#marvin acme

[acmeoop]

Deleted Scene Alternate Meeting “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988)

[chrysalis-the-butterfly]

Jessica Rabbit's Colour-Changing Dress

When we first see Jessica Rabbit at the Ink and Paint Club in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, her dress is pink and sparkly. But for the rest of the film, it's red and doesn't sparkle.

Now, I know the meta reason for this. The filmmakers wanted the dress to sparkle throughout the film, but that would have been too expensive to animate, so instead they only let it happen when Jessica was under stage lighting.

But I think there's some accidental symbolism here.

You see, Jessica's introduction is a performance. It's an idealised image she's projecting for the sake of her (largely male) audience. She's impressing them with her voice and her body. She's dazzling them.

But then Eddie catches her playing patty-cake with a man who isn't her husband.

The next time Jessica gets a speaking role, it's in Acme's warehouse. And what's happened to her dress?

It's turned red and lost its sparkle.

And I think the colour red is significant. It reminds me of the term "scarlet woman", which used to refer to women who were notorious for having many casual sexual encounters.

It also reminds me of The Scarlet Letter. The titular letter was a capital A placed on a woman who had committed adultery. Now, the phrase "scarlet letter" can refer to any symbol of something you've done wrong and regretted.

Jessica has (apparently) been revealed as an adultress. She's become a scarlet woman, branded with a scarlet letter.

The loss of sparkle in her dress also represents her downfall in other's eyes. She used to shine for them. She used to be a spectacle to behold. But she's lost her lustre. She's been exposed as immoral and untrustworthy.

...Or has she?

All is not lost for Jessica. Because do you know which other important character in this film also wears red?

Roger Rabbit.

Jessica's husband.

He never believed she was capable of cheating on him. He assumed that someone had made her do it, that she was an innocent victim of circumstance. And he was right! He wasn't, as some believed, so blinded by love that he couldn't see her dark side. Nor was he perfectly aware of her moral failings and living in denial. No, he knew his wife better than anyone, and he knew she was a good woman.

And the fact that their clothes are the same colour by the end of the film feels significant - to me, anyway.

The act of adultery that was meant to destroy Jessica's reputation has actually brought her closer to her husband.

The so-called "betrayal" that was meant to tear them apart has actually made their love stronger.

[shy-nightmare]

The Toonz Twins: Toontown Sleuths Chapter Six: Acme Dropped Dead

Summary: A murder occurred last night, and all fingers point at Roger. What was once a simple snoop job is now a case only Valiant and the Toonz twins could solve.

Credit for inspiration goes to @imaginarytoon1, author of “The Birchwood Twins: Toontown Investigators” and @its-metal-mistress, author of “Bendy and the Ink Machine: Learning How to Live”. Please check out their own wonderful content ^^!

Special Guests Tags 😊: @marinerainbow, @slashingdisneypasta, @weaselnerd, and @lastofautumn

It was around 8:45 p.m. when Eddie and Tom returned to the office. After Tom hung his hat and jacket on the coat rack, he turned to see his boss pulling down a bed from one of his shelves. “Here, you and your sister can sleep on the bed.” He spoke.

“Thanks,” Tom replied, but suddenly his stomach growled. “There ain’t no way we’re having that disgusting fast-food crap for dinner. Mind if I borrow your kitchen?” he asked.

“Sure, just don’t make a mess.”

“OK, thanks.” The Toon wolf hybrid walked up the small staircase to the kitchen counter. He pulled out three large bowls, kitchen utensils, a lodge cast iron dual handle pan, and a meatball baking tray. “How do you feel about classic Italian meatballs and spaghetti?” he called out.

The homeowner nearly dropped his bottle, gaping at him with wide eyes. “You cookin’ Italian? I barely have ground beef in my fridge!”

“I grabbed some while we were out on the road,” the young male replied, pulling out a grocery bag containing two pasta boxes and ground beef packaging to prove it. “Fast food is only as nutritional as a can of half-baked beans, and my tastebuds are still crying from touching that shit.”

Eddie thought about that for a moment, then slightly pursed his lips as if saying “Fair point”. The office was silent for the next ten minutes, save for the mashing of meat and steaming, boiling water. Until Eddie broke the silence. “So how long have you kids been traveling?”

“A couple of days,” Tom answered, stirring the wooden spoon around the pasta pan while checking on his phone for the meatball timer. He still hasn’t managed to reach out to the rest of his family. Fuck, they’re going to be pissed.

Tom continued, “It was cumbersome to find an easy ride operated by folks who wouldn’t try to overcharge you for making ‘modifications’ or use shady tactics to increase the prices.”

“Really?” the detective asked, sounding mildly shocked that a transportation system would actually refuse to serve someone—even if they’re Toons. “Even the Chicago Union Station?”

Tom remembered that the station was built in 1925, and back in that time, Toons weren’t even allowed to get a ticket without receiving permission from their creators. Which is complete bullshit. Things did get better over the last few decades, but there’s always some jerkass loitering the Grand Halls spouting offensive comments about Toons entering the station to find their destinated trains acting all grown-up and independent.

He sighed, “Yeah.”    

With his back turned, he didn’t see the gruff investigator furrow his brows in concealed appall. His grip on the bottle slightly tightened, then he asked, “So how did you get here?”

Tom pondered for a moment, then smirked, deciding that the humor is worth it. He looked over his shoulder, holding the spoon. “You ready for this piece of news?” he grinned, “The Red Car.”

Eddie’s eyes nearly bulged. “They got Red Cars in Chicago? You got any idea how many stations you gotta stop at?”

“It was a long road trip, but it’s worth it. And it’s our first job out-of-state,” Tom shrugged, chuckling. He turned back to the stove after hearing the timers go off, gently pouring the pasta in the drainer before he opened the oven lid and pulled out the meatball tray, releasing a delicious aroma of cooked, sizzled meat. He spent the next few minutes pouring Old World Style meat sauce and adding just a pinch inhaled and grinned, “Mmm! I hope you’re hungry because my meatballs are motherfu—”   

“Uh-oh, I smell meatballs!”

Eddie and Tom turned to see Twyla opening the office door and walking in. Her little nose twitched, “Damn, Tommy, you could’ve told me we were having Italian for dinner! I would’ve been here faster.”

“Yeah, well, you know the rule, sis. When Tommy’s in the kitchen…” he grinned widely.

“Stay the fuck out!” Twyla finished, earning her a wide-eyed look of surprise from Eddie.

“Whoa!” he exclaimed incredulously, but he wasn’t offended. “Did you teach her that?”

“We’re from Chicago, what did you expect?” Tom snickered, washing his hands before he walked over and greeted his sister with a hug. Then, he whispered. “Did you find her?”

Twyla shook her head apologetically. “I couldn’t find Roger, either.”

“It’s all right,” the pack leader patted her shoulder. “I still couldn’t contact the others, either.”

He sighed, then brightened his demeanor while heading back to the kitchen to fill up Eddie’s bowl with mouthwatering meatballs and spaghetti. “Here you go, Valiant. A full dish of Tomasso Toonz’s capolavoro di polpette e spaghetti.”  

He placed the bowl down on Eddie’s desk. The human thanked him while setting his Jack Daniels aside, placing a napkin down on his lap and he grabbed his fork. He twirled a meatball around the noodles and took a bite.

