On the Greatest

Thanks to Rich for the above
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Notables
Bugs Bunny is a cultural icon

According to NPR, Bugs has appeared in more films (both short and feature-length) than any other cartoon character and is the ninth most-portrayed film personality in the world

A Wild Hare (1940) received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short Film

Since his debut, Bugs only appeared only in color Merrie Melodies films

Bugs only appearance in a black-and-white Looney Tunes film is a cameo in Porky Pig’s Feat (1943)

Bugs did not star in a Looney Tunes film until that series made its complete conversion to only color cartoons (1944)

The first cartoon character honored on a U.S. postage stamp

On December 10, 1985, Bugs received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Ranked #1 in TV Guide’s 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time (2002)

His stock…has never gone down…Bugs is the best example…of the smart-aleck American comic. He not only is a great cartoon character, he’s a great comedian. He was written well. He was drawn beautifully. He has thrilled and made many generations laugh. He is tops. (A TV Guide editor on CNN)

Bugs cartoons are listed 34 times on The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes list of cartoons

Bugs also received an Oscar nomination for Hiawatha’s Rabbit Hunt (1942)

Because Hiawatha’s Rabbit Hunt didn’t win, What’s Cookin’ Doc? (1944) spoofed the Academy in which Bugs demands a recount by claiming “sa-bo-TAH-gee”

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Knighty Knight Bugs (1958) with a medieval Bugs trades battling Yosemite Sam and his fire-breathing dragon (which has a cold), won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film

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Rabbit Fire, Rabbit Seasoning, and Duck! Rabbit, Duck! compose the “Rabbit Season/Duck Season” trilogy and are famous for originating the “historic” rivalry between Bugs and Daffy Duck

What’s Opera, Doc? (1957), casts Bugs and Elmer Fudd in a parody of Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, and the US Library of Congress (in 1992) deemed it “culturally significant”, thus selecting it for preservation in the National Film Registry

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Personal
Born July 27, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York below Ebbets Field (home of the Brooklyn Dodgers)

Characteristics include clever, trickster, flippant, and personable until you mess with me attitude (and this scene is one of my all-time favorites)
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A known traveler, but frequently making the wrong turn in Albuquerque

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Antagonists include Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, Willoughby the Dog, Marvin the Martian, Beaky Buzzard, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig,Tasmanian Devil, Gossamer, Cecil Turtle, Witch Hazel, Rocky and Mugsy, Wile E. Coyote, the Crusher, Gremlin, Count Blood Count and a host of others

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Bugs’ carrot-chewing standing position, is based a Clark Gable scene with Claudette Colbert in a scene from It Happened One Night

Bugs occasionally communicates with the audience to explain something to the audience, such as

• Be with you in a minute, folks!
• Feisty, ain’t they?
• That happens to him all during the picture, folks.
• Gee, ain’t I a stinker?
• Of course you know, this means war!

The origin of a classic Bugs Bunny line

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Background
Happy Rabbit, though different looking and a forerunner to Bugs, first appears in Porky’s Hare Hunt (1938)

Created by the animators and staff of Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) with staff including Tex Avery, Robert McKimson, and Mel Blanc

Mel Blanc originated the Bugs Bunny’s voice

Debuted in A Wild Hare (July 27, 1940) featuring Elmer Fudd and Bugs in a hunter-tormentor relationship

A Wild Hare also debuted Bugs’ most famous catchphrase: “What’s Up Doc?”

First use of Bugs Bunny’s name on-screen is in Elmer’s Pet Rabbit (1941)

“Bugs” Bunny (quotation marks only used, on and off, until 1944)

168 cartoon shorts, most of which were directed by Friz Freleng, Robert McKimson and Chuck Jones

Buckaroo Bugs was Bugs’ first film in the Looney Tunes series

Last Golden Age appearance in False Hare (1964)

12 episodes have been banned because of political correctness

An interview Martha Goldman Sigall (at age 92 in June 2009) who worked at Leon Schlesinger’s Studios in 1939 when the studio created Bugs Bunny

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Beyond Cartoons
In the fall of 1960, ABC debuted the prime-time television program The Bugs Bunny Show

The Bugs Bunny Show (through different formats and titles) appeared on network television for 40 years

Bugs featured in various network television specials in the 1970s and 80s

Films include Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Box Office Bunny, and Space Jam

Because of an equal-time agreement between Warner Brothers and Disney, Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse always appeared together in Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Who Framed Roger Rabbit introduced Bugs’ girlfriend, Lola Bunny (see a tribute)

Bugs has also appeared in numerous video games
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Memorable Lines
My favorite when referring to politicians

A few other … do you remember any of these?

