Looney Tunes: Fascinating facts about Porky Pig

Do you know why Porky Pig was created?

Baby Boomers, their children, and some of their parents grew up enjoying the Looney Tunes characters. The beloved Porky Pig is a favorite with many fans, but how much do you know about him? His origin and early story are pretty fascinating, so enjoy what you are about to learn.

Porky was created by Leon Schlesinger, the head of Warner Brothers Studios. Schlesinger suggested that director Friz Freleng develop a cartoon version of the popular Our Gang (later The Little Rascals) films.

Porky's first Looney Tunes appearance

The pot-bellied pig was introduced in the 100th Looney Tunes short, a Black & White film, titled I Haven't Got a Hat, on March 2, 1935. Porky has a minor role in the short, which you can watch below but he is adorable and quickly caught on with fans. He looked much different than he does today as he quoted the poem The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere while stuttering.

Are you aware of the origin of Porky's name?

Perhaps like me, you assumed Porky Pig's name was because he was a portly porker. The name came from the nickname of two brothers who were childhood classmates of Freleng. One was called"Porky," and the other was known as "Piggy."

Porky did not originate, "That's all Folks"

The phrase "That's All Folks" was first uttered by a Looney Tune's character named Bosko at the end of the 1935 film short Sinking in the Bathtub. Today, this is Porky Pig's signature saying, at the end of cartoons, and when he does it, he stutters with "Th th th th that's all folks."

Porky's original voice actor stuttered

Porky Pig's stuttering was deliberate as Joe Dougherty, who originated the voice was a stutterer, which is why his cartoon character did the same. Unfortunately, it became difficult for Doughtery to get through taping episodes and Mel Blanc took over as Porky's voice in 1937 in Porky's Duck Hunt. Blanc became the permanent voice of Porky until his death in 1989. In later interviews, Blanc often said that he intended Porky's stutter to be suggestive of the grunting of actual pigs.

Porky had several sidekicks

In the year Blanc began voicing Porky Pig, the studio tried pairing the cartoon character with several sidekicks. First, there was Petunia Pig, his love interest, and next, there was the cantankerous Gabby Goat. The relationship that became a hit was when Porky met Daffy Duck, who was created by Tex Avery.

Daffy became so popular that Friz Freleng did a satire of the duo when he directed You Ought to Be in Pictures (1940). In this Looney Tunes short Daffy convinces Porky to quit his job at Warner Bros. to find greener pastures elsewhere. Porky convinces studio head Leon Schlesinger (who appeared as himself) to release him from his contract. Schlesinger happily agrees and off Pory goes into the world.

Porky becomes Daffy's sidekick, and it sticks

After listening to Daffy Duck, Porky unsuccessfully forays into the real world. He returned to the studio which made him famous, eager to go back to work. He is overjoyed when Schlesinger says he never tore up his contract.

To this day, Porky remains as a loyal sidekick while Daffy refuses to be a second banana to Bugs Bunny, who rose to prominence shortly after Daffy.

Porky Pig has been entertaining Looney Tunes fans for close to 90 years. He was the Warner Brothers studio's first character created to draw audiences based on his star power, and he has been in many acclaimed film shorts where audiences still love him.