“Well?” Tom asked.

Eddie chewed and swallowed. Then, he spoke. “It’s fuckin’ great.”

Tom laughed and pumped his fist victoriously while Twyla shook her head in amusement and took a seat at the card-playing table. She poured herself a glass of water before Tom handed her bowl and joined her for dinner. Eddie stayed at his desk while enjoying his meal, but the twins respected his space. They all ate in quiet, pleasant chatter and ate every bite of meat and noodle. When they finished dinner, Twyla helped her brother clean the dishes then headed for the bathroom to take a well-earned shower.

The chatter quieted down, and Tom enjoyed the tranquil silence while going through various WiFi networks. Still no signal, the gangster growled in soft irritation.

“Is your sister always quiet?” Eddie suddenly asked, breaking the silence. Tom put away his phone and turned to his boss, giving him his full attention. “I’ve only heard her speak a couple of times, but was she always quiet?”

“Like I said, she’s a gal with a few words.” Tom reminded him, raising a brow. “Why?”

The man cast his eyes down, then spoke. “Before I did cases with Toons, I had a couple of cases with people who had been threatened by criminals and other creeps.”

Tom’s brows furrowed, but his gaze wasn’t harsh. “You’re askin’ me why we’re really here.”

“Can’t blame me for being curious,” the older male admitted, shrugging half-heartedly. “It’s not every day you find a couple of Toon kids showin’ up at your door and asking for help with navigation.”

Tom held back his tongue. He had to admit, the guy can use his eyes even when he’s not on the job. After a long debate, he sighed. “OK, look.”

He stared at the human in the eye before speaking, “Truth is, we’ve been having some troubles back in Chicago and we’ve been sightseeing across the state to find a potential new place to crash.”

Eddie nodded, listening intently. “Any idea where you’re gonna go?”

“We’re almost there.” Tom replied half-truthfully. He didn’t fully trust Eddie in his and his family’s plans. “We just need to freshen up a little longer, then we’ll be outta here.”

The detective frowned a bit, then lightly titled his head. “Don’t get into any fights, you hear? I’m not paying for your bail if you get locked up.”

“Same to you,” Tom retorted, but that earned him a slight chuckle.

The next twenty minutes were silent like the grave, until the bathroom door opened. Twyla walked out, all clean and dry. She wore a black tank top designed with a skull crescent moon and embroidered with soft lace at the hem and matching lace-accented bottoms. Her arms were coated with an inky emblem of tattoos consisting of skulls, spider webs, bats, crescents, and stars kissing her forearms. Tom’s heart panged every time he saw them; he’d seen the horrific truths of those tattoos and remembered the dark events that occurred.

His baby sister noticed the bed, and her brother was already standing up. She raised a brow in confusion, and Tom’s heart nearly shattered. “Tom?” she spoke softly.

“Here,” he gently pulled back the covers and took the other pillow to prep. “You can sleep on the bed. I’ll take the recliner.”

Twyla only continued to stare, confused, but Tom softly insisted. He put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “It’s all right. I’ll be here with you.”

“Always?”

“Always.” He nodded, and his sister returned the nod before settling in the bed.

Tom only took a quick shower and returned, wearing a dark skull-patterned T-shirt and navy-blue pants, his scars fortunately veiled by the dim-light darkness. As he carefully placed the recliner close to his sister’s left, Tom heard a soft, barely-there chuckle. He sneakily peeked at Eddie, who was in his chair going through some photos that probably weren’t from the job.

His brown eyes lightened, but his smile dropped when he pulled up the last photo. Then, his lower lip wobbled, and tears glistened in his eyes.

Tom watched in shocked silence as he silently wept but didn’t dare let out a peep. He watched the man’s eyes look over to the other desk, and saw another name engraved on the plate.

Theodore J. Valiant.

He had a brother, Tom realized with quiet shock. He saw Eddie’s eyes steel, and took a big, almost hasty gulp of the booze to numb the pain before he fell into a drunken slumber.

Tom watched him for a moment, then turned back to his sleeping sister. She had the blankets pulled up to her shoulders, looking like she was in a cocoon, and the pillow was close enough to squish her left furry cheek. Like she did when she was a child.

The older twin wondered how far they’ve come, how many years they’ve spent hiding in the shadows, chased away by those who’ve shunned them. How many days they’ve spent at school being teased, bullied, and tormented for their troubles and species, and ignored by many teachers who witnessed the whole scene, and didn’t even spare the twins a glance. How many nights they’ve spent in the Hellhole, locking the bedroom door to keep the monster out.

Tom shook his head with steel resolve. The past is behind them now, and they’re still on the road to the bright future. He leaned over and kissed Twyla’s temple, patting her curly head. “It’s gonna be all right, baby sis. I’ll take care of everything.”

He reclined in his chair and finally succumbed to a deep, dreamless slumber.

________

Clank!

“Gyah!” Eddie’s loud, disgruntled shout bolted Tom out of his slumber. Instinctively, he whipped out his two Smith & Wesson revolvers and pointed them at a taller man who instantly held his hands up.

“Don’t move, stranger, or you’ll never move again.” He growled, his voice deep and threatening. “Who are you?”

“Easy, easy, Toonz!” Eddie got out of his seat and hastily stepped in between the two. “He’s with me!”

Tom looked back at the other man. He was lean and slender, clad in a mink grey jacket over a white dress shirt with a Diamondback-styled tie and mink grey trousers while wearing a light grey fedora. “Easy, son.” He said, “I’m not here to hurt ya.”

The wolf gave him the once-over, then sighed, and lowered his guns. He turned around and gently shook his sister. “Sis, wake up. We have company.”

Twyla’s eyelids slowly fluttered, and she got up with a groggy murmur. “Hmm?” she yawned, half-sleepily turning to the visitor’s direction. Suddenly, her purple eye shot wide awake and yanked up the covers to cover her chest with a surprised yelp.

Immediately, the sharply dressed man apologized. “I—I’m so sorry, ma’am,” he took off his hat, quickly turning around. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“And here you are, banging my drink.” Eddie sighed exasperatedly, ignoring the other man’s glare. “Guys, this is Lieutenant Santino. Santino, my assistants, the Toonz twins.”

“Assistants?” Santino raised a brow and give them a quick once-over, then turned to Eddie. “Gee whiz, Eddie, if you needed money so bad, why didn’t you come to me?”

Come to him? What the fuck? Tom shared an annoyed glance with his twin, who only rose a brow at the two men.

“So I took a couple of dirty pictures, so kill me.” Eddie grumbled, pouring himself another drink.

“I already got a stiff on my hands, thank you.” Santino retorted.

Stiff? All three pairs of eyes zoomed on the officer.

“Marvin Acme. The rabbit cacked him last night.”

_________

“Tom, find Baby Herman and let him know about the murder.” Eddie ordered while straightening his collar.

“Yes, sir.” Tom answered, hiding his gun in his hostler. He considered a change of wardrobe for the case, one that’s considered “professional”. He wore his signature black fedora strapped with a silver grey band, but his new outfit consisted of a black double-breasted suit jacket with sleek, matching trousers. A pitch-black tie tucked in his silver dress shirt snugly, and he wore polished black Oxfords. On his left hip, a silver chain dangled and glinted dangerously like a switchblade.

“Where should I meet you after?” he asked.

“Meet us back here when you’re finished,” Eddie replied, and the gunslinger responded with a short nod. He and Santino were about to head out when Eddie looked around. “Where’s your sister?”

A soft whistle piped up, and all three heads turned to see Twyla leaning against the doorframe.

Like Tom, she had a change of wardrobe. She wore an obsidian single-button blazer, pulling back the collars a bit to reveal a wisteria sweetheart top over sleek obsidian trousers and obsidian Cesare Paciottis adorned with beautiful, bladed swords for heels. A silver chain hung from her right hip, matching the glint of her necklace and earring. Her outfit hugged her curves snugly, outlining the frame of her voluptuous figure, and she held up her purse. She adjusted her hat and took a swan-like stroll towards the men and tilted her head as if silently asking if they’re ready to go.

“Twyla, what the fuck?” Tom demanded, his overprotective big brotherly instincts already sending him into a frenzy. “This is a murder case, not a fuckin’ Gangster’s Hideout gig!”

His sister only rolled her eyes, swept her tail up, and walked out the door. Both men watched her go, then Eddie snickered at Tom’s baffled face. “I think the lady just said you can kiss her ass.”

Santino saw the absolute murder in Tom’s eyes and decided to take the risk and save Eddie before he gets shot in the face for that comment. “Come on, Eddie.” He grabbed the shorter man by the arm and yanked him out of the office.

It was a short drive to the Acme Factory. The sun glared down harshly upon the three investigators after getting out of the car, and Twyla was relieved she was wearing her dark shades. The trio made their way to the factory, but Eddie suddenly stopped.

“Now what?” Santino grumbled.

“It’s just the closest I’ve been to Toontown in a while.” Eddie murmured. Behind him, Twyla smiled at the haven before her. Suddenly, Yosemite Sam soared out of the sky, leaving a long trail of smoke. His pants were on fire.

“Ow! Ow! My biscuits are burnin’!” shouted, running around like a jackrabbit. “Fire in the hatch! Ow! Ooh! Eee! Great horny toads, that smarts!” He found a small puddle and rested his bum down.

Twyla shook her head amusedly at the cliché act and followed the two in the warehouse. The building itself was massive, in terms of height and square feet. From what she learned at high school, Eddie and Santino, the ACME Corporation was a supply industry of running gags featuring outlandish products designed to fail at the worst possible times, and most of these products were sold for Toon-acting businesses and used for pranks. It was Marvin Acme’s kingdom of jokes, laughs, and pranks. Now the place was a shadow of its former glory, loitered with cops and detectives scavenging for clues and details.

Santino filled in Eddie and Twyla with the facts of the case on the way to the factory. The murder took place inside the factory at midnight, and Acme was found with a safe dropped on his head. All fingers point at Roger Rabbit as Acme’s murderer, which didn’t sit well with Twyla. Human deaths caused by Toons were extremely rare in the modern world, even in Chicago, but most of them were addressed as acts of self-defense in response to the horrific, intense violence bestowed upon them by humans. Murders and violent breakouts mostly occurred at alleys or in bars, but some did happen even in broad daylight.

Twyla and Tom learned long ago that Toons are very powerful creatures, no matter how they were drawn or what they exist to represent. If you fight a human, you’re bound to end up with broken bones or a black eye. But if you fight a Toon, especially one as powerful as the twins…

Well, the silver screen turns black very quickly.

She was no stranger to those crimes, and she wasn’t naïve to Toons being dangerous or committing murder. But Roger…

Something in her gut told her it couldn’t be Roger. She’s seen how he interacts with humans, and how he always smiled with no venom in his eyes even after being yelled at for messing up his lines. It’s Toon nature. If a refrigerator falls on your head, you will get birds. You cannot expect to get clonked and see stars. Impact and circumstance are two different things.

Twyla’s train of thoughts braked when she spotted a safe stuck in the center of the factory. Beneath the safe was an outline of Acme’s corpse where the safe crushed his skull. Ouch.

“Just like a Toon that dropped a safe on a guy’s head…” Santino began but trailed off when Eddie looked at him. “Sorry, Eddie. Better wait here, all right?”

Twyla’s right ear perked up, and she looked up her right to spot Jessica in a small glass-tinted room. That room was probably used for the interrogation, she thought.

“Hey, get a load of this.” An officer pulled out a Toon flat black circle from a box. “Seen one of these?” He smacked the circle and put his hand through it, and a few officers laughed.

“Hey guys!” another voice called out.

Eddie and Twyla turned around, and another detective held up a Toon wooden mallet. A spring-loaded boxing glove burst out of the mallet and nearly hit the two detectives twice. He recognized Eddie, “Didn’t you used to be Eddie Valiant?” he snickered, “Or did you change your name to Jack Daniels?”

The smaller man growled, then motioned Twyla to follow him.

One of the officers scoffed mockingly, “Lookie here, boys. He’s working with a Toon on the case. And a lady, too! I give ‘er five minutes before she breaks a nail.”

“Better give ‘er three before she breaks her heels,” another snickered, and the other men laughed.

Twyla’s posture straightened, then she slowly turned her head to the initiator officer. The dark-haired vigilante lowered her shades and sent the cop a cold icy glare with a soft, but audible growl rumbling in her throat. Their cocky grins disappeared faster than the speed of a cheetah and immediately shut their traps, turning away with their tails tucked between their legs.

Eddie gave his assistant the once-over, then slightly jerked his chin up. “Not bad.”

Twyla shrugged, giving him a small shy smirk before following him towards the safe. A man was carefully picking out some yellow flakes on the rope; it was the rope that held the safe. “What’s that?” Eddie asked.

“Paint from the rabbit’s glove,” the man responded, putting the flakes in a small zip-lock bag. Twyla silently snuck behind him and grabbed a baggie of her own with a pair of tweezers. As soon as he left, Twyla picked off some remaining traces and gently tapped him in her baggie, then she zipped it and quickly hid it inside her blazer pocket.

I’ll do a thorough inspection on this when we get back, she decided.

“Mr. Valiant?”

Both investigators turned to see Jessica. She wore a red sweetheart dress and matching heels, this time. The singer glanced at Twyla, then she looked Eddie right in the eye and slapped him across the face. “I hope you’re proud of yourself, and those pictures you took!” she exclaimed and stormed off in a dignified fury. A series of whistles came from the crowd.

Suddenly, there was a crash. One of the officers carrying a stretcher that held Acme’s body bumped into a crate, and Toon shoes started squeaking and scurrying. Twyla watched the officers struggle to put the shoes back in the crate, when all of a sudden, she heard a small buzzing noise and Eddie exclaimed in pain. She turned to see if he was all right but froze.

Standing above Eddie was a tall, skeletal man. His skin was nearly bleached of color and life, as if he were a walking corpse. He wore a peculiar ensemble of black; a long, cloak-like caped overcoat over a white dress shirt adorned by a tidy black bowtie, and his unwrinkled obsidian vest was embedded by the chain of a silver pocket watch. His long, spindly bony fingers were covered in leather black gloves. A broad-brimmed pitch-black fedora perched on his head, casting a dark foreboding shadow over his gaunt face. He wore round yellow-tinted glasses, but the intensity of his cold, soulless glare burned through the shades like the piercing gaze of a stone gargoyle. The man stood over six feet tall in height, and he pointed a skull-encrusted cane at Eddie’s hand.

