User:QuestJ65/Color rings

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The color rings are a term used to refer to the concentric circles used in various title cards in the Looney Tunes franchise. They are prominently featured at the start of shorts in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies theatrical series, and differ in color and sizes through its various uses. Their earliest appearance was in the 1936 Merrie Melodies short I Wanna Play House.

List of variations

Merrie Melodies

Main article: Merrie Melodies (theatrical shorts)

• 1935-1936 (blue-purple rings; black background)
  • The titles are thought to have originated in the 1935 cartoon Flowers for Madame, due to Warner Bros. gaining access to the three-strip technicolor process, although it is unknown if the short either had the previous titles used from 1934-35 (which involve a curtain design and a jester in the ending card) or these cards. However, the earliest short in which they are still intact was I Wanna Play House. The last shorts to use them are Toy Town Hall and Boulevadier from the Bronx, for the opening and closing titles, respectively.

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• 1936-1937 (blue rings; black background)
  • These titles first appeared in the 1936 short Boulevardier from the Bronx, sporting a mostly blue color palette. It was last used in The Lyin' Mouse. The titles remain mostly the same in the shorts they appear in, although in Boulevadier, the background is dark blue and the Merrie Melodies lacks a curve.

• File:Color rings (1936-37, MM).png
• File:MM 1936-37 title card.png
• File:That's all folks! (1936-37, MM).png

• 1937-1938 (orange-yellow rings; black background)
  • The first short to use these cards is Little Red Walking Hood, which revamped the titles to have an orange-yellow gradient. It is notable for having a new version of the Merrie Melodies logo, which is distinguished by a curvier font. The first variation of them was used from this cartoon to The Isle of Pingo Pongo, while a second variation was used from Katnip Kollege to Johnny Smith and Poker-Huntas. The ending card in the first half had a version of the previous Merrie Melodies logo with a drop shadow, while the second half had the new logo. Additionally, the "That's all Folks!" text has a capital F in ending card, resembling more of the one used in Looney Tunes from that season.

• File:Color rings (1936-37, MM).png
• File:MM 1936-37 title card.png
• File:That's all folks! (1936-37, MM ver 1).png
• File:That's all folks! (1936-37, MM ver 2).png

• 1938-1939 (green-yellow rings; black background)
  • The first short to use these cards is You're in Education, with the rings having a green-yellow gradient this time. The last short that used these rings was Sioux Me.

• File:Color rings (1938-39, MM).png
• File:MM 1938-39 title card.png
• File:That's all folks! (1938-39, MM).png

• 1939-1940 (red, white, and blue rings; cloudy sky background)
  • The first short to use these cards is Land of the Midnight Fun. This time, the titles are distinguished by rings with colors evoking the United States flag and a background of a cloudy sky. The last short to use these cards was Tom Thumb in Trouble.

• File:Color rings (1939-40, MM).png
• File:MM 1939-40 title card.png
• File:That's all folks! (1939-40, MM).png

• 1940 (red, white, and blue rings; black background)
  • The first short to use these cards is Confederate Honey. The titles resemble those from the previous production season, but with a solid black background. These cards are short lived, as the last short to use them was Ceiling Hero.

• File:Color rings (1940, MM).png
• File:MM 1940 title card.png
• File:That's all folks! (1940, MM).png

• 1940-1941 (orange rings; black background)
  • The first short to use these cards is Malibu Beach Party, resembling that of the titles from the 1937-1938 season, but with a subtler gradient. In The Heckling Hare, a variation of these cards appear where Bugs Bunny lays on top of the WB shield while munching a carrot, before pulling down the Merrie Melodies card down like a shade. It was last used in Sport Chumpions.

• File:Color rings (1940-41, MM).png
• File:MM 1940-41 title card.png
• File:That's all folks! (1940-41, MM).png