Since I haven’t watched cartoons for many years some of the names people brought up were unknown to me. On the other hand, when one person said Heckle & Jeckle, one of the co-hosts had no idea who they were. (thereby making me feel like a hundred.)
Interestingly, one particular character was the overwhelming choice. I was surprised but not surprised. It's a popular character sure, but I didn’t realize it was that beloved. So I wondered if my readers results would be consistent with theirs.
Thus, I’ll throw the question out to you. Who is your all-time favorite cartoon character?
They seemed to limit the question to short cartoons or TV shows, so no one from a feature (like Ariel from LITTLE MERMAID or Rina in A JEWISH GIRL IN SHANGHAI) qualified. But if characters primarily used in shorts or TV shows eventually got a movie (a la THE SIMPSONS, PEANUTS, SOUTH PARK) that was okay. (Hey, they're their rules.)
On Saturday I’ll tell you your results, EW’s results, and my pick.
Thanks for playing. I look forward to hearing from you.
A-ba-dee, a-ba-dee, a-ba-dee, that’s all folks!
Boris Badenov. The whole R&B crew, but Boris stands out. Solid union man, too (Local 12 of the Villains, Thieves and Scoundrels Union).
ReplyDeleteLinus Van Pelt, from Peanuts. Other than the thumb-sucking (hey, he's seven years old-ish!), he's everything I wish I could have been at that age. Or my current age.
ReplyDeleteAs a kid growing up in the 60's ... Johnny Quest. I have not seen one of these in almost fifty years, not sure how well they hold up, but at the time I was mesmerized.
ReplyDeleteToday though it would be Wile E. Coyote. The sublime cartoon physics of the Chuck Jones universe still amazes me to this day. Gilligan never gets off the island and the coyote never catches the Roadrunner. But they keep trying every episode. Hope springs eternal with each new day.
Bugs Bunny! Nothing beats What's Opera, Doc? or my absolute favourite The Rabbit of Saville!
ReplyDeleteWell, there are a bajillion characters I could choose (Grape Ape, Bugs Bunny, Brainiac 5 (of the short-lived but much-missed _Legion of Super-Heroes_ cartoon), the Tick, Tasha (of _The Backyardigans_), Kim Possible), but I think I'm going to have to go with Slappy Squirrel from _Animaniacs_.
ReplyDeleteBugs Bunny. Any other answer is madness.
ReplyDeleteObviously.
DeleteI suspect I'll be alone: Dogtanian. But I think I grew out of cartoons very early; I remember being about six and asking my older brother why the other children kept obligingly laughing upon command at cartoons. He said it was because they genuinely found them funny. That idea had never occurred to me.
ReplyDeleteAre we allowed to use movies? If so, it's Gaston from BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, my pick is Cyril from ARCHER.
Top Cat!
ReplyDeleteIt has the best TV theme music of all time, and the character holds up a half century later even though the show is a timepiece.
In the UK, Top Cat was purchased by the BBC, which cannot legally endorse commercial products, and there is a brand of cat food called Top Cat. So they renamed the show as Boss Cat, and ensured complete continuity by... changing the title card. A theme song about how 'top' this character was segued into a very incongruous 'Boss Cat' graphic, before 20-ish minutes of everybody inexplicably referring to Boss Cat as 'TC'. As a child I remember this being confusing, as an adult I think of it more as perhaps a little insulting.
DeleteRelated fact: The Phil Silvers Show, on which Top Cat is based, is actually quite well known here, having been broadcast on BBC2 on Sunday mornings at least into the late '90s. So even if we're nationally vague on this Top Cat character, we're very good at recognising Bilko.
Bugs Bunny.
ReplyDeleteEasy: Bugs Bunny - Groucho with a carrot
ReplyDeleteBugs Bunny
ReplyDeleteBugs Bunny - Smart, sly, and always good with the comeback.
ReplyDeleteBugs Bunny, because the sketches were hilarious. By coincidence, after our dog took off after a rabbit last night, I recalled a sketch were Elmer Fudd was getting befuddled (pun intended) on what animal was in season to hunt. He finally asks what I recall was Bugs Bunny in disguise "what season is it?" to which Bugs replies, It's baseball season, so Elmer Fudd starts chasing and shooting a baseball.