As Twyla observed, the realization made her blood run cold. The man was dressed like a judge.     

[tymime]

I'm hoping that Coyote vs. Acme doesn't mess with my headcanon that Acme products aren't designed to work for antagonists/villains/predators, because it's funnier that way.

Or worse, they somehow contradict Who Framed Roger Rabbit and say that someone other than Marvin Acme founded the company.

[sleepy-stories]

Finished!

[mediamatinees]

“Patty Cake? Patty Cake?? I don’t believe it!” Scandal, tragedy, and deadly laughs are coming to a post near you. 😏

[ananicoleta]

Looney Tunes headcanon time!

I've been thinking about this for a while so now I gotta share it on here!

Bugs Bunny doesn't get mad easily. That's just how he's wired. Calm, collected, level-headed, usually pretty relaxed, lazily strolling down the street while humming a merry melody (eh?), he prefers to chill and doesn't really take anything seriouslly.

A Warner Bros. intern messed something up, be it accidentaly or because he was a careless idot? Bugs doesn't even flinch and immediately finds a way to fix whatever it is.

A student at Acme Looniversity is goofing around way too much during a lesson? All Bugs has to do is give him a look and the child stops at once, but he never raises his voice or loses his temper.

One of his enemy messes with him? Pfff, are you kidding? That's the most fun he's gonna have all week!

Even when he gets irritated by one of them, he doesn't actually get mad mad and he certainly doesn't hate them (he's too cool for that). It's more of an "oh, he interrupted my peaceful afternoon? now i'll have to fuck his entire shit up" kind of thing. He might be mildly annoyed in the beginning but by the time he starts plotting the poor soul's demise, his irritation is long gone. His motivation is rather the principle of "don't mess with me" rather than anger.

Sometimes Bugs will fake being mad to get his point across (to scare people, usually a nemesis or a student), but again, he's not really angry, he's just exaggerating.

However, and this is where my headcanon comes in, this doesn't mean that sometimes Bugs Bunny doesn't get pretty fucking MAD.

Like I said, it's very hard to get him at that point. But when he gets there oh, Lord have mercy! And it's not what people (who have obviously never seen him in that state) might think.

He doesn't shout. He doesn't get physical. He doesn't throw a tantrum. If he does any of those then again, he's not really mad. He either does it for comedic effect or to intimidate. No. It's much more unsettling than that.

Instead, he just goes quiet. And not the usual relaxed, watching-shit-go-down-from-the-sidelines quiet. Oh, no. He's rigid as a statue. His upbeat expression is replaced by one of pure coldness. No condecending smirk, no smug look, no playfullness in his eyes. Just a motionless face with an icy stare.

If Bugs speaks when he's like this he doesn't raise his voice. He doesn't need to. Instead, his tone is serious but surprisingly... calm. Not relaxed like it usually is, but more like... even. Controlled. Firm. There is a slight strain in his voice as if he's doing his best to hold back the greatest rage someone has ever seen (because he is).

If he does this to anyone then that person/toon will most likley shit their pants. Because they know, oh, they know they fucked up big time if Bugs Bunny acts that way towards them.

Whenever he's like this literally everyone is scared of him. Toon or human, doesn't matter, if Bugs is this angry YOU STAY OUT OF HIS WAY.

No one messes with him, not Elmer, not Sam, not Wile, not Marvin, not any of his enemies, no Acme Loo student, no WB intern, even the executives are nervous around him if he's like this. Even Daffy, who gets a kick out of pushing Bugs' buttons every time, is nope-ing himself out of that situation so hard. Like nope. Not today. Nuh-uh. He wants to live, thank you very much.

I feel like I should mention that Bugs isn't cold hearted though. Even if he is in this state he will not be a prick to people who have done nothing wrong or to the ones he cares about. He realizes it's not their fault.

He might be a little distant but it's just because he wants to be left alone to calm down. The others know and understand and will leave him to cool off.

Again, though, he doesn't get this angry that often. In all his life he's probably been like this like three or four times (which is very rare given that he's been around since like what? the 40s? but even if it's happened only a few times it was enough to earn him the reputation of being really damn scary when pushed to far).

Also, he's never ever like that because of a Looney Tune or an Acme Loo student or anyone he cares about. If you are part of the aforementioned categories then it's damn near impossible to get Bugs to be that mad at you. Annoyed? Sure. Angry? Sometimes, yeah. But never mad like that.

No. This type of rage is reserved for a special breed of people. The ones that have crossed Bugs big time, that have done something really messed up.

What makes this so scary for the others witnessing it, even if it's not aimed at them, is the fact that it's so different compared to the way Bugs usually acts. Like, he's almost unrecognizable. Besides, the rabbit is pretty powerful given his whole WB mascot gig thing. He can rock your entire world with just a snap of his fingers.

[seikotakai]

also velma is getting a fucking season 2 while coyote vs acme is probs going to shelved and written off for tax write offs despite being finished.

fuck man this sucks. i still feel so bad for the staff, the director, the writers, the vas, the people singing that meep meep choir, and wile e coyote fans. i remember marvin had a whole wholesome christmas movie which ended up being cancelled as well and got sad about that (also marvin not having much screentime in space jam 2, being a marvin the martian stan is suffering sometimes).

also please don't hate watch velma season 2, if you want to hate watch just look up reviews or clips on youtube...that'll just give warner bros, hbo max, and m*ndy k*ling more motives to make season 3 a thing. I'm not even a huge fan of Scooby Doo but i also still feel so fucking bad for scooby fans too right now...

[chrysalis-the-butterfly]

Everyone go and read this story! It's really cute!

Summary: When everything is all said and done, Jessica realizes she needs to dye her hair. Roger offers to help her as she suffers an internal war with herself on how to explain to her husband the pictures of her and Acme together, afraid of how he might react.

[acmeoop]

Superior Backgrounds “Superior Duck” (1996)

[ducklooney]

For certain reasons, I don't understand why Warner Bros. had to cancel such a great idea related to the movie "Coyote VS Acme", and realistically you can see that it would have been a great movie.

By canceling this, Warner Bros only cut themselves in the mouth! Justice for Wile E. Coyote and his movie! David Zaslav should understand that Looney Tunes animation is not only for children, but also for adults. We want a Coyote VS Acme movie!

Although the only thing we can expect is the next Looney Tunes movie from Warner Bros.

"The Day The Earth Blew Up"

is the only movie with quality 2D animation that we have related to Looney Tunes and I hope that if this movie succeeds, then other Looney Tunes characters should get their own movies as well. If you love Looney Tunes and want to support Coyote VS Acme and make that movie happen as well as Daffy and the Porky Movie, then like and reblog this, because every support counts!

Sorry, I used to speak in the plural, although we are all unhappy with the decisions regarding Warner Bros. And this is just my opinion.

P.S. I wish there was Marvin the Martian in the Daffy and the Porky Movie, and I don't have to say why.

