Bugs' Bunny
Encyclopedia
Bugs' Bunny was an unnamed rabbit before he was evolved into Bugs Bunny
. It was also named Happy Rabbit.
The rabbit's first appearance was essentially the same as the early Daffy Duck
. He appeared in four cartoons before finally becoming the well-known character of Bugs Bunny in Tex Avery
's A Wild Hare
.
Several published first person accounts, encyclopedic references, and Warner Brothers own published material describe the inception of the name and of the character. A model sheet by Ben Hardaway
describes this prototype character as "Bugs' Bunny" (note the apostrophe) but in most of the cartoons the character is unnamed.
Virgil Ross, the animator for A Wild Hare describes how the character came to be named in the interview published by Animato! magazine #19. Mel Blanc
often told the story of the creation of the character and its name. He suggested that the character be named after the character's initial director, Hardaway.
Blanc's own book, That's Not All Folks published by Warner Books
in 1989, describes the "tough little stinker" that was the eventual version of the redesigned character as directed by Tex Avery
.
Warner Brothers' own published descriptions of the creation of the character's name can be found in Animation Magazine published in 1990. Therein it is described that the Hardaway unit's model sheet came to be known by fellow animators as "Bugs' Bunny".
is hunting and fires at several rabbits. Soon, Porky and his dog
meet the rabbit and try to outwit him in the forest. Porky and the rabbit get in a long, long fight and soon the hare thinks he has won and that the war that is over; Porky, however, finds the rabbit and the Bunny doesn't have any brainstorms
to protect him. The rabbit shows Porky a photo of himself and of how many children he has with his wife
. However, when Porky's about to shoot him, the gun
fails.
After Porky attempts to shoot down and procure the rabbit, the rabbit
asks Porky: "Do you have a hunting
license
?" As Porky reaches for his pocket
to obtain the document
, the hyper-hare suddenly snatches it out of Porky's grasp, rips it in two, remarks, "Well you haven't got one now...hoohoohoohoohahahahah..hoo hoo hoo ha ha ha!" and makes a getaway by twisting his ears as though they were a helicopter
propeller
, flying away. Ultimately the rabbit wins when Porky throws dynamite
into the cave in which the hare is hiding and the rabbit throws the dynamite back at him. Porky is in the hospital
and the rabbit comes to him with some flowers. Porky tells the hare that he'll be out in a few days. The very hyper rabbit then pulls on the leg holders
in Porky's bed
, adding to the pig
's injuries, and runs off into the forest
.
the next cartoon, Prest-O Change-O. In this cartoon two rogue dog
s are being pursued by a dog catcher
until they hide in an abandoned house. There they encounter a trunk owned by Sham-Fu the magician (unseen). They open it, and all manner of magic tricks come out of the trunk, including his pet rabbit. The rabbit tricks the two dogs repeatedly, causing them endless frustration, until he is bested by the bigger of the two dogs, who bops him with a lampshade.
to direct the next one, Hare-um Scare-um. It starts with a man reading a newspaper article stating that meat prices have soared (and that customers are sore). Angry, he declares that he'll hunt his own meat to get back at the government for the price inflation. He then tells his dog he is going hunting for rabbits. A rabbit lays a trap for the dog, the dog gets scared of the sound. The bunny then plays "Guess Who" with the dog, with the dog answering in barks. The hunter then sees rabbits, aims his gun, then runs over to where it was. When he gets there, there is a spinning wheel with rabbit signs. The hunter then sees the hare sleeping. The hunter starts pouring salt on the rabbit's tail, but the rabbit quickly changes position so that the hunter is salting a celery
stalk instead. The rabbit starts eating it and says, "Celery, mighty fine nerve tonic. Boy, have I got nerve." The hare runs in a cave, and the hunter runs after him. Before he reaches the cave, an elevator appears and the hunter collides with it. The rabbit then opens it and says, "Main floor, leather goods, pottery, washing machines and aspirin, going up!" and closes it as the elevator goes up. The elevator floor goes back down, the hare opens it and says, "You don't have to be crazy to do this … but it sure helps," closes it and the elevator goes down. The bunny then dresses in girl-dog drag. The dog then sees the rabbit in drag; he thinks it's a dog, then he notices it's the rabbit. The hare then pretends he's a policeman. He then sings the same song as below. The hunter then finds the rabbit. He explains to the hunter how poor he is. He then shocks the hunter, who falls to the ground. The hunter then tells the now-hiding hare he can whip the rabbit and his whole family, then he's suddenly surrounded by a lot of rabbits that look like the first rabbit.
