Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection: Volume 2 (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)"If Woody had gone straight to the police, this would NEVER have happened..." (from BUNCO BUSTERS)
I share some fans' viewpoint that the 1940s Woody starring vehicles are the best. But many Woody viewers appreciate the 1950s Woody shorts -- the body of this collection -- for other reasons. These are the Woody shorts from which generations of nostalgia come.
"The story you are about to see is a big fat lie..." "Now I've gotcha, Chief Charlie Horse!" "YAAAAAY!" "Make with them keys, Maestro, and don't stop!" Face it: you remember these beloved Woody cliches even if you no longer recall the specific cartoons (UNDER THE COUNTER SPY, CHIEF CHARLIE HORSE, NIAGARA FOOLS, CONVICT CONCERTO) from which they come. You're getting them. All of them.
And that's not even starting on the supporting features, a mini-anthology of highly inspired choices. Andy Panda's MOUSIE COME HOME envisions codependence in crazed cartoon form; Chilly Willy's HALF-BAKED ALASKA has its unforgettable patter routine ("More butter? More syrup?"); and THE HAMS THAT COULDN'T BE CURED is a hot jazz Three Little Pigs send-up.
Finally there's Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, the star Walter Lantz inherited from an earlier (1927-28) Walt Disney/Ub Iwerks regime at Universal. Disney reacquired some rights to Oswald in 2006; last year saw a selection released in their Walt Disney Treasures line. But Universal retained rights to its own Oswald material, and Woody Vol. 2 brings us another small, tempting quintet.
The inventive, vital black and white classics are a fascinatingly different viewing experience from anything else on this box, as wannabe hero Oswald is smacked by Tex Avery's earliest gags. A long-lost color Oswald featuring girlfriend Fanny, SPRINGTIME SERENADE, is here too.
With new Oswald dolls and merchandise now available in stores, one can only hope Universal will tie in by taking the next step -- to release a multi-volume disc set on the Woody model, but with Oswald as the main character. From CHILLY CON CARMEN's pre-Betty Boop hooch dance to the cyborg T-Rex of STONE AGE, from the impossible ocean tricks of PERMANENT WAVE to Oswald's surrealist, pre-Wackyland adventures on MARS, there are dozens of these classics crying for a release.
Throw in a few pre-Lantz Oswalds as extras, and we're so there.

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It's time for more crazy tricks and treats with your favorite feathered friend in The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection: Volume 2!75 hilarious theatrical cartoons from creator Walter Lantz are presented completely uncut and digitally remastered including 3 Academy Award nominees.Enjoy the side-splitting fun and wacky adventures of Woody along with Chilly Willy, Andy Panda, Wally Walrus, Buzz Buzzard and Woody's nephew and niece - Knothead and Splinter.Featuring rare Musical Miniature and Swing Symphony cartoons plus appearances by Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Windy the Bear, Maggie and Sam and Inspector Willoughby, this outrageous collection is non-stop fun for fans of all ages!

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Walt Disney Treasures - Silly Symphonies (1936) Review

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(More customer reviews)Before I obtained this DVD set, I had high expectations. I had seen some of the Mickey Mouse In Living Color set, and was enthrolled at the gorgeous color and clearity of the pictures. Not to mention sound with no hiss or other pollutants. The Silly Symphony DVD set did not disappoint.
It is not my intent to author a history of Disney animation. However, a few facts will lead to a greater appreciation of this set. Disney started in the 20's with a character named Alice, that later developed into Mickey Mouse. Cartoons were all in b/w, and animation not as refined as in the 30s and 40s. From 1924 through 1926, Disney produced only Alice shorts. (Now THERE would be some real TREASURES if Disney ever released these toons! They've never been released commercially!) In 1927 and 28, Disney changed his primary character to Oswald, the Lucky Rabbit. These have also never been released. As 1929 drew to a close, other studios began releasing musical shorts - remember that sound with image only began in 1927 - and Walt was under pressure to produce a new product for theaters. One with color and sound. The Silly Symphony was born. Essentially, that's what Silly Symphonies are. They are a cartoon story to a musical soundtrack with almost no dialogue or verbal exchange.
The first Silly Symphonies were composed of simple themes - in fact, there were a set produced that dealt only with the seasons: Springtime and Summer came out in 1930, Fall and Winter came out in 1931. Other titles were Arctic Antics, Frolicking Fish and Monkey Melodies. The animation was nice, but the themes were simple. In 1931 as audiences tired of these simple themes, Disney had to produce something new again, so began the fairy tale editions of Silly Symphonies. Some of these ended up being the studio's best work! By the mid 30's Disney was also doing purely artistic shorts which were somewhat abstract, culminating in a short, not on the DVD, (ouch!) called Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom, about musical instruments coming to life in a totally Salvador Dali-like surreal backdrop.
The Disney Treasures DVD focuses on several academy award winners (such as The Old Mill) and the fairy tale/story based Silly Symphonies. Many of Disney's finest efforts are included, such as the Tortoise and the Hare, The Grasshopper and the Ants, Three Little Pigs, 1929's Skeleton Dance, Flowers and Trees, Woodland Cafe, Music Land, and Disney's most lavish Symphony, Wynken Blynken and Nod. The color is great, the sound equally impressive. Many of these shorts were previously released on Disney's VHS line called "Limited Editions Gold" series 1 and 2 in the late 80's. (each series was 6 tapes). In fact, that line contains many SS shorts not on the DVD. However, the DVD does have some 35 different SS shorts on it. Many have introductions by the host of the series, Leonard Maltin. (Note! Many also have intros by Walt Disney - but they are hidden as Easter Eggs! You'll have to search for those Easter Eggs to get Walt's commentary!)
All in all, this is a wonderful package for SS fans, with a nice selection of the Silly Symphony shorts (35 shorts are on the DVD, 36 are not) with subjects to please adults and children alike, gorgeous color and sound, and very attractive packaging. Plus you get a little 6x8 "card" of collectible poster art in the box. If you love 30's animation and especially Disney's, you can't go wrong with this set of DVDs.
(Now, I HAVE to mention one thing. Although the selections on the DVDs are great, I wish they would have made this a 4 disk set, and put ALL 71 SS shorts on DVD at one time. There are some shorts that truly deserved to be on this DVD set, such as The Moth and the Flame, the four "Seasons" shorts, Three Blind Mouseketeers (a precursor to the Mickey Mouse Club!), Goddess of Spring, and certainly Toot, Whistle at el. I guess these are being held for Volume II at some point, but it would have been nice to not have quite as much commentary from Leonard, and more of the shorts instead. No offense Leonard.)
All in all, I give this effort 4 out of 5 stars. Get this DVD, you won't regret it and you'll enjoy it for years!

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This groundbreaking series of 31 uncensored cartoons, released between 1929 and 1939, includes six Academy Award(R) winners and provides an astonishing look inside the evolution of animation. Each boasting a unique cast of characters, these musical shorts served as Walt Disney's proving ground for emerging technology, new musical styles, and experimental forms. In addition to the cartoons themselves, join Academy Award(R)-winning composer Richard M. Sherman (MARY POPPINS) for an overview of the "Silly Symphony" series, and take a peek inside the Disney archives to view some rare and remarkable merchandise, conceptual art, and theatrical posters. Enjoy a nostalgic look back at the original musical shorts that launched a revolution in the world of animation. Featuring exclusive introductions by film historian Leonard Maltin, this is a timeless collection from generations past for generations to come.

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Popeye the Sailor: 1933-1938, Vol. 1 (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is it, Popeye cartoon fans! We have dreamed about it, wished for it, and hoped for it. Warner Brothers Video, by arrangement with King Features Syndicate, is issuing here the first 60 ORIGINAL Fleischer Studios Popeye cartoons. Wonderful! These fantastic cartoons are being released in chronological order of their theatrical release, FULLY RESTORED from the original negatives in beautiful black and white, UNCUT, with all Paramount titles restored. Volume 1, 1933-1938, is a 4-disc collector's edition. Also included in this release are the first two Three-Color-Technicolor two-reel specials: "Popeye the Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor", and "Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves". If that isn't enough, 5 hours worth of bonus materials are included: Audio commentaries from Mark Kausler, Jerry Beck, Mark Evanier, and others. More features include restrospectives on Popeye and Max Fleischer, behind the toons featurettes, and bonus shorts.
So many of us remember seeing many of these vintage Popeye shorts when we were kids, and fondly remember the incredible animation from those early Fleischer Studios Popeye's. In 1933, the original Popeye voice was done by William Costello. Sometime in 1935 he was fired and The Sailor Man's voice was taken over by Jack Mercer, who kept at it for the remaining duration of these great cartoons. Remember that wonderful muttering in those early years by Popeye? That was the great Jack Mercer. Who could forget that fantastic "Is that so?" and all the other regular mutterings that Popeye would utter, more so especially during the Fleischer years. Bluto was fantastic, too, with some great back-and-forth quips between himself and his rival. His voice was delivered by William Pennell from 1933-1935, then Gus Wickie from 1935 until his death in 1938. The voice of Olive Oyl was delivered by Mae Questel.
So, all you Popeye fans... this is what we have been waiting for many a year. Throw out all your other Popeye videos and DVDs. Get rid of your VHS tapes that you made from the Cartoon Network. Destroy (with pleasure) all of those horrible colorized Popeye's made infamous by Mr. Turner. Animation historian Jerry Beck says that "your eyes will POP at the restorations. If you've never seen them you are in for a revelation." At long last...the first official release of the Max Fleischer cartoons on DVD. Without a doubt, you will be absolutely, positively delighted!!!

