Home Media Magazine reports that Warner Home Video will release “Blu-ray Disc combo packs of the animated classics Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! and A Charlie Brown Christmas — each set, at $29.99, will include both a high-def version on Blu-ray and a standard-def version on DVD.”
The Grinch combo pack will include bonus features from the previous DVD release which feature Thurl Ravenscroft (performer of “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch”), the TNT featurette hosted by Phil Hartman (The Simpsons), and audio commentary by the “First Lady of Cartoon Voice Acting” June Foray.
Elsewhere, voice director/comics and animation writer Mark Evanier reported on July 5th that June’s autobiography Did You Grow Up With Me, Too? will be available just in time for fans to purchase autographed copies at the San Diego Comic-Con. June will be one of the Con’s Guests of Honor, participating in a panel presentation on Saturday, July 25th (see Mark’s con sked for more details).
The same day, Mark also posted a vintage photo with a group shot of animation and voice acting legends: Joe Barbera, Walter Lantz, Don Messick, Daws Butler, June Foray and Bill Hanna.
Mark gives June’s book high praise: “This is a remarkable book about a remarkable lady and it’s profusely illustrated with never-before-seen photos from her personal files. You’re going to want a copy. Trust me.”
And on July 16, Mark praised the book yet again: “If you’ve ever loved anything June has done, you want this book, which is lavishly illustrated with photos from her private files.” Mark’s update also offers additional details on her appearances at the San Diego Comic-Con.
If you’re not able to attend the con (and many of us unfortunately can’t), you can order the book from my friend and fellow voice actor fan Ben Ohmart via BearManorMedia.com starting July 25th. In the meantime, you can preview the book’s Foreward written by film historian Leonard Maltin at the same link.
And on a related note, just a reminder that the June Foray Documentary is releasing sometime in 2009, as I previously reported here. Still no word on the release date, though, but I’ll see if I can get an update from the producer soon.
In the meantime, here’s a preview via YouTube:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_BY2FPd96E&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1]
This 30-minute DVD documentary will be narrated by legendary announcer and cartoon voice actor Gary Owens, and feature interviews with noted voice talents Joe Alaskey, Will Ryan, Rob Paulsen, Tom Kenny, Mark Evanier, and June’s VO agent Don Pitts.
