Blacque Jacque Shellacque
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Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.
'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' series of animated shorts released by
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
feature a range of characters which are listed and briefly detailed here. Major characters from the franchise include
Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the late 1930s by Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring roles in the '' Looney Tunes'' and '' ...
,
Daffy Duck Daffy Duck is an animated cartoon character created for Leon Schlesinger Productions by animators Tex Avery and Bob Clampett. Styled as an anthropomorphic black duck, he has appeared in cartoon series such as ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Mel ...
, Elmer Fudd,
Foghorn Leghorn Foghorn Leghorn is a cartoon rooster who appears in ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoons and films from Warner Bros. Animation. He was created by Robert McKimson, and starred in 29 cartoons from 1946 to 1964 in the golden age of A ...
, Granny,
Lola Bunny Lola Bunny is a ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon character portrayed as an anthropomorphic female rabbit created by Warner Bros. Pictures. She is generally depicted as Bugs Bunny's girlfriend. She first appeared in the 1996 film ''Space Jam''. Develop ...
,
Marvin the Martian Marvin the Martian is an extraterrestrial character from Warner Bros.' ''Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' cartoons. He frequently appears as a villain in cartoons and video games, and wears a helmet and skirt. The character has been voice ...
, Pepé Le Pew, Porky Pig,
Speedy Gonzales Speedy Gonzales is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons. He is portrayed as "The Fastest Mouse in all Mexico" with his major traits being the ability to run extremely fas ...
, Sylvester the Cat, the Tasmanian Devil (Taz),
Tweety Tweety is a yellow canary in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of animated cartoons. The name "Tweety" is a play on words, as it originally meant "sweetie", along with "tweet" being an English onomatopoeia for t ...
,
Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner are a duo of cartoon characters from the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of animated cartoons, first appearing in 1949 in the theatrical cartoon short '' Fast and Furry-ous''. In each episode, ...
, and
Yosemite Sam Yosemite Sam ( /joʊˈsɛmɪti/ ''yoh-SEM-ih-tee'') is a cartoon character in the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of short films produced by Warner Bros. His name is taken from Yosemite National Park. He is an adversary of Bugs ...
. This list does not include ''
Tiny Toon Adventures ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' is an American animated comedy television series that was broadcast from September 14, 1990, to December 6, 1992. It was the first collaborative effort of Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television and Warner Bros. Animation ...
''
characters Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
or ''
Duck Dodgers Duck Dodgers is the metafictional star of a series of cartoons produced by Warner Bros., featuring Daffy Duck in the role of a science fiction hero. He first appeared in the 1953 cartoon short ''Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century'', directed b ...
''
characters Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
. This is a list of ''
Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.
'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' characters.


Recurring characters

The following is a list of characters who appear in at least 2 different types of ''Looney Tunes'' media. Cameos are not included.


List


Blacque Jacque Shellacque

Blacque Jacque Shellacque is a fictional
cartoon character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, i ...
in the ''
Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.
'' cartoons. He was created by Robert McKimson and
Tedd Pierce Edward Stacey "Tedd" Pierce III (August 12, 1906 – February 19, 1972) was an American screenwriter and voice actor of animated cartoons, principally from the mid-1930s to the late 1950s. Biography Pierce was the son of a stockbroker, Samue ...
, and first appeared in the 1959 '' Merrie Melodies'' short ''
Bonanza Bunny ''Bonanza Bunny'' is a 1959 Warner Bros. '' Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Robert McKimson. The short was released on September 5, 1959, and stars Bugs Bunny. In the cartoon, Bugs faces off with the French-Canadian claim jumper Blacque J ...
'' set in the Klondike of 1896.
Maurice LaMarche Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...
voiced the character from 2011 to 2014 in ''
The Looney Tunes Show ''The Looney Tunes Show'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Warner Bros. Animation that ran from May 3, 2011, through November 2, 2013, on Cartoon Network. The series consists of two seasons, each containing 26 episodes, and features ch ...
''. The character was the inspiration for a specific version of five card draw
poker Poker is a family of comparing card games in which players wager over which hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, however in some places the rules may vary. While the earliest known form of the game w ...
mixed with
blackjack Blackjack (formerly Black Jack and Vingt-Un) is a casino banking game. The most widely played casino banking game in the world, it uses decks of 52 cards and descends from a global family of casino banking games known as Twenty-One. This fami ...
named "Blacque Jacque Shellacque" in which the pot is divided between the winning poker hand and the winning blackjack hand. If everyone loses in blackjack, the winning poker hand takes all. While similar in many ways to
Yosemite Sam Yosemite Sam ( /joʊˈsɛmɪti/ ''yoh-SEM-ih-tee'') is a cartoon character in the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of short films produced by Warner Bros. His name is taken from Yosemite National Park. He is an adversary of Bugs ...
—both are short in stature and temper—Blacque Jacque possesses his own unique characteristics, not the least of which is his comically thick
French Canadian French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fren ...
accent, performed by Mel Blanc. Also, like Yosemite Sam and many other villains, Blacque Jacque Shellacque does not have a high level of intelligence, preferring to use force instead of strategy to fight Bugs. His usual swear word is ''Sacrebleu''; and he is often portrayed as a thief.


Bunny and Claude

Bunny and Claude are two fictional
cartoon character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, i ...
s in the ''
Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.
'' series by Warner Bros. Cartoons which debuted in 1968. They are based on the real-life
Bonnie and Clyde Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (October 1, 1910May 23, 1934) and Clyde Chestnut (Champion) Barrow (March 24, 1909May 23, 1934) were an American criminal couple who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. The co ...
and the then-recent film about the pair's life that had been released by
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
They are depicted as a romantically involved pair of well-dressed rabbits who pull off carrot heists, and their catchphrase is "We rob carrot patches", based on the film Bonnie and Clyde's "We rob banks". Bunny was voiced by
Pat Woodell Patricia Joy Woodell (July 12, 1944 – September 29, 2015) was an American actress and singer, best known for her television role as Bobbie Jo Bradley from 1963 to 1965 on ''Petticoat Junction''. Career Woodell was born July 12, 1944, in Win ...
and Claude was voiced by veteran ''Looney Tunes'' voice actor Mel Blanc. They both speak with pronounced Southern accents. Bunny and Claude are pursued by a stereotypical Southern
sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...
(also voiced by Blanc in a fashion similar to his other characters,
Foghorn Leghorn Foghorn Leghorn is a cartoon rooster who appears in ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoons and films from Warner Bros. Animation. He was created by Robert McKimson, and starred in 29 cartoons from 1946 to 1964 in the golden age of A ...
and
Yosemite Sam Yosemite Sam ( /joʊˈsɛmɪti/ ''yoh-SEM-ih-tee'') is a cartoon character in the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of short films produced by Warner Bros. His name is taken from Yosemite National Park. He is an adversary of Bugs ...
). They appeared in two cartoons produced by Warner Bros.-Seven Arts Animation, ''
Bunny and Claude (We Rob Carrot Patches) ''Bunny and Claude (We Rob Carrot Patches)'' is a 1968 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Robert McKimson. It was the first appearance of Bunny and Claude, inspired by the 1967 Warner Bros. film ''Bonnie and Clyde''. This is the f ...
'', released in 1968, and '' The Great Carrot Train Robbery'', released in 1969. Both films were directed by Robert McKimson, and were his first two cartoons he directed in his comeback to Termite Terrace.


Gabby Goat

Gabby Goat is an
animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...
cartoon A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of images ...
character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
in the
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
''
Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.
'' series of cartoons.
Bob Clampett Robert Emerson Clampett Sr. (May 8, 1913 – May 2, 1984) was an American animator, director, producer and puppeteer. He was best known for his work on the '' Looney Tunes'' animated series from Warner Bros. as well as the television shows '' ...
created Gabby, a loud and temperamental cynic, to be a sidekick for Porky Pig in the 1937 short ''
Porky and Gabby ''Porky and Gabby'' is a 1937 Warner Bros. '' Looney Tunes'' cartoon short directed by Ub Iwerks, the co-creator of Mickey Mouse. The short was released on May 15, 1937, and stars Porky Pig along with the first appearance of Gabby Goat The '' L ...
'', directed by
Ub Iwerks Ubbe Ert Iwwerks (March 24, 1901 – July 7, 1971), known as Ub Iwerks ( ), was an American animator, cartoonist, character designer, inventor, and special effects technician. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Iwerks grew up with a contentiou ...
, who briefly subcontracted to
Leon Schlesinger Productions Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. was an American animation studio, serving as the in-house animation division of Warner Bros. during the Golden Age of American animation. One of the most successful animation studios in American media history, it was ...
, producers of the ''Looney Tunes'' shorts. The cartoon focuses on the title characters' camping trip, which is foiled by car trouble. Gabby made only two other golden-age animated appearances in ''
Get Rich Quick Porky Get Rich Quick Porky is a 1937 Warner Bros. '' Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The short was released on August 28, 1937, and stars Porky Pig. Chuck Jones, later to be famed as a director, is credited as animator on the short. ...
'' and '' Porky's Badtime Story'', although he did briefly appear in early merchandise as well. The series ''
New Looney Tunes ''New Looney Tunes'', originally titled ''Wabbit: A Looney Tunes Production'' in the US and ''Bugs!'' in some markets for its first season, is an American animated television series from Warner Bros. Animation based on the characters from ''Loo ...
'' revived the character of Gabby.


Melissa Duck

Melissa Duck is a blonde female mallard duck, and girlfriend to
Daffy Duck Daffy Duck is an animated cartoon character created for Leon Schlesinger Productions by animators Tex Avery and Bob Clampett. Styled as an anthropomorphic black duck, he has appeared in cartoon series such as ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Mel ...
; and was created by Frank Tashlin and
Chuck Jones Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, director, and painter, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He wrote, produ ...
. She is featured in several cartoon shorts, but is only referred to as Melissa in one, ''
The Scarlet Pumpernickel ''The Scarlet Pumpernickel'' is a 1950 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' theatrical cartoon short, directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. The cartoon was released on March 4, 1950, and features Daffy Duck, along with a number of '' ...
'', where she is voiced by Marian Richman. A baby version appeared in ''
Baby Looney Tunes ''Baby Looney Tunes'' is an American animated television series depicting toddler versions of ''Looney Tunes'' characters. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. The series focused on real world problems and morals that children may relate ...
''.


History

In the 1945 cartoon ''
Nasty Quacks ''Nasty Quacks'' is a 1945 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Frank Tashlin. The cartoon was released on December 1, 1945, and stars Daffy Duck. This was the final Daffy Duck cartoon, and the second to last overall, directed by T ...
'', Daffy's owner, a young girl, also becomes the besotted owner of a small, yellow duckling. When a jealous Daffy feeds the duckling growth pills, he is surprised to see it age into a white, female duck with blonde hair. By the end of the cartoon, the two have fallen in love and given birth to roughly ten black, white, and yellow ducklings of their own. The blonde duck in this cartoon bears visual similarities to Daffy's girlfriend from 1953's ''Muscle Tussle'' and may represent the "origin" of the Melissa Duck character.p. 163 Melissa Duck first officially appeared by name in adult form in the 1950 short ''
The Scarlet Pumpernickel ''The Scarlet Pumpernickel'' is a 1950 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' theatrical cartoon short, directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. The cartoon was released on March 4, 1950, and features Daffy Duck, along with a number of '' ...
'' which was, in 1994, voted number 31 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field. In the cartoon, she appears as a blonde damsel-in-distress and Daffy's love interest. The plot followed Daffy attempting to save "the Fair Lady Melissa" from having to marry the evil Grand Duke Sylvester with whom she is not in love.p. 208–209 Femme Fatale (aka "The Body", also referred to as Fowl Fatale or Shapely Lady Duck), from the 1952 Daffy Duck cartoon '' The Super Snooper'', was a tall voluptuous bright blue-eyed, redheaded duck wearing red lipstick who bears a strong resemblance to Melissa Duck.p. 241–242 Later in Robert McKimson's ''
Muscle Tussle ''Muscle Tussle'' is a 1953 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' theatrical cartoon short directed by Robert McKimson. The cartoon was released on April 18, 1953 and stars Daffy Duck. Synopsis Daffy goes to the beach with his girlfriend Melissa Duck ...
'' (1953), Daffy Duck's girlfriend appears with him on a visit to the beach.p. 247–248 Melissa appeared again as a possessed client of Daffy's paranormal investigations business in ''The Duxorcist'', originally released as part of ''
Daffy Duck's Quackbusters ''Daffy Duck's Quackbusters'' is a 1988 animated compilation film featuring classic Warner Bros. Cartoons shorts and animated bridging sequences, starring Daffy Duck. The film was released to theaters by Warner Bros. on September 24, 1988. It was ...
'' in 1988. Melissa Duck's most notable role is from the series ''
Baby Looney Tunes ''Baby Looney Tunes'' is an American animated television series depicting toddler versions of ''Looney Tunes'' characters. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. The series focused on real world problems and morals that children may relate ...
'' which debuted in 2001 and casts the adult characters from the original ''Looney Tunes'' theatrical shorts as their infant selves, and displays Melissa's crush on Daffy Duck when she was an infant. In 2011 ''
The Looney Tunes Show ''The Looney Tunes Show'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Warner Bros. Animation that ran from May 3, 2011, through November 2, 2013, on Cartoon Network. The series consists of two seasons, each containing 26 episodes, and features ch ...
'' introduced a new female duck character, Tina Russo, based on Melissa Duck. In 2021, Melissa Duck reappeared as a playable character in the mobile game ''Looney Tunes World of Mayhem'' titled the "Fair Lady Melissa," "Maid Melissa" and "Possessed Melissa."


Pete Puma

Pete Puma is a
cartoon A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of images ...
puma, originally voiced by Stan Freberg. He was created by Robert McKimson, and debuted in the November 15, 1952 short film ''
Rabbit's Kin ''Rabbit's Kin'' is a 1952 Warner Bros. '' Merrie Melodies'' animated short directed by Robert McKimson and written by Tedd Pierce. The cartoon was released on November 15, 1952, and stars Bugs Bunny. The cartoon was animated by Charles McKimson, ...
''. Although Pete Puma was a one-shot character in ''Rabbit's Kin'', he is often vividly remembered by cartoon fans, especially for his bizarre, inhaled, almost choking laugh (based on comedian
Frank Fontaine Frank Fontaine (April 19, 1920 – August 4, 1978) was an American stage, radio, film and television comedian, singer and actor. Early years and personal life Born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Fontaine came from a family of entertai ...
's "Crazy Guggenheim" and "John L.C. Silvoney" characters). In ''Rabbit's Kin'', Pete is chasing a young rabbit called "Shorty" who asks
Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the late 1930s by Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring roles in the '' Looney Tunes'' and '' ...
for help. Bugs is eager to oblige and subjects Pete to some of his trademark pranks.


Appearances

Pete Puma has made occasional appearances on ''
Tiny Toon Adventures ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' is an American animated comedy television series that was broadcast from September 14, 1990, to December 6, 1992. It was the first collaborative effort of Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television and Warner Bros. Animation ...
'' (as the Acme Looniversity janitor), some episodes of ''
The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'', co-starred with
Foghorn Leghorn Foghorn Leghorn is a cartoon rooster who appears in ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoons and films from Warner Bros. Animation. He was created by Robert McKimson, and starred in 29 cartoons from 1946 to 1964 in the golden age of A ...
in ''
Pullet Surprise ''Pullet Surprise'' is a 1997 7-minute ''Looney Tunes'' short released in theaters with ''Cats Don't Dance''. It was produced by Chuck Jones Film Productions.
'' (voiced again by Freberg in all of these appearances), made a cameo appearance in the crowd scenes of ''
Space Jam ''Space Jam'' is a 1996 American live-action/animated sports comedy film directed by Joe Pytka, with animation sequences directed by Bruce W. Smith and Tony Cervone, and written by Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick, Timothy Harris, and Herschel ...
'', '' Carrotblanca'' (as a waiter), ''
Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas ''Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas'' (also known as ''Looney Tunes: Bah Humduck'') is a 2006 animated direct-to-DVD Christmas comedy film starring the Looney Tunes characters, directed by Charles Visser, produced by Warner Bros. Animation a ...
'' (working as a janitor again), and is a supporting character in the ''
Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.
'' comic books. His most recent appearances were in the ''
Looney Tunes Cartoons ''Looney Tunes Cartoons'' is an American animated television series developed by Peter Browngardt and produced by Warner Bros. Animation, based on the characters from ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies''. The series made its worldwide debu ...
'' shorts "Puma Problems" and "Bottoms Up", where he is voiced by Stephen Stanton.


Rocky and Mugsy

Rocky and Mugsy are
animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...
cartoon character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, i ...
s in the
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
''
Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.
'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons. They were created by
Friz Freleng Isadore "Friz" Freleng (August 21, 1905May 26, 1995), credited as I. Freleng early in his career, was an American animator, cartoonist, director, producer, and composer known for his work at Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and '' ...
.


Biography

As an
animator An animator is an artist who creates multiple images, known as frames, which give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, and video gam ...
, Friz Freleng enjoyed creating new adversaries for Warners' star
Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the late 1930s by Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring roles in the '' Looney Tunes'' and '' ...
, since he felt that Bugs' other nemeses, such as
Beaky Buzzard Beaky Buzzard is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. '' Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons. He is a young turkey vulture (sometimes called a "buzzard" in the United States) with black body feathers and a w ...
and Elmer Fudd (who actually appeared in many more Freleng shorts than is commonly realized), were too stupid to give the rabbit any real challenge. Considered revolutionary for almost all of the late 1940s though he might have been, Freleng's own
Yosemite Sam Yosemite Sam ( /joʊˈsɛmɪti/ ''yoh-SEM-ih-tee'') is a cartoon character in the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of short films produced by Warner Bros. His name is taken from Yosemite National Park. He is an adversary of Bugs ...
had not yet been proven capable of fully fulfilling his creator's intentions. Freleng introduced two of these more formidable opponents as a pair of
gangster A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from ''mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and ...
s in the 1946 film ''
Racketeer Rabbit ''Racketeer Rabbit'' is a 1946 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on September 14, 1946, and features Bugs Bunny. In the cartoon, Bugs duels with a pair of racketeers or gangsters, Rocky and H ...
'', written by Michael Maltese. In the film, Bugs decides to find himself a new home, but the one he chooses is unfortunately occupied by a duo of bank robbers. The characters here are called "Rocky" (drawn like movie gangster Edward G. Robinson) and "Hugo" (a
caricature A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, a ...
d
Peter Lorre Peter Lorre (; born László Löwenstein, ; June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian and American actor, first in Europe and later in the United States. He began his stage career in Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, before movin ...
). Both gangsters are performed by the Warner studio's longtime chief
voice actor Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talent ...
, Mel Blanc.


Appearances

Freleng liked the
mobster A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from ''mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and ...
idea, and he used the concept again in the 1950 short '' Golden Yeggs''. This time, it is Porky Pig and
Daffy Duck Daffy Duck is an animated cartoon character created for Leon Schlesinger Productions by animators Tex Avery and Bob Clampett. Styled as an anthropomorphic black duck, he has appeared in cartoon series such as ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Mel ...
who run afoul of the mob, only this time Rocky has not only one sidekick, but an entire
gang A gang is a group or society of associates, friends or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collectivel ...
. Freleng also redesigned Rocky for this short, making him a more generalized caricature of the "tough guy" gangster rather than Robinson in particular. Freleng used several of the same techniques that would make Sam, his other Bugs villain, such a humorous character: despite Rocky's tough-guy demeanor, everlasting
cigar A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco leaves made to be smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct components: the filler, the binder l ...
(or
cigarette A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhaled via the opp ...
) and foppish gangster dress, he really is little more than a dwarf in a much-too-large hat. In 1953's ''
Catty Cornered ''Catty Cornered'' is a 1953 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on October 31, 1953, and stars Tweety and Sylvester. It features a forerunner of the Rocky and Mugsy duo. Plot Tweety, who ...
'', Freleng set the mob against another of his comic duos, Sylvester and
Tweety Bird Tweety is a yellow canary in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of animated cartoons. The name "Tweety" is a play on words, as it originally meant "sweetie", along with "tweet" being an English onomatopoeia for t ...
. Gang leader Rocky, this time aided and abetted by a hulking simpleton named "Nick",
kidnaps In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/ asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the ...
Tweety Bird, and when Sylvester's bumbling predations accidentally free the bird, the poor puss is hailed as a hero. The duo reappear in 1954's ''
Bugs and Thugs ''Bugs and Thugs'' is a 1954 Warner Bros. '' Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on March 13, 1954, and stars Bugs Bunny, with Rocky and Mugsy. The film is a semi-remake of the 1946 cartoon ''Racketeer Rabbit ...
'', this time in the form that Freleng would keep them in for the rest of their run. Rocky is aided by a new thug, "Mugsy". Although his body type is similar to that of Nick's, he has less hair and is even less intelligent. Before the Warner studio closed for good in 1963, Rocky and Mugsy would appear in two more Freleng cartoons: '' Bugsy and Mugsy'' (1957) and ''
The Unmentionables ''The Unmentionables'' is a 1963 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on September 7, 1963, and stars Bugs Bunny. It features Bugs with Rocky and Mugsy (in their final appearance), and spoofs ''T ...
'' (1963). Mugsy also appears without his boss in a cameo as one of
Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
's guards in the 1956 Freleng short ''
Napoleon Bunny-Part ''Napoleon Bunny-Part'' is a 1956 Warner Bros. '' Merrie Melodies'' cartoon, directed by Friz Freleng. The shot was released on June 16, 1956, and stars Bugs Bunny. In this film, Bugs Bunny's opponent is Napoleon. Bugs disguise himself as Empress ...
'' and also appeared as a bank robber in ''
Satan's Waitin' ''Satan's Waitin'' is a 1954 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on August 7, 1954, and stars Tweety and Sylvester. A later short, ''Devil's Feud Cake'' (1963), was re-titled ''Satan's Waitin'' ...
''. Rocky and Mugsy have also appeared in various ''Looney Tunes''-related merchandise. They are semi-regular characters in ''Looney Tunes''
comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
s, for example. They also play the villains in the 2002
Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the ...
video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
'' Loons: The Fight for Fame'', a vs. fighting game in which the no-good gangsters attempt to run a film studio into the ground so that they can buy up the
stock In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especially AmE'' one of the shares into which ownership of a company ...
for next to nothing. Also, in '' Bugs Bunny Lost in Time'', the pair are bosses of the 1930s era. They also appeared in episodes of ''
The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' and ''
Duck Dodgers Duck Dodgers is the metafictional star of a series of cartoons produced by Warner Bros., featuring Daffy Duck in the role of a science fiction hero. He first appeared in the 1953 cartoon short ''Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century'', directed b ...
'', as well as various cameo appearances in the movie ''
Space Jam ''Space Jam'' is a 1996 American live-action/animated sports comedy film directed by Joe Pytka, with animation sequences directed by Bruce W. Smith and Tony Cervone, and written by Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick, Timothy Harris, and Herschel ...
''. In the movie, they are spotted wearing rabbit's ears and are shown shocked and terrified when Bugs gets crushed by a Monstar named Pound who was meant to crush Lola. Rocky and Mugsy both made a cameo appearance in the sequel '' Space Jam: A New Legacy'' were they are seen in line with the other Tunes leaving Tune World in Bugs Bunny's flashback. Rocky and Mugsy made cameos in ''
The Looney Tunes Show ''The Looney Tunes Show'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Warner Bros. Animation that ran from May 3, 2011, through November 2, 2013, on Cartoon Network. The series consists of two seasons, each containing 26 episodes, and features ch ...
''. In "It's a Handbag", Rocky and Mugsy's pictures were seen in the police's notebook. They were also seen in the Merrie Melodies segment "Stick to My Guns", sung by Yosemite Sam in the episode "Mrs. Porkbunny's" where Yosemite Sam mentions how he declared his vendetta on the Mafia when Sam threw a garbage can into their house. Around the end of the song, Rocky and Mugsy joined in on the final verse with
Nasty Canasta Nasty Canasta is a cartoon character and antagonist of the '' Merrie Melodies'' and '' Looney Tunes'' series who made appearances in three cartoons. Created by animator Chuck Jones, Canasta is depicted as a tough, hulking, and brutish-looking o ...
, an angry bride, a female cannibal, a
grizzly bear The grizzly bear (''Ursus arctos horribilis''), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America. In addition to the mainland grizzly (''Ursus arctos horri ...
, and Toro the Bull. Rocky and Mugsy appear in the ''
Looney Tunes Cartoons ''Looney Tunes Cartoons'' is an American animated television series developed by Peter Browngardt and produced by Warner Bros. Animation, based on the characters from ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies''. The series made its worldwide debu ...
'' shorts "Chain Gang(sters)" and "Hideout Hare" with Rocky voiced by
James Adomian James Adomian (born January 31, 1980) is an Armenian-American stand-up comedian, actor, and impressionist. He is best known for his work on ''Comedy Bang! Bang!'', ''Chapo Trap House'', ''Last Comic Standing'', ''The Late Late Show with Craig Fe ...
and Mugsy voiced by
Fred Tatasciore Fred Tatasciore (; ) is an American voice actor who has provided voices in animated and live-action films, television shows, and video games. He is known for voicing the Hulk and Beast in various Marvel media and Solomon Grundy in various DC ...
.


Shorts

* ''
Racketeer Rabbit ''Racketeer Rabbit'' is a 1946 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on September 14, 1946, and features Bugs Bunny. In the cartoon, Bugs duels with a pair of racketeers or gangsters, Rocky and H ...
'' (1946) – Features a prototype of Rocky. * '' Golden Yeggs'' (1950) – Rocky's first cartoon, only cartoon paired with Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. * ''
Catty Cornered ''Catty Cornered'' is a 1953 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on October 31, 1953, and stars Tweety and Sylvester. It features a forerunner of the Rocky and Mugsy duo. Plot Tweety, who ...
'' (1953) – Only pairing with Sylvester and Tweety. * ''
Bugs and Thugs ''Bugs and Thugs'' is a 1954 Warner Bros. '' Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on March 13, 1954, and stars Bugs Bunny, with Rocky and Mugsy. The film is a semi-remake of the 1946 cartoon ''Racketeer Rabbit ...
'' (1954) – Mugsy's first cartoon. * ''
Napoleon Bunny-Part ''Napoleon Bunny-Part'' is a 1956 Warner Bros. '' Merrie Melodies'' cartoon, directed by Friz Freleng. The shot was released on June 16, 1956, and stars Bugs Bunny. In this film, Bugs Bunny's opponent is Napoleon. Bugs disguise himself as Empress ...
'' (1956) – Mugsy cameos as a guard. * '' Bugsy and Mugsy'' (1957) * ''
The Unmentionables ''The Unmentionables'' is a 1963 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on September 7, 1963, and stars Bugs Bunny. It features Bugs with Rocky and Mugsy (in their final appearance), and spoofs ''T ...
'' (1963) – Final appearance of Rocky and Mugsy.


Parodies

Rocky and Mugsy are parodied as the ''
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand th ...
'' characters Nathan and Mimsy in the episode " Crippled Summer", Nathan having been introduced in the earlier episode " Up the Down Steroid". Throughout the episode's storylines, with various campers being parodies of other ''Looney Tunes'' characters, Nathan (Rocky) attempts to arrange fatal accidents for Jimmy Valmer (a counterpart to Bugs Bunny) which get ruined by Mimsy (Mugsy)'s stupidity. Nathan and Mimsy become reoccurring characters following their return appearance in the episode "
Handicar "Handicar" is the fourth episode in the South Park (season 18), eighteenth season of the American animated television series ''South Park''. The 251st episode overall, it was written and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker. The episode premi ...
". A poster depicting Rocky and Mugsy can be seen on the wall of Nathan's room.


Notes


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies characters, List of Lists of characters in American television animation Lists of animated film characters Lists of Warner Bros. characters