Warner Bros. Cartoons

Not to be confused with Warner Bros. Animation.

1930-1931[]

NO KNOWN LOGO

Warner Bros. started making classic cartoons in 1930, but did not 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[]

1931-1933[]

Starting in 1931, the Warner Bros.' animation studio introduced its first logo, which would be used on Looney Tunes cartoons until January 1936 even though Merrie Melodies cartoons continued to use it until the following month.

1933-1934[]

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

1934-1936[]

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.

1936–1938[]

In February 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. 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 yellow banner was used while the normal version without the yellow 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 Souix 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.

1940-1944[]

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

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

1944–1948[]

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

1947–1953, 1954[]

In 1947, the shield was updated yet again.

1953–1964[]

In 1953, 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 1944 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.

1963–1969[]

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. Six cartoons after DePatie-Freleng stopped producing Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, this design was replaced.

1967–1969[]

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.

Openings[]

Closings[]

Note: Starting from Hippydrome Tiger, the Vitaphone/Vitagraph legend is switched. Looney Tunes cartoons are now branded as "A VITAPHONE RELEASE", while Merrie Melodies cartoons get the Vitagraph equivalent.