8. Bugs Bunny
118 Points, 4 Lists, #1 Adrenaline & Torzelbaum
“Of course, you know, this means war!”
Source Material: Looney Tunes, Merry Melodies
Voice Actor: Mel Blanc (1940–1989), Jeff Bergman (1990–1993, 1997–1998, 2003–2004, 2007, 2011–present), Greg Burson (1990–2000), Billy West (1996–2006), Joe Alaskey (1997–2011), Samuel Vincent (2001–2006), Eric Bauza (2018–present)
Bugs Bunny is a rabbit living in the forests (and sometimes deserts) of America. Bugs also sometimes travels the world, usually looking for vacation spots only to take a left turn at Albuquerque and winding up somewhere unexpected. Bugs speaking with a strong Brooklyn accent and has a penchant for carrots, which he often likes to munch while he introduces himself. Bugs is very clever, often outwitting his antagonists with trickery, disguises and ability to confound his opponents. Though he tends to be relentless in defeating his opponents, he almost never starts a fight, instead usually minding his own business before someone attacks, bullies or tricks him, at which point he turns the tables. Outside of this, Bugs tends to be easy-going and rather friendly with most people he meets, though perhaps a little annoyed. There are also occasions where he accepts an opponent (usually pathetic predators) as a fun challenge if they seem both foolish and deserving of a little grief.
Bugs has a habit of calling people, particularly strangers, Doc, leading to his catch phrase “What’s up, doc?” (The phrase itself came from Tex Avery, who simply used it as it was a common expression in his homestate of Texas). Bugs occasionally takes the role of antagonist but it is incredibly rare and there have been even a few times he’s lost, but that too is uncommon. Very few people have been able to defeat Bugs Bunny, though the rabbit’s cocksure attitude allowed him to become overconfident at times. Still, Bugs is rarely perturbed and even threatening enemies he faces with a cool, controlled attitude, most of the time. He also frequently breaks the fourth wall to comment on the situation and assure the audience.
Though there were many early interpretations of the character, notably a screwball variant in “Porky’s Hare Hunt”, the Bugs Bunny we know and love first appeared in “A Wild Hare” as the foil in an Elmer Fudd cartoon (yep, that character came first, originally named “Egghead”), combining several elements of previous rabbit characters (including one who antagonized Fudd). Bugs would gain popularity through the war era and his character and features would be altered and refined. Bugs adopted physical mannerisms (and a couple of catchphrases) from Groucho Marx and his carrot chewing is likely to be a reference to Clark Gable in the romantic comedy It Happened One Night (which popularized carrots as a snack food).
It’s no surprise that Bugs Bunny became the most iconic Looney Tunes and the mascot for Warner Bros. Looney Tunes is full of great characters but a lot of them are fun jerks or work best as part of a specific dynamic, like Tweety. Bugs is a hero (usually), he works in almost any setting and time period and despite being a slapstick funny guy is… cool. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be the guy who looks to camera with a subtle look as you bring the boom down on an opponent with nothing but your wits. Bugs works because the formula, which is simple, allows him to run roughshod, rarely loosing but we remain on his side even if the victory is guaranteed from the start. He’s sort of merciless in a way we can appreciate because rarely is anyone undeserving of his punishments AND he’s clearly just ending a fight someone else started. And he does it while treating his threats without seriously because to him, they are only worth a laugh and a humiliation for their attacks on his person.
Plaintiffs:
Defense:
“Bugs Bunny can’t lose a case. Or if he does we’ll be the target of his ire so… let’s NOT fail. They'll be some retaliation but if we win at the start of the cartoon, we still get paid.”