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This article is about the original 1993 series. For the 2020 revival series, see Animaniacs (2020 TV series). For the 1994 video game of the same name, see Animaniacs (video game).

Animaniacs
Series logo featuring (from left to right) Yakko Warner, Dot Warner and Wakko Warner
Also known asSteven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs
Genre
Created byTom Ruegger
Directed byAndrea Romano (voice director)
Voices of
Theme music composerRichard Stone
Opening theme"Animaniacs Theme" performed by Rob Paulsen, Tress MacNeille, and Jess Harnell
Ending theme"Animaniacs End Title"
Composers
  • Richard Stone
  • Steven Bernstein
  • Julie Bernstein
  • Gordon Goodwin
  • Carl Johnson
  • J. Eric Schmidt
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes99 (274 segments) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerSteven Spielberg
Producers
Running time20–21 minutes (1–10 minutes per segment)
Production companies
Original release
NetworkFox (Fox Kids)
ReleaseSeptember 13, 1993 (1993-09-13) –
November 12, 1994 (1994-11-12)
NetworkThe WB (Kids' WB)
ReleaseSeptember 9, 1995 (1995-09-09) –
November 14, 1998 (1998-11-14)
Related

Animaniacs is an American animated comedy television series created by Tom Ruegger and produced by Amblin Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television Animation. It originally aired on Fox's Fox Kids block in 1993, before moving to The WB in 1995, as part of its Kids' WB afternoon programming block, until the series ended on November 14, 1998. It initially ran a total of 99 episodes, along with a direct-to-video film, Wakko's Wish.

Animaniacs is styled as a variety show, with short skits featuring a large cast of characters focusing on the Warner Brothers and their sister as main characters. The Warner siblings were in part inspired by the real life Warner Bros. Water Tower on the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. While the show had no set format, most episodes were composed of three short mini-episodes, each starring a different set of characters and bridging segments. Elements of the series included frequent musical numbers, satire, character catch phrases, and references to historical events and figures.

The series received acclaim from critics and won multiple awards, including eight Daytime Emmy awards and a Peabody award. Animaniacs continued to rerun in syndication through the 1990s into the early 2000s after production of new episodes ceased. A revival of the series streamed on Hulu between 2020 and 2023. Additionally, nine video games based on the series were produced.

Premise

[edit]
Animaniacs had a wide cast of characters; shown here are most of the characters from the series.
See also: List of Animaniacs characters

Each Animaniacs episode usually consisted of two or three cartoon shorts.[1] Styled as a variety show, Animaniacs had a large cast of characters, separated into individual segments, with each pair or set of characters acting in its own plot.

Characters

[edit]

The series follows the Warner siblings, Yakko, Wakko, and Dot, three cartoon stars during the black and white golden era of cartoons that were locked away in the Warner Bros. Water Tower because they were seen as too zany. In the present day, the trio escapes from the tower.[2] After their escape, they interacted with other Warner Bros. studio workers, including Ralph the Security Guard, arch rival Dr. Otto Scratchansniff,[3] and Hello Nurse.[3]

The Goodfeathers trio, Bobby, Pesto, and Squit, are pigeons from New York derived from the characters played by Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro and Ray Liotta in Goodfellas.[4][5] Rita and Runt are a cat-and-dog duo,[4] being dropped after the first season.[6] Pinky and the Brain are two genetically altered anthropomorphic laboratory mice who continuously plot and attempt to take over the world.[7] Pinky and the Brain segments would begin with Brain asking "Are you pondering what I'm pondering?" before Pinky would respond with a non sequitur.[3] Slappy Squirrel is a retired octogenarian squirrel cartoon star paired with her nephew Skippy.[3][4][5] Chicken Boo is a giant chicken who wishes to live among humans.[8] Additional side characters include the Hip Hippos.[2]

