I’d like to think that when Mel Blanc entered the great hereafter, he was greeted by diplomats who resembled the characters on the box of the new Warner Bros. Academy Awards Animation Collection. The Fleischer Brothers, Friz Freleng, Chuck Jones, Tex Avery: the gang’s all here, discarding their affiliations, and eager to demonstrate why the Academy shone its spotlight on them and not their compatriots. The package abounds with shorts remembered, half-remembered and revelatory. The 3-disc set is divided between winners and nominees, with a fine documentary on the history of the category and a bonus short directed by Bob Clampett, “What’s Cooking, Doc?,” in which Bugs Bunny demands a recount when they give his award to James Cagney.

Grade: A

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection is currently available.