Porky Pig Biography

Porky Pig, along with a number of other cartoon characters, was created in the mid 1930's to replace Warner Brothers' Bosko and Buddy toons. Oddly, most of these new characters were named after well-known food combinations like, Ham and Ex and Porky and Beans. Most were aired with the 1935 series I Haven't Got Hat. Of that generation of toons born out of desperation, Porky Pig was the only one to survive into the 21st century.

Porky Pigs second appearance was in Gold Diggers of '49, 1936. This animation feature was in fact, the first animation short directed by the legendary director and animator, Tex Avery. Here, Porky pursues a thief after joining a town in its rush toward the mountains in to look for gold.

By the end of 1937, Porky Pig had appeared in thirty-three animation shorts. For a number of these he co-starred with characters such as Beans the Cat, Gabby Goat and Sylvester the Pussycat.

Although the thirties were a roaring time for Porky, the forties proved to be less successful for the pig. With the rise of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck onto the animation screen stage, Porky Pig would never receive the airtime he enjoyed in the 1930's. Porky Pigs' 1944, Swooner Crooner, directed by Frank Tashlin, was nominated for an Oscar. But, despite the success of this short, Tashlin's cartoon was in many ways, a fond farewell to animation star, Porky Pig. He continued to appear on television promoting products and packages of his old cartoons were rerun on the Bugs Bunny Show and aired during ABC's 1964-65 season. Porky's last original animation production was in 1965, Corn on the Cop. In this hilarious short, Porky Pig plays a cop who is mistaken for a rambunctious trick-or-treater by Granny. In reverse, Porky Pig mistakes Granny for a grocery store bank robber. The comedy ends with Granny taking both Daffy (Porky's sidekick) and Porky Pig, " home to their parents."

Aside from television, Porky Pig had developed a following in the world of comics. In fact, Gold Key Comics ran a Porky strip until 1983.

Although Porky's career as an animation star was brought to an end some time ago, his presence is forever felt and remembered with the continual rerunning of his wild 1930's and 40's animation screen blockbusters.