Felix the Cat - An Abbreviated History

[@JaxRetroGamer]

Correction: At "3:56: You mentioned he appeared in the alice in wonderland films but they only did one in the 1940s and what you were talking about was actually the alice comedies and Julius actually came from a cartoon film adaption of puss in boots.

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

Great catch! Thanks for pointing that out. You are absolutely correct!

[@YatiMar-n5d]

Aimie20021999⬅️​@@felixthecatcomiccollector

[@JaxRetroGamer]

Correction: It was a Red Riding Hood one not a Puss in Boots one!

[@Webb_Studios]

Due to the wonderful world of the public domain, Felix is owned by everybody now. You can do whatever you want with him. Just don’t call the show Felix, and don’t use anything from beyond 1928

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

Exactly! I didn't touch upon that in this video because copyright laws can get kind of confusing, but it's important to note!

[@carolnahigian9518]

God bless FELIX CREATORs.

[@Webb_Studios]

@@carolnahigian9518except Pat Sullivan. Frick Pat

[@JordanGreen-uc8ow]

Let's just hope that they don't make a horror movie out of filex the cat

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

@@JordanGreen-uc8ow I sure hope not...

[@jennyfox2612]

As someone who's always had an appreciation for this famous feline I think you did an amazing job encapsulating his rich history in less than 8 minutes no less! Bravo!

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

That's awesome to hear! Thanks so much for the kind words! Just wanted to do Felix some justice

[@AlekVS]

Imagine being the guy who said “sound will never catch on”

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

😆😆

[@OmegaGlops]

Great video! I've always wanted to learn more about Felix the Cat, even moreso with all the hype that Steamboat Willie and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit have made regarding public domain and whatnot! But woah, what?! You only have 401 subs?! I watched the whole video and just assumed from the quality of the editing and the overall presentation that this must be coming from a channel with a count in the hundreds of thousands. I'm subbing for sure. Fantastic video and I hope your channel does well! 😀

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

You're awesome for saying all of that! I really appreciate it! Always glad to help people learn some more about Felix!

[@TheEmptyAir]

This is so, *so* well made. I now appreciate Felix the Cat.

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

Thank you so much! Felix is an awesome character!

[@justjorge4121]

This was a wonderful, informative, and very educational video! I enjoyed learning new facts about Felix the Cat’s creation and history. I was also impressed and astonished by the multiple impressive photos of Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer. How were you able to find all of those older pictures of them during your research? Were they included in the Felix book by John Canemaker? Anyways, thank you for sharing this video with us:)

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

Thank you for the kind words! It was a mixture of scans from the book, as well as some deep internet searches that lead me to the photos I was able to find!

[@FelixTheCat1919_PSN]

Gotta love 😻 history; Especially for this Cat. 😸 Also, great video!💯😎👍👏

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

Thank you!

[@GWKTM]

5:16 So THAT's why he produced only THREE Felix cartoons back in the day. Kinda sad considering how Felix felt like home in those

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

Yeah unfortunately audiences didn't respond well to these shorts, and felt Felix's characterization was too different from the original cartoons.

[@GWKTM]

@@felixthecatcomiccollector As if it wasn't different in TransLux's cartoons.

[@jasontheredfox]

This is a wonderfully edited video, you definitely deserve more attention and subscribers

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

That's awesome of you to say! Thanks for checking my videos out!

[@jenniecosio3654]

Wow it's a sight we see a lot in Los Angeles CA it's every where love it amen

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

I visited often when I lived in LA!

[@moxxiepeppino]

This feels like something i would watch on the "history" channel except i actually trust it because its not on the "history" channel

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

👽

[@Star-Road-Toons]

The dreamworks part got me off guard.does this mean Felix is a dreamworks character now?

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

They own the rights to the character currently! Just don't seem to do much with him.

[@Star-Road-Toons]

@@felixthecatcomiccollector oh okay perhaps they make a movie about Felix or a revival Netflix series for the character

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

@@Star-Road-Toons That would be awesome!

[@angelagokool9514]

Don't forget Felix the Cat clocks! Remember those, with the moving eyes and tails? So cute!

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

Yes of course! Those were actually some of the many unlicensed products that came out! However, the clocks clearly stood the test of time!

[@wbiro]

The 'Master Cylinder' was a great pun...

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

@@wbiro 🤣🤣

[@Wasabialt]

I became a subscriber. 😉

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

You're awesome!

[@SpongeboyStudios]

That was the greatest 7 minutes of my life!

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

You're awesome for saying that!

[@1oolabob]

7:12 proto-Sonic the Hedgehog

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

Very clearly an inspiration for the design! This is a full-circle moment because the original Felix inspired the original Sonic!

[@vasglorious]

I thought I heard Felix the Cat cartoons won't go into the Public Domain until 2026.

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

Some cartoons are already in, and some are not. It depends on how old they are.

[@andymcmillan2193]

Beautiful

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

Thank you!

[@CosmicSponge2004]

Possible correction about some of the Pre-Mickey Stuff, I cannot find an "Ideal Productions" online though I could be missing something. I do know that from 1925-1928, Educational Pictures distributed Felix and Copely Pictures distributed the weird sound cartoons from 1928-1930. With the sound being added by "Jacques Kopfstein" Also, The Joe Oriolo Feix Cartoon debuted in either 1958 or 1959 (an official 2000's DVD said 1958 but the intro roman numerals say 1959). 1960 was when it ended

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

You are absolutely correct about the distribution companies and the sound director! Strictly for time, it was tough to decide what to leave out/leave in, and seeing as there weren't too many significant events involving those companies, I decided to leave them out. The Oriolo Felix cartoon is a good catch though! That was a slip-up on my part

[@blinkyenjoyer]

Ideal Productions was the company that distributed the Educational Pictures Felix cartoons in the UK, different companies distributed the Felixes in the UK, Pathe distributed all the Paramount and Winkler Felixes. Although I'm unsure what company disturbed the Copley Felixes

[@andrewmeredith9011]

@@blinkyenjoyer probably Copley themselves. Ive seen (and own) British prints with copley titles intact. I wonder if any British educational felix prints survive today? 🤔

[@jimgeorge4677]

Not to be confused w/ Fritz the Cat.

