The first great feline star was Otto Messmer's[1] cartoon hero, Felix the Cat, a black and white cat that debuted in the silent-film era of 1928.
Trivia[]
- Over 100 silent, black and white Felix cartoon episodes were produced during the 1920s and 1930s, playing in movie theaters all over the world.
- Felix was inspired by Charlie Chaplin’s The Little Tramp and actually met the star in the animated film, Felix in Hollywood (1923).
- In 1950s, Joe Oriola, a protege of Otto Messmer, redesigned Felix and created a supporting cast like Pointdexter, The Professor, Rock Bottom, Vavvoom, Kitty Kat, Master Cylinder and the Magic Bag of Tricks.