Daffy starred in 130 shorts in thegolden age, making him the third-most frequent character in theLooney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons, behind Bugs Bunny's 168 appearances and Porky Pig's 153 appearances. Virtually every Warner Bros. cartoon director, most notablyBob Clampett,Robert McKimson, andChuck Jones, put his own spin on the Daffy Duck character.
He was ranked number 14 onTV Guide's list of top 50 greatest cartoon characters.[2][3]
Daffy first appeared inPorky's Duck Hunt, released on April 17, 1937.[4] The cartoon was directed byTex Avery and animated byBob Clampett.Porky's Duck Hunt is a standard hunter/prey pairing, but Daffy (barely more than an unnamed bit player in this short) was something new to moviegoers: an assertive, completely unrestrained, combative protagonist. Clampett later recalled:
"At that time, audiences weren't accustomed to seeing a cartoon character do these things. And so, when it hit the theaters it was an explosion. People would leave the theaters talking about this daffy duck."[5]
This early Daffy is lessanthropomorphic and resembles a normalblack duck. In fact, the only aspects of the character that have remained consistent through the years are his voice characterization byMel Blanc; and his black feathers with a white neck ring. Blanc's characterization of Daffy once held the world record for the longest characterization of one animated character by their original actor: 52 years.
The origin of Daffy's voice, with itslateral lisp, is a matter of some debate. One often-repeated "official" story is that it was modeled after producer Leon Schlesinger's tendency to lisp.[6] However, in Mel Blanc's autobiography,That's Not All Folks!, he contradicts that conventional belief, writing, "It seemed to me that such an extended mandible would hinder his speech, particularly on words containing ans sound. Thus 'despicable' became 'desth-picable.'"
Daffy's slobbery, exaggerated lisp was developed over time, and it is barely noticeable in the early cartoons.
Tex Avery and Bob Clampett created the original version of Daffy in 1937. Daffy established his status by jumping into the water, hopping around, and yelling, "Woo-hoo!" Animator Bob Clampett immediately seized upon the Daffy Duck character and cast him in a series of cartoons in the 1930s and 1940s. The early Daffy is a wild and zany screwball, perpetually bouncing around the screen with cries of "Hoo-hoo! Hoo-hoo!" (In his autobiography, Mel Blanc stated that the zany demeanor was inspired byHugh Herbert's catchphrase, which was taken to a wild extreme for Daffy.)
Daffy would also feature in several war-themed shorts duringWorld War II, remaining true to his unbridled nature. He battles aNazi goat intent on eating Daffy's scrap metal inScrap Happy Daffy (1943), hitsAdolf Hitler's head with a giant mallet inDaffy the Commando (1943) and outwits Hitler, Goebbels and Goering inPlane Daffy (1944). Oddly enough, it was only after these wartime escapades that Daffy is actually subject toconscription into military service, in the form of "the little man from the draft board", whom he tries to dodge inDraftee Daffy (1945).
ForDaffy Doodles (his firstLooney Tunes cartoon as a director),Robert McKimson tamed Daffy a bit, redesigning him yet again to be rounder and less elastic.[7] The studio also instilled some ofBugs Bunny's savvy into the duck, making him as brilliant with his mouth as he was with his battiness. Daffy was teamed up with Porky Pig; the duck's one-time rival became hisstraight man.Arthur Davis, who directed Warner Bros. cartoon shorts for a few years in the late 1940s until upper management decreed there should be only three units (McKimson,Friz Freleng, and Jones), presented a Daffy similar to McKimson's. McKimson is noted as the last of the three units to make his Daffy uniform with Jones's, with even late shorts, such asDon't Axe Me (1958), featuring traits of the "screwball" Daffy. Starting inYou Were Never Duckier, Daffy's personality evolved to be less loony and more greedy.
