Tex Avery

Born: February 26, 1908, Taylor, Texas
Died: August 26, 1980 (age 72), Burbank, California

Frederick Bean "Fred/Tex" Avery was an American animator, cartoonist, and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation.

His influence was found in almost all of the animated cartoon series by various studios in the 1940s and 1950s.

1. Avery was raised in his native Taylor, Texas though he graduated in 1927 from North Dallas High School. A popular catchphrase at his school was "What's up, doc?". Who later popularize the phrase?

• Bugs Bunny
• Daffy Duck
• Donald Duck

2. Avery first began his animation career in the early 1930s, working on the majority of the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoons from 1931-35. He is shown as 'animator' on the original title card credits on the Oswald cartoons. What studio did he first work for?

• Walter Lantz Studio
• MGM Animation Studio
• Disney Studio

3. Avery migrated to the Leon Schlesinger Studio in late 1935 and convinced the fast-talking Schlesinger to let him head his own production unit of animators and create cartoons the way he wanted them to be made. Schlesinger responded by assigning the Avery unit, including animators Bob Clampett and Chuck Jones, to a five-room bungalow at the Warner Bros. Sunset Blvd. backlot.

• True or False?

4. The Avery unit, assigned to work primarily on the black-and-white Looney Tunes instead of the Technicolor Merrie Melodies. What was the name they dubbed their quarters?

• Termite Terrace
• Doc's Terrace
• Looney Acres

5. Their first short, Gold Diggers of '49. What cartoon character became a star from the cartoon?

• Porky Pig
• Donald Duck
• Bugs Bunny

6. What cartoon introduced the character of Daffy Duck, who possessed a new form of "lunacy" and zaniness that had not been seen before in animated cartoons.

• Porky's Duck Hunt
• Porky's Rabbit Hunt
• Go Eat'em

7. Avery's 1940 film A Wild Hare is seen as the first cartoon to truly establish the personality of Bugs Bunny, after a series of shorts featuring a Daffy Duck-like rabbit directed by Ben Hardaway, Cal Dalton and Chuck Jones.

• True or False?

8. While at Schlesinger, Avery created a concept of animating lip movement to live action footage of animals. Schlesinger was not interested in Avery's idea, so Avery approached Jerry Fairbanks, a friend of his who produced the Unusual Occupations series of short subjects. What was the studio?

• Paramount Pictures
• Disney
• Republic

9. By 1942, Avery was in the employ of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, working in their cartoon division under the supervision of Fred Quimby. When did he leave MGM?

• 1947
• 1953
• 1957

10. He turned to animated television commercials. One of his projects was the Frito Bandito was the cartoon mascot for Fritos corn chips from 1967 to 1971. Who was the voice of the Frita Bandito?

• Tex Avery
• Mel Blanc
• Daws Burtlet

11. Avery died at St. Joseph's Hospital. He had been suffering from lung cancer for a year.

• True or False?

12. Where is Tex Avery buried?

• Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills), Los Angeles, California
• Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Glendale, California
• Cremated, ashes given to family or friend

Tex Avery Answers

1. Bugs Bunny
2. Walter Lantz studio
3. True
4. Termite Terrace
5. Porky Pig
6. Porky's Duck Hunt
7. True
8. Paramount Pictures
9. 1953
10. Mel Blanc
11. True
12. Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills), Los Angeles, California
    Gentleness, L-833

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