The Warner Bros. Store Is Closed!

From Misce-looney-ous

2012-01-14T18:09:00.000-08:00

Click on the link for post here!

and check out the flicker page as well.

Halloween 1993

2011-12-22T11:09:00.000-08:00

Melanie and Laurie all dressed up for the 1993 NYC Halloween Parade.

Happy 51st & a Half, Bugs!

2011-10-07T18:31:00.000-07:00

Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005

2011-10-05T19:10:00.001-07:00

DC (Comics) Nation

2011-10-05T12:53:00.001-07:00

Chuck Runs Amuck in Vegas

2011-10-02T03:37:00.000-07:00

Foam glasses

2011-10-01T23:10:00.000-07:00

Foam glasses in the shape of Sylvester and Bugs from 1998.

S&P Shakers

2011-09-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

Just a bunch of salt and pepper shakers that were created at the WBSS. More next time.

Looney Tunes sign in Times Square

2011-09-27T01:09:00.000-07:00

Looney Potato Heads!

2011-09-27T00:54:00.000-07:00

KULT

2011-09-26T15:53:00.001-07:00

This web-site doesn't need much explaining. KULT

Vince Musacchia

2011-09-23T00:08:00.000-07:00

The very talented Vince Musacchia posted this Tweety on his blog a while ago, along with some excellent artwork that was created for a set of Marvin the Martian stacking mugs. Vince worked for the WBSS from 95 - 2001 and later for Disney Consumer Products. Vince has also drawn for my publication, Silver Comics. Check out his blog, SOUP2NUTZ at vincemusacchia.blogspot.com
Some of you may recognize his work from The Honeymooners comic books of the 80's. Vince was co-creator on this series.
Check out his mugs artwork and other great stuff here!

Disney Store Headquarters 2006-2008

2011-09-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

A few photos of what the Disney Store Headquarters looked like when The Children's Place ran it. Disney has since removed the honeycombs and added more cubicles and offices.
This Disney Store Headquarters is located in Pasadena and was a convention of the historic Royal Laundry Building for The Children’s Place. The plan was the creation of an open and collaborative work environment for 230 employees. So that Clive Wilkinson in collaboration with workplace strategists DEGW, created an organization scheme which was consisted with colourful modular systems that become both architecture and furniture.

The existing brick walled structure inspired the creation of brick-like elements for the interior, which allude to the playful building block habits for children. A 20-person ‘Block Conference Room’ is formed on two sides by foam block walls. When the foam models are disassembled they become the seating system for 200-person company meetings.

The modular honeycomb structure conceived as a flexible means of managing Disney sample product display, forms a second conference room. the firm’s Honeycomb system was subsequently licensed to the Belgium company, Quinze & Milan, for a commercial market offering.

Disney Store Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Limited Edition 2007 Review

2011-09-21T11:02:00.000-07:00

WBSS at WTC

2011-09-19T11:53:00.000-07:00

Contents from the Warner Bros. store in the WTC shopping mall at the concourse level (first subbasement). Figures recovered from the Warner Bros. Store at the World Trade Center mall kept at hangar 17 at JFK international airport. Roadrunner does not have a scratch on him despite surviving the destruction of WTC 2 above him.

Comic-Con 2010 : Studio Museum Tour

2011-09-19T05:33:00.000-07:00

Warner Brothers Archivist, Steve Bingen, gives us an exclusive tour of the Warner Brothers Museum.

Alex Ross & Space Ghost

2011-09-19T05:24:00.000-07:00

Alex Ross comments on a litograph/poster he did for the Warner Bros. Studio Store about Space Ghost, the Hannah-Barbera super hero created by Alex Toth.

5th Ave. New York Store. Many years ago.

2011-09-18T23:18:00.000-07:00

Play your own soundtrack.

Leonardo da Vinci in Rome

2011-09-18T23:01:00.000-07:00

Opening of the Warner Bros. Studio Store at the air terminal of the airport Leonardo da Vinci in Rome.

Check out this video, also. http://youtu.be/C1_FaZ0QPNI

Batman

2011-08-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

Found this while reminiscing. Batman The Dark Knight Gliding Statue, Bronze Sculpture
- Solid bronze sculpture. $461.68
- 11" in height
- Hardwood base

Meet Steve Thompson and Dan Beltran!

2009-03-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

Say hello to two Disney Store Artists and help celebrate the release of the Disney Darlings Dolls!

Buy one doll and get a FREE drawing of your favorite Princess (choose from one of these four: Ariel, Cinderella, Aurora or Belle)!

The Disney Store Artists:
Steve Thompson - Manager, Hardlines
Dan Beltran - Senior Character Artist

Sat, Mar. 21, 2009
2-5pm
Disney Store
334 Plaza Dr, West Covina -
(626) 337-4262
West Covina, CA

"VOTE"

2008-11-04T06:20:00.000-08:00

"HAPPY HALLOWEEN!"

2008-10-31T01:19:00.000-07:00

"Robin' ya"

2008-10-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

This Robin Hood snowglobe started out as a vrey rough thumbnail that I handed off to Alex Hoe, our visiting Hong Kong counterpart. Alex fleshed out the specifics for presentation and then once approved, Mario Menjivar drew the 3D turns. Steve Thompson flew to the factories in China and made the sculpt approvals on this and the rest of the batch. Kevin and Jody provided the paintmaster. The cool thing about this one is the open space under the globe, the mylar mirror and the floating coins. Available now.

"Tink again, Bell"

2008-10-29T01:04:00.000-07:00

Another one of my final product designs for the Disney Store is this Tinker Bell/Fairies snowglobe. It should be available soon. The three flowers on top each have a light and the base has a blower.

Mario Menjivar de la Bell provided the 3D drawings, Steve Bell Thompson provided the character approvals and Kevin Kidney Bell and Jody Bell Daily created the paintmaster.

It's adora-bell.

"the Cars lamp"

2008-10-28T04:36:00.000-07:00

I designed this Cars spark plug lamp sometime last year - -but don't expect to see it in the stores anytime soon, it was cancelled shortly after sculpting began. The spark plug and base where made of aluminum with chrome plating. I'm not too crazy with the logo covering up the best part of the base, but it was necessary to brand all of the Cars items.