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The plot lines in the animated cartoons tended to be simple. A villain, usually Bluto, makes a move on Popeye's "sweetie", Olive Oyl. The bad guy then clobbers Popeye until Popeye eats spinach, which gives him superhuman strength. The fundamental character of Popeye, paralleling that of another 1930's icon, Superman, also invokes traditional values possessing uncompromising moral standards and resorting to force only when threatened, or when he "can't stands no more"! The first volume includes 58 (7-10 min) theatrical blk & white shorts from 1933 to 1938 and 2 two-reeler 20 minute color cartoons. (Notable shorts: * POPEYE THE SAILOR MEETS SINDBAD THE SAILOR was an Academy Award� Nominee. Betty Boop appears in a cameo as a hula dancer in the 1st short "Popeye The Sailor")DVD Features:DocumentariesFeaturetteMusic Only TrackOther

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Casper the Friendly Ghost Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this DVD for my kids. They love it!
GoodTimes Video is doing a good job bringing people good classic cartoons at a very affordable price. For [$], you got 9 short movies and 66 minutes of entertainment.
Here is what you can find, the first 5 episodes are all about Caspers the Friendly Ghost(All Color, not black and white).

1) The Friendly Ghost(aka Casper the Friendly Ghost), This is Casper's debut by Izzy Sparber, 1945
2) A haunting We Will Go, by Seymour Kneitel
3) There's Good Boos To-Night, Sparber's followup, 1948
4) Boo Moon, Sparber, Kneitel
5) Spooking about Africa, Kneitel
Now, the next 4 short movies are not Casper, but equally "ghostly-sweet". Two of the episodes are from "Popeye", one "Felix the Cat" and one "Betty Boop" by Max Fleischer.
6) Fright to Finish, Kneitel's Popeye
7) I don't scare, Kneitel's Popeye
8) Bold King Cole, Felix the Cat
9) Is My Palm Read(aka Professor Bimbo), Max Fleischer's Betty Boop. This is the only black and white episode but probably is the best cartoon collected here. The wave scene after Betty Boop escaped from a wrecked ship is probably worth half of the price alone!

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Popeye: The Sailor Man (75th Anniversary Collectors Edition) restored. Review

