National Bugs Bunny Day is observed each year on April 30. Bugs Bunny is the famous cartoon character best remembered for his roles in Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies produced by Warner Bros. He is known for his popular catchphrase “What’s up, doc?” Bugs Bunny first appeared in a short film on April 30, 1938, and has since been enjoyed by millions of viewers.
- Bugs Bunny is a rabbit, not a hare.
- Bugs Bunny turns 80 today.
- Mel Blanc actually ate carrots while voicing the iconic character.
- Bugs Bunny was originally “Happy Rabbit”. He also used to be white instead of gray and they alternated between giving him huge buck teeth and no teeth at all.
- Bugs Bunny, along with Mickey Mouse, were the first two animals to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- Bugs Bunny is a U.S. Marine. At the end of the 1943 short Super-Rabbit, Bugs wears a USMC blue uniform. As a result, they made Bugs an honorary private of the corps. Throughout WWII, Bugs continued to be promoted in rank until he retired as a Master Sergeant.
- Bugs’ name came from his animator. In 1938, Ben “Bugs” Hardaway was redesigning a new rabbit character. A fellow employee casually referred to the drawing as “Bug’s Bunny” (which was written above the illustration) and the name stuck ever since.
- Bugs Bunny was the first cartoon character to ever appear on a stamp.
- Bugs Bunny’s carrot-chewing stance came from ‘It Happened One Night. There is a scene with Clark Gable leaning against a fence and eating carrots while talking with his mouth full.
- Charlie Chaplin inspired Bugs Bunny’s personality.
- As of Jan. 2013, he has appeared in more films than any other cartoon character. More than 175 films, to be exact.
- He first appeared as an extra in a Porky Pig cartoon. The then-unnamed rabbit was created in 1938 for a cartoon in which Porky Pig went hunting, but the actual character wouldn’t appear until years later.
- In 2002, he was named by TV Guide as the number one greatest cartoon
character of all time - The scenes where Bugs Bunny is chewing a carrot are generally followed
by Bugs Bunny’s most well-known catchphrase, “Eh, What’s up, Doc?”,
this was in the first ever cartoon and that catchphrase has stuck with him
ever since. It is now in the top 10 most recognised cartoon TV character
catchphrases - Bugs’ nonchalant, carrot-eating manner was inspired by a scene in It Happened One Night, when the fast-talking Clark Gable snacks on carrots while leaning on a fence. The character also took inspiration from Groucho Marx.
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