No guns in new Looney Tunes? | Weapon rules in your comics

[Random_Guy]

Cause before certain current events, guns and dynamites were seen as the same tools for comedic violence. Now gun violence has become fresh in the general public's mind, and dynamite is still a comedic tool.

It's stupid, and hypocritical, but true.

[Kelheor]

Well the US failing to regulate guns IRL and banning them in cartoons if amazing as always then ¯_(ツ)_/¯

[Random_Guy]

Didn't say it wasn't f#ckin' stupid.
I live here and even I know it's some real nonsense.

[liamhernandezlucas]

I think it depends a lot on authorial intent. I think portraying guns in media is fine, it's how they are portrayed or used that makes a lot of the difference. For instance, Japan doesn't have a lot of shoot outs but they have a huge amount of guns in their children's media (notably often regarded as under Parental Guidance). The guns are usually only portrayed in certain contexts.

-as weapons of war and violence, which is unpleasant
-as absurdist power fantasies (because untrained people are unlikely to hold a gun in public), usually only used against monsters and zombies.
-as a hobby for people under very strict rules (strict shooting range rules)
-as tools for the police/military to threaten criminals (though not expecting to take the shot)
-as something really bad people use to do really bad things, because they're straight up mobsters or cultists

The same goes for most of Europe.

In an American context, this stops working mostly due to the common nature of guns. An assault rifle is no longer equivalent to a murderunicorn, it's something you could run into at any time.

Nobody should force the creators to make a decision one way or the other, but it's completely understandable if they just don't feel like portraying guns because they can't think of a way to make it fun and tasteful.

As for weapon rules in comics, I think it varies depending on genre. Guns are a tool of either sports (sharpshooting, paintball...), violence or intimidation. As long as sports are portrayed with the right care, and violence and intimidation are portrayed in either an undesirable or completely absurd light, then I'm fine with it.

[TAMAnnoying]

It’s cause guns are too hard to draw with their baby hands. They have to do something easier.

In all seriousness this goes on all the time, the right complained about Their Christian sensibilities ten years ago and now the left is complaining about their own sensibilities. I don’t play the team Edward/team Jacob game and just do my own thing. In the end they’re both bad choices and just different colored Karen. the angry mobs are not people you wanna have a cup of tea with.

[DokiDokiTsuna]

I'm not really a Looney Tunes fan, but from what I've seen of the cartoons, it's not like they revolve around guns, so I don't see what the harm is in deciding they don't want to show them anymore. =/

Elmer Fudd's shorts may suffer, but there are other ways to catch rabbits besides using guns. And if they really aren't creative enough to think of any, they could just...not...use the character in their series....

Basically, I don't think it's a big deal. '____'

As for my own comics, I tend to make like early 00's cartoons and draw 'fantasy guns': y'know, they look like guns but slightly different so they're not real guns, and they don't even really shoot bullets, just weird little nondescript flash things. They're practically lasers!

I don't do this for censorship purposes, though; I do it because I hate weapon design and I'd rather make up a vague facsimile than actually study the construction of an IRL gun. 6v6;;;

I do have a recent comic though where I really just don't think they belong...even though I have like 16 different bodyguard characters, I don't want to show any contemporary weapons, especially not in use. It just doesn't seem to fit the tone of the story. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

[DiegoPalacios]

"Who needs guns when you can point at people menacingly!" XD

[Random_Guy]

Oh, and never forget:

[andrew17]

Seeing as gun accidents in the Toon community tend to be 100% self inflicted, it's probably best that firearms are taken away from them. I'd also ban distribution of the Acme catalogue.

[nathanKmcwilliams]

Well to be honest, it's not surprising the new LT would do that. It didn't start with them either. Tom and Jerry were neutered in their slapstick comedy years ago.

On one hand it's frustrating, because without that extra ultraviolence, I don't think slapstick has the punch it used to. I will always love the old LT, T&J, and Three Stooges for that hilarious combination.

But on the other hand, LT is also known for having incredibly witty banter to go along with the slapstick. If the new version doubles down on that, and makes it work, more power to them.

One thing people forget about comedy, is that for it to work, suffering has to be part of it. We connect with the pain, but can laugh at it, because it's not us getting hurt.
Even in witty banter, someone has to be the butt of the joke. No matter how light hearted something is...there's still an element of suffering there.

To answer the question though, in my own comics... I'll use whatever I want. There's guns, swords, punching, kicking...it's an action series though, so the comedy usually comes from banter, or the characters expressions.

[Shanny8]

Somehow, the previous century of guns display on TV, cartoons, and cinema didn't cause civilization to collapse.

ME: Looks at police brutality and gun heavy militia groups in society...

It didnt? Lol

[R.n.P]

Its simple
They got no balls

[DiegoPalacios]

I think the problem at hand, more than guns on tv, is the lack of self responsibility on the general public.

Some parents complain about violence in cartoons, but never take the time to educate their children themselves or to teach with the example. Of course some content is unsuited for all audiences, the warning and age categories are made because of that, but is up to the parents to supervice their kids, pay attention to the warnings and make sure their kids only consume content that is appropiate for their age.

It`s easier to pass the blame to the media instead of taking responsibility for our own actions, but as long as people seek an outside force to blame for their mistakes and the consequences, society will not change.

[TAMAnnoying]

Children are always gonna be chaotic neutral/lawful evil until parents teach them proper respect for other human beings. Parenting isn’t subjective as much as these people wanna believe it is

[Freemints30]

My parents were not a big fan of any kinds of violence on tv in kid shows and had routinely banned certain shows(even the entirety of cartoon network at one point) from my younger self until they were convince(or I just got older) they were harmless.

It was annoying as hell, however they TOOK RESPONSIBILITY. They didnt write to the station, make petitions, complained to some figure. I was their responsibility not the tv executives.

Really I care less about the guns, simply because the Loony toon show (the recent one I watched and I enjoyed it) they wasn't present. Still I don't think parents should have the tv be their child's baby sitter and be watched unsupervised.

[mrtoontastic]

Guns make it funnier. A variety of weapons are also great and creative to use. But lack of guns kinda lessens the funny violence a bit.

[nathanKmcwilliams]

There's also the fallacy that Looney Tunes was targeted solely for children. When the majority of those shorts originally aired, they broke up news programs, which adults went to see in theaters. So...not only were there kids, but also adults. There was no home tv in the 30s and 40s. All entertainment was either on the radio, in books, or in the theater.

LT is... definitely not something for kids only. The presence of adult themes constantly on display should be evidence of that.

Plus there's ... this. XD quite possibly my favorite Porky Pig moment ever.

[NickRowler]

Even early animated TV shows were not necessarily targeted at kids. That is why there is a Flintsones cigarette ad and other adult jokes

Like Beetle Bailey running into a burlesque house.

Or the "Sex on Planet X" gag in Rocky and Bullwinkle.

I think in recent years people tend to see cartoons as something to entertain their 7 year old. I don't know who the target audience is for the new Looney Tunes show, I also don't have HBO because I am poor.

[Kura]

I am hesitant to put guns in my comics.

Not for political reasons. More because gun bros and gamer dudes will not SHUT THE FUCK UP about them because they are stylized to the point where you can easily tell the gun type (sniper, handgun, assault, you get the idea), but you can't tell the exact make and model that that's 'problematic' I've never regretted having to draw something as much as fucking guns just because of these damn people that have far too much fucking time on their hands.

[joannekwan]