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Bugs Bunny (also translated as 兔八哥 or 宾尼兔 in Chinese) is an iconic anthropomorphic rabbit cartoon character created by Warner Bros. Animation, best known as a star of the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies animated franchises. Renowned for his quick wit, laid-back sarcasm, and the famous catchphrase "Eh...what's up, doc?", he has become one of the most recognizable animated figures in global pop culture.
Key moments
1938First prototype appearance in the short film *Porky's Hare Hunt*
1940Official definitive debut in *A Wild Hare*, using his iconic catchphrase and receiving the name Bugs Bunny
1958Won Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for *Knighty Knight Bugs*
1975Awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
1996Cameo appearance in *Who Framed Roger Rabbit*
2021Featured as a main character in *Space Jam: A New Legacy*
Cultural and Media Legacy
Bugs Bunny has transcended its origins as a theatrical cartoon character to become a global cultural symbol. For over 80 years, he has appeared in hundreds of animated shorts, television series, feature films, comic strips, and countless merchandise items. His persona of clever irreverence has resonated with audiences across generations and cultural boundaries, and he is often cited alongside Mickey Mouse as one of the most important animated characters in American entertainment history.
Character Evolution
The character's design and personality underwent multiple refinements during his early appearances. Early versions were more brash and lacked his signature polished wit, but over time animators including Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, and Bob Givens shaped him into the suave, quick-thinking trickster familiar today. His visual design also evolved from a rough, grey-furred prototype to the classic white-furred, carrot-loving rabbit we recognize now.
Global Reach
Outside the United States, Bugs Bunny has been localized to fit regional cultural tastes, with renamed versions in dozens of countries. His catchphrase and visual style are instantly recognizable worldwide, and he has been referenced and parodied in a wide range of modern media, from hip hop lyrics to television comedies.
Lola Bunny (girlfriend)
relatives
Clyde Bunny (nephew) Ace Bunny (descendant)
voice
Mel Blanc (1938–1989)
Jeff Bergman (1990–1993, 1997–1998, 2002–2004, 2007, 2011–present)
Greg Burson (1990–2000)
Billy West (1996–2006)
Joe Alaskey (1997–2011)
Sam Vincent (Baby Looney Tunes; 2001–2006)
Eric Bauza (2018–present)
(see below)
Bugs Bunny is a cartoon character created in the late 1930s at Warner Bros. Cartoons (originally Leon Schlesinger Productions) and voiced originally by Mel Blanc.[4] Bugs is best known for his featured roles in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of animated short films, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures.An early iteration of the character first appeared in Ben Hardaway's Porky's Hare Hunt (1938), before Bugs's definitive characterization debuted in Tex Avery's A Wild Hare (1940).[1]Bob Givens, Chuck Jones, and Robert McKimson are credited for defining Bugs's visual design.[1]
Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray-and-white rabbit or hare who is characterized by his flippant, insouciant personality, his Brooklyn accent, and his catchphrase "Eh... What's up, doc?".He is typically portrayed as a trickster, outwitting foes like Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam as well as various authority figures and criminals.He develops a friendly rivalry with Daffy Duck.Through his popularity during the golden age of American animation, Bugs became an American cultural icon and Warner Bros.' official mascot.[5]
Bugs starred in more than 160 short films produced between 1940 and 1964.[6] He has since appeared in feature films, television shows, comics, and other media.He has appeared in more films than any other cartoon character, is the ninth most-portrayed film personality in the world[7] and has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[8]
Development
According to Chase Craig, who wrote and drew the first Bugs Bunny comic Sunday pages and the first Bugs comic book, "Bugs was not the creation of any one man; however, he rather represented the creative talents of perhaps five or six directors and many cartoon writers including Charlie Thorson.[9] In those days, the stories were often the work of a group who suggested various gags, bounced them around and finalized them in a joint story conference."[10] A prototype Bugs rabbit with some of the personality of a finalized Bugs, though looking very different, was originally featured in the film Porky's Hare Hunt, released on April 30, 1938.It was co-directed by Ben "Bugs" Hardaway and an uncredited director Cal Dalton (who was responsible for the initial design of the rabbit).This cartoon has an almost identical plot to Avery's Porky's Duck Hunt (1937), which had introduced Daffy Duck.Porky Pig is again cast as a hunter tracking a silly prey who is more interested in driving his pursuer insane and less interested in escaping. Hare Hunt replaces the little black duck with a small white rabbit. According to Friz Freleng, Hardaway and Dalton had decided to "dress the duck in a rabbit suit". The white rabbit had an oval head and a shapeless body. In characterization, he was "a rural
Personality and catchphrases
Bugs Bunny's fast-talking speech pattern was inspired to a degree by the character of Oscar Shapely in the 1934 film It Happened One Night.In the film, Shapely addresses Clark Gable's character Peter Warne as "Doc", and Warne mentions an imaginary person named "Bugs Dooley" to frighten Shapely.[67] Referring to the same film, Friz Freleng, Chuck Jones and Bob Clampett all claimed that Bugs' nonchalant carrot-chewing style came from a scene where Gable's character eats a carrot while talking.[68]
The carrot-chewing scenes are generally followed by Bugs' most well-known catchphrase, "What's up, Doc?", which was written by director Tex Avery for his first Bugs Bunny film, A Wild Hare (1940). Avery explained later that it was a common expression in his native Texas and that he did not think much of the phrase. Back then "doc" meant the same as "dude" does today. When the cartoon was first screened in theaters, the "What's up, Doc?" scene generated a tremendously positive audience reaction.[17][70]
Voice actors
The following are the various vocal artists who have voiced Bugs Bunny over the last 85-plus years for both Warner Bros. official productions and others:
Mel Blanc
Mel Blanc voiced the character for 52 years, from Bugs' debut in the 1938 short Porky's Hare Hunt until Blanc's death in 1989.Blanc described the voice he created for Bugs in 1940's A Wild Hare as a combination of Bronx and Brooklyn accents; however, Tex Avery claimed that he asked Blanc to give the character not a New York accent per se, but a voice like that of actor Frank McHugh, who frequently appeared in supporting roles in the 1930s and whose voice might be described as New York Irish.[74] In Bugs' following cartoon, Elmer's Pet Rabbit, Blanc created a completely new voice for Bugs, which sounded like a Jimmy Stewart impression, but the directors decided the previous Wild Hare voice was better. Though Blanc's best known character was the carrot-chomping rabbit, munching on the carrots interrupted the dialogue. Various substitutes, such as celery, were tried, but none of them sounded like a carrot.So, for the sake of expedience, Blanc munched and then spit the carrot bits into a spittoon, rather than swallowing them, and continued with the dialogue.
Comics
Comic books
Bugs Bunny was continuously featured in comic books for more than 40 years, from 1941 to 1983, and has appeared sporadically since then. Bugs first appeared in comic books in 1941, in Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Comics #1, published by Dell Comics. Bugs was a recurring star in that book all through its 153-issue run, which lasted until July 1954. Western Publishing (and its Dell imprint) published 245 issues of a Bugs Bunny comic book from Dec. 1952/Jan.1953 to April 1984.[176] The company also published 81 issues of the joint title Yosemite Sam and Bugs Bunny from December 1970 to 1983. During the 1950s Dell also published a number of Bugs Bunny spinoff titles.
Creators on those series included Chase Craig, Helen Houghton,[177] Eleanor Packer,[178]
Reception and legacy
Like Mickey Mouse for Disney, Bugs Bunny has served as the mascot for Warner Bros. Entertainment and its various divisions.According to Guinness World Records, 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.[7] On December 10, 1985, Bugs became the second cartoon character (after Mickey) to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[8]
He also has been a pitchman for companies including Kool-Aid and Nike.His Nike commercials with Michael Jordan as "Hare Jordan" for the Air Jordan VII and VIII became precursors to Space Jam.As a result, he has spent time as an honorary member of Jordan Brand
Copyright status
Under current US copyright law, Bugs Bunny is due to enter the US public domain in between 2033 and 2035.[194] However, this will only apply (at first) to the character's depiction as Happy Rabbit in Porky's Hare Hunt which was published in 1938 (which will enter the US public domain in 2034). The debut of his later persona in 1940 will enter the US public domain in 2036. Although some of his pre-1948 cartoons had been in US public domain since the early 1970s, other versions of him with later developments may persist under copyright until the entry of his post-1948 cartoons in the public domain.
Notable films
Porky's Hare Hunt (1938) – debut of the Prototype of Bugs
A Wild Hare (1940) – official debut; Oscar nominee
Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt (1941) – Oscar nominee
What's Opera, Doc? (1957) – voted #1 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time and inducted into the National Film Registry
Knighty Knight Bugs (1958) – Oscar winner
False Hare (1964) – final regular cartoon
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) – first, and so far only, time Bugs appeared with Disney's mascot, Mickey Mouse – Oscar winner
Box-Office Bunny (1990) – first theatrically released short since 1964
Space Jam (1996) – appeared alongside NBA superstar, Michael Jordan
Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003) – appeared alongside Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman and
Language
The American use of nimrod to mean "idiot" is often said to have originated from Bugs's exclamation "What a nimrod!"to describe the inept hunter Elmer Fudd.[195] However, it is Daffy Duck who refers to Fudd as "my little nimrod" in the 1948 short What Makes Daffy Duck,[196] and the Oxford English Dictionary records earlier negative uses of the term "nimrod".[197]
He was loud, zany with a goofy, guttural laugh.[11] The rabbit character was popular enough with audiences that the Termite Terrace staff decided to use it again.[12]
The rabbit comes back in Prest-O Change-O (1939), directed by Chuck Jones, where he is the pet rabbit of unseen character Sham-Fu the Magician. Two dogs, fleeing the local dogcatcher, enter the rabbit's absent master's house. The rabbit harasses them but is ultimately bested by the bigger of the two dogs. This version of the rabbit was cool, graceful, and controlled. He retained the guttural laugh but was otherwise silent.[11]
The rabbit's third appearance comes in Hare-um Scare-um (1939), directed again by Dalton and Hardaway. This cartoon—the first in which he is depicted as a gray bunny instead of a white one—is also notable as the rabbit's first singing role. Charlie Thorson, lead animator on the film, gave the character a name.He had written "Bugs's Bunny" on the model sheet that he drew for Hardaway.[12] In promotional material for the cartoon, including a surviving 1939 presskit, the name on the model sheet was altered to become the rabbit's own name: "Bugs" Bunny (quotation marks only used, on and off, until 1944).[13]
In his autobiography, Blanc claimed that another proposed name for the character was "Happy Rabbit." In the actual cartoons and publicity, however, the name "Happy" only seems to have been used in reference to Bugs Hardaway. In Hare-um Scare-um, a newspaper headline reads, "Happy Hardaway."[14] Animation historian David Gerstein disputed that "Happy Rabbit" was ever used as an official name, arguing that the only usage of the term came from Mel Blanc himself in humorous and fanciful tales he told about the character's development in the 1970s and 1980s; the name "Bugs Bunny" was used as early as August 1939, in the Motion Picture Herald, in a review for Hare-um Scare-um.[15]
Thorson had been approached by Tedd Pierce, head of the story department, and asked to design a better look for the rabbit. The decision was influenced by Thorson's experience in designing hares. He had designed Max Hare in Toby Tortoise Returns (Disney, 1936). For Hardaway, Thorson created the model sheet previously mentioned, with six different rabbit poses. Thorson's model sheet is "a comic rendition of the stereotypical fuzzy bunny". He had a pear-shaped body with a protruding rear end. His face was flat and had large expressive eyes. He had an exaggerated long neck, gloved hands with three fingers, oversized feet, and a "smart aleck" grin. The result was influenced by Walt Disney Animation Studios' tendency to draw animals in the style of cute infants.He had an obvious Disney influence, but looked like an awkward merger of the lean and streamlined Max Hare from The Tortoise and the Hare (1935) and the round, soft bunnies from Little Hiawatha (1937).[11]
In Jones' Elmer's Candid Camera (1940), the rabbit first meets Elmer Fudd. This time the rabbit looks more like the present-day Bugs, taller and with a similar face—but retaining the more primitive voice. Candid Camera's Elmer character design is also different: taller and chubbier in the face than the modern model, though Arthur Q. Bryan's character voice is already established.
Official debut
While Porky's Hare Hunt was the first Warner Bros. cartoon to feature what would become Bugs Bunny, A Wild Hare, directed by Tex Avery and released on July 27, 1940, is widely considered to be the first official Bugs Bunny cartoon.[1][16] It is the first film where both Elmer Fudd and Bugs, both redesigned by Bob Givens, are shown in their fully developed forms as hunter and tormentor, respectively; the first in which Mel Blanc uses what became Bugs' standard voice; and the first in which Bugs uses his catchphrase, "What's up, Doc?"[17] A Wild Hare was a huge success in theaters and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Cartoon Short Subject.[18]
For the film, Avery asked Givens to remodel the rabbit. The result had a closer resemblance to Max Hare. He had a more elongated body, stood more erect, and looked more poised. If Thorson's rabbit looked like an infant, Givens' version looked like an adolescent.[19] Blanc gave Bugs the voice of a city slicker.The rabbit was as audacious as he had been in Hare-um Scare-um and as cool and collected as in Prest-O Change-O.[11]
Immediately following on A Wild Hare, Bob Clampett's Patient Porky (1940) features a cameo appearance by Bugs, announcing to the audience that 750 rabbits have been born. The gag uses Bugs' Wild Hare visual design, but his goofier pre-Wild Hare voice characterization.
The second full-fledged role for the mature Bugs, Chuck Jones' Elmer's Pet Rabbit (1941), is the first to use Bugs' name on-screen: it appears in a title card, "featuring Bugs Bunny," at the start of the film (which was edited in following the success of A Wild Hare). However, Bugs' voice and personality in this cartoon is noticeably different, and his design was slightly altered as well; Bugs' visual design is based on the earlier version in Candid Camera and A Wild Hare, but with yellow gloves, as seen in Hare-Um Scare-Um, and no buck teeth, has a lower-pitched voice and a more aggressive, arrogant and thuggish personality instead of a fun-loving personality. After Pet Rabbit, however, subsequent Bugs appearances returned to normal: the Wild Hare visual design and personality returned, and Blanc re-used the Wild Hare voice characterization.
Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt (1941), directed by Friz Freleng, became the second Bugs Bunny cartoon to receive an Academy Award nomination.[20] The fact that it did not win the award was later spoofed somewhat in What's Cookin' Doc? (1944), in which Bugs demands a recount (claiming to be a victim of "sa-bo-TAH-gee") after losing the Oscar to James Cagney and presents a clip from Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt to prove his point.[21]
World War II
By 1942, Bugs had become the number one star of Merrie Melodies. The series was originally intended only for one-shot characters in films after several early attempts to introduce characters (Foxy, Goopy Geer, and Piggy) failed under Harman–Ising.By the mid-1930s, under Leon Schlesinger, Merrie Melodies started introducing newer characters.Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid (1942) shows a slight redesign of Bugs, with less-prominent front teeth and a rounder head.The character was later reworked by Robert McKimson, then an animator in Clampett's unit, for Tortoise Wins by a Hare (1943), with more-slanted eyes, longer teeth and a much larger mouth.The redesign at first was only used in the films created by Clampett's unit, but in time it was taken up by the other directors, with Freleng and Frank Tashlin the first.McKimson would use another version of the rabbit by Jean Blanchard until 1949 (as did Art Davis for the one Bugs Bunny film he directed, Bowery Bugs) when he started using the version he had designed for Clampett. Jones came up with his own slight modification, and the voice had slight variations between the units. Bugs also made cameos in Avery's final Warner Bros. cartoon, Crazy Cruise.[22]
Since Bugs' fifth appearance in A Wild Hare, he appeared in color Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies films (making him one of the few recurring characters created for the series in the Schlesinger era prior to the full conversion to color), alongside Egghead, Inki, Sniffles, and
Post-World War II era
After World War II, Bugs continued to appear in numerous Warner Bros. cartoons, making his last "Golden Age" appearance in False Hare (1964). He starred in over 167 theatrical short films, most of which were directed by Friz Freleng, Robert McKimson, and Chuck Jones. Freleng's Knighty Knight Bugs (1958), in which a medieval Bugs trades blows with Yosemite Sam and his fire-breathing dragon (which has a cold), won an Academy Award for Best Cartoon Short Subject (becoming the first and only Bugs Bunny cartoon to win that award).[30] Three of Jones' films—Rabbit Fire, Rabbit Seasoning and Duck! Rabbit, Duck!—comprise what is often referred to as the "Rabbit Season/Duck Season" trilogy and were the origins of the rivalry between Bugs and Daffy Duck.[31] Jones' classic What's Opera, Doc? (1957), casts Bugs and Elmer Fudd in a parody of Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen.It was deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1992, becoming the first cartoon short to receive this honor.[32]
Later years
Bugs did not appear in any of the post-1964 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies films produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises or Seven Arts Productions, nor did he appear in Filmation's Daffy Duck and Porky Pig Meet the Groovie Goolies.He did, however, have two cameo appearances in the 1974 Joe Adamson short A Political Cartoon; one at the beginning of the short where he campaigns on behalf of equal rights for cartoon characters everywhere, and another in which he is interviewed at a pet store, where he is on sale as an "Easter Rabbit".Bugs was animated in this short by Mark Kausler.[34][35] He did not appear in new material on-screen again until Bugs and Daffy's Carnival of the Animals aired in 1976.