Episodes

[edit]
See also: List of Animaniacs episodes
SeasonSegmentsEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast releasedNetwork
117165September 13, 1993 (1993-09-13)May 23, 1994 (1994-05-23)Fox (Fox Kids)
2124September 10, 1994 (1994-09-10)November 12, 1994 (1994-11-12)
34613September 9, 1995 (1995-09-09)February 24, 1996 (1996-02-24)The WB (Kids' WB)
4228September 7, 1996 (1996-09-07)November 16, 1996 (1996-11-16)
5239September 8, 1997 (1997-09-08)November 14, 1998 (1998-11-14)
Wakko's WishDecember 21, 1999 (1999-12-21)Direct-to-video

Production

[edit]
The Warner Bros. Water Tower in 2022

Development

[edit]

With Tiny Toon Adventures's success, Spielberg pushed on Ruegger for the next idea of a series.[9] While walking around the studio lot and seeing the Warner Bros. Water Tower, Ruegger was inspired to create Yakko, Wakko, and Dot.[9][10][11] The personalities of the siblings were based on Ruegger's three sons.[6][10]

Slappy Squirrel was based on a comment by Sherri Stoner that she acted like a teenager during her adulthood.[6] Other characters were based on staff members' children or experiences, cartoons, and films.[6] The Goodfeathers trio, Bobby, Pesto, and Squit, were based on the characters played by Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro and Ray Liotta in Goodfellas.[4][5]

Steven Spielberg approved and rejected 25 sets of characters pitched by Ruegger and his team in his home with the assistance of his children.[9][10] Four or five sets of characters were approved; several of them were rejected, including Nipsy and Russell, Bossy Beaver and Doyle, and the amoeba stars of "As the Petri Dish Turns".[10] Nearly rejected, one of Spielberg's children liked Buttons and Mindy.[10]

With the cost of $400,000 per episode, the series was produced with a budget of nearly $26 million for the first season–nearly $1 million more than the budget of the first season of Tiny Toon Adventures.[b] Following the end of the series, Wakko's Wish was developed.[18]

Writing

[edit]

Animaniacs was developed following the passage of the Children's Television Act in 1990 that required programming aimed at children to include educational content.[11] The writers worked this into the show in part by featuring segments involving the characters interacting with historical figures, and creating songs like "Yakko's World", which listed out all the countries of the world at the time, to serve as educational content.[11]

Cast

[edit]
A photograph of Rob Paulsen
A photograph of Jess Harnell
A photograph of Tress MacNeille
Rob Paulsen in 2024 (left), Jess Harnell in 2014 (middle), and Tress MacNeille in 2007 (right)

Animaniacs featured voice actors Rob Paulsen as the characters Yakko and Pinky, Jess Harnell as Wakko, and Tress MacNeille as Dot.[19] Paulsen auditioned for Yakko by sounding like comedian Groucho Marx, getting callbacks during an eight-week process.[20] Paulsen also voiced Pinky and Dr. Otto Scratchansnif.[21] Paulsen recorded his lines for four hours per episode.[21] Voice director Andrea Romano praised Paulsen's ability to ad lib.[20] Known as the voice of Babs Bunny in Tiny Toon Adventures, Spielberg encouraged MacNeille to audition for Dot.[19] Harnell auditioned for Wakko by doing a slightly high pitched impression of John Lennon under Romano's suggestion.[19]

Maurice LaMarche was the only actor to audition for the Brain.[19] Auditioning for various characters, LaMarche thought the Brain resembled Orson Welles.[19] Ruegger's son Nathan provided the voice of Slappy Squirrel's nephew Skippy.[22] Rita's voice was provided by Bernadette Peters.[8]

Designs and animation

[edit]

Along with reviving the character designs, Ruegger drew characterization for the Warner siblings from his three sons.[23] Because the Warners were portrayed as cartoon stars from the early 1930s, Ruegger and other artists for Animaniacs drew the Warners similar to the animated characters from the time period.[23] Specific characters that served as inspirations included Felix the Cat, Bosko, and Foxy.[9]

The animation was completed in Tokyo Movie Shinsha and Seoul Movie in Japan,[6][24] StarToons in Chicago (with ink and paint services provided by an animation studio in Seoul),[24][25] Wang Film Productions in Taiwan,[6][24] Freelance Animators New Zealand in New Zealand,[24] and AKOM in South Korea.[6][24][26] The show used more animation cels than other animated television series.[6]

Music

[edit]

Spielberg originated an idea to compose an original score in every episode.[27] Influenced by Carl W. Stalling, composer Richard Stone approached his scoring by incorporating techniques similar to Stalling's work and scoring several parodies of Broadway musicals.[28] Stone also composed the theme song.[29] Other composers were contracted to write original underscores, including Steve and Julie Bernstein.[28]

Using a 29 to 32 player orchestra, the orchestra used a French horn for opera parodies, a harp for Christmas specials, and a specific instrument for individual segments.[30] The scheduling of music cues varied; the music score for individual segments or the entirety of an episode are occasionally finished in a day for a maximum of 22 minutes.[31] Other sessions combine the cues of the series with cues from Pinky and the Brain and Freakazoid!.[32] 45 to 50 ending gags were individually scored for two hours in one day; each one lasted one to thirteen seconds.[32]

Under the suggestion of Spielberg, each segment has a specific style of music.[33] The music score of the Warner siblings segments was inspired by early Warner Bros. cartoons and Tiny Toon Adventures.[33] The music score of "The Goodfeathers" segments was composed with the style of Martin Scorsese's films and The Godfather.[33] Stone played the mandolin in the first segments of "The Goodfeathers".[33] Ruegger incorporated Antonín Dvořák's Humoresques for the music style of the segments featuring Slappy Squirrel.[33]

Broadcast

[edit]

Animaniacs premiered on September 13, 1993, on the programming block Fox Kids,[34] continuing to air episodes until September 8, 1995.[1] In 1995, Warner Bros. Animation was looking to invest in additional episodes of Animaniacs past the traditional 65-episode marker for syndication.[35] Animaniacs moved to The WB's programming block Kids' WB, premiering on September 9, 1995.[1] The series finale aired on November 14, 1998.

Animaniacs aired in syndication on the WB's sister network, Cartoon Network.[citation needed] In 2000, Nickelodeon bought the rights to air the series for $20 million, debuting on the network in mid 2001.[36] The streaming service Netflix picked up the series in 2016.[37]

Reception

[edit]

Ratings

[edit]

During its run, Animaniacs became the second-most popular children's show among both ages 2–11 and ages 6–11 (behind Mighty Morphin Power Rangers).[38][39] Animaniacs became one of the top five highest-rated weekday afternoon programs.[40]

Critical response

[edit]

During the original run, Animaniacs received acclaim from critics.[41][42] Upon its debut, Jennifer Mangan of Chicago Tribune and Diane Werts of Newsday picked the series as a highlight of the 1993–94 television season.[43][44] Several critics lauded the cultural references, humor, and parodies. Greg Kennedy of Edmonton Journal called the Warner siblings "the funniest cartoon animals since the original Looney Tunes" and stated that the series was "destined to become an animation classic."[45] The Toronto Star's Norman Wilher compared the series to Tiny Toon Adventures, stating that Animaniacs is "less structured and a lot funnier."[46] Steve Hall of The Indianapolis Star commented that "Kids will love the wacky slapstick and punny humor, while adults will love the inside cultural jokes", lauding the humor as "frantically paced and terrifically funny".[47] Wertz highlighted the "oblique references, clever connections, in-jokes, and eons of wacky energy", remarking it as "dizzyingly delightful".[44] Joal Ryan of Pasadena Star-News listed the "obscure or insider Hollywood jokes" as the "best reason to watch" the series.[48] Evan Levine of The Houston Chronicle found the celebrities parodies "fun".[49]

