felix the cat

I really enjoy watching the cartoons featuring Felix the Cat. He was created by Pat Sullivan around 1919 and really grew in popularity, even having his own merchandise. Together, Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer created shorts with Felix.

I noticed that he has some similarities with Krazy Kat, in that they both are very expressive with their tails. Felix often uses his as a prop and they both swing and curl their tails when walking. Krazy Kat’s design is interesting to compare to Felix the Cat’s. Krazy’s much taller than Felix and has a larger rounded mouth. They both have a short circular nose. Krazy has a large white area around his eyes, while black surrounds Felix’s eyes.

Krazy Kat reminds me more of a monkey because of his design and his personality. In “Krazy Kat and Ignatz Mouse at the Circus”, Krazy is very bold in his speech and playful with Ignatz as they take turns scaring a woman. This reminds me of the saying “monkey business” as he doesn’t take things too seriously. Also, the way his words are misspelled is quite playful. Felix seems more cat-like because he is witty, likes to sneak around, and runs on all fours. In “Felix in Hollywood”, Felix shapes his body into that of his owner’s bag and makes his way to Hollywood.

I also like how the text and exclamation and question marks are used to complement the characters emotions when they’re surprised or confused. In a later scene, Felix hears someone yelling “help” and the text does a swooping motion along with squash and stretch. It creates a cool visual, especially since there is not sound in this short. In response, Felix’s tail turns into a question mark above his head and later reattaches when he begins to run to help the person.

Felix the Cat and Krazy Kat have some similarities, however I still find them both entertaining in their own ways; they are two of my favorite cartoons now.

Sydney McPherson