Daffy Duck | Chuck Jones (2024)

Who is Daffy Duck?

Although Daffy was created by Tex Avery, Chuck Jones re-invented Daffy’s persona as a greedy, self-centered duck, as exemplified in Rabbit Seasoning and Ali Baba Bunny.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, but Daffy (barely more than an unnamed bit player in this short) was something new to moviegoers: an assertive, completely unrestrained, combative protagonist.

Who created (drew, animated, and/or directed) Daffy Duck?

There were a number of animators and directors that influenced Daffy Duck; however, the most notable ones are Robert McKimson, Friz Freleng, and Chuck Jones, as they worked closely together with a similar vision for their characters. Robert McKimson re-designed Daffy (in Daffy Doodles) to be rounder and less elastic, which was the first time he had made a Looney Tunes cartoon as a director. The studio instilled some of Bugs Bunny‘s cunning into the duck, which made him as smart with his mouth as he was with his craziness. Arthur Davis, whose cartoons can be recognized by their laid-back attitude and their characters’ predilection for wearing bow ties, had a short run directing his own Warner Bros. cartoon shorts. Davis directed content for a few years in the late 1940s until upper management decreed there should be only three units (McKimson, Friz Freleng, and Jones), who presented a Daffy similar to McKimson’s one. McKimson is thought of as the last of the three units to ensure his Daffy was uniform with Jones’ “screwball” version, with even late shorts, such as Don’t Axe Me(1958). Starting in You Were Never Duckier, Daffy’s personality changed from being less loony to more greedy.

Daffy Duck’s Persona Development:

As a result of Bugs Bunny’s rise to fame, Warner Bros. recast Daffy as the rabbit’s rival, intensely jealous, insecure, and determined to steal back the spotlight, while Bugs either remained cool-headed but mildly amused and/or indifferent to the duck’s jealousy and used it to his advantage. Daffy’s desire to achieve stardom at almost any cost was explored as early as 1940 in You Ought to Be in Pictures, but the idea was most successfully used by Chuck Jones who redesigned the duck once again. You can see the scrawnier and scruffier version of him in one’s “Hunting Trilogy” (or “Duck Season/Rabbit Season Trilogy”) of Rabbit Fire, Rabbit Seasoning, and Duck! Rabbit, Duck! (launched in 1951,1952, and 1953).

In those episodes, Daffy’s attention-grabbing ways and excitability provide Bugs Bunny the perfect opportunity to fool the hapless Elmer Fudd into repeatedly shooting the duck’s bill off. Also, these cartoons reveal Daffy’s catchphrase, “Youuu’re deththpicable!” Jones’ Daffy sees himself as a self-preservationist, not selfish. However, this Daffy can do nothing that does not backfire on him, more likely to singe his tail feathers as well as his ego and pride than anything.

Film critic Steve Schneider calls Jones’ version of Daffy “a kind of unleashed id Jones said that his version of the character “expresses all of the things we’re afraid to express.”

This is evident in Jones’ Duck Amuck (1953), “one of the few unarguable masterpieces of American animation” according to Schneider. In the episode, Daffy is plagued by a godlike animator whose paintbrush changes the setting, soundtrack, and also Daffy. When he demands to know who is making these alterations, the camera switches back to reveal none other than Bugs Bunny. “Duck Amuck” has been heralded as a classic of filmmaking because it illustrates how the personality of a character can be recognized separately from his appearance, voice, plot, and even the setting.

A Darker Daffy:

There were a few years from 1965-1968 when Warner Bros. animation studio briefly outsourced cartoon production to DePatie-Freleng Enterprises (DFE). During that time Daffy Duck became an antagonist to his friend Speedy in some cartoons, where he was transformed into a disturbingly nasty and bitter character. You can see the extent of maliciousness in Well Worn Daffy (1965), Assault and Peppered (1965), and Go Go Amigo (1965).

After an abysmal failure in See Ya Later Gladiator, considered one of the worst cartoons made by Warner Bros., it was a sign that Daffy needed an overhaul. Chuck Jones’ Daffy Duck was revived; he returned to the greedy, selfish, neurotic, and spotlight-hungry character that we all love so much.

Content Revival:

In 1987, to celebrate Daffy’s 50th anniversary, Warner Bros. released The Duxorcist as its first theatrical Looney Tunesshort in two decades. He appears in a piano duel with his Disney counterpart and rival Donald Duck in the 1988 Disney filmWho Framed Roger Rabbit, as both are playing Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2.

Daffy later appeared in several feature-film compilations. In 1983 cameDaffy Duck’s Fantastic Island. And then in 1988,Daffy Duck’s Quackbusters was released, which is considered one of the Looney Tunes’ best compilation films, and featured another new theatrical short, The Night of the Living Duck.

Daffy has also had major roles in films such asSpace Jamin 1996 andLooney Tunes: Back in Actionin 2003. The latter film does much to flesh out his character, even going so far as to cast a sympathetic light on Daffy’s glory-seeking ways in one scene, where he complains that he works tirelessly without achieving what Bugs does without even trying.

Again. in 2003, Daffy Duck was cast in a brand-newDuck Dodgersseries. (It should be stressed that in this show, Duck Dodgers actually is Daffy Duck due to him being frozen in suspended animation in some unknown incident.)

He had a cameo appearance in theSylvester and Tweety Mysteries episode When Granny Ruled the Earth, first airing on March 27, 1999. Daffy has also been featured in several webtoons, which can be viewed online (YouTube).

In the television seriesTiny Toon Adventures, Daffy is a teacher at Acme Looniversity, where he is the hero and mentor of student Plucky Duck. Daffy is shown as a baby in theBaby Looney Tunesshow, and makes occasional cameos onAnimaniacsandHisteria!In the showLoonatics Unleashed, his descendant isDanger Duck(voiced by Jason Marsden), who is also lame and unpopular to his teammates. In the majority of these appearances, the selfish, neurotic, and spotlight-hungry Daffy characterized by Chuck Jones is the common version.

More recently, Daffy has been given larger roles in more recentLooney Tunesfilms and series. FollowingLooney Tunes: Back in Action, Warner Bros. has slowly moved the spotlight away from Bugs and more towards Daffy, as shown in the 2006 video releaseBah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas, where Daffy plays the lead, while Bugs Bunny appears in a supporting role.

Daffy Duck Alter-Egos:

Duck Dodgers – Duck Edgar Dumas Aloysius Eoghain Dodgers is the metafictional star of a series of cartoons, featuring Daffy Duck in the role of a science-fiction hero and Marvin the Martian as his nemesis.

Superior Duck – A third short, titled Superior Duck was released in 1996, with Frank Gorshin as Duck Dodgers (aka Superior Duck).

Green Loontern – The Green Loontern is a parody of the Green Lantern, portrayed by Daffy Duck. He appears in the Looney Tunes Comics, as well as a Duck Dodgers episode and Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham.

Drake Darkstar – Drake Darkstar is a conniving maniac who resembles Duck Dodgers (except the feathers on the top of his head are tousled backward, instead of forward like Dodgers’ and another Daffy’s alter-ego).

King Daffy– King Daffy (or King Arthur, The King of Camelot) is an ancestor of Daffy Duck. King Daffy looks much like his “descendant” but with a crown and regal robe.

Baby Daffy- Baby Daffy is the baby version of Daffy Duck.

Your commonly asked questions answered:

How old is Daffy Duck?

Whilst the Warner Bros. company never officially gave Daffy a birthday, most sources state that it was in 1937 when the first cartoon Porky’s Duck Hunt appeared on Television in the United States. This makes Daffy about 84 years old now (as of 2021).

What did Daffy Duck always say? (What’s Daffy Duck’s Catchphrase?)

The ever cleaver Daffy, with his quick retorts has many one-liners that endear us to his character. but the best-known one is: “Youuu’re deththpicable!”

Other things he likes to say are:

• Woo-hoo!
• Mine! Mine! Mine!
• Mother.

Who is Daffy Duck’s enemy?

It’s interesting that sometimes the company you keep is what also drives you crazy. In all of his adventures in and out of Looney Tunes, Daffy Duck has had a love/hate relationship with Bugs Bunny. He is often seen as his nemesis, while also sometimes playing the role of a best friend.

And if we are looking at other unsavory characters, Elmer Fudd is also portrayed to be at odds with Daffy Duck- he does continuously hunt him after all. Out of all the Warner Bros. cartoon characters to go site seeing with, Elmer Fudd is not it. He is likely to shoot you. But Daffy Duck is often concerned with other things, which is a sure sign he keeps himself out of (most) trouble.

Whose voice has Daffy Duck?

Bill Melendez, Chuck Jones, and Maurice LaMarche are some of the people who have provided the voice of Daffy Duck. However, beginning in 1961 over the span of three decades, Melendez was the voice; he was featured in many cartoons including Space Jam and Tweety’s High-Flying Adventure.

Who came first Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck?

Daffy Duck was first presented in Porky’s Duck Hunt, which was released on April 17, 1937. Bugs Bunny’s first appearance was in Porky’s Hare Hunt (preliminary version) on April 30, 1938. Despite Daffy Duck coming first, Bugs Bunny, in his sneaky ways, ended up stealing the show … or did he?

Who came first Daffy Duck or Donald Duck?

Donald Duck is a cartoon character that was created in 1934 by the Walt Disney Company. Donald, portrayed as a white duck with yellow/orange beak and feet, is known for hissemi-intelligible speechand his mischievous, temperamental, and pompous personality.

Where is the best place to watch episodes of Daffy Duck?

There are many resources online (especially within the United States) where you can see your favorite content. However, the easiest way to find Daffy Duck is with YouTube or Amazon Video.

To draw Daffy, get out your old swim fins, draw them, and hang a duck on the drawing. When necessary, he can look like a human being, but I like him to be bird-like. I might draw tiny breaks where the feathers show at his shoulders and elbows, but the breaks are less noticeable than on the Coyote, as feathers cling more tightly to the body than fur.

This detail is not strictly necessary; I break Daffy’s feathers because I want to and because it gives character to the animal. Also, unlike so many animated characters, Daffy doesn’t wear gloves. His hands have a thumb like a human thumb and pointy fingers that are a cross between human fingers and a bunch of feathers. In a human head, the upper teeth are anchored to the skull (until the dentist has his way with them), while the lower jaw–complete with teeth– can move independently.

Daffy’s upper bill, like that of the Road Runner or any other bird, is in effect his upper jaw, built right onto the skull and an immovable part of the structure. His lower bill is hinged to the skull and can move freely up and down. – Chuck Jones