"Mick Mouse"

2008-10-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

I started doodling this "Mouse-Man" while listening to the radio. The doodle turned out to be a lot of fun so I fleshed it out a little more. I may mock up a cover some day, what the heck, maybe even a few pages. I'm having way too much fun to stop now.

"COWABUNGA DUDE!"

2008-10-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

These were done as a freelancer for the Disney Store before I was hired. This should give you an idea as to why sales were down.

"OOO, OOO, OOO!"

2008-10-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

My friend John Loter has recently published his own 20pg, full color comic book called Supa-Rillas! It's like Looney Tunes meets the Avengers all wrapped up in one shiney banana. This is one of the funniest books that I have read in years. Even the ads are funny. So if you need a laugh in these troubled times, do yourself a favor and order a copy (or two) right now from www.loter.com - - tell 'em Juan sent you.

20pgs, full color, $4

"Mickey turns 80"

2008-10-24T02:59:00.000-07:00

Here is the Disney Store's version of 'Mickey's 80th birthday' snowglobe. The best Mickey snowglobes had already been designed by Kevin and Jody, so I decided to just keep my design simple and not compete with the best.

You can't tell from the photo, but the inside bottom of the drawer is lined with a Mickey Mouse model sheet. The animation lightbox actually lights up, as well as the lamp on top and it has a blower. My only regret is that the Mickey in the globe is not large enough. It's a 150mm globe, so there was plenty of room to spare. Still, this turned out pretty well for an old and tired idea.

Steve Thompson helped with the character approvals and once again, Kevin and Jody provided the paintmaster. It should be available now.

"Clampett's gone Wild!"

2008-10-23T15:10:00.000-07:00

The following is a message from my friend and former boss Ruth Clampett over at Clampett Studio:

Dear Friends:

We are excited to share with you our new retail website http://www.WildsvilleGallery.com which features great art from iconic characters such as Bugs Bunny, Batman, Scooby-Doo and Harry Potter. We are in the process of building our status on Google and are asking your help: it’s as simple as clicking on our link and visiting our site. Each visit enhances our rank on Google and gives you a chance to enjoy some fun art!

We are also running a Friends and Family Promotion through the end of December: Free Standard Framing on any purchase.

So please pass this message on to your friends and family- the more the merrier...and thanks in advance for helping our new website get off to a great start!

Warm Regards,
Ruth Clampett

p.s. To get the free standard frame promotion just call our 1-888 number and leave a message about your order and mention the Friends and Family Promotion, or email us at info@WildsvilleGallery.com

Thanks!

"a rat with wings"

2008-10-23T03:04:00.000-07:00

I don't remember were this idea came from. I do know that my pal Scott Seeto had drawn the initial concept and that I later drew two more versions. This is one of those versions.

What is it, you're asking? Well, it was suppose to have been a lamp. The drawings were nice enough, but what we got back from the factory however looked more like a badly sculpted trashcan or umbrella stand. I know that it got made, but I have no idea if it got into the stores. I'm guessing that if it did, it probably didn't do so well.

"get a Loter this guy"

2008-10-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

Johnny Loter sent me his 3D drawings of the NBC Pumpkin snowglobe to share with everyone. You can view the final piece just a few posts back - - which by the way, is available now.

For those of you that don't know, John and I started at Disney Consumer Products together in 1985 back when they had an art department in NYC. Being the rebel that I am, I left in 87 later to join the WB - - but John stayed at Disney and eventually became the Art Director of the standard character group for over ten years. John has also worked for Disney Catalog, Disney Auctions, Disney Publishing, Disney Shopping Online, etc, etc. Somehow he still finds time to run his own company over at Loter.com - - Check it out, it's full of fun stuff. And please feel free to buy something!

"radio days"

2008-10-22T04:27:00.000-07:00

This was the last large snowglobe that I saw through from beginning to end. I always referred to it as my "swan-song".

As you can see from the roughs, Jiminy was not always the first choice for the inside of the globe. But I had already conceptualized a Mickey Mouse globe for his 80th birthday, so I didn't want to do another with him. I knew that I wanted jiminy on there somewhere and it seemed natural to me to use the tune "When You Wish Upon A Star" - - a #1 hit in 1941.

By now it was clear that I should only include the "classic characters" and avoid any of the more current ones that you see on the roughs.

What is really cool about this piece is that the knobs are actually functional. One to turn the lights and blower on (Tink on top lights up and so does the tuning dial) and the other to turn the music tune on.

As usual, I had a talented team to help out. Steve Thompson provided the character sculpt approvals, keeping everyone on model - - Rob Griggs drew the character turns and Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily created the paintmaster. The paint really helps to bring home that nostalgic feeling that I was hoping for.

This should be available very soon and would make a great Christmas gift.

"Where's Princess Leia Organa?"

2008-10-22T00:29:00.000-07:00

Another one of my final snowglobe concepts was this Princess Fountain snowglobe. Steve Thompson did the final design that you see and all the sculpt approvals. These are some of the nicest Princess sculpts that you will ever find on any item. They are about six inches tall, so the fine details are easy to notice. Kevin Kidney and Jody daily created the paintmaster.

There is an actual working fountain inside the globe. Belle and Jasmine round out the other side. Within the water-like resin, on the bottom, are tiny goldfish and lights. This should be available soon on the Disney Store web site.

No, Princess Leia is not really part of the club.

"WALL-E FMAs"

2008-10-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of Masanori Hase's FMAs. An FMA is what is sent to China for production. Only the clock and night-light were actually produced from this group.

The lava-lamp rocket got as far as getting sculpted, but fell victim of budget and timing issues. Too bad, the lava-lamp was the item that PIXAR said they "loved" when they saw the concept.

The trash-can would have made a lot of sense for WALL-E, but was never made.

Another cool item that DID get made were three wall decals in the form of spaceship portholes.

"My Last Nightmare"

2008-10-21T01:41:00.000-07:00

Since Halloween is almost upon us - - I thought that I should mention that the last Nightmare Before Christmas snowglobe that I conceptualized for the Disney Stores, is now available. As far as drawings go, I don't have any to show on this. I will say that John Loter drew the turns and helped with the story telling design. Steve Thompson provided the guidance for Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily in creating the paintmaster.

This is a double bubble with a light and blower.

"wall-to-wall Wall-E"

2008-10-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

I built these concepts up in Illustrator so that they would look more presentable to Pixar. There must have been around twenty five product ideas in total. In the end, only about five were actually made - and only three of those were 3D items. They may or may not be in the stores now.

When I get the chance, I'll post some of Masanori Hase's final mechanical artwork (FMA) for this goup. Mas' mechanicals are interesting to look at and will give all of you an idea of all the work that goes into making a single item.

All images are ©Disney-Pixar

"pain-things"

2008-10-16T02:47:00.000-07:00

Scott Seeto painted these for a series of mugs that were never made. I can see why. Although the execution is great, not all the characters work outside of their own environments. Grumpy may seem funny and a very nice painting, but Grumpy away from the world of Snow White is just plain wrong. The Stitch painting is cool, but again - he should stay in his own world. Eeyore as Mona Lisa? Maybe a portrait of a Disney Princess would have been better. I don't blame Scott, though. He was just taking direction from one of the designers. You see, you can't let those guys run amok.

It's not all bad. Mickey is such an iconic figure in Americana that he and Minnie actually work well here. Maybe not as a product piece, but I can easily see this hanging in some pop art gallery.

All images are ©Disney.

Next time: Somewhere in my studio there is a disk with all sorts of Wall-E product ideas. I think everyone will get a kick out of them. Then I want to go back to some Warner stuff.

"without chains"

2008-10-11T19:19:00.000-07:00

Fellow co-worker/illustrator and resident pirate Diego Rios left the Disney Stores just a few month ago to pursue a career in music. I'm happy to say that Diego's first CD is now available. If you're into Latin sounds from the Caribbean, then Sinkadenas is the record for you. It can be found on iTunes, Amazon and Rhapsody. Further information is on the card, nicely illustrated by Diego. Congratulations, Diego!

snap, krackle, Poppins

2008-10-10T03:01:00.000-07:00

Here's one that I never got to on my old Disney blog- - the Mary Poppins snowglobe. The rough drawing in red is my original concept. Debra Armstrong provided the turns for the band characters in the globe. I believe it was Alan Jergens that provided the paintmaster.

The characters on the bottom would rotate forward after being pulled back manually. Not surprisingly, this globe had problems with the flags breaking off. We tested with different soft resins to assure that this problem wouldn't happen again. Steve Thompson and I always made sure though that breaking points would not dictate our designs. We just needed better packaging solutions. It would have also helped if the marketing department didn't picture the globes in their catalog, modeled in the hands of children as if they were toys to be played with.

The third time was not a charm.

2008-10-09T05:08:00.000-07:00

I said I would start posting Disney Store stuff, so I guess now is as good a time as any to start. This is the World of Disney bookends snowglobe set. Although it was conceptualized and roughed out by me, Steve Coleman, a freelancer, was responsible for the initial turns that were sent to China for sculpting. Below are the two front images of each bookend. As you can see, the final is slightly different. The biggest change is the exclusion of the Pixar characters from the "today" side. That's because Pixar has a rule about grouping their different properties together. Some of the Disney characters from the "yesterday" side were dropped and others rearranged. Since I was on vacation, Steve Thompson did the honors of redesigning the globes. I believe that was also his first week on the job. And a busy one at that. Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily provided the paintmasters.

When Disney took over the stores again from The Childrens Place, many of the new employees that transferred over from Consumer Products were given these bookends as welcome gifts. I don't have a problem with that, I do however wish that Disney would have included on there list of recipients those people that were actually involved with the creation of this item. I was reduced to stealing one of the samples, which I decided to leave behind when I left.

what? I have a blog?

2008-10-08T06:14:00.000-07:00

The Disney Store and my very own Silver Comics duties left little time for blogging. Now that I have left the Disney Store, I'll try to post more often here. I may even post some Disney Store stuff. So sit tight and I will get back to blogging once I fix the finacial crises in Washington.

"Experience The Wonder"

2008-06-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

This Wonder Woman statue is from 1999. DC Comics produced it for the stores, so I don't really have much info on it. I do believe James Shoop was the sculptor. You can see and learn more about many Wonder Woman items on Antony C's Wonder Woman site. The best Wonder Woman site on the web.

"that's a lot of Tweeties"

2008-06-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

I guess you have to be a real Tweety fan to wear this. The model wearing it is very pretty, but that sweater is making me blind.

I have yet to see anyone in real life wearing anything from the WBSS store. I've always had a theory, that stuff would be bought and given as gifts - - but that the person on the receiving end would return it or stuff it in a closet, only to be worn when the giver comes over for a visit.

"Wambo"

2008-05-15T02:58:00.000-07:00

Here's a kids shirt from 1990. I used to have an entire binder full of this crappy WB licensing art from the 80's. I'm sorry that I threw it away back in 2001. It would have made for some great posts. This is one of the tamer images.

"Scooby-DooDoo"

2008-05-15T00:27:00.000-07:00

I don't know what looks worse - Scooby gnawing into a guys ass or Scooby crawling out of a guys "mangina".

Is this design or character assassination? No pun intended.

"From China with love"

2008-05-13T22:48:00.000-07:00

These hand painted wooden dolls from 1994 were made in China for .02¢ a piece and were sold by the WB Store for $20.00 each. Although they were advertised as posable, the old string that held their limbs together would snap easily at the slightest touch. But that wasn't the least of the WB Store's problems - they were taken off the shelves after a customer found a syringe inside one of the straw filled packages. I think that if I had to live and work in a Chinese factory making wooden dolls all day, I'd be a heroin addict too.

"McNightmare"

2008-05-12T22:05:00.000-07:00

Before Patrick Dempsey became McDreamy to his many Grey's Anatomy fans, he was just another actor in between gigs modeling in the 1999 WB Store catalog.

Dempsey had been in a series of films since the 80s (the film "Lover Boy" from 1989 was a starring role and one of my favorite comedies from that era) but he almost fell off the map had it not been for 2005's Grey's Anatomy.

In the early nineties, it was not uncommon for the WB to use T.V. celebrities in its catalogs but by the late nineties no real celeb would've been caught dead wearing this stuff. It's nice to know that there is life after the WB Store. It's called Disney.

"The stuff that dreams are made of."

2008-05-12T01:10:00.000-07:00

In 1991, the WB Store commemorated the 50th anniversary of The Maltese Falcon by offering a limited edition sculpture.

The sculpt was by Ron Lee, in my opinion, an over-rated sculptor that dipped his sculpts in gold in order to give them value.