. In this cartoon, Elmer has come to the country to photograph wildlife. As he tries to photograph a rabbit, the rabbit finds him a convenient victim to harass. This tormenting eventually drives Elmer insane, causing him to jump into a lake and nearly drown. The rabbit saves him, ensures that Elmer is all right now - and then kicks him straight back into the lake.
This was followed by Tex Avery
's final-design setting A Wild Hare
, but that was itself followed by one more cartoon to the same effect as ...Camera, that was inadvertably produced first before the former. Elmer's Pet Rabbit
, originally intended and meant to be the final experimental cartoon, bore a title card shoehorned in between the opening credits and the start of the story reading, "Starring Bugs Bunny" (the first on-screen use of that name), but nevertheless featured the same intital off-model versions of Elmer and hare seen in ...Camera. Here, Elmer goes to a pet shop and buys a rabbit that promptly proceeds to turn his life upside down.
(July 27, 1940) was the debut of Bugs Bunny as we know him today. Tex Avery
changed several of the rabbit's characteristics: his voice became a cross between the Bronx and Brooklyn accents, the color of his gloves became white, as did the color of his mouth, and his ears were changed slightly as well. It is worth noting, however, that Patient Porky
(September 14, 1940) featured a cameo by the prototype Bugs Bunny.
The cartoon was so successful that WB decided to keep him on as a recurring character, eventually becoming the studio's most popular cartoon character. The character's name, previously only used on model sheets, became the official all-purpose name as well, with one modification: the apostrophe was dropped from his first name (now pronounced "bugs" rather than "bugs-es"). A title card saying "featuring Bugs Bunny" was slapped onto Elmer's Pet Rabbit
after initial production of that cartoon wrapped up, though that cartoon had the rabbit carry the pre-Wild Hare characteristics.
Bugs Bunny's personality continued to evolve over the years, from a largely "screwball" character (ala Daffy Duck
), to a mixture of "screwball" and "everyman" characteristics. His definitive design was created in 1943 by Robert McKimson
, and would be adopted by each unit slowly (though Chuck Jones
had a slight variation). Bugs' look will be slightly modified again for the new Looney Tunes show.
Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is a animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most...
. It was also named Happy Rabbit.
The rabbit's first appearance was essentially the same as the early Daffy Duck
Daffy Duck
Daffy Duck is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, often running the gamut between being the best friend and sometimes arch-rival of Bugs Bunny...
. He appeared in four cartoons before finally becoming the well-known character of Bugs Bunny in Tex Avery
Tex Avery
Frederick Bean "Fred/Tex" Avery was an American animator, cartoonist, voice actor and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. He did his most significant work for the Warner Bros...
's A Wild Hare
A Wild Hare
A Wild Hare is a 1940 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated short film. It was produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, directed by Tex Avery, and written by Rich Hogan. It was originally released on July 27, 1940...
.
Several published first person accounts, encyclopedic references, and Warner Brothers own published material describe the inception of the name and of the character. A model sheet by Ben Hardaway
Ben Hardaway
Joseph Benson "Ben/Bugs" Hardaway was a storyboard artist, animator, voice actor, gagman, writer, and director for several American animation studios during the The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. He was sometimes credited as J.B. Hardaway, Ben Hardaway, Buggsy Hardaway, and B. Hardaway.While...
describes this prototype character as "Bugs' Bunny" (note the apostrophe) but in most of the cartoons the character is unnamed.
Virgil Ross, the animator for A Wild Hare describes how the character came to be named in the interview published by Animato! magazine #19. Mel Blanc
Mel Blanc
Melvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
often told the story of the creation of the character and its name. He suggested that the character be named after the character's initial director, Hardaway.
