Like The Van Beuren Corporation before, Joe Oriolo gave Felix a more domesticated and pedestrian personality, geared more toward children, and introduced Felix's now-famous item of the "Magic Bag of Tricks", a satchel that can assume the shape and characteristics of anything Felix wants, and several new main characters such as Felix's arch-enemy, The Professor and his cigar-smoking bulldog sidekick Rock Bottom. The cartoons are divided into two parts, with the first part ending in a cliffhanger resolved after a commercial break.[5]
In 1954, Otto Messmer retired from the Felix daily newspaper strips, and his assistant Joe Oriolo (the co-creator of Casper the Friendly Ghost) took over, since King Features Syndicate wanted him to take over. Oriolo struck a deal with Felix's new owner to begin a new series of Felix cartoons for television. Oriolo starred Felix in 130 two part stories [6][7][8] or total of 260 television cartoons produced by Paramount Cartoon Studios, and distributed by Trans-Lux.[7] The made for TV Felix the Cat cartoons either went on the air on October 2, 1958 or in 1959. It is unknown when his show had its final episode.
The show did away with Felix's previous supporting cast and introduced many new characters. These characters were all performed by voice actorJack Mercer. Oriolo's plots revolve around the unsuccessful attempts of the antagonists to steal Felix's Magic Bag, though in an unusual twist, these antagonists are occasionally depicted as Felix's friends as well. While the cartoons were a ratings success, critics have dismissed them as paling in comparison to the earlier Sullivan-Messmer works. Oriolo aimed the cartoons at children. The series used limited animation (owing to a limited budget) and simplistic storylines.[9]
This TV series also helped introduce the character of Felix the Cat to audiences in Japan. A Japanese language dub of the series aired on NHK in 1960 and was rerun three years later on Fuji TV. Four decades later, Felix would be the star of his own anime series.
The main character and star of the show. He has many adventures with his little magic bag of tricks that often helps in dangerous situations. Two different patterns were used for the magic bag, one is the earlier version pattern that is a dot and cross pattern. The latter series bag was a houndstooth pattern that replaced the dot and cross. All the episodes having the houndstooth pattern are missing from the market place. No matter what the situation, he almost always ends up laughing. A few of the episodes end with Felix on the losing end without the laughter, or his other signature line, "Righty-o!", before he starts laughing.
The Professor
He is Felix's archenemy or foil and, in most appearances, is trying to seize the Magic Bag of Tricks. He has a very amusing speech impediment and is quite eccentric. He is depicted as a mad scientist, very intelligent, yet very obsessed. He attempts many tricks such as the use of his inventions and many disguises to get Felix's magic bag, but always winds up failing in the end. In some episodes where his nephew Poindexter is involved, the Professor becomes a reluctant ally of Felix, particularly when they battle the Master Cylinder. In some of the episodes, when the professor gives up on his episodic schemes, he intones with the words: "Oh, what's the use!!!!!"
Poindexter
He is the nerdy young nephew of the Professor and the best friend and sidekick of Felix. He is depicted as a stereotypical scientist; he is very intelligent and always wears thick Coke-bottle glasses, a lab coat, and a mortarboard. A button on the chest of his lab coat acts as a control for whatever device the plot calls for. Despite the Professor being his uncle, he is also one of Felix's best friends. Whenever he talks to Felix, he refers to him as "Mr. Felix". Felix sometimes refers Poindexter as "Poinsy".
Rock Bottom
The Professor's bumbling sidekick (a bulldog who walks and dresses like a human being) who tries to help the Professor steal Felix's Magic Bag. Rock Bottom's full name is Rock Bottom Age. He occasionally works for Master Cylinder. Like the Professor, in some of the episodes, when Rock Bottom's schemes fail, he intones with the words: "Oh, what's the use!!!!!"
Master Cylinder
An evil, cylindrical robot who first appeared in the 1958 episode "Master Cylinder-King of the Moon". He is always trying to kidnap Poindexter so that he can use his intellect to build weapons and equipment. It is revealed that he was once a pupil of the Professor at an academy until an explosion destroyed his original body.
Martin the Martian
The good Martian who always helps Felix and his friends whenever they are in a space jam.
General Clang
The evil general in space who also wants the rocket formula in order to destroy the Earth.
Vavoom
A small, unassuming and friendly Inuit whose only vocalization is a (literally) Earth-shattering shout of his own name "VAVOOM!" (but who is powerless if his mouth was taped shut). He first appeared in "Felix and Vavoom".
Theme song
The program is also remembered for its distinctive theme song. It was written by Winston Sharples and performed by 1950s big band singer Ann Bennett.[10]
Eight episodes were released on VHS by Media Home Entertainment. In 2001, Golden Books Family Entertainment and Sony Wonder released a "Collector's Edition" DVD featuring ten episodes from the first season. This DVD was eventually reissued by Classic Media and Genius Products in 2006 and by DreamWorks Animation in 2014, under the title "Mischief and Mayhem".[11] In October 2007, Classic Media and Genius Products released the entire first season on DVD under the title "Felix the Cat: Golden Anniversary Edition".[12]
Felix the Cat is a cartoon character created in 1919 by Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer during the silent film era. An anthropomorphic young black cat with white eyes, a black body, and a giant grin, he is often considered one of the most recognized cartoon characters in history. Felix was the first fully realized animal character in the history of American film animation.
Winfield B. Mercer, professionally known as Jack Mercer, was a prolific American voice actor, animator and TV screenwriter. He is best known as the voice of cartoon characters Popeye the Sailor Man and Felix the Cat. The son of vaudeville and Broadway performers, he also performed on the vaudeville and legitimate stages.
The Mighty Hercules is an animated television series based loosely on the Greek mythology character of Heracles, under his Roman name Hercules. It debuted on television in 1963. The show ran until 1966, coinciding with the sword-and-sandal genre of films popular between 1958 and 1965. Each stand-alone episode runs 5½ minutes, and in syndication was aired either as part of a block with other cartoons, or with several episodes airing consecutively to fill 30-minute time slots.
Muttley is a fictional dog created in 1968 by Hanna-Barbera Productions; he was originally voiced by Don Messick. He is the sidekick to the cartoon villain Dick Dastardly, and appeared with him in the 1968 television series Wacky Races and its 1969 spinoff, Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines. The character is known best for his mischievous, rasping laughter.
Otto James Messmer was an American animator known for his work on the Felix the Cat cartoons and comic strip produced by the Pat Sullivan studio.
The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat is an American animated television series produced by Film Roman. The series first aired on September 16, 1995 on CBS Saturday mornings lasting for two seasons with the final episode airing on April 12, 1997. The first season consists of 13 episodes and the second and final season consists of 8 episodes.
Hokey Wolf is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions as part of The Huckleberry Hound Show. It details the adventures of Hokey Wolf, a con-artist wolf who is always trying to cheat his way into the simple life. He is often accompanied alongside by his young, diminutive sidekick Ding-A-Ling Wolf, both of whom are featured as part of The Huckleberry Hound Show in their own segment.
Alfred Julius Eugster was an American animator, writer, and film director. He worked for a number of American animation studios, including Fleischer Studios, the Iwerks Studio, Walt Disney Productions, and Famous Studios.
Patrick Peter Sullivan was an Australian-American cartoonist, pioneer animator, and film producer best known for producing the first Felix the Cat silent cartoons.
Tom & Jerry Kids is an American animated television series co-produced by Hanna-Barbera and Turner Entertainment Co., and starring the cat-and-mouse duo Tom and Jerry as toddlers. It premiered on Fox on September 8, 1990, airing as the first program of the children's programming block, Fox Kids, and was the second Tom and Jerry TV series to be produced by Hanna-Barbera following The Tom and Jerry Show in 1975.
Joseph Oriolo was an American cartoon animator, writer, director and producer, known as the co-creator of Casper the Friendly Ghost and the creator of the Felix the Cat TV series. He provided the voice of the Italian barber in Gulliver's Travels.
Baby Felix is a Japanese children's animated television program that follows the adventures of a young Felix the Cat and infant versions of the characters from Joe Oriolo's Felix television program from the 1950s. It is the third Felix television series. It was launched by Oriolo's son, Don Oriolo, in 2000, with NHK Educational, NEC Interchannel, AEON Studios of Japan and SMEC Media & Entertainment of Taiwan. The show consists of 26 half-hour episodes. It follows in the long line of "Baby Cartoon Revivals" alongside such shows as Muppet Babies, Baby Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry Kids, and The Flintstone Kids. All 26 episodes were released in Bulgaria on 9 DVDs by A-Design. In Italy the series aired during 2008 on Rai 2. In 2010, DVDs have been released in Hungary as well.
Felix the Cat: The Movie is a 1989 animated fantasy film directed by Tibor Hernádi and based on the cartoon and comic strip character of the same name.
Big Bag is an American live-action/animated children's television series created by Nina Elias-Bamberger for Cartoon Network and Children's Television Workshop. It was targeted at preschool viewers. The show was co-produced by Cartoon Network and CTW, with Muppet characters created by the Jim Henson Company. It aired from 1996 to 1998, with reruns airing through 2001, alongside another program titled Small World. Localized versions of Big Bag aired on Canal J in France and Yorkshire Television in the UK.
The Felix The Cat Cartoon Toolbox was developed and published by Big Top Productions, Inc. and released in 1994. This CD-ROM application allowed people to create their own Saturday morning cartoons. The software was developed by Big Top and the character Felix the Cat was licensed from Felix the Cat Productions. The characters were based on the 1950s version of Felix with The Professor, Rock Bottom, Poindexter, Master Cylinder and Vavoom. The software's underlying engine as later refitted for The Simpsons: Cartoon Studio in 1996.
Felix the Cat is a cartoon character created in the silent era by Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer.
This is a complete list of animated films released theatrically starring Felix the Cat.
Don Oriolo is an American artist, musician, and writer best known for his work in the music publishing industry and for overseeing the Felix the Cat cartoon character after his father, co-creator Joe Oriolo, died in 1985. Don Oriolo also owns and operates the Oriolo Guitar Company, a guitar, bass, and ukulele manufacture company whose products often feature Felix and other Oriolo-designed artwork. Oriolo has also authored a number of books featuring his paintings of Felix the Cat, whom he describes as his creative muse. Some of his music publishing credentials include writing Jon Bon Jovi's first charted track, as well as signing Meat Loaf and Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam.
Keymon Ache is an Indian animated television series produced by DQ Entertainment International, which aired on Nickelodeon India. It was the first Indian non-mythological animated show that was produced completely locally.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