[shy-nightmare]

The Toonz Twins: Toontown Sleuths

Chapter Four: The Ink & Paint Club

Summary: The three investigators visit the Ink & Paint Club and find the singing beauty Jessica Rabbit. She’s an icon, she’s a legend, and she is the moment. The twins also meet one of the two men who fought hard for Toonkind: Marvin Acme.

Credit for inspiration goes to @imaginarytoon1, author of “The Birchwood Twins: Toontown Investigators” and @its-metal-mistress, author of “Bendy and the Ink Machine: Learning How to Live”. Please check out their own wonderful content ^^!

Special Guests Tags 😊: @marinerainbow, @slashingdisneypasta, and @weaselnerd

Eddie and the twins decided to wait it out until past sundown. During that time, the twins decided to wash up while they were having lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon going over the details of how to deal with Roger once they did the job.

Once nightfall reigned the streets of L.A., Eddie led the twins down a couple of streets leading to a dark, gritty alley. The washed-up Toon investigator kept his eyes on the trail, and behind him the twins were having another of their silent tete-a-tete conversations.

“All right. Now tell me how you’re going to sneak in without getting…” he trailed off when he heard a sparkling noise, followed by two glowing lights. He turned around and his eyes widened, “���caught?”

Standing before him were two identical twins, a young man and a young lady. They both had ivory pale skin and raven-black hair. The man’s hair was short but scruffy, tufted in wild bangs nearly hiding a scar on his right eye. He wore biker clothing, though his outfit looked more realistic and didn’t have as many outlines. Standing on his right, the lady had her hair styled in voluminous curls and coquettish bangs covering her left eye, framing her heart-shaped face. She wore familiar biker clothing, too, including a silver crescent moon necklace. They both were large black fedoras, but the only feature that was “Toony” was their pie-cut eyes.

They looked at each other, sharing a once-over. “Not bad, sis.” Tom said.

Twyla jerked her chin at him. Same to you.

The twins both looked at Eddie…who was just completely gob-smacked. “What?” Tom said casually.

“How the hell did you do that?” he whisper-shouted.

Tom only chuckled, “This is Toon nature, Valiant. You should be expecting this by now. We’re just…special.” He snickered.

“Yeah, but you didn’t say anything about transforming into humans!”

The gunslinger only laughed again, “Oh, Valiant. How clueless. I thought you knew everything about Toons.”

His boss glowered at him, then sighed and shook his head, muttering before knocking on the door. A hatch slid open, revealing a bloodshot Toon eye. “Got the password?” a deep, gruff voice asked.

“Walt sent me.” Eddie replied.

The hatch closed again, but then the door slowly opened. The twins followed Eddie into the brick passageway and turned around to see the bouncer. He was a tall, husky Toon gorilla drawn with brawny furry muscles and a mean mug. He only wore a tuxedo.

“Nice monkey suit,” Eddie cracked.

However, the gorilla didn’t like that joke. “Wise ass!” he growled.

Eddie rolled his eyes and motioned the twins to follow him. They walked down a dark, dim-lit hallway built in brick and stone when all of the sudden, Twyla started hearing…music?

She nudged her brother, motioning for him to come closer. “Do you hear that?”

Tom perked his right ear up, then nodded. “Yeah.” The music only got louder and louder as the trio finally made it to the end of the trail where two imposing doors stood. The music seemed to be coming from whatever’s behind these doors.

The trio stopped at the doors. “You two ready?” Eddie asked, somewhat impatiently.

Twyla and Tom nodded. Then, Eddie pushed the doors open.

A musical light dawned upon the twins, and their eyes widened. “Whoa.” Tom whistled.

The interior of the nightclub was designed like an underground bistro, accenting the cavern with rounded alcoves and lamped pillars dimly lit by pale pink and golden light. The walls were built of beige brick and the pillars were painted in carmine and burgundy, and on the far-right side of the club, an art-décor bar proudly displayed its glamour and was occupied by a Toon octopus bartender. Glossy onyx concrete floors ran throughout the entirety of the club, illuminated pale pink and gold from the lights. In the mouth was the round stage podium pulling up velvet curtains and designed with a T-catwalk, lit up by neon footlights. Tables surrounded the stage, all decorated with white tablecloths and little lamp lights, and many Toon penguins, probably the ones from Mary Poppins, were wearing little black bowties and holding trays of food and liqueurs while a white cloth draped over their other forearm. The nightclub was filled with music, laughter, and life.

“So this is the Ink & Paint Club?” Tom asked, looking around the cavern. “Ritzy.”

“Hey, look at that! Ha-ha!” a guy laughed, and the twins looked back at the stage. Two Toon ducks were playing two pianos; Donald Duck who was dressed in a black tuxedo and playing a polished, black piano, and Daffy Duck who was banging his feathered fingers on the white piano’s keys repeatedly.

“Hey, hey! Cut that out!” Donald shouted over his shoulder.

“Does-th anybody understhand what thith duck is saying?” Daffy asked the audience with his iconic lisp.

The twins grabbed a seat near the stage, and Twyla whispered, “How much are you betting?”

Tom watched the two avian crackheads, then pulled out his wallet. “$50 for Donald to get fired for assault and battery.”

Twyla pulled out hers, “$50 for Daffy to get blasted by a cannon.”

“Deal.” The twins shook on it.

“I’ve worked with a lot of wise-th crackerths,” Daffy exclaimed, “but you are DESTH-PICABLE!”

“Doggone stubborn little…” Donald mumbled, then quacked in loud anger. “THAT DID IT!”

“Thith ith the last time I work with sth-omeone with a speech impediment!”

“Oh, yeah?!” Donald exclaimed angrily. The sailor duck reached behind him to grab Daffy, hoist him up in the air, and slammed him inside the black piano. The lid closed on the wisecracking duck, only leaving his beak out. “This means war…” Daffy declared threateningly.

From Tom’s left, Eddie grabbed a table for himself next to an elderly bald man. He was a bit of a tubby guy with a baby face and balding, greying dirty blonde hair. Unlike Eddie and Maroon, he wore an odd fashion of choice. He wore checkerboard suit and matching trousers in dull colors of red, blue and white. He wore a white dress shirt with a poofy beige bowtie with red spots and large black dress shoes.

Tom didn’t know what was weirder about this guy, his style of choice or his style of humor when he grabbed a fountain pen and purposely squirted black ink on Eddie’s shirt. The glare of death in Eddie’s eyes was enough to cue Tom to shield his arm in front of his sister in case this little joke escalates into violence.

“Do you think that’s funny?!” their boss exclaimed.

“It’s a panic!” The practical joker laughed, but his laugh was quickly cut off when Eddie grabbed him by the collar and yanked him out of his chair.

“You wouldn’t think that’s funny when I stick that pen up your nose!” he growled.

The other man held his hands up, trying to calm him down. “Calm down, son. Look, the stain’s gone. It’s disappearing ink.” Eddie and the twins looked at his shirt, and the ink instantly disappeared. Twyla’s brows rose in surprise and briefly nodded, impressed. “Look, I’m—” the balding man was about to introduce himself, but Eddie cut him off.

“I know who you are. Marvin Acme, the guy that owns Toontown, the gag king.”

