Felix the Cat

Felix the Cat, developed at the Pat Sullivan studio with animator Otto Messmer central to his creation, became the first great star of animated cartoons. In the years around 1922, Felix achieved a fame no drawn character had known before: audiences loved his expressive, elastic body and his clever, resourceful personality, and he carried his films the way a leading actor carries a picture. Felix proved that an animated character could be a genuine celebrity.

His stardom quickly extended off the screen. Felix became an early merchandising phenomenon, his instantly recognizable silhouette appearing on toys, dolls, and a wealth of consumer goods—an early demonstration that a cartoon character could be a commercial property as well as an entertainer. In Felix the arc of this gallery reaches its culmination: the comic-strip tradition of the memorable, personality-driven character, set fully in motion and embraced by a mass audience. He was the bridge to the sound-era stars who followed, and the first proof that the world would fall in love with a creature made entirely of ink and imagination.