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(More customer reviews)This "75th Anniversary Collector's Edition" 2-disc set of POPEYE THE SAILOR MAN classic cartoons is well worth having, at least for the first disc.
Casual fans may not know that there has never been an "official" release of the classic Popeye cartoons, on VHS or DVD, in the history of home video. The best the one-eyed sailor's fans could ever get were either iffy bootleg collections or a handful of murky public-domain short subjects.
VCI's set is also comprised of PD shorts, but some work has been done to them and the package has been treated with the respect it deserves (except for the simple and rather disappointing cover, which belies the quality within. Too bad Leslie Cabarga - a cartoonist and author of "The Fleischer Story" - wasn't brought in to do a better one).
The stars of the package are the three Technicolor 2-reelers created by Max and Dave Fleischer in the later 1930s, POPEYE THE SAILOR MEETS SINDBAD THE SAILOR, POPEYE THE SAILOR MEETS ALI BABA's FORTY THIEVES, and ALADDIN AND HIS WONDERFUL LAMP. These are three of the grandest, most colorful, and most imaginative cartoons of the golden era, and they've been restored and color-corrected and look - while not perfect - at least better than they have in a long while. As usual, ALADDIN is in somewhat worse shape than the first two, but it still looks better than I've ever seen it before. These cartoons feature some of the Fleischers' finest animation and deepest and most creative backgrounds (including 3D effects). SINDBAD in particular is a favorite.
In addition, six other Fleischer Popeyes are included, all from the late `30s B&W series. Titles include I'M IN THE ARMY NOW, LITTLE SWEE' PEA (another favorite), I NEVER CHANGES MY ALTITUDE, PANELESS WINDOW WASHER, DATE TO SKATE, and CUSTOMERS WANTED. They look varying degrees of good, but again, better than they have in many years.
The second disc contains 25 Popeye adventures from the Famous Studios years; ME MUSICAL NEPHEWS (1942) is in B&W, while the rest are in Technicolor and represent the years 1952-1957. Frankly, I have no interest in these things. They look fine, though (the B&W one is the worst), but they make my skin crawl. BIG BAD SINBAD (1952) gets most of its footage from the earlier Fleischer 2-reeler (without credit), and even worse, POPEYE'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY (1954) uses footage from later, and lesser, Famous Studios offerings (although it does have a cartoon Bob Hope, Jimmy Durante, and Martin & Lewis offering tributes to Popeye). I don't see any reason to list (or watch) these cartoons, but they are there if you want them.
Cartoon fan supreme Jerry Beck contributed to the package, and provides commentary on the 3 Technicolor Fleischers, and the package liner notes. Frankly, I didn't find his commentary all that fascinating (sorry, Mr. Beck), but casual fans might.
The SRP is $19.99 and it's worth it. On the other hand, there's another 75th Anniversary Popeye DVD set out there, this one from Koch. It's got 3 discs and 85 cartoons, all from the TV era of the 1960s. It's $30, and I wouldn't buy it for a tenth of that, so there ya are.

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Popeye: Original Classics from the Fleischer Studio (1933) Review

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(More customer reviews)As we all impatiently wait for King Features Syndicate and Time Warner Corp. to strike a deal and finally release classic Fleischer (and Famous Studios) "Popeye" cartoons on DVD, Steve Stanchfield and his Thunderbean Animation studio have decided to give the one-eyed sailorman the treatment he truly deserves. In colaboration with his new distributor (Mackinac Media), Mr. Stanchfield has compiled all of the public domain Fleischer "Popeyes" and released a magnificent collector's edition DVD, which looks better than many "official" studios' cartoon DVD releases. This DVD set includes the following B&W "Popeye" episodes:
Little Swee'Pea (1936)
I'm In the Army Now (1936)
The Paneless Window Washer (1937)
I Never Changes My Altitude (1937)
A Date to Skate (1938)
Customers Wanted (1939)
Me Musical Nephews (1942)
"I Never Changes My Altitude" and "The Paneless Window Washer", animated by Willard Bowsky and Orestes Calpini, count among the best "Popeye" cartoons ever made. They feature superb character designs, astounding animation, beautiful use of perspectives, voice actors' witty under-the-breath mumblings, and, of course, hilarious and energetic fistfights between Popeye and Bluto. Seymour Kneitel's "Little Swee'Pea" is also a great Fleischer short. The cartoon displays some amazing three-dimensional backgrounds, an illusion achieved through the Fleischers' innovative Stereoptical Process. "A Date to Skate", although "Bluto-less," is a true Fleischer gem (according to many fans, the best Fleischer "Popeye" film), which contains Jack Mercer's (Popeye) and Mae Questel's (Olive) funny and intelligent under-the-breath puns and an interesting example of the Fleischeresque self-reflexive approach to animation. "Me Musical Nephews" is a fast-paced and fun musical cartoon, featuring wild animation gags and a very original "cartoony" ending. Even though the short was made by the Fleischers' successors - Famous Studios, it retained the frantic rhythm, upbeat energy, and the visual aura of the late Fleischer output. All black and white cartoons on this DVD set have an excellent, crystal-clear visual quality, fantastic sound, and restored original Paramount Studios opening and closing logos.
The DVD also contains all three well-known two-reel Three-Color-Technicolor "Popeye" specials, based on The Arabian Nights:
Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor (1936)
Popeye Meets Ali Baba and His 40 Thieves (1937)
Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp (1939)
Prior to the Thunderbean/Mackinac DVD release, these three cartoons had been issued on countless poor-quality, cheap-transfer public domain video tapes. But, on this DVD set, the Fleischers' two-reel specials look better than they ever did on the home video market. The first two films, animated by Willard Bowsky's unit at the Fleischer Studios, display beautiful Stereoptical (3D) backgrounds. Compiled from some of the best existing 35mm and 16mm material, they are breathtaking eye-candies that give us viscerally powerful viewing experience. Not only are these films visually astonishing, they also have great adventurous stories, fantastic animation, lots of fast-paced action, and voice-actors' incessantly humorous ad-libbing.
As if all this is not enough, this DVD set is loaded with rare bonus material, which includes:
*Rare Interviews with Jack Mercer (voice of Popeye), Mae Questel (Voice of Olive Oyl), Jackson Beck (Bluto/Brutus), animators Shamus Culhane, Gordon Sheehan and Rosalie Waldman
* A Number of Still Galleries: Original animation art, Storyboards, Posters and rare behind the scenes photos and Stills from the Popeye Picnic
*A visit to Chester, Illinois- home of Popeye
*Original Fleischers' "Sing Along with Popeye" (1933)
*A documentary: Tour of the Fleischer Studios from 1939
*Soaky TV commercial
*Pencil tests
*A rare recording by the first voice of Popeye (William "Red Pepper Sam" Costello)
I would buy this DVD even if Warner Bros and King Features Syndicate came to an agreement to finally release the copyrighted Fleischer/Famous "Popeye" library on DVD. This set is, by far, the BEST compilation of public domain Fleischer "Popeyes" and is worth every cent of its price (actually, $9 is a bit too cheap for the set of this quality). Thank you Thunderbean Animation and Steve Stanchfield for giving Popeye the respect he deserves (when his official companies seem unwilling to do so).
Gordan Calma
Fleischer Popeye Tribute
[...]

