Cartoons are part of many people’s daily lives. Many of you get your cartoon fix by reading your favorite strip in your local newspaper, online or watching your favorite cartoon show on television.
Some folks might think that cartoons are “just for kids”, but if you look at some of the animated features that have been making their way onto the silver screen it makes you wonder. Films like the 2003’s “Finding Nemo”, 2009’s “Up” and 2010’s “How To Train Your Dragon” have attracted a lot of attention from adult viewers, making them some of the most successful films in recent times. Chances are that you’ll find at least one of these three films (or others like them) in the older generation’s DVD collection.
Today we’d like to feature 4 famous Cartoon cats over the years:
Felix The Cat: This feline dates back to the days of silent film. The first time Felix the Cat made his appearance was in 1919 in the short entitled “Feline Follies”. There is a dispute surrounding the origins of Felix the Cat. Australian cartoonist / film entrepreneur Pat Sullivan (owner of the Felix character) claimed during his lifetime to be its creator. On the other hand American animator Otto Messmer (Sullivan’s lead animator) has been credited as such.
But it’s a fact that the character emerged from Sullivan’s studio and cartoons featuring him enjoyed huge success and popularity in the pop culture in the 1920s.
Garfield: This cartoon cat is lazy, eats obsessively and hates Mondays and diets. Garfield was created by Jon Davis and first made his appearance (as a comic strip) in 1978. In 2007 Garfield was syndicated in roughly 2,580 newspapers and journals globally.
The comic strip held the Guinness World Record for being the world’s most widely syndicated comic strip at one stage. Besides the various merchandise and commercial tie-ins (which is rumored to earn anything between $750 million and $1 billion annually) Garfield has also spawned several animated TV specials, two animated television series, two theatrical feature-length live-action films and three CGI animated direct-to-video movies. Garfield is actually named after the creator’s Grandfather.
Sylvester the Cat: Fans of the Looney Tunes will be familiar with this famous feline cartoon character. Sylvester The Cat first made his appearance in 1945 in the cartoon entitled “Life With Feathers”. The character was created by Friz Freleng and appeared in 103 cartoons in the golden age. Sylvester often chased other cartoon characters like “Tweety Bird” and “Speedy Gonzales”. This character’s trademark is his sloppy and yet stridulating lisp and his trademark saying is “Sufferin’ succotash!”. Sylvester was mainly voiced by Mel Blanc from 1945 to 1989.
Puss in Boots: This famous feline is probably familiar to fans of the popular cartoon ogre Shrek. Puss in Boots is voiced by Antonio Banderas and first made his appearance in the film “Shrek 2” in 2004.
Since then he’s appeared in 2 Shrek sequels and his own self-titled full length animated feature. Puss in Boots is loosely based on the fairytale character created by Charles Perrault in 1697. It’s amazing how fast this character has become popular with both kids and adults alike
Which one of these characters is your favorite? Drop us a comment on this post and let us know which one and why? If you have suggestions for other famous cartoon cats, feel free to let us know as well. Feedback is appreciated and welcome on the Junk Mail blog.
Remember, If you’re looking for a real life cat, you’re welcome to check out the classifieds in the Cats and Kittens category on Junk Mail. If you don’t find what you need, you’re also welcome to place a free wanted advert on Junk Mail for the cat or kitten that you need.
