A comic-book and animated-cartoon character created around 1920 by Otto Messmer (1892–1983) and Pat Sullivan (1885–1933), Felix the Cat first appeared (under another name) in a 1919 animated cartoon called Feline Follies. Felix the Cat was a lively, clever character who overcame difficulties placed in his path by inventive solutions such as changing his body parts into tools. During the next decade, the black-and-white, wide-eyed cat starred in more than 150 short animated cartoons. In 1923, he began appearing in a comic strip distributed by King Features. Felix was the first important animal character to star in his own cartoon series. Felix the Cat was also the first major cartoon character whose image was licensed for use by toy companies and other businesses that used his image on retail products. In 1927, Felix was the first character to appear on balloons in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (see entry under 1920s...