Warner Bros. Cartoons

Not to be confused with Warner Bros. Animation.

This page only shows primary logo variants.

For other related logos and images, see:



1930–1931	1931–1936	1936–1939	1939–1940	1940–1943


1943–1948	1947–1953	1954–1964	1963–1964 (secondary), 1964–1967 (primary)	1967–1969

1930–1931[]

NO KNOWN LOGO

Warner Bros. started making classic cartoons in 1930, but didn't use a logo until the following year; instead, an in-credit notice that says "WARNER BROTHERS PICTURES, INC. & THE VITAPHONE CORPORATION PRESENT" is used for the animation studio's 1930 cartoons.

1931–1936[]

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With the introduction of Merrie Melodies in 1931, the Warner Bros.' animation studio introduced its first logo, which would be used on Looney Tunes cartoons until January 1936, and Merrie Melodies until February.

In 1933, the logo itself remained the same but the WB shield was modified and given a different design.

In 1934, the banner is now in two rows and has been modified to say "Warner Bros. Productions Corporation". This is the last version of the logo. Starting in late 1934, Merrie Melodies began being produced in two-strip Technicolor, and the titles were updated to reflect this. The last cartoon to use this logo was The Cat Came Back.

1936–1964[]

1936–1939[]

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In 1936, starting with this logo, the famous WB Shield now zooms into view on either the famous "rings" on Merrie Melodies cartoons or a hole in the wall on Looney Tunes cartoons. This mirrors the 1934 Warner Bros. Pictures opening logo sequence. The banner has been modified to read a single word: "Vitaphone" in a modified version of its signature font. The Warner Bros./Vitaphone Flag was retired and the word "Present" is changed to "Presents". The first cartoon to have the WB shield zoom in and use the Vitaphone moniker was The Phantom Ship. The Vitaphone moniker was used until it was changed to say "Warner Bros." in April 1939. The last cartoon to use the Vitaphone name was Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur.

1939–1940[]

In April 1939, "Vitaphone" was changed to feature "Warner Bros." (which is in a serif font) and "presents" was replaced by "present" after "Vitaphone" and "presents" has retired. The first cartoon to use the Warner Bros. moniker was Porky and Teabiscuit.

Also, from Porky and Teabiscuit to Hare-um Scare-um, a blue banner was used while the normal version without the banner debuted on Detouring America. There is also a variant in Believe It Or Else where "Warner Bros." appears in a sans-serif font from the Looney Tunes openings in 1939 and the WB Shield is large like in the "Vitaphone" "presents" cartoons from 1936 to 1939. The green-yellow rings from the previous logo was used in April 1939 and its was retired in September 1939. The last cartoon to use the green-yellow rings was Sioux Me. The normal version with the red white and blue rings debuted on Land of the Midnight Fun.

On cartoons in 1940, the copyright's year says MCMXXXX instead of MCMXL for some reason.

1940–1943[]

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In July 1940, the shield was modified somewhat. Cartoons released in 1940 with this logo starting with Ghost Wanted has their copyright year changed to the proper MCMXL. This is also the last logo in the original Leon Schlesinger era.

Looney Tunes shorts produced in black-and-white retained the July 1940 version of the logo until Looney Tunes became exclusively in color in 1944.

Also, "Blue Ribbon" re-issues start late 1943 (see below).

1943–1948[]

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The shield was updated in October 1943. In November 1944, the words "Pictures" and "Inc." were added to the "Warner Bros." moniker.

1947–1953[]

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In 1947, the shield was updated yet again.

1954–1964[]

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In January 1954, the shorts began being screened in the Academy ratio in certain theaters, and the titles were completely overhauled. The logo was made smaller somewhat, the Bugs Bunny design was updated and the shield reverted back to its 1943 design.

It was the last logo to use the famous rings background before DePatie-Freleng assumed production of the shorts in 1964. Starting with Hopalong Casuality, the Vitaphone/Vitagraph Legend was added to the "That's all Folks" endings and the Vitaphone copyright was changed to say "Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.". The last cartoon to use the famous rings background was False Hare.

A slightly revised version of this shield (with the center hyphen replaced by a dot) was brought back as part of the logo of Warner Bros. Animation in the mid-2010s.

1963–1964 (secondary), 1964–1967 (primary)[]

An entirely new logo was introduced in 1963's Now Hear This, directed by Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble. While it was used on two other one-shot cartoons by Termite Terrace, the previous logo remained on shorts produced by the studio until its shutdown in 1963. It became the primary logo representing the company starting with shorts produced by DePatie-Freleng, starting with 1964's Pancho's Hideaway. After 1967's Go-Away Stowaway, this design was replaced.

1967–1969[]

Starting with Cool Cat in 1967, to coincide with the merger of Warner Bros. with Seven Arts, this logo appears at the beginning and end of all cartoon shorts produced until Warner Bros. Animation shut down for good in 1969. In 1969, the copyright notice was removed from the openings. The last cartoon to use this logo was Injun Trouble.