Hey, there cartoon lovers! This blog post is for you. We've gathered the top 10 classic cartoon facts you've never heard and we're excited to share them with you. From Tom and Jerry's original names to the hidden meanings in Scooby Doo, we guarantee you'll be surprised by at least one of these facts. So sit back, relax, and enjoy!
1. Tom and Jerry from the eponymous cartoon were initially known as Jasper and Jinx by the animators. The name was changed to Tom and Jerry after the animation studio learned that a short film named Johny Jinx had already been copyrighted. The name change also helped tie in with the flick's title sequence which showed the main characters as restless ghosts haunting a house.
2. Betty Boop was inspired by singer Helen Kane, who was famous for her "boop-boop-a-doop" catchphrase. However, Kane eventually sued Max Fleischer, Betty Boop's creator, for $250,000 for using her image without permission. The case was eventually thrown out, though, because Kane couldn't prove that she'd actually coined the phrase "boop-boop-a-doop."
3. Popeye the Sailor Man was inspired by a real person named Frank "Rocky" Fiegel. Fiegel was a rough-and-tumble guy who got into brawls on a regular basis. He even had a trademark physical feature that Popeye shares: permanent anchors tattooed on his forearms.
4. Walt Disney himself voiced Mickey Mouse for nearly two decades. In 1947, though, he handed over the reins to Jimmy MacDonald, saying that he no longer had the "high-pitched squeaky voice" required for the role.
5. Yosemite Sam was created to be Bugs Bunny's arch nemesis. He was patterned after cartoonist Tex Avery, who was known for his hot temper. In fact, Avery reportedly had to be physically restrained on more than one occasion when he went on raging tirades at the office!
6. The Flintstones originally aired on ABC as part of its primetime lineup instead of during Saturday morning cartoons. It was only after it became a hit with viewers that it was moved to a morning timeslot.
7. Hanna-Barbera Productions used recycled animation cels in many of their cartoons to save money—which is why you might have noticed some strange repeated images if you watch their shows closely enough! One such example can be seen in an episode of Scooby Doo, where a background character can be seen walking past several times in different colors and with different hairstyles.
8. The Addams Family nearly didn't make it to air because ABC thought the show was too dark and scary for children—which is ironic given that it's now considered a classic family sitcom!
9 Marx Brothers films were regularly played on television in England during the 1960s but were heavily edited due to their risque humor and sexual innuendos not being suitable for younger audiences at the time.
10 One of the first instances of product placement in cartoons occurred in an episode of Yogi Bear, which featured Ranger Smith eating Kellogg's cereal—with the Kellogg's logo clearly visible on screen! However, this wasn't deliberate product placement but rather an instance of unavoidable cross-promotion since both Yogi Bear and Kellogg's cereals were owned by parent company Kellogg's at the time."
Whether you're a casual fan or a diehard aficionado, there's always something new to learn about your favorite classic cartoons! We hope you enjoyed reading these fun facts and that they've left you eager to delve even deeper into the rich history of animation!
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