The first Road Runner cartoon was conceived as a parody of the mindless chase cartoons popular at the time, but audiences around the world embraced the series. In the 1940s and '50s he directed some of the most durable and hilarious animated shorts, including What's Opera, Doc? and Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 Century. In 1950, two cartoons produced by Chuck Jones's unit won Academy Awards, 'For Scent-imental Reasons' (with Pep LePew) and an animated short ('So Much for So Little'), which won in the documentary category, the only cartoon film ever to do so.

In the 1960s, Jones produced Tom 'n' Jerry cartoons for MGM, and The Pogo Family Birthday Special for television. In 1962, in the waning days of the theatrical cartoon business, Jones loosened his ties to Warner Brothers and wrote an original screenplay for a UPA animated feature Gay Purr-ee, which featured the voices of Judy Garland, Robert Goulet and other stars of the day. Jones collaborated with Theodore Geisel (a.k.a. 'Dr. Seuss') on a pair of cartoon specials for television, Horton Hears a Who and The Grinch Stole Christmas. The latter has become a holiday classic. Both won Peabody Awards for Television Programming Excellence. Chuck Jones won another Academy Award in 1965 for the animated short, The Dot and the Line, based on a book by Norton Juster. He also produced, co-wrote and co-directed a feature film based on Juster's children's classic The Phantom Tollbooth.

Under the banner of his own production company, Chuck Jones Enterprises, he produced, wrote and directed nine half-hour prime time television specials: The Cricket in Times Square, A Very Merry Cricket, Yankee Doodle Cricket, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, Mowgli's Brothers, The White Seal, Carnival of the Animals, A Connecticut Rabbit in King Arthur's Court, The Great Santa Claus Caper and The Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile.

#WB11 Warner Bros. - THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET (3/28/64) - (partial live action). MR. LIMPET image measures 9.00' X 4.00', featuring TWO desirable characters on one single cel. Mr. Limpet and Crusty together!! It is rare to find a cel with more than one character on a cel, and this one features two wonderful characters. This cel was purchased via auction through vintage roadshow who provided COA..

Live Action Director: Arthur Lubin. Animation Director: Bill Tytla. During World War II, meek 4-F Henry Limpet (Don Knotts) falls in ocean and is transformed into a fish. He aids the Allies war effort as a secret weapon below the waves.

*$3,585 (MATTED)

#WB13 Warner Bros. - THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET, 1962 - (partial live action). The Original pencil model sheet of Mr. Limpet measures 9.00' X 14.00'. This original drawing is signed by the artist, Alex Ignatiev. It is rare to find a pre-drawing featuring two wonderful characters.

Also included on a seperate card. Original owner had it signed, he had the option of having it personalized. He opted not to, but Alex Ignatiev included a self-caricature, which is dedicated to the original owner and says 'Best Wishes David' and is dated August 1992. The pencil model sheet is wonderfully framed and triple matted.

*$1,950 (MATTED AND FRAMED)

#WB1 - Warner Bros. - 'Marvin the Martian' limited edition Model Sheet, #215 out of 750 pieces. The sheet measures 16.00' X 12.50', bearing the offical Warner Bros. seal.

Marvin the Martian is the creative brainchild of legendary director Chuck Jones. Surprisingly, given his tremendous popularity, Marvin only appears in five classic Looney Tunes. He debuted in 1948 as Commander X-2 in 'Haredevil Hare,' starring opposite Bugs Bunny. Four years later, in another Bugs Bunny vehicle, 'Hasty Hare,' he first appears as Marvin the Martian with a new canine companion, K-9. 'Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century' (1953) pits Marvin against Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. Finally, he reunites with Bugs Bunny in 'Hare-way to the Stars' (1958) and 'Mad As a March Hare' (1963).

*$1,700 (MATTED AND FRAMED)

#WB9 - Warner Bros. - 'Bugs Bunny'. The 'High Noon' drawing measures 11.50' X 9.00', rendered in graphite, red, yellow and brown pencil. The drawing is hand signed by Tom Ray.

Hare Trigger (1945)

Bugs Bunny Rides Again (1948)

Directed by Friz Freleng

Bugs draws a bag of tobacco shut with his teeth while rolling a cigarette. This production drawing was used in two seperate cartoon shorts.

Emmy Award winner Tom Ray began his career in 1937 with Leon Schlesinger and has worked for every major animation studio!

*$425 (MATTED)

#WB3 - Warner Bros. - Daffy Duck, 1960. The Daffy color re-make image size measures 7.00' X 9.00'.

