Felix the Cat

**Felix the Cat** (originally called **Master Tom**) is a cartoon character from the silent film era, being the first cartoon character in history to win a high level of popularity.

## Biography

Felix the Cat made his debut in the 1919 animated short "Feline Follies".

Felix's origins remain disputed. Australian cartoonist/film entrepreneur Pat Sullivan, owner of the Felix character, claimed during his lifetime to be the cat's creator. American animator Otto Messmer, Sullivan's lead animator, has been credited as such. What is certain is that Felix emerged from Sullivan's studio, and cartoons featuring the character enjoyed success and popularity in 1920s popular culture. Aside from the animated shorts, Felix starred in a comic strip (drawn by Messmer) beginning in 1923, and his image soon adorned merchandise such as ceramics, toys and postcards. Several manufacturers made stuffed Felix toys. Jazz bands such as Paul Whiteman's played songs about him (1923's "Felix Kept On Walking" and others). In 1924, animator Bill Nolan redesigned the fledgling feline, making him both rounder and cuter. Felix's new looks, coupled with Messmer's character animation, brought Felix to fame.

By the late 1920s with the arrival of sound cartoons Felix's success was fading. The new Disney shorts of Mickey Mouse made the silent offerings of Sullivan and Messmer, who were then unwilling to move to sound production, seem outdated. In 1929, Sullivan decided to make the transition and began distributing Felix sound cartoons through Copley Pictures. The sound Felix shorts proved to be a failure and the operation ended in 1930. Sullivan died in 1933. Felix saw a brief three cartoon resurrection in 1936 by the Van Beuren Studios.

Felix cartoons began airing on American TV in 1953. Joe Oriolo introduced a redesigned, "long-legged" Felix, added new characters, and gave Felix a "Magic Bag of Tricks" that could assume an infinite variety of shapes at Felix's behest. The cat has since starred in other television programs and in two feature films. As of the 2010s, Felix is featured on a variety of merchandise from clothing to toys. Oriolo's son, Don Oriolo, later assumed creative control of Felix.

## Trivia

* "Detective Felix in Trouble" (FELIXノ迷探偵) is a 1932 Japanese silent stop-motion black-and-white animated short directed by Shigeji Ogino. In the film, a woman has lost her shoes, so she calls private detective Felix to search for them. All of the characters are played by toys. The film can be viewed here.
* Felix makes a cameo appearance in the Disney and Amblin Entertainment film *Who Framed Roger Rabbit*in the end of the film at Marvin Acme's factory. He first appears as the picture in hand with R.K. Maroon in Maroon's Office, and later appears as the masks of tragedy and comedy on the keystone of the entrance to Toontown.
* Felix the Cat was featured on the NHL goalie Felix Potvin's helmet while he played for the Boston Bruins. "Felix" also has been Potvin's nickname dating back to his days as a Toronto Maple Leaf.
* In Japan, two commercials for the 1991 Daihatsu Mira featured Felix. There was a special trim-package called "Felix the Mira" offered at the time.
* In Italy, Felix was called *Mio Mao* under Fascism, and was published by Corriere dei Piccoli.
* The Nickelodeon cartoon *My Life As a Teenage Robot* features a diner called "Mezmer's" (named after Otto Messmer), and the doorway to the restaurant is a giant Felix the Cat head.
* In *The Simpsons* episode *Rosebud*, Dean Scungio quotes from "The Encyclopaedia of Animated Cartoons" on the history of Felix: "A Felix doll became Charles Lindbergh's companion on his famed flight across the Atlantic." *The Day the Violence Died*, another episode of the show, in which the origins of the cartoon characters Itchy & Scratchy are explored, parallels some of the disputed history Felix's creation set forth above, and includes a spoof film entitled *Manhattan Madness*, presented as the first Itchy & Scratchy cartoon, supposedly from 1919, that is similar in style to "Felix in Hollywood" and other early Felix animations.
* Felix appeared in the 1927 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, making him the first balloon to float in the parade.
* Felix appeared in opening credits of the *Futurama* episodes *How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back*, *The Lesser of Two Evils* and *War Is the H-Word*.
* Felix is also a cat food in Europe.
* Felix plush dolls appeared in the music videos for "Pay for Me" by Whale and "My Favorite Game" by The Cardigans, both by Jonas Åkerlund.
* Part of a Felix cartoon was played in the 2002 film *100 Women*, by a projector, that Sam was using to play the cartoon on Hope's building.
* Felix appeared in the 2011 film *Paul*, he is in Comic-Con as a mascot in the background.
* Felix appeared in the 1992 film *Batman Returns*.
* Felix is revealed to be an old friend of Stimpson J. Cat during *A Family Friend*.