Marvin Acme? The twins’ eyes widened in surprise and amazement. “Is he the guy who is not only the owner of Toontown, but also one of the civil rights activists for Toons?” Tom asked his sister, who eagerly nodded. He turned back to the laughing man. This is him. Marvin Acme, in the flesh.

“If it’s Acme, it’s a gasser.” The man smiled, and Tom was unable to hide a smile, too. He even said the catchphrase. “Put it there, pal,” he grabbed Eddie’s hand for a handshake, but suddenly, the twins heard a buzzing noise and Eddie shook. Acme revealed his palm, and he was wearing a hand buzzer. “The hand buzzer! Still our biggest seller!” He laughed, and that made Twyla chuckle a little.

Meanwhile, the two ducks were having a battle of history. Daffy somehow pushed Donald inside the white piano, and he was banging on the keys while playing the black piano with his left webbed foot before Donald kicked the lid open, sending his opponent in a spiral before falling into the other piano again. The Navy-trained Toon then leaped onto his former seat and played his number, using his foot and tailfeathers as fingers to stroll across the white piano’s keys, creating a lovely melody as he continued to play with elated vigor. “This is hot stuff! Wow!” he smiled.

Suddenly, Daffy punched him in the face with a boxing glove and sent his fiery-tempered coworker flying back in the lighter-colored piano. He then started playing rapid, wild tunes while wearing his boxing glove. His feathery hair whipped around like wild lashes, his eyes rolling around as he began throwing inanimate objects such as a hammer and a rubber duck. He finished his solo and pulled his feathered hair back while fluttering his eyes. Behind him, Donald slowly lifted the lid up and smiled devilishly…while aiming a cannon at him.

Twyla’s amethyst eyes widened. “Wait. Is he really going to…?” she trailed off, and instantly regretted her bet.

Her brother recoiled as well. “Oh, shi….”

Donald lit up a match and ignited the flame on the rope.

“Get down!” Tom called out to Twyla, Eddie, and other members of the audience, using his body as a shield for his sister while pulling her down to the ground.

BOOM!

Donald shot at Daffy with a loud, booming blast. The cannonball hit the black piano, missing Daffy’s head by an inch. The dark-feathered avian instinctively jumped in the clattered claviature. And finally, the curtains bestowed upon the stage just as Donald and Daffy were pulled off the stage.

Tom checked for any signs of danger before helping his sister back in her seat. A toon penguin water brought Eddie his drink. As he was about to drink his glass of scotch, he pulled out a real-life rock. Classic.

“Toons,” Eddie mumbled, ignorantly unnoticing Tom’s icy glare.

“Humans,” he mumbled to his sister, who only shook her head.

“Cigars? Cigarettes?” a feminine, high-pitched voice called. “Eddie Valiant!”

“Betty?” Eddie said, surprised.

The twins turned around and saw a petite Toon lady, wearing a black sweetheart mini dress and black pumps, and she had her hair styled in a curly pixie cut. Tom’s demeanor faltered a bit, and his posture relaxed. He’d know those sweet doe-eyes and that lovely face anywhere. Betty Boop.

“Long time, no see.” She winked at Eddie.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, and the twins caught on how softly he spoke to her.

“Work’s been kinda slow since cartoons went to color. But I still got it, Eddie!” Betty smirked, humming a small tune and strikes a pose. “Boop-Oop-a-Doop!”

“Yeah,” Eddie smiled, “You still got it.”

He felt something glaring daggers at him and looked over his shoulder. The twins both gave him deadpan glares.

“What?”

“Nice.” Tom said.

Suddenly, all the guys the crowd gathered around the stage, cheering and clapping with wild, enthusiastic vigor as the lights slowly began to dim. Acme started spraying himself with cologne.

The twins then remembered why they were here.

“Looks like the show’s about to begin.” Tom whispered to Twyla. She nodded.

“What’s with him?” Eddie asked Betty, referring to the gag king.

“Mr. Acme never misses a night when Jessica performs.”

“Got a thing for rabbits, huh?”

A spotlight pointed at the velvet midnight curtains. The audience fell into silence.

"🎵 You had plenty money in 1922…🎵”

A long, creamy leg peeked out.

The twins’ eyes widened. Wait, what?

Then, the curtain slowly swings open and reveals…

A beautiful Toon woman.

She stood six feet in height, and carried herself in sensual, seductive grace and power. Her flawless skin was smooth cream and peach, as if comprised of rich silky ink. She had an hourglass body drawn with sensuous curves, as if she were drawn for the Junoesque era, framed by two outstanding legs, teasing limbs of elegance that shimmered in musical rhythm to the sway of her hips. The singer’s beautiful face was a soft structure of beauty and innocence, but the icy glint of her sultry emerald eyes and alluring thrall of her body brought a sense of danger. Her ruby hair cascaded down to her back like a waterfall, styled with long coquettish bangs veiling her right eye. The graceful predator smiled at her ogling prey with full, plump lips glistening like the skin of a dark, forbidden fruit. She wore a sparkling, fuchsia dress with a sweetheart cleavage that teased the hungry eyes of the males with her smooth creamy flesh, accented with a long slit up her right leg, and wore matching sparkly heels. Her delicate arms were veiled in dark purple opera gloves and two golden stud earrings pierced her small ears, complimenting the singer’s look. Behind her, a group of Toon crows dressed in blue tuxedos played the blues.

It was her. Jessica Rabbit, the singing beauty of the Ink & Paint Club, and the wife of Roger Rabbit.

“🎵You let other women make a fool of you

Why don’t you do right?” Her voice was a siren’s song of soft silks and sultry charms like the notes of a rare, unforgettable melody. She strolled over to the wall and effortlessly rubbed her hips.

“Like some other men do~🎵”

Her legs moved like delicate smoke as she strolled her way across the stage, not a rigid motion in her movements. A guy tried to sneak a peek from underneath her dress, and she lightly but firmly kicked him in the face. The sleazy move of that creep made Tom’s lip curl in a disgusted snarl.

“She’s married to Roger Rabbit?” Eddie whispered to Betty, his eyes wide with shocked rapture.

The petite lady sighed wistfully. “Yeah, what a lucky goil.”

She closed Eddie’s mouth and turned away. Tom glanced at her and saw her eyes glisten with tears. Her movements were quick, but he knew why. She didn’t want them to be seen. She wasn’t looking for pity. Tom only knew one other woman who mastered the art of hiding pain so expertly, no one was able to see the cracks of the windows.

Betty Boop was once the star in the spotlight, the most desired girl in the Toon world and the fairest one of all. Her symbolism might have been no different than Jessica’s, but everyone still loved her. Their love for her was what got her into the spotlight, but now Tom realized this was her last scene on the big screen. And soon, she will be left in the dark. Her dark, pretty eyes sparkled with girlish charm and her sway was energetic, but Tom could see her soul dying.  

Those were real tears on a drawn woman.

Betty straightened her posture and strolled around with a charming swing of her hips, holding the tray while keeping her hand on her hip. She heard something faint land on her tray, and she saw a little white envelope wrapped in a cute pink lacy bow. Curiously, she set the tray down and opened the envelope, which revealed to be a card.

You still got it, Betty. Always. 🖤

Betty’s brows rose with surprise, and she looked around to see who gave her that note. Until her eyes met a young gentleman’s, whose dark eyes had an eerie shape to them. He winked at her, and she giggled while trying to hide a grey blush blooming her cute cheeks. She grabbed her tray and disappeared with a happy little swing.

Tom chuckled, but then he caught his sister smirking knowingly at him.

“Oh, shut up.” he grumbled.

“🎵Why don’t you do right

Like some other men do~?🎵”

The twins turned back to Jessica, who took Acme’s hand as she gracefully stepped off his table. She walked behind him and pinched his cheeks playfully.

“🎵Get out of here,” she sang and pulled out his handkerchief, rubbing his head with the cloth. “Get me some money, too~🎵”

Then, she turned around and slowly sat on Eddie’s lap. He moved in like he was about to kiss her, but she pulled away and gently shoved his fedora in his face. All eyes followed her trail like hungry wolves, but the true predator didn’t even spare them a glance. She seductively strolled around the twins’ table and gently ran her gloved nails across Tom’s shoulders. Then her eyes met Twyla’s, and for a moment the ravenette almost got lost in those pools of desire, sparkling in emeralds and gemstones. Jessica smirked softly and gently booped her nose, silently chuckling at her pink blush.

“🎵Why don’t you do right?” Jessica sat on the stage, teasing the men with a long swing of her unveiled leg. “Like some other men…”

She leaned over and pulled Eddie up by the tie, just inches away from pressing her lips against his. “Do~🎵” she pulled away, slipping the tie out of her fingers.

The crowd cheered with thunderous applause, jumping out of the chairs as Jessica strolled her way back to the curtains. Each round grew louder and louder, filling the club with praise and wolf-whistles. They all watched the redhead beauty disappear back into the world of the stage, and the curtains finally fell.

Eddie stared at the stage, stuck in a trance.

The twins grabbed their belongings and got up before heading over to their boss.

Twyla stood next to him, taking one last sip of her drink. “Enjoy the show?” she asked.

“Hey, you do talk!”

[artmakerproductions]

Looney Tunes: Back in Action… But, what if it was made by Disney?

Bizarre AU idea that spawned from chatting with friends about old school sci-fi stuff.

Looney Tunes: Back in Action, if by Disney at the time.

Basically has Roger Rabbit in place of Daffy and Mickey Mouse in place of Bugs Bunny as the toon leads.

All this as to reference his co-star type role within the Disney parks for a while til he was not used anymore, along with the scrapped “Stooge” buddy comedy starring him and Mickey.

As for the story, it remains overall the same. ACME Chairmen plots to turn the population of the world into monkeys to uses as a labor force to mass produce the products, then turn them back to human as to buy said products. Only with a few additions of the deleted content from the film, such as the poking fun of the lack of chemistry between DJ and Kate.

Most of the cameos being Disney owned or acquired properties at the time.

As for the alternate selection of the Area 52 aliens, I was thinking: Big Chap (original Xenomorph); a Facehugger in place of the Fiend without a Face; Marvin’s role goes to the Martian Robot from Disney’s life on mars animated film; Maximilian from The Black Hole, maybe the 80’s version The Thing, and that’s all I got for it now. What do y’all think?

As for the set-up, following the events of WFRR, Maroon Cartoons fell to the bidding floor and got acquired by Disney. At the beginning, they just had ownership and left it to keep producing it’s own cartoons w/ just one of their own executives to oversee production and run it. Eventually by the later decades fully assimilate into the parent company. An effect of the hard times of the 80’s. There was a brief resurgence of popularity with the VHS package releases of Roger’s works. Was short lived and Roger more or less fell to near obscurity levels (according to what Kate brings up). So, he is to be fired while they keep the properties. So, the Rabbit has been trying to drum up interest with various pitches for movies for himself to star in and who to possibly star with.

The dynamic of him and Mickey is “full of energy, happy go lucky, somewhat desperate, over-dreamer” and “their supportive, but tries to remain realistic”.

More or less all I gotta say for now. I might even do a few screenshot edits with this. Who knows?

[muddlemore]

the visual guide "confirmed" which of the 7 deadly sins each toon is. and bugs is innocent because favoritism

greed: daffy duck anger: yosemite sam envy: marvin the martian gluttony: taz pride: wile e coyote lust: pepe le pew sloth: foghorn leghorn

transcript under reader

Greed: When money, fame, or glory are up tor grabs, you can count on Daffy Duck to do most of the grabbing! Driven by a despicable urge to get more than his fair share, Daffy makes no attempt to hide his greed. "Survival of the fittest,” he says in Rabbit Seasoning, "and besides, its fun!"

Anger: Yosemite Sam's downfall is his hair-trigger temper— the runty hombre will shoot you just for standing nearby.

Envy: "Mars needs women" and "women come from Venus." Perhaps that's why Marvin the Martian envies Earthlings, who can see Venus directly. Marvin's view of this beautiful planet is blocked by our world, giving his failings Earth-shaking consequences for Bugs and Daffy.

Gluttony: The Tasmanian Devil has a devil of an appetite! Cats, bats, dogs, hogs, elephants, antelopes, pheasants, ferrets, goats, and, especially, rabbits feature on his mega-menu. But the Devil's failure to look before he lunches has been his undoing— in the form of chef Bugs TNT-laced Wild Turkey Surprise.

Pride: "I'm Wile E. Coyote, supergenius!" Mix that ego with an Acme catalog and you've got a recipe for destruction (his own). The wily coyote's inflated self-wroth leads his plans— and his gunpowder— to forever blow up in his face.

Lust: They say love is blind, and when Pepe Le Pew is in the grip of l'amour, he certainly loses sight of reality. One glimpse of a fetching female has the great skunk lover kissing his judgment goodbye and unknowingly pursuing… un cat!

Sloth: "I keep pitching ‘em, and you keep missing ‘em!” says Foghorn Leghorn to Henery Hawk. The laid-back rooster is too fast for the chicken hawk, but is otherwise a master of doing absolutely nothing.

Bonus Bugs Bunny paragraph: Leader of the gang: He may be supercool and always in control but Bugs is no angel! At various times, the —wabbit been greedy, angry, gluttonous, lustful, proud, slothful… even envious (albeit of a turtle. his traditional fairy-tale enemy). It fakes one debonair hare to look so good While being so bad.

[little-sw33tie]

Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

I'm unsure whether the living conditions of the Toons would fall into race stratification, as they're less their own race than their own species? In any event, there's plenty to cover.

Most if not all Toons have jobs in the entertainment industry, not only because it comes naturally to them but also because it's essentially the only jobs they can get outside of Toontown. "Gender" plays a role too. Characters like Jessica Rabbit work in what are essentially Gentleman's Clubs as it's all they can get as a job due to the way they're drawn, which is viewed as oversexualized by the humans in the world (and the viewer). They cannot control how they are drawn, nor perceived, but it determines their status and role within the world. I put gender in quotation marks as the Toon characters do not seem to value gender or sexuality as appealing/attractive/of note, so much as the ability to make someone laugh.