From the late 1970s through the early 1990s, Bugs was featured in various animated specials for network television, such as Bugs Bunny's Thanksgiving Diet, Bugs Bunny's Easter Special, Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales, and Bugs Bunny's Bustin' Out All Over.Bugs also starred in several theatrical compilation features during this time, including the United Artists
21st century
A younger version of Bugs is the main character of Baby Looney Tunes, which debuted on Kids' WB in 2001.In the action-comedy Loonatics Unleashed, his definite descendant Ace Bunny is the leader of the Loonatics team and seems to have inherited his ancestor's Brooklyn accent and rapier wit.[57]
In 2011, Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tunes gang returned to television in the Cartoon Network sitcom, The Looney Tunes Show. The characters feature new designs by artist Jessica Borutski. Among the changes to Bugs' appearance were the simplification and enlargement of his feet, as well as a change to his fur from gray to a shade of mauve (though in the second season, his fur was changed back to gray).[58] In the series, Bugs and Daffy Duck are portrayed as best friends as opposed to their usual pairing as friendly rivals. At the same time, Bugs is more vocally exasperated by Daffy's antics in the series (sometimes to the point of anger), compared to his usual level-headed personality from the original cartoons. Bugs and Daffy are friends with Porky Pig in the series, although Bugs tends to be a better friend to Porky than Daffy is. Bugs also dates Lola Bunny in the show despite the fact that he finds her to be "crazy" and a bit too talkative at first (he later learns to accept her personality quirks, similar to his tolerance for Daffy). Unlike the original cartoons, Bugs lives in a regular home which he shares with Daffy, Taz (whom he treats as a pet dog) and
Another catchphrase associated with the character's tendency to play the trickster is "Ain't I a stinker", an acknowledgement that he engages in unfair tactics.[71] It was first used as early as the 1940s in shorts like the 1942 The Wacky Wabbit.This was notably exhibited in the 1953 short, Duck Amuck, in which Daffy Duck endures various humiliations at the hands of the unseen cartoonist, who in the end is revealed to be Bugs Bunny, who then says this line.[72][73]
One often-repeated story, which dates back to the 1940s,[75] is that Blanc was allergic to carrots and had to spit them out to minimize any allergic reaction, but his autobiography makes no such claim.[76] In fact, in a 1984 interview with Tim Lawson, co-author of The Magic Behind The Voices: A Who's Who of Voice Actors, Blanc emphatically denied being allergic to carrots.
Others
Ben Hardaway (as an early iteration of Bugs; one line in Porky's Hare Hunt)[77]
Bob Clampett (vocal effects and additional lines in A Corny Concerto and Falling Hare)[78]
Gilbert Mack (Golden Records records, Bugs Bunny Songfest)[79][80]
Dave Barry (Golden Records records, Bugs Bunny Easter Song and Mr. Easter Rabbit, Bugs Bunny Songfest)[79][80][81]
Daws Butler (imitating Groucho Marx and Ed Norton in Wideo Wabbit)
Ricky Nelson (singing "Gee Whiz, Whilikins, Golly Gee" in an episode of The Bugs Bunny Show)[82]
Jerry Hausner (additional lines in Devil's Feud Cake, The Bugs Bunny Show and some commercials)[79][78][83]
Larry Storch (1973 ABC Saturday Mornings promotion)[84][85]
Noel Blanc (radio shows, commercials, The Looney Tunes Revue,[87] one line in Rabbit-cadabbra,[88] ABC Family Fun Fair,[89] You Rang? answering machine messages,[90]2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400)[91]
Peter Leeds ("Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" in Blue Peter)[92]
Unknown (Bugs Bunny Exercise and Adventure Album)[93]
Gilbert Grilli (1984 "I'm Glad That I'm Bugs Bunny" and "What's Up Doc?" covers)[94][95]
Jeff Bergman (62nd Academy Awards, Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue, The Earth Day Special, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Tiny Toon Adventures, Box Office Bunny, Bugs Bunny's Overtures to Disaster, (Blooper) Bunny, Bugs Bunny's Lunar Tunes, Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers, Bugs Bunny's Creature Features, Special Delivery Symphony,[99] Pride of the Martians, The Looney Tunes Show, Scooby Doo & Looney Tunes Cartoon Universe: Adventure, Looney Tunes Dash, Looney Tunes: Rabbits Run, Wun Wabbit Wun,[100]New Looney Tunes, Daffy Duck Dance Off,[101]Ani-Mayhem,[102] Meet Bugs (and Daffy),[103]Space Jam: A New Legacy
Mendi Segal (Bugs & Friends Sing the Beatles, The Looney West)[148][149]
Billy West (Space Jam, Bugs & Friends Sing Elvis,[150]Histeria!, Warner Bros. Sing-Along: Quest for Camelot, Warner Bros. Sing-Along: Looney Tunes, The Looney Tunes Rockin' Road Show,[151] Crash! Bang! Boom! The Best of WB Sound FX,[152] The Looney Tunes Kwazy Christmas,[153][154] screaming in Looney Tunes: Back in Action,[155][156]Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas, A Looney Tunes Sing-A-Long Christmas,[157]
Joe Alaskey (Chasers Anonymous, Gatorade commercial, Tweety's High-Flying Adventure, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Looney Tunes: Back in Action (video game), Hare and Loathing in Las Vegas, Looney Tunes webtoons, Daffy Duck for President, Aflac commercial, Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal, Justice League: The New Frontier, Looney Tunes: Cartoon Conductor, Looney Tunes: Laff Riot pilot,[158] Looney Tunes Dance Off,[159]TomTom Looney Tunes GPS,[160] Looney Tunes ClickN READ Phonics)[113]
Todd Michael Thornton (Rapid T. Rabbit and Friends)[165][166]
Eric Bauza (Looney Tunes World of Mayhem,[167]Looney Tunes Cartoons, Bugs Bunny in The Golden Carrot, Space Jam: A New Legacy (as Big Chungus),[168] Space Jam: A New Legacy live show, Bugs and Daffy's Thanksgiving Road Trip,[169][170]MultiVersus,[171]Bugs Bunny Builders,[172] ACME Fools, Lights, Camera, Action: A WB100th Anniversary Celebration, Teen Titans Go!, Looney Tunes pinball machine,[173] Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood commercial[112]
Parodies
A list of voice actors of Bugs Bunny for parodies not produced by Warner Bros.
Robert Smigel (Saturday Night Live Season 28, Ep. 14)[174]
Seth MacFarlane (Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story, Family Guy)[175]
, Sealtiel Alatriste, Sandro Costa, and Massimo Fechi.
The German publisher Condor published a 76-issues Bugs Bunny series (translated and reprinted from the American comics) in the mid-1970s. The Danish publisher Egmont Ehapa produced a weekly reprint series in the mid-1990s.
Comic strip
The Bugs Bunny comic strip ran for almost 50 years, from January 10, 1943, to December 30, 1990, syndicated by the Newspaper Enterprise Association.It started out as a Sunday page and added a daily strip on November 1, 1948.[181]
The strip originated with Chase Craig, who did the first five weeks before leaving for military service in World War II.[182] Roger Armstrong illustrated the strip from 1942 to 1944.[183] The creators most associated with the strip are writers Albert Stoffel (1947–1979)[184] & Carl Fallberg (1950–1969),[185] and artist Ralph Heimdahl, who worked on it from 1947 to 1979.[186] Other creators associated with the Bugs Bunny strip include Jack Hamm, Carl Buettner, Phil Evans, Carl Barks (1952), Tom McKimson, Arnold Drake, Frank Hill, Brett Koth, and Shawn Keller.[187][188]
, including having Jordan's Jumpman logo done in his image.
In 2015, as part of the 30th anniversary of Jordan Brand, Nike released a mid-top Bugs Bunny version of the Air Jordan I, named the "Air Jordan Mid 1 Hare", along with a women's equivalent inspired by Lola Bunny called the "Air Jordan Mid 1 Lola", along with a commercial featuring Bugs and Ahmad Rashad.[189]
In 2002, TV Guide compiled a list of the 50 greatest cartoon characters of all time as part of the magazine's 50th anniversary.
Bugs Bunny was given the honor of number 1.[190][191] In a CNN broadcast on July 31, 2002, a TV Guide editor talked about the group that created the list.
The editor also explained why Bugs pulled top billing: "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."[192] Some have noted that comedian Eric Andre is the nearest contemporary comedic equivalent to Bugs.
They attribute this to, "their ability to constantly flip the script on their unwitting counterparts."[193]
Steve Martin
Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021) – appeared alongside NBA superstar, LeBron James
15.Motion Picture Herald: August 12, 1939 "...With gun and determination, he takes to the field and tracks his prey in the zany person of "Bugs" Bunny, a true lineal descendant of the original Mad Hatter if there ever was one..."^
16.Barrier, Michael (2003), Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age, Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-516729-0^
17.Joe Adamson. Tex Avery: King of Cartoons Da Capo Press, 1975^
36.You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story (2008), p. 255.^
37.WB retained a pair of features from 1949 that they merely distributed, and all short subjects released on or after September 1, 1948; in addition to all cartoons released in August 1948.^
58.[http://jessicaborutski.blogspot.com/2010/04/yes-i-can-finally-blog-about-my.html Yes!! I can finally Blog about my Redesign of "The Looney Tunes Show"] - Jessica Borutski^
176.Robert M. Overstreet. Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide Gemstone Publishing, 2019^
177.Houhgton entry, Who's Who of American Comics Books, 1928–1999. Accessed November 28, 2018.^
178.Packer entry, Who's Who of American Comics Books, 1928–1999. Accessed November 28, 2018.^
179.Turner entry, Who's Who of American Comics Books, 1928–1999. Accessed November 28, 2018.^
180.Liggera entry, Who's Who of American Comics Books, 1928–1999. Accessed November 28, 2018.^
181.Allan Holtz. American Newspaper Comics: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide The University of Michigan Press, 2012^
182.Craig entry, Lambiek's Comiclopedia. Accessed November 28, 2018.^
183.Armstrong entry, Who's Who of American Comics Books, 1928–1999. Accessed November 28, 2018.^
184.Stoffel entry, Who's Who of American Comics Books, 1928–1999. Accessed November 28, 2018.^
185.Fallberg entry, Who's Who of American Comics Books, 1928–1999. Accessed November 28, 2018.^
186.Heimdahl entry, Who's Who of American Comics Books, 1928–1999. Accessed November 28, 2018.^
187.Ron Goulart, Encyclopedia of American Comics. New York, Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 9780816025824 pp. 33-4,37,57,73-74,106,262-263.^
188.John Cawley. "Back to the Rabbit Hole: Koth and Krller, the Men Behind the New and Improved Bugs Bunny Comic Strip." Animato no.20 (Summer 1990), pp.30-31.^
197.Oxford English Dictionary 3rd edition, updated 2020, s.v.^
198.Draw the Looney Tunes: The Warner Bros. Character Design Manual Chronicle Books, 2005^
Elmer Fudd
(who actually co-existed in 1937 along with Egghead as a separate character).
