mouse (Russi Taylor) were a real-life husband-and-wife team. Spanning many studios and production companies, this book captures the spirit of fun that bubbles from those who create the voices of favorite animated characters. In the earliest days of cartoons, voice actors were seldom credited for their work. A little more than a decade ago, even the Screen Actors Guild did not consider voice actors to be real actors, and the only voice actor known to the general public was Mel Blanc. Now, Oscar-winning celebrities clamor to guest star on animated television shows and features. Despite the crushing turnouts at signings for shows such as Animaniacs, The Simpsons, and SpongeBob Squarepants, most voice actors continue to work in relative anonymity. The Magic Behind the Voices features personal interviews and concise biographical details, parting the curtain to reveal creators of many of the most beloved cartoon voices.

Cartoon voices of the golden age, 1930-70 Volume Two of CARTOON VOICES is the massive reference companion to Volume One. This is the information for which animation enthusiasts have been waiting. Based on thirty two years of painstaking research in archives and libraries, this volume features an exhaustive listing of thousands of theatrical cartoons, containing never-before-published voice credits for hundreds of obscure acting talents who until now remained unidentified. The listings herein cover the Golden Age output and voice talent of the following major film studios: Warner Bros. (the immortal Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies), MGM (cartoons by giants like Hanna-Barbera and Tex Avery), Columbia (the often oddball Screen Gems cartoons), UPA (home of Mister Magoo), Universal (the Walter Lantz Cartunes), Walt Disney Productions (both shorts and feature-length films of the Golden Age supervised by Walt), and from New York & Miami, Paramount’s releases of the great Max Fleischer cartoons. While various vintage cartoon voice mysteries are still to be solved, the one-of-a-kind information in this volume finally confirms hundreds of hitherto uncredited voice artists for the first time in decades. Keith Scott has spent over forty years as an internationally recognized cartoon voice actor and impressionist. He narrated two George of the Jungle movies, and was the voice of both Bullwinkle J. Moose and the Narrator in The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. He is the author of The Moose That Roared and many articles on animation and Hollywood radio history.

The openings and closings to radio programs of all types, from comedies (Blondie, The Jack Benny Program, Lum and Abner) to mysteries (Inner Sanctum Mysteries, The Black Chapel) to game shows (Can You Top This?, Truth or Consequences) to serials (Second Husband, Bachelor’s Children) to crime dramas (The Falcon, Eno Crime Clues, The Green Hornet, Mr. and Mrs. North) to westerns (Gunsmoke, Wild Bill Hickok, Hawk Larabee) that were aired between 1931 and 1972, are included in this work. Each entry has a brief introductory paragraph that provides information about the storyline, principal cast, sponsors and air dates. Commercials have been included if the programs were under regular sponsorship. Includes three appendices (sponsors; slogans and jingles; and World War II announcements) and an index.

This work covers ninety years of animation from James Stuart Blackton’s 1906 short Humorous Phases of Funny Faces, in which astonished viewers saw a hand draw faces that moved and changed, to Anastasia, Don Bluth’s 1997 feature-length challenge to the Walt Disney animation empire. Readers will come across such characters as the Animaniacs, Woody Woodpecker, Will Vinton’s inventive Claymation figures (including Mark Twain as well as the California Raisins), and the Beatles trying to save the happy kingdom of Pepperland from the Blue Meanies in Yellow Submarine (1968). Part One covers 180 animated feature films. Part Two identifies feature films that have animation sequences and provides details thereof. Part Three covers over 1,500 animated shorts. All entries offer basic data, credits, brief synopsis, production information, and notes where available. An appendix covers the major animation studios.

This fascinating and thought-provoking read challenges readers to consider entertainers and entertainment in new ways, and highlights figures from outside the worlds of film, television, and music as influential "pop stars." Comprising approximately 100 entries from more than 50 contributors from a variety of fields, this book covers a wide historical swath of entertainment figures chosen primarily for their lasting influence on American popular culture, not their popularity. The result is a unique collection that spotlights a vastly different array of figures than would normally be included in a collection of this nature—and appeals to readers ranging from high school students to professionals researching specific entertainers. Each subject individual's influence on popular culture is analyzed from the context of his or her time to the present in a lively and engaging way and through a variety of intellectual approaches. Many entries examine commonly discussed figures' influence on popular culture in ways not normally seen—for example, the widespread appeal of Woody Allen's essay collections to other comedians; or the effect of cinematic adaptations of Tennessee Williams' plays in breaking down Hollywood censorship.