Looney Roll Character Analysis

Have you ever heard anyone say "what's up doc?" and immediately thought of that wascally wabbit Bugs Bunny? After all, who’s unfamiliar with Bugs Bunny? The character was a star on the rise when first introduced on July 27, 1940 in a short called A Wild Hare and since then he has become a household name. As of this date it has been more than 75 years since his debut and he remains quite the popular hare.

I will begin with a brief introduction to the origin of the Looney Tunes. Consecutively followed by an analysis of the three most frequently featured characters in Looney Tunes shorts, Bugs, Daffy and Porky; then I will look into characters that debuted in the 1960’s and characters introduced in the current decade. After which I will show how their roles have changed through the decades, using examples of changes to characterization and to the setting. Through my research I will demonstrate that despite people’s expectations of what the Looney Tunes are meant to be and past failures the Looney tunes have managed to remain relevant and popular in recent times.

Everyone knows

Cool Cat emerged in self-titled short Cool Cat (1967). Cool Cat wore a beret and scarf as he spoke in beatnik slang conjuring the image of a stereotypical laid-back teenager of the time. Merlin the Magic Mouse first debuts in the appropriately named short Merlin the Magic Mouse (1967), this mouse was known for being a failed magician who was accompanied by his assistant fittingly named Second Banana . Finally, Bunny and Claude arrived in Bunny and Claude: We Rob Carrot Patches (1968). This duo would appear in two more shorts and were thought to be a bid for popularity after the hit movie entitled Bonnie and Clyde that premiered in theaters in the previous year of their debut. Like the film duo Bunny and Claude would take part in robberies, but in the place of cash, carrots were