The real story behind H-B's "Swirling Star" logo

[George3000]

Okay, seeing as we've all grown up watching Hanna-Barbera cartoons on CN and Boomerang, you probably don't need any introduction to this some-what popular logo below:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IqWOPMHbs0E/SRnrbOmXW1I/AAAAAAAABTE/V9FvmxWX-fc/s400/hanna-barbera_productions.jpg

While this logo has been most popularly associated with Hanna-Barbera since 1979, apparently Taft Broadcasting (H-B's long time owners) used this same design for a different Taft division, Taft International Pictures, except the design was metallic bronze/gold rather than a flat rainbow color.
When Taft was renamed Great American Broadcasting ("GAB") in 1988, the logo continued to serve as the emblem for the studio and its print material, albeit along side a new scripted "Hanna-Barbera" wordmark. However, seemingly after GAB sold the studio to Turner in 1991, H-B seemed eager to phase out the "Star" logo; it was replaced with a more modern "All Stars" logo on the studio's main sign by 1993.

Which makes me wonder this question: Even though we would later see it on early seasons of The Powerpuff Girls beginning in 1998, did GAB still hold the trademark to the "Swirling Star" logo at the time of Turner's purchase?
What do you think?:confused:

[Tobias]

This was the HB logo I grew up on. I associate any and all 80's Hanna Barbera cartoons with it. The last few seasons of Superfriends, Pound Puppies, the Smurfs, Flintstone Kids, Challenge of the Gobots, that swirling logo brings back a lot of memories.

[Still HowardFein]

However, seemingly after GAB sold the studio to Turner in 1991, H-B seemed eager to phase out the "Star" logo; it was replaced with a more modern "All Stars" logo on the studio's main sign by 1993.

It was more like 1990 or '91 that the Swirling Star fell out of use. It was not used with the three Saturday AM network series that premiered in fall 1990: TOM & JERRY KIDS, GRAVEDALE HIGH and BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURES. KIDS had a H-B/Turner closing logo followed by the classic MGM Lion. GRAVEDALE and ADVENTURES had a special FLINTSTONES 40th Anniversary logo with a tuxedoed Fred on it.

For Fall 1991, PIRATES OF DARK WATER and YO! YOGI still had the Star, but not the jingle that went with it; rather it was seen under the closing strains of the theme song. The same held true for 1988's THE COMPLETELY MENTAL MISADVENTURES OF ED GRIMLEY.

But during this period, the original syndicated series aired under the Sunday AM FUNTASTIC WORLD OF HANNA-BARBERA umbrella (DON COYOTE, MIDNIGHT PATROL, YOUNG ROBIN HOOD, summer 1990 reruns of TOP CAT) still used the full Star.

From what I remember, there were no new H-B series made for the fall 1992 production season:(, but the new syndicated TWO STUPID DOGS and S.W.A.T CATS were the first to feature the 'Turner' closing logo with a pose of the series' characters under a cacophony of supposed H-B SFX. This continued with the earliest CN originals (DEXTER, JOHNNY BRAVO, COW & CHICKEN). So it was quite surprising that POWERPUFF and DEXTER'S EGO TRIP used the Star after several years' absence.

CN reruns of vintage H-B series used a 'montage' title card of various characters under SFX: one with comedic characters (used after THE FLINTSTONES, JETSONS, TOP CAT); the other with 'adventure' characters (after SCOOBY-DOO, JONNY QUEST). Thankfully, current Boomerang reruns of WACKY RACES, PENELOPE PITSTOP and JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS retain the Taft 1968-70 'zooming' H-B with accompanying upward xylophone trill. But for some bizarre reason CATTANOOGA CAT reruns ended with the Star, which seemed very out of place for those who care.

[Jeff Harris]

It was more like 1990 or '91 that the Swirling Star fell out of use. It was not used with the three Saturday AM network series that premiered in fall 1990: TOM & JERRY KIDS, GRAVEDALE HIGH and BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURES. KIDS had a H-B/Turner closing logo followed by the classic MGM Lion. GRAVEDALE and ADVENTURES had a special FLINTSTONES 40th Anniversary logo with a tuxedoed Fred on it. A bit of a clarification.

Tom and Jerry Kids didn't have Leo the MGM Lion in the end credits as MGM had no ownership stake of the series at the time as it was 100% owned by Turner Broadcasting. The first season of Tom and Jerry Kids did have a variant of the Swirling Star. It was a small, static black-and-white version beside the words Hanna-Barbera in the typeface that was introduced in Jetsons: The Movie and became prominent for the studio for much of the decade. It was above the Turner Entertainment logo. Subsequent seasons had just H-B Productions for some odd reason instead.

And it wasn't the 40th anniversary of The Flintstones in 1990. It was the 30th. 1990 had one other tuxedoed cartoon character, Bugs Bunny, who celebrated his 50th anniversary that year, but that's another story for another time. They also had a 35th anniversary logo five years later. Surprisingly, Time Warner didn't celebrate The Flintstones' 40th anniversary in 2000. Then again, Classic Media isn't doing anything for the 50th anniversary of Rocky and Bullwinkle THIS YEAR, aside from the weekly airings on WGN America, but that's another conversation for another time.

And if they don't do anything next year for the 50th anniversary of the premiere of The Flintstones, we riot.

[hobbyfan]

It was more like 1990 or '91 that the Swirling Star fell out of use. It was not used with the three Saturday AM network series that premiered in fall 1990: TOM & JERRY KIDS, GRAVEDALE HIGH and BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURES. KIDS had a H-B/Turner closing logo followed by the classic MGM Lion. GRAVEDALE and ADVENTURES had a special FLINTSTONES 40th Anniversary logo with a tuxedoed Fred on it.

So did Wake, Rattle, & Roll, which was also from the class of 1990.

[SpaceCowboy]

When WPIX (NYC Tribune station) aired vintage episodes of The Flintstones and The Jetsons as part of their Sunday morning block in the early 1990's, the classic Swirling Star logo was used.

[Still HowardFein]

A bit of a clarification.

Tom and Jerry Kids didn't have Leo the MGM Lion in the end credits as MGM had no ownership stake of the series at the time as it was 100% owned by Turner Broadcasting. The first season of Tom and Jerry Kids did have a variant of the Swirling Star. It was a small, static black-and-white version beside the words Hanna-Barbera in the typeface that was introduced in Jetsons: The Movie and became prominent for the studio for much of the decade. It was above the Turner Entertainment logo. Subsequent seasons had just H-B Productions for some odd reason instead. And it wasn't the 40th anniversary of The Flintstones in 1990.

Thank you for that clarification. I must have been thinking of ABC's 1975 'emasculated' :tomcat::jerry: revival that ended with the 1974-78 'rainbow' H-B logo and the MGM lion. And you're correct; 1990 was THE FLINTSTONES' 30th anniversary.

[Mister Donut]

And it wasn't the 40th anniversary of The Flintstones in 1990. It was the 30th. 1990 had one other tuxedoed cartoon character, Bugs Bunny, who celebrated his 50th anniversary that year, but that's another story for another time. They also had a 35th anniversary logo five years later. Surprisingly, Time Warner didn't celebrate The Flintstones' 40th anniversary in 2000.
Sucks for them.

Then again, Classic Media isn't doing anything for the 50th anniversary of Rocky and Bullwinkle THIS YEAR, aside from the weekly airings on WGN America, but that's another conversation for another time.
Sucks for them too. :shrug:

And if they don't do anything next year for the 50th anniversary of the premiere of The Flintstones, we riot.
If they only knew...

[Still HowardFein]

When WPIX (NYC Tribune station) aired vintage episodes of The Flintstones and The Jetsons as part of their Sunday morning block in the early 1990's, the classic Swirling Star logo was used.

A number of other vintage H-B series repeated in syndication during the 1980s and 90s grafted on the Swirling Star. This included reruns of the entire 1969-78 SCOOBY-DOO catalog, and the 1988 revival of most of the YOGI BEAR series. Boomerang still uses the 1961 Yogi 'helicopter' ending (with non H-B SFX dubbed for the '88 revival) and Swirling Star.

In its early days, CN tacked it onto the end of other 1970s series with which it did not belong: PENELOPE PITSTOP, JOSIE, PEBBLES & BAMM-BAMM.

Most bizarrely, the Star appeared at the end of the late 1980s Worldvision Home Video releases of SECRET SQUIRREL VOLUME 2 and the It's The Wolf segments of CATTANOOGA CATS. No closing credits; just the end of the last cartoon, and the Star.

[Fibber Fox]

Okay, seeing as we've all grown up watching Hanna-Barbera cartoons on CN and Boomerang,

We did? I grew up in the '60s. Maybe you're talking about a parallel universe. ;)

did GAB still hold the trademark to the "Swirling Star" logo at the time of Turner's purchase?

I don't think companies suddenly lose a "trademark" after a few years. However, consultants and market research will suggest a new or revised logo will freshen things and grab attention.

F. Fox
http://yowpyowp.blogspot.com (no star on the cartoons there)