Next Hanna-Barbera set? (4 Viewers)

[Greg Chenoweth]

I would have thought that the legal issues with Superboy would have been settled when they did the live action series.

The legal issues with Superboy have been settled. Warner Archive is now offering the live action series through their program. There are no rights issues with the BATMAN series from 1968. It used to be available on VHS but it has not shown up on DVD yet.

 

[derosa]

Filmation did the 1968 Animated Batman (Along with Superman, Superboy, Aquaman, and the Justice League (Atom, Flash, The Green Lantern and Hawkman)) About half of the Superman Cartoons, all of the Aquaman and Justice League Cartoons are available on DVD.

It's been about six years since those titles were released, and they seem to be heavily discounted at Amazon and such places, selling for $5-$7. I don't think there is a lot of potential profit for more releases. It will be interesting to see if the rest of the episodes from the Filmation produced stuff ever gets a DVD release.

 

[Regulus]

I stand corrected.

 

[younger1968]

HB complains about sales of their sets over the years, but WB does little to opening up the selection to wider market. WB archive is main distribution point for releases and yet many of those releases do not make it outside of the United States. Yes, there are ways via amazon.com and/or deep discount to purchase Archive releases, but the vendor's pricing can be very expensive.. I usually wait a few months for the price to dropped and/or if i can package few sets together within an affordable price. So, you tell how is WB archives/HB releases really fair to markets outside of the USA? Well, they are not. Roman Hollidays is on my list, but it will be 6 months or so after it comes out before i purchase the set.

 

[Regulus]

Roman Hollidays is on my list, but it will be 6 months or so after it comes out before i purchase the set.

Ditto here. Probably during the Holidays.

 

[JoeDoakes]

It's been about six years since those titles were released, and they seem to be heavily discounted at Amazon and such places, selling for $5-$7. I don't think there is a lot of potential profit for more releases. It will be interesting to see if the rest of the episodes from the Filmation produced stuff ever gets a DVD release.

Actually, the current price for the New Adventures of Batman at Amazon is about the lowest I've ever seen it. I think the profit potential for the Adventures of Batman is greater than either Acquaman or the vaguely titled DC Super Heroes. Personally, I was confused for a long time about Warner's various offerings of DC cartoons. From most of the packaging, it is never really clear where the cartoon is coming from. This is especially the case with the numerous iterations of Super Friends. Personally, I think that they would have been better served to have put the dates of shows on the boxes so that consumers could tell what they were getting more easily. At any rate, regardless of whether Superboy or more New Adventures of Superman could do well at retail, I'm sure that they would be very successful archive releases. As for The Adventures of Batman, it might even do well at retail. My children really enjoy the New Adventures of Batman and many of the more recent cartoons are too dark and adult oriented.

 

[JoHud]

Help!... It's the Hair Bear Bunch! DVD collection is officially going to be released tomorrow, March 12 in the Warner Archive.

This two-disc, 16 episode, collection contains all the mod bears madcap extra-zoohicular adventures.

 

[Randy Korstick]

Help!... It's the Hair Bear Bunch! DVD collection is officially going to be released tomorrow, March 12 in the Warner Archive.

No surprise but great news. I have to wait 2 weeks but I'll definately pick it up then.

 

[Towergrove]

Excited to hear about the Hair Bears!

 

[MattPriceTime]

Welcome back everyone.

The only new speculation we really have is that a post might imply to expect some more specials coming out later in the year, but that's not really true confirmation.

We're still waiting on Roman Holidays and then it's back to our list and breaking down what we know are short or long term fix ups.

 

[younger1968]

I really like to see them complete Wait Till Your Father Gets Home. I have S1 and love that show

I am also surprised there is no update up on the New Adventures of Gilligan.

 

[dhammer]

They just confirmed that Marine Boy and Johnny Cipher in Dimension Zero are still planned to be released. I don't know how they are going to do Marine Boy. It is 77-78, 1/2 hour episodes. Johnny Cipher was arround 130 episodes but only 6 minutes long.

Like most of you, I love the old Hanna-Barbara cartoons of the 60's and 70's but, I also have a love for the Japanese created cartoons of the 1960's. We watched the Hanna-Barbara toons on Saturday but during the week, after school, the other cartoons. We had a show in the Philadelphia area called, Wee Willie Weber's Cartoon Club. He introduced us to Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, Marine Boy, Rocket Robin Hood, Johnny Cipher in Dimension Zero, Ultraman, Speed Racer, etc. Good times, good times....

 

[Nebiroth]

Note that rights to stream a show are different to releasing it on "home video". I'm not sure of the full legalities, but I think it is something like streaming is closer to broadcasting. Eveidently, most shows of any vintage were created with contracts that covered broadcasting re-use, but only those made in the post VHS-era have clauses covering home video, whioch is why they are so problematic because they have to go to everyone involved to negotiate the rights, royalties, and even a minor character can act as a block (and sometimes their estates)

Marine Boy is confimed? Where?

I would be very excited if it is! Suprised TVShowsOnDVD haven't run the story if it is the case. As you say it's a large series with 78 half-hour episodes. It seems somewhat large for an MOD release.

The previous release of Centurions, which gave us just the five episode starter series but not the vast bulk of the later episodes, does not fill me with optimism.

 

[Greg Chenoweth]

Warner Archive via Facebook says that MARINE BOY is in the process of being worked on for a future release, which doesn't mean it's going to be coming out any time soon.

 

[dhammer]

True, But it was them that said back in the Fall that they were planning a release at the beginnng of this year or shortly thereafter for Marine Boy.

Warner Archive via Facebook says that MARINE BOY is in the process of being worked on for a future release, which doesn't mean it's going to be coming out any time soon.

 

[younger1968]

I broke down and purchased Butch Cassady and the sundance kids through amazon.com. I will look at few other shows when my budget dollars open up, but they will be through amazon.com as amazon.ca does not handle WB archives very well.

I thought i heard tarzan was schedule to comeout as well. I am also surprised there is not talk about the Lone Ranger Cartoon from 1966-1968. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lone_Ranger_%28animated_TV_series%29

I would also thought Banana Splits would also come out as it has been talked about in the past, but the originals needed lots of work!

 

[MattPriceTime]

Lots of things are "confirmed" to eventually come. As that is WA's model. We get more enthusiastic when they say they actually start work on them. Still though then some older materials take a long time to get done than more recent materials (Hence why we have been waiting a long time for Huckleberry Hound and Captain Caveman and other shows are out within a month or two after being confirmed to have been worked on.)

The good news to be opitimistic in general is that the library is selling well. When the lowest HB (or related library) is better than nearly half the other releases on their website, we don't have to worry about them stopping anytime soon. So as long as they keep chugging along eventually we should get to all the stuff that's cleared.

However the real interesting news is WA answered a question on Grape Ape. Something we had thought would be locked up by WHV. This raises questions, did WHV release just Grape Ape and probably Mumbly? Or what about the Puppy, Richie Rich and Dynomutt seasons. Or even though less likely could the other properties be closer to crossing over too?

 

[Greg Chenoweth]

Here's an interesting article on Warner Archive and their attempts at preserving Hanna-Barbera material:

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/tv-dvd/warner-archive-revives-spirit-saturday-morning-cartoons-30099

Besides Popeye, they will be coming out with CAPTAIN CAVEMAN AND THE TEEN ANGELS, ROMAN HOLIDAYS, more FLINTSTONES spin-offs and MARINE BOY, all from the article.

 

[derosa]

I came here to post a link to the article, and Greg beat me to it!

 

[Towergrove]

I came here to post a link to the article, and Greg beat me to it!

Me too. hehe

The article has some great news and shows the commitment by Warner for HB future releases.