One of the most beloved animated characters of all time, Bugs Bunny proved the likable combination of casual and wise guy who speaks insouciantly with a Brooklyn accent (voiced by Mel Blanc). Bugs has been both comic aggressor and straight man, but his essence is that he is always sympathetic, responding only to provocation (a character wants to eat him, wants him as a trophy, as a good luck piece, as an unwilling participant in an experiment, etc.). Bugs never engages an opponent without a reason, but once he is engaged, it's a fight to the finish with Bugs the comic winner. He can be mischievous, cunning, impudent, a rascally heckler, a trickster, saucy, and very quick with words, but he is never belligerent and prefers to use his wits rather than resort to physical violence.

An embryonic version of Bugs first appeared in Ben Hardaway's...