Felix the Cat: A Cultural Phenomenon
Felix the Cat, widely considered to be the world's first animated film star, was "born" on November 9, 1919, debuting in an animated short titled Feline Follies (pictured below) released by Paramount Studios. Over the next ten years, Felix appeared in more than one hundred shorts. Produced for the general audience, these silent cartoons combined abstract and surrealist imagery with the antics of the cat, earning both public adoration and critical acclaim. He is also one of the most highly imitated and inspiring cartoon characters, going on to create a lot of imitations in other cartoons, as well as being a basis of inspiration for other cartoon characters such as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Mickey Mouse. In addition to this, Felix also had an enormous impact on the merchandising industry. Feline Follies Directed by Otto Messmer, Feline Follies was the first of many animations to feature Felix the Cat. The plot takes a lighthearted and almost silly tone, but quickly take...