Looney Tunes Meals were a line of frozen dinners released by Tyson Foods in 1990. They were based on the characters from the eponymous Warner Bros. cartoons and targeted primarily at children. The meals were discontinued in late 1993 because of declining sales.

History

Released to coincide with Bugs Bunny's 50th birthday, the meals came in boxes that featured a ''

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.

'' character on the front, and were marketed as coming with small prizes, including

comic books A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

, trading cards, and stickers. They came in a tray divided into three sections; a main course, a side dish, and a dessert. The dinners were to be heated in the microwave for 2 minutes, rotated, heated for another 1-2 minutes, then given an additional 2-3 minutes to cool off, making for 5-7 minutes of preparation.Tipton, Tom
KIDS IN THE KITCHEN : Time-Saving Meals Children Can Make : Trends: Frozen dinners are being marketed to young children in busy households
''Los Angeles Times'', June 28, 1990. Retrieved February 15, 2011 These meals were similar to Kid's Kitchen and

Kid Cuisine Kid Cuisine is an American brand of packaged frozen meals, marketed by Conagra Foods, created in 1990. Described as a "frozen food version of a Happy Meal", the product is marketed towards children, while assuring parents of nutritional benefits. ...

, other popular frozen dinner brands from the time. The meals were introduced with a fifteen million dollar advertising campaign.Selling America's kids: Commercial pressures on kids of the 90's. Licensing and cross-selling
''Consumers Union''. . Retrieved September 8, 2016. With mixed reception from children, there were concerns from parents regarding the nutritional value of the meals. They received criticism for using excessive fat and salt, going against their claims of providing a healthy meal. Likely as a result of this and the '90s economic recession, sales began to decline, and production on the meals ceased in 1993.

Varieties

The meals were originally released with eight variations, with several other entries being introduced in later years. There would also be a pasta sub-variety in the line, introduced around 1992. * Bugs Bunny Chicken Chunks – chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, and carrotsStoneback, Diane and Kraft, Irene
Miniature Meals Packaged Dinners For Children Feed Growing Hunger For Convenience
, ''The Morning Call'', McCalls Magazine, April 17, 1991. Retrieved February 15, 2011 * Bugs Bunny and

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Pasta – beef ravioli in tomato sauce * Daffy Duck Spaghetti and Meatballs – spaghetti and meatballs in tomato sauce, corn, and oatmeal cookiesSchantz, Donna M.
Beep Beep! Here come microwave meals for kids
''Richmond Times-Dispatch'', July 19, 1990, page E1. Retrieved February 15, 2011 {{dead link, date=September 2016 * Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd Pasta – pasta in pizza sauce with pepperoni *

Elmer Fudd Elmer J.''Hare Brush'' (1956) Fudd is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. '' Looney Tunes''/'' Merrie Melodies'' series and the archenemy of Bugs Bunny. He has one of the more disputed origins in the Warner Bros. cartoon pantheo ...

Turkey and Dressing – turkey breast with dressing and gravy, green beans, and fudge cookiesTennison, Patricia
A taste test of Looney Tunes, other kids meals
''Chicago Tribune'', March 14, 1991. Retrieved February 15, 2011. * Foghorn Leghorn Pepperoni Pizza – pepperoni pizza, corn, and fudge brownie * Foghorn Leghorn and Henery Hawk Pasta – pasta in spaghetti sauce with meat * Henery Hawk Hot Dog – hot dog, tater tots, and corn *

Porky Pig Porky Pig is an animated character in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on his celebrity, star power, and the animators created ma ...

Patty Deluxe – sausage patty on a bun with cheese, tater tots, and cherry cobbler * Road Runner Chicken Sandwich – chicken sandwich, potato wedges, and applesauce * Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote Pasta – pasta in pizza sauce with Italian sausage * Speedy Gonzales Beef Enchiladas – beef enchiladas in salsa, Spanish rice, and corn''Adweek'', 1990, Volume 31, Issues 10-18, page 61. *

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Fish Sticks – fish sticks, tater tots, and green beans * Sylvester and Tweety Pasta – pasta in cheesy pizza sauce *

Chicken Drumsticks - chicken drumsticks, mashed potatoes, and corn * Tweety Macaroni and Cheese – macaroni and cheese, green beans, and applesauce * Wile E. Coyote Hamburger Pizza – hamburger pizza, green beans, and oatmeal cookies * Yosemite Sam BBQ Glazed Chicken – chicken wings in barbecue sauce, mashed potatoes, and corn nuggets In later releases for some of these meals, the side dishes would be changed or altered.

References

External links

Vintage TV ad for Tyson Looney Tunes Meals
Frozen food brands Products introduced in 1990 Tyson Foods Looney Tunes Products and services discontinued in 1993