Better Series: Looney Tunes Cartoons (HBO Max) or Mickey Mouse (2013 shorts)

[powerjake]

Both of these cartoons were made to be a return of the classic golden age cartoon characters, How would you rate HBO Max Looney Tunes Cartoons (2020 series) and Disneys 2013 Mickey Mouse shorts.

Which one did you prefer between the two.

 

[Jackson Robeson]

Even though I'm generally more of a Looney Tunes fan, I think the new Mickey shorts are WAY better. These Looney Tunes shorts by Pete Browngardt utilize quality tweened animation and feature a great, nostalgic art style that's reminiscent of 1940's Clampett Cartoons. These seem to be made with alot of passion and care. The music and sound effects are amazing, and the voice acting feels alive and well-done. Pretty much the same could be said for Paul Rudish's Mickey shorts as they both feature all of the same, impressive technical aspects that a cartoon should have. Both feel extremely timeless. However, the difference is that the new Mickey shorts feel very fresh, and more importantly, they have NATURALLY AMAZING HUMOR and EXECUTION. This is the SECRET INGREDIENT. They are some of the funniest and most energetic cartoons I've ever seen. They're very witty, smart, fast-paced, bizarre, wacky, and memorable. They're experimental and very different from typical Disney cartoons, but they're worthy enough respect the classic source material of Disney. I personally never got into Disney's Golden Age cartoon shorts that were made from the 1920s to the 1950s. They were beautifully animated and had amazing storytelling, but it lacked that certain "punch" that other cartoons had. Plus, Disney is more known for their animated feature films in which their style is more prominently defined. By the way, Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway at Disney's Hollywood Studios is an absolute delight! Heck, even some of the episodes take place in foreign countries in which the characters don't speak English and they showcase various cultures in the most creative ways. On top of that, each short feels and looks completely different due to having various talented directors on board. Some shorts are dark, edgy, and surreal while others are cute, charming, and whimsical. However, these cartoons are consistently entertaining and lively. My only "minor" complaint is that Mickey is used in every episode and I wish some shorts would feature stories that revolve around the other characters. Then again, ALL of the characters have been revamped perfectly, and the show is clearly intended to revolve around Mickey. Nonetheless, the Mickey shorts did something incredibly different and unique with Mickey and his gang, while the new Looney Tunes series just seems to mainly mock and mimic the "schtick" of the originals. I have seen the first ten episodes, and I know this series is brand new, but this is very likely be a "hit and miss" type series. The episodes that stood out were "Curse of the Monkeybird", "Pool Bunny", "Firehouse Frenzy", "Big League Beast", "Fleece and Desist", and "Vincent Van Fudd". The rest were decent to straight up bad. While they were energetic and overall entertaing, the humor and execution felt off to me for some odd reason. The comedy was very mediocre, and it felt forced. I want this version of Looney Tunes to not feel like carbon-coppies of the past. I want it to feel new and fresh, but at the same time, I want it to be somewhat inspired by the classics. Copying ideas, stories, formulas, structures, and gags that have already been around forever isn't creative. The best Looney Tunes gags come from the originals and at the end of the day, they can't ever be topped or recreated. The Golden Age Looney Tunes shorts are essentially the pinnacle of animated comedy and these completely overshadow the new cartoons. I want the new Looney Tunes cartoons to take risks, get experimental with its wide cast of characters and stories, and show a distinct edge that will make it unique and different from the originals. I would like gags that greatly stand out on their own. Then again, it must be respectful and worthy to the previous source material of Avery, Clampett, Jones, Freleng, Tashlin, Davis, and McKimson. These have a ton of potential! In conclusion, having unique senses of direction, timing, and pacing are vital. Executing original ideas, jokes, and stories that are brilliantly clever and hilarious determine whether a comedic cartoon will succeed at making people laugh. These factors are the magic touches that most comedic cartoons seem to overlook and lack. For this reason alone, the Mickey shorts are better. These two series are basically perfectly cooked "filet mignons", but one has all the more flavor, finesse, flair, and personality! Most importantly, it's finally about time that actual silly, episodic, and timeless cartoons return with a bang!

