Porky Pig
Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies character
First appearanceI Haven't Got a Hat (March 2, 1935 (1935-03-02))
Created byFriz Freleng
Voiced byJoe Dougherty (1935–1937)
Count Cutelli (1935–1937, additional lines)[1]
Mel Blanc (1937–1989)
Jeff Bergman (1990–1993, 2002–2004, 2006)
Noel Blanc (1990-1991, 2010)
Rob Paulsen (1990, 1993)
Bob Bergen (1990–present)
Joe Alaskey (1990, 1992, 2000)
Greg Burson (1992–1995, 1998)
Eric Goldberg (1996)
Billy West (1999, 2003–2004)
Eric Bauza (2021–present)
(see below)
Developed byTex Avery
Bob Clampett
Chuck Jones
Frank Tashlin
In-universe information
SpeciesDomestic pig
GenderMale
Significant otherPetunia Pig
RelativesPinky (nephew)
Cicero (nephew)
Peta (elder daughter)
Priscilla (younger daughter)
Pinkster (unspecified descendant)

Porky Pig is an animated character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on his star power, and the animators created many critically acclaimed shorts featuring the character.[2] Even after he was supplanted by later characters, Porky continued to be popular with moviegoers and, more importantly, the Warners directors, who recast him in numerous everyman and sidekick roles.[3]

He is known for his signature line at the end of many shorts, "(stutter) that's all, folks!" This slogan (without stuttering) had also been used by both Bosko and Buddy and even Beans at the end of Looney Tunes cartoons. In contrast, the Merrie Melodies series used the slogan: So Long, Folks! until the mid-1930s when it was replaced with the same one used on the Looney Tunes series (when Bugs Bunny was the closing character only in his later cartoons), he would break the pattern by simply saying, in his Brooklynese accent, "And Dat's De End!"). He is the oldest continuing Looney Tunes character.

Porky's most distinctive trait is a severe stutter, for which he sometimes compensates by replacing his words; for example, "What's going on?" might become "What's guh-guh-guh-guh— ... what's happening?" Porky's age varied widely in the series; originally conceived as an innocent seven-year-old piglet (explicitly mentioned as such in Porky's Preview), Porky was more frequently cast as an adult, often being cast as the competent straight man in the series in later years. At the ending of many Looney Tunes cartoons, Porky Pig bursts through a bass drum head, and his attempt to close the show with "The End" becomes "Th-Th-The, Th-Th-The, Th-Th... That's all, folks!" Porky Pig appeared in 153 cartoons in the Golden age of American animation.

Early films

The character was introduced in the 100th short, I Haven't Got a Hat (first released on March 2, 1935), directed by Friz Freleng. Studio head Leon Schlesinger suggested that Freleng do a cartoon version of the popular Our Gang films. Porky only has a minor role in the film, but the fat little stuttering pig quickly became popular. Porky's name came from two brothers who were childhood classmates of Freleng, nicknamed "Porky" and "Piggy".[4]

Since Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising had left the studio in 1933, taking the studio's star character Bosko with them, Looney Tunes had been kept afloat by cartoons featuring the bland Buddy. Porky's introduction ushered Buddy out the door and pointed to things to come. Tex Avery was hired to the studio in 1935, and his film Gold Diggers of '49 reused much of the cast from I Haven't Got a Hat, albeit in wildly different roles. Porky transitioned from a shy little boy to an immensely fat adult. Though he was still in a supporting role, Porky got most of the laughs. The directors realized they had a star on their hands.

Porky shared his stutter with the voice actor who originally played him, Joe Dougherty, who was actually a person who stuttered. Because Dougherty could not control his stutter, however, production costs became too high as his recording sessions took hours, and Porky's additional lines were done by Count Cutelli.[1] Mel Blanc replaced Dougherty in 1937. Blanc continued the stutter; however, it was harnessed for a more precise comedic effect (such as stumbling over a simple word only to substitute a longer word without difficulty, or vice versa).[5] This is parodied in A Connecticut Rabbit in King Arthur's Court, where Bugs Bunny struggles to pronounce the word "porcupine", which Porky pronounces with no trouble.

