Felix the Cat

Felix the Cat is a legendary figure in the history of American animation.

He is an anthropomorphic black cat with white eyes and a massive grin. Felix was a pioneer as the first fully realized recurring animal character in American film animation. He rose to fame during the silent film era as a symbol of surrealism and imagination.

Many critics viewed his cartoons as imaginative examples of how cinema could create the fantastic. His unique personality and movements made him a global icon of popular culture.

Creating these early animated shorts was a complex, manual process.

Animators like Otto Messmer drew the character on white paper. After the drawings were finished, inkers traced them directly. To create the setting, artists drew backgrounds onto thin sheets called celluloid. These celluloid sheets were then laid over the character drawings for photography. Because the studio cameras could not perform pans or trucks, artists had to animate every bit of perspective by hand. This meticulous technique allowed Felix to inhabit a world where his tail could transform into any tool.

Felix has undergone several distinct visual stages throughout his long history.

He began as a prototype named Master Tom in the 1919 short "Feline Follies." In 1924, animator Bill Nolan redesigned him to be rounder and cuter. This new look helped elevate his profile significantly. Later, in 1953, Joe Oriolo introduced a redesigned version for American television. This "long-legged" Felix had a much smaller body and a larger, rounder head. Oriolo also gave him a "Magic Bag of Tricks" that could assume infinite shapes at Felix's command.

The exact authorship of Felix remains a subject of historical debate.

Pat Sullivan, the studio proprietor, claimed he created the character. He suggested that a cat brought to the studio by his wife inspired him. However, many historians credit Otto Messmer with the character's true creation. Messmer claimed he single-handedly drew the first films from his home. Some experts believe Felix was actually based on an animated version of Charlie Chaplin. This would explain why Felix's personality and movements reflected the famous silent film star.

Felix's popularity reached incredible heights during the 1920s.

By 1923, the character was at the peak of his film career. He starred in a popular comic strip that began in 1923. His image appeared on a massive variety of merchandise, including ceramics, toys, and postcards. Sullivan reportedly earned an estimated $100,000 a year from toy licensing alone. Even jazz bands played songs about him, such as the 1923 hit "Felix Kept On Walking."

Throughout his existence, Felix has left a lasting mark on the world of art.

His famous "Felix pace," where he walks with his hands behind his back, became a worldwide trademark. He influenced many other feline stars, such as Julius from Disney's "Alice Comedies." His impact even reached international creators like Suihō Tagawa, who created the character Norakuro. In 2002, TV Guide ranked Felix as number 28 on its list of the "50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time."

Today, the legacy of Felix the Cat continues through modern ownership and media.

While early versions entered the public domain in 1994, the character's name remains trademarked. In 2014, Don Oriolo sold the trademark and copyrights to DreamWorks Animation. The character is now part of the NBCUniversal division through Universal Pictures. Felix continues to appear on clothing and toys, proving his enduring relevance in the modern era.