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Space Ghost and Dino Boy: The Complete Series (1966) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the way to do it. All 20 episodes give you all the Space Ghost and all the Dino Boy stories from the original show in the one package. If you enjoyed Gary Owens' voice of Blue Falcon, in last year's Scooby Doo/Dynomutt Hour release on DVD, you'll think he's just right as the voice of Space Ghost too.
This was Hanna-Barbera's first serious super hero show. Space Ghost, Jan and Jace, and monkey pet Blip respond to calls for help from their Ghost Planet, and tackle galactic threats like Metallus, Brak, Lurker, Brago and Creature King.
The last six stories form a serial adventure, in which you'll see guest appearances by Shazzan, Moby Dick, Mightor and Herculoids, which is an obvious cue for subsequent releases of those characters' shows too.
Here's hoping they put out the later series "Space Stars" (made in 1981, with Space Ghost, Herculoids, Teen Force, Astro and Space Star finales).

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Classic Cartoons, Vol. 1 & 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)First of all, if you do a bit of searching in dollar stores and dvd shops, you'll be able to find this for a lot cheaper than what they're selling it for on this site. You can get this dvd for a lot cheaper than this and it's just not worth the price. (At least to me.)
I'm a big Looney Tunes, Woody Woodpecker, Felix the Cat, Tom and Jerry, and Tex Avery geek; so there were only a few cartoons on here that I was really into. There's only one Warner Bros. cartoon short on this compilation, which is "Pigs in a Polka" (you can find that easily on other cheap cartoon dvds). Then there's only one Woody Woodpecker cartoon: "Pantry Panic" (you can find that easily too). Only two Felix cartoons: "Bold King Cole" and "the Goose that Laid the Golden Egg" (for a good Felix dvd, I suggest the one that Goodtimes made, if you can find it; it has all three old color Felix cartoons; or any dvd featuring black and white Felix shorts).
This dvd set is compromised of two double-sided discs, which each one themed on a certain cartoon character: one side is nothing but Superman, then the next one is themed on Popeye (mostly the Famous Studios Popeye cartoons), the next is Betty Boop and Little Audry, the next one is half full of Casper shorts plus some other misscellaneous cartoons (mostly by Famous Studios). (Not that those cartoon characters aren't any good, they're just not as funny and interesting to me.)
What makes me mad about this dvd set is that they make it out to be a nice, big, huge, cartoon compilation with a lot more variety and a lot more classic cartoon characters than what's actually on it. It's a nice concept to have so many old cartoons on one set, but not with the stale variety that it presents.

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Item Name: Classic Cartoons, Vol. 1 & 2; Studio:Bci / Eclipse

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The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)Finally, The Walter Lantz classics are fianlly being released. This collection includes the first 45 Woody Woodpecker cartoons from "Knock Knock"(1940)to The Great Who Dood-It(1952). These are the cartoons where Woody Woodpecker is really insane with his famous laugh. Besides Woody Woodpecker, this collection also includes the first 5 cartoons of that loveable penguin- Chilly Willy. This collection also includes amny of the "Swing Symphonies" and "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit" Cartoons and 5 choice Andy Panda cartoons. These shorts are all uncut and restored and remastered from the original Universal Pictures Master Negatives. You won't want to miss this set. If this set sells well, there might be a volume 2.