Porky's Duck Hunt was released in 1937, and Blanc officially became the permanent voice of Porky until his death in 1989. In later interviews, Blanc often said that he intended Porky's stutter to be suggestive of the grunting of actual pigs.[6] Porky's Duck Hunt was also the first film of another Looney Tunes star, Daffy Duck. Porky Pig is currently voiced by Bob Bergen.

Clampett's Porky

Bob Clampett's Porky Pig intro in 1938–1939

Porky starred in dozens of films in the late 1930s. The directors still did not have a grasp on the character, however; his appearance, age, and personality all varied from picture to picture. Several such cartoons show Porky as a child with parents: father Phineas (Porky the Rainmaker, Milk and Money, Porky's Poppa, and Porky and Teabiscuit) and an unnamed mother (Wholly Smoke and Porky's Hero Agency). Bob Clampett finally pinned Porky down in 1939, making him a permanent young adult: cuter, slimmer, smarter, and eventually less of a stutterer. Also, some cartoons show Porky as an antagonist (Porky's Duck Hunt, Porky's Hare Hunt, My Favorite Duck, A Corny Concerto, Duck Soup to Nuts, Daffy Doodles, Daffy Duck Hunt, Boobs in the Woods, Thumb Fun and Cracked Quack). Eventually, he settled into a kind persona. Clampett's Porky was an innocent traveler, taking in the world's wonders—and in Clampett's universe, the world is a very weird place.[7] This principle is perhaps best demonstrated in Porky in Wackyland, a film that sends Porky on a quest to find the last of the surreal Dodos, Yoyo Dodo. Porky in Wackyland was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry in 2000.[8]

In his commentary as part of the 1970s documentary film Bugs Bunny: Superstar, Clampett said that his early version of Tweety Bird had to be redesigned after his first picture because the producers thought he "looked naked". Meanwhile, as Clampett noted, nothing was ever made of the fact that "all those years, Porky never wore any pants!" However, Porky was seen with pants in Porky's Badtime Story, Tick Tock Tuckered and Brother Brat.

As a sidekick

Porky's post at the pinnacle of the Warners' pantheon was short-lived. In 1937, the studio tried pairing Porky with various sidekicks, such as love interest Petunia Pig, cantankerous foil Gabby Goat, and a screwy black duck, Daffy. Daffy Duck, the creation of Tex Avery, was by far the most popular, eventually outshining even Porky. In fact, Friz Freleng satirized this phenomenon when he directed You Ought to Be in Pictures (1940), where Daffy convinces Porky to quit his job at Warner Bros. to find better-paying work elsewhere. Porky then convinces studio head Leon Schlesinger to release him from his contract. After a highly unsuccessful foray into the real world, Porky returns happily to the studio that created him. To this day, Porky remains as a loyal sidekick while Daffy refuses to be a second banana to Bugs Bunny, who rose to prominence shortly after Daffy.

Porky always remained a sentimental favorite of the Warner directors. His mild-mannered nature and shy demeanor made him the perfect straight man for zanier characters such as Daffy. He still starred in a few solo cartoons as well, such as Frank Tashlin's Brother Brat. Other cartoons dumbed Porky down and cast him as a duck hunter after Daffy, largely paralleling the Elmer Fudd/Bugs Bunny pairings. Chuck Jones perfected the Porky-as-straight man scenarios, pairing the pig with Daffy Duck in a series of film and television parodies such as Drip-Along Daffy, Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century, Rocket Squad, Deduce, You Say!, The Scarlet Pumpernickel and Robin Hood Daffy. Jones also paired Porky with Sylvester in a series of cartoons in the late 1940s and early 1950s, in which Porky plays the curmudgeonly and naive owner of the cat and remains clueless that Sylvester is constantly saving him from homicidal mice, space aliens and other threats.

