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From the Start, Daffy Duck Has Been a Cartoon Original
Daffy has endured as one of the most memorable cartoon characters ever.
© Warner Brothers - Looney Tunes
From his start in 1937, the gangly, black-feathered Daffy Duck was a cartoon original: wildly outspoken, volatile, and confrontational — a truly daft duck. Daffy was one of the most memorable characters from the golden age of cartoons, paving the way for other screwball cartoon personalities to come.
BirdNote®
Daffy Duck
Written by Bob Sundstrom
This is BirdNote. I’m Michael Stein.
Some duck calls are so similar to those of other ducks, the species are hard to identify by voice alone.
[Gadwall call]
Others are instantly recognizable, like this one:
Daffy Duck: “I’m just a crazy, darn-fool duck. Woo woo wahhooo woo woo woo!”
It’s the voice of that famous cartoon waterfowl — the manic, lisping Daffy Duck.
Daffy Duck: “You’re despicable!”
From his debut in the 1937 cartoon “Porky’s Duck Hunt," the gangly, black-feathered Daffy was often paired with shy, stammering Porky Pig and bumbling Elmer Fudd.
From the start, Daffy Duck was a cartoon original: wildly outspoken, volatile, and confrontational—truly daft. He paved the way for other screwball cartoon personalities to come.
Daffy Duck: “Who’s responsible for this?! I demand that you show yourself!”
By 1950, another Warner Brothers screwball, ...
Bugs Bunny: “Ehhhhh. What’s up, Doc?"
… the wise-cracking Bugs Bunny, had risen to epic stardom. Daffy’s insatiable ego cried out for revenge.
Daffy Duck: "I'm not jealous, mind you. But it's just the injustice of it all!"
The desperate duck soon chased after Bugs in one comic misadventure after another.
The frustrated Daffy has endured as one of the most memorable characters from the golden age of cartoons.
Daffy Duck: “Well, here we go again!”
###
Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Managing Producer: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Ariana Remmel
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Gadwall ML48809 recorded by K Colver.
"There They Go Go Go" (1956) - The Carl Stalling Project - Music From Warner Bros. Cartoons 1936-1958 ℗ 1990 Warner Bros Records Inc. Loony Toons clips in order of appearance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4BