Warner Brothers Releases the Complete Theatrical Collection of Tex Avery's Droopy

While many may not know his name, Tex Avery is a legend in the world of animation. He left an indelible stamp during his tenure at Warner Brothers. He introduced Daffy Duck in Porky's Duck Hunt (1937), created the character Egghead, who slowly morphed into Elmer Fudd, and not only directed the first official appearance of Bugs Bunny in A Wild Hare (1940), but also created what is arguably the most famous line ever to come out of a cartoon, Bugs' "What's up, Doc?"

After having one of his cartoons edited by the studio, Avery quit and set up shop the following year at MGM working with producer Fred Quimby. His most famous creation there was Droopy Dog, although his name wouldn't be established until his fifth cartoon, Senor Droopy (1949). Droopy first appeared in Dumb-Hounded (1943) and his initial run ended with Droopy Leprechaun (1958).

His voice was based on the character Wallace Wimple from the radio show Fibber McGee and Molly. The same actor, Bill Thompson, portrayed Droopy in every cartoon except Deputy Droopy (1955). His frequent antagonists were a brown wolf, an Irish bulldog, and a gray wolf with a Southern drawl, voiced by Daws Butler, who used the same voice later for Huckleberry Hound.

Dumb-Hounded sets the precedent that anything goes in an Avery cartoon because getting laughs is the primary concern. No characters are subject to laws of time and space. In fact, one even runs out of a scene passed the film sprockets. The fourth wall is constantly broken as the characters are aware they are in a cartoon. The comedy can come from anywhere as jokes are written on screen.