Later years

Porky was used in regular rotation in television syndication beginning in the 1960s, as were the rest of his Looney Tunes co-stars. A Saturday morning cartoon, The Porky Pig Show, ran from 1964 to 1967. In 1971, he starred in another show, Porky Pig and Friends. Both of these programs were collections of old theatrical shorts. Porky also appeared in all the classic film-feature compilations in the 1970s and 1980s. Another such collection was the 1986 film, Porky Pig in Hollywood, which ran in art and college theaters.[9]

Porky made an appearance in the Disney/Amblin film Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) at the end of the film where he, being paired with Disney's Tinkerbell, closes the movie with his famous line "Th-Th-Th-That's All Folks!". It was the last time that Mel Blanc voiced Porky before his death in 1989.

Bob Bergen provided the current voice for Porky Pig since 1990.

In the 1990s animated series Tiny Toon Adventures, Porky appears as the mentor of Hamton J. Pig. He was voiced by Bob Bergen in "Animaniacs" and "Hero Hamton", Rob Paulsen in "The Wacko World of Sports", Noel Blanc in "Fields of Honey", "The Acme Bowl" and "Hero Hamton", Joe Alaskey in "Music Day", and Greg Burson in "It's a Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas Special". Porky also made cameo appearances in Animaniacs (where he was voiced by Rob Paulsen in ”De-Zanitized”, Greg Burson in “The Warners' 65th Anniversary Special”, and Bob Bergen in “Suffragette City”) and Histeria! (where he was voiced by Billy West).

Porky appears in the movie Space Jam (1996) and collaborates with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, and Sylvester in challenging the Nerdlucks to a basketball game. He tries to get Michael Jordan's autograph when the basketball star is first recruited to join the team and later plays for the Tune Squad in the game itself, scoring one basket. Porky tries to end the movie with his famous line but is prevented by the combined efforts of Bugs, Daffy, and the Nerdlucks. He was voiced by Bob Bergen.

Porky is the star of the Super NES video game Porky Pig's Haunted Holiday (1995). He also made appearances in the games Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal, Looney Tunes: Marvin Strikes Back!, Looney Tunes: Space Race, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Bugs Bunny Rabbit Rampage and The Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout. Bob Bergen reprises his role in these games.

In the movie Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003), Porky (Bob Bergen again) makes a cameo appearance alongside Speedy Gonzales, where they both lament their politically incorrect status. At the end of the movie, Porky tries to say his classic line, but stutters so much, the lights are turned off around him as the studio closes for the night; so an irritated Porky simply says, "G-g-go home, folks."

Porky appears as a toddler version of himself in Baby Looney Tunes (2002), albeit only in the show's musical numbers. Petunia functioned as the show's more major pig character.

Porky appears as the "Eager Young Space Cadet" in the animated series Duck Dodgers (2003–2005), again voiced by Bob Bergen.

Porky has a descendant in Loonatics Unleashed (2005–2007) named Pinkster Pig (who was also voiced by Bob Bergen). Pinkster had been an old friend of Danger Duck (Daffy Duck's descendant), but became a villain when he was adopted by Stoney and Bugsy (descendants of Rocky and Mugsy).

Porky also appears in most episodes of Cartoon Network's animated series The Looney Tunes Show (2011–2014), voiced again by Bob Bergen. He is still friends with Daffy Duck and often sucked into Daffy's schemes. Porky is also Daffy's nervous, fall guy buddy, similar to their relationship in classic comic books. It is also revealed in the show that in his high school years, he was a jock who bullied Daffy, while during their childhood years, it was Daffy who bullied Porky.

In the documentary I Know That Voice (2013), Bob Bergen explains how to recreate the pig's famous stutter, demonstrating how difficult it is to do it without practice. He finishes the segment by joking "Nobody [else] can do that, and that's why I have job security!"

Porky appears in the direct-to-video movie Looney Tunes: Rabbits Run (2015), reprised by Bob Bergen.

Porky Pig appears as a recurring character in New Looney Tunes, voiced once again by Bob Bergen.[10] Here, he is shown to be fatter, like some of his earlier appearances in the mid-1930s. Porky was first mentioned in "Dust Bugster", where he told Bugs about a television series whose name was not mentioned that led to Bugs binge-watching it.

In the 2018 DC Comics and Looney Tunes comic crossovers, Porky appeared in a story that paired him with Lex Luthor. This version of Porky was the successful owner of a company named Porkybux before it was hacked and ran him out of business. He is later approached by Lex to be in charge of LexCorp's social media division and lets Lex get away with harassing his employees and stealing their sandwiches as repayment for the second chance. It is later revealed that Lex gave him the position to frame Porky when he used his social media website to steal important passwords from their users. Porky begins an autobiography in prison to expose Lex for his actions. In the backup story stylized more like Looney Tunes, Porky tries selling Acme office supplies to Lex but ends up stopping Lex from defeating Superman.[11]

Porky's latest appearance is in Looney Tunes Cartoons, where he is once again voiced by Bob Bergen. His personality is based on the earlier shorts, however, his appearance is based on later shorts like The Looney Tunes Show for example. He is mostly paired with Daffy Duck who always drives him crazy.

A humanoid version of Porky also appeared in Tom King's Batman/Elmer Fudd Special, where he ran a bar called Porky's which often featured attendants that were humanoid versions of other Looney Tunes characters. The bar and Porky also made a cameo in Tom King's Batman series.[12]

Porky appears in the preschool series Bugs Bunny Builders which aired on Cartoon Network's Cartoonito block and HBO Max, where he is once again voiced by Bob Bergen.[13][14]

"Blooper"

A short black-and-white cartoon was made in 1938 as part of a Warner Bros. blooper reel.[15] It was shown on the Warner Bros. 50th Anniversary TV show. Porky is shown doing some carpentry work, pounding nails, when he smacks his thumb with the hammer. Grimacing in pain, he cries, "Oh, son of a bi-bi-, son of a bi-bi-, son of a bi-bi-bi-... gun!" He then turns to the viewers and says "Ha-ha-ha! You thought I was gonna say 's-s-son of a bitch', didn't ya?"

This short, so-called "blooper" can also be found on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4 of 2006, under the title Porky Pig Breakdowns of 1939 (with several versions of the clip, making it look like a true "blooper"), and on an Each Dawn I Die DVD box set, also released in 2006. Though the "blooper" was made a year before Gone with the Wind famously used the word in the line "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn", due to the Motion Picture Production Code the "blooper" was not shown publicly until the aforementioned special, which by that point FCC regulations softened enough for the word "bitch" to be used on television. The blooper was also shown as part of a package of other vintage bloopers on Warner Cable pay-per-view in the 80s. The blooper was animated by Rod Scribner, widely considered as one of the best Looney Tunes animators of all time.

Voice actors

Reception

Porky was ranked number 47 on TV Guide's list of top 50 cartoon characters.[43] He was shown on one of that issue's two covers in a crossover scene with Duck Dodgers and The Powerpuff Girls.[44]