Most critics, such as N. F. Mendoza of The Los Angeles Times,[50] The Salt Lake Tribune's Randy Peterson,[51][52] and animation historian Charles Solomon of The Los Angeles Times, praised the high quality animation and visuals.[53] Levine and Ryan deemed the animation and visuals superior to other animated television series.[48][49] In a divided review, Maryland-based writer Paula O'Keefe noted the inconsistency of animation, reviewing that Tokyo Movie Shinsha's animation was "excellent", AKOM and Wang Film Productions' animation was "competent", and Freelance Animators New Zealand and StarToons' animation was "sadly awkward and unappealing."[24] Kennedy, O'Keefe, and Peterson commended the music as clever, silly, and witty.[24][45][51] While Levine reviewed that the "characters and plots are generally amusing",[49] Solomon said that the characters "never emerged [coherently]".[53] O'Keefe criticized individual segments featuring Buttons and Mindy, Rita and Runt, the Goodfeathers, and the Hip Hippos.[24]

In 2009, IGN ranked Animaniacs as the 17th-greatest animated series of all time in their own top 100 animated series of all time list.[54] Writing a retrospective review in Entertainment Weekly in 2011, John Young praised the humor and musical numbers, including references that he was unable to understand at the time.[8] In 2021, Chicago Tribune named it the 66th-best television series of the 1990s.[55] In 2023, Vanity Fair praised the show.[9]

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Annie Awards November 12, 1994 Best Animated Television Program Animaniacs Nominated [56]
Best Achievement in Voice Acting Frank Welker as the voice of various characters Nominated
November 11, 1995 Best Animated Television Program Animaniacs Nominated [57][58]
Best Achievement in Voice Acting Rob Paulsen as the voice of Yakko Warner Nominated
Tress MacNeille as the voice of Dot Warner Nominated
Best Achievement in Music Richard Stone Nominated
November 10, 1996 Best Animated Television Program Animaniacs Nominated [59]
Best Achievement in Music Richard Stone, Steve Bernstein, and Julie Bernstein Nominated
November 16, 1997 Best Individual Achievement for Directing in a TV Production Charles Visser for the episode "Noel" Nominated [60]
November 13, 1998 Outstanding Animated Daytime Television Program Animaniacs Nominated [61]
Daytime Emmy Awards May 25, 1994 (main ceremony) Outstanding Children's Animated Program Steven Spielberg, Sherri Stoner, Rich Arons, Tom Ruegger, Michael Gerard, Alfred Gimeno, Bob Kline, Jenny Lerew, Rusty Mills, Audu Paden, Greg Reyna, Lenord Robinson, and Barry Caldwell Nominated [62][63]
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition Richard Stone and Steven Bernstein Won
Outstanding Original Song Richard Stone and Tom Ruegger for the song "Animaniacs Main Title Theme" Won
Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program John P. McCann, Nicholas Hollander, Tom Minton, Paul Rugg, Deanna Oliver, Tom Ruegger, Sherri Stoner, Randy Rogel, and Peter Hastings Nominated
May 13, 1995 (Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards)
May 19, 1995 (main ceremony) 		Outstanding Children's Animated Program Steven Spielberg, Tom Ruegger, Sherri Stoner and Rich Arons Nominated [64][65]
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition Steven Bernstein and Richard Stone Nominated
Outstanding Achievement in Animation Rich Arons, Barry Caldwell, Michael Gerard, Alfred Gimeno, Dave Marshall, Jon McClenahan, Rusty Mills, Audu Paden, Greg Reyna, Lenord Robinson, Andrea Romano, Peter Hastings, Nicholas Hollander, John P. McCann, Tom Minton, Deanna Oliver, Randy Rogel, Paul Rugg, Tom Ruegger, and Sherri Stoner Nominated
May 18, 1996 (Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards)
May 22, 1996 (main ceremony) 		Outstanding Children's Animated Program Steven Spielberg, Tom Ruegger, Peter Hastings, and Rusty Mills Won [66][67]
Outstanding Achievement in Animation Gordon Bressack, Charles M. Howell IV, Peter Hastings, Randy Rogel, Tom Ruegger, Paul Rugg, Liz Holzman, Audu Paden, Andrea Romano, Al Zegler, Joey Banaszkiewicz, Barry Caldwell, Brian Mitchell, John Over, Norma Rivera, Rhoydon Shishido, Marcus Williams, and Mark Zoeller Won
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition Steven Bernstein, Carl Johnson, and Richard Stone Nominated
May 7, 1997 (Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards)
May 21, 1997 (main ceremony) 		Outstanding Children's Animated Program Steven Spielberg, Liz Holzman, Rusty Mills, Peter Hastings, Tom Ruegger, Charles Visser, Andrea Romano, Audu Paden, Jon McClenahan, Randy Rogel, John P. McCann, Paul Rugg, and Nick Dubois Won [68][69][70][71]
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition Richard Stone, Steven Bernstein, and Julie Bernstein Won
May 9, 1998 (Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards)
May 15, 1998 (main ceremony) 		Outstanding Children's Animated Program Steven Spielberg, Tom Ruegger, Rusty Mills, Liz Holzman, Andrea Romano, Mike Milo, Jon McClenahan, Charles M. Howell IV, Randy Rogel, Kevin Hopps, Gordon Bressack, Nick Dubois, and Tom Minton Nominated [70][72][73]
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition Richard Stone, Steven Bernstein, Julie Bernstein, and Gordon Goodwin Won
May 15, 1999 (Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards)
May 21, 1999 (main ceremony) 		Outstanding Children's Animated Program Steven Spielberg, Tom Ruegger, Rusty Mills, Liz Holzman, Randy Rogel, Kevin Hopps, Nick DuBois, Charles M. Howell IV, Earl Kress, Wendell Morris, Tom Sheppard, Andrea Romano, Stephen Lewis, Kirk Tingblad, Mike Milo, Nelson Recinos, Russell Calabrese, Herb Moore, and Dave Pryor Nominated [70][74][75][76]
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition Richard Stone, Steven Bernstein, Tim Kelly, Julie Bernstein, and Gordon Goodwin Won
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards May 20, 1995 Favorite Cartoon Animaniacs Nominated [77]
May 11, 1996 Nominated [78]
April 19, 1997 Nominated [79]
Online Film & Television Association Awards 1997 OFTA Television Award for Best Animated Production Nominated [80]
Peabody Awards March 31, 1994 Peabody Award Won [81][82]
TCA Awards July 22, 1994 Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming Nominated [83]
Young Artist Awards 1996 Best Family Animated Production Won [84]