While Daffy's looney days were over, McKimson continued to make him as bad or good as his various roles required him to be. Mckimson would often have Daffy play the role of a salesman who pushes a potential customer into buying something such asFool Coverage (1952) where Daffy actually succeeds into selling Porky Pig a $1,000,000 accident policy which only works under impossible conditions which unfortunately for Daffy, all the conditions happen andThe High and the Flighty (1956) where Daffy intervines withFoghorn Leghorn and theBarnyard Dawg's usual antics by selling them novelty joke items to get back at each other, which the latter catch on and team up against Daffy to trap him in one of the prank kits he sold to them. McKimson would use this version of Daffy from 1946 to 1961. Although, even McKimson would follow in Jones' footsteps in many aspects with cartoons likePeople Are Bunny (1959) andDucking the Devil (1957). Friz Freleng's version took a hint from Chuck Jones to make the duck more sympathetic, as inShow Biz Bugs (1957). Here, Daffy is overemotional and jealous of Bugs, yet he has real talent that is ignored by the theater manager and the crowd. This cartoon finishes with a sequence in which Daffy attempts to wow the Bugs-besotted audience with an act in which he drinks gasoline and swallowsnitroglycerine,gunpowder, anduranium-238 (in a greenish solution), jumps up and down to "shake well" and finally swallows a lit match that detonates the whole improbable mixture. When Bugs tells Daffy that the audience loves the act and wants more, Daffy, now aghost floating upward (presumably to Heaven), says that he can only do the act once. Some TV stations, and in the 1990s the cable networkTNT, edited out the dangerous act, afraid of imitation by young children.
Pairing of Daffy and Porky in parodies of popular movies, 1951–1965
Bugs's ascension to stardom also prompted the Warner Bros. animators to recast Daffy as the rabbit's rival, intensely jealous, insecure and determined to steal back the spotlight, while Bugs either remained cool headed but mildly amused and/or indifferent to the duck's jealousy, sometimes using it to his advantage. Daffy's desire to achieve stardom at almost any cost was explored as early as 1940 in Freleng'sYou Ought to Be in Pictures, but the idea was most successfully used byChuck Jones, who redesigned the duck once again, making him scrawnier and scruffier. In Jones' "Hunting Trilogy" (or "Duck Season/Rabbit Season Trilogy") ofRabbit Fire,Rabbit Seasoning andDuck! Rabbit, Duck! (each respectively launched in 1951, 1952, and 1953), Daffy's attention-grabbing ways and excitability provide Bugs Bunny the perfect opportunity to fool the haplessElmer Fudd into repeatedly shooting the duck's bill off. Also, these cartoons reveal Daffy's catchphrase, "Youuu're deththpicable!". Jones' Daffy sees himself as self-preservationist, not selfish. However, this Daffy can do nothing that does not backfire on him, more likely to singe his tail feathers as well as his ego and pride than anything.[8] It is thought that Chuck Jones based Daffy Duck's new personality on his fellow animatorBob Clampett, who, like Daffy, was known as a loud self-promoter. InBeanstalk Bunny Daffy, Bugs and Elmer are once again teamed up in a parody ofJack and the Beanstalk (with Elmer as the giant); inA Star Is Bored Daffy tries to upstage Bugs Bunny. In the spoofs of the TV showsThe Millionaire andThis Is Your Life, Daffy tries to defeat his arch-rival Bugs Bunny for a $1,000,000.00 prize given out by his favorite TV show inThe Million Hare and inThis Is a Life?, Daffy tries to upstage Bugs Bunny in order to be the guest of honor on the show; in all four of these cartoons Daffy ends up a loser because of his own overemotional personality (which impairs Daffy's common sense and reasoning ability) and his craving for attention. By Daffy's own admission he is extremely greedy: "I can't help it, I'm a greedy slob. It's my hobby!"Ali Baba Bunny (1957) and "I may be a coward, but I'm a greedy little coward"Ducking the Devil (1957).
Film critic Steve Schneider calls Jones' version of Daffy "a kind of unleashedid."[9] Jones said that his version of the character "expresses all of the things we're afraid to express."[9] This is evident in Jones'Duck Amuck (1953), "one of the few unarguable masterpieces of American animation" according to Schneider.[10] In the episode, Daffy is plagued by a godlike animator whose malicious paintbrush alters the setting, soundtrack, and even Daffy. When Daffy demands to know who is responsible for the changes, the camera pulls back to reveal none other than Bugs Bunny.Duck Amuck is widely heralded as a classic of filmmaking for its illustration that a character's personality can be recognized independently of appearance, setting, voice, and plot.[10] In 1999, the short was selected for preservation in the United StatesNational Film Registry.
