It's Sailor Moon's birthday today, and this year marks her 25th Anniversary. This timeline covers the major events that happened the past 25 years.
1992
The Sailor Moon Manga and anime are born. Created by Naoko Takeuchi and animated by Toei Animation, this series became the start of the super heroine in anime.
Cast of characters include Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus along with Tuxedo Mask, Luna, Artemis, and various villains throughout its run
1993
The Sailor Moon anime becomes Sailor Moon R for its second season
Chibiusa and Sailor Pluto are added to the mix
Sales of Sailor Moon merchandise are a hit
The Sailor Moon musicals begin in production
Talks of an English adaptation of Sailor Moon begins
Sailor Moon R the Movie is released in theaters
Sailor Moon begins to be released for laserdiscs and VHS
Saban acquires the license for Sailor Moon
1994
The Sailor Moon anime becomes Sailor Moon S for its third season
Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn are added to the mix
A pilot was made for the Sailor Moon English Adaptation. The plan was a mix of live action with new 2D animation.
Sailor Moon S the Movie is released in theaters
The project to adapt Sailor Moon into English failed. It would be cheaper just to dub the original show.
Chibiusa is now Sailor Chibi Moon
Saban loses the license for Sailor Moon
1995
The Sailor Moon anime becomes Sailor Moon Super S for its fourth season
Chibiusa becomes the number 1 character licensed for Sailor Moon merchandise
DIC acquires the license for Sailor Moon. This deal insures 65 episodes to be run in syndication (although more than those episodes ended up being dubbed).
Sailor Moon Super S the Movie is released in theaters
North America finally gets introduced to Sailor Moon officially.
The Sailor Moon dub begins airing in syndication
1996
The Sailor Moon anime becomes Sailor Moon Sailor Stars for its fifth season
More characters were added to the mix including the Sailor Starlights and Chibi Chibi
Sailor Moon bombs in syndication and was cancelled
1997
After 200 episodes, the Sailor Moon anime comes to an end
Reruns of the Sailor Moon DIC dub runs on the USA Network as part of its Cartoon Express block
Disney begins releasing episodes of the dub on VHS (DIC was owned by Disney at the time)
Disney in talks of fully acquiring the Sailor Moon franchise, but fails to do so
1998
Reruns of Sailor Moon DIC dub runs on Cartoon Network as part of Toonami
Unreleased dubbed episodes begins to be a part of the run showcasing the first two seasons
Disney continues their release of Sailor Moon with the collectible Doom Tree boxed set. This contains the Doom Tree story arc from season 2
Ratings for Sailor Moon on Cartoon Network prove successful
1999
Cartoon Network orders for more episodes of Sailor Moon to be dubbed
Cloverway acquires the licensing for the three movies and Sailor Moon S and Super S
Pioneer releases the subs for the movies on VHS
2000
The three movies were officially dubbed by Cloverway and were released on VHS (with DIC music) and DVD (with the original music) via Pioneer
Sailor Moon S and Super S receives a dub and begins airing on Cartoon Network only to be available on VHS soon after
Changes were made to Sailors Uranus and Neptune for the English dub. Instead of being a couple, they were cousins
Changes were also made with a slight change of cast for the next two seasons being dubbed including Sailor Moon
2001
DIC hands the license to Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon R to ADV
ADV begins releasing Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon R on VHS
2002
Cartoon Network ends its run of Sailor Moon on Toonami
ADV begins releasing Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon R on DVD
Pioneer begins releasing Sailor Moon S and Super S on DVD and includes the original subs as well
Toei (the original owner) begins releasing the Sailor Moon series on DVD in Japan
2003
The live action Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon series begins airing in Japan
ADV releases boxed sets of Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon R. These one of a kind collections releases the uncut subs for the first time though using the masters provided by DIC rather than using Toei's original masters
2004
Due to a pre-existing contract issue, the Sailor Moon anime got its license revoked for both Cloverway and ADV
2009
Toei begins releasing the Sailor Moon anime in boxed sets. Each set contains one half of each season. The project was completed by 2010
2012
Sailor Moon celebrates 20 years with talks of a new series
Viz Media acquires the license to the Sailor Moon franchise. This includes all the episodes, specials, movies, and the Sailor Moon Crystal reboot.
A new dub begins production for the Sailor Moon anime and never before dubbed episodes get included
Sailor Moon begins streaming on Hulu
Viz begins releasing Sailor Moon on Blu-ray with the new dub. These collector editions came out each by half a season. The first two volumes (vol. 2 came out the next year), had quality issues with ghosting however.
2015
Viz releases Sailor Moon R on Blu-ray
The first series of Sailor Moon Crystal ends. The show received mixed reviews with criticism on character designs, CGI transformations, story, and bad animation
Viz begins dubbing Sailor Moon Crystal
2016
Viz begins releasing Sailor Moon S on Blu-ray
The next series of Sailor Moon Crystal begins airing with a vast improvement
Viz begins releasing Sailor Moon Crystal on Blu-ray
2017
Viz releases the new dub to Sailor Moon R the Movie in theaters and on Blu-ray
Toei begins releasing Sailor Moon on Blu-ray
The future still shines bright for our super heroine. Here's to 25 more years!!!!!!!
I am continuing this series of posts because I want to. This time we take a look at a certain wascally wabbit who has been at many amusement parks for years. Specifically, the Six Flags franchise. Bugs had a lot of looks over the years too at these parks just like he did in his cartoons
NOTES: 1. This is only about Bugs Bunny. The rest of the Looney Tunes characters will not be featured here at this time.
2. This will feature Bugs Bunny as used in amusement/theme parks and some shows. Even with such, it would be almost IMPOSSIBLE to list all the outfits. There were also bootlegged costumes out there as those will not be mentioned.
3. The names given to these costumes are chosen by me; no official name has been given to any of these costumes.
4. All dates are approximate, not official. Many of these costumes have overlapped each other. Unfortunately, specific details as where you can see them are unknown by me as Six Flags is a huge franchise.
5. This post is specifically about the suits, not the outfits warn by Bugs. However, I will try to sneak in a photo of these costumes if he is wearing his at one point signature tuxedo tails (ala Mickey Mouse).
The above shows an unofficial Bugs Bunny costume used in the 1950's. This is to show that WB never really invested in actual full bodied suits for the characters like Disney did for the Ice Capades.
"Very Fury Bugs" 1971
This is the earliest known appearance of Bugs Bunny in an amusement park. The year was 1971, and Magic Mountain opened in southern California. That first year they decided to license the Looney Tunes characters to compete with Disneyland. This version of Bugs had a lot of fur on him and looked more like a scary Easter Bunny. After the 1971 season, Magic Mountain lost the rights with Looney Tunes and replaced them with their own theme park characters called the Trolls. Eventually, however, Six Flags purchased the park and would end up getting the Looney Tunes characters back.
"Jungle Habitat Bugs" 1972-mid 1970's
Although each of these costumes varied, the principles are still the same. Bugs looks more on model. His eyes are looking to the left and his head has material hanging out on the neck instead of tucked in. Two versions came out. One had straight ears and a red bow tie. The other had floppier but still standing ears, thicker fur, and no bow tie. And yes, both versions have his signature carrot.
"Talking Bugs" 1973-mid 1970's
Somewhat beating Disney to the punch is this version of Bugs that appeared at the live Bugs Bunny Follies shows as well as a Saturday Morning Line Up TV special on ABC. This version was skinnier than the first few outfits, and what's more, it has a working mouth. While I'm unsure how the mouth actually works, it had to have been done manually as the mouth would sometimes not move (technical advances would have the characters speak with the slight move of a finger pushing a button).
"Follies Bugs" mid 1970's-late 1970's
This version of Bugs was used for Bugs Bunny at the Follies as well as Jungle Habitat during its final years. He bares some resemblance to the previous version, but his eyes a bit droopier and a mouth that does not move. There was no consistency of the costume design. Depending on the costume, it may have full netting on his eyes or just on the pupils of his eyes. Also, the mold always looked slightly different. For example, This compared to This.
