Most bunnies are cute and cuddly-think Peter Rabbit, Peter Cottontail and the Easter bunny-but the most famous bunny of all is anything but. The brash, wisecracking, Brooklyn-accented, carrot-chomping Bugs Bunny was the N0. 1 star in Warner Bros. pantheon of cartoon characters, which also included Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Tweety & Sylvester, the Roadrunner & Wile E. Coyote, Pepe Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales, and Yosemite Sam, created by such animation geniuses as Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett and Tex Avery who, for almost a quarter of a century, produced a string of unmatched, ingeniously clever shorts.

A white, quite unrecognizable Bugs Bunny first appeared on the screen in a cartoon short called "Porky's Hare Hunt," released in April 1938. It was co-directed by Ben Hardaway, whose nickname was Bugs, leading the character — whose appearance is believed to have been based on an earlier Disney character called Max Hare — being referred to as Bug's Bunny. Two years later, he made his first starring appearance in "A Wild Hare," directed by Tex Avery, which established Bugs's rambunctious personality, marked the debut of stuttering Elmer Fudd as his arch enemy, and introduced the deathless catchphrase, "What's up, Doc?". This was also the first time Mel Blanc's distinctive New York-accented voice was heard articulating the character's dialogue. (Blanc also did Porky Pig and many other characters, and was very involved in their development.) In his next appearance, in "Elmer's Pet Rabbit," audiences first became aware of the name Bugs Bunny.

Within a very short time — by 1942 — Bugs was the top star of the "Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies" series and was challenging the ingenuity of all the leading Warners animators — in particular Bob Clampett, Tex Avery, Robert McKimson Chuck Jones, and Friz Freleng, considered the supreme masters of the animated short, infusing the maximum number of clever gags and outrageous, often surreal action into each one-reel film, in a unique mix of slapstick and satire.

Bugs was widely seen during World War II, often in opposition to such Axis enemies as Hitler, Goering and the Japanese, as a result being made an honorary Marine Master Sergeant, later getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and winning three Oscar nominations and one Academy Award.

Bugs' first comic book appearance was in 1941, in the premiere issue of Dell's "Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies." It was first drawn by Win Smith, who had drawn early Mickey Mouse strips, and then Chase Craig, whose version was much closer to the screen character. Bugs' first solo comic book appeared the following year, lasting for 20 years, with another long-running series starting in 1952. Bugs became a Sunday newspaper strip in 1942, again drawn by Craig, who was paid all of $25 a week for his labors.

With such a long career in cartoons and comics, Bugs has left a sizeable legacy of collectible memorabilia. As with all animated characters, the cels, backgrounds sketches and production materials are all highly desirable, as are promotional materials such as posters, in particular a 1941 Vitaphone period Merrie Melodies example featuring the "wabbit." Three-dimensional objects abound, including an early boxed alarm clock with an animated carrot (also a 1974 talking alarm that says "What's up, Doc?") and a boxed Bugs wristwatch by Richie Prem, cast-iron banks, an 8-inch rubber squeaker figure by Oak Rubber Co; a 1940s ceramic figure by Shaw & Co; several 1950s felt and fabric dolls by various makers, a painted metal pencil holder; an interesting lithographed tin toy of Bugs and Elmer Fudd that produces sounds; a 1950s Bug Bunny beanie with stand-up ears, a Cartoon-O-Craft mold set, a composition bobbing head figure, a late 1940s china planter, ceramic cookie jars and mugs, glow-in-the-dark cardboard plaques, and paint and picture books.

Linda Rosenkrantz has edited Auction magazine and authored 18 books, including "Cool Names for Babies" and "The Baby Name Bible" (St. Martin's Press; www.babynamebible.com). She cannot answer letters personally. To find out more about Linda Rosenkrantz and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.