Question About Major Looney Tunes Stars

[Marty26]

I often wonder: Which major Looney Tunes stars were intended to be stars from the get-go? And which ones were originally intended to be one-shot characters before accidentally becoming popular enough to begin their own series?

I know Egghead, and subsequently Elmer Fudd, were intended to be recurring characters. And I'm pretty sure Daffy Duck was too (unless may be you count Porky's Duck Hunt as a "Daffy Duck cartoon"). But I also know that Wile E. Coyote, The Roadrunner, and Taz were originally intended to be one-shots. They then became so popular that WB had to make them into recurring characters/stars.

But what about the other stars? I'd venture to guess Yosemite Sam was probably supposed to be a one-shot since his second cartoon appeared three years after his first (unless you count Along Came Daffy as a Yosemite Sam cartoon). And his design from Buccaneer Bunny onward was considerably different than it was in Hare Trigger. Similarly, I'm guessing Speedy Gonzales was also originally supposed to be a one-shot since Freleng's design for him in Speedy Gonzales was VERY different from McKimson's original design in Cat-Tails For Two (he didn't even have his trademarked sombrero in Cat Tails... and he had a gold tooth!). But what about everybody else? And are my guesses incorrect?

[Bugsy-Kun]

What about the Babbit and Catstello characters of "A Tale of Two Kitties"? They was cats in this cartoon but mices in "A Tale of Two Mice" still refering to Abott and Costello.

About Speedy Gonzales, i think it was used more like a one-shot character in "Cat-Tails for Two" but he was the trademark faster mouse two years later. Still wondering!

[frizfrelengfan]

In the early days, Looney Tunes featured recurring stars while Merrie Melodies featured one-shot or short-lived stars: The "stars" of the Merrie Melodies were supposed to be the music, and most Merrie Melodies were named after the featured song. Early characters Foxy, Piggy, and Goopy Geer appeared in Merrie Melodies. They all were in more than one cartoon, but none lasted very long.

The "Beans Gang" appeared first in the Merrie Melodies cartoon "I Haven't Got a Hat." One of the gang was Porky, but I don't think WB expected him to become the star. They expected it to be Beans the cat. WB moved the Beans Gang to the Looney Tunes, and eventually they all disappeared except for Porky. By that time, the only distinction between Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies was that the latter were produced in color. When the Looney Tunes moved to color, there was no longer a distinction.

[larriva9/11]

How would Henery Hawk begetting Foghorn Leghorn fit into the equation?

[Mr. Semaj]

Henry Hawk started as a one-shot Jones character in 1942. Then McKimson reused the character in 1946 for Walky Talky Hawky, which because of its success, gave birth to a new series. (Jones did reuse Henry in 1948.)

For a while, all Foghorn Leghorn toons were still billed as Henry Hawk films, but things were different when McKimson began exploring barnyard ideas without Henry.

[oceansoul]

Henry Hawk started as a one-shot Jones character in 1942. Then McKimson reused the character in 1946 for Walky Talky Hawky, which because of its success, gave birth to a new series. (Jones did reuse Henry in 1948.)

For a while, all Foghorn Leghorn toons were still billed as Henry Hawk films, but things were different when McKimson began exploring barnyard ideas without Henry.

I think The Foghorn Leghorn (cartoon) was the first one that really starred the rooster. IMO that one and A Fractured Leghorn (where for the first time Foggy appeared without Henery and Dawg) are the most significant cartoons in the series.

IMO all the major stars were originally intended as one-shot or experimental characters. Usually when a cartoon won or nominated to an Oscar, it became a series with the lead character. Just think about:

A Wild Hare
Life with Feathers
Tweetie Pie
For Scent-imental Reasons
Walky Talky Hawky
Speedy Gonzales/Tabasco Road (both directors continued)

Note: not all of these cartoons were first entries by a character, but all of them were series-opener (even FSIR which started the ordinary Pepe vs Penelope cartoons).

[Marty26]

In the early days, Looney Tunes featured recurring stars while Merrie Melodies featured one-shot or short-lived stars: The "stars" of the Merrie Melodies were supposed to be the music, and most Merrie Melodies were named after the featured song. Early characters Foxy, Piggy, and Goopy Geer appeared in Merrie Melodies. They all were in more than one cartoon, but none lasted very long.

The "Beans Gang" appeared first in the Merrie Melodies cartoon "I Haven't Got a Hat." One of the gang was Porky, but I don't think WB expected him to become the star. They expected it to be Beans the cat. WB moved the Beans Gang to the Looney Tunes, and eventually they all disappeared except for Porky. By that time, the only distinction between Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies was that the latter were produced in color. When the Looney Tunes moved to color, there was no longer a distinction.

That brings up another interesting thing about Gold Diggers Of '49. You can see WB was really trying to push Beans as their big star, being that the cartoon's title card says "Featuring Beans" rather than "Featuring Porky." And Beans is, for all intents and purposes, the cartoon's hero. It's funny how, just two months later, Beans was reduced to a very minor role in favor of Porky (I'm referring to, of course, Plane Dippy).

[larriva9/11]

I often wonder: Which major Looney Tunes stars were intended to be stars from the get-go?

As I think of it, perhaps the closest approximation of that logic in effect is something like Cool Cat--by which time, of course, we're in the television era, when it was all about the get-go creation of stars that could potentially sustain a series, etc.

[Marty26]

As I think of it, perhaps the closest approximation of that logic in effect is something like Cool Cat--by which time, of course, we're in the television era, when it was all about the get-go creation of stars that could potentially sustain a series, etc.

That's actually what an article I read called something like "That's Not All Folks, The Cartoons From 1964-1969" suggested. That WB was experimenting with several characters (namely Cool Cat and Merlin The Magic Mouse) with the hopes that one of them would "become a new Bugs Bunny." I think WB was also hoping that the characters in cartoons like Rabbit Stew And Rabbits Too and Flying Circus would be able to become full-fledged stars. Which, of course, never happened. I'd estimate that those two cartoons in particular are only remembered by about five people total.

[Jack]

I think The Foghorn Leghorn (cartoon) was the first one that really starred the rooster. IMO that one and A Fractured Leghorn (where for the first time Foggy appeared without Henery and Dawg) are the most significant cartoons in the series.

IMO all the major stars were originally intended as one-shot or experimental characters. Usually when a cartoon won or nominated to an Oscar, it became a series with the lead character. Just think about:

A Wild Hare
Life with Feathers
Tweetie Pie
For Scent-imental Reasons
Walky Talky Hawky
Speedy Gonzales/Tabasco Road (both directors continued)

Note: not all of these cartoons were first entries by a character, but all of them were series-opener (even FSIR which started the ordinary Pepe vs Penelope cartoons).
What's kinda funny about Bugs Bunny, though, is that weren't they trying to make up a rabbit star character and Avery's version just happened to be the one that worked?

Henery Hawk was probably given top billing for so long because of his presence in the comics - He was a major character in those throughout the 1940's and beyond. I kinda wonder if the general public's view of who the stars were had to undergo a shift after the cartoons themselves finally became a major presence on television since the comics emphasized a lot of characters that many today would consider minor - Sniffles being a good example.