Norman Rockwell Museum Presents Saturday Morning Cartoons and Conversations

Stockbridge, MA, November 13, 2016—In conjunction with its new exhibition, Hanna-Barbera: The Architects of Saturday Morning, Norman Rockwell Museum will present a number of animated talks and screenings.

On Saturday, January 14, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., join the Museum for screenings of some of Hanna-Barbera’s classic animated cartoons. A continental breakfast will be served. The screenings are free with Museum admission, or $5 for cartoon programs only. Upcoming screenings will be held on Saturday, January 14, and February 11. The program is sponsored in par by Guido’s Fresh Marketplace.

Also on Saturday, January 14, from 2 to 3 p.m., Norman Rockwell Museum will present a talk about the difference between full vs. limited animation (in the style of Hanna-Barbera). Museum Curator of Exhibitions Jesse Kowalski will provide insight into the different forms of traditional animation. The talk is free for Museum members, or included with Museum admission; program only, $10. Upcoming Cartoon Conversations include: “Television Sit-Coms as Inspiration for Animated Programs” (February 11).

Hanna-Barbera: The Architects of Saturday Morning
On view through May 29, 2017

Before the rise of basic cable, Saturday mornings for many children in America were spent watching cartoons on one of three available television channels. From 1958 through the 1980s, a majority of those cartoons bore the imprint of Hanna-Barbera. Creating scores of popular series such as The Yogi Bear Show, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Jonny Quest, and Scooby-Doo, Hanna-Barbera was an animation powerhouse and its bountiful creativity is beloved to this day.

Hanna Barbera: The Architects of Saturday Morning focuses primarily on the golden years of the studio—from the premiere of their first cartoon, The Ruff and Reddy Show, in 1957 and The Huckleberry Hound Show in 1958 to the debut of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! in 1969. Hanna and Barbera’s early work on Tom and Jerry will be explored, in addition to the scores of TV and film animation and live-action projects created by the studio between 1970 and 2001. Included within the exhibition will be original animation art, sketches, model sheets, photographs, and archival materials that detail the process of bringing the studio’s creations to life. Also included in the exhibition, Hanna-Barbera-related toys and other commercial products, and an interactive installation that will draw from the vast library of sound effects created by the studio. The exhibition was developed in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and has been sponsored, in part, by Keator Group, LLC.