"Marriott's Bugs" 1976-early 1980's
Bugs Bunny finally and officially began being a part of theme parks for a while starting with the Marriott's Great America parks in Gurnee, IL and Santa Clara, CA. This was the version used the most in the parks. His mouth is completely closed and his ears tend to stand straight up sometimes. Most versions have an Uncle Sam like costume since this was Great America. This costume was also used for a brief moment at Playland in Rye, New York when Marriott's was a sponsor (it didn't last due to the park no longer being free and thus ended the partnership).
"Rodent Bugs" 1976-late 70's
This costume is very similar to Marriott's Bugs except for the eyes. His pupils are bigger. His mouth looks like a frown making him more rodent like. Probably another creepier version of Bugs. This may have only been used in California's Marriott's park.
"Wide Cheeked Bugs" 1976-late 1970's
This version of Bugs was mostly used for shows since this may be more comfortable for the actor inside to perform. His cheeks are much wider. His eyes are bigger with big pupils. This version is totally off model compared to others.
"80's Bugs" early 1980's-early 1990's
The next version of Bugs was used throughout most of the 1980's first at Mariotts, then when one of the Mariotts parks was acquired by Six Flags, they started using Looney Tunes at their parks. Two versions were made: one with dots in the eyes and one without dots. This costume would be used the most during Bugs's 50th. His mouth is now open and his teeth bigger.
"Gadgets Bugs" 1983-mid 1980's or whenever all Gadgets locations closed
With Gadgets being a new concept from Warner Communications, they commissioned a new Bugs Bunny outfit specifically for these places. These would be used for character appearances throughout
Reconstruction on what Gadget Bugs may have looked like
the restaurant, usually for birthday parties and such like at Chuck E Cheese. Once Gadgets closed, these costumes died with it. Only a pic of a head exists, but I tried to recreate what it could've looked like.
"ABC Bugs" 1985
An oddball costume that would be a precursor to a future "WB Store Bugs". This costume as far as I know was used for ABC shows for children in hospitals. His cheeks are wider, and his eyes are bigger. Also, his whiskers are really thick.
"Astroworld Bugs" 1985-mid 1980's"
This version of Bugs was used in live shows at Six Flags Parks. Most of the footage found would be from the defunct Astroworld theme park, hence the name. His head is more narrow, but his eyes makes him more off model. It is assumed that this version would be much more comfortable for the actor to perform inside rather than the standard "80's Bugs".
"WB Store Bugs" 1991-2000
With the opening of the new WB Stores to compete with The Disney Store, and with Mickey's costume looking much fancier at the Disney Parks, it was time to give Bugs a change to make him more appealing. The performer can now only see through the pupils of his eyes (making the whole eye not made out of netting as previously beforehand). His cheeks are much wider and his his eyes much bigger. Bugs begins to become more on model as according to the original classics of the 50's and 60's. Half the time, Bugs would be wearing a vest and tuxedo just like Mickey would.
"New era Bugs" 2001-current
As new merchandise began using Bugs being more streamlined, it was decided that the Bugs Bunny costume should be too. From this point on, Bugs would be much streamlined and slim. Usually, a girl would be inside the suit although some skinny dudes could sneak inside. His eyes are more slimmer, his ears not prone to being floppy unlike previous versions. His smile is much bigger. Most of the time he is not wearing the suit as shown in the top image, but sometimes if its a big event such as Bugs Bunny at the Symphony is happening, he may wear a tux.
At one point during the early 2000's, there was a more elaborate version of the costume that has since disappeared. He cheeks are thicker and his smile is smaller, but the premise is still the same.
"Furry Bugs" 2007-current
The problem with "New era Bugs" is that the actor has a hard time seeing inside the costume since his eyes are smaller. One actor described them having to look up in order to see. Very uncomfortable. So around 2007, they made modifications to make Bugs Bunny as on model as possible while making it easier for the actor to see out of. He would have bigger eyes and a bigger mouth as a backup see through. His teeth are smaller too. Also, a much thicker fur was added to the costume making him a little softer than the previous version.