When the Warner Bros. animation studio briefly outsourced cartoon production toDePatie-Freleng Enterprises (DFE) in the 1960s, Daffy Duck became an antagonist in several cartoons oppositeSpeedy Gonzales, who refers to Daffy as "the loco duck." InWell Worn Daffy (1965), Daffy is determined to keep the mice away from a desperately needed well seemingly for no other motive than pure maliciousness. Furthermore, when he draws all the water he wants, Daffy then attempts to destroy the well in spite of the vicious pointlessness of the act, forcing Speedy to stop him. The Warner Bros. studio was entering its twilight years, and even Daffy had to stretch for humor in the period. In many of the later DFE cartoons, such asFeather Finger andDaffy's Diner, Daffy is portrayed as a more sympathetic character (often forced to turn against Speedy at the behest of a common enemy) rather than the full-blown villain he is in cartoons likeAssault and Peppered. The last cartoon featuring Daffy and Speedy isSee Ya Later Gladiator, in what animation fans call the worst cartoon made by Warner Bros.[11]
In light of the longstanding popularity ofThe Bugs Bunny Show and its various incarnations on CBS and ABC,NBC commissioned their own half-hour series,The Daffy Duck Show, which began airing in the fall of 1978. While some well-known titles were included in the program, most of the cartoons featured on the series were from the late '60s Depatie-Freleng run. The program ran on NBC for two years, then in 1981 was rechristenedThe Daffy/Speedy Show and ran for another two years.[12] Eventually, NBC canceled the series, and many of the cartoons were reintegrated into the lineups for the respective CBS and ABCBugs Bunny shows.
Daffy appeared in later cartoons. He was one of manyLooney Tunes characters allowed by Warner Bros. to appear in the1988Disney/Amblin filmWho Framed Roger Rabbit. In the film, Daffy (utilizing his original, wacky characterization) shares a scene with his Disney counterpartDonald Duck whilst performing in apiano duel. He was animated by Dave Spafford.[13][14][15] In 1987, to celebrate Daffy's 50th anniversary, Warner Bros. released "The Duxorcist" as its first theatricalLooney Tunes short in two decades.[16] Daffy Duck also appeared in several feature-film compilations, including two films centered around himself. The first was released in 1983,Daffy Duck's Fantastic Island; the second came in 1988,Daffy Duck's Quackbusters, which is considered one of theLooney Tunes' best compilation films and featured another new theatrical short, "The Night of the Living Duck". Daffy has also had major roles in films such asSpace Jam in 1996 andLooney Tunes: Back in Action in 2003. The latter film does much to flesh out his character, even going so far as to cast a sympathetic light on Daffy's glory-seeking ways in one scene, where he complains that he works tirelessly without achieving what Bugs does without even trying. That same year, Warner Bros. cast him in a brand-newDuck Dodgers series. (It should be stressed that in this show, Duck Dodgers actually is Daffy Duck due to him being frozen in suspended animation in some unknown incident.) He had a cameo appearance inThe Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries episode "When Granny Ruled the Earth", first airing on March 27, 1999. Daffy has also been featured in severalwebtoons, which can be viewed online.
Daffy has also made appearances on numerous television series. InTiny Toon Adventures, Daffy is a teacher at Acme Looniversity, where he is the hero and mentor of studentPlucky Duck. He is shown as a baby inBaby Looney Tunes, and appears to have a similar personality to his earlier years with his rivalry with Bugs and saying, "Woo-hoo!" often in the show. He made occasional cameo appearances onAnimaniacs andHisteria!. InLoonatics Unleashed, his descendant is Danger Duck (voiced byJason Marsden), whom his teammates consider lame and unpopular. A majority of these appearances try to emulate Chuck Jones' incarnation of the character.
Daffy has also been given larger roles in more recentLooney Tunes films and series. FollowingLooney Tunes: Back in Action, Warner Bros. has slowly moved the spotlight away from Bugs and more towards Daffy, as shown in the 2006 direct-to-video movieBah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas, where Daffy plays the lead, while Bugs appears in a minor supporting role.
However, more recent merchandise of the duck, as well as that featured on the official website, have been shown to incorporate elements of the zanier, more light-hearted Daffy of the 1930s and 1940s. Producer Larry Doyle noted that recent theatrical cartoons were planned that would portray a more diverse Daffy closer to that of Robert McKimson's design; however, due to thebox office bomb ofLooney Tunes: Back in Action, these new films ceased production.[17]
Daffy returned toCartoon Network inThe Looney Tunes Show, voiced byJeff Bergman. In the show, he has moved out of the forest and shares Bugs' house with him. Unlike Bugs and their neighbors, Daffy has no way of earning money and relies on Bugs for food and shelter. He tried on numerous occasions to get rich quick, but ended up failing repeatedly. Daffy's one possession he is proud of is his paper-mache parade float, constructed on top of aflatbed truck, which is his main means of transportation. While Daffy's greed and jealousy of Bugs remains, he appears to be less antagonistic in this show, as Bugs even tells Daffy in spite of his faults, he is Bugs' best friend and vice versa. Daffy serves as a sort of mentor toGossamer. Daffy has difficulty telling fiction from reality; he often confuses television shows for his own life, believes Bugs isSuperman, and at one point hallucinates he is a wizard.
Daffy starred in the 3-D shortDaffy's Rhapsody withElmer Fudd that was originally set to premiere beforeHappy Feet Two but instead debuted prior toJourney 2: The Mysterious Island. The short features Daffy and Elmer in the first CG or 3-D depiction of these specificLooney Tunes characters. According toMatthew O'Callaghan, who directed the short, the audio comes from a 1950s recording for a children's album.[18] Daffy is performing in a hunting musical, when Elmer, who is in the audience, pursues him. Daffy is initially unaware of the danger, but quickly realizes the threat Elmer poses and outwits him by using the props against him.
Daffy appears in theCartoon Network seriesNew Looney Tunes where he is voiced byDee Bradley Baker. Daffy is often paired with Porky where Daffy will annoy and bedevil the pig, though occasionally Porky one ups Daffy.
Dell Comics published several Daffy Duckcomic books, beginning inFour Color Comics #457, #536, and #615 and then continuing asDaffy #4-17 (1956–59), then asDaffy Duck #18-30 (1959–62). The comic book series was subsequently continued inGold Key ComicsDaffy Duck #31-127 (1962–79). This run was in turn continued under theWhitman Comics imprint until the company completely ceased comic book publication in 1984. In 1994, corporate cousinDC Comics became the publisher for comics featuring all the classic Warner Bros. cartoon characters, and while not getting his own title, Daffy has appeared in many issues ofLooney Tunes.
In 1991, Daffy Duck had a number 58 hit in the UK charts with a house/dance record called "Party Zone",[150] a record which featured songwriters/producers Giorgio and Martin Koppehele[151] under one of their aliases, The Groove Gang (other aliases have included G. + M. Cope and Cymurai), and singers Marcus Deon Thomas and Aimee McCoy fromSplash.[112] The record was issued by Warner'seastwest label and spent three weeks in the UK charts.[152] Its release was followed by "Dynamite" in 1992.[114]
In 1999, theUnited States Postal Service issued a 33 cent stamp, designed and illustrated by Ed Wleczyk of Warner Bros., featuring Daffy leaning against a rural mailbox with a "that's despicable" look directed at two letters in the mailbox that bear Bugs Bunny stamps.[153]
In the science-fiction TV seriesBabylon 5, Daffy Duck was revealed to be Michael Garibaldi's "second favorite thing". Garibaldi confirmed this once he showed a cartoon of Daffy as "Duck Dodgers" to perplexed Minbari ambassador Delenn. Later, a member of his security team, Zack Allen, theorized that Daffy was Garibaldi's "god of frustration".
Daffy makes a vocal cameo appearance in the 2020Animaniacs revival segment "Suffragette City", withEric Bauza reprising his role.[132]
^Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989).Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 55.ISBN0-8050-0894-2.
^Schneider.That's All Folks!: The Art of Warner Bros. Animation. p. 150.
^Klein, Norman (1993). "8: What Makes Betty Boop?".Seven Minutes: The Life and Death of the American Animated Cartoon. Verso. p. 87.ISBN9781859841501.
