: The massive 12-inch sleeves serve as high-quality posters for the original title cards.
Part 1: “Tom & Jerry: The Golden Era Anthology 1940-1958”
Cartoons like Mouse Cleaning (1948) and Casanova Cat (1951), which are completely banned or omitted from modern streaming platforms and standard Blu-ray sets, are available here in pristine analog quality. Collectibility and the Modern Market
. Curated by animation historians Jerry Beck and George Feltenstein, it is still regarded by collectors as one of the most comprehensive and high-quality home media releases of the classic Hanna-Barbera shorts. Cartoon Research Volume I (1993) Release Date : February 24, 1993. : Contains 77 cartoons released between 1940 and 1953. : A five-disc CLV (Constant Linear Velocity) set. Highlights : Begins with the very first short, Puss Gets the Boot Tom and Jerry Wiki | Fandom Volume II (1993) Release Date : July 14, 1993. : Features 48 cartoons in total, including 37 Tom and Jerry shorts from 1953 to 1958. Bonus Material : Includes the two Spike and Tyke the art of tom and jerry laserdisc archive
The archive preserved both the standard Academy ratio (1.37:1) of the early shorts and the CinemaScope (2.55:1 or 2.35:1) widescreen formats of the 1950s.
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.
In subsequent DVD, Blu-ray, and streaming releases, Warner Bros. (the current rights holders) heavily censored many of these shorts. Edits included removing racially insensitive caricatures, redubbing Mammy Two Shoes with a less stereotypical voice, and cutting scenes involving smoke, explosions, or fire hazards. : The massive 12-inch sleeves serve as high-quality
Released in 1992, this massive 5-disc (10-side) box set covers the first 70 shorts directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera.
While not digitally remastered by modern standards, these sets were a significant leap forward in presenting the cartoons in their original aspect ratio, free from the tracking issues of VHS.
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. Curated by animation historians Jerry Beck and George
Focused on the absolute peak of the Hanna-Barbera era, including many of their Academy Award-winning shorts.
While Hanna-Barbera's shorts were known for their frantic energy, the Chuck Jones era introduced a unique visual flair. As Animated Views notes, "Jones was always at the forefront of animated parody," and this set captures his attempts to spoof popular 1960s trends and films, turning the cartoon into a product of its time while retaining Scott Bradley’s unmistakable theme music. Although the Gene Deitch era of Tom and Jerry (the European-produced shorts) is famously excluded from the archive—being described as "short lived (and best forgotten)"—the inclusion of the Jones era rounds out the cinematic history of the duo perfectly.
Ultimately, The Art of Tom and Jerry Laserdisc archive stands as a monument to physical media curation—a definitive time capsule celebrating the pinnacle of hand-drawn comedic animation.