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April, 2018 The Antique Shoppe Page 15
Cartoon Star of Silent Cinema

FELIX THE CAT

by Roy Nuhn

elix the Cat, probably the with an independent distributor. earth (past, often romantic, or pondering
Fgreatest star of early film Felix Saves the Day debuted the present or his next move, accompanied by
animation, began his escapades following year. More and more future) and, an appropriate caption. Some
nearly a century ago. Older than cartoons followed and soon most of all, Left Top: urge him to “keep on walking,”
Mickey Mouse and Donald Felix merchandise of all types be free of all Paperback cartoon a favorite maxim of his that in
comic strip style
Duck, he was such a big hit on was being licensed. He went restraints. If he booklet, 1990. the 1920s inspired the briefly
the flickering screen during the global and captured a world- found himself Center: Inter-Art popular song, “Felix Kept on
Roaring 20s that a young Walt wide following. in a jam, he’d Co.’s postcard, Walking.” Several printing runs
Disney, then embarking upon Famous he was, headlining simply think 1920s. Bottom: of these were made, including
a film animation career, never hundreds of film cartoons of a question Woolstone Bros. some in French and Spanish.
attempted to showcase a cat. produced in assembly-line mark, reach up postcard, 1920s. All of the Felix postcards
Felix was as much the fashion at the rate of two or for it, and then were published in 1924 and
official mascot of that decade as more a month, and holding bludgeon his 1925; but sales continued
Snoopy, Garfield and Big Bird down a premier spot in the adversary with for man y years afterward.
are today - and for much the Sunday newspaper funnies (also it. Practically all the cards
same reason. Each is a human- drawn by Messmer) for several Throughout most of the collected today were imported
like animal who always manages decades. 1920s, Felix cartoons were into the USA in large numbers
to overcome the same everyday Felix, with his famous distributed not only in the after World War II (especially
problems and obstacles that invisible magic bag of tricks, United States but oversea as in the 1970s), from England by
defeat us mere mortals. remained one of America’s well, especially in England, collectors and dealers.
Felix reigns as one of favorite imaginary characters Spain and France. However, he Besides the tremendous
comic art’s greatest and most for many years. His habit of was a silent-screen star. When output of Felix the Cat postcards
enduring feline stars. The walking back and forth, hands movies began to talk, the cat’s by Inter-Art
phenomenal success of George behind his back, trying to think days became numbered. Sullivan and Woolstone
Harriman’s Krazy Kat may through a perplexing problem, had steadfastly refused to use Brothers, there
have paved the way, but Felix and talking to audiences sound because of the expense were at least
became immensely popular by flashing question and and such short-sightedness The cat’s two other
with moviegoers by developing exclamation marks on the screen eventually proved disastrous. appeal remained publishers of
a unique became part of the On September 18, 1928, the last so strong that for this topic. One
blend of legend. episode, appropriately named nearly a half- was Bamforth,
crafty Unlike most cartoon The Last Night, was released. century toy and which
craziness, characters created so Messmer kept doing the novelty makers specialized in
derring- long ago for the motion newspaper comic strip. The manufactured comic themes.
do, and picture screen and the studio did what work it could, thousands of Black-and-
exuberance. comic pages, Felix was living mostly off Felix’s film different Felix whites drawn
Otto not limited to a two- residuals from abroad. In 1933 items. All of them by different
Messmer, dimensional world. Pat Sullivan died and his studio -including dolls, artists,
working Along with Winsor and the Felix copyrights passed toys, pins, celluloid badges, they carried no Pat Sullivan
for the Pat McCay’s Little Nemo,” into the hands of disinterested children’s tea sets and china copyright notice. The other
Sullivan relatives. In 1940, Otto Messmer plates - are very collectable printer, Photochrom Co.,
studio, left the work he loved more than today. marketed a set of color cards.
originated anything else in life and became, Comic books, Big Little The cool cat with the giant-
Felix in of all things, a design animator Books, hardbound and size personality enjoyed a
1919. He Above Top: for the famed billboards of New softbound editions of all types short-lived resurrection in the
came up Postcard by York City’s Times Square. of books and booklets have been late 1988s and early 1990s. A
with idea Photochrom Co., The core of Felix’s enduring published since the 1920s by small number of children’s and
1920s. Center:
of film Big Little Book; fame rests primarily upon 300- countless printing houses. Many novelty books were sold, as
cartoons Whitman Co., plus cartoons, which played and were reprints of the comic strips. well as a limited run of “Felix
about a 1945. Bottom: replayed in theaters during the The least expensive and the Cat” and “Felix the Cat
black cat for Comic book, Dell 1920s and then around the world most available Felix collectibles & Friends” comic books. His
Paramount Publishing Co., for another 20 are the many picture postcards appearance was modernized a
to use in Volume 1, years. These published about him in his bit. Copyright owners was Felix
No. 14,
its weekly April-May 1956. silents were heyday. Two British firms, Inter- the Cat Productions, Inc.
Paramount even used Art and Woolstone Brothers, Felix the Cat may no longer
Screen briefly by under license from the Pat be the star of cinema, the
Magazine series. he possessed many local Sullivan company, produced funnies or the
Felix was an instant box supernormal television identical lengthy sets of more toy world that
office smash hit and quickly abilities. stations in the than 50 different designs. At at he once was,
became the major focus of He could late 1940s. least one edition of these, was but his memory
the Sullivan studio. Messmer soar into outer Twenty new used to advertise movie house is preserved
remained the guiding force space, visit Felix cartoons showings of the cartoon shorts. by today’s
behind the cat, doing most of the strange dream with sound Though color cards, Felix is collectors
story ideas and artwork, until the worlds, be were made in still his eternal black and white. of the many
studio was disbanded. transported 1960 but fared Illustrations portray him in a vintage treasures
In 1921, Sullivan signed anywhere on poorly. whole array of predicaments, about him.