Originally published June 8, 2020. Updated December 10, 2022.
The iconic Looney Tunes characters made their grand return last month with Looney Tunes Cartoons, a brand new series of animated shorts which look to recreate the look and feel of the vintage toons complete with all of the hallmarks that made the franchise so beloved.
Well, not quite all of the hallmarks, it seems, as after fans began pointing out that Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam are missing their trademark hunting rifle and six shooters, showrunner Peter Browngardt confirmed to The New York Times that “we’re not doing guns” in the new cartoons as a response to concerns over gun violence in the United States.
The decision to strip Elmer and Sam of their firearms naturally led to some heated debate on social media, with Michael Ruocco, one of the series’ writers, subsequently responding to criticism that the decision was taking political correctness too far:
Also, think about context about what's going on in the world, and how long ago our show started production. Late 2017, early 2018. Right on the heels of a record number of mass shootings, particularly the horrific one in Las Vegas. NOBODY wanted to touch guns working in media.
— Michael Ruocco (@AGuyWhoDraws) June 7, 2020
Correction: I worked for nearly FIVE YEARS with these characters (3 on "Wabbit/New Looney Tunes", 2 on "Looney Tunes Cartoons"). Still, did not care or miss the guns. We got a lot more out of wordplay, dynamite and the character's own naivety/stupidity than we ever did with guns.
— Michael Ruocco (@AGuyWhoDraws) June 7, 2020
My last word on the subject: pic.twitter.com/4nUUVydXle
— Michael Ruocco (@AGuyWhoDraws) June 8, 2020
Despite the controversy from some corners, Looney Tunes Cartoons is proving to be hugely popular for HBO Max, with the Warner Bros. Animation-produced reboot quickly becoming the most in-demand programming on the newly-launched subscription platform.
What do you make of the decision to remove guns from Looney Tunes Cartoons? Let us know in the comments or on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