ReplyDeleteBugs was unflappable, perhaps because he knew that no matter what danger he was in, the writers and illustrators would not let him die.
Bugs Bunny
ReplyDeleteBugs Bunny, of course. Except for a few Daffy Duck outliers, isn't he everyone's?
ReplyDeletewg
Ok, my favorites are Jonny Quest and Hong Kong Phooey....now it's my turn to feel a hundred :)
ReplyDeleteBugs, for sure.
ReplyDeletebut, back when i was 8, i might have said Woody Woodpecker.
Daffy Duck.
ReplyDeleteHomer Simpson and Milhouse van Houten
ReplyDeleteMine is Eric Cartman from South Park
ReplyDeleteDaffy Duck.
ReplyDeleteReally loved the "Tick" animated series from the 1990s. Daria was great too. But I'm into the classics. My #1 is Bugs Bunny.
ReplyDeleteSnoopy
ReplyDeleteBugs Bunny. Many others from that era, but Bugs was my favorite
ReplyDeleteChuck Jones once said that Daffy Duck is who I am, but Bugs Bunny is who I aspire to be. He described Bugs as Henry Higgins holding a carrot, that you draw a carrot, attach his pinky to it, and then do the rest of the body. I'd like to have Bug's savoir faire and courage.
ReplyDeleteThe southern talking wolf, that goes up against Droopy dog
ReplyDeleteor Humphry the bear in the Disney, shorts with the ranger.
Joe
Betty Boop. The first and still best cartoon character for adults.
ReplyDeleteI hate to be Captain Mainstream but I have to go with Homer Simpson and Cartman from Southpark. There is a reason that they have endured for decade.
ReplyDeleteMy all-time favorite cartoon characters are Dastardly & Muttley (may I pick two?) from Wacky Races, a 1968 CBS-TV Hanna-Barbera cartoon. I was only three when it came out but completely remember my dad laughing out loud at thier antics.
ReplyDeleteKen, you're not old. I'm younger than you and I remember Heckle and Jeckle. So that proves that. (Feel better?)
ReplyDeletePut me down in the Wile E. Coyote camp (either version of him--the "chasing Road Runner through the desert" version or the "Suuuuuuuper-Genius" version). No reason in particular beyond he just makes me laugh. And dammit, that should be a good enough reason for anyone.
A close second: Popeye, the ones from back in the 30's and 40's where he was constantly mumbling to himself. Same reason.
Bugs Bunny, of course!
ReplyDeleteI like Comic Book Guy on Simpsons.
ReplyDeleteI like Comicbook Guy in The Simpsons.
ReplyDeleteNot even close: Bugs Bunny! He was smart, savvy, witty, and didn't take anything from anyone!
ReplyDeleteCasper the Friendly Ghost.
ReplyDeleteMickey Mouse.
ReplyDeleteBugs Bunny has always been my favorite.
ReplyDeleteRocky and Bullwinkle (and Dudley Do-Right) would probably come in at a close second.
Popeye. Yuk, yuk, yuk, yuk, yuk.
ReplyDeleteDaffy Duck
ReplyDeleteYakko Warner, the Very Model of a Cartoon Individual....
ReplyDeleteBugs Bunny! The thing about Bugs, is that he is almost never the instigator of trouble, however, once someone messes with him, all bets are off! He's witty, he's confident, he's voiced by Mel Blanc, the greatest cartoon voice actor of all time! What more could you want?
ReplyDeleteBugs Bunny!!!
ReplyDeleteWithout question - Bugs Bunny!!
ReplyDeleteI’d have to go with Bullwinkle J. Moose with Bugs Bunny a very close second.
ReplyDeleteMilton the Monster.
ReplyDeleteNo, wait -- Batfink.
Damn, damn, damn. Linus the Lionhearted.
Oh, hell.
Bugs Bunny. Final choice. Bugs Bunny.
Although Newt from "The Mighty Hercules" came damned close.
Bugs Bunny. And not even close.
ReplyDeleteWile E. Coyote.
ReplyDeleteI say, I say . . . Foghorn Leghorn
ReplyDeleteDaffy Duck. The George Costanza to Jerry’s Bugs.
ReplyDelete"Animaniacs" was a brilliant series (and apparently Steven Spielberg intends to revive it), but the catalyst of the Warners animated style was Bugs Bunny. Unlike Disney's Mickey Mouse, who was a brilliant character from "Steamboat Willie" through the now-largely neglected '30s shorts, he has not devolved into a corporate symbol. So it's gotta be Bugs.
ReplyDeleteEhhhhhh....Bugs Bunny, Doc!
ReplyDeleteSlightly off-topic:
ReplyDeleteHave any of you seen a newly-released comic from DC/WB?
One of the classic Warners animated characters is reimagined as an urban vigilante.
He meets up with Batman, and ...
...truth to tell, I haven't worked up the nerve to read the damn thing yet.
I did look over the art work, though - it's in what you might call the "Archie-realistic" school.
And when I saw the rendering of the central character, I could just imagine the inevitable Warners live-action feature release:
(Long shot - dark alley.
In the distance, a lone figure in shadows - short, balding, holding a shotgun.
He puts on a hunter's flap cap.)
V.O. :"Be vewy, vewy quiet ...
I'm hunting VIWWAINS!"
TOBY JONES
is
F U D D !
(I'm not making it up about the comic book; check it out at any comic store.)
Mike,
DeleteThere's one with Yosemite Sam joining Jonah Hex, too. There are a couple of others -- don't remember all of them.
Homer Simpson
ReplyDeleteOne more vote for Bugs Bunny. Taught a wonderful lesson to bullied kids: don't try to outrun them or outfight them, work on outsmarting them.
ReplyDeleteMister Magoo. I'm mostly interested in the UPA animated shorts for their design aesthetic, so I'll just pick the most famous character to appear in those films.
ReplyDeleteBugs Bunny!
ReplyDeleteBugs Bunny. I was re-watching them on DVD and they are still funny. Much of my early knowledge of classical music came from Loony Tunes and in my family, we still say, "Of course you realize, this means WAR!" and "I shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque." We also will launch into variations of "Kill the Wabbit" and other songs from "What's Opera, Doc?"
ReplyDeleteKathryn
Bugs Bunny.
ReplyDeleteI'd be interested to see a poll for most disliked animated character...
Mine has to be Pluto.
ReplyDeleteBubbling under:
Mr. Rossi, by Italian cartoonist Bruno Bozzetto.
And yeah, Betty Boop. Damn, the girl was hot.
Bugs Bunny
ReplyDeleteNever took shit from anyone, always won.
Popeyes would be next
Pam Poovey from Archer
ReplyDeleteBugs Bunny, because of his "Who gives a shit," attitude and pushing boundaries to see what he can get away with. Hell! I think I'm describing Trump! H's is a cartoon character! Who'd a thought?
ReplyDeleteI laughed at Daffy Duck, Mr. Magoo, Heckle & Jeckle, and Tweety.
ReplyDeleteBut I wanted to BE like Bugs Bunny.
So, Bugs Bunny, hands down.
Huckleberry Hound
ReplyDeleteMr. Coyote. Never laughed so hard although I haven't seen one in years.
ReplyDeleteBugs Bunny. I will not live long enough to be too old for Bugs. I don't know how old you have to be to get to that point but I know I won't get there.
ReplyDeleteBeavis, Bugs and the Coyote
ReplyDeleteDonald Trump
ReplyDeleteDaffy Duck. As I believe Chuck Jones once said, "Bugs Bunny is who I wish I could be. Daffy Duck is who I am." I feel the same way. :)
ReplyDeleteSpeed Racer--he drove the Mach 5--best race car ever!
ReplyDeleteBugs Bunny. All cartoon troublemakers come from his lineage.
ReplyDeleteFoghorn Leghorn - we all know at least one person like him, sometimes as our boss.
ReplyDeleteBugs Bunny.
ReplyDeleteSome favourite lines by him:
"I feel fat-e-gued".
"What an im-bessell".
And the best one:
"Of course, you do realize, this means war".
Bugs Bunny. Not even close.
ReplyDelete"Ain't I a stinkuh?"
I’m going to assert my right to regard a corporate entity as a character. Given that, I will remind you of the Acme Corporation. Remarkably consistent (Google Coyote vs. Acme by Ian Frazier) they can be relied upon to not deliver every time. I would encourage you to interview their CEO but he is probably currently serving in the Trump cabinet.
ReplyDeleteThe first cartoon superstar with his own series, now sadly forgotten -- Huckleberry Hound! "Oh my darling..."
ReplyDeleteThe interesting thing about Bugs Bunny (and I didn't realize this until I read a piece explaining the point by Jaime Weinman) is that he's deceptively hard to write well. Because once he comes into conflict with someone, the only real question is how he's going to destroy them, and how long it'll take. There's virtually no tension or suspense in any of his adventures. Try writing a story with those specifications where the protagonist doesn't come across as a complete asshole.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kurt Alliaume and pick Linus. My first thought was Charlie Brown but then I remembered so many memorable moments featuring Linus that he would have to be my choice.
ReplyDeleteBugs is the only answer. But I'd like to put in a word for Wile E. Coyote, with whom I identify all to often.
ReplyDeleteBy the way: I'd always thought that Porky was trying to say "the end" though all he can get through is th-the-th-the-th-that's all, folks!
I went to school with a pair of identical twins and they acquired the nick names Heckle & Jeckle. As for me it is toss up between Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck (the classic ones that came out of Termite Terrace------which the name the cartoonists came up with)
ReplyDeleteBabba Looey from Quick Draw McGraw for my wife, and Yosemite Sam with his anger management issues, for me!
ReplyDeleteIt has to be the Tick, the greatest animation superhero there ever was.
ReplyDeleteFred Flintstone!
ReplyDeleteFor an old guy with plenty of childhood favorites to choose from, I have to say that my answer right now is a pair: Molang and Piu Piu. Just love 'em.
ReplyDeleteKeith
Bugs Bunny, although Chip n' Dale were pretty good, too. But Bugsy, well I think there's a little of him in all of us, or we'd all like to think ourselves that clever. Okay, probably I'm more like Daffy Duck thsufferin' thsuccotash.
ReplyDeleteRabbit season! Duck season!
ReplyDeleteEveryone seems to pick Bugs Bunny, some Daffy.
But I am gonna pick .... Yosemite Sam. His fight with Bugs whether in old western type or as a cook, or a Roman Guard or as election opponent is awesome.
None above mentioned that any cartoon character really achieves its iconic status mainly due to voice actor. When WB won few Oscars for their shorts. The producers only thanked one man - THE MAN - the greatest voice actor of all time - Mel Blanc.
Fans addressed their letters to Bugs Bunny, Hollywood and it was delivered to Mel Blanc.
His true genius was the voice of Tweety and Yosemite Sam.
One cartoon favorites were the mother and the son in "Honey's Money". It had the best ensemble of voice actors Mel Blanc, June Foray and Billy Booth (his delivery of "My mommy and Daddy are fighting" cracks me up all the time).
Also 'Sam the Cat' voiced by another great - Daws Butler in "Trick or Tweet" and "Mouse and Garden".
In recent cartoons I like - Family Guy characters - Stewie, Evil Monkey, Chris, Bruce, Consuela aaaaaaaand Meg.
Simpsons - Mr.Teeny, Krusty, Martin Prince, Duffman, Chief Wiggum.
Surprised no one picked Tom and Jerry. More famous around the world than any other cartoon character.
That depends upon which category of cartoon character we are talking about, Ken. I mean, obviously, each and every character has multiple dimensions. With that in mind:
ReplyDeleteMost emotionally involving character? Wile E Coyote.
Most laugh-out-loud character? Wile E Coyote.
Greatest tragic character? Wile E Coyote.
Character most likely to appeal to Albert Camus? Wile E Coyote. (Of course.)
Best choice of actor to send out for KFC? Well, come now. None of them are perfect.
Bugs Bunny by a mile. Fred Flintstone in second.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteWile E. Coyote fans will love this, where he kills Road Runner:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fdf51WV8G8
As for me, I hate Bugs and my favorite video, which I have watched hundreds of times is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeRMOOg9ztw
My favorite is Speedy - the fastest mouse in all Mehicoooo...
