“Not Cool, Doc!” – Protesters Stick Signs To The Looney Tunes Building On The Warner Bros. Lot Scheduled For Demolition To Make Way For More HBO Studio Space
To say Looney Tunes has seen better days would be an understatement. It’s more like the legendary animated institution is under attack by its owner. The historic Building 131, which was once their home on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, California, will be razed to make room for more studio space.
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Deadline reports that this long-planned move has incited protesters to stick signs to the one-story structure bearing witticisms such as “Buildings have feelings, too,” “Save 131, history matters a ton,” and “Everyone watches Looney Tunes.” The most noteworthy one has a drawing of Bugs Bunny saying, “Not cool, Doc!” in big drop-shadow letters.
While not the original home of Looney Tunes and the animation department, Building 131 was the home base for their creators, a team nicknamed “Termite Terrace” in a tribute to the HQ before the Burbank days. The eponymous latter facility was located on Sunset Boulevard until the 1940s and had a notorious pest problem.
Deadline quoted reader John Alton, who toured 131, about its history. He said, “I had the pleasure of walking through this building with my dears friends, Virgil Ross and Leith Adams in 1995. As we strolled down the corridor, Virgil (who had been working with Leon Schlesinger and WB since 1935, began telling Leith and I, this was Chuck’s (Jones) office.”
Alton continued, “This is where Friz [Freleng] worked, on and on. The younger people sitting in these offices he no idea what magic was created in these rooms, nor did Leith who at that time, was the corporate archivist. It is very sad they are destroying 20th Century history.”
The demolition, which could begin within the next week or so, is going forward to make room for all the HBO projects shooting on the lot. The section where Building 131 sits is off-limits to parking in the interim. Deadline reached out to a Warner spokesperson, but they declined to comment.
This trampling of history follows news of the exile of classic Looney Tunes content from Max and the talk of a sale (on the bright side) of Coyote vs. Acme to Ketchup Entertainment. Still, to be fair, the structure has not been an animation workspace for many years.
The department has had up-to-date accommodations on the Burbank lot since before it was folded into the larger WBTV umbrella. Moreover, they retain them despite the company downsizing Cartoon Network.
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