How excellent is it when the people who make cartoons are smart and do things that don’t simply pander to children, things that will make even their parents, older siblings, and maybe even the babysitter (who’s too cool for “kid stuff”) want to watch their shows? Cartoon Network‘s Looney Tunes reboot has been sneaking adult-friendly humor into its new shows, and a lot of those lines are being delivered by really amazing people not generally known for their SFW material. Kristen Wiig, famous for her unabashedly demented characters on Saturday Night Live and her gross-out script for Bridesmaids, is providing the voice of Lola Bunny, who was never a regular Looney Tunes character, but was introduced in 1996’s Space Jam. (The original site for which, by the way, is still alive and well.) Who else is sneaking around, playing these classic characters?
In addition to Wiig, her SNL castmate Fred Armisen is providing the voice of Speedy Gonzales (his singing voice is Mike Smith). The prolific Maurice LaMarche (Futurama, Hey Arnold!, Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, and The Real Ghostbusters — he was Egon, be still my heart) is the voice of Yosemite Sam. Billy West — known to some as Billy Freaking West — is playing Elmer Fudd. And John Kassir — who is best known as the voice of the Crypt Keeper, but also originated the role of Ralph in Reefer Madness: The Musical — is playing Pete Puma. Kassir also played Buster Bunny in a few episodes of Tiny Toon Adventures.
A video of Wiig’s debut as Lola Bunny can be seen here, and for more clips of the reboot, click here.
(Vulture at NY Magazine via Best Week Ever)
Published: Jul 13, 2011 11:16 am