How ‘Looney Tunes’ Icon Mel Blanc Influenced ‘Coyote vs. Acme’

Saying the once-shelved Coyote vs. Acme got the last laugh during its opening weekend at the box office would be an understatement. Much has been written about the film’s underdog journey from a tax write-off to the number-one “ non-arachnid ” movie in the U.S. But the film also features an understated homage to Looney Tunes icon Mel Blanc . Director Dave Green and longtime series voice actor Eric Bauza were more than happy to lift the curtain on that tribute in an interview with io9.

If you’ve watched any Looney Tunes cartoon, chances are Blanc’s screams are still permanently ringing in your ears. Blanc is as integral to Looney Tunes ‘ DNA as composers Cliff Friend and Dave Franklin’s “ The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down .” Known as “The Man of a Thousand Voices,” Blanc voiced practically every major Looney Tunes character: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, Sylvester, Foghorn Leghorn, Wile E. Coyote—the list goes on and on. He also lent his voice to other formative cartoons like Tom and Jerry and The Flintstones .

Coyote vs. Acme ‘s tribute to Blanc is subtle, but touching: the film uses archival audio of Blanc for one of Bugs Bunny’s screams. Having Blanc immortalized in the movie meant a lot to Green and Bauza, Blanc’s equally multi-credited torchbearer of Looney Tunes ‘ personalities.

“He’s a beacon. Mel Blanc was such a force as far as performers go. And in the world of voice-over, he was a pioneer,” Bauza said. “I equate him to human bagpipes. He had air coming out of every oropharynx on his person. Unmistakable, one voice from another—they’re so different. So unique. I always say Warner Bros. gave me the keys to the Cadillac, and I always promise not to scratch it and put it back with a full tank of gas. Being able to act in those roles on a bigger scale that isn’t a thirty-second shoe commercial—or even a seven-minute short harkening back to the originals—it’s something special. I’m super grateful for Dave putting me in that spotlight for his story.”

Green credited gaining a deeper understanding of Blanc’s characters from working with Bauza throughout Coyote vs. Acme ‘s recording sessions. During voice-over sessions, Green recalled a time when he asked Bauza, “Would Bugs say something like this?” Even after the script was nailed down, Green said he and Bauza would riff on ideas and alternate takes for Looney Tunes characters, thanks to Bauza’s years of fine-tuning Blanc’s characters since childhood, bringing a deep, surprising, and fun modern twist to them in his own voice.

“I was watching Looney Tunes as well as a kid. I also grew up on Tiny Tunes , Pinky and the Brain —all of these things that were carrying the torch for Looney Tunes and the Acme brand at the time. I feel incredibly lucky to be one of the many custodians of the brand for just a moment,” Green said.

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