The WB100 Project
"You must remember this,
A kiss is just a kiss,
A sigh is just a sigh.
The fundamental things apply.
As time goes by..."
April 4, 2023, marked the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Warner Bros Pictures.
As a fan of the Warner Bros Discovery-owned unit, especially its extended library that includes shows and films from MGM, RKO, Hanna-Barbera, Lorimar, Ruby-Spears, HBO, New Line, and Castle Rock, I wanted to create something celebrating one of the most iconic brands on the planet.
I started a year-long journey that begun on April 4, 2023, and ended on April 3, 2024 at exactly 11:59 PM EST. I created over 1000 banners because I wanted to celebrate every story, or at least celebrate as much as I could.
Thus, The WB100 Project was born.
But how did I get here?
I was Inspired by the works of Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv, the legendary graphic design firm behind some of the biggest brand identities on the planet. CGH worked on Warner Bros Discovery's new corporate brand identity and redesigned the familiar Warner Bros shield just in time for the studio's 100th anniversary.
Initially, I wasn't impressed by the simple redesign, but the longer I saw it, the more I could see the potential in what it could be, especially with the examples CGH provided in the initial press announcements.
Initially, CGH wanted to do more character-driven banners throughout the year, as you can see from these official images.
Unfortunately, Warner Bros just used the logo itself, mostly on merchandise and promotional campaigns. Still, I was fascinated by the potential of this logo design, what CGH wanted to accomplish, and actually wanted to tell and celebrate the stories told by this great company.
Even talk about the stories they rarely pushed when doing events like this.
When Warner Bros released their sizzle reel commemorating the centennial anniversary, there was a sense of awe and reverence to the past and what's to come. Morgan Freeman said it best.
"Every story is worthy of being told."
I felt that, and I wanted to do that.
I wanted to tell the stories of this great studio and the legacy it built up over a century. I wanted to showcase the stories I felt the studio would either intentionally or unintentionally ignore.
More importantly, I really wanted to talk about the television side of the studio, and not just the same old stuff they always talk about.
I think that's why when I started The WB100 Project, the very first one I made was for Living Single, the 1993 sitcom that aired for five seasons on FOX and had the exact same premise and formula as fellow WB series Friends, which premiered on NBC a year later and lasted twice as long, not to mention more prominent in the eyes of the studio.
The televised side of the Warner Bros story is rarely talked about or celebrated despite the massive library of shows, including those from the Lorimar-Telepictures, MGM, Hanna-Barbera, Ruby-Spears, Castle Rock, and New Line catalog, being iconic fan-favorites for nearly 70 years.
Originally, when I collected these images, I had all of the television side of Warner Bros in one portfolio. However, I felt it was a bit long in the tooth and a bit disjointed, so I separated them into two different portfolios: Television (Animation) and Television (Live-Action).
Throughout the year, I created many variations of the WB100 banner, but I basically kept it simple for the most part.
For television, I largely kept the blue and gold banner Warner Bros had initially introduced as their main centennial banner.
For others, I played around with familiar iconography and design elements from the various brands of the studio.
For the animated side, I kept Hanna-Barbera with the TV motif. As for the classic animation, I had something a bit classier in mind. Still preparing that portfolio, so watch this space.
The first major part of the WB100 Project was the WB100 x CN30 Project. Cartoon Network marked its 30th anniversary on October 1, 2022, so I spent the spring creating banners showcasing all of Cartoon Network Studios’ original productions that were produced for the main Cartoon Network (not Adult Swim nor MAX).
By the time I was done in late June, I was going to start up a similar project focusing on Warner Bros’ original productions for the Kids’ WB block and a project honoring HBO as its 50th anniversary season was winding down.
However, things changed.
When I was queuing up these posts, a pair of strikes took over Hollywood, and I felt conflicted. While the writers and the actors were demanding to be respected and paid fairly for their works, supporting a studio over the folks who created the stories I enjoyed seemed kind of ill-timed. So, aside from the queued posts I made for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Canada Day, Independence Day, Coronation Day, and Opening Night of the NFL season (as well as a few anniversaries), I temporarily put a pause on the project until the strikes officially ended.
Fortunately, I kept the images and prepared for the holiday season.
I went all out for Halloween and the Christmas Holiday season to finish out 2023, rang in 2024 at exactly midnight across each time zone in the continental United States, and celebrated the Year of the Dragon for Chinese New Year, Mardi Gras, and St. Patrick's Day as well as a few milestones in 2024, all of which could be found in the Holidays and Events portfolio.
The final major month-long event I made for the WB100 Project was for Black History Month (also in the Holidays and Events portfolio). I wanted to acknowledge the culture and the impact of Black stories, creators, and characters in the legacy of Warner Bros because I felt that Warner Bros wasn't going to do anything acknowledging the month. Sadly, I was right. Warner Bros was winding down its own centennial celebration and barely did anything in 2024. WB100 was already in the rear-view window for them. By March, I knew the end was near.
And, of course, I made banners for the films of Warner Bros. Whether it was a classic from the studio, a legacy title from MGM or RKO, or a recent release, I celebrated the films. Admittedly, it wasn't to the same degree as I did with the television side, but I knew the Warner Bros was going to do that themselves.
Including acknowledging Warner Bros' Oscar-winning films from the main studio and New Line.
But not MGM. That's another story for another time.
On April 4, 2024, I officially ended tweeting the WB100 Project since Warner Bros officially turned 101, so the centennial season is over.
That said, I’m not finished with the WB100 Project. I’m building permanent portfolios with all of the images I have made and tweeted out throughout the year (over 1000 were created in that time). My hope is to fill in all the shows and movies I missed in that time because I missed a lot.
The portfolios will focus on shows and films that were released in the period between April 4, 1923, and April 3, 2024, the first 100 years of the Warner Bros story. I have a small loophole where I’ll include films and shows announced in that period but haven’t been released yet like the James Gunn-produced DC Studios fare, shows like Invincible Fight Girl, Uzumaki, and Lazarus, and others.
I also still plan on honoring the folks who made an impact on the legacy of Warner Bros. I showed off a few of the WB100 Icons throughout the year, and there were so many whose names must be shared and whose stories need to be told.
I won’t use the #WB100 hashtag on social media anymore, but The WB100 Project will live on in these portfolios.
The stories will continue to be celebrated as long as I’m able to do it.
Here’s to the future, and as I said in my final banner, never stop celebrating every story.