While Bugs made a cameo in Porky Pig's Feat (1943), this was his only appearance in a black-and-white Looney Tunes film.
He did not star in a Looney Tunes film until that series made its complete conversion to only color cartoons beginning in 1944.
Buckaroo Bugs was Bugs' first film in the Looney Tunes series and was also the last Warner Bros. cartoon to credit Schlesinger (as he had retired and sold his studio to Warner Bros. that year).[21]
Bugs' popularity soared during World War II because of his free and easy attitude, and he began receiving special star billing in his cartoons by 1943.By that time, Warner Bros. had become the most profitable cartoon studio in the United States.[23] In company with cartoon studios such as Disney and Famous Studios, Warners pitted its characters against Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Francisco Franco, and the Japanese.Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips (1944) features Bugs at odds with a group of Japanese soldiers.[24] This cartoon has since been pulled from distribution due to its depiction of Japanese people.[25] One US Navypropaganda film saved from destruction features the voice of Mel Blanc in "Tokyo Woes"[26] (1945) about the propaganda radio host Tokyo Rose.He also faces off against Hermann Göring and Hitler in Herr Meets Hare (1945), which introduced his well-known reference to Albuquerque as he mistakenly winds up in the Black Forest of "Joimany" instead of Las Vegas, Nevada.[24] Bugs also appeared in the 1942 two-minute U.S. war bonds commercial film Any Bonds Today?, along with Porky and Elmer.
At the end of Super-Rabbit (1943), Bugs appears wearing a United States Marine Corps dress blue uniform.As a result, the Marine Corps made Bugs an honorary Marine master sergeant.[27] From 1943 to 1946, Bugs was the official mascot of Kingman Army Airfield, Kingman, Arizona, where thousands of aerial gunners were trained during World War II.Some notable trainees included Clark Gable and Charles Bronson.Bugs also served as the mascot for 530 Squadron of the 380th Bombardment Group, 5th Air Force, U.S. Air Force, which was attached to the Royal Australian Air Force and operated out of Australia's Northern Territory from 1943 to 1945, flying B-24 Liberator bombers.[28] Bugs riding an air delivered torpedo served as the squadron logo for Marine Torpedo/Bomber Squadron 242 in the Second World War. Additionally, Bugs appeared on the nose of B-24J #42-110157, in both the 855th Bomb Squadron of the 491st Bombardment Group (Heavy) and later in the 786th BS of the 466th BG(H), both being part of the 8th Air Force operating out of England.
In 1944, Bugs Bunny made a cameo appearance in Jasper Goes Hunting, a Puppetoons film produced by rival studio Paramount Pictures. In this cameo (animated by McKimson, with Blanc providing the usual voice), Bugs (after being threatened at gunpoint) pops out of a rabbit hole, saying his usual catchphrase; after hearing the orchestra play the wrong theme song, he realizes "Hey, I'm in the wrong picture!" and then goes back in the hole.[29] Bugs also made a cameo in the Private Snafu short Gas, in which he is found stowed away in the titular private's belongings; his only spoken line is his usual catchphrase.He also made a silent cameo in another Private Snafu short titled Three Brothers, in which Fubar takes him out of his rabbit hole and hides inside it to avoid attack dogs.
Although it was usually Porky Pig who brought the Looney Tunes films to a close with his stuttering, "That's all, folks!", Bugs replaced him at the end of Hare Tonic and Baseball Bugs, bursting through a drum just as Porky did, but munching on a carrot and saying, in his Bronx/Brooklyn accent, "And that's the end!"
In the fall of 1960, ABC debuted the prime-time television program The Bugs Bunny Show.
This show packaged many of the post-1948 Warners cartoons with newly animated wraparounds.
Throughout its run, the series was highly successful, and helped cement Warner Bros. Animation as a mainstay of Saturday-morning cartoons.
After two seasons, it was moved from its evening slot to reruns on Saturday mornings.
The Bugs Bunny Show changed format and exact title frequently but remained on network television for 40 years.
The packaging was later completely different, with each cartoon simply presented on its own, title and all, though some clips from the new bridging material were sometimes used as filler.[33]
In the 1988 live-action/animated comedy Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Bugs appeared as one of the inhabitants of Toontown.However, since the film was being produced by Disney, Warner Bros. would only allow the use of their biggest star if he got an equal amount of screen time as Disney's biggest star, Mickey Mouse.Because of this, both characters are always together in frame when onscreen.[38] Bugs was animated by Dave Spafford.[39] Roger Rabbit was also one of the final productions in which Mel Blanc voiced Bugs (as well as the other Looney Tunes characters) before his death in 1989.[38]
Bugs later appeared in another animated production featuring numerous characters from rival studios: the 1990 drug prevention TV special Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.[40][41][42] This special is notable for being the first time that someone other than Blanc voiced Bugs and Daffy, both characters being voiced by Jeff Bergman for the program.Bugs also made guest appearances in the early 1990s television series Tiny Toon Adventures, as the principal of Acme Looniversity and the mentor of Babs and Buster Bunny.He made further cameos in Warner Bros.' subsequent animated TV shows Taz-Mania, Animaniacs, and Histeria!
Bugs returned to the silver screen in Box-Office Bunny (1991). This was the first Bugs Bunny cartoon since 1964 to be released in theaters and it was created for Bugs' 50th anniversary celebration. It was followed by (Blooper) Bunny, a cartoon that was shelved from theaters,[43] but later premiered on Cartoon Network in 1997 and has since gained a cult following among animation fans for its edgy humor.[44][45][46] Later that year, Bugs appeared in Yakety Yak, Take it Back, a live-action/animated all-star public service music video produced by Warner Bros. Animation for the Take it Back Foundation.[47] He also appeared in the logo for Warner Bros. Family Entertainment, animated by Bill Waldman.[48]
In 1996, Bugs and the other Looney Tunes characters appeared in the live-action/animated film, Space Jam, directed by Joe Pytka and starring NBA superstar Michael Jordan.The film also introduced the character Lola Bunny, who becomes Bugs' new love interest.Space Jam received mixed reviews from critics,[49][50] but was a box office success (grossing over $230 million worldwide).[51] The success of Space Jam led to the development of another live-action/animated film, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, released in 2003 and directed by Joe Dante.Unlike Space Jam, Back in Action was a box-office bomb,[52] though it did receive more positive reviews from critics.[53][54][55]
In 1997, Bugs appeared on a U.S. postage stamp, the first cartoon to be so honored, beating the iconic Mickey Mouse. The stamp is number seven on the list of the ten most popular U.S. stamps, as calculated by the number of stamps purchased but not used. The introduction of Bugs onto a stamp was controversial at the time, as it was seen as a step toward the 'commercialization' of stamp art. The postal service rejected many designs and went with a postal-themed drawing. Avery Dennison printed the Bugs Bunny stamp sheet, which featured "a special ten-stamp design and was the first self-adhesive souvenir sheet issued by the U.S. Postal Service."[56]
Speedy Gonzales
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cul-de-sac
with their neighbors Yosemite Sam,
Granny
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.
In 2015, Bugs starred in the direct-to-video film Looney Tunes: Rabbits Run,[59] and later returned to television yet again as the star of Cartoon Network and Boomerang's comedy series New Looney Tunes (formerly Wabbit).[60][61]In 2020, Bugs began appearing on the HBO Max streaming series Looney Tunes Cartoons. His design for this series primarily resembles his Bob Clampett days, complete with yellow gloves and his signature carrot. His personality is a combination of Freleng's trickery, Clampett's defiance, and Jones’ resilience, while also maintaining his confident, insolent, smooth-talking demeanor. Bugs is voiced by Eric Bauza, who is also the current voice of Daffy Duck and Tweety, among others.[62] In 2020, the USPS issued a new set of Bugs stamps. This was a part from a collection honoring the classic Looney Tunes characters. Bugs is presented there in a range of comical positions and facial expressions.[63] Bugs made his return to movie theaters in the 2021 Space Jam sequel Space Jam: A New Legacy, this time starring NBA superstar LeBron James.[64] In 2022, a new pre-school animated series titled Bugs Bunny Builders aired on HBO Max and Cartoonito.He is again voiced by Eric Bauza.[65] Bugs has also appeared in numerous video games, including the Bugs Bunny's Crazy Castle series, Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout, Bugs Bunny: Rabbit Rampage, Bugs Bunny in Double Trouble, Looney Tunes B-Ball, Looney Tunes Racing, Looney Tunes: Space Race, Bugs Bunny Lost in Time, Bugs Bunny and Taz Time Busters, Loons: The Fight for Fame, Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal, Scooby Doo and Looney Tunes: Cartoon Universe, Looney Tunes Dash, Looney Tunes World of Mayhem and MultiVersus.In 2025, Bugs featured as a playable pilot in Bullet Hell game, ACECRAFT.[66]