Legacy

[edit]

Along with Taz-Mania and Freakazoid!, Animaniacs became a popular animated series towards an adult audience, leading to fan interest.[85] In 1995, over 21% of audiences during weekdays and over 23% of viewers in Saturday mornings were 25 years or older;[10] a quarter of the audience were over the age of 24.[5][7] University of Toronto student Paul Dakhun Hendry created the internet newsgroup alt.tv.animaniacs for adult fans.[86] Averaging from 80 to 100 posts per day, the newsgroup included lists of episode titles, quotations, and cultural references.[86] Fans traded tapes, barbs, and information,[86] debated adult jokes and cultural references,[7] and wrote laundry tips on fading Animaniacs T-shirts and parody lyrics.[10] Employees of Warner Bros. downloaded 1,200 pages of comment on the newsgroup each month.[86] One episode of Animaniacs featured a caricature of the show's internet fans.[7] Since 2016, Paulsen, Harnell and MacNeille have toured as Animaniacs Live!, performing songs from the series with an orchestra.[87]

Franchise

[edit]

"I'm Mad"

[edit]

The theatrical short "I'm Mad" was released alongside Thumbelina in the U.S. on March 30, 1994.[88] "I'm Mad" was intended to be the first theatrical short of the series, bringing Animaniacs to a wider audience.[88] Due to the box office failure of the film, "I'm Mad" was the only Animaniacs theatrical short produced.[88] A few critics, such as Steve Persall of St. Petersburg Times and Sean P. Means of The Salt Lake Tribune, deemed the short superior to the film.[89][90] Paul Malcolm of LA Weeky called the short "a major disappointment".[91]

