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| Porky Pig | |
|---|---|
| Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies character | |
 | |
| First appearance | I Haven't Got a Hat (March 2, 1935; 90 years ago (1935-03-02)) |
| Created by | Friz Freleng |
| Voiced by | Joe Dougherty (1935–1937) Count Cutelli (1935–1937, additional lines)[1] Mel Blanc (1937–1989) Jeff Bergman (1990–1993, 2002–2004, 2006) Noel Blanc (1990–1992, 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 by | Tex Avery Bob Clampett Chuck Jones Frank Tashlin |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Pig |
| Gender | Male |
| Significantother | Petunia Pig |
| Relatives | Pinky (nephew) Cicero (nephew) Peta (elder daughter) Priscilla (younger daughter) Pinkster (unspecified descendant) |
Porky Pig is a fictional cartoon character in theWarner Bros.Looney Tunes andMerrie Melodies series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on hisstar 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 numerouseveryman andsidekick 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 bothBosko andBuddy and evenBeans at the end ofLooney Tunes cartoons. Porky is the oldest continuing Looney Tunes character.
Porky's most distinctive trait is a severestutter, 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 inPorky's Preview), Porky was more frequently cast as an adult, often being cast as the competentstraight man in the series in later years. At the ending of manyLooney Tunes cartoons, Porky Pig bursts through abass drum head and says "Th-Th... That's all, folks!" Porky Pig appeared in153 cartoons in thegolden age of American animation.
The character was introduced in the 100th short,I Haven't Got a Hat (released on March 2, 1935), directed byFriz Freleng. Studio headLeon Schlesinger suggested that Freleng do a cartoon version of the popularOur Gang films. Porky only has a minor role in the film, but the fat littlestuttering pig quickly became popular. Porky's name came from two brothers who were childhood classmates of Freleng, nicknamed "Porky" and "Piggy".[4]
SinceHugh Harman and Rudolf Ising had left the studio in 1933, taking the studio's star characterBosko with them,Looney Tunes had been kept afloat by cartoons featuring the blandBuddy. Porky's introduction ushered Buddy out the door and pointed to things to come.Tex Avery was hired by the studio in 1935, and his filmGold Diggers of '49 reused much of the cast fromI 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.[citation needed]
Porky shared his stutter with thevoice 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 byCount 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 inA Connecticut Rabbit in King Arthur's Court, whereBugs 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 byBob Bergen andEric Bauza.
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, andPorky and Teabiscuit) and an unnamed mother (Wholly Smoke andPorky'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 anantagonist (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 andCracked 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 inPorky 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 theNational Film Registry in 2000.[8]
In his commentary as part of the 1970s documentary filmBugs Bunny: Superstar, Clampett said that his early version ofTweety 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 inPorky's Badtime Story,Tick Tock Tuckered andBrother Brat.
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 interestPetunia Pig, cantankerous foilGabby Goat, amanic white hare that would eventually evolve intoBugs Bunny, and a screwy black duck,Daffy. Daffy Duck, the creation of Tex Avery, was by far the most popular in this role, eventually outshining even Porky. In fact, Friz Freleng satirized this phenomenon when he directedYou 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 headLeon 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, who eventually became Warners' signature character.
Porky always remained a sentimental favorite of the Warner directors. His mild-mannered nature and shy demeanor made him the perfectstraight man for zanier characters such as Daffy. He still starred in a few solo cartoons as well, such asFrank Tashlin'sBrother Brat. Other cartoons dumbed Porky down and cast him as a duck hunter after Daffy, largely paralleling theElmer 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 asDrip-Along Daffy,Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century,Rocket Squad,Deduce, You Say!,The Scarlet Pumpernickel andRobin Hood Daffy. Jones also paired Porky withSylvester 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.
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Porky was used in regular rotation intelevision syndication beginning in the 1960s, as were the rest of hisLooney Tunes co-stars. A Saturday morning cartoon,The Porky Pig Show, ran from 1964 to 1967.[9] In 1971, he starred in another show,Porky Pig and Friends.[9] Both of these programs were collections of old theatrical shorts. Porky also appeared in all the classic film-featurecompilations in the 1970s and 1980s. Another such collection was the 1986 film,Porky Pig in Hollywood, which ran in art and college theaters.[10]
Porky made an appearance in theTouchstone/Amblin filmWho Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) at the end of the film where he, being paired with Disney'sTinkerbell, 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.