I have to give the WB Store credit for trying. Although, maybe they tried a little too hard.

The sculpt is solid pewter on a marble base and sold for almost $200. The one on the bottom I picked up at an old bookstore and not only is it more accurate in size and likeness to the one in the film, but it only cost about $20.

I would have killed for it....

"Gumby?"

2008-05-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

Everyone old enough to remember will know that Star Wars kicked off a licensing era in the late 70s that is still resonating til today. The hunt was on for the next big money maker. During the mid eighties, it was The Teen-Age Mutant Ninja Turtles, a little comic book turned cartoon, that kept the money flowing. Disney had a string of flops for at least two decades. But Warner Bros. struck gold in 1989. That's when Warner Bros. released "Batman the movie" and its first WB catalog.

If you were an executive working for the waning WB Consumer Products Department, then you were at the right place at the right time. Not only was the film a huge success, it also put the WB licensing division on the map. Which then led to the creation of the WB Stores. Ten years later, in 1999, the WB celebrated and gave thanks to the 1989 Batman movie . . .

. . . by ignoring it completely.

I'm not suggesting that alone closed the WB Stores, but from a business point of view it was a missed opportunity, not to mention a slap in the face of the movie that made a lot of undeserving people very wealthy. Next year is the 20th anniversary. I wonder if Warner bros. will bother to make a big deal out of it.

As for Gumby . . .

The $300 bronze Batman statue by Kent Melton would be a cool thing to have, but I think I'll pass on the freaky looking $500 Joker in the box.

"Imagine, that."

2008-05-11T14:56:00.000-07:00

The WB Store didn't just sell Looney Tunes and film items. Back in the eighties and early nineties, music was a big part of their offering. Something that had been forgotten during it's self declining years.

"WB Store is open"

2008-04-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's true. If you're ever in Macau, drop in.

The 300 square-meter store occupies part of the Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Center. The store is operated by Cartoon Matters, which has been granted the rights to open and operate Warner Bros. Studio Stores in Macau, through a sub-license from PMW.

The Warner Bros. Studio Store at Macau Tower offers a diverse assortment of quality merchandise inspired by the glamour and excitement of Warner Bros. Entertainment’s range of personalities, from the irreverent humor of Tweety and the Looney Tunes, the non-stop chase of Tom and Jerry, and the magic of Harry Potter, to the super powers of DC Comics’ Superman and Batman.

“The entertainment properties of Warner Bros. continue to gain popularity in China and the opening of this first Warner Bros. Studio Store in Macau is a significant milestone for us. Following the debut of our Shanghai flagship store in March, the Macau store opening expands the retail reach of our properties in China into another significant market,” said WBCP senior vice president, international licensing Jeffrey Whalen.

You can read the press release with contact info here:
http://hutchisonharbourring.com/eng/Investor_Relations/Announcements/WBSS_SH_PRESS_RELEASE.pdf

"More of Dante's Inferno"

2008-04-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

Vince Musacchia sent me this drawing a while back. I know Pinocchio doesn't belong on this site but this drawing is by Dante Barbetta, a former colleague of ours from the WB store. The legend goes, Dante whipped this drawing up for Vince while they were discussing Pinocchio at the lunch table. I can't say enough about Dante's talent. Fortunately, I don't have to. Through the magic of the Internet, you can now read an interview from the early '90s that he gave for Michael Sporn's Sporn-O-Graphics #4. Dante's comments on animation THEN, still ring true today!

"Let there be light."

2008-04-03T15:55:00.000-07:00

These are some lamp ideas that never made it to reality. Vince Musacchia drew up the Dexter lava-lamp from one of my roughs. I am still hoping this one will get made by Cartoon Network someday.

The CN shop within the WB store didn't do so well, for the same reason that the WB store didn't do so well - - the product didn't reflect the characters nor was it designed to sell to fans.

"It began with a pig."

2008-03-27T21:51:00.000-07:00

What makes this Porky statue so appealing is it's 2 foot size. I like these large statues a lot, but if they had been based on some of the more classic style, I would have bought them all. Dan Beltran conceptualized some bobble heads of the classic Looney Tunes, but I don't think they were ever made. Around this same time, Consumer Products had been working on a classics styleguide that looked amazing. I beleive some of the art is being used on product today.

"Taz n' pepper"

2008-03-23T01:37:00.000-07:00

I thought I would continue with the biker theme with this 1993 salt n' pepper set, designed by John Loter. As you can see from the photo, Taz leans against the bike. This was before the salt n' pepper sets came boxed, so many of them were broken by customers while they were still sitting on the shelves.

"Drawn To Ride"

2008-03-22T00:28:00.000-07:00

The motorcycle Gods must have been guiding my hand. It was just moments ago that I learned that TODAY is the 60th anniversary of the Hell's Angels, and here I am in the middle of posting the WBSS' Harley-Davidson program. Chatsworth's very own Dwight Wanhala drew the artwork that graphic designer, Dan Georgopolis used to create the badges with. These two guys had a lot of fun working on these and I think it shows in the final product. Harley-Davidson specifically asked that the WB store create the artwork, rather than Consumer Products. Having worked on the first program back in '93, I'll take that as a compliment. The WBCP did create there own line later. Including a Big Daddy Roth inspired stylguide. Too bad Dwight was not in on it, having actually worked for Big Daddy's company at one time. I only have Dwight's pencil drawing of Gossamer to post right now, but I'll try to get more drawings from him. The reason Dwight draws a good Gossamer is because he looks so much like him.

"The Road Wearer"

2008-03-19T17:49:00.000-07:00

Harley Davidson began their association with the WB store back in 1992. These images are from the late '90s or 2000. Dwight Wanhala provided the awesome drawings and graphic designer Dan Georgopolis created the badges. Can't you just see yourself in one of these cool shirts, getting your ass kicked by a real biker? This is just a small part of the group so I'll post more this weekend.

"Car-Toons"

2008-03-16T15:22:00.000-07:00

I always liked this pin-striped image of Taz by Dwight Wanhala. Back in '99 the WB Consumer Products co-branded with a car company to design a family mini-van. The problem was, the van was decorated with styleguide images. Even if you were a Looney Tunes fan, no one wanted to drive a car that looked as though it had been decorated by a 6 year old. This was clearly one instance when stylizing the characters was necessary. The pin-striping approach would have been a better solution. But by the time I could get around to asking Dwight for more characters, in order to present to WBCP, we were told we would be out of jobs. I don't know if the car was ever actualized.

"That's Old Folks!"

2008-03-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

Last week I turned 45 years old and that started me thinking about how fast the last 15 years went by. Back in '93 when everyone was drawing babies, I drew these "Old Loonies" (just for fun). Getting old is not as bad as I depicted it here. Except for the grey hairs and a few mystery pains in the gut, I'm okay.

"WBSS vs. WBCP"

2008-03-11T23:58:00.000-07:00

The boxer shorts featured here are tame compared to other designs. The WBSS was immune to the rules coming from the WB's Consumer Product. But there is no doubt in my mind that they would have put a stop to the more overly suggestive boxer shorts. I seem to recall a Taz face design where the flap fell right on his mouth. That is almost as bad as the Marvel Comics toilet paper roll. Almost. Still, it degrades the character.

That was also why the WBCP was no fan of the WBSS. In fact, I suspect that they may have been strong supporters in the choice to close them down. I don't blame them. They spent years trying to educate licensees on the use of the characters, only to have the WBSS do the opposite with them.

This kind of in-fighting could only lead to no-good. I recommended doing some kind of friendly exchange program with the character artist, but the two VP's wouldn't have any of it. Especially during a bitter custody battle over who would produce Harry Potter merchandise. The WBSS won that round, but lost the fight. That's a topic for another post.

"Hail, Bugsimus!"

2008-03-11T00:02:00.000-07:00

These photos were sent in by George Colon, a fan of the blog. Since these bust were made in '95, a year when I was away, I can't really say who was responsible for them. I can say however, that they look like they were sold at the WB store at Caesar's Palace in Vegas. Back then, we had what was called "City Specific Shops" within each store of each state. They were essentially souvenir shops for our out of town customers. Because most of these items were specifically made for the state that they were sold in, they would have been limited in quantity and I would consider them to be more sought after by collectors. I can also see these bust having been sold in Italy. thanks, George. These are nice to look at.

"Super-What?"

2008-03-10T18:04:00.000-07:00

Here's another example of product managers not knowing the WB cartoon history nor their jobs. In 1999 I thought that it might be a good idea to produce some Super-Rabbit items, based on the cartoon of the same name from 1943. Now, I can argue with someone that knows what they are talking about, but when dealing with an idiot that THINKS his right, it can be a real waste of time. I was told that DC would never go with something like this. WHAT? DC has been drawing Bugs as Superman since '89, including a Superman and Bugs Bunny team-up comic series that came out the following year. Not that any of that would have mattered, Super-Rabbit is a WB cartoon protected by parody laws. Whether it was fear or ignorance on the managers part, Super-Rabbit never flew at the WBSS.

Scott Seeto created the marker rendering of Super-Rabbit for me. That's not so much stress on Bug's face as it is frustration. It seems that every idea, drawing or design was a battle at the Warner Store.

"toon time"

2008-03-07T16:26:00.000-08:00

I always wanted to design a watch or two for the WBSS, but the closest that I got was the Speedy Gonzalez clock. With cheese chewing action!

"Leggo my Logo!"

2008-03-07T14:22:00.000-08:00

Today's memory comes courtesy of Dan Beltran. Dan was there during the three years that I was away.

WB paid someone hundreds of thousands of dollars to design the store logo, and the result was a narrow rectangle with some stacked type. I can't remember who the creative bigwig was at the time, but he was an ascot-wearing, fake accent-using silver-haired chap with his nose perpetually skyward. This was his project, and seeing as how he was forced to associate himself with these juvenile things called cartoons, it made sense that his way of dignifying himself was to commission a logo that was the opposite of the energetic properties within the WB. And so we were given a logo that was to my eyes rather, well, mundane. But I suppose better that than anything (heaven forbid) cartoony.

As it so happened, the "narrow rectangle with stacked type" look had already been claimed by the United Colors of Benetton. Fearing litigation, the decision was made that the logo had to be altered somehow, or redesigned. I can't remember if we'd already used the original design, but I seem to recall it was unveiled, then altered soon after. Remember, it had already cost us a lot of money to imitate the Benetton logo. Now we had to change it somehow. All that money down the drain! In the end, someone else decided that the best thing to do was to tilt the rectangle something like 30 degrees.....and voila! A company identity is born.

Hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane!
Dan

"QVC"

2008-03-05T21:09:00.000-08:00

Maybe it was that ticking clock on the side of the screen that made viewers feel like they just had to buy something - - or else the TV would explode. Whatever the reason, the Warner Bros. Studio Stores would make millions from being on QVC. Here's an image of Scooby-Doo and the Frankenstein monster hawking products.

"World's Finest"

2008-03-02T23:42:00.000-08:00

The Batman and Superman 12" statues from 2000 were designed by Dan Beltran. The sculpts came out pretty good even though the sculptor was not DC's best choice. I can remember how funny it was when the DC Comics rep tried to explain to Dan the difference between a Silver-Age punch and a more current one. I should have asked how they both compared to the Golden-Age and Bronze-Age punches. Or if he knew what a sucker punch was. 'Cause I would have liked to have shown him one.

P.S., I found out later that none of our product managers and some design directors had even heard of the phrase "World's Finest". Now, I don't expect everyone to know this term, nor "Justice League" or "Teen Titans", but if you worked for the WB store - - wouldn't it have made sense to educate yourself on the properties that you were responsible for?

"Vinyl and Resin Dreams"

2008-03-02T10:40:00.000-08:00

These are just a few random items that you would have found at the WB store circa 1993 and 94. It's hard to believe it's been that long ago. I still remember owning those vinyl gangsters and the resin Tweety bobble head. Resin is pretty inexpensive so we tended to make almost everything out of it, including this Road Runner duster that ALWAYS broke when being used.

"Two Face"

2008-02-28T19:28:00.000-08:00

The animated Two Face bookends from 1994 were designed by Kevin Vetron and sculpted by James Shoop.

"Rocket-Man"

2008-02-28T01:00:00.000-08:00

Not including the character artists, there were about fifteen other designers at the WBSS during 1998 and 2000. The majority of those designers were hacks. Many of whom were just overpaid production people. The really good designers I could count on one hand, with one or two digits to spare. Chris Roberts was one of those really good designers. Don't just take my word for it. Check out his web site, Rocket Derby. It's full of cool WB and non-WB stuff. Blast-off here!

"Planet Kirk!"

2008-02-27T00:43:00.000-08:00

I might be good, but Kirk Mueller is a friggin' Looney Tunes god. I can't talk about the WB Studio Store without talking about Kirk. Kirk was there long before anyone else was, during it's conception. Most of you will recognise his work on everything from the Bugs Bunny/WB logo, the gallery, the products - - and to the paintings and statues that adorned the isles and walls.

Kirk is now taking commissions and has an on-line gallery that I would encourage everyone to check out. If you're a fan, drop him a line and let him know how much you appreciate his work with the WBSS.

Launch yourself to Planet Kirk here!

Dante Barbetta

2008-02-26T14:05:00.000-08:00

One of the guys that I used to work with at the WBSS back in NYC was a fellow by the name Dante Barbetta. Dante started working for the Max Fleischer Studios at the ripe young age of 15 and he never stopped working. I believe that he was already in his sixties when he started at the WBSS and boy could he draw. Dante and I never got to collaborate on anything back then. Some idiot thought it would be better to keep the artist apart so that they wouldn't bounce ideas off each other. Instead the ideas came from people that didn't watch the cartoons and knew nothing about character art. But I digress. As I was saying, Dante could draw. He could even write his name with both hands at the same time in both directions. In some ways he was a lot like Daniel Melgarejo and in many ways, he was not. I wish that I had some of Dante's artwork to show, but that was long ago and I never really got a chance to say good-bye to him on my way out the door. Here's a photo of a young Dante from his days at Famous Studios circa 1956.

"More on cookie jars and morons."

2008-02-26T04:59:00.000-08:00

The WBSS product managers would go shopping for cookie jar ideas and come back with pink Cadillacs and yachts. I always saw this as a waste of money. Especially the long trips to Europe just to buy stuff that they could have gotten over the Internet. If these morons really wanted ideas, all they had to do was look at the cartoons. But that would have been asking too much from someone working for the Warner Bros. Studio Store.

I remember suggesting a cookie jar bust based on Bugs as "the king" from 1949's "Rabbit Hood", but the product manager didn't understand why Bugs would be dressed as a king. Despite these hurdles, we would come up with a nice jar now and then. I believe the Bugs Genie, Taz, Space Jam, pink Cadillac and yacht were Fred C. Bode pieces. Henry Blackshear designed the Animaniacs jar. Dan Beltran designed the animated Superman jar. Scott Seeto designed the standard Superman and Batman jars.

"Marvin"

2008-02-25T00:47:00.000-08:00

In 1994 I drew this poster as part of a Marvin the Martian program to go on mugs and T-shirts. Since then, it's been made into an actual poster print and sold in various animation galleries. I still sign a few of them whenever they need me to. Yuri Bartoli provided the final painting.

"The Western Program"

2008-02-24T23:58:00.000-08:00

In 1993 the WB was riding high in the saddle with Unforgiven's Oscar and the upcoming Maverick movie, so it was only natural that the stores would go western. The program did very well too. After drawing this stuff, my opinion actually seemed to matter. At least until things stopped selling. David Harrison and Melanie Grossberg designed most of the fine products and packaging in this group.

"Tiny Toons and Big Goofs"

2008-02-23T14:12:00.000-08:00

Before I worked for the WBSS I was drawing for DC Comics as a freelancer on the Tiny Toons Magazine. I got paid $100 per cover back then or $60 after taxes. I think the inker got paid more, but I didn't mind because I was working for Joe Orlando and Joey Cavalieri. This rough drawing, by the way is what the first issue cover was suppose to look like. The whole idea here is that if you don't look down, you won't fall down. This is not a DC Comics idea, this is from the cartoon. WB made us change it though to having Buster looking down. Someone at the WB's Brand Franchise didn't bother to read their own bible. But that didn't stop that someone from making stupid comments. This is further proof how one goof-ball hired in the wrong position can ruin it for the rest of us.

"Pinky and the Brain"

2008-02-22T01:05:00.000-08:00

Pinky and the Brain cookie jars and a set of the statues. I have to admit, I was never a fan back when they were on the air. These days however I must confess - - - I'm still not a fan. Fortunately for you guys, I never had to work on a lot of P&B products (one or two desk signs, like the one at the bottom). But there were plenty of other designers at the WBSS that did watch and enjoy the show. So we did offer plenty of fun and interesting products for the fans.

"Who's the frog?"

2008-02-20T22:21:00.000-08:00

This Michigan J. Frog cookie jar is from 1998.

Michigan J. Frog is an animated cartoon character who debuted in the Looney Tunes cartoon One Froggy Evening (December 31, 1955), written by Michael Maltese and directed by Chuck Jones. In this cartoon Michigan is a male frog who occasionally wears a top hat, carries a cane, sings pop music, ragtime, Tin Pan Alley hits, and other songs from the late 19th and early 20th century while dancing and performing acrobatics in the style of early 20th century vaudeville. The character appeared in a later cartoon entitled Another Froggy Evening which was released on October 6, 1995.
Read more.

"The Trouble With Beanies"

2008-02-20T05:40:00.000-08:00

Beanie Babies were all the rage in the mid 90's. By 1999 however, the sales were down at the WBSS. I think by then, every major character had been made. These are just a few of the HB gang that were offered.

"Bat-mugs"

2008-02-18T20:19:00.000-08:00

Neal Adams is best known for his comic book work during the 60s and 70s, or perhaps his talking bee commercials running today. But he's also been known to design products, like these Batman and Robin mugs from the 1997 film. Those bat-a-rangs to the back of the heads look painful.

"A Bugs life"

2008-02-17T17:27:00.000-08:00

I recall roughing out most of the items for this Bugs Bunny program but Fred Bode, now art director at WB Consumer Products, fleshed out the products. Along with the vase, frame and lamp, there were also one or two T-shirts by my friend John Loter. That's all that I can remember for now.

I think the bugs lamp works better without the feet on the shade. But simply replacing the shade is not a problem. I seem to also recall giving my only sample away to someone, so I'll have to look on Ebay for another. I really need to stop giving my things away. Especially the meaningful stuff. There are so many memories that become attached to them.