Spin-offs

[edit]
Main articles: Pinky and the Brain and Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain

The popularity of the Pinky and the Brain led to the first spin-off series of the same name.[92] It premiered on September 10, 1995, on The WB's programming block Kids' WB.[41][93] The second spin-off series Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain premiered on September 19, 1998, on Kids' WB programming block.[94]

Wakko's Wish

[edit]
Main article: Wakko's Wish

The series was followed by the feature-length direct-to-video movie Wakko's Wish. Warner Bros. released the movie on VHS on December 21, 1999.[95]

Video games

[edit]

Due to the popularity of the show, a total of nine video games were based on the Animaniacs series for various consoles.[96] The list includes titles such as: Animaniacs (1994),[97][98] Animaniacs Game Pack! (1997),[99] Animaniacs: Ten Pin Alley (1998),[100] Animaniacs: A Gigantic Adventure (1999),[101] Animaniacs: The Great Edgar Hunt (2005)[102] and Animaniacs: Lights, Camera, Action! (2005).[103][104] An additional game for the GameBoy Advance, titled Animaniacs: Hollywood Hypnotics, was produced but cancelled before release.[96]

Revival

[edit]
Main article: Animaniacs (2020 TV series)

A revival series of Animaniacs was ordered by Hulu in May 2017 for an initial two-season order, following the popularity of the original series after Netflix had added it to their library in 2016.[105] Spielberg was heavily involved with working on the revival and insisting to return the original voice cast and its elements.[106][107] Wellesley Wild served as the showrunner and as executive producer along with Gabe Swarr.[108] The first season was released on November 20, 2020.[109] The second season was released on November 5, 2021;[109] the third and final season was released on February 17, 2023.[citation needed]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Credited as Warner Bros. Animation from 1993 to 1995.
  2. ^ Attributed to multiple sources: [12][13][14][15][16][17]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Lenburg 1999b, p. 520
  2. ^ a b Mendoza, N.F. (December 26, 1993). "SHOWS FOR YOUNGSTERS AND THEIR PARENTS TOO : A sense of history and smarts set Fox's 'Animaniacs' apart". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 15, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d Sepinwall, Alan (November 16, 2020). "'Animaniacs' Revival Misses the Zany Magic of the Original". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d Graham, Jefferson (August 3, 1993). ""Animaniacs" will be turned loose on Fox". The Times. Gannett. p. 25. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d Jones, Ross (October 21, 1995). "Animaniacs". The Guardian. p. 199. Retrieved July 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Johnson, Kevin (November 16, 2020). "10 episodes of Animaniacs that are zany to the max—for better and worse". The AV Club. Archived from the original on September 15, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d Chaplin, Julia (July 1995). "The Looniest Toons: Wakko, Yakko, and Dot are the Animaniacs and if you let them, they'll gladly drive you totally insane". Spin Magazine. Vol. 11, no. 4. p. 32.
  8. ^ a b c Young, John (September 7, 2011). "'Animaniacs': The '90s cartoon for the adult in every child". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
  9. ^ a b c d e King, Darryn (August 25, 2023). ""It Spoiled Us": The Mad Minds Behind 'Tiny Toon Adventures' and 'Animaniacs'". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on February 15, 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Gates, Anita (February 14, 1995). "TELEVISION; Hey, It's Not Sondheim, but Adults Don't Care". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 24, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  11. ^ a b c Bundel, Ani (November 20, 2020). "Hulu's 'Animaniacs' has plenty of the original's references — but little of its magic". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 21, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  12. ^ Freeman, Mike (July 26, 1993). "Fox, Disney power kid's entertainment". Broadcasting & Cable. Vol. 123, no. 30. Future US. pp. 56+. Retrieved December 26, 2025 – via Gale.
  13. ^ Meisler, Andy (July 8, 1990). "TELEVISION; Steven Spielberg Promises: 'Th-Th-That's Not All, Folks'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 10, 2019. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  14. ^ Rhodes, Joe (September 28, 1990). "Sufferin' Succotash! It's Looney Tunes, Take Two". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 28, 2014. Retrieved September 19, 2007.