Notable films

See also List of cartoons featuring Porky Pig

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Who Was Count Cutelli?". cartoonresearch.com. Retrieved 8 November 2019. Cutelli claimed he did some work on the early version of Porky Pig, which would have had to have been augmenting some of the original work done by Joe Dougherty, who had an actual stuttering problem but couldn't control it. As a result, some recording sessions took hours and added to the costs, so Cutelli could have been brought in for some additional lines. Dougherty only voiced the character for two years from March 1935 to March 1937. He was replaced by Mel Blanc, who could provide a more consistent stutter. Cutelli, of course, claimed that he was the one who voiced the original "That's All Folks" tag at the end of Looney Tunes cartoons.
  2. ↑ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 124-126. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  3. ↑ Rovin, Jeff (1991). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Cartoon Animals. Prentice Hall Press. pp. 211-212. ISBN 0-13-275561-0. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  4. ↑ Beck, Jerry. Audio commentary for I Haven't Got a Hat on the Warner Brothers DVD set Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3. (2005) citing Freleng's autobiography.
  5. ↑ Barrier, Michael (1999). Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-516729-0.
  6. ↑ "Tweety And Sylvester Bring Mel Blanc Back To Life". NPR. November 20, 2011. Retrieved May 1, 2017. And, you know, it's not a stutter. That's a grunt. Porky is a (makes sound) grunt.
  7. ↑ Maltin, Leonard. Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons (Revised Edition), 1987, Plume ISBN 978-0-452-25993-5 (Softcover) ISBN 978-0-613-64753-3 (Hardcover).
  8. ↑ "List of National Film Registry (1988–2003)". CMU.edu. Archived from the original on August 21, 2006. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  9. ↑ Maslin, Janet (November 28, 1986). "SCREEN: PORKY PIG IN HOLLYWOOD". The New York Times. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  10. ↑ "NYCC 2015: "Wabbit" Woundtable with J.P. Karliak, Bob Bergen, Gary Hartle, and Jeff Bergman – ToonZone News". ToonZone.net. October 27, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  11. ↑ Lex Luthor/Porky Pig #1
  12. ↑ Batman/Elmer Fudd Special #1
  13. ↑ "WarnerMedia Upfronts: Cartoonito Launches on HBO Max with 20 Series". 17 February 2021.
  14. ↑ "Bugs Bunny Builders Breaks Ground July 25 on Cartoonito on Cartoon Network and July 26 on Cartoonito on HBO Max". WarnerMedia. 2022-06-14. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  15. ↑ "Toon Zone – LT & MM: The Early Years – Other Videos". ToonZone.net. Archived from the original on March 5, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Voice(s) of Porky Pig". behindthevoiceactors.com.
  17. ↑ "Bugs Bunny on Record". News From ME. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Golden Records' "Bugs Bunny Songfest" (1961)". cartoonresearch.com. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  19. ↑ "Spin a Magic Tune". Mike McNaught Music. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  20. ↑ "Bugs Bunny Breaks a Sweat". cartoonresearch.com. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  21. ↑ "Break Dancers – That's All Folks (1984, Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  22. ↑ "Bugs Bunny – This Is It (1984, Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  23. ↑ SPECIAL DELIVERY SYMPHONY Jeff Bergman Corey Burton
  24. ↑ Special Delivery Symphony (Looney Tunes Discover Music) Paperback – 31 Dec. 1993. ASIN 0943351588.
  25. 1 2 "Voice(s) of Porky Pig in Boomerang". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  26. ↑ "The Warner Bros. Symphony Orchestra* – Bugs Bunny On Broadway - Original Broadway Recording (1991, CD)". Discogs. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Sydney Symphony* – Bugs Bunny At The Symphony (2010, CD)". Discogs. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Various – Crash! Bang! Boom! The Best Of WB Sound FX (2000, CD)". Discogs. August 15, 2000. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  29. ↑ "Tazos". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  30. ↑ "New Looney Tunes show unveiled at Movie World". Leisure Management. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  31. ↑ "'CLASSROOM CAPERS'". Alastair Fleming Associates. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  32. ↑ "That Wascally Wabbit". ianheydon.com. Archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  33. ↑ "The Day I Met Bugs Bunny". Ian Heydon. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  34. ↑ "Keith Scott: Down Under's Voice Over Marvel". Animation World Network. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  35. ↑ "Keith Scott". Grace Gibson Shop. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  36. ↑ "Keith Scott-"The One-Man Crowd"". Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  37. ↑ "Bugs Bunny: Rabbit Rampage". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2020-12-06.
  38. ↑ "Acme Animation Factory". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  39. ↑ Martinez, Lynn (July 2, 2021). "LeBron James, 'Space Jam' castmates dish about new sequel at SoCal party". WSVN 7News. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  40. ↑ "Acme Fools Continues… w/ the Looney Tunes 🐾 Scooby Doo Mashup #RUHROH @looneytunes". Instagram. Bauzilla. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  41. ↑ "I don't often voice video games... but when I do... PINBALL MACHINE!!!". Twitter. @Bauzilla. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  42. ↑ Taylor, Drew (September 22, 2022). "Watch a Clip from New 'Looney Tunes' Movie 'The Day the Earth Blew Up' (Exclusive Video)". The Wrap. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  43. ↑ CNN.com – TV Guide's 50 greatest cartoon characters of all time – July 30, 2002 Archived December 23, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  44. ↑ "Powerpuff Girls". TVGuide.com. Retrieved August 2, 2017.

Bibliography

  • Schneider, Steve (1990). That's All Folks!: The Art of Warner Bros. Animation. Henry Holt & Co.
  • Solomon, Charles (1994). The History of Animation: Enchanted Drawings. Random House Value Publishing.
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