Daffy Duck | |
---|---|
Looney Tunes character | |
First appearance |
Porky's Duck Hunt April 17, 1937 |
Created by |
Tex Avery Bob Clampett |
Voiced by |
Mel Blanc (1937–1989; Daffy's Rhapsody) Jeff Bergman (1990–1993, 2011–present) Joe Alaskey (1990–2014) Maurice LaMarche (1991) Greg Burson (1992–1997) Dee Bradley Baker (1996, 2015–present) Samuel Vincent (2001–2006) Jeff Bennett (2004) (see below) |
Developed by | Bob Clampett Chuck Jones Friz Freleng Frank Tashlin Robert McKimson |
Information | |
Aliases | Duck Dodgers |
Species | American black duck |
Gender | Male |
Significant other(s) |
Melissa Duck Tina Russo (The Looney Tunes Show) Mrs. Daffy Duck |
Nationality | American |
Daffy Duck is an animated cartoon character produced by Warner Bros. Styled as an anthropomorphic black duck, the character has appeared in cartoon series such as Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, where he usually has been depicted as the best friend and occasional arch-rival of Bugs Bunny. Daffy was one of the first of the new "screwball" characters that emerged in the late 1930s to replace traditional everyman characters who were more popular earlier in the decade, such as Mickey Mouse and Popeye. Daffy starred in 130 shorts in the golden age, making him the third-most frequent character in the Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons, behind Bugs Bunny's 180 appearances and Porky Pig's 162 appearances.
Daffy was number 14 on TV Guide's list of top 50 best cartoon characters and was featured on one of the issue's four covers as Duck Dodgers with Porky Pig and the Powerpuff Girls (all of which are Time Warner-owned characters).
Daffy first appeared in Porky's Duck Hunt, released on April 17, 1937. The cartoon was directed by Tex Avery and animated by Bob Clampett. Porky's Duck Hunt is a standard hunter/prey pairing for which Leon Schlesinger's studio was famous, but Daffy (barely more than an unnamed bit player in this short) was something new to moviegoers: an assertive, completely unrestrained, combative protagonist. Clampett later recalled: