Droopy

Droopy is an animated character created by Tex Avery for theatrical cartoon shorts produced by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio during the golden age of American animation. He is an anthropomorphic white Basset Hound with a droopy face. Essentially the polar opposite of Avery's other MGM character, the loud and wacky Screwy Squirrel, Droopy moves slowly and lethargically, speaks in a jowly monotone voice, and—though hardly an imposing character—is shrewd enough to outwit his enemies. When finally roused to anger, often by a bad guy laughing heartily at him, Droopy is capable of beating adversaries many times his size with a comical thrashing.

The character first appeared, nameless, in Avery's 1943 cartoon Dumb-Hounded. Though he was not called "Droopy" onscreen until his fifth cartoon, Señor Droopy (1949), the character was already named "Droopy" in model sheets for his first cartoon. He was officially first labeled "Happy Hound", a name used in the character's appearances in Our Gang Comics. He starred in 24 theatrical cartoons, ending in 1958 when MGM closed its cartoon department. The character has been revived several times for new productions including films and television shows also featuring MGM's other famous cartoon stars, Tom and Jerry, either as their ally or adversary. He hosted Turner Broadcasting System's Cartoon Network in its earliest days since its launch in 1992.