13 Interesting Facts That You Probably Didn’t Know About Your Favorite Cartoons

Cartoons have been a part of pop culture for quite some time now and they’ve marked our childhood throughout the years. From Disney movies to some more grown-up cartoons, many hold a special place in our hearts. However, some of them have an interesting history and background that people are unaware of.

This is why we decided to make a list of some interesting facts about your favorite cartoons and animated movies.

1. Every puppy in 101 Dalmatians has exactly 32 spots.

On the 101 Dalmatian dogs and puppies, as they appear in 113,760 frames of film, there are precisely 6,469,952 spots. Pongo has 72 dots, Perdita has 68, and each puppy has 32.

2. Looney Tunes was created by Warner Bros. to promote their music.

Looney Tunes was created in 1930 when producers from Warner Bros. made an animated short that featured music from the studio’s large recording library. The inspiration came from the popularity of Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse animations.

3. In 1940, the first Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry cartoons were both up for an Oscar.

A Wild Hare, which is typically regarded as Bugs Bunny’s debut appearance, received an Academy nomination, as well as the first Tom and Jerry cartoon, Puss Gets the Boot. However, neither won that year. Instead, the award went to MGM’s cartoon Milky Way.

4. DuckTales’ Ma Beagle is based on a real person.

Ma Beagle, the mother of the 7 common Beagle Boys portrayed in DuckTales and the clan matriarch, is a character created based on the real-life Ma Barker and the myths about her.

5. Sleeping Beauty’s godmothers served as models for The Powerpuff Girls.

The names of the Powerpuff Girls (1998) were inspired by Fauna, Flora, and Merryweather from the well-known Sleeping Beauty animated film by Disney (1959).

6. Bugs Bunny helped Mel Blanc (his voicing actor) to wake up from a coma.

Mel Blanc, an actor who practically voiced all of the Looney Tunes cartoons, including Bugs Bunny, fell into a coma after a car accident. Blanc’s son and wife stayed by his bedside for 2 weeks in an effort to revive him, but they were unsuccessful.

A Blanc’s neurologist entered the room one day, roughly 14 days after the accident, and attempted something different. He walked up to Mel’s bed and asked: Bugs Bunny, how are you doing today? Then, after a few seconds, everyone could hear a response in the most familiar voice: Myeeeeh. What’s up doc? It took some time until Blanc was fully recovered and back in the studio.

7. Futurama was named after an exhibit at the 1939 World Fair.

The American animated science fiction sitcom, created by Matt Groening, got its name from a pavilion at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.

8. The Incredible Hulk was originally gray.

Stan Lee initially envisioned Hulk to have a grayish hue of skin. However, after printing, the Hulk’s skin appeared to be more greenish. When Lee saw the result, he asked for Hulk to be entirely green for the second edition, and that color later becomes the trademark of the character.

9. Mickey Mouse was named Mortimer Mouse at first.

Walt Disney had the initial idea to name his character Mortimer. However, after the urging of his spouse, Lilian, to rename him Mickey, Disney decided to go along with his wife’s suggestion.

10. The Pokémon Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan are based on Bruce Lee and Jakie Chan.

Pokémon characters Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan are named for 2 famous martial artists after their names got more westernized. Hitmonlee got its name from Bruce Lee, while Hitmonchan is from Jackie Chan.

11. The Minionese is a mix of several languages.

The small, beloved, yellow Minions who love bananas speak in their own language that actually borrows words from Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Filipino (Tagalog), French, and Slavic languages.

12. Bart Simpson is voiced by a woman.

Nancy Cartwright voices the character Bart from the longtime-running series The Simpsons. Nancy initially showed up to an addition to try out for Lisa, but later on, would find Bart’s character much more interesting. After auditioning, she got the job on the spot.

13. When Maggie Simpson is scanned at a cash register, the price shows $847.63 and for a reason.

The price that appears has a meaning. The number actually shows the monthly costs of raising a baby in 1989.

Do you find these facts interesting? Can you share some other fascinating findings about your favorite cartoons?