• Don’t take life too seriously. You’ll never get out alive.
• OOH! Look at four-legged airplane!
• Carrots are devine… You get a dozen for a dime, It’s maaaa-gic!
• Eeeeeeh, watch me paste that pathetic palooka with a powerful, pachydermous, percussionpitch.
• Don’t think it hasn’t been a little slice of heaven…’cause it hasn’t!
• Well, what did you expect in an opera? A happy ending?
• Do you happen to know what the penalty is for shooting a fricaseeing rabbit without a fricaseeing rabbit license?
• I wonder what the poor bunnies are doing this season?
• Oh, well, we almost had a romantic ending!
• My, I’ll bet you monsters lead innnnteresting lives.
• Here I go with the timid little woodland creature bit again. It’s shameful, but…ehhh, it’s a living.
• I bet you say that to all the wabbits.
• For shame, doc. Hunting rabbits with an elephant gun. Why don’t you shoot yourself an elephant?
• I know this defies the law of gravity, but I never studied law!
• Eh, what’s up, doc?

On Beep Beep

Here’s one for the ages, so for those who don’t know the words, look below the video.

If you’re on the highway and Road Runner goes beep beep.
Just step aside or might end up in a heap.
Road Runner, Road Runner runs on the road all day.
Even the coyote can’t make him change his ways.

Road Runner, the coyote’s after you.
Road Runner, if he catches you you’re through.
Road Runner, the coyote’s after you.
Road Runner, if he catches you you’re through.

That coyote is really a crazy clown,
When will he learn he can never mow him down?
Poor little Road Runner never bothers anyone,
Just runnin’ down the road’s his idea of having fun.
Lyrics source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com

History
Created by Chuck Jones (Interview with him below) for Warner Brothers Merrie Melodies

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48 shorts (majority by Chuck Jones) with Wile E Coyote (his tribute here)

First: Fast and Furry-ous (Sept. 17, 1949)

Last: Sugar and Spies (1966) (directed by Robert McKimson)

Beep Prepared (1961) received an Academy Award nomination

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Additional TIdbits
Road Runner only vocalizes “Beep, Beep” by Paul Julian

#38 (with Wile E Coyote) on TV Guide’s list of 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters

Road Runner also known as Acceleratii incredibus, Velocitus tremenjus, Hot-roddicus supersonicus, Speedipus Rex, Velocitus delectiblus, Delicius delicius, Dig-outius tid-bittius, Tastyus supersonicus, Birdibus zippibus, Birdius high-ballius, Burnius-roadibus, Super-sonicus-tastius, Batoutahelius, Velocitus incalcublii, Digoutius-hot-rodis, Fastius tasty-us, Tid-bittius velocitus, Super-Sonnicus idioticus, Disappearialis quickius, Burn-em upus asphaltus, Semper food-ellus, Ultra-sonicus ad infinitum, Boulevardius-burnupius, Morselus babyfatius tastius, Geococcyx californianus

Road Runner cartoons follow the laws of cartoon physics

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See wonderful pics of a real road runner by visiting Cindy Knoke

The Road Runner Show aired on CBS from September 1966 to September 1968

Merged with The Bugs Bunny Show to create The Bugs Bunny Road Runner Hour (1968-1985)

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Comic history includes Dell Comics (1958-1962) and Gold Key (1966-1983)

Enjoy this tribute to Road Runner

On Ruff and Reddy

This one may be new to most readers, but this may be the first cartoon series I can recall watching. The words to sing along are below the video, so scroll down before playing the theme song to Ruff and Reddy.

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Get set, get ready,
Here come Ruff and Reddy.
They’re tough, but steady,
Always rough and ready.

They sometimes have their little spats,
Even fight like dogs and cats,
But when they need each other,
That’s when, they’re rough and ready.

Characters
Ruff, a straight and smart cat; Reddy, a dumb and stupid dog

Villains: “Scary” Harry Safari, Captain Greedy and Salt Water Daffy; and Killer and Diller

Ruff and Reddy, plus Professor Gizmo meeting aliens from Muni-Mula (a strange planet of metal) is their most memorable episode

Muni-Mula is (“aluminum” spelled backward)

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The Show
Created by Hanna-Barbera, and their first production

Ruff, voiced by Don Messick with a similar voice he would later use for Pixie the mouse

Reddy, voiced by Daws Butler with this southern draw later becoming the voice of Huckleberry Hound

The show featured a live action host/emcee (Jimmy Blaine), and the episodes had a narrator (Don Messick)

In the show (but between cartoon episodes), Puppeteers Rufus Rose and Bobby Nicholson provided comedic relief as Rhubarb the Parrot and Jose the Toucan.

For those needing more Muni-Mula

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Production
NBC originally broadcasted Ruff and Reddy in black and white in December 1957 on NBC

3 seasons, 156 episodes

First: Planet Pirates (Dec 14 1957)

Last: Have Blop Will Travel (Feb 4, 1960)

The episodes were not much longer than four minutes, including an opening song and much repetition of preceding events.

There were 13 episodes in each of the 12 stories of the serials

The show’s episodes borrowed from the serialized storytelling format of such shows as Crusader Rabbit that used episodes with cliffhanger storylines

Although NBC cancelled the show after 1959-1960, they revived the show the spring of 1962 with Captain Bob Cottle as the host

NBC cancelled the series in September 1964

Additional FYI
Ruff and Reddy was translated into other languages: Jambo & Ruivão (Brazilian Portuguese), Pouf & Riqui (French), Ruff e Reddy (Italian),  Жолтко и Лутко (Zoltko i Lutko) (Macedonian), Ruff y Reddy (Spanish), Ruff och Reddy (Swedish), つよいぞラフティ (Japanese), Ralofo le Rali (Tswana)

Dell Comics published 12 issues of Ruff & Reddy (1958-1962)

Here’s another episode, but without Muni-Mula, enjoy The Long Gone Leprechaun

On Singing Rodents

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That’s where the Chipmunks started … a song with normal voices (all done by creator Ross Bagdasarian) … and then increased the speed. Do you remember doing that on a turntable?

Witch Doctor spent three weeks at the top of the charts in 1958

Bagdasarian appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show before the cartoon appeared

Later the same year, The Chipmunk Song (aka “Christmas, Don’t Be Late”)

• Spent our weeks at Number 1 (December 22, 1958 to January 12, 1959)
• Earned three Grammy Awards and a nominated for Record of the Year

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Appeared in Dell Comics …. and then came the the cartoon

Their popularity led to a cartoon series: The Alvin Show debuted (on CBS) October 4, 1961 in prime time, which lasted only one season before reruns the next year on Saturday morning

To sing along, the lyrics are below the video!

This is the Alvin Show,
The Alvin Show,
You’ll positively gonna love the Alvin Show.
There’s Dave Seville,
And what is more
Here’s the boy we know as Theodore.
Now you see,
On camera three,
The brother known as Simon on the family tree.
And here’s the star of the show,
Alvin, Alvin!

Ready, here we go,
Here’s the Alvin Show.

The 3 chipmunks after Liberty Records executives Si Waronker, Ted Keep and Al Bennett

Simon
Tall and thin with glasses
The good and smart one
Dry sense of humor
Responded “Naturally” to praise

Theodore
The youngest
Short and chubby,
Shy, trusting, sensitive, and giddy
Giggled when praised

Alvin
Mischievous
Impulsive
The lead vocalist and the star
#44 on TV Guide’s Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time
Dave to yell “Alvin!”, to which Alvin responds with “Okay!”

Dave Seville
The father-like manager who is a songwriter
Quick tempered, but kind
Alvin irritates him

The Show

• There were four segments in that show
• Two short segments with The Chipmunks leading viewers in sing-alongs
• One staring a crazy inventor named Clyde Crashcup (previous AFA honoree)
• The lead segment featuring the Chipmunk characters as kids with David Seville, their guardian, playing the role of Dad
• 26 episodes each for the Alvin and the Chipmunks and Clyde Crashcup, plus 52 musical segments

Dell continue the comic books after the TV show debuted

Bagdasarian retired, then died in 1972

Five years later (1977), his son, Ross Jr., revived the Chipmunks

NBC re-ran The Alvin Show on Saturday mornings 1979-80

This episode is a blend of the old and the new