Blanc's own book, That's Not All Folks published by Warner Books
Hachette Book Group USA
Hachette Book Group is a publishing company owned by Hachette Livre, the largest publishing company in France, and the second largest publisher in the world. Hachette Livre is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lagardère Group. HBG was formed when Hachette Livre purchased the Time Warner Book Group from...
in 1989, describes the "tough little stinker" that was the eventual version of the redesigned character as directed by Tex Avery
Tex Avery
Frederick Bean "Fred/Tex" Avery was an American animator, cartoonist, voice actor and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. He did his most significant work for the Warner Bros...
.
Warner Brothers' own published descriptions of the creation of the character's name can be found in Animation Magazine published in 1990. Therein it is described that the Hardaway unit's model sheet came to be known by fellow animators as "Bugs' Bunny".
Porky's Hare Hunt
Bob Clampett began the experiment in Porky's Hare Hunt which was "his story" as he described in the lengthy interview published in Funnyworld Magazine, No 12, 1970. The interview was conducted by Michael Barrier and Milton Gray. It is posted on Mike Barrier's site In the cartoon Porky PigPorky Pig
Porky Pig is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on his star power, and the animators created many critically acclaimed shorts using the fat little pig...
is hunting and fires at several rabbits. Soon, Porky and his dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
meet the rabbit and try to outwit him in the forest. Porky and the rabbit get in a long, long fight and soon the hare thinks he has won and that the war that is over; Porky, however, finds the rabbit and the Bunny doesn't have any brainstorms
Brainstorming
Brainstorming is a group creativity technique by which a group tries to find a solution for a specific problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously contributed by its members...
to protect him. The rabbit shows Porky a photo of himself and of how many children he has with his wife
Wife
A wife is a female partner in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the wife regarding her spouse and others, and her status in the community and in law, varies between cultures and has varied over time.-Origin and etymology:...
. However, when Porky's about to shoot him, the gun
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
fails.
After Porky attempts to shoot down and procure the rabbit, the rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
asks Porky: "Do you have a hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
license
License
The verb license or grant licence means to give permission. The noun license or licence refers to that permission as well as to the document recording that permission.A license may be granted by a party to another party as an element of an agreement...
?" As Porky reaches for his pocket
Pocket
A pocket is a bag- or envelope-like receptacle either fastened to or inserted in an article of clothing to hold small items. Pockets may also be attached to luggage, backpacks, and similar items...
to obtain the document
Document
The term document has multiple meanings in ordinary language and in scholarship. WordNet 3.1. lists four meanings :* document, written document, papers...
, the hyper-hare suddenly snatches it out of Porky's grasp, rips it in two, remarks, "Well you haven't got one now...hoohoohoohoohahahahah..hoo hoo hoo ha ha ha!" and makes a getaway by twisting his ears as though they were a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
propeller
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
, flying away. Ultimately the rabbit wins when Porky throws dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
into the cave in which the hare is hiding and the rabbit throws the dynamite back at him. Porky is in the hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
and the rabbit comes to him with some flowers. Porky tells the hare that he'll be out in a few days. The very hyper rabbit then pulls on the leg holders
Traction (orthopedics)
In orthopedic medicine, traction refers to the set of mechanisms for straightening broken bones or relieving pressure on the spine and skeletal system.There are two types of traction: skin traction and skeletal traction....
in Porky's bed
Bed
A bed is a large piece of furniture used as a place to sleep, relax, or engage in sexual relations.Most modern beds consist of a mattress on a bed frame, with the mattress resting either on a solid base, often wooden slats, or a sprung base...
, adding to the pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
's injuries, and runs off into the forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
.
Prest-O Change-O
Leon Schlesinger gave Chuck JonesChuck Jones
Charles Martin "Chuck" Jones was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio...
the next cartoon, Prest-O Change-O. In this cartoon two rogue dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s are being pursued by a dog catcher
Animal control officer
Historically, Dog whippers were charged with keeping dogs out of churches in 16th- to 19th- century Europe; they also sometimes filled a general animal-control role in villages, confining strays...
until they hide in an abandoned house. There they encounter a trunk owned by Sham-Fu the magician (unseen). They open it, and all manner of magic tricks come out of the trunk, including his pet rabbit. The rabbit tricks the two dogs repeatedly, causing them endless frustration, until he is bested by the bigger of the two dogs, who bops him with a lampshade.