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Relive all of the hilarious, crazy adventures of Woody Woodpecker, everyone's favorite wacky red-headed bird, in The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection! Created by renowned cartoonist Walter Lantz, these 75 original theatrical cartoons - all digitally remastered and completely uncut - showcase some of the wildest antics in animation history. Join Woody and his friends Chilly Willy, Andy Panda, Wally Walrus and Buzz Buzzard in hours of outrageous adventures. Featuring rare treasures from the Walter Lantz archive, including Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Cartune Classic and Swing Symphony cartoons, this side-splitting collection will keep fans laughing out loud time and time again!

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Walt Disney Treasures - Mickey Mouse in Black and White (1932) Review

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(More customer reviews)Despite this being a seminal moment in DVD history having the black and white Mickey Mouse cartoons available in the best possible digital format, this Disney Treasures collection is not a complete set. As mentioned, this set will contain 34 black and white MM shorts, but they are only selections out of about 75 made between 1928-1935. Last year's "Silly Symphonies" collection was put together in a similar way with a little more than half of the 73 or so made. Rumors are that next year's DT series will include a "Mickey Mouse in Living Color Vol. 2", which means that host/compiler Leonard Maltin possibly intends to include second volumes of past and future collections in this series that don't contain everything in one set due to large amounts originally produced. When these MM black and white shorts were available on laserdisc years ago, they were also released in two volumes.
Here is a complete list of the B&W selections on this collection (year-by-year) straight from the Disney press release:
1928--"Steamboat Willie", "The Gallopin' Gaucho", "Plane Crazy" (actually the first official Mickey Mouse short--originally silent with sound added later and re-released following the success of "SW").
1929--"The Karnival Kid", "Mickey's Follies"
1930--"The Fire Fighters", "The Chain Gang", "The Gorilla Mystery", "The Pioneer Days"
1931--"The Birthday Party", "Mickey Steps Out", "Blue Rhythm", "Mickey Cuts Up", "Mickey's Orphans"
1932--"The Duck Hunt", "Mickey's Revue", "Mickey's Nightmare", "The Whoopee Party", "Touchdown Mickey", "The Klondike Kid"
1933--"Building a Building", "The Mad Doctor", "Ye Olden Days", "The Mail Pilot", "Mickey's Gala Premiere", "Puppy Love", "The Pet Store", "Giantland"
1934--"Camping Out", "Gulliver Mickey", "Orphan's Benefit", "The Dognapper", "Two-Gun Mickey"
1935--"Mickey's Service Station" (Curiously, "Mickey's Kangaroo" is not included here. This was really the last B&W Mickey cartoon done shortly after he premiered in color in "The Band Concert").
The press release has stated that, in addition to all the features mentioned above, there will also be rare footage of the only MM B&W pencil test known to exist. This pencil test was done for "The Mail Pilot." Also, new interviews were apparently done with the legendary animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston for the documentary. Much-needed audio commentary (presumably by Leonard Maltin) has also been added to the poster gallery on disc 2 that was absent from last year's "Mickey Mouse in Living Color."
For those not acquainted with last year's "Mickey Mouse in Living Color": that collection collects Mickey's first three years in color between 1935-1938. Next year's rumored Vol. 2 will probably complete the color Mickey, going up to his last short under Walt Disney--"The Simple Things" (1953).
More rumors for next year's DT series: "Wartime Cartoons" (originally intended for this year) and "The Chronological Donald" (obviously the first phase of the many Donald Duck cartoons produced through the 1930's-1960's).

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Witness the birth of an American icon. This historic compilation chronicles Mickey Mouse's early career, from his landmark debut in 1928's "Steamboat Willie" to the last of his black-and-white shorts, "Mickey's Service Station," in 1935. Gain insights into Mickey's beginnings in new interviews with legendary Disney animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. See the earliest visuals on record showing the creative birth of animation's most historically significant cartoon as well as the only black-and-white cartoon pencil footage known to exist. All of this and more is revealed in this homage to the mouse who captured the imagination of the world. Featuring exclusive introductions by film historian Leonard Maltin, this is a timeless collection from generations past for generations to come.

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