Every year, we witness significant changes in the world of animation and get acquainted with new characters, each characterized by specific traits that set them apart from other cartoon characters. Among these characters, there are famous cartoon characters known for their humor, kindness, unique appearance, and the ability to touch our hearts quickly, making us attached to them and becoming the topic of conversation for a long time. These imaginative and fun-loving characters are creative.
They find themselves in extremely funny situations, like the mischievous duo Tom and Jerry, who targeted all age groups, including adults, with their full of fun and enjoyable moments. Many very funny situations occur between them, with Tom’s attempts to catch the mouse Jerry always ending in failure. In this article within the Top 10 series, we will talk about 15 incredibly famous and well-known cartoon characters that are still a topic of conversation to this day.
Famous Cartoon Character Fred Flintstone from The Flintstones
Character’s Appearance in 1960
Creators: Joseph Barbera, William Hanna
Fred Flintstone is the iconic and comedic character in The Flintstones family, which aired during prime time on ABC channel during the original series from 1960 to 1966. Fred Flintstone is a devoted husband to Wilma and a caring father to Pebbles, their daughter. He is a caveman with extraordinary strength and agility. The family lives together in a family cave in Bedrock town. His best friend is his neighbor Barney, who has a wife named Betty.
Fred Flintstone lives in the fictional city of Bedrock, which dates back to prehistoric times, where dinosaurs coexist with modern-day cave dwellers enjoying primitive versions of modern comforts like phones, cars, and washing machines. One of the funny phrases associated with Fred Flintstone is his exclamation « yabba dabba doo! » which originally translated to « Yahoo! » and later became part of the theme song from the third season and was used in the live-action Flintstone movie in 1994. Since the original series aired, Fred Flintstone has appeared in numerous other cartoon films, adaptations, music videos, video games, and commercials.
Famous Cartoon Character Mickey Mouse
Character’s Appearance in 1928
Creators: Ub Iwerks, Walt Disney
Mickey Mouse is an American cartoon character, an iconic symbol of the Walt Disney Company for a long time. Mickey Mouse is a mouse who usually wears red shorts, big shoes, white gloves, distinguishing himself from other characters with his unique appearance and wonderful design. He is often portrayed alongside his girlfriend Minnie Mouse, his pet dog Pluto, and his friends Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pete.
Mickey Mouse was created as a replacement for Disney’s previous character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. The character was originally supposed to be named Mortimer Mouse, but Walt Disney’s wife, Lillian, named him « Mickey. » Mickey first appeared in two short films in 1928, Plane Crazy and The Galloping Gaucho (which were not selected for distribution), before his official debut in Steamboat Willie in 1928. The character has since appeared in over 130 films, most of which are short films, along with his appearance in Fantasia in 1940. Since the 1930s, Mickey has appeared widely in comic strips (including the Mickey Mouse comic strip, which lasted for 45 years) and comic books. The character also appeared in television series like The Mickey Mouse Club between 1955 and 1996.
Famous Cartoon Character SpongeBob from SpongeBob SquarePants
Character’s Appearance in 1999
Creator: Stephen Hillenburg
SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated series created by marine science teacher and animator Stephen Hillenburg. It was first aired on Nickelodeon as a pilot episode after the 1999 Kids’ Choice Awards entitled « Help Wanted, » and officially premiered on July 17, 1999. The series chronicles the adventures of the main character and his underwater friends in the town of Bikini Bottom. The genesis of the series’ ideas was The Intertidal Zone, a comic educational book unseen created by Hillenburg in 1989 to teach his Ocean Institute students marine biology. Within one month of its first airing in 1999, this cartoon series became the highest-rated and most-watched Saturday-morning animated program for that year, surpassing Pokémon. The series received critical acclaim worldwide, gaining more popularity in its second season from 2019 onwards, and SpongeBob SquarePants has won a variety of awards.
The main character and hero in the series is SpongeBob, a yellow sponge characterized by his enthusiasm for life, optimism, childlike and kind demeanor, and funny appearance. He is often seen hanging out with his best friend Patrick Star, who is known to be his best friend, works as a cook at the Krusty Krab, lives in a pineapple house, and gets involved in funny adventures and bizarre situations. SpongeBob also has a pet snail called Gary. The character of SpongeBob has become popular among both children and adults, receiving positive acclaim from media critics and often being named one of the greatest cartoon characters of all time.
Famous Cartoon Characters Tom and Jerry
Character’s Appearance in 1941
Creators: Joseph Barbera, William Hanna
Tom and Jerry is an American title for a series of comedy short films. This series is famous for its short theatrical films, which 161 were produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, focusing on the rivalry between the iconic characters of the famous cat Tom and mouse Jerry. They never agree with each other, sometimes appearing as enemies or allies against a common enemy, and sometimes as heroes. However, they often enjoy each other’s company and often laugh at their misfortunes, sharing moments with the dog and its son, with the mouse Jerry often seeking his help or exploiting him to escape a situation when being chased by the cat Tom, becoming a victim of the dog’s attack. Each short film features the two attempting to get rid of the other in an extremely funny way.
In their original run, Joseph Barbera and William Hanna produced 114 short films for Tom and Jerry for MGM from 1940 to 1958 and won seven Academy Awards for Best Animated Short Film, MGM revived the series with Gene Deitch directing an additional 13 short films called Tom and Jerry for Rembrandt Films from 1961 to 1962. The Tom and Jerry film series became the highest-grossing short animated film series at the time, surpassing the Looney Tunes series.
Famous Cartoon Character Bugs Bunny from Looney Tunes
Character’s Appearance in 1940
Creators: Ben Hardaway, Tex Avery
Bugs Bunny is a cartoon character created in the late 1930s at Warner Bros. Cartoons (originally produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions). Bugs Bunny is known for his distinctive roles in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of short films. Earlier iterations of the character first appeared in Ben Hardaway’s Porky’s Hare Hunt in 1938, with later short films leading up to the final characterization of Bugs Bunny in Tex Avery’s A Wild Hare. In 1940, Bob Givens, Chuck Jones, and Robert McKimson were credited with finalizing the design and form of the Bugs Bunny character.
Bugs Bunny is a gray and white rabbit known for his cheeky and carefree personality, often portrayed as a trickster, with his famous catchphrase « What’s up, doc? » Through his popularity during the Golden Age of American animation, Bugs Bunny became an American cultural icon. Bugs Bunny starred in more than 160 short films produced between 1940 and 1964. Since then, he has appeared in feature films, television shows, comic books, and other media. Bugs Bunny has appeared in more films than any other cartoon character and is the ninth-most-portrayed film character in the world, having his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In conclusion…In this article, we talked about the best-known famous cartoon characters, a total of 5, where we had some fun and funny moments with them. They are different in their personalities and exciting behaviors, and there are many more famous cartoon characters that we will discuss in the upcoming article soon. Until then, I leave you with reading our previous article titled « Best Old Anime Movies. »
Share your opinions and comments with us. Among the list of the best-known cartoon characters, which one is your favorite character in this article or outside it, and what sets them apart in your opinion?
