This is the tragedy of the archivist. Much of the original nitrate film elements for the 1940s Tom and Jerry shorts have deteriorated. The negatives for some of the supplementary material (the photos and sketches) are lost or were destroyed in the 1980s MGM vault fires.
The Laserdisc represents a snapshot of those materials when they were still viewable in 1989. While Warner Bros. (now owners of the pre-1986 MGM library) has released excellent Blu-ray sets, many of the specific gallery images on The Art of Tom and Jerry have never reappeared. The disc contains variant angles and rough animation drawings that even Jerry Beck’s The 50 Greatest Cartoons book doesn't print.
While VHS tapes offered grainy, pan-and-scan versions of Yankee Doodle Mouse or The Night Before Christmas, the laserdisc archive prioritized the frame. The most sought-after discs in this archive are presented in the original Academy ratio (1.37:1), revealing visual gags that had been cropped out of television broadcasts for decades.
Collectors speak in hushed tones about the "Persistence of Vision" supplement included on Disc 3 of the box set. For the first time, animators’ production drawings—complete with smudges, timing charts, and margin notes by Irv Spence and Ken Muse—were transferred with broadcast-level clarity. You could finally see the sweat droplets on Tom’s brow as individual ink strokes, not digital noise.
Feature: "The Evolution of Tom and Jerry: A Visual History"
This feature showcases the visual evolution of Tom and Jerry over the years, highlighting key changes in character design, animation techniques, and storytelling.
Scene 1: The Early Years (1940-1944)
The feature opens with a montage of early Tom and Jerry cartoons, including "Puss Gets the Boot" (1940) and "The Midnight Snack" (1941). We see the early designs of Tom and Jerry, with Tom being a more menacing and Jerry a more simplistic, cute character.
Scene 2: The Golden Age (1945-1950)
As the feature progresses, we see the introduction of new characters, such as Spike the Bull and Tyke, and the refinement of Tom and Jerry's designs. Cartoons like "The Cat and Mouse" (1945) and "The Little Bigheaded Man" (1947) showcase the duo's comedic chemistry.
Scene 3: The Hanna-Barbera Era (1950-1958)
The feature highlights the changes in animation style and storytelling during the Hanna-Barbera era, with cartoons like "Johannes Mouse" (1956) and "The Cat Concerto" (1947). We see Tom and Jerry's designs become more refined, with Tom's facial expressions becoming more exaggerated. the art of tom and jerry laserdisc archive
Scene 4: The Modern Era (1959-1990)
The feature jumps forward to the 1960s and 1970s, showcasing Tom and Jerry's adaptation to modern animation techniques. Cartoons like "Duel and Duel" (1962) and "The Tomato Incident" (1987) demonstrate the duo's timeless appeal.
Scene 5: Laserdisc Archives
Throughout the feature, we see clips from various Tom and Jerry Laserdiscs, showcasing the restored and remastered video and audio. The feature highlights the attention to detail in preserving the original animation and soundtracks.
Closing Scene: A Tribute to Tom and Jerry
The feature concludes with a tribute to Tom and Jerry, showcasing iconic moments from the series. The final shot is of Tom and Jerry standing together, with the words "The End" appearing on screen.
Special Features
Technical Specifications
The story of "The Art of Tom & Jerry" LaserDisc archive is one of a "holy grail" for animation collectors. Released by MGM/UA Home Video in the early 1990s, these sets were a monumental effort to preserve the duo’s history before the digital age, offering a level of quality and completeness that wouldn't be matched for decades. A Trilogy of Animation History
The archive was released in three massive volumes, each acting as a definitive chapter in the cat-and-mouse saga:
Volume I (1993): This massive 5-disc set includes 77 cartoons from the original Hanna-Barbera era, spanning 1940 to 1953. It was celebrated for featuring mostly uncut transfers that looked significantly better than the grainy VHS tapes of the time. This is the tragedy of the archivist
Volume II (1993): This 3-disc volume covers the later Hanna-Barbera years (1953–1958) and is particularly prized for including 22 CinemaScope shorts in their original 2.35:1 widescreen ratio. At the time, seeing these without "pan and scan" cropping was nearly impossible for home viewers.
Volume III (1994): The final set focuses on the 34 Chuck Jones cartoons produced from 1963 to 1967. It represents the last major Tom and Jerry release from MGM/UA before Warner Bros. acquired the library. The Collector’s "Holy Grail"
For years, these LaserDiscs were the only way to own several rare or controversial shorts in their original, uncut forms.
The Uncut Era: While later DVD collections like the Spotlight Collection were criticized for heavy editing and censorship, the LaserDisc archive remained largely "untouched," featuring shorts that were often barred from television broadcast.
Artistic Rarity: Beyond the cartoons, the sets included extensive liner notes and rare archival bonuses, such as the famous live-action/animation hybrid scenes from MGM musicals like Anchors Aweigh and Dangerous When Wet. The Legacy
Today, these sets are considered extremely scarce. While the recent 2025 Golden Era Anthology Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection has finally provided modern, high-definition replacements for much of this content, the "Art of Tom & Jerry" LaserDiscs remain a symbol of a time when physical media was the only safeguard for animation history. The Art of Tom & Jerry: Volume II
The Art of Tom and Jerry LaserDisc Archive stands as a monumental pillar in the history of home media, representing a time when collectors and animation enthusiasts first received high-fidelity, comprehensive access to one of the most celebrated cartoon franchises in history. Released in the early 1990s by MGM/UA Home Video, these box sets were more than just simple compilations; they were archival treasures that meticulously preserved the artistic evolution of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera’s iconic cat-and-mouse duo. The Genesis of a Definitive Collection
Before the advent of DVDs and Blu-rays, the LaserDisc format was the gold standard for film enthusiasts due to its superior video and audio quality compared to VHS. "The Art of Tom and Jerry" series, which began its release on February 24, 1993, sought to capitalize on this format to provide a comprehensive historical record of the series.
Unlike earlier "Cartoon Festival" tapes that offered scattered highlights, this archive was structured to show the progression of the series from its 1940 debut, Puss Gets the Boot, through the high-budget golden era of the 1950s. Breakdown of the Archive Volumes
The archive was divided into three primary volumes, each focusing on a distinct era of the franchise's history: The Art Of Tom And Jerry Laserdisc Archive ((exclusive))
The Art of Tom and Jerry LaserDisc Archive represents a definitive era in animation preservation, prized by collectors for its high-quality 35mm transfers and comprehensive presentation. These releases from MGM/UA Home Video in the early 1990s were among the first to offer theatrical shorts in their original aspect ratios, including rare letterboxed widescreen versions for later cartoons. Iconic Box Set Collections Technical Specifications
The "Art of..." series was released in three distinct volumes, each focusing on a specific period of the duo's history:
Volume I (1940–1953): A massive 5-disc set containing 70 uncut Hanna-Barbera shorts, ranging from their debut in Puss Gets the Boot to the early 1950s.
Volume II (1953–1958): A 3-disc collection featuring 48 cartoons, including 22 presented in their original 2.35:1 CinemaScope ratio. It also includes Spike and Tyke spinoffs and live-action/animation hybrid sequences from films like Dangerous When Wet.
Volume III: The Chuck Jones Cartoons (1963–1967): This final set archived all 34 cartoons produced by animation legend Chuck Jones. Aesthetic & Preservation Features
Collectors often seek out these sets at marketplaces like eBay for their unique artistic and technical merits:
Framing Art: Many shorts featured title cards windowboxed with color-coordinated borders rather than standard black bars to preserve the full picture information.
Liner Notes: The sets included extensive booklet liner notes that detailed the production history and artistic development of the characters.
Mastering Quality: Later volumes were mastered from high-quality 35mm film elements, providing a significant jump in picture quality over previous home video formats. The Art Of Tom And Jerry: Volume Two - Animated Views
The Art Of Tom And Jerry: Volume Two – Animated Views. LaserDisc / July 14, 2003. The Art Of Tom And Jerry: Volume Two. Ben Simon. Animated Views The Art of Tom & Jerry: Volume I
What makes The Art of Tom and Jerry laserdisc a true artifact is the analog warmth.
Streaming a 1945 short today, the color timing is often "corrected" to a generic magenta. On the LD? The reds are Technicolor-hot. The blues are deep like a bruise. When Jerry smacks Tom with a frying pan, the metallic shimmer isn't a digital filter—it’s the actual phosphor glow of a composite video signal decoded through a high-end comb filter.
Furthermore, the LDs included laserdisc-exclusive audio: the original, uncompressed Victor Young and Scott Bradley orchestral scores. No dynamic range compression. You hear the snap of the whip, the rickety-clack of the piano, and the silence of the vacuum just before the bomb goes off. It’s ASMR for masochists.
To the average viewer, a Tom and Jerry cartoon is a chaotic ballet of anvils, explosions, and screaming. To an archivist, it is a symphony of inked cels, painted backgrounds, and optical soundtracks. The LaserDisc format, specifically the CAV (Constant Angular Velocity) standard, offered two things that VHS and even early DVDs could not:
