Felix the Cat is one of the most recognizable cartoon images in popular culture, and for good reason. The black cat Felix was introduced to the public by Otto Messmer in the 1920s, which led him to become the most famous cat in popular culture (he may have even been one of the most famous celebrities of his era).
Felix began his climb to stardom with many silent films, short films, and comic strips. His very first silent film was entitled “Feline Follies“, a film produced by Pat Sullivan’s studio in 1919. Felix the Cat became so popular that he was soon featured on all sorts of merchandise from toys to posters and postcards. Unfortunately, the 1930s and 1940s saw the decline of the Felix the Cat character, likely due to the emergence of a certain famous cartoon mouse…
Although the character of Felix disappeared from the limelight in the 1930s, he reemerged in the 1953 with a new television program. Felix the Cat was given fun new surroundings, and his now famous “Little Bag of Tricks“. An interesting fact is that Felix was the first image to be transmitted on television airwaves. That’s right, when engineers were working on transmitting images via television they used a Felix doll as their test model!
Reintroducing Felix the Cat into popular culture in the 1950s helped to keep Felix around for good. Today, there are many feature films, television shows, and comic strips featuring Felix. He was even given the title of one of the 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time by TV Guide in 2002.
Want to find out more about Felix? The Felix the Cat website has an incredible collection of Felix images, fun facts, and a thorough history if the character of Felix the Cat. Check it out HERE.
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Congratulations to one of our past Black Cat Contest winners - Bandit! Click 
