Thursday, October 12, 2017

Who's your favorite cartoon character?

I was listening to the ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY radio channel on Sirius/XM yesterday (still hoping they do an hour-long salute to Levine & Isaacs – I’m losing faith), and the hosts got into a discussion of their “favorite cartoon character.” Listeners then chimed in their picks.

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!

170 comments :

Steven Zisser said...

Boris Badenov. The whole R&B crew, but Boris stands out. Solid union man, too (Local 12 of the Villains, Thieves and Scoundrels Union).

Curt Alliaume said...

Linus 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.

mhowell said...

As 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.

Today 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.

Rebecca said...

Bugs Bunny! Nothing beats What's Opera, Doc? or my absolute favourite The Rabbit of Saville!

Matthew E said...

Well, 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_.

Jim S said...

Bugs Bunny. Any other answer is madness.

Tom said...

I 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.

Covarr said...

Are we allowed to use movies? If so, it's Gaston from BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.

Otherwise, my pick is Cyril from ARCHER.

slgc said...

Top Cat!

It 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.

Mary Ann Lewis said...

Bugs Bunny.

LouOCNY said...

Easy: Bugs Bunny - Groucho with a carrot

Anonymous said...

Bugs Bunny

The Moderate said...

Bugs Bunny - Smart, sly, and always good with the comeback.

Mike Barer said...

Bugs 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.
Bugs was unflappable, perhaps because he knew that no matter what danger he was in, the writers and illustrators would not let him die.

1955david said...

Bugs Bunny

Wendy M. Grossman said...

Bugs Bunny, of course. Except for a few Daffy Duck outliers, isn't he everyone's?

wg

Janet said...

Ok, my favorites are Jonny Quest and Hong Kong Phooey....now it's my turn to feel a hundred :)

cleek said...

Bugs, for sure.

but, back when i was 8, i might have said Woody Woodpecker.

Andrew said...

Daffy Duck.

Glenn said...

Homer Simpson and Milhouse van Houten

Michael Rae said...

Mine is Eric Cartman from South Park

JW said...

Daffy Duck.

goodman.dl said...

Really loved the "Tick" animated series from the 1990s. Daria was great too. But I'm into the classics. My #1 is Bugs Bunny.

Bill said...

Snoopy

Chet said...

Bugs Bunny. Many others from that era, but Bugs was my favorite

Michael said...

Chuck 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.

Pilot Joe said...

The southern talking wolf, that goes up against Droopy dog
or Humphry the bear in the Disney, shorts with the ranger.
Joe

kent said...

Betty Boop. The first and still best cartoon character for adults.

William said...

I 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.

Billy in Merritt Island, FL said...

My 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.

Ben Scripps said...

Ken, you're not old. I'm younger than you and I remember Heckle and Jeckle. So that proves that. (Feel better?)

Put 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.

tavm said...

Bugs Bunny, of course!

Kim T. Bené said...

I like Comic Book Guy on Simpsons.

Kim T. Bené said...

I like Comicbook Guy in The Simpsons.

VincentS said...

Not even close: Bugs Bunny! He was smart, savvy, witty, and didn't take anything from anyone!

Roseann said...

Casper the Friendly Ghost.

Roseann said...

Mickey Mouse.

Justin Piatt said...

Bugs Bunny has always been my favorite.

Rocky and Bullwinkle (and Dudley Do-Right) would probably come in at a close second.

Chester said...

Popeye. Yuk, yuk, yuk, yuk, yuk.

Kirk said...

Daffy Duck

Tim B. said...

Yakko Warner, the Very Model of a Cartoon Individual....

David Schwartz said...

Bugs 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?

Neal said...

Bugs Bunny!!!

Dan said...

Without question - Bugs Bunny!!

The Big Guy said...

I’d have to go with Bullwinkle J. Moose with Bugs Bunny a very close second.

Craig Gustafson said...

Milton the Monster.
No, 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.

Scott said...

Bugs Bunny. And not even close.

Anonymous said...

Wile E. Coyote.

Frustrated said...

I say, I say . . . Foghorn Leghorn

Ken said...

Daffy Duck. The George Costanza to Jerry’s Bugs.

VP81955 said...

"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.

Unknown said...

Ehhhhhh....Bugs Bunny, Doc!

Unknown said...

Slightly off-topic:

Have 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.)

Anonymous said...

Homer Simpson

Earl Boebert said...

One 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.

Daniel said...

Mister 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.

cjdahl60 said...

Bugs Bunny!

Unknown said...

Bugs 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?"
Kathryn

Rick said...

Bugs Bunny.

I'd be interested to see a poll for most disliked animated character...

Anders E said...

Mine has to be Pluto.

Bubbling under:
Mr. Rossi, by Italian cartoonist Bruno Bozzetto.
And yeah, Betty Boop. Damn, the girl was hot.

Pizzagod said...

Bugs Bunny
Never took shit from anyone, always won.

Popeyes would be next

Jerry MacDonald said...

Pam Poovey from Archer

Oliver Pepper said...

Bugs 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?

Eric J said...

I laughed at Daffy Duck, Mr. Magoo, Heckle & Jeckle, and Tweety.
But I wanted to BE like Bugs Bunny.

So, Bugs Bunny, hands down.

Big Al in St. Louis said...

Huckleberry Hound

Unknown said...

Mr. Coyote. Never laughed so hard although I haven't seen one in years.

DougG. said...

Bugs 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.

Cowboy Surfer said...

Beavis, Bugs and the Coyote

Fred Vogel said...

Donald Trump

Brent Alles said...

Daffy 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. :)

Rod said...

Speed Racer--he drove the Mach 5--best race car ever!

Frank T. said...

Bugs Bunny. All cartoon troublemakers come from his lineage.

Duncan Randall said...

Foghorn Leghorn - we all know at least one person like him, sometimes as our boss.

Peter said...

Bugs Bunny.

Some 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".

Jerry Smith said...

Bugs Bunny. Not even close.

"Ain't I a stinkuh?"

Mark Little said...

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.

Justin Piatt said...

Mike,

There's one with Yosemite Sam joining Jonah Hex, too. There are a couple of others -- don't remember all of them.

Gary said...

The first cartoon superstar with his own series, now sadly forgotten -- Huckleberry Hound! "Oh my darling..."

Mitchell Hundred said...

The 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.

scottmc said...

I 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.

Todd Everett said...

Bugs is the only answer. But I'd like to put in a word for Wile E. Coyote, with whom I identify all to often.

By 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!

Barry Traylor said...

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)

Mr. Teach said...

Babba Looey from Quick Draw McGraw for my wife, and Yosemite Sam with his anger management issues, for me!

jcs said...

It has to be the Tick, the greatest animation superhero there ever was.

Brian Drake said...

Fred Flintstone!

Anonymous said...

For 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.

Keith

McAlvie said...

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.

Rabbit season! Duck season!

Nancy said...


Everyone 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.


Dr Loser said...

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:

Most 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.

JoeyH said...

Bugs Bunny by a mile. Fred Flintstone in second.

Lupe said...


Wile 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...

blinky said...

What? You don't get FS1?
Yankees!
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!

Bob Bergen said...

Porky Pig. But I'm biased.

Diane D. said...

No hesitation: Popeye!! I even liked the movie with Robin Williams! In fact, I loved it.

I 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.

Rudy said...

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.

DwWashburn said...

Huckleberry Hound

Jymbo05 said...

If 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.

Steve Bailey said...

It 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.)

Tom Wolper said...

Heckle & Jeckle disappeared early from Saturday morning cartoon shows because they were a blackface act - the voices came from Amos & Andy.

My cartoon character choice is pre-code Betty Boop.

Weisenheimer said...

Bullwinkle J. Moose

Unknown said...

Bugs Bunny

Anna said...

Bugs Bunny. Boris & Natasha. Bart Simpson. Louise Belcher. Princess Carolyn.

Brian said...

Road runner. Nice song, always gets away. Wile E Coyote in the versions where he talks.

BobinVT said...

Charlie 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

Charles H. Bryan said...

Bullwinkle. 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.

Craig Gustafson said...

"Heckle & Jeckle disappeared early from Saturday morning cartoon shows because they were a blackface act - the voices came from Amos & Andy."

No, they didn't. One had a heavy New York accent and the other was British.

Tom said...

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.

Related 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.

Anonymous said...

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....

A few Good Cats said...

Bugs Bunny, especially from the Chuck Jones era.

Ted said...

"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.

VP81955 said...

There were a few cartoons where Bugs didn't win, specifically those echoing the famed fable "the tortoise and the hare."

MikeKPa. said...

I always liked Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse, which was created by Bob Kane, who created Batman.

Andrewjs said...

Butters from South Park.

Jeff R said...

Toss up between Bugs and Bullwinkle...both smart cartoons really aimed at adults!

Carol said...

I 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.

Unknown said...

The two that came immediately to mind were Scooby Doo and Marvin the Martian.

Sean MacDonald said...

My current favorites are Simon Petrikov (aka the Ice King) from Adventure Time and Garnet from Steven Universe.

But for the old fogeys who won't have heard of those cartoons, my favorite classic cartoon character is Snagglepuss.

Arthur Mee said...

Nobody thinks of him as a cartoon character, even though he is...

Batman.

Pseudonym said...

Michigan J. Frog.

Unknown said...

Obviously.

ScottyB said...

Woody Woodpecker. The *original* incarnation, not the cuted-down one that came later on.

iamr4man said...

Bricka bracka fire cracker sis boom bah. Bugs Bunny, Bugs Bunny rah rah rah!

Frederic Alden said...

Snoopy. Because a. he's a dog, and b. he comes up with some pretty astute observations.

Anonymous said...

Lucy from Peanuts.

Pam, St. Louis

Steve Lanzi (formerly known as qdpsteve) said...

Oh wow. Sorry I'm so late to the party on this, Ken.

I 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.

Mibbitmaker said...

I'm all about cartoons and cartooning, so really glad to catch this one before it's the next day!

Favorite 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.

Marianne said...

Daria (for all the Gen Y's out there)!

Cap'n Bob said...

Bugs/Daffy/Foghorn are in a dead heat for my affections. If I have to pick just one it would be Foghorn Leghorn.

YEKIMI said...

Does Trump count as a cartoon character?

Anonymous said...

Road Runner and Wylie Coyote

mdv59 said...

Bugs Bunny for me. I haven't thought about Heckle & Jeckle in 50 years, now I feel almost as old as you.

Thisisme said...

Foghorn Leghorn, especially when he’d tit-for-tat with the dog.

Joe in DC said...

Bugs 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!)

Philip Guest said...

Tom, from Tom & Jerry.

ELS said...

Space Ghost.

Bob K said...

Bugs Bunny. Wile E. Coyote as a close second. How can you not like a perennial loser with his own business cards? Lol

dgwphotography said...

"Now would I throw a lighted match in there if my friend was in there?"

"You might, rabbit. You might."

Bugs Bunny, and no one else even close.

Roger Owen Green said...

Popeye, who got me to eat my spinach. He tried to be patient until he couldn't "stands no more."
But Bugs Bunny, Top Cat and Homer Simpson are fine choices.

John in NW Ohio said...

Hold on there, Boba Boy!

What 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.

Andrew said...

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.

Ken, 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."

Another Bill said...

Top Cat gets my vote

Andrea Trip said...

Goofy!

john brown said...

Yosemite Sam

Chris Gumprich said...

Although I like nearly every character in that picture above, the all-time favorite has to be Good ol' Charlie Brown.

Mark said...

There's Bugs, and there's everyone else. In the not-Bugs category, I would like the see the Ant & the Aardvark get some love.

anthony said...

Popeye

Loosehead said...

Tom and Jerry, so I guess Jerry. Or Roadrunner or the coyote.
Who am I kidding. Its Bugs. Its always been Bugs.

John Jones said...

I had to think about this one.
I'd have to say "The Brain" from Pinky & The Brain.
For some reason he reminds me of Orson Welles attempting to sell frozen peas....

John Jones said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
BDG said...

Bullwinkle J. Moose

Joe said...

Classic: Daff Duck

Modern: Hank Hill

Barry Rivadue said...

Betty Boop

Liggie said...

Tazmanian Devil. The tornado movement with rotary saw sound effects, the incoherent growling mixed with phrases like, "Why you bury me in cold, cold ground?"

Anonymous said...

Underdog, Tennessee Tuxedo, Penelope Pitstop and Tweety.

Julie

Mike Bloodworth said...

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.

John Hammes said...

Pretty much any character from the mind of Charles Schultz.

Judy said...

Je t'aime Pepe le Pew

ChipO said...

Hey Boo Boo, Let's go get some picanic baskets.
Yogi.
Yogi Bear!

Stu R said...

Bugs Bunny. He is the Vin Scully of cartoon characters. All the rest finish second.

Ron Rettig said...

Mister Peabody in Fractured Fairy Tales

Anonymous said...

I'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?

Also, Daria and Jane...

Matt said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Johnny Walker said...

Griff said...

craig m said...

Growing 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.

A 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."

Wendy M. Grossman said...

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.)

In 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

Buttermilk Sky said...

DUCKMAN! Private Dick/Family Man. Voiced by Jason Alexander, with Nancy Travis as Bernice.
Bring it back, Cartoon Network.

Ksu Shu said...

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

Anonymous said...

My 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

Unknown said...

SpongeBob SquarePants