ACME Catalog: Quality is Our #1 Dream [Paperback]

Charles Carney (Author), ACME (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2006

Iron birdseed, anvils, fake holes, and morefor years The ACME Company has been the sole purveyor of the fine products used by Looney Tunes characters. Chronicle Books is proud to present an exclusive catalog featuring ACME's must-have, best-selling line of items, each guaranteed to promote a happy* life provided that they are used properly.** Including ACME classics and entirely new and untested items, the ACME Catalog showcases 100 products untarnished by government regulations. There's something here for everyone. An extruder that doubles as a pasta maker for Grandma. A roof-mounted catapult for Dad. And what about a little jet-powered pogo stick for yourself? Each item is matched with a thorough product description, the price, and the shipping cost. As always, the ACME Company brings corporate identity sans responsabilit to everything sold with its label. Please note that the ACME Company has no retail outlets or web site. In other words, this catalog is the only way for consumers to access this highly sought-after ACME line.

*"Happy" being relative to the level of one's acceptance of fate.
**Liability is limited to the competence of the user.

LOONEY TUNES and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

ACME products and services are synonymous with Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. ACME was first mentioned in the cartoon "Buddy's Bug Hunt" in the 1930s. Almost every director from the Golden Age of Warner Bros. cartoons has employed an ACME prod

Charles Carney is a former high school teacher who has been writing for Warner Bros. for 16 years. His home in Los Angeles is an ACME-free zone.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; 1st ptg edition (October 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081185115X
• ISBN-13: 978-0811851152
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 0.4 x 8.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,924 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #40 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Humor > Business & Professional

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A catalog of products liability August 29, 2006

By NadMan

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Very clever and most enjoyable for anyone who loves Looney Tunes...but where are the Earthquake pills?

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Do Not Read This - Unless you watch old WB Cartoons!! September 12, 2007

By Bruce K. Bates

Format:Paperback

Anyone who has ever watched old Warner Brothers Cartoons is familiar with the mail order house of ACME. This is especially true of Road Runner Cartoons. Come along on a ride down memory lane!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars ACME Catalog -- As promised July 28, 2006

By Jeanne S. Denison

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you're a fan of the Road Runner and his nemisis, Wiley Coyote, then this is a must have. Every item, no matter how looney, that was featured in the cartoon is here. Complete pricing information for those intrepid mad scientists in your house.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I always wondered how much those gagets cost...now I know Wile was rich! September 9, 2007

By Chandra Calihan

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Need a clever disguise? or perhaps a pocket-sized anvil? ACME has it, and now they're reaching a bigger audience, reality. Filled with wonderful illustrations and humor, this book is a must-have for anybody who is a cartoon fan....or just needs a catalog to put onto the coffee table.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth an anvil's weight in nostalgic cartoon gold! May 3, 2012

By TexasLou

Format:Paperback

If you have fond childhood memories of Saturday mornings and watching vintage Warner Brothers cartoons in your pajamas, this book is a must have!

From "Quality is our #1 dream" on the cover to the final catalog item (Rocket Skates), reading this book was like recapturing lost joy.

A few of the items/descriptions I particularly enjoyed were:

AUTOMATIC BOXING GLOVE (page 32) "We realize you have a choice of automatic boxing gloves..."

BAG 'O CHAINS (PAGE 50) "How many times have you said 'I only need about ten links of quality chain, but I don't want to buy the whole anchor set'..."

GLUE CANNON (PAGE 90) "a 50-gallon internal reservoir allows you to cover a 20-foot section of multi-lane highway in 3 seconds..."

If those items and descriptions don't conjure up comically genius images of Wile E. Coyote's complex yet futile plots to catch the roadrunner, nothing else will.

Other brilliant ACME products include: Straitjacket Bazooka, Disintegrating Pistol, Integrating Pistol, Instant Tunnel Paint, and, of course, an Anvil.

Another surprising thing about this book is how the author introduces effectively and seamlessly a few products which I don't believe were part of the original cartoons.

Unlike the WB cartoons of the 80s-on which attempted and failed to recapture the glory of the golden years, new ACME catalog items like the Dashboard HDTV blend right in.

If you love golden-age WB cartoons or know someone who does, BUY THIS BOOK.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars At Last! January 28, 2012

By R. Vincent

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

For those of us that are categorized as "Boomers", there were two things we remember well from childhood...Catalog Shopping, and Looney Tunes. In those pre-internet days, catalogs in the mail were something to look forward to. From Montgomery Ward to the HUGE Sears Christmas catalog, we'd spend hours flipping through the pages and making our wish lists. With that background, what fan of Looney Tunes wouldn't want to have their very own copy of the famous ACME catalog, where Wile E. Coyote (Super Genius) ordered all those amazing devices like the Bat Man Suit, Rocket Sneakers, and so many more? I've long said that someone should produce an actual ACME catalog...and now, they have!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good "Looney" Fun August 16, 2010

By David F. Nolan

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

If, like me, you grew up chuckling at old Warner Brothers cartoons, you'll get a kick out of this book. The illustration style is a bit weird - items are shown as 3D objects, rather than in the cartoon style you'd expect - but the book is entertaining. I'd recommend it to any fan of Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Acme Catalog February 14, 2010

By R. B. Oneill

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you watched the Roadrunner and the Coyote cartoons as a kid ,or even as an adult, you will enjoy this book.
It is written as if it is the actual Acme catalog that Wile E.Coyote ordered from .
It has 94 pages of very nice illustrations done in early 50's ad style colours,complete with information like an actual catalog including cautionary warnings and shipping prices .From the Acme Boomerang to Instant Tunnel Paint you will enjoy seeing many of the funny gadgets from the cartoons .