Hare-um Scare-um
Leon got Hardaway/DaltonCal Dalton
Cal Dalton was a cartoon director at Warner Brothers. Dalton's first commercial animation work was on an animated short version of The Wizard of Oz that was produced by Ted Eshbaugh's independent animation studio in 1933. Afterwards, Dalton left to work at the Warner Brothers animation studio,...
to direct the next one, Hare-um Scare-um. It starts with a man reading a newspaper article stating that meat prices have soared (and that customers are sore). Angry, he declares that he'll hunt his own meat to get back at the government for the price inflation. He then tells his dog he is going hunting for rabbits. A rabbit lays a trap for the dog, the dog gets scared of the sound. The bunny then plays "Guess Who" with the dog, with the dog answering in barks. The hunter then sees rabbits, aims his gun, then runs over to where it was. When he gets there, there is a spinning wheel with rabbit signs. The hunter then sees the hare sleeping. The hunter starts pouring salt on the rabbit's tail, but the rabbit quickly changes position so that the hunter is salting a celery
Celery
Apium graveolens is a plant species in the family Apiaceae commonly known as celery or celeriac , depending on whether the petioles or roots are eaten: celery refers to the former and celeriac to the latter. Apium graveolens grows to 1 m tall...
stalk instead. The rabbit starts eating it and says, "Celery, mighty fine nerve tonic. Boy, have I got nerve." The hare runs in a cave, and the hunter runs after him. Before he reaches the cave, an elevator appears and the hunter collides with it. The rabbit then opens it and says, "Main floor, leather goods, pottery, washing machines and aspirin, going up!" and closes it as the elevator goes up. The elevator floor goes back down, the hare opens it and says, "You don't have to be crazy to do this … but it sure helps," closes it and the elevator goes down. The bunny then dresses in girl-dog drag. The dog then sees the rabbit in drag; he thinks it's a dog, then he notices it's the rabbit. The hare then pretends he's a policeman. He then sings the same song as below. The hunter then finds the rabbit. He explains to the hunter how poor he is. He then shocks the hunter, who falls to the ground. The hunter then tells the now-hiding hare he can whip the rabbit and his whole family, then he's suddenly surrounded by a lot of rabbits that look like the first rabbit.
Jones' "Elmer and rabbit" cartoons
Jones directed the next experimental cartoon, Elmer's Candid CameraElmer's Candid Camera
Elmer's Candid Camera is a 1940 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones, and first released on March 2, 1940 by Warner Bros.. It marks the first appearance of Elmer Fudd Elmer's Candid Camera is a 1940 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones, and first released on March 2, 1940 by...
. In this cartoon, Elmer has come to the country to photograph wildlife. As he tries to photograph a rabbit, the rabbit finds him a convenient victim to harass. This tormenting eventually drives Elmer insane, causing him to jump into a lake and nearly drown. The rabbit saves him, ensures that Elmer is all right now - and then kicks him straight back into the lake.
This was followed by Tex Avery
Tex Avery
Frederick Bean "Fred/Tex" Avery was an American animator, cartoonist, voice actor and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. He did his most significant work for the Warner Bros...
's final-design setting A Wild Hare
A Wild Hare
A Wild Hare is a 1940 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated short film. It was produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, directed by Tex Avery, and written by Rich Hogan. It was originally released on July 27, 1940...
, but that was itself followed by one more cartoon to the same effect as ...Camera, that was inadvertably produced first before the former. Elmer's Pet Rabbit
Elmer's Pet Rabbit
Elmer's Pet Rabbit is a 1941 Merrie Melodies cartoon starring Elmer Fudd and, ostensibly, Bugs Bunny. The short was released on January 4, 1941...
, originally intended and meant to be the final experimental cartoon, bore a title card shoehorned in between the opening credits and the start of the story reading, "Starring Bugs Bunny" (the first on-screen use of that name), but nevertheless featured the same intital off-model versions of Elmer and hare seen in ...Camera. Here, Elmer goes to a pet shop and buys a rabbit that promptly proceeds to turn his life upside down.
Cameos
- The rabbit made two cameos in 1940, both starring Porky and both by Robert Clampett. The two cameos were Patient PorkyPatient PorkyPatient Porky is a Warner Brothers Looney Tunes theatrical cartoon, starring Porky Pig. It was directed by Bob Clampett, written by Warren Foster, and scored by Carl W. Stalling. Patient Porky was released on August 24, 1940...
and Naughty NeighborsNaughty NeighborsNaughty Neighbors can refer to:*"Naughty Neighbors," a 1939 Looney Tunes cartoon featuring Porky Pig*Naughty Neighbors, a 1989 pornographic film produced by Harold Lime...
. - In the Disney and Amblin EntertainmentAmblin EntertainmentAmblin Entertainment is an American film and television production company founded by director and producer Steven Spielberg and film producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall in 1981. Amblin is only a production company, and has never distributed its own movies, nor has it fully financed its...
film Who Framed Roger RabbitWho Framed Roger RabbitWho Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 American fantasy-comedy-noir film directed by Robert Zemeckis and released by Touchstone Pictures. The film combines live action and animation, and is based on Gary K. Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, which depicts a world in which cartoon characters...
, the character can be seen walking through the Maroon Cartoon studio lot for a few seconds before the shot changes. - In a deleted sequence from the film Looney Tunes: Back in ActionLooney Tunes: Back in ActionLooney Tunes: Back in Action is a 2003 American live action/animated adventure comedy film directed by Joe Dante and starring Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Timothy Dalton, and Steve Martin. The film is essentially a feature-length Looney Tunes cartoon, with all the wackiness and surrealism typical...
, Bugs Bunny, upon being zapped by a magical idol, transforms into the character. This sequence can be seen in the "Deleted Scenes" featurette on the DVD release.
Bugs comes
A Wild HareA Wild Hare
A Wild Hare is a 1940 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated short film. It was produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, directed by Tex Avery, and written by Rich Hogan. It was originally released on July 27, 1940...
(July 27, 1940) was the debut of Bugs Bunny as we know him today. Tex Avery
Tex Avery
Frederick Bean "Fred/Tex" Avery was an American animator, cartoonist, voice actor and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. He did his most significant work for the Warner Bros...
changed several of the rabbit's characteristics: his voice became a cross between the Bronx and Brooklyn accents, the color of his gloves became white, as did the color of his mouth, and his ears were changed slightly as well. It is worth noting, however, that Patient Porky
Patient Porky
Patient Porky is a Warner Brothers Looney Tunes theatrical cartoon, starring Porky Pig. It was directed by Bob Clampett, written by Warren Foster, and scored by Carl W. Stalling. Patient Porky was released on August 24, 1940...
(September 14, 1940) featured a cameo by the prototype Bugs Bunny.
The cartoon was so successful that WB decided to keep him on as a recurring character, eventually becoming the studio's most popular cartoon character. The character's name, previously only used on model sheets, became the official all-purpose name as well, with one modification: the apostrophe was dropped from his first name (now pronounced "bugs" rather than "bugs-es"). A title card saying "featuring Bugs Bunny" was slapped onto Elmer's Pet Rabbit
Elmer's Pet Rabbit
Elmer's Pet Rabbit is a 1941 Merrie Melodies cartoon starring Elmer Fudd and, ostensibly, Bugs Bunny. The short was released on January 4, 1941...
after initial production of that cartoon wrapped up, though that cartoon had the rabbit carry the pre-Wild Hare characteristics.
Bugs Bunny's personality continued to evolve over the years, from a largely "screwball" character (ala Daffy Duck
Daffy Duck
Daffy Duck is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, often running the gamut between being the best friend and sometimes arch-rival of Bugs Bunny...
), to a mixture of "screwball" and "everyman" characteristics. His definitive design was created in 1943 by Robert McKimson
Robert McKimson
Robert "Bob" Porter McKimson, Sr. was an American animator, illustrator, and director best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros., and later DePatie-Freleng Enterprises...
, and would be adopted by each unit slowly (though Chuck Jones
Chuck Jones
Charles Martin "Chuck" Jones was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio...
had a slight variation). Bugs' look will be slightly modified again for the new Looney Tunes show.