 

[Jean74]

Like them both as really have a hard time as a fan of both. But glad there are new Looney Tune Cartoons

 

[Fone Bone]

Looney Tunes Cartoons. I am frequently grossed out and annoyed by the Mickey Mouse cartoons. While Rudish has probably had bigger highs during his show's run, Looney Tunes Cartoons is still new, and is more consistent. I hate as many Mickey Mouse episodes as I love. I like almost all the Looney Tunes cartoons.

 

[SweetShop209]

Even if there were only 10 Mickey Mouse shorts, I would still show more of a preference to that over Looney Tunes Cartoons.

 

[powerjake]

I've noticed once the Looney Tunes Cartoons got released people are not really impressed with it.

 

[dumbfoolkid5]

Personally although the give me a few chuckles, Both cartoons are a no no for me. I prefer Japanese anime.

Sent from my SM-A102U using Tapatalk

 

[Darkdawn]

From what little I've seen of Browngardt's reboot, I think it's a massive improvement from the previous attempt at bringing back Looney Tunes to its roots (Wabbit/New Looney Tunes/whatever-it's-name-was). Dunno if it's as good as Paul Rudish's Mickey Mouse was when it started, I'd have to go and rewatch the 2013 episodes.

Hopefully LTS finds its stride and ventures into ideas/premises/gags beyond the typical formulas (Bugs v. Daffy, Bugs v. Elmer, Sylvester v. Tweety, Coyote v. Roadrunner)

 

[Orange Mo]

Wouldn’t a better comparison be the Wabbit/New Looney Tunes vs Mickey Mouse 2013?

 

[KeldeoKitty]

I definitely pick Looney Tunes Cartoons.

I’m not a huge fan of the Mickey Mouse 2013 shorts. I did find some of them amusing but forgettable. Also while it attempts to mimic the early Mickey Mouse shorts while modernizing it, the animation and slapstick looks generic. I would take Mickey Mouse Works any day because I think it looks a lot nicer, and is more creative, and funnier. Though I always preferred the later Disney shorts with more detail and dialogue.

Looney Tunes Cartoons is the first LT series I really liked since Duck Dodgers. The models are on point and the animation and humor are really close to the 40’s, 50’s ones. There are small points where the animation looks generic but very rarely. I highly doubt the series will ever replace the classic shorts but this is a worthy continuation of the OG Looney Tunes theatrical shorts if they ever were to continue.

 

[Daikun]

Wouldn’t a better comparison be the Wabbit/New Looney Tunes vs Mickey Mouse 2013?

If we were making that comparison, I would pick the Mickey Mouse shorts in a heartbeat. Wabbit/NLT was boring, IMO. They were WB's attempt at trying to harp off the success of the new (at the time) Disney shorts, and they did a poor job at it.

I can think of three major problems with Wabbit:
1) The new characters--Bigfoot, Death, Squeaks, etc. They're extremely annoying and drag down the shorts.

2) The old characters. Their new designs look uglier and just don't work. (I know this complaint is lodged against the new Mickey Mouse shorts, but I honestly don't mind them--they fit their stylized, frenetically wacky world. The redesigns for Wabbit just seem to make the characters uglier for no reason.)

3) The pacing. The new MM shorts have a fast-paced energy to them, giving them a Tex Avery sort of feel, which is ironic considering that's the tone that we would expect from, well, the Looney Tunes. Yet Wabbit suffers from a slower pace due to its slightly longer run time. A 3-minute short (Disney) vs. a 5-minute short (Wabbit) can make all the difference in the world for the pacing of the story, and Mickey Mouse makes better use of its gags and storytelling as a result.

I feel Looney Tunes Cartoons could stand on a better playing field with the Disney shorts than Wabbit. All the problems I mentioned are gone in LTC--no annoying characters, back to the older, more appealing designs, and the run time is more flexible. The only drawback (and it's not the show's fault) is accessibility. You can watch the new Mickey Mouse shorts on TV, on YouTube, or on Disney's streaming apps (free or paid). If you want to watch Looney Tunes Cartoons, sorry. You're either paying for HBO Max or you can't watch it. These shorts can really benefit from airing regularly on CN and/or Boomerang. Heck, put them on CN's app while we're at it. These shouldn't be locked behind a paywall--they deserve to be seen, much like Wabbit was 5 years ago.