Toontown in its entirety, the place where all Toons live, is owned by Marvin Acme. The plot of the movie follows attempts to secure Toontown so it does not get turned into a highway. This makes the Toons a vulnerable and marginalized group. Their society, from the small amount covering the topic, seems to fall the most into the Elite-Mass Hierarchy System, though not quite perfectly. The land they live on is less governed by one person than owned, but while Acme owned it they did have equality of opportunity.

What is certain is that the Davis-Moore thesis would not be "correct" in this context. There are higher paid Toons, even though they're nearly all in the entertainment industry. Work isn't entirely skill based, but also has to do with a Toon's very makeup- they have certain abilities from birth. One of the characters is a huge movie star because he remains a baby, even though he is a full grown man. This is not really a skill or talent so much as just profiting off of his appearances, and yet he is rewarded highly for it. This aligns with opposition to the theory centering around "hey, this doesn't really take race, class by birth, gender, etc. into account" (to put it simply).

I'm not sure what the filmmakers are trying to convey about social stratification. It almost falls more under Hegel's views about interdependence and a slave-master relationship. There's a blatant power imbalance, but also a lot of interdependence. The Humans provide the jobs, and control Toontown, but the Toons desire the amusement of the Humans. The Humans give them jobs. The movie is hard to fit into a certain lens because Toons are treated as a strange mix between people, property, and characters. The rules of their very living and dying is different- bludgeoning one wouldn't kill it but making it laugh to death works. How do you apply the gravity of starvation and poverty to a "hobo" cartoon caricature which is made to be poor? Is it even suffering? Are animal Toons to be considered less than Human if they look and act like animals.... but are sentient? Dumbo in the movie is paid in peanuts! Is that fair to him, when his costars are making real world money? What is of more value to an elephant? Is the whole issue of Betty Boop and Jessica Rabbit working in a Human Gentleman's Club to be ogled even though it's not applicable to Toon culture and values considered exploitation of "Women" (do they even count as women or are they just perceived as women by human society?)

There's more nuance to overthinking this movie than you'd imagine. There's certainly many angles you could view it from.

Anyhow, movie stars like Roger Rabbit are high up in the "layers of rock" so to speak. They have a lot of money, a lot of publicity, and rank even in Human society. He and his wife Jessica are celebrities, after all! Big name characters like Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse are also in this category. It's hard to judge standards of living amongst Toons. Eddie, the detective (Human) is shown to be on hard times. He experienced downward mobility after his brother died. This resulted in him becoming an alcoholic and he neglected his duties, stopping engagement in his detective work. So desperate for money (and presumably below the poverty line) he takes a job far below his skill level (a snoop job (taking photos of Jessica "cheating" (playing literal patty cake)), despite having been a well respected detective). He would, at this point in the movie, likely fall into relative poverty. He is still eating, still has the agency and as such a home, etc. but he's not living comfortably by any means. This is also probably an example of anomie affecting a person.

Whose theory is the most applicable in explaining social stratification in the movie? Probably neo-Marxist Erik Olin Wright. Because there's so much nuance in what's happening due to the complexities of Toons existing, a perspective that asks a lot of questions is important. You cannot be black and white when some of the "people" you're talking about are literally drawn in black and white. There's a lot of power dynamics to be discussed, and a lot of oppression that can be viewed in a semi-Marxist lens (particularly since the main plot of the movie sort of centers around the destruction of public transport in favour of highways and all that entails).

Might I have your hand in platonic marriage?

[marinerainbow]

Alright, it's Halloween peeps (everyone knows that Halloween lasts the whole month). And @wheezystan inspired me with their zombie weasels to post about something that's been brewing in my head for a while.

The Rotten Ink AU

Warning for... Well, zombies. And the horror and angst that comes with it. And isolation, and the insanity that that comes with as well. What have I done to our favorite toons?

Note that this AU is still being developed. I apologize if it doesn't look so cohesive 😅

~Story~

Set two years before the events of the film, in 1945. No one knows what happened. Not the humans, not the toons, not even the animators responsible for breathing life into ink and paint. Though things have started to go terribly wrong in Toontown.

It's hard to pinpoint when it started, though the first sign was when toons started to feel pain. Instead of a hand comically turning red and blowing up in size when smashed or punching a brick wall, the skin started to actually rip- and in worse cases, the bones would break just like a human. The second horrible sign was that, unlike a human, these wounds wouldn't heal. No matter how many bandages were applied and stitches were sewn. And the ink that made their person would ooze from the seams.

It wasn't just the sentient toons that were changing. The living architecture of Toontown started to rot away, coughing up coagulated ink onto the street and becoming more brittle. The chirping blue birds lost their song and would fall from the sky. Even the smiling sun and moon that used to shine brightly in the animated sky bled out, and their remains rained down onto the once bright and colorful town. Of course, this caused a panic among everyone. Though the humans assured the toons to remain calm, as they were already looking into what was happening. So, filled with dread, the toons attempted to continue life as normal.

However, it was only after an infected toon went deranged in a studio, causing so much damage to the other toons and people, did the humans decide on a drastic choice. It was taking too long to find an answer to what was happening to their beloved characters, and they saw no other choice but to cut them off from the rest of Los Angeles. The tunnel was closed off, with policemen guarding the entrance with orders to shoot on sight if any toons attempted to reach the outside world.

So now, the residents are stuck in the dying town. As time went by, neighbors were forced to fight each other as the infection grew worse and worse, turning each other into what everyone refer to as 'inkies'; toons that are husks of their former selves, with a seemingly insatiable urge to rip anyone they see apart for more ink. Toons have had to learn how to be cautious for their own lives, and as resources and shelter become more scarce, even those who have not completely fallen under the infection are now potential threats.

How did this all get started? Will there ever be a cure? Will everyone be turned to normal again? No one knows. But for now, all one can do is survive.

~

~Tid-Bits~

I was mainly inspired by The Walking Dead, and not just in the title. The infection in this AU works similarly to the virus in TWD (at least the Telltale game that I played). In that everyone is infected, and you not being bit doesn't mean you won't turn once you die. In fact, for the toons, as long as they don't get themselves killed, being bit will not turn them. The disease is already doing that job. It's mostly only a matter of time before someone is turned into an inky.

As such, there are plenty of toons that have bite marks, and even parts of themselves missing, yet they are completely safe to be around. As long as they aren't willing to hurt others to survive.

Since this is before the events of the movie, that does mean that Marvin Acme is still alive. In fact, he's the one leading the cause for finding a cure for toons. So he plays quite a big role in this AU.

That also means that the weasels are alive, too. And thriving. In this AU, they're the kind of group of survivors that the others find themselves depending on, as they are the ones who are willing to raid any inky infested area for supplies, but people are still afraid of them since they still act as a gang. They're kind of like a necessary evil in this town. Though as long as you don't get on their bad side, you'll be fine.

Since toons are based on emotion, having been made to make people laugh or cry, inkies are only permanently killed when you shoot them in the heart. Much like a vampire, yes.

I'm still debating it, but I'm thinking that, like the zombies in Shaun of the Dead, the inkies retain some semblance of their past life. For example, a cowboy inky may keep holding onto their revolver or stick by their horse despite them serving no purprise to it anymore.

That's all I've got for now. And it may change in the future. Wheezystan, as a fellow zombie lover, I hope you in particular enjoy this! ^^

And to everyone else, I apologize once more for doing this to our favorite cartoon characters.