Character of the Week: Bugs Bunny

Bugs Bunny

“What’s up, Doc?”

This is one of the most recognizable phrases in the world, and it belongs to a cartoon legend named Bugs Bunny.

Bugs Bunny was first seen in 1938 in a cartoon short film called “Porky’s Hare Hunt.”  This character drawn was the prototype for Bugs Bunny, and he looked a little different than he does now.  He was mostly white, had smaller teeth, and a black button nose.  There have been disputes over which artist first drew the bunny, but it is generally known that Bugs Hardaway was responsible for the development of the character.  People started calling the rabbit “Bugs’ Bunny,” and the name stuck, although the apostrophe was later removed.

One of Bugs Bunny’s first lines was “Of course, you know this means war!” a famous line from Groucho Marx.  Bugs also held his carrot the way someone would hold a cigar, and this again referred to Groucho Marx, an influence on Bugs Bunny’s personality.

Bugs Bunny’s first official appearance as a fully developed character was in 1940’s “A Wild Hare.”  It is here that he uttered his trademark line, “Eh, What’s Up Doc?” as he stepped out of his hole to meet his hunter, Elmer Fudd.  It was also in this cartoon short that we were introduced to Bugs’ characteristic accent.  It is said to be a Flatbush accent, a mixture of the Bronx and Brooklyn dialects.

Bugs Bunny’s personality continued to develop with each cartoon short.  He played it cool, never worrying about his enemies.  Bugs knew he could outwit them, and outwit them he did.  He had a smarmy attitude and he would tease his antagonists and make them angry using the tricks and pranks he played.

In the early 1940s, Bugs Bunny starred in many cartoon shorts.  By 1942, he had become the star of the “Merrie Melodies” series.  During World War II, Bugs Bunny was very popular with the crowds.  To capitalize on this, Warner Bros followed the lead of Disney and Famous Studios, who were pitting their star cartoon characters up against the enemies of the world.  Bugs starred in short films opposite Adolf Hitler, Hermann Goering, and the Japanese, bringing humor to a terrible time in the world, and increasing his popularity.

Bugs Bunny’s popularity wasn’t just with the public.  The film critics liked him also.  Bugs Bunny was nominated for an Oscar with 1942’s “Hiawatha’s Rabbit Hunt,” and he won the Academy Award for Best Short Subject: Cartoons of 1958.  The 1957 cartoon short entitled “What’s Opera, Doc?” starring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd was labeled “culturally significant” by the United States Chamber of Commerce, and selected for preservation in the “National Film Registry.”

Besides being seen in film, Bugs Bunny also made numerous appearances on television.  In 1960, the television program “The Bugs Bunny Show” premiered on ABC.  It aired for two years during primetime until it was moved to Saturday mornings, where it remained for 40 years.  There were also animated specials shown on network television, made mostly of compilations of Bugs’ cartoon shorts.  In the 1980’s “Bugs Bunny’s Busting Out All Over” aired, and it was the first new Bugs Bunny cartoon in 16 years.

Bugs Bunny is still seen today in television specials and has made appearances in feature length films such as “Space Jam” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.”  In 1990, a brand new cartoon short, “Box Office Bunny,” debuted, followed by the 1991 “(Blooper) Bunny.”  These were created to celebrate Bugs Bunny’s 50th anniversary.

Bugs Bunny is such a favored character; he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Along with Mickey Mouse, they were the first cartoon characters to be given a star.  In 1997, Bugs Bunny appeared on a US postage stamp, the first cartoon character to be honored in this way.

In present day, Bugs Bunny is still very well known and loved by people all around the world.  He is seen on television and in animated movies, and he is the main character in a series of video games.  Bugs Bunny is also a sort of mascot for Looney Tunes and Warner Bros.

Over the years, many different kinds of Bugs Bunny merchandise have been sold.  There are Bugs Bunny dolls, books, posters, lunch boxes, games and many more items for sale.  Check out our website for Bugs Bunny and Looney Tunes movie posters and the Bugs Bunny Bobblehead Doll and create your own adventures with the world’s most favorite bunny!