Facts You Didn’t Know About Felix the Cat!

As The Aristocats song goes "Everybody wants to be a cat", but not every cat can be as iconic as Felix the Cat! Considered to be the very fur-st true animated movie star, Felix the Cat is back to evoke nostalgia, with this exclusive dissected collectible (holding his Magic Bag of Tricks) by Jason Freeny. 

So what exactly is in Felix's Magic Bag?

Well, no one really knows and we're paw-sitive it will stay a mystery. But what we do know is that 1) the bag cannot be used for evil, 2) its magic has to be kept a secret, and 3) the bag could assume the shape and characteristics of whatever Felix wanted.

To celebrate Felix the Cat turning 102 this November, we have put together a list of interesting facts about this special feline!

Otto Messmer, a New Jersey cartoonist, created the character.

Messmer always had the passion to animate and create cartoons throughout his lifetime, but he did not expect Felix to be such a big hit. Until today, Felix the Cat is still considered to be one of the most recognized characters in cartoon history.  

Felix the Cat was originally called Master Tom. 

Master Tom made his official debut in a Paramount Pictures short called "Feline Follies". Felix's creator, Otto Messmer, claimed that it was John King of Paramount Magazine who suggested the name "Felix", inspired by the Latin words felis (which means cat) and felix (which means happy/lucky).

Charlie Chaplin was allegedly the inspiration for Felix the Cat.

As Messmer was already working on an animated Charlie Chaplin series, many saw the striking resemblance between Chaplin’s look, movements and personality to Felix the Cat's. 

For several years in the 1980s, Felix the Cat shared a newspaper comic strip with another iconic character, Betty Boop.

Even though the main focus of the stories revolved around Betty Boop, Felix primarily acts as her house pet and never spoke in any of the comic strips. Instead, the feline conveys his thoughts and opinions through thought bubbles.

"Felix the Cat Day" is on November 9.

For the 100th year anniversary of Felix the Cat (which falls on November 9th 2019), Universal Pictures dubbed it "Felix the Cat Day", where they released new and exclusive Felix merchandise such as clothing, PEZ dispensers, accessories and more.

Take a trip down memory lane this July, with Felix the Cat!