In the 1990s animated seriesTiny Toon Adventures, Porky appears as the mentor ofHamton J. Pig. He was voiced byBob 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", andGreg Burson in "It's a Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas Special". Porky also made cameo appearances inAnimaniacs (where he was voiced by Rob Paulsen in "De-Zanitized", Greg Burson in "The Warners' 65th Anniversary Special", and Bob Bergen in "Suffragette City") andHisteria! (where he was voiced byBilly West).
Porky appears in the movieSpace Jam (1996) and collaborates with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, and Sylvester in challenging the Nerdlucks to a basketball game. He tries to getMichael 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 theSuper NES video gamePorky Pig's Haunted Holiday (1995). He also made appearances in the gamesLooney Tunes: Acme Arsenal,Looney Tunes: Marvin Strikes Back!,Looney Tunes: Space Race,Looney Tunes: Back in Action,Bugs Bunny Rabbit Rampage andThe Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout. Bob Bergen reprises his role in these games.
In the movieLooney Tunes: Back in Action (2003), Porky (Bob Bergen again) makes a cameo appearance alongsideSpeedy Gonzales, where they both lament theirpolitically 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 inBaby 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 seriesDuck Dodgers (2003–2005), again voiced by Bob Bergen.
Porky has a descendant inLoonatics 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 ofRocky and Mugsy).
Porky also appears in most episodes ofCartoon Network's animated seriesThe 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 documentaryI 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 havejob security!"
Porky appears in thedirect-to-video movieLooney Tunes: Rabbits Run (2015), reprised by Bob Bergen.
Porky Pig appears as a recurring character inNew Looney Tunes (2015–2020), voiced again by Bob Bergen.[11] 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.
A humanoid version of Porky also appeared inTom King'sBatman/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'sBatman series.[12]
In the 2018DC Comics and Looney Tunes comic crossovers, Porky appeared in a story that paired him withLex 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 ofLexCorp'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 defeatingSuperman.[13]
Porky appears inLooney Tunes Cartoons (2020–2024), where he is again voiced by Bob Bergen. His personality is based on the earlier shorts, however, his appearance is based on later shorts likeThe Looney Tunes Show for example. He is mostly paired with Daffy Duck who always drives him crazy.
Porky appears in the movieSpace Jam: A New Legacy (2021), voiced byEric Bauza. Here, he collaborates with other Looney Tunes andLeBron James in challenging the "Goon Squad" to a basketball game in the "Warner Bros. Serververse".
Porky appears in the preschool seriesBugs Bunny Builders (2022–present) which aired onCartoon Network'sCartoonito block andHBO Max, where he is voiced by Bob Bergen, reprising his role fromLooney Tunes Cartoons.[14][15]
Porky appears in theTeen Titans Go! episode, "Warner Bros. 100th Anniversary". He is among the Looney Tunes characters guests for the Warner Bros. centennial celebration, voiced once again by Bob Bergen.
Porky stars alongside Daffy Duck inThe Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie (2024), voiced by Eric Bauza, reprising the role fromSpace Jam: A New Legacy. Here, he teams up with Daffy and Petunia against an alien mind-control plot the former uncovers.
A short black-and-white cartoon was made in 1938 as part of a Warner Bros.blooper reel.[16] 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 thenturns to the viewers and says "Ha-ha-ha! You thought I was gonna say 's-s-son of abitch', didn't ya?"
This short, so-called "blooper" can also be found on theLooney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4 of 2006, under the titlePorky Pig Breakdowns of 1939 (with several versions of the clip, making it look like a true "blooper"), and on anEach Dawn I DieDVD box set, also released in 2006. Though the "blooper" was made a year beforeGone with the Wind famously used the word in the line "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn", due to theMotion Picture Production Code the "blooper" was not shown publicly until the aforementioned special, which by that pointFCC 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 byRod Scribner.
Porky was ranked number 47 onTV Guide's list of top 50 cartoon characters.[54] He was shown on one of that issue's two covers in acrossover scene withDuck Dodgers andThe Powerpuff Girls.[55]
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.
And, you know, it's not a stutter. That's a grunt. Porky is a (makes sound) grunt.
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