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

Certainly not! Fritz is clearly an imposter.

[@Amador-k3h]

Wat back I heard something about Felix being the "Porn" alley cat?!

[@JaxRetroGamer]

Hello Felix Comic Collector! The felix the cat nes game is getting a rerelease which is a good thing but it was by limited run games.

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

I saw this! You know I'll be keeping my eye on that...

[@55twintv39]

4:43 Though not the first one to do it.

[@55twintv39]

@@felixthecatcomiccollector The first sound cartoon was actually 1924’s My Old Kentucky Home.

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

@@55twintv39 How interesting! So I looked it up and you were right, that did come before Willie in 1926. I also discovered there was an even earlier sound cartoon called Come Take a Trip in My Airship in 1924!

[@55twintv39]

@@felixthecatcomiccollector 1. Steamboat Willie came out in 1928. 2. Interesting.

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

@@55twintv39 Yes, of course! I was stating that My Old Kentucky Home came out in 1926!

[@55twintv39]

@@felixthecatcomiccollector Ok.

[@pakarrot5122]

3:18 :you have a new subscriber:

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

You're awesome!

[@hebneh]

I'm surprised there's no mention of how a toy figure of Felix was used as the subject of very early television development in the late 1920s and early '30s. He was placed on a rotating platform, well-illuminated, in front of TV cameras that gradually got better and better resolution as technology improved.

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

A very cool fact for sure! It's tough making a video like this and deciding what to include and what not to include. That's why I wanted to specify abbreviated in the title because I just hit some key points, but there's so much history there to talk about!

[@dorazarcogmail.comZarco]

Felix should have his own rebooted show

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

I actually hope he doesn't! Companies seem to like to destroy old properties with reboots these days.

[@covepack_net189]

@@felixthecatcomiccollector fr, if companies actually knew how to reboot shows I wouldn't mind, I think it would be fire to see a Felix the cat show with today's technology, but only very few shows have been well rebooted (Ducktales 2017)

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

@@covepack_net189 That would be awesome! I could absolutely get behind that!

[@WytZox1]

* My Dad's pal Felix Katz was offered a chance to appear on Name's The Same quiz show. ☺

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

That's awesome! What a cool name!

[@estabanb55]

Felix needs a theme park😃

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

That would be crazy! Not sure there would be enough interest though, unfortunately

[@essi444]

Patrick❌ pat ✅

[@hebneh]

"Felix the Cat / The wonderful, wonderful cat / Whenever he gets in a fix / He reaches into his bag of tricks / Felix the Cat / The wonderful, wonderful cat / You'll laugh so much, your sides will ache / Your heart will go pitter-pat / Watchin' Felix...the wonderful cat!" (Theme song for the Felix cartoons, which I remember from when they were first shown on TV in 1959-1960.)

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

🎶🎶🎶

[@floycewhite6991]

Fleabag the cat, the awfully pest-ridden cat Whenever he gets full of ticks he scratches up on his side a bit Fleabag the cat, the awfully pest-ridden cat He'll scratch so much his hide will ache The lice will go pitter-pat Mangey fleabag, the pest-ridden cat

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

...points for creativity...

[@BrianWillcox-qp2hr]

Is Felix the Cat any relation to no.10 Downing Streets fabulous feline Larry the Cat ?Just asking because they've both got the same surname. 🐵

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

I would reckon there must be SOME sort of relation...

[@Anonymous-oh4xw]

This video finally convinced me that Otto Messmer DID indeed made the character and NOT Pat Sullivan. The latter was also very racist.

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

Unfortunately, from what I've read, it seems Sullivan wasn't a good dude. But glad to see Messmer get the credit he deserves!

[@alexdaelingclips1880]

no offense but glossing over the 1936 felix is like unforgivable, that is actually the best era of his cartoons even if commerically thats not true, like holding up to this day with some of them

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

Unforgivable is a strong word! But it's very cool that you feel so strongly about that era! It is presented in the video from an objective/commercial standpoint, that's why it is glossed over. You can absolutely enjoy them, tough! I didn't mean to try to come across that way.

[@alexdaelingclips1880]

@@felixthecatcomiccollector I'm only being playful with the wording but if you haven't given them a watch yourself ,old king Cole and Goldy the goose are some of my personal favorites I had a DVD growing up with some Felix, Popeye, woody the wood pecker, and another guy I can't remember the name of but he cleans a castle and rides around on brushes like ice skates. Anyway they were very entertaining growing up. I think there's also one about a jackknife that's good

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

@@alexdaelingclips1880 Oh I don't disagree at all! I think they are incredibly entertaining and very well animated!

[@delavan9141]

I thought this was going to be about FRITZ the cat. What a waste of time.

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

Boooooo

[@Doug-nr3gh]

Where do you think Crumb riffed on ... For Fritz ... ( Fun fact crumbs first wife sold Ralph Bakshi the animation rights as she felt they needed the $ offered ) Robert killed off Fritz out of anger w/ the film

[@felixthecatcomiccollector]

@@Doug-nr3gh Actually didn't realize that with the sale and death!

[@YatiMar-n5d]

Aimie19992002