File:Mr. Spim's Cartoon Theatre Opening

Description
TRADEMARK & COPYRIGHT CARTOON NETWORK. A TIME WARNER COMPANY. ALL OTHER TRADEMARKS, COPYRIGHTS & LICENSES HAVE BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED. NO INFRINGEMENT INTENDED.

Credit for this clip goes to Steve Oakes of "Curious Pictures", who's also the co-founder of this company:

http://www.curiouspictures.com/commercials/directors_oakes.html

This is the opening for Cartoon Network's early-to-mid '90's weekend movie showcase, "Mr. Spim's Cartoon Theatre". "Mr. Spim's" was perhaps the checkerboard network's first attempt at a regular block for movies and specials, and it was in it that they aired their (short) library of animated movies, most notably the "Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10" telefilms along with other animated films from the Hanna-Barbera and pre-1986 MGM libraries. The "Mr Spim's" franchise was rather short-lived though, and fizzled out sometime during the late '90's, presumably mid-1997 when Cartoon Network went through a drastic make-over and re-launched itself with the "Powerhouse" theme which it would use from 1997 to 2004.

The opening to "Mr. Spim's"..........well, words can't really describe its randomness and abstractness so you call it. It is definitely based around a movie theater premise, though I don't know if that weird-ass big head at the end of the opening is supposed to be the enigmatic "Mr Spim".

"Mr Spim's Cartoon Theatre", a usually Sunday evening showcase, was most remembered for being preceded by premieres of then-new "World Premiere Toons" shorts throughout 1995-1996. The cartoon short/feature-length combination was perhaps a nod by Cartoon Network to the "Golden Age" of movies and animation, during which animated shorts would air before a movie or presentation. As most old-school CN fans should know, the "World Premiere Toons" (later "What A Cartoon!") series of shorts were the precursor to the later "Cartoon Cartoons" shows.

Enjoy!!!