'Looney Tunes' make for animated T-shirts
Jeff Fruin, Overland Park junior, and Mike Sarsany, Lawrence senior, enact their version of the Beavis and Butt-head dance wearing two of the latest styles in Beavis and Butt-head apparel. The shirts have been selling well since April at the Etc. Shop, 928 Massachusetts St.
By Paul H. Henry Special to the Kansan
Tom Leininger/KANSAN
When one thinks of cultural icons among American youth, one does not usually think of Bugs Bunny.
But Bugs and his comrades from the "Loony Tunes" cartoon shorts are among the biggest names in the current fad of T-shirts imprinted with animated cartoon characters.
Shirts featuring the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, Sylvester and Tweety, the Singing Frog, and many other cartoon characters can be found on the backs of high school and college students all around the area.
These characters mean big business for youth-oriented clothing stores. The Walmart store in Lawrence, for example, has an entire display devoted to shirts and other apparel featuring the Warner Bros. stable, and the trend shows no sign of slowing down.
"Anything with Looney Tunes on it is very big," said Amy Matson, a sales representative at Gadzooks, a clothing store at Bannister Mall in Kansas City.
Matson said that most of the folks who buy Loony Tunes shirts are teen-agers, although recently these shirts have become more popular with college students and older people.
And who's the most popular character? No question about it.
"Tazi!" said Jackie Kurth, another clerk at Gadzooks.
Taz, of course, is the Tasmanian Devil, the ravenous beast who tormented Daffy Duck in several cartoons in the 1950s.
Where other cartoons tend to appeal only
to children, Merrie Melodies and Loony Tunes have remained almost continuously popular among older people since their
invention in the late '30s and early '40s. One reason for this, say experts, is that the Warner Bros. cartoons had a very adult sensibility that was missing from animation up to that time.
As Porky Pigs says, th-th-that's all, folks.
FREE ALTERATIONS EASY LAYAWAY FREE GIFT WRAP
THE SEASONS CHANGE.
CHANGE WITH THEM.
AT THE BUCKLE.
October 29, 1993 K-you • Foll Fashion Tab
7.