What? You don't get FS1?
ReplyDeleteYankees!
Fancy Top Hat & Cane beat Native American racist caricature.
Yes the Cleveland logo is way more racist than the Redskins logo.
But more importantly: Go YANKEES!
Porky Pig. But I'm biased.
ReplyDeleteNo hesitation: Popeye!! I even liked the movie with Robin Williams! In fact, I loved it.
ReplyDeleteI quickly scanned the other comments, and Bugs Bunny will apparently be the winner. I'm very curious what the results will be from Entertainment Weekly, and what your favorite is, Ken.
Gotta be Bugs... and What's Opera Doc for best cartoon ever.... directed by the (not a cartoon, but a cartoon genius) great Chuck Jones.
ReplyDeleteHuckleberry Hound
ReplyDeleteIf I'd have to pick one, which is what you've asked, the easy answer is Fred Flintstone. Bugs would be a distant second, but would still be in the mix. Fred's the best, and I still can quote most of those episodes by rote.
ReplyDeleteIt has to be Bugs Bunny. Nothing ever shakes him, and he always has the great comebacks. (If you were allowing choices from feature films, I'd say Jessica Rabbit, simply because of the profound psychological effect she had on me.)
ReplyDeleteHeckle & Jeckle disappeared early from Saturday morning cartoon shows because they were a blackface act - the voices came from Amos & Andy.
ReplyDeleteMy cartoon character choice is pre-code Betty Boop.
Bullwinkle J. Moose
ReplyDeleteBugs Bunny
ReplyDeleteBugs Bunny. Boris & Natasha. Bart Simpson. Louise Belcher. Princess Carolyn.
ReplyDeleteRoad runner. Nice song, always gets away. Wile E Coyote in the versions where he talks.
ReplyDeleteCharlie Brown. He personifies the neuroses and frustrations that we can all relate too. We could laugh at his struggles but also relate to them. Apparently Schulz was quite insecure and used CB to convey a lot of his own feelings. Peanuts was a brilliant strip the first half of its run. The introduction of Snoopy a main character was a real negative in my view
ReplyDeleteBullwinkle. Whenever I think of an old cartoon that I'd like to see again, I think of Bullwinkle. Bugs Bunny, who looks like the winner of this poll, would be a close second.
ReplyDelete"Heckle & Jeckle disappeared early from Saturday morning cartoon shows because they were a blackface act - the voices came from Amos & Andy."
ReplyDeleteNo, they didn't. One had a heavy New York accent and the other was British.
Elmer Fudd....I said once he would be an awesome Presidential candidate...The Right would love him because he hunts...the Left would love him because he misses....
ReplyDeleteBugs Bunny, especially from the Chuck Jones era.
ReplyDelete"Itchy and Scratchy" -- a cartoon within a cartoon, based on the beloved violent characters of yesteryear -- have got to be my favorites. Along with Poochy, of course.
ReplyDeleteThere were a few cartoons where Bugs didn't win, specifically those echoing the famed fable "the tortoise and the hare."
ReplyDeleteI always liked Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse, which was created by Bob Kane, who created Batman.
ReplyDeleteButters from South Park.
ReplyDeleteToss up between Bugs and Bullwinkle...both smart cartoons really aimed at adults!
ReplyDeleteI really liked Kimba the White Lion when I was little. Wasn't much of a cartoon watcher overall, though. Liked the live action Saturday morning stuff better. Can I say "Charlie Brown"? I liked the books/comic strips more, but it was one of my favourite things.
ReplyDeleteThe two that came immediately to mind were Scooby Doo and Marvin the Martian.
ReplyDeleteMy current favorites are Simon Petrikov (aka the Ice King) from Adventure Time and Garnet from Steven Universe.
ReplyDeleteBut for the old fogeys who won't have heard of those cartoons, my favorite classic cartoon character is Snagglepuss.
Nobody thinks of him as a cartoon character, even though he is...
ReplyDeleteBatman.
Michigan J. Frog.
ReplyDeleteWoody Woodpecker. The *original* incarnation, not the cuted-down one that came later on.
ReplyDeleteBricka bracka fire cracker sis boom bah. Bugs Bunny, Bugs Bunny rah rah rah!
ReplyDeleteSnoopy. Because a. he's a dog, and b. he comes up with some pretty astute observations.
ReplyDeleteLucy from Peanuts.
ReplyDeletePam, St. Louis
Oh wow. Sorry I'm so late to the party on this, Ken.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Peanuts, and every character in it. As far as I'm concerned Charles Schulz was a genius as well as a great, hugely compassionate man.
And, I am very sad to learn the current Santa Rosa fires have burned down one of his homes and that the Schulz Museum is threatened.
I'm all about cartoons and cartooning, so really glad to catch this one before it's the next day!
ReplyDeleteFavorite main Looney Tunes character: Daffy Duck.
Others:
Popeye
Fred & Barney (Flintstones)
Snoopy
Hubie & Bertie (secondary WB cartoon characters)
Ralph & Wittacre (sp?) (comedy relief reactionaries from "Wait Til Your Father Comes Home" - definitely not for their politics!)(OK, I'm oooooold, too!)
Ren Hoek (Ren & Stimpy) He really steals "Stimpy's Invention", my favorite R&S
Dr. Doohenshmirtz (whose hilarious rantings helped make me a Phineas & Ferb fan)
And my favorite cartoon directors (in no particular order): Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett, and Tex Avery.
Daria (for all the Gen Y's out there)!
ReplyDeleteBugs/Daffy/Foghorn are in a dead heat for my affections. If I have to pick just one it would be Foghorn Leghorn.
ReplyDeleteDoes Trump count as a cartoon character?
ReplyDeleteRoad Runner and Wylie Coyote
ReplyDeleteBugs Bunny for me. I haven't thought about Heckle & Jeckle in 50 years, now I feel almost as old as you.
ReplyDeleteFoghorn Leghorn, especially when he’d tit-for-tat with the dog.
ReplyDeleteBugs is definitely (probably) my all-time favorite, but I wanted to also chime in with a Warner Bros. deep-cut character: Pete Puma. Believe he was only in one or two shorts—but the lines, Ken, the lines! How many lumps would you like? “Oh, three or four.” “I’m the little fella’s mother.” “A whole lotta lumps.” (As I write, I gotta wonder if Pete was based on someone real. To Google!)
ReplyDeleteTom, from Tom & Jerry.
ReplyDeleteSpace Ghost.
ReplyDeleteBugs Bunny. Wile E. Coyote as a close second. How can you not like a perennial loser with his own business cards? Lol
ReplyDelete"Now would I throw a lighted match in there if my friend was in there?"
ReplyDelete"You might, rabbit. You might."
Bugs Bunny, and no one else even close.
Popeye, who got me to eat my spinach. He tried to be patient until he couldn't "stands no more."
ReplyDeleteBut Bugs Bunny, Top Cat and Homer Simpson are fine choices.
Hold on there, Boba Boy!
ReplyDeleteWhat a GREAT topic, Ken. No way to pick one, at least for me.
I think you put Bugs and his Looney crew (Foghorn, Elmer, Porky, Daffy, Sylvester) up on the top shelf, and the you talk about everyone else.
So many to choose from. Here's a few that come immediately to mind. Bullwinkle, Ant and the Aardvark, Mr. Jaws, Vince from Deputy Dawg, Biggie Rat and Itchy Brother, Quick Draw McGraw.
Fortunately I keep these numbered, for just such an emergency.
I already voted for Daffy Duck. Interesting how people who voted for Bugs Bunny (who would be my second choice) explain why in detail. Those who voted for Daffy Duck just name him, as if there's nothing more to say.
ReplyDeleteKen, I'd love for you to do another post, polling your commenters, on favorite MINOR cartoon characters, i.e. characters who only appeared in one or a few episodes.
My vote would be for the two kids watching Coyote and Road Runner on TV in this episode:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69LBKtWYff8
"I want to be a puh-sss-y-chiatrist when I grow up."
Top Cat gets my vote
ReplyDeleteGoofy!
ReplyDeleteYosemite Sam
ReplyDeleteAlthough I like nearly every character in that picture above, the all-time favorite has to be Good ol' Charlie Brown.
ReplyDeleteThere's Bugs, and there's everyone else. In the not-Bugs category, I would like the see the Ant & the Aardvark get some love.
ReplyDeletePopeye
ReplyDeleteTom and Jerry, so I guess Jerry. Or Roadrunner or the coyote.
ReplyDeleteWho am I kidding. Its Bugs. Its always been Bugs.
I had to think about this one.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to say "The Brain" from Pinky & The Brain.
For some reason he reminds me of Orson Welles attempting to sell frozen peas....
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBullwinkle J. Moose
ReplyDeleteClassic: Daff Duck
ReplyDeleteModern: Hank Hill
Betty Boop
ReplyDeleteTazmanian Devil. The tornado movement with rotary saw sound effects, the incoherent growling mixed with phrases like, "Why you bury me in cold, cold ground?"
ReplyDeleteUnderdog, Tennessee Tuxedo, Penelope Pitstop and Tweety.
ReplyDeleteJulie
Pardon my redundancy, but Bugs and b&w Popeye. I also liked Beany and Cecil, The Pink Panther, Pinky and the Brain (a spin-off of the Animaniacs), from the Jay Ward family: George of the Jungle and Super Chicken. And I'm not sure if he's technically a cartoon, but I have to include Gumby.
ReplyDeletePretty much any character from the mind of Charles Schultz.
ReplyDeleteJe t'aime Pepe le Pew
ReplyDeleteHey Boo Boo, Let's go get some picanic baskets.
ReplyDeleteYogi.
Yogi Bear!
Bugs Bunny. He is the Vin Scully of cartoon characters. All the rest finish second.
ReplyDeleteMister Peabody in Fractured Fairy Tales
ReplyDeleteI'll throw in a vote for Ricochet Rabbit and Deputy Dawg: "Would you like a chunk of coffee, Mr. Ricochet? Also, Henery Hawk vs. Foghorn Leghorn: "I'm a chicken hark, and you're a chicken... are you going to come along peacefully, or am I going to have to mess you up?
ReplyDeleteAlso, Daria and Jane...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up it was Woody Woodpecker, because of a Walter Lantz how-to-draw book I loved. Personality-wise, Woody wasn't much. Unlike Bugs, who would need a reason to go after someone, Woody was usually cruel for cruelty's sake.
ReplyDeleteA character who wouldn't be in my top 50 but deserves a shout-out is the animated Alf, which was a little more subversive than you'd expect. First Saturday Morning cartoon I ever saw where one of the characters used the phrase "He's a mench."
It seems to me axiomatic that in this type of survey - see also the one last year where THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW got the top spot for sitcoms - is going to favor older shows and characters. Many more generations have had a chance to see them because of reruns. Plus, parents who loved them as children make sure to show them to their own children. (Just a few weeks ago I showed two English kids, 8yo and 11yo, the "Coast-to-Coast Bigmouth" episode, and they loved it.)
ReplyDeleteIn this particular case, it's interesting to realize how many different sources of "cartoon characters" there are. Charlie Brown is not, to me, a cartoon character but a *comic strip* character (I never liked the movies because the voices were wrong (compared to YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN), but that's not relevant here). Similarly, I don't really think of the SOUTH PARK, SIMPSONS, and KING OF THE HILL characters as cartoon characters, but - if I have to come up with a description - sitcom characters who happen to be animated. And there is a difference: we talk about Bugs Bunny as a character because he was dropped into all sorts of situations, not always with the same familiar foils, where the animated sitcom characters are part of a larger ensemble that always appear together. and talking about any one of them as a great character is like singling out one of the CHEERS or FRIENDS cast.
wg
wg
DUCKMAN! Private Dick/Family Man. Voiced by Jason Alexander, with Nancy Travis as Bernice.
ReplyDeleteBring it back, Cartoon Network.
I have a lot of favorites cartoons ad oe of my fav is Dolphins Pearl http://imoneyslots.com/dolphins-pearl-online-trial-game-play.html and of course Alice in Wonderland
ReplyDeleteMy forever favorite is Doraemon. I have seen him a lot from apknite's watch cartoon online app. Also, still keep many pictures of him <3
ReplyDeleteSpongeBob SquarePants
ReplyDelete