The whole package of the beloved Looney Tunes characters in comprehensive historic wrapping.

If Jamie Weinman aimed to take his writing for magazines to the next level, he did the best he could: he wrote a book, appealing simultaneously to several generations. 'Anvils, Mallets & Dynamite: The Unauthorized Biography of Looney Tunes,' brings back sweet memories of when we were enjoying Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, and other characters just out of pure joy, without thinking of who created them and what was their backstory, if any. Without being a killjoy, the author unfoldes the history of Looney Tunes in chronological order from the 1920s till the present day (excluding 'Space Jam 2', now airing in theaters). The author uses the mixed approach. Some chapters are dedicated solely to one character, and others focus on specifics of cartoon creating, like timing or music, while the third category briefly covers the whole decades.

Two chapters stand out as being slightly different. An apparent personal viewpoint marks the first chapter. I couldn't fully relate to the author's experience with the cartoons because I was born in another country and saw the first Looney Tunes when I was a teenager. Nevertheless, I don't think the first chapter would slow down reading for others as it was for me.

The last chapter is the quintessence of analysis, demonstrated throughout the book. The author uses a single cartoon as the case to be observed from different angles.

Understandable language, a logical transition from one chapter to another, and the comprehensiveness of an approach are the book's main advantages. As a base for his study, the author used history books on American cartoon making, blog posts and online communities of cartoon history experts. His experience as a professional writer contributed significantly to the book's overall lively writing style.

I'd recommend the book to almost all ages, from young adults to the contemporaries of Looney Tunes' golden years.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I enjoyed this book. Looney Toons and Merrie Melodies were my favorite cartoons growing up, all the way to my university years. It was nice reading a book that brought back happy memories. I enjoyed the analysis of the characters and how they changed over time. The book was also an eye-opener, with discussions of the people involved in the production of the cartoons. I had also never considered the racist aspect of the cartoons, which the book brought to light. On the other hand, it was difficult to understand some of the discussion without going on the internet to try to find some of the older cartoons and sometimes things got lost in translation between the cartoon and the book. Overall though, this is a good book for fans of the cartoons. Thank you to Netgalley and Sutherland House for the advance reader copy.

This was an interesting book.
I thought I had read alot about this company, but I learned more from this book, and it was written in an engaging matter.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Ahh!! I loved this book! I was looking for an insider's glimpse into the Looney Tunes world, and boy did I get it! I loved the clever way the author told the behind the scenes information. This was an excellent biography of a much-loved batch of cartoon characters. It took me back in time, and that meant so much to be able to read about things from my childhood.

My entire childhood revolved around watching Looney Tunes cartoons so when I saw the opportunity to read this book I jumped on it! This book really celebrates the quirky, zany entertainment of watching Looney Tunes cartoons and explores their history in a way that is super insightful and entertaining. It's definitely a must-read for sure!