Felix the Cat

About

Felix the Cat is an anthropomorphic black cat created in 1919 by Otto Messmer^[1] and produced by Pat Sullivan until his death on Februrary 15th, 1933.^[2] The character was originally in silent black & white films and later comic strips before he became one of the first popular animated cartoon characters.^[3]

History

Black and White Era (1919-1930)

Since his debut in the short Feline Follies, Felix the Cat featured in 168 silent shorts until his transition to sound in 1928 with the reissuing of Arabantics.^[4]

Comic Strips (1923-???)

On August 1st, 1923, Felix the Cat debuted as a comic strip in England's Daily Sketch.^[9] Penned by Otto Messmer, the series ran weekly for 12 segments. Jack Bogle took over between 1927 and 1931 until Otto Messmer took over again.^[9]

RKO/Colour (1936)

In 1936, RKO released 3 Felix the Cat films: The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg, Neptune Nonsense and Bold King Cole^[4]. The most notable change was the addition of color.

Felix the Cat (1958-1961)

In 1958, Felix the Cat Productions Inc. revived the character for a new series. The series introduced primary antagonists to the franchise with Poindexter, The Professor, and Rock Bottom. The Magic Bag became an associated item of Felix after it debut in the pilot Felix the Cat – Magic Bag of Tricks

Felix the Cat – The Movie (1988)

In 1988, a Felix the Cat movie made by Felix the Cat Creations, Animation Film Cologne and Felix the Cat Productions Inc. marked the first theatrical film for the character. It was widely panned by film critics and audiences alike and was classed as a box office bomb (failing to surpass its $9,000,000 budget). It currently holds a 5.1/10 rating on IMDb^[6].

The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat (1995-1997)

In 1995, Felix the Cat returned to TV in The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat.^[7] Created by Felix the Cat Productions Inc. and Film Roman Productions, the series served as a surreal take on the character. The series makes reference to its preceding works quite often with plot-lines and characters featured in earlier works, but instead of being the conventional cartoon, it notably took a more bizarre and adult approach.

Felix the Cat Saves Christmas (2004)

Felix the Cat Saves Christmas is a direct-to-DVD Christmas special by Felix the Cat Productions Inc. about Felix stopping the Professor and Rock Bottom from creating a large blizzard to ruin Christmas. The film received negative reviews and currently holds a 6.0/10 on IMDb.^[8]

Reception

Whilst being praised for being the first popular animated character, Felix the Cat has never been as widely adored as other popular cartoon characters. The two negatively-received films Felix the Cat: The Movie and Felix the Cat Saves Christmas stunted Felix's spread globally.

Related Memes

нет/Is It Safe?

нет (no in English^[10]) or Is It Safe? was a controversy involving a SiIvaGunner rip titled 'Puzzle Room – Kirby Planet Robotot.' In the video, which has since been taken down,^[12] two choices appear on the screen reading "Yes" or "No" (нет) in Russian. After clicking нет or waiting too long, the video showed a baby with harlequin ichthyosis. The inspiration behind the нет gag came from a [Vinesauce] Joel video where he tries a Russian SEGA Genesis bootleg of the Felix the Cat game. In that video (shown below), when Joel clicks "no" on the game's "Continue" screen, he is shown a picture of Felix with his skin torn off.

SiIvaGunner made the joke due to how the theme from the Continue screen was similar to the theme of the aforementioned "Puzzle Room."^[11] The incident shocked many viewers, who began using the phrase "Is It Safe?" in relation to any links associated with SiIvaGunner rips.

Search Interest

External References