That cwazy wabbit and more at the Warner Bros. Cartoons exhibition

   One-Tank Trip for Oct. 20/18

 

   By Jim Fox

   “Ehh, what’s up doc?” as Bugs Bunny would ask.

   Well, “sufferin' succotash! (Sylvester the Cat),” let me tell you.

   The Looney Tunes gang will invade the Woodstock (Ontario) Art Gallery including Bugs, Tweety Bird, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, Sylvester, Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner.

    These Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies alumni will be there in some form for the Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons exhibition from Nov. 10 to Jan. 5.

   It provides a “fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how these classic cartoons were made,” said Mary Reid, the gallery’s director/curator.

   “Through cels, model sheets, story sketches, animation drawings and concept paintings, you’ll discover the evolution of so many favourites,” she added.

   Not only are there original concept drawings to see how Bugs and the others were conceived, visitors can see the creation of animation before the leap into digital.

   You don’t have to “be vewy, vewy quiet,” to see Elmer Fudd after that pesky wabbit, Bugs.

   Unlike Disney Studios, Warner made cartoons that were brash, reckless and filled with topical references, bringing animation into the thick of contemporary life.

   The result from the Hollywood animation studio was a body of work appealing also to adults that became a significant part of North American movie comedy and culture.

   Since the 1930s, Warner’s Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies have entertained audiences with their wit and sophistication.

   The travelling exhibition shows treasured remnants of related art objects used in the making of Warner’s classic cartoons through the 1960s.

   Reviewers call exhibition “vivacious, colourful and highly enjoyable.”

   “If you loved Bugs and his friends as a kid, mark your calendar and relive your childhood,” Reid said, and bring the kids and grandkids, too.

   So, “th-th-th-that’s all folks! (Porky Pig)

   One-tank trip towards London

   It was 50 years ago when London painter Jack Chambers (1931-1978) stood on the Highway 401 overpass at Exit 232 in Woodstock and took photos.

   With these shots, he created his iconic painting called “401 Towards London No. 1,” now owned by the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Jack Chambers’ 50-year-old painting of Highway 401, Exit 232 is on display at the Woodstock Art Gallery. (Art Gallery of Ontario).

   Artist Gary Spearin has created a current-day painting at the Norwich Avenue overpass that’s being replaced.

   He brought the historical fact about the Chambers’ painting to the attention of the Woodstock Art Gallery (WAG) and Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation (MTO).

   To celebrate the significance of this location and the construction of a new span, Spearin helped to create artwork on display, along with Chambers’ painting, at the gallery until Jan. 25.

Artist Gary Spearin’s 2018 painting of the Highway 401 exit is also on display.

   There is also a commemorative plaque acknowledging Chambers’ connection to Exit 232 and recognizing the importance as more than just an access point to Canada’s busiest highway.

   Spearin, coordinator of Fanshawe College’s Fine Arts program, also created a video about Exit 232 that’s being shown at ONroute highway service centre locations.

   If you go

    The Woodstock Art Gallery (449 Dundas St.) is open Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except Wednesdays until 7 p.m.).

   Details: cityofwoodstock.ca/en/live-and-play/wag-events-and-programs.aspx; (519) 539-6761, Ext. 2801

   No trick Monster Jam

   The larger-than-life Monster Jam trucks rev into London on Oct. 26 to celebrate Halloween with treats at Budweiser Gardens.

   Kids younger than 12 dressed in costume will receive a Monster Jam voucher between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. for any of the three shows on Oct. 27 and 28.

Grave Digger will be roaring around the track in London at Monster Jam.

    The preview will feature fan-favourite trucks, Grave Digger and Northern Nightmare, with crews handing out treats, posing for photos and signing autographs, said publicist Beth Merrick. monsterjam.com

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Jim Fox can be reached at onetanktrips@hotmail.com

For more One-Tank Trips: http://1tanktrips.blogspot.ca