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Cartoon Evolution: Porky Pig
The origin story of the original cartoon pig!
That's all folks? More like, there's more folks. Did you know Porky was the original star of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies? Before Bugs, Daffy, and Tweety, Porky was running the show for years. He was the star of hundreds of cartoons and the face of the Looney Tunes brand, but eventually, his strength became his ability to help launch other characters into the spotlight. Porky did not go through as many visual changes and redesigns as his Looney Tunes colleagues, his changes were more subtle as he shifted from leading man to reliable straight-man to Daffy Duck, Sylvester, and other characters. Let's examine the filmography of Porky to learn about the development of this nervous, but lovable, stuttering pig.
I Haven't Got A Hat (1935)
Porky's first cartoon was I Haven't Got A Hat, in which a school full of animal children recite songs and poems for their parents. Porky stutters his way through The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. Producer Leon Schlesinger instructed director Friz Freleng to try making a cartoon version of Our Gang, a popular series of live-action shorts, and I Haven't Got A Hat was the result. Despite this being the 100th Looney Tunes cartoon, the studio still needed a star and Porky ended up being the breakout star of this short.
Beans' Buddy: 1935 - 1936
Most of Porky's early cartoons are supporting roles to Beans the Cat. Original Looney Tunes animators, Harman and Ising, left the studio with the breakout star character: Bosko. Beans was meant to be a newer, funner Bosko replacement and Porky was only meant to be a sidekick. But, audiences loved the stuttering pig more than the troublemaking kitten. Porky didn't stay Beans' sidekick for long.
Plane Dippy (1936)
Porky's first solo cartoon was Plane Dippy, a wartime cartoon featuring Porky joining the Army Air Corps and training for war. He even spells his name "P-P-P-P-P-P-P-P-Porky". Beans does make a brief cameo in this short in the dizziness test, where Beans and Porky are spun around like tops.
The Blow Out (1936)
The Blow Out is Porky's first cartoon without Beans. He's the only star in this short, where Porky does good deeds for pennies so he can buy an ice cream float. In this image, Porky is excited because he just found a nickel in his pocket. While doing good deeds he accidentally stops a bank robbery from happening.
Porky's Duck Hunt (1937)
This cartoon was a lot of firsts for Porky! First cartoon with Mel Blanc as Porky's voice actor, previously he had been voiced by Joe Dougherty and Count Cutelli. This was also the first cartoon with a redesigned Porky; before Porky's appearance (and age) varied from short to short but now with a redesign, Porky was solidly a young adult pig, adorably chubby with big eyes. This was also Porky's first pairing with Daffy Duck - and Daffy's first cartoon appearance ever. Porky's Duck Hunt began a trend at Looney Tunes of animators using a Porky cartoon to test out newer characters.
Rover's Rival (1937)
Rover's Rival is a short in which Porky tries to teach his old dog some new tricks - but more importantly, it is the first cartoon where Porky pops out of the drum and says "That's all, folks!" This end card established Porky as the main star and face of Looney Tunes in the 1930s.
Porky and Gabby (1937)
Like with Daffy Duck, the animators tried another Porky pairing, this time with Gabby Goat. Gabby was a short-lived, grumpy character who played well against Porky's mild-mannered personality but wasn't as entertaining to watch as Porky and Daffy.
Porky's Hare Hunt (1938)
The next character that Porky would help introduce would be Bugs Bunny! The "Happy Bunny" character that later evolved into Bugs first appeared in Porky's Hare Hunt.
Old Glory (1939)
In 1939 Warner Bros. created a series of patriotic films for the Fourth of July, and this Looney Tune was created as a part of that collaboration. In Old Glory, Porky falls asleep trying to learn the Pledge of Allegiance, but then Uncle Sam visits him in a dream and teaches Porky all about the Pledge. This cartoon is Porky's first appearance in color since I Haven't Got a Hat, and his first in technicolor. Fun fact: this cartoon was produced during a heatwave, and animators were worried about fans blowing the drawings across the room. Animators ended up producing the film at night when it was much cooler.
The Clampett Era: 1937 - 1946
From 1937 to 1946, Porky cartoons were mostly directed by Bob Clampett, who focused on defining Porky's look and characteristics. This is the era where we see Porky get his uniform of a blue jacket and red bow tie.
Little Orphan Airedale (1947)
Most of Porky's cartoons in the 1940s were buddy comedies with Daffy Duck or adventure cartoons directed by Bob Clampett. But in 1947, it was time to test a new dynamic with a new character: Charlie Dog. Charlie is a wise guy con man of a dog, desperately looking for an owner and he identifies Porky as his next sucker. Over the course of three cartoons, Charlie would try to convince Porky to adopt him and Porky would try to kick him out of the house.
Scaredy Cat (1948)
1948's Scaredy Cat was the first pairing of Porky and Sylvester. When separate, Porky is often fearful and anxious, while Sylvester is bold and aggressive. When they are together, though, Porky becomes the confident and determined one, while Sylvester becomes fearful and easily intimidated. Additionally, the dangers of their situation would go over Porky's head, leaving Sylvester to face his fears and help keep Porky out of harm's way. The three cartoons they starred in together allowed animators to experiment with Porky and Sylvester's personalities more without diluting their performances in their cartoons with Tweety and Daffy.
The Ducksters (1950)
Throughout the rest of the Golden Age of Animation, Porky remained firmly at Daffy's side, often playing the straight-man role to Daffy's over-the-top goofiness. For a nervous, stuttering pig, sometimes being the sidekick is preferable to being the star.
