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The colored concrete rings used in the introduction of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons change every release season.
1935-36 Merrie Melodies Blue-Purple Rings Black Background Red Shield
Used from early to late 1936. "I Think You're Ducky" plays and each rendition is slightly different in each cartoon played. This scheme debuted on "I Wanna Play House".
1936-1937 Merrie Melodies Blue Rings Black Background Blue Shield
Used from late 1936-1937. "I Think You're Ducky" is replaced with "Merrily We Roll Along", which would be the theme of the series until 1964. The very first cartoons play this song at a very fast pace. However, starting in March 1937, the tempo slowed down. In July 1937, a twanging noise would be heard when the shield zoomed in on screen. Beginning with "Plenty of Money and You", the closing theme would also be "Merrily We Roll Along".
1937-1938 Merrie Melodies Orange-Yellow Rings Black Background Blue Shield
Used from late 1937-1938. The production code moves to the first opening title, the Merrie Melodies font changes, and the opening theme now had a largely dominant woodwind arrangement for the opening and closing. In January 1938, the theme was sparsely modified. Later on, starting in August 1938, it was changed again, this time with a concert band full of woodwind and brass. Almost every short closed with the 1937-38 closing theme. The only cartoon to use these rings with the 1938-1941 closing theme was "You're an Education".
1938-1939 Merrie Melodies Green-Yellow Rings Black Background Red Shield
This was used during the 1938-1939 season. The opening theme still remains the same as August 1938. The closing theme is the same as in "You're an Education". In 1939, the opening theme was heavily modified and made a much more perfect version of the theme with trombones. Also from April to October 1939, "Vitaphone" is changed to "Warner Bros." and "Presents" and changed to "Present".
1939- early 1940 Merrie Melodies Red White and Blue Rings Cloudy Background Red Shield
Used from 1939 to early 1940. The opening and closing theme is exactly the same. Also, the cloud background resembles the cloud background from the modern-day Warner Bros. Pictures logo.
Mid-late 1940 Black and Red Rings Black Background Red Shield
Used from 1940. Everything remains the same. The "That's All Folks!" text has reached its finalized version and the other ending text is slightly modified.
1940-1941 Merrie Melodies Orange Rings Black Background Red Shield
Used from 1940-1941. "Malibu Beach Party" is the only cartoon where the music is exactly the same as before. After that, it was changed to a sparsely modified version which sounds like a mix of the 1938-1939 themes. The closing theme is the same until 1941, then the opening and closing themes were heavily modified and more brassy. The Merrie Melodies font was changed again. In "The Heckling Hare", Bugs Bunny appears on top of the shield, munching on a carrot, then pulls down the logo like a shade.
1941-1942 Merrie Melodies Dark Blue-Purple Rings Black Background Red Shield.
Used from 1941-1942 shorts. The music is the same as 1941. A variant, introduced this season, appears with Bugs Bunny munching on the carrot except instead of pulling the logo down, he angrily glares at the camera, and the logo fades in. This variant only appears on Bugs Bunny cartoons. Mid way into 1942, the "WARNER BROS." and "Present" font change slightly. The intro resembles the original 1936 Merrie Melodies intro.
1942-1943 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Red Rings Black Background Red Shield
Used from 1942-1943. Everything is the same. This is the first Looney Tunes season to use the concrete rings. The black-and-white Looney Tunes shorts used a variant where the circles were gray.
1944-1945 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Blue Rings Red Background Red Shield
Used from 1944-1945. Everything is the same, except the Merrie Melodies text at the end gets a new design that would last from "Meatless Flyday" until 1955 (when the studio reopened they used the smaller backgrounds for widescreen shorts). Starting with "Hare Ribbin'", a new Bugs Bunny variant is introduced this season where the Warner Bros. shield zooms in, then it fades to a grinning mugshot of Bugs Bunny. The new Bugs Bunny variant is once again only seen on Bugs Bunny cartoons. Also, "Produced by Leon Schlesinger" changes to "Produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons Inc." briefly before changing to "A WARNER BROS. CARTOON" due to Leon Schlesinger selling his studio to Warner Bros.. In addition, starting with "Stage Door Cartoon", the byline "PICTURES INC." is added under "WARNER BROS."
1945-1946 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Red Rings Black Background Red Shield
Used from 1945-1946. Everything is the same except the opening themes for both series are shortened due to the addition of credited staff. A new Bugs Bunny opening title variant was also introduced this season, which is essentially a re-animated version of "The Heckling Hare" variant. These backgrounds resemble the ones from the 1942-43 animation season.
1946-1947 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Blue Rings Red Background Red Shield
Used from 1946-1946. Everything is the same for Looney Tunes until the Looney Tunes theme was modified and famous for using a "goofy" version in 1946.