  15. ^ Miller 1990, pp. 38–39.
  16. ^ Powell, Stan (March 25, 1991). "No Bugs in this Buster". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 3S. Retrieved November 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Mann, Bill (October 10, 1990). "Very hot 'Toons'". Oakland Tribune. p. 36. Retrieved December 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Multilayered Humor: 'Animaniacs' Serves Up Laughs For All Age Groups". Chicago Tribune. December 23, 1999. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  19. ^ a b c d e Itzkoff, Dave (November 17, 2020). "The Stars of 'Animaniacs' Speak for Themselves". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  20. ^ a b Mendoza, N.F. (December 17, 1995). "It's a Living : Voices From Within : HOW ROB PAULSEN GIVES LIFE TO HIS CARTOON CHARACTERS". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 26, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  21. ^ a b Forman, Ross (November 8, 1994). "Cartoon-voice actor is all talk". Chicago Tribune. p. 1 (Section 7). Retrieved December 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ McArt, Nora (January 14, 1996). "KIDS SHOWS". Brainerd Dispatch. p. 21. Retrieved December 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ a b "TV Production: What a Character! Part II of a series: The Evolution of Animaniacs". Animation Magazine. July 1995. p. 12.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h O'Keefe, Paula (1994). "WE SAID... THE RISE OF STEVEN SPIELBERG'S ANIMANIACS". Animato!. pp. 31, 33. Retrieved December 27, 2025 – via Internet Archive.
  25. ^ Owens, John (July 5, 1992). "Drawing On Experience". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  26. ^ Cain, Geoffrey (October 30, 2010). "South Korean Cartoonists Cry Foul Over The Simpsons". Time. Archived from the original on June 13, 2025. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
  27. ^ Schmuckler, Eric (April 17, 1995). "The new face in toontown". Mediaweek. 5 (16): 22.
  28. ^ a b Goldmark 2000, p. 225.
  29. ^ Burlingame, Jon (March 14, 2001). "Richard Stone". Variety. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  30. ^ Goldmark 2000, p. 230
  31. ^ Goldmark 2000, pp. 236–237.
  32. ^ a b Goldmark 2000, p. 237.
  33. ^ a b c d e Goldmark 2000, p. 232.
  34. ^ Solomon, Charles (September 13, 1993). "TV REVIEWS : 'Pink Panther,' 'Animaniacs' Debut". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 15, 2012. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  35. ^ Trusdell, Brian (May 28, 1995). "Focus : Warner's Toon Factory for the '90s". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
  36. ^ Dempsey, John (August 30, 2000). "Toon web sans synergy: WB sells to Nick". Variety. Archived from the original on August 22, 2007. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  37. ^ Chavez, Danette (April 6, 2016). "The Animaniacs are out of the water tower again and on Netflix". AV Club. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
  38. ^ Kent, Milton (January 30, 1994). "Warner Bros. is whistling a happy toon: New characters have attitude and an audience". The Baltimore Sun. pp. 1H, 8H. Retrieved December 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ^ Freeman, Michael (1994). "Fox Children's Network's. ('Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' viewer ratings) (Syndication) (Brief Article)". Mediaweek. 4 (38): 6. ISSN 1055-176X.
  40. ^ Mangan, Jennifer (December 21, 1993). "'Animaniacs' Stars Can Make Even A Parent Laugh". Chicago Tribune. USA. Archived from the original on September 29, 2012. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  41. ^ a b Kitman, Marvin (August 23, 1995). "THE MARVIN KITMAN SHOW: Comedy Is WB Network's New Tack in Season No. 2". Newsday. pp. B2 – B3, B12. Retrieved December 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. A half-hour animated comedy spin-off from the acclaimed "Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs," "Pinky & The Brain" is the story of these two mice, one of which (the brain) is obsessed with dominating the world. With all those cigarettes they smoke at the Acme Laboratory, not to mention all the cosmetics and lipstick tests, you can't expect much from them.
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