CARTOON ANIMATOR

“Varmint, I’m a-gonna blow you to smithereens!”
—Yosemite Sam

If you ever watched Sylvester the Cat, the Pink Panther, Yosemite Sam, or Speedy Gonzalez, then you can thank another Missourian for impacting your life. Isadore “Friz” Freleng worked with fellow Missourian, Walt Disney, and with Warner Brothers to develop some of the best-known cartoon characters of all time.

Friz entertained generations of children and adults and is immortalized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The Early Years

Isadore Freleng was born on August 21, 1905, in Kansas City. He began painting and drawing when he was very young.  By the time he graduated from Westport High School, he was already a talented illustrator.

He worked with Walt Disney Studios in the 1920s and then landed a job with Warner Brothers animations a few years later.  At Warner Brothers, he made his mark on American culture and changed the way people watched animated television.

Rise to Fame

At the age of 24, Freleng animated the first-ever cartoon for Warner Brothers called Sinkin’ in the Bathtub.  He worked on the new medium of animation throughout the 1930s.  It was during this time that developed his skills and invented characters that are still recognized today.

Another skill that put him ahead of other animators was the ability to match his animations to a musical score.  The combination made the finished product more enjoyable to the audience and made him a valuable commodity in Hollywood.

Show Me Success

Friz Freleng worked with Warner Brothers for three decades, producing many of the best Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Sylvester and Tweety cartoons the studio ever released. He also invented a number of characters, including Sylvester the Cat, Yosemite Sam, Porky Pig, Rocky and Mugsy, and refined the  characteristics of Bugs Bunny.

When WB closed their animation department in 1964, Freleng had amassed nearly three hundred productions for the studio. So he partnered with David DePatie to form DePatie-Freleng Enterprises. The pair produced large amounts of animated shows, including the development of the Pink Panther.

Freleng became one of the most awarded producers, directors, and animators in history.   Friz won five Academy Awards, numerous Emmy Awards, and even has a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame (1992).   He died in 1995, but the cartoons that he produced more than fifty years ago are still viewed on television today.

EXTRA, EXTRA!

• Freleng admitted that he, himself, was the inspiration for the gun-slinging character Yosemite Sam.
• He served two terms as a Television Academy governor.
• Freleng stated in 1989 that his favorite animated character was the Pink Panther.