"Looney Tunes Show Bugs" 2011-at most 2012
To help promote the new Looney Tunes Show for Cartoon Network, a specific version based off the show was used in promotional usage such as the White House Egg Roll and Atlantis Resort Hotels. While looking off model, this version is based off of the design used in The Looney Tunes Show and is not used at any Six Flags them parks.
"Hopi Hari Bugs version 1" around 2012
The folks in Brazil believed that the Looney Tunes Show was here to stay just like the recent My Little Pony reboot (outside of reruns, it wasn't). So all the Looney Tunes characters were redesigned specifically for Hopi Hari's "Looney Tunes Show themed area". So naturally Bugs was like he was in The Looney Tunes Show, but the costume was slightly different than the one used in the US. His mouth is closed, his eyes are much slimmer, and his ears more narrow. In addition, Bugs was colored purple in the first season of The Looney Tunes Show, so the costume was colored purple as well.
"Hopi Hari Bugs version 2" around 2013-2022
Changes were made in the second season of the Looney Tunes Show having the characters closely resembled to that of their original versions. Bugs is now grey again, but the costume continued to use the same eyes and narrow ears. His mouth is opened slightly. This costume was only being used at Hopi Hari in Brazil. By 2022/23, Hopi Hari lost their Warner Bros. license thus automatically bringing an end to this costume.
"Warner Bros. World Bugs" 2018
Warner Bros. was getting ready to open their brand new theme park in Abu Dhabi. It was time to freshen up some of the Looney Tunes characters like Bugs, Daffy, Tweety, and Taz, plus new costumes of The Flintstones and Tom and Jerry. Bugs does gain a little weight, but still looks similar in body type. His head is brand spankin new making him look like the classic headshots from the classic Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies. His cheeks are more pointy than previous versions, and it has many new detailed features than previous versions. Currently, it is only being used at Warner Bros. World in Abu Dhabi
"Articulated Bugs" 2018-2020
That's not All Folks! Just like Disney and their articulated versions of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy (plus others), WB also made for their new theme park articulated versions of Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny. Very similar to the newest costume for Abu Dhabi, Bugs can now move his eyelids and mouth. How is it done? Here are the secrets: the performer wears a special head with wires. Each one has a button on each hand. The performer presses the button lightly which signals the movements. One controls the eyelids while the other controls his mouth. Done on a pre-recorded track, this makes the illusion that Bugs and Daffy are actually talking. Click here to watch in action. When the pandemic hit in 2020, social distancing protocols caused the end of this attraction. Many live shows still happened at the hub of the theme park. However, they would not use this costume anymore. It's a real shame because it had a great opportunity to expand this costume to other places.
"Warner Bros World Bugs version 2" July 2018-present
Another Bugs Bunny costume is also making its rounds at Warner Bros. World. Mostly seen at the front gates, this version presents Bugs in a softer feature. His mouth is closed, and his cheeks are much rounder. His ears are shorter and has much rounder eyes. It's been suggested that this may have replaced the first version so that it appears his mouth is closed except for when he talks in the Bugs and Daffy show using his articulated version. This version for a while was only being used at Warner Bros. World in Abu Dhabi, but in 2021, the costume was spotted at Six Flags America and Six Flags Great Adventure during the Holiday at the Park event
"New Legacy Bugs" 2021
With Space Jam a New Legacy coming out, Warner Bros. decided to redesign Bugs and Lola for costume characters. This costume looks a little odd compared to the other recent costumes. The head is big and Bugs looks short in stature. His eyes are much bigger and rounder. This could be due to the lighting, but Bugs looks a little bit more purple, but not as purple as on The Looney Tunes Show. It's not clear where the performer can see through the head, but the mouth could for sure be where they see through, but the eyes could be plastic and not netting. While this costume was made for the premier of Space Jam, this premiere took place at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Could Six Flags end up using this costume? Well.....no. After the hype of the new Space Jam movie, the costume would easily end up being retired. And all the new costumes coming to Six Flags parks ended up being the version 2 mold from Abu Dhabi.
BONUS: Baby Looney Tunes Bugs (various forms mid-late 2000's)
Not seen at any theme parks, but costumes that are worth noting as used officially for live events and stuff. Here are a few of these costumes.
