Toon Town

by Jesse Delaney

exhibition

Inviting the Looney Tunes troupe to a museum may seem like a risky call, given their penchant for mischief, but the characters have become such an influential part of the American consciousness that an exhibit devoted to their history is actually a safe bet and a fitting tribute. "That's All Folks: The Art of Warner Brothers Cartoons" is an homage to the creators of Bugs, Daffy, Porky and the other colorful (even in the earliest black and white reels) characters, and elevates what is often considered children's entertainment to the level of, well, art. In doing so, the exhibit spotlights the creative process behind animated cel production and celebrates the artists who held the pens, including drawings by luminaries like Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett and Robert McKimson. In the era when cartoons were shown on the big screen before the feature film, these animators were household names, and their works were often more popular and memorable than the movies they led into.

Displaying more than 160 pieces (a modest number considering a single cartoon comprises more than 1,000 drawings), the Michener show expands on the exhibit that originated at New York's Museum of Modern Art. The selected works, dating from the 1930s to 1960, represent the golden age of Warner Bros., when the studio produced close to 1,000 animated shorts and entertained millions of moviegoers. As part of the fun, the museum is also sponsoring special workshops and lectures and, of course, screenings of the classic cartoons.

"That's All Folks: The Art of Warner Brothers Cartoons," April 23-July 3, $8-$10.50, James A. Michener Art Museum, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown, 215-340-9800.