"Save Roger Rabbit" petition--April 2003 update

[Philip Kippel]

Philip,

Were you happy with the DVD that was released a few years back?

Correction: the 2-disc special edition "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" DVD was released last year...and, yes, I was pleased with it.

However, I'm still hoping that Disney and Amblin will colaborate on more productions, products, etc (more movies and shorts, a cartoon series on TV, more merchandise, bringing the Roger Rabbit costumed character back into the Disney theme parks, etc.). with Roger and co. in the future, especially after Eisner finally leaves the company.

 

[McFraggle]

Correction: the 2-disc special edition "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" DVD was released last year...and, yes, I was pleased with it.

Sorry about that.

 

[Jrogers51375]

signed it too. I loved that ride at Disney

 

[wwfpooh]

As much as I too loved the Roger Rabbit franchise, I must say that:

1. Roger himself in personality is sadly nothing more than a stuttering and sometimes inept--yet kind-hearted--Bugs Bunny wanna-be, given how the cartoons in which he starred--even the one used for the film--were done in Warner-esque style (because Amblin was a part of Warner Brothers during the time of the film [hence the cameos of Tweety, Porky [complete with the "T-t-t-that's all folks!" end tag line that's become synonomous with Looney Tunes/Merry Melodies], and even Bugs himself]).

2. The union between Disney & Amblin/Time Warner/Dreamworks SKG was a short-term thing, just like the uniting of comic companies DC and Marvel for a few short-lived videogames and alike products during the early 90's.

 

[D'Snowth]

Whoa, Philip Kippel's account's been ruined as well!

 

[wwfpooh]

Whoa, Philip Kippel's account's been ruined as well!

And this has...what to do with the "Roger Rabbit" petition?

 

[Telly]

Odd! I just watched Roger Rabbit last week! I read and understand why there isn't a sequel. It's sad how CLOSE they came to making one. Spielberg needs to not hold grudges. Disney needs to actually take the 50/50 thing seriously!

 

[wwfpooh]

Well, it's not just Steven or the execs at Disney. Time Warner has a stake in this too, and--as well as we all know--Time Warner is to Disney what Marvel is to DC for the most part (sans Time Warner using the Mouse House's pull on TV channels as a launching pad for some of its classic shows following the weird [and not in the good way] altering--and possible removal for some--of the KidsWB! block on its own CW network).

 

[anythingmuppet]

deleted

 

[frogboy4]

As much as I too loved the Roger Rabbit franchise, I must say that:

1. Roger himself in personality is sadly nothing more than a stuttering and sometimes inept--yet kind-hearted--Bugs Bunny wanna-be, given how the cartoons in which he starred--even the one used for the film--were done in Warner-esque style (because Amblin was a part of Warner Brothers during the time of the film).

2. The union between Disney & Amblin/Time Warner/Dreamworks SKG was a short-term thing, just like the uniting of comic companies DC and Marvel for a few short-lived videogames and alike products during the early 90's.

This is a very old thread, but this comment warranted a response.

"Who Framed Roger Rabbit" is one of my favorite films. I saw it theatrically four times during its initial release, purchased it on VHS, Laserdisc and both DVD versions. I suffered through "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" to see "Tummy Trouble", I caught "Roller Coaster Rabbit" with "Dick Tracy" and had it survived more than a weekend run I would have seen "Trail Mix-Up" with the ill-fated "Disney's Cheetah" film back in the early 90s.

That being said, there is much I know of the subject and much of your statement isn't quite right.

I'm not certain about Amblin's ownership back in the 80s, but Roger Rabbit resembled the Tex Avery style of animation because director Robert Zemeckis particularly liked it and found it to be the best avenue for the character and the film. He is reported to have said that Disney had the best quality of animation, but Warner Brothers was more expressive, interesting and had the best gags.

The Roger Rabbit character was designed by Richard Williams. He apprenticed under Warner Brothers animator (creator of Wile E. Coyote and one of the fathers of Bugs Bunny) Chuck Jones and also animated two Pink Panther openings (the Pink Panther is one of Friz Freleng's [non-Warner Brothers] created characters). Richard designed Roger after the American flag - red white and blue (with some yellow thrown in to round out the primary colors). The character was actually brown and a funny pages character in Gary K. Wolf's original novel, Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, but wore suspenders.

The stuttering comes from comedian Charles Fleischer's take on how the rabbit should sound. It's likely a nod in part to Porky, but is original in its own right. The best ideas are simple and basic; especially when cartoons are concerned. Therefore there can be a lot of innate similarity with characters. However to me your comment is like comparing Donald to Daffy. They're both hot-tempered but very different ducks.

DreamWorks didn't exist in the 80s - however I believe Roger Rabbit to have a yellow gloved hand in the building of that company. The feud has less to do with companies and more to do with personalities - Eisner and Spielberg. Steven Spielberg was an executive producer for Roger and had a great deal to do with the project and wrangling all the character rights together too!

One notable dispute between the two entertainment titans was over the Roger cartoon shorts. They were to be staggered; one shown before a Disney film, the next before an Amblin picture. Greedy Eisner reneged three times in a row! He also treated Katzenberg horribly and wouldn't allow him complete control over the animation division. Eisner nixed the idea, Katzenberg left and eventually he, Spielberg and Geffen created DreamWorks. With Eisner out of the way at Disney, Spielberg should sit down with Iger and hammer something out about Roger, but Steven is preoccupied with Paramount problems at the moment.

Back to the Roger character. Some might not care for him. Heck, even Walt Disney himself hated Goofy! But the rabbit is exactly what he was supposed to be: a quirky struggling actor that fit the classic cartoon type and is thrown into a murder mystery. He pays homage to what came before him while being something special himself. The film took over three years to make and the creators took the silly main character very seriously. To simply peg him as a "Bugs wannabe with a Porky stutter" is an epic understatement.

I wish they would bring this character back. Actually Eisner hammered the last nail in the Roger sequel coffin back in the late 90s because he felt the effects were now pedestrian and the character was no longer relevant. I disagree.