ON PREVIOUS DAYS:
- YESTERDAY:
Radio 1 Hits The Road - DAY BEFORE:
Where's Pablo Escobar? - DAY BEFORE THAT:
Let's Assassinate Hitler - DAY BEFORE BEFORE THAT:
The Death of Kissing
ON THIS DAY
Meet Bugs Bunny đĽ
Warner Brothersâ biggest animated star, Bugs Bunny, made his cartoon debut on July 27th, 1940, in A Wild Hare – though, at the time, he didnât officially have a nameâŚ
Though previous versions of the âwabbit had appeared in earlier Looney Tunes shorts, this incarnation – directed by Tex Avery – solidified his iconic look, voice, and attitude, including his now-legendary catchphrase, âWhatâs up, Doc?â; the phrase itself a casual Texas idiom Avery had grown up with, but which immediately resonated with audiences, turning Bugs into a breakout star.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly reveal how Mel Blancâs iconic voice performance was achieved, thanks to a handy spittoon; explain how Americaâs involvement in World War Two increased the popularity of the character; and take a tour into the scrappy, underdog animation studio overseen by Leon SchlesingerâŚ
Further Reading:
⢠âHappy 75th, Bugs Bunny: How animationâs first great brain-trust created a legendâ (The Washington Post, 2015): https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/07/27/happy-75th-bugs-bunny-how-animations-1st-great-brain-trust-created-a-legend/
⢠â7 Secrets About Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck From the Man Whoâs Voiced Them for 35 Yearsâ (Cracked, 2024): https://www.cracked.com/article_43177_7-secrets-about-bugs-bunny-and-daffy-duck-from-the-man-whos-voiced-them-for-35-years.html
⢠âA Wild Hare : Bugs Bunnyâs Death Trick Sceneâ (Warner Bros, 1940):
ON THIS DAY
Meet Bugs Bunny đĽ
Warner Brothersâ biggest animated star, Bugs Bunny, made his cartoon debut on July 27th, 1940, in A Wild Hare – though, at the time, he didnât officially have a nameâŚ
Though previous versions of the âwabbit had appeared in earlier Looney Tunes shorts, this incarnation – directed by Tex Avery – solidified his iconic look, voice, and attitude, including his now-legendary catchphrase, âWhatâs up, Doc?â; the phrase itself a casual Texas idiom Avery had grown up with, but which immediately resonated with audiences, turning Bugs into a breakout star.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly reveal how Mel Blancâs iconic voice performance was achieved, thanks to a handy spittoon; explain how Americaâs involvement in World War Two increased the popularity of the character; and take a tour into the scrappy, underdog animation studio overseen by Leon SchlesingerâŚ
Further Reading:
⢠âHappy 75th, Bugs Bunny: How animationâs first great brain-trust created a legendâ (The Washington Post, 2015): https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/07/27/happy-75th-bugs-bunny-how-animations-1st-great-brain-trust-created-a-legend/
⢠â7 Secrets About Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck From the Man Whoâs Voiced Them for 35 Yearsâ (Cracked, 2024): https://www.cracked.com/article_43177_7-secrets-about-bugs-bunny-and-daffy-duck-from-the-man-whos-voiced-them-for-35-years.html
⢠âA Wild Hare : Bugs Bunnyâs Death Trick Sceneâ (Warner Bros, 1940):
ON PREVIOUS DAYS:
- YESTERDAY:
Radio 1 Hits The Road - DAY BEFORE:
Where's Pablo Escobar? - DAY BEFORE THAT:
Let's Assassinate Hitler - DAY BEFORE BEFORE THAT:
The Death of Kissing
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OLLY MANN
Olly Mann made his name with another trivia-wielding podcast, Answer Me This! with Helen Zaltzman – and now presents The Modern Mann, The Week Unwrapped, and Four Thought for BBC Radio Four. He also has an A-Level in History, so Dan Snow beware.
REBECCA MESSINA
Rebecca got a passion for podcasting  working at The Week magazine and a passion for trivia appearing on University Challenge in 2011, making The Retrospectors her natural home.
ARION MCNICOLL
Arion started out in satirical news in Australia, then moved to the UK to work for ostensibly serious publications including The Times, CNN, and The Week⌠before realising that since around 2016 the news has all been satire really.
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