National Bugs Bunny Day is celebrated every year on April 30. It commemorates the date this happy-go-lucky bunny made his first appearance in 1938. We are getting ready to enjoy the day in the most fun way possible — by binge-watching “Looney Tunes” throughout the day, eating carrots like Bugs Bunny, and spreading the fun all over social media! Did you know, Bugs Bunny’s first appearance wasn’t on TV or any cartoon channels, but on a short film?
- 1938 – Bugs Bunny makes an appearance on “Porky’s Hare Hunt.”
- 1940 – Bugs Bunny makes his first official appearance in “A Wild Hare.”
- 1943 – Bugs Bunny makes his first appearance in a Dell Comics strip.
- 1943 – 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.
- 1958 – Post World War II, “Knighty Knight Bugs” (1958) won an Academy Award for the Best Cartoon Short Subject. It was the first Oscar for Bugs Bunny.
- 1985 – Bugs Bunny, along with Mickey Mouse, were the first two animals to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- 1988 – Bugs Bunny appeared in the 1988 film “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” interacting with other iconic animated characters and live-action actors, showcasing his versatility and enduring popularity.
- 1996 – In the 1996 film “Space Jam,” Bugs Bunny teamed up with basketball legend Michael Jordan to save the Looney Tunes characters from alien invaders in a high-stakes basketball game, blending live-action with animation.
- 2001 – Kids’ WB introduces a younger version of Bugs Bunny to the world.
- 2019 – As of May 2019, Bugs has appeared in more films than any other cartoon character. Over 175 films, to be exact. Homer Simpson and Mickey Mouse fill 2nd and 3d place.
- Bugs Bunny’s voice was designed to mimic the character of Daffy Duck.
- Mel Blanc originally voiced the iconic “Eh, what’s up, doc?” voice for 50 years.
- Mel Blanc ate carrots while voicing the iconic character.
- Bugs Bunny was originally named “Happy Rabbit”.
- The character Bugs Bunny was named after its director Ben “Bugs” Hardaway.
- Bugs was born in Brooklyn, New York.
- Bugs Bunny is a rabbit, not a hare. Hares don’t live in burrows; rabbits do. Bugs Bunny does.
- The catchphrase “What’s up, Doc?” was a common expression in Texas, where animator Tex Avery hailed from. He included it in Bugs’ dialogue, and it resonated with audiences, becoming synonymous with the character.
- Bugs will celebrate his 85th anniversary on July 27. While Porky’s Hare Hunt was the first Warner Bros. cartoon to feature a Bugs Bunny-like rabbit, A Wild Hare, directed by Tex Avery and released on July 27, 1940, is widely considered to be the first official Bugs Bunny cartoon.
- It is the first film where both Elmer Fudd and Bugs, both redesigned by Bob Givens, are shown in their fully developed forms as hunter and tormentor, respectively; the first in which Mel Blanc uses what became Bugs’ standard voice; and the first in which Bugs uses his catchphrase, “What’s up, Doc?”.
- A Wild Hare was a huge success in theaters and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Cartoon Short Subject.
- Bugs Bunny was the first cartoon character to ever appear on a stamp.
- Bugs Bunny’s carrot-eating mannerisms were inspired by a scene from the 1934 film “It Happened One Night,” where Clark Gable’s character leans against a fence, eating carrots and speaking rapidly.
- Psychologists use him to study false memories. In several psychological studies about false beliefs, scientists have shown people fake advertisements for Disney World featuring Bugs Bunny. A significant portion of subjects then claimed to remember going to Disney and meeting Bugs, even though a Warner Bros. character would never be on display at a Disney theme park.
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