On a Prize Ham

Sing along as the words are below the video!

Whose our favorite TV Star?
Who comes on with a wham?
Whose got the laughiest show by far?

(Porky) Porky Pig

Our favorite ham!

When the music starts
You wanna tap your toes
You feel like dancin’ a jig
Swing around in a circle and doe see doe
Time to watch Porky Pig!

Oh, tat’s Porky
Porky Pig
He’s the barnyard
Mr. Big!

Now promenade all around the room
And find yourself a good seat
The show’s a gonna be startin’ soon
Time to watch

Time to watch … Porky Pig

Background
Porky Pig is a long-time from Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies

Creators: Friz Freleng, Bob Clampett

Two of Freleng’s childhood classmates were nicknamed “Porky” and “Piggy”

Porky transitioned from a shy little boy to a slimmer adult

Bob Clampett permanently made Porky a young adult who was cuter, slimmer, smarter, and eventually less of a stutterer

Porky’s second outing, Gold Diggers of ’49 (1936), was also the first cartoon directed by Tex Avery

Originally voiced by Joe Dougherty (1935–1937)

Interestingly, Joe Dougherty had a natural stuttering problem, but producers replaced him with Mel Blanc because Dougherty’s uncontrollable stuttering increased production costs

Starting with the 24th film, Porky’s Duck Hunt (1937), Mel Blanc voiced voice Porky for over 50 years (1937–1989)

Filmography
He is the oldest continuing Looney Tunes character

Porky was once the star of the show before Bugs Bunny became the star …. even then, Porky continued to be popular

First appearance: I Haven’t Got a Hat (1935)
Last appearance: Muchos Locos (1966)

Porky Pig appeared in 153 cartoons during cartoon’s Golden Age

After debuting in 1935, 15-17 new shorts released each year (1936-1940). Production decrease to 12 (1941), 2-8 new releases (1942-1948), and then 1956 was the last year with more than 1 new release

Porky only has a minor role in his first film, but the fat little stuttering pig quickly became popular

Personal
Father is Phineas, but his mother is unnamed

Mild-mannered and shy personality

Personality allowed him to be a good straight-man for zany characters as Sylvester Pussycat, Charlie Dog, Daffy Duck, and/or Bugs Bunny

This short, but classic blooper, which is opposite to his screen personality, was made in 1938

Honors
Porky was ranked number 47 on TV Guide’s list of top 50 cartoon characters

Porky received only one Oscar nomination: The Swooner Crooner (1944)

Porky in Wackyland, a film that sends Porky on a quest to find the last of the surreal Dodos, was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry (2000)

Appearances
Regularly appeared with other Warner Brother stars in syndication

The Porky Pig Show, ran Saturday morning on ABC (1964 to 1967)

Porky Pig and Friends ran 1971-1990

Appeared in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Space Jam, and Back in Action

Porky’s own comic book ran from 1942-62, was revived in ’65 by Gold Key Comics, and continued until 1984

Appeared in Dell Comics’ Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Comics until 1962

In his share of video games and on a variety of lunch boxes and T-shirts

His most well-known signature line is this classic

On a Sweety Tweety or Tweety Sweety

Background
Warner Brothers Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of animated cartoons.

The name Tweety is a play on “sweetie” and “tweet”

His characteristics are based on Red Skelton’s famous Mean Widdle Kid

Directors: Bob Clampett, Fritz Freleng (vast majority), Chuck Jones, Gerry Chiniquy

Voices: Mel Blanc (42-89), Jeff Bergman, Bob Bergen, Joe Alaskey, Eric Goldberg, Billy West, Samuel Vincent, Greg Burson

Many of Mel Blanc’s characters are known for speech impediments. One of Tweety’s most noticeable is that /s/, /k/, and /g/ are changed to /t/, /d/, or (final s) /θ/ (so is he actually named Sweetie?

In Canary Row and Putty Tat Trouble, Tweety sings, “I’m a tweet wittow biwd in a gilded cage; Tweety’th my name but I don’t know my age. I don’t have to wuwy and dat is dat; I’m tafe in hewe fwom dat ol’ putty tat.” (Translation: “I’m a sweet little bird in a gilded cage, Sweety is my name but I don’t know my age. I don’t have to worry and that is that. I’m safe in here from that old pussycat”)

Personal
A male yellow canary

Originally not canary, but simply a generic (and wild) baby bird in an outdoors nest – naked (pink)

In his early appearances cartoons, Bob Clampett made Tweety aggressive

Friz Freleng made Tweety more cutesy … and even more so when Granny was introduced

On the original model sheet, Tweety was named Orson

Tweety’s voice and some of this attitude resembles Bugs Bunny as a child

Learn how to draw Tweety

Filmography
49 episodes in the Golden Age
First: Tale of Two Kitties (November 21, 1942)
Last Golden Age: Hawaiian Aye Aye (1964)

In his debut, a not-yet-named Tweety is against two hungry cats (Babbit and Catstello)

The second Tweety short, Birdy and the Beast, finally bestowed the baby bird with his new name (here’s a clip)

Honors
#33 (with Sylvester) in TV Guide’s 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters

Academy Award Winner (Best Short Subject, 1947, Tweety Pie) – teamed with cat (later to be named Sylvester) for the first time

Time proves Sylvester and Tweety are a successful pair (I honored Sylvester in this June 2012 post)

Most of their cartoons followed a standard formula: A hungry Sylvester wanting to eat the bird, but some major obstacle stands in his way (Granny, her bulldog Hector, other dogs, or other cats)

Sylvester’s schemes resemble those of Wile E. Coyote’s efforts with Roadrunner

Famous Quotes
“Awww, the poor kitty cat! He faw down and go (in a loud, tough, masculine voice) BOOM!!” and then grins mischievously.

“I tawt I taw a puddy tat!”
“I did! I did taw a puddy tat!”
“Oh, hello, Puddy Tat. What you doin’ up there?”
“Bad ol’ puddy tat!”
“Uh oh, wecked the puddy tat. You know, I lose more puddy tats that way.” ~Bad Ol’ Putty Tat
“Well, whaddya know? I got an admirer!”
“You cwushed my wittle head!”
“My poor, wittle cranium.”
“I wonder what that puddy tat up to now?”
“Now, how do you suppose I got my wittle self in such a pwedicament?” ~Bad Ol’ Putty Tat
“Uh-oh, that Puddy Tat after me again.” ~Bad Ol’ Putty Tat
“That old puddy tat is never gonna find me in here.” ~Bad Ol’ Putty Tat
“You bad ol’ puddy tat!”
“You can’t catch me!”
“Take that! Bad ol’ puddy tat!”

Originally Tweety said, “I did! I taw a puddy tat!”n… but somehow, overtime, an extra ‘did’ appears …”I did! I did taw a puddy tat!”

Other Appearances
A small part in Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Tweety appears as part of the TuneSquad team in Space Jam

A 1995 Frosted Cheerios commercial with Sylvester

A 1996 Christmas commercial for Target with LeAnn Rimes had Tweety giving her a kiss on the cheek as the other Looney Tunes characters line-danced to Rimes’ song Put a Little Holiday In Your Heart

The following video games: The Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout, Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal, Bugs Bunny & Taz: Time Busters, Looney Tunes: Space Race, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, and The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle 2

British artist Banksy’s 2008 The Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill – Click here to see  a video of the work

Comics: Dell Comics Four Color series #406, 489, and 524, Dell Comics (#4-37, 1954–62), and Gold Key Comics (#1-102, 1963–72).

Enjoy this tribute to Tweety Bird and Sylvester