Porky Pig
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Porky Pig | |
---|---|
Domestic pig | |
Gender | Male |
Significant other | Petunia Pig |
Relatives | Pinky (nephew) Cicero (nephew) Peta (elder daughter) Priscilla (younger daughter) Pinkster (unspecified descendant) |
Porky Pig is an animated character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on his star power, and the animators created many critically acclaimed shorts featuring the character.[2] Even after he was supplanted by later characters, Porky continued to be popular with moviegoers and, more importantly, the Warners directors, who recast him in numerous everyman and sidekick roles.[3]
He is known for his signature line at the end of many shorts, "(stutter) that's all, folks!" This slogan (without stuttering) had also been used by both Bosko and Buddy and even Beans at the end of Looney Tunes cartoons. In contrast, the Merrie Melodies series used the slogan: So Long, Folks! until the mid-1930s when it was replaced with the same one used on the Looney Tunes series (when Bugs Bunny was the closing character only in his later cartoons), he would break the pattern by simply saying, in his Brooklynese accent, "And Dat's De End!"). He is the oldest continuing Looney Tunes character.
Porky's most distinctive trait is a severe
Early films
The character was introduced in the 100th short, I Haven't Got a Hat (first released on March 2, 1935), directed by Friz Freleng. Studio head Leon Schlesinger suggested that Freleng do a cartoon version of the popular Our Gang films. Porky only has a minor role in the film, but the fat little stuttering pig quickly became popular. Porky's name came from two brothers who were childhood classmates of Freleng, nicknamed "Porky" and "Piggy".[4]
Since Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising had left the studio in 1933, taking the studio's star character Bosko with them, Looney Tunes had been kept afloat by cartoons featuring the bland Buddy. Porky's introduction ushered Buddy out the door and pointed to things to come. Tex Avery was hired to the studio in 1935, and his film Gold Diggers of '49 reused much of the cast from I Haven't Got a Hat, albeit in wildly different roles. Porky transitioned from a shy little boy to an immensely fat adult. Though he was still in a supporting role, Porky got most of the laughs. The directors realized they had a star on their hands.
Porky shared his stutter with the
Porky's Duck Hunt was released in 1937, and Blanc officially became the permanent voice of Porky until his death in 1989. In later interviews, Blanc often said that he intended Porky's stutter to be suggestive of the grunting of actual pigs.[6] Porky's Duck Hunt was also the first film of another Looney Tunes star, Daffy Duck. Porky Pig is currently voiced by Bob Bergen.
Clampett's Porky
Porky starred in dozens of films in the late 1930s. The directors still did not have a grasp on the character, however; his appearance, age, and personality all varied from picture to picture. Several such cartoons show Porky as a child with parents: father Phineas (
In his commentary as part of the 1970s documentary film
As a sidekick
Porky's post at the pinnacle of the Warners' pantheon was short-lived. In 1937, the studio tried pairing Porky with various sidekicks, such as love interest
Porky always remained a sentimental favorite of the Warner directors. His mild-mannered nature and shy demeanor made him the perfect straight man for zanier characters such as Daffy. He still starred in a few solo cartoons as well, such as Frank Tashlin's Brother Brat. Other cartoons dumbed Porky down and cast him as a duck hunter after Daffy, largely paralleling the Elmer Fudd/Bugs Bunny pairings. Chuck Jones perfected the Porky-as-straight man scenarios, pairing the pig with Daffy Duck in a series of film and television parodies such as Drip-Along Daffy, Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century, Rocket Squad, Deduce, You Say!, The Scarlet Pumpernickel and Robin Hood Daffy. Jones also paired Porky with Sylvester in a series of cartoons in the late 1940s and early 1950s, in which Porky plays the curmudgeonly and naive owner of the cat and remains clueless that Sylvester is constantly saving him from homicidal mice, space aliens and other threats.
Later years
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Porky was used in regular rotation in
Porky made an appearance in the Disney/Amblin film Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) at the end of the film where he, being paired with Disney's Tinkerbell, closes the movie with his famous line "Th-Th-Th-That's All Folks!". It was the last time that Mel Blanc voiced Porky before his death in 1989.
In the 1990s animated series
Porky appears in the movie Space Jam (1996) and collaborates with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, and Sylvester in challenging the Nerdlucks to a basketball game. He tries to get Michael Jordan's autograph when the basketball star is first recruited to join the team and later plays for the Tune Squad in the game itself, scoring one basket. Porky tries to end the movie with his famous line but is prevented by the combined efforts of Bugs, Daffy, and the Nerdlucks. He was voiced by Bob Bergen.
Porky is the star of the
In the movie
Porky appears as a toddler version of himself in Baby Looney Tunes (2002), albeit only in the show's musical numbers. Petunia functioned as the show's more major pig character.
Porky appears as the "Eager Young Space Cadet" in the animated series Duck Dodgers (2003–2005), again voiced by Bob Bergen.
Porky has a descendant in
Porky also appears in most episodes of Cartoon Network's animated series The Looney Tunes Show (2011–2014), voiced again by Bob Bergen. He is still friends with Daffy Duck and often sucked into Daffy's schemes. Porky is also Daffy's nervous, fall guy buddy, similar to their relationship in classic comic books. It is also revealed in the show that in his high school years, he was a jock who bullied Daffy, while during their childhood years, it was Daffy who bullied Porky.
In the documentary I Know That Voice (2013), Bob Bergen explains how to recreate the pig's famous stutter, demonstrating how difficult it is to do it without practice. He finishes the segment by joking "Nobody [else] can do that, and that's why I have job security!"
Porky appears in the direct-to-video movie Looney Tunes: Rabbits Run (2015), reprised by Bob Bergen.
Porky Pig appears as a recurring character in New Looney Tunes, voiced once again by Bob Bergen.[10] Here, he is shown to be fatter, like some of his earlier appearances in the mid-1930s. Porky was first mentioned in "Dust Bugster", where he told Bugs about a television series whose name was not mentioned that led to Bugs binge-watching it.
In the 2018
Porky's latest appearance is in Looney Tunes Cartoons, where he is once again voiced by Bob Bergen. His personality is based on the earlier shorts, however, his appearance is based on later shorts like The Looney Tunes Show for example. He is mostly paired with Daffy Duck who always drives him crazy.
A humanoid version of Porky also appeared in
Porky appears in the preschool series
- Porky appears in the Teen Titans Go! episode, "Warner Bros. 100th Anniversary". He is among the Looney Tunes characters guests for the Warner Bros. centennial celebration, voiced once again by Bob Bergen.
"Blooper"
A short black-and-white cartoon was made in 1938 as part of a Warner Bros.
This short, so-called "
Filmography
Voice actors
- Joe Dougherty (1935–1937)[16]
- Count Cutelli (1935–1937, additional lines)[1]
- Mel Blanc (1937–1989)[16]
- Gilbert Mack (Golden Records records, Bugs Bunny Songfest)[17][18]
- Malcolm McNeill (Spin a Magic Tune)[19]
- Richard Andrews (Bugs Bunny Exercise and Adventure Album)[20]
- Scott P. Allen (1984 "That's All Folks" cover)[21]
- Gilbert Grilli (1984 "That's All Folks" cover)[22]
- Jeff Bergman (The Earth Day Special, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Bugs Bunny's Overtures to Disaster, Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers, Special Delivery Symphony,[23][24] The 1st 13th Annual Fancy Anvil Award Show Program Special...Live!...in Stereo, Cartoon Network's Funniest Bloopers and Other Embarrassing Moments, Boomerang bumpers,[25] Porky and Daffy in the William Tell Overture)[16]
- Rob Paulsen (Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs[29])[16]
- Bob Bergen (1990–present)[16]
- Joe Alaskey (Tiny Toon Adventures, Crash! Bang! Boom! The Best of WB Sound FX[30])[16]
- Keith Scott (The Christmas Looney Tunes Classic Collection,[31] Tazos Looney Tunes commercial,[32] Looney Tunes: What's Up Rock?!,[33] Looney Tunes LIVE! Classroom Capers,[34] The Looney Tunes Radio Show,[35][36] Looney Rock)[16][37][38][39]
- Bugs Bunny: Rabbit Rampage,[40] Acme Animation Factory,[41] Porky Pig's Haunted Holiday, Quest for Camelot promotion[42])[16]
- Superior Duck)[16]
- Billy West (Histeria!, Sprint commercial, My Generation G...G...Gap)[16]
- Gary Martin (Looney Tunes Take-Over Weekend promotions)[25]
- Eric Bauza (Space Jam: A New Legacy,[43] Bugs and Daffy's Thanksgiving Road Trip,[44] Acme Fools,[45] Looney Tunes pinball machine,[46] The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie[47])[16]
- Roger Black (Paradise PD)
Reception
Porky was ranked number 47 on
Notable films
See also
- I Haven't Got a Hat (1935) (debut)
- Plane Dippy (1935) (first cartoon in his series)
- Porky's Duck Hunt (1937) (first appearance with Daffy Duck)
- Porky in Wackyland (1938) (inducted in the National Film Registry for being culturally, historically and aesthetically significant)
- Porky Pig's Feat (1943) (one of the few short films in which Porky interacts with both Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny)
- Kitty Kornered (1946) (first appearance with Sylvester)
- The Wearing of the Grin (1951) (final solo appearance)
- Corn on the Cop (1965) (final short theatrical appearance with original footage)
- Mucho Locos (1966) (with archive footage makes it his final short theatrical appearance)
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) (cameo)
- Space Jam (1996)
- Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003) (cameo)
- Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)
See also
- The Golden Age of American animation
- Piggy (Merrie Melodies)
References
- ^ a b c "Who Was Count Cutelli?". cartoonresearch.com. Archived from the original on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
Cutelli claimed he did some work on the early version of Porky Pig, which would have had to have been augmenting some of the original work done by Joe Dougherty, who had an actual stuttering problem but couldn't control it. As a result, some recording sessions took hours and added to the costs, so Cutelli could have been brought in for some additional lines. Dougherty only voiced the character for two years from March 1935 to March 1937. He was replaced by Mel Blanc, who could provide a more consistent stutter. Cutelli, of course, claimed that he was the one who voiced the original "That's All Folks" tag at the end of Looney Tunes cartoons.
- ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ISBN 0-13-275561-0. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ Beck, Jerry. Audio commentary for I Haven't Got a Hat on the Warner Brothers DVD set Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3. (2005) citing Freleng's autobiography.
- ISBN 978-0-19-516729-0.
- ^ "Tweety And Sylvester Bring Mel Blanc Back To Life". NPR. November 20, 2011. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
And, you know, it's not a stutter. That's a grunt. Porky is a (makes sound) grunt.
- ISBN 978-0-613-64753-3 (Hardcover).
- ^ "List of National Film Registry (1988–2003)". CMU.edu. Archived from the original on August 21, 2006. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
- ^ Maslin, Janet (November 28, 1986). "SCREEN: PORKY PIG IN HOLLYWOOD". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
- ^ "NYCC 2015: "Wabbit" Woundtable with J.P. Karliak, Bob Bergen, Gary Hartle, and Jeff Bergman – ToonZone News". ToonZone.net. October 27, 2015. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
- ^ Lex Luthor/Porky Pig #1
- ^ Batman/Elmer Fudd Special #1
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- ^ "Bugs Bunny Builders Breaks Ground July 25 on Cartoonito on Cartoon Network and July 26 on Cartoonito on HBO Max". WarnerMedia. 2022-06-14. Archived from the original on 2022-10-21. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
- ^ "Toon Zone – LT & MM: The Early Years – Other Videos". ToonZone.net. Archived from the original on March 5, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Voice(s) of Porky Pig". behindthevoiceactors.com. Archived from the original on 2021-08-15. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
- ^ "Bugs Bunny on Record". News From ME. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ "Golden Records' "Bugs Bunny Songfest" (1961)". cartoonresearch.com. Archived from the original on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ "Spin a Magic Tune". Mike McNaught Music. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
- ^ "Bugs Bunny Breaks a Sweat". cartoonresearch.com. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ "Break Dancers – That's All Folks (1984, Vinyl)". Discogs. Archived from the original on 6 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "Bugs Bunny – This Is It (1984, Vinyl)". Discogs. Archived from the original on 6 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "SPECIAL DELIVERY SYMPHONY Jeff Bergman Corey Burton". Archived from the original on 2021-01-31. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
- ^ Special Delivery Symphony (Looney Tunes Discover Music) Paperback – 31 Dec. 1993. ASIN 0943351588.
- ^ a b "Voice(s) of Porky Pig in Boomerang". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on 2020-09-16. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
- ^ "You Rang? Answering Machine Messages Bugs Bunny". YouTube. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ "The Warner Bros. Symphony Orchestra* – Bugs Bunny On Broadway - Original Broadway Recording (1991, CD)". Discogs. Archived from the original on August 28, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
- ^ "Sydney Symphony* – Bugs Bunny At The Symphony (2010, CD)". Discogs. Archived from the original on August 28, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
- ^ a b "Voice(s) of Porky Pig in Animaniacs". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on 2024-01-28. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ "Various – Crash! Bang! Boom! The Best Of WB Sound FX (2000, CD)". Discogs. August 15, 2000. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
- ^ "The Christmas Looney Tunes Classic Collection (Music Cassette): Performed by Keith Scott". YouTube. Archived from the original on 13 January 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ "Tazos". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on 2020-09-16. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
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- ^ "'CLASSROOM CAPERS'". Alastair Fleming Associates. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ "That Wascally Wabbit". ianheydon.com. Archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ "The Day I Met Bugs Bunny". Ian Heydon. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ "Keith Scott: Down Under's Voice Over Marvel". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on July 2, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ "Keith Scott". Grace Gibson Shop. Archived from the original on July 4, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ "Keith Scott-"The One-Man Crowd"" Archived 2020-09-16 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ "Bugs Bunny: Rabbit Rampage". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on 2019-04-01. Retrieved 2020-12-06.
- ^ "Acme Animation Factory". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on 2020-10-22. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
- ^ "Quest for Camelot promotion with the Looney Tunes (1998)". YouTube. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
- ^ Martinez, Lynn (July 2, 2021). "LeBron James, 'Space Jam' castmates dish about new sequel at SoCal party". WSVN 7News. Archived from the original on July 3, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
- ^ "Bugs & Daffy's Thanksgiving Road Trip". Spotify. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
- ^ "Acme Fools Continues… w/ the Looney Tunes 🐾 Scooby Doo Mashup #RUHROH @looneytunes". Instagram. Bauzilla. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ "I don't often voice video games... but when I do... PINBALL MACHINE!!!". Twitter. @Bauzilla. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
- ^ Taylor, Drew (September 22, 2022). "Watch a Clip from New 'Looney Tunes' Movie 'The Day the Earth Blew Up' (Exclusive Video)". The Wrap. Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
- ^ CNN.com – TV Guide's 50 greatest cartoon characters of all time – July 30, 2002 Archived December 23, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Powerpuff Girls". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
Bibliography
- Schneider, Steve (1990). That's All Folks!: The Art of Warner Bros. Animation. Henry Holt & Co.
- Solomon, Charles (1994). The History of Animation: Enchanted Drawings. Random House Value Publishing.
External links
- All about Porky Pig on Chuck Jones Official Website.