Bugs Bunny (1938) American cartoon character
"Eh, what's up, Doc?"
Cartoon-film character Bugs Bunny was created in 1938 by US cartoonist Bob Clampett for a movie called Porky's Hare Hunt. The cynical, carrot-crunching rabbit with its goofy incisors starred again in A Wild Hare in 1940. Many regard this last Tex Avery movie to be Bugs Bunny's first appearance, but this is clearly not true. Animator Robert McKimson designed the familiar design in which Bugs Bunny leans on a tree while eating a carrot, which was originally on display at a Los Angeles department store for a holiday sale.
By 1962, Bugs Bunny was fully developed by Avery and had appeared in 159 films, in the meantime winning an Academy Award for his appearance in Knighty Knight Bugs (1958). The grey rabbit has also been nominated for three other Academy Awards and has been the star of 4 motion pictures, 175 animated shorts and 14 CBS prime time specials. He recently added to these performances with his role in the movie short Carrotblanca. His characteristic voice created by Mel Blanc and his "Eh, what's up, Doc?" signature, suggested by animator Herman Cohen, are recognized world over.
Bugs Bunny now is a Warner Bros trademark. Since Mel Blanc's death because of a heart disease in 1989, Bugs' voiceover is called Jeff Bergman, who also voices Elmer Fudd, Daffy Duck and George Jetson.
See Mel Blanc's 814 listings on the Internet Movie Database (http://www.imdb.com) for most of Bugs Bunny's appearances. A title search on Bugs Bunny resulted in the following movies dedicated to the best-known rabbit in the world: