Felix the "suicidal" Cat

So that was an extremely entertaining class last week. Just saying. Something about a whimsically manic-depressive cat called Felix shoving an open gas-line into his mouth as he lies down and accepts his fate is kind of brilliant. I had no idea the notion of dark humor went back as far as the early 1900s, and honestly I could be happier to have realized it.

Thanks to a collaborative effort in 1919 by three men named Pat Sullivan, Otto Messmer and John King a rough first draft of the revolutionary character Felix the Cat was created. In the years to follow, Felix would undergo a series of changes to his physical appearance as well as his personality. By the time the 1930's rolled around, the evolution of Felix's character both inside and out was more or less complete and had taken the shape of the familiar animated feline we all recognize today.

What impressed me most about Felix was his unrestrained nature, unapologetic promiscuity and insensitive sense of humor. All of which are tied together beautifully by this unmistakably black undertone at the core of the cartoon. To think that Felix, this adorable, child-friendly figure had no qualms with tomcating around, never mind killing himself is just a ridiculously awesome concept.

Also, I found it funny that I was able to find a striking resemblance in humor between Felix and the earlier depictions of Mickey Mouse; e.g Mickey playing a mother pigs nipples like a musical instrument...classic.