Warner Bros

After Hugh Harman and Rudolph Ising left Leon Schlesinger Productions in the 1930's, Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies cartoons were continued to be made and distributed by Warner Bros, who eventually bought them in 1944.

Porky Pig

I Haven't Got a Hat (1935) was the first Merry Melodies cartoon including Porky Pig, designed by Bob Clampett, and produced by Fritz Frelang. He was originally voiced by Joe Dougherty, then later by Mel Blanc. This cartoon was quite funny, and a has a lot of gags in it, however I don't think the characters were that original at this point in time, and the voices are actually quite annoying.

Bugs Bunny

After Porky Pig, Bug Bunny was designed by Cal Danton, then later modified by Tex Avery, then Robert McKimson. He is arguably the most famous Warner Bros character, or certainly for me he is the first character I think of when Warner Bros is mentioned. He is a very anthropomorphic rabbit, whch is what makes him so understandable and funny.

Bug Bunny's first appearance was in 1938 in Porky's Hare Hunt. Although the rabbit character doesn't look or sound like the Bugs Bunny we know today, it is a very early design of him. He is more recognisable by his cheeky attitude, which hasn't really changed much, as that's where his charm comes from, but I am glad they developed his design since his current design is much more interesting and creative.

Bugs Bunny then appeared in many other Looney Tunes shorts and finally got his own Merrie Melodies cartoon in 1940 called A Wild Hare, also starring Elmer Fudd, another one of Warner Bros' characters. Here Bugs Bunny's design has been updated, but is still not quite the same as it is today, however he has started to sound more like the modern day Bugs Bunny. He has also adopted his well-known catchphrase "what's up doc?".

Daffy Duck

Shortly after Bugs Bunny's first appearance, Daffy Duck made is his first appearance on 17th April 1937 in Porky's Duck Hunt. It was directed by Tex Avery and animated by Bob Clampett. In this cartoon, Daffy Duck looks very different to what he does now. He is now more anthropomorphic and he can also speak like a person as opposed to just quacking as he does in Porky's Duck Hunt. I prefer Daffy Duck as he is now because he is more distinguishable and memorable, whereas in the cartoon below he seems as if he'd more likely be an extra rather than later becoming a main character. This shows that he started off in a very similar way to Bugs Bunny.

Emile Reynaud

Autour d'une Cabine was created by Emile Reynaud in 1894, using praxinoscoping. A praxinoscope was a further developed version of a zoetrope; instead of using two narrow slits for viewing, an inner circle of mirrors was used, which reflected moving images in a way which gave brighter and more fluid animation.
          Personally, I really don't like this animation. I find the music annoying, and the character designs are quite boring and they lack character. Also at the end, I got confused about what was happening within the story as the identity of the characters are a bit obscure.

Max Fleischer

This animation, Koko's Earth Control by Max Fleischer and produced by Bray Studios, is part of Fleischer's "Out of the Inkwell" series; all of which were created using rotoscoping. In Fleischer's time, rotoscoping involved projecting live-action film onto frosted glass, which was then drawn over by the animator. For the "Out of the Inkwell" series, Fleischer's brother, Dave Fleischer, acted as the base for Koko the clown, the series' main character.
          I like the design of the "Out of the Inkwell" series, because they're very cartoony, but also neatly done and creative. I also think the movements and reactions are very well animated for the time, however the storyline of some of them, including Koko's Earth Control sometimes drag on a bit and become a bit tedious to watch.

Betty Boop is a very famous character created by Max Fleischer in 1930. She was based off an it-girl at the time, Clara Bow, and was originally voiced by Margie Hines, then later by Mae Questral. Betty Boop is an example of cartoons being allowed to get away with more than live-action, particularly in Betty Boop's Rise to Fame (1934) where she is getting changed on stage. Betty Boop was one of the first animated sex symbols, and like many cartoons of that era, the target audience was not young children. I like how in Betty Boop's Rise to Fame, she interacts with the animators, callind Max Fleischer "Uncle Max", as it gives her a little more realism, and was quite an original concept at the time. Chess Nuts (1932) is quite a creative take on the game of chess, and has a cameo from Koko the clown, to boost the popularity of Betty Boop.

Popeye was a character from a comic strip made by Elzie Crisler Segar, which was later turned into an animated cartoon by the Fleischer brothers. Betty Boop cameos in this first episode of Popeye, to help promote it and boost its popularity. I like Popeye; I think the characters are funny and likeable, as well as being distinctive. Also the storylines and styles are light-hearted without being childish.