WARNER BROS. ANIMATION CELEBRATES 80-YEAR LEGACY WITH
ANIMATION MURAL UNVEILING AND COMMUNITY FESTIVAL

Mario Lopez Hosts Event on Historic Burbank Lot for Animation Fans

BURBANK, Calif. (April 7, 2009) – Warner Bros. Animation held a public event this evening celebrating the Studio’s legacy of nearly 80 years of animation and to unveil Warner Bros. Animation’s new cartoon billboard. Updated for the first time in 15 years, the new mural represents the Studio’s rich animation heritage and showcases new interpretations of DC Comics super heroes such as Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, among others, as well as classic characters like Bugs Bunny and Tweety Bird. Warner Bros. Animation is home to one of the largest cartoon libraries in the world, featuring over 3,000 of the most beloved characters from Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera, DC Comics and more.

The evening festival was emceed by “Extra” anchor Mario Lopez and was kicked off with remarks from Warner Bros. Television President Peter Roth, who also oversees television animation for the Studio.

Open to the public, the event boasted prize giveaways, entertainment and fun for families and fans, and featured a special live performance by the Beat Freaks, the phenomenal all-girl dance team from the 2009 edition of “Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew,” Warner Horizon Television’s hit reality-competition series for MTV.

Fans arrived dressed as DC Comics super heroes and characters from Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera animated series, showing their love and enthusiasm for cartoons.

Animation icons Bruce Timm, James Tucker and Glen Murakami – the Warner Bros. Animation creative producers behind many acclaimed animated series, including “Batman: The Brave and the Bold,” “Batman: The Animated Series” and “Teen Titans,” among others – were on hand to share their insight on updating classic characters for today’s television audiences.

Celebrity appearances included Diedrich Bader, the current voice of Batman on “Batman: The Brave and The Bold” (airing Fridays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on Cartoon Network), and Julie Newmar, who portrayed Catwoman in the classic Adam West–starring “Batman” live-action television series.

About Warner Bros. Animation
Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) has been producing award-winning original animation since 1930, when it released its first cartoon, “Sinkin’ in the Bathtub.” Since then, WBA’s characters have set the standard for innovative, quality animation. Producing for network and cable television, online, home entertainment and feature films both domestically and internationally, WBA is highly respected for its creative and technical excellence, as well as for maintaining the Studio’s rich cartoon heritage. WBA also oversees the creative use and production of animated programming based on classic animated characters from the Hanna-Barbera and DC Comics libraries. WBA is one of the most-honored animation studios in history, garnering a grand total of six Academy Awards®, 35 Emmy® Awards, the George Foster Peabody Award, an Environmental Media Award, a Parents’ Choice Award, the Humanitas Prize™, two Prism Awards and 20 Annie Awards.