Those eyes. Those jowls. That voice. Deadpan cartoon canine detective Droopy is back in the spotlight as Warner Home Video releases Tex Avery’s Droopy: The Complete Theatrical Collection. Warner also released today the second volume of episodes of Tom and Jerry Tales, while Fox Home Entertainment puts out the second volume of Seth McFarlane’s primetime FOX series, American Dad!
Tex Avery’s Droopy: Complete Theatrical Collection contails all 24 of the classic MGM shorts made for the big-screen between 1943 and 1958. In addition to creating the character, Avery directed 17 of the cartoons involving a lethargic basset hound who solves crimes and always manages to thwart his much more opposing enemies. Filmation produced a television series based on the character in the 70s, but none of those cartoons appear on this disc set. What we do get is all-new 16×9 transfers of the seven final CinemaScope shorts, a retospective look at Avery’s career and his iconic characters, and a collection of ‘Doggone Gags’ moments from the series. The two-disc release lists for $26.98.
Warner Bros. Animation’s Tom and Jerry Tales offers 12 of the first new episodes in 30 years and takes the famous cat-and-mouse game back to its roots with madcap action and slapstick comedy. The Vol. 2 DVD carries a suggested retail price of $14.98.
American Dad! Vol 2 cntains the remaining episodes from the first season and mixes in early installments from season two of show about a conservative FBI agent and his offbeat family, which includes a talking goldfish and an alien liberated from Area 51. The three-disc set offers episodes, plus commentary by McFarlane, co-creators Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman, and other members of the show’s cast and crew. There are also deleted scenes, a tutorial on how to draw Roger and the featurettes Season One Remembered and An American Dad Like No Other. Fans can pick it up for $38.98 or less.