"...like tears in the rain"

2008-02-16T16:29:00.000-08:00

In order for the New York store to make opening day, work by Baker Design & Construction Management, Inc. went on around the clock. I was there on a Saturday just days before it opened, in the middle of all that construction. I'm lucky that Batwing didn't fall on me. These images, more than any of the products, bring back a lot of memories. I used to walk my dog in front of the NY store. If the WB stores do come back, I would want to be a part of them again. Maybe I can prevent some of the mistakes from repeating. Like placing retail people in the drivers seat of what is essentially a fan based market.

"some boxes"

2008-02-16T11:40:00.000-08:00

This is another nice looking group from 1994, before all the boxes went to black and white. Melanie Grossberg designed the packaging and I provided the character art. All that I can remember from this group is that I had fun drawing Tweety as a boxer.

Years later we went back to creating fun packaging for our toys, even if the toys we were making were pretty cheap stuff.

"Happy Valentine"

2008-02-14T02:52:00.000-08:00

"Planet of the Jars!"

2008-02-14T01:49:00.000-08:00

If you were a cookie jar collector, the WBSS was the place to go to. This is only a fraction of the cookie jars produced during the WB Studio Stores existence. Everyone got the opportunity to design a few cookie jars, even the cleaning crew and I've only been posting the ones that were produced during the time that I worked there. Imagine if the stores were still open. Scientist have proven that the WBSS could have produced a jar of every character that they owned and they would have out numbered every living thing on earth by the year 2030 by at least twelve to one.

"Powerpuff Girls Snow Globe"

2008-02-12T02:20:00.000-08:00

The Powerpuff Girls snow globe which was sold at the WBSS gallery and got made just under the wire early 2001. In fact, I thought it had been cancelled like some of the other items. It features a light-up blinking panel inside the globe and was sold with a certificate of authenticity for $80.

I don't have the rough drawing for this one, but I've included Dwight Wanhalla's tight pencil drawing. Dwight was the guy to go to if you needed any machinary or autos drawn well. If he still has them, I'll post some of his Harley-Davidson LT programs here.

"Delancey Street"

2008-02-11T23:06:00.000-08:00

Many of you may already have seen these on another site. For those who haven't, here they are. These are a few rough drawings for a set of four tin cannisters produced in 1994. It was called the Delancey Street program and together they had about 46 characters on them (many never to be seen again). I'm not sure why or what my supervisor was thinking when she asked me to draw this stuff. I guess she saw a photo of people waiting in soup lines during depression era New York and decided it would make a good Looney Tunes program. Growing up in Brooklyn may have had something to do with it also.

The drawings themselves were okay enough, but in those days before digital paintings, the painter would project my drawings on to canvas and then trace them off as best he could. A lot depended on the painters drawing abilities. In this case, quite a bit was lost during the transition.

"The Silver-Age gold rush!"

2008-02-10T13:13:00.000-08:00

Whenever anyone mentions the Batman statue to me, they are referring to the 2 foot, Silver-Age Batman statue that Bat-blew out of the stores in 1999.

Originally, when we were asked by the merchants to create a new Batman program for boys, it was suppose to be the animated version of that year. DC had decided that the animated version should be used for all kids products (even though a large number of adults were watching the show and buying up all the toys as collectors). The merchant head however, had a problem with Robin looking too "demonic" and Batman himself was now colored black and gray. We could have still designed some cool stuff, but there was no avoiding what the characters looked like. This made the merchants uneasy. It was at this point that I recommended the Silver-Age Batman and Robin. To the merchant head's credit, he liked my idea, even though he had never heard of the Silver-Age. He just felt the color blue would be more kid-friendly.

All we needed was DC's okay. For a few years now, they would not allow us to use the Silver-Age characters. Hallmark however was allowed to. Maybe it was because we were threatening fewer DC programs, but DC finally gave the okay with the recommendation that we go back to the standard version for the next quarter. DC however, spurred on by our sales, went on to produce their own Silver-Age inspired items. Which they continue to make even to today.

The look we went for was Carmine Infantino's Batman. Mr Infantino helped to usher in the Silver-Age, so his was an obvious choice. We decided to tone down some of the blue, which made the items look too flat and toy-like, with a hint of green. Much like the Neal Adams covers that followed.

We were bound by contract to have DC comics pick their own sculptors. James Shoop sculpted the large Batman statue based on Scott Seeto's design. Scott also designed the bookends in this program. Except for the large Batman statue and the bookends, some of the other pieces in the group missed their mark.
I blame that on DC's other choice of sculptor (which was not James Shoop). I had hoped to have Ruben Procopio sculpt some, if not all the pieces, but some hack at DC Comics didn't think that Ruben was good enough. It's amazing how someone with little to no talent can be in a position to pass judgment on Ruben's abilities. These days they can't get enough work out of Ruben.

These are Scott's structural drawings for the Bat-bookends. Scott also designed the large Superman statue that followed. I'll have more on that next time.

©DC Comics

"MAD get's mad at the WBSS!"

2008-02-09T03:08:00.001-08:00

As character artist, we each had our opinions about the store's state of affairs. Only to be labeled as complainers and whiners. When MAD Magazine came out with their take on the Warner stores in the Fall of 1999 issue #385, it was as if someone on the outside had heard our voices. Even though it was meant to be laughed at, I heard that no one in upper management was laughing. Least of all the three stooges mentioned on page 7. A year later, AOL would announce the closing of the WBSS. Yes, we were vindicated. But the ending had been bitter sweet.

"Scott Seeto paints"

2008-02-08T23:39:00.000-08:00

Scott Seeto started at the WBSS in 1998 as a character artist. It took some time before the folks there realized Scott's true talent. He would eventually end up painting or rendering in pastel works of art depicting the Looney Tunes family in various situations. These are just water color studies. I'll post some of his finals very soon.

"You want fries with that rabbit?"

2008-02-07T20:14:00.000-08:00

These are not WBSS items, but I thought people might like seeing some of the stuff that I was involved with before going to the stores. In 1989 I began freelancing for DC Comics (the real DC Comics, not the licensing dept). The great Joe Orlando and Joey Cavalieri were my bosses. Mostly I drew covers for the Looney Tunes and Tiny Toons magazines, but every now and then I would get a promotional gig, like this one. I drew the turns and instructions for these McDonalds figures plus the bag and comics that came with them. Not great stuff by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a living. More importantly, a stepping stone. What I learned doing this stuff would prepare me for the WBSS 3 years later. It's almost as though it had been planned.

