Cartoons at the MoMi

        When I walked into the Museum of the Moving Image, I felt as though I had just entered a spaceship. It felt like the TV room in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". I was excited to see the different exhibitions in the building, which included makeup and prosthetics, sound, and even a whole section dedicated to the number of films and features made in Astoria, where the MoMi was located. However, I did not expect to see a whole floor that consisted of the work of the great Chuck Jones.
          The exhibition on Chuck Jones blew me away. There were videos of some his beloved characters, such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, and Wile Coyote, all over the exhibit. There were actual original drawings of his characters in motion. There were storyboards, exposure charts, and even a whole theater which showed Wile and the Road Runner going at it. I saw the earliest version of Bugs Bunny, which actually looked too adorable to not be evil. I saw how he as well as so many other characters evolved throughout the years. I was brought back to my childhood and it hit me that these are truly timeless characters. They were created in the 50s and they are still loved today. I realized that it was the only exhibit I have seen that displayed something that did not exist in the past. Instead, it endures today.      
            Looking back, I can't believe that I did not consider that cartoons were some of the greatest examples of moving image. I had gone into the museum expecting to see a whole lot of silent movies, old black and white films, and gargantuan cameras. I believe it was naive of me to have any type of expectation here. I learned that film and moving image is always changing; however, there will always be films that can last forever and still bring awe and wonder to the screen.