Daffy Duck is definitely a bona fide 'star,' despite general claims to the contrary. He has appeared in more than 120 cartoons since his introduction in the 1937 short 'Porky's Duck Hunt.' This cel is from one of the colorized WB/Seven Arts cartoons, produced in Korea in the 1960's. Daffy is brown in this cel. (The cartoon is called 'Porky Pig's Feat' and the original was directed by Frank Tashlin.

*$355 (MATTED)

#WB5 - Warner Bros. - 'Granny', ?. The full sheet drawing is rendered in graphite and red pencil, came in a set of 6 (included official work sheet). The drawing image area measures 3.00' X 5.00', bearing production number A10.

October 7, 1950. Granny makes her debut as Tweety's doting owner in Canary Row (Merrie Melodies), directed by Friz Freleng, story by Tedd Pierce, animated by Art Davis, Ken Champin, Virgil Ross, Emery Hawkings, and Gerry Chiniquy.

*$475

#WB15 Warner Bros. - THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET (3/28/64) - (partial live action). All three of the animateds charactures are together featuring Mr. Limpet, Crusty and Ladyfish on one single cel.

This full sheet cel measures 11.50' X 9.50' double matted and framed. MR. LIMPET image measures 5.50' X 3.25', Crusty's image measures 1.50' X 1.50' and Ladyfish measures 5.50' X 3.25', bearing the original signatures of Don Knotts (Voice of Henry Limpet) and Elizabeth MacRae (Voice of Ladyfish).

Navy brass Harlock (Andrew Duggan) and George Stickel (Jack Weston) go back into the WW2 secret files to prepare to present a special medal to the Navy's most secret weapon of the war: Henry Limpet. Flashback to 1941: A 4-F bookkeeper who annoys his wife by living almost entirely in the world of his aquarium, Henry Limpet (Don Knotts) makes a wish and unaccountably changes into a large fish with a pair of reading glasses. But instead of disappearing, he makes friends in the deep, and resurfaces as a sub-finding helper of Allied shipping, a 'secret weapon' that the Navy eagerly exploits.

*$2,990

#WB13 - Warner Bros. - 'Sahara Hare', 1982. This 'Yosemite Sam' is a full figured Original Production Cel.

The original background is from the Warner Brothers Theatrical release Bugs Bunnys 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales produced by Fritz Freleng.

The cel of 'Yosemite Sam' from 'Sahara Hare' is a full 12.50' x 10.00' (12 field) with Sams image area measuring 3.50' X 4.00', bearing production #P15 - 89.

The cel has been placed on an original hand painted production background 10.50' X 14.50' from Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie (1981). The background bears production #ACT 2 BG36.

*$795

WB#18 - Warner Bros. Studio, MICE WILL PLAY, Originally Released on December 31, 1938. This is a lively original animation drawing of a mouse holding a stethoscope from the Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Fred 'Tex' Avery. It is a final animation drawing created by a Warner Bros. animator in production of the animated cartoon, and a cel was made directly from it.

Drawn in red, blue and black pencil on an untrimmed animation sheet, the art measures 4 3/8' x 8 3/8'. The animator wrote the number '8' at the bottom to indicate this drawing's place in the scene. In excellent condition showing only slight handling from the animation process itself: VERY FINE. COA provided by Howard Lowery Gallery.

The mice are on the loose after hours in a doctor's office, playing with the various pieces of medical apparatus. Susie Mouse is caged for research until her lover Johnnie frees her. A mouse orchestra plays a swinging wedding song. But throughout, a cat is stalking...

*$510

Emerging from school in the depths of the Depression, the young artist found work in the fledgling animation industry, working in succession with Ub Iwerks (Walt Disney's original partner), Charles Mintz and Walter Lantz (creator of Woody Woodpecker). He advanced from washing cels to in-betweening, finally landing a job at Leon Schlesinger Productions, the supplier of cartoons to Warner Bothers. Chuck Jones was to continue this association for the next 30 years. In this company he worked for the great animation directors Friz Freleng, Frank Tashlin and Tex Avery, men he credits with teaching him the comic timing, vivid characterization and jubilant anarchy for which Warner Bothers cartoons were famous. He advanced to animator, working on Bugs Bunny and some of the earliest Daffy Duck cartoons. At last, he was promoted to animation director. His trademarks include highly stylized backgrounds and a slew of hilarious characters. His own creations include Pep LePew and, most famously, Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote.