Yup, it's been exactly 80 years since the very first Tom & Jerry cartoon, "Puss Gets The Boot" was released in US theaters in February 10, 1940. That short would later span a series starring the most famous animated Cat-and-Mouse duo. For pretty much every decade since, Tom & Jerry have always been a part of television, whether it's reruns of the classic theatrical shorts, or new TV shows being produced.
The characters were created by the legendary duo of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, who would direct all the shorts made during the 40s and the 50s (with Hanna also providing the voice for Tom's screams). In the 60s, two new series of shorts were made, the first directed by Gene Deitch, and the second by former Looney Tunes director Chuck Jones. After that, Hanna and Barbera will get their characters back for multiple spin-off shows made for TV, and eventually the series and characters and all related merchandise would become owned by Warner Bros., who would continue producing new series. The last series, The Tom & Jerry Show, is still in production.
So yeah, Happy 80th Anniversary, Tom & Jerry. Thanks for all these years of funny animation and cartoon violence. Fell free to share your experiences, ERA.