©DC Comics/WB

"London's calling"

2008-02-06T21:54:00.000-08:00

I met my pal Bobby London at the New York offices of Disney Consumer Products back in 1985. I was 22 and it was my first job out of college. Bobby was already one of my inspirations, having seen him on stage at a comic convention years earlier. Who'da thunk that we would be working side by side one day.

Bobby came out to live in Cali like the rest of us and since he's been out here, he's worked for Disney animation, designed characters for Nickelodeon's Sponge Bob movie and wrote and storyboarded episodes of Dexter and Power Puff Girls for Cartoon Network. Of course he is best known for Playboy's Dirty Duck, Cody in Nick Magazine and the Popeye comic strip during the '80s. He recently contributed to the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit styleguide, seen on packaging and products. Bobby's been able to survive doing what he loves to do, because of one reason - - he's that damned good!

"Who's Batman?"

2008-02-06T01:07:00.000-08:00

The WB went nuts with Val Kilmer's Batman Forever film in 1995. The movie made money, but not many fans. 1997's Clooney Batman was even worse. 1999 was the anniversary of the first Michael Keaton Batman movie. I had pushed for products, but to no avail. That's like having the rights to the Star Wars franchise and only producing Phantom Menace products. DC certainly had their share of silly rules when it came to Batman. The Adam West Batman show may seem childish in comparison to today's Batman, but no one can deny that there are plenty of fans (including me). DC wouldn't hear of it. They wanted us to keep things current. Because to them Batman fans were young and cool and they would never buy their father's Batman. The Silver-Age Batman statue would prove them wrong. I'll talk about that in my next Bat-post.

"A bird by any other name..."

2008-02-05T21:48:00.000-08:00

I remember doing this as an idea for a printed pillow. I don't remember if it was ever actually made. I think by this time most people were sick of Tweety. Towards the end, Tweety was seen wearing dresses and trying on womens shoes. I bet there are still plenty of people that think Tweety is a girl. And most of those people are working for Warner Bros.

"If it ain't broke..."

2008-02-04T22:12:00.000-08:00

The talented Melanie Grossberg designed the packaging for this Sly and Sly Jr. Father's Day program. What better way to represent the day, than with a father and his son working together at an auto workshop?
I like how the paper resembled threaded tires. Long time Disney animator Robert McKnight provided the cats artwork. Back in '94, the WBSS was still creating fun packaging. Like the vynil raygun for a Marvin the Martian T-shirt. But around 1995, the packaging turned into black and white boxes with a drawing of the product. That's right, the product, not the character. Just one of the many bad decisions to come that made the WBSS what it is today.

"Some more jars"

2008-02-04T18:35:00.000-08:00

Since there are so many cookie jars, I thought I would post a few of them at the same time. The Foghorn Leghorn on the left was part of a whole kitchen items set. I had already left the WBSS in '94, but I did a little bit of freelance for them before heading back to Disney in '96. Someone else on staff was able to flesh out the items. What I liked most about this Leghorn cookie jar is that it actually shows the character's true selves. It's not often that I can get away with having the main character's eyes closed, but Leghorn is after all a lazy scoundrel. It's the perfect opportunity for Dawg to take advantage of. Poor Henery Hawk is always the pawn.

At around this time, WB had joined licenses with the Olympics Committee. The torch idea depicting the various Looney Tunes characters seemed like a perfect solution for a cookie jar. Although, I don't think this is exactly what the Greeks had in mind when they created the games. But then again, I was the guy that had to draw poses of Izzy the Olympics mascot.Around 1999 or 2000, I designed a series of new cookie jars. I think the WB was trying to create a cookie jar for every cookie ever made. This Bugs in NY was another one of those singing jars (singing jars were very big back in the '90s, so was heroin). Bugs of course, sang "New York, New York". The idea however didn't translate well from paper to dolomite. Bugs looks like he's roaming the streets like Godzilla. Still, this thing sells for over $100 now.

"So many cookie jars"

2008-02-04T02:23:00.000-08:00

I think Warner Bros. was trying to corner the market on character cookie jars. Here's one of my designs from around 1999 or 2000. Back then, the sculptor would actually send in the clay sculpt for us to make comments on. This one was easy. It seems they had stock heads of all the characters, so the approval process was fast. All I had to do was tilt Tweety's head in order to achieve some kind of emotion from him. I think it worked fine. By the way, when you lift the lid, you can hear Tweety sing "Bwue mwoon, you got me saiwing away..!"

I've seen this online going for over $200 now. Wish I had one.

"The day Chuck came to town"

2008-02-03T21:32:00.000-08:00

Back in 1993, the legendary Chuck Jones graciously made a surprise visit to the New York offices of the WBSS. He wanted to talk about art and do some sketches for us. He drew a few sketches (like the Bugs on top), but mostly he just talked for about 2-3 hours. He spoke about his days at Termite Terrace (the place where WB kept the looney animators) and just about anything really that popped into his mind. I know there's a VHS tape of that visit somewhere. That will teach me to lend stuff out. He also left behind the new model sheet of Bugs. Which inspired me to do my "Jones" version of Bugs that you see here. Oh, I should mention Chuck had just signed a twenty year contract with WB. He was eighty-years-old at the time. I read on another blog, how fans feel that Chuck had lost his ability to draw the Looney Tunes characters. I don't agree with that. These "drawings" afterall, are not just rabbits and ducks. They are personalities. I think Chuck grew up a bit, and it reflected in the characters that he drew. If Bugs Bunny looked somewhat reserved or melancholy, it may have been because Chuck himself was. Old age can be a bitch, you know.

"It ended with a louse"

2008-02-03T02:18:00.000-08:00

Yes. The stores are gone, but not forgotten. Although that may not be such a bad thing. On my old blog, The Disney Store Shelves (may it rest in peace), I mentioned that I may start a WBSS blog. Well, now that the disney blog is gone, here I am trying it again but with a different company. I am a bit limited to what I have to post, seeing as the stores have been gone for a while, but I'll do my best to showcase some fun stuff along with plenty of commentary. I won't be able to do it alone, so you'll be reading the names Scott Seeto, Vince Musacchia, Dan Beltran and Dwight Wanhalla alot here. At least because I know I can acquire artwork and text from them. AOL closed the stores down almost emediately after buying the WB studios.