Looney Tunes is an American animated series of comedy short films produced by Warner Bros. from 1930 to 1969 during the golden age of American animation, alongside its sister series Merrie Melodies. Originally named after Walt Disney’s then-concurrent musical short series Silly Symphonies, Looney Tunes initially showcased Warner-owned musical compositions through the adventures of cartoon characters such as Bosko and Buddy. However, following the animation studio’s addition of directors Tex Avery and Chuck Jones among others, as well as the voice actor Mel Blanc, Looney Tunes rose to greater fame for creating such popular cartoon stars as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Sylvester, Tweety, Wile E. Coyote and The Road Runner. The characters themselves are commonly referred to as the “Looney Tunes.” From 1942 into the 1960s, Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies were the most popular cartoon shorts in movie theaters, exceeding the works of Disney and other popular competitors; including Paramount’s Famous Studios, Universal’s Walter Lantz Productions, Columbia’s UPA, 20th Century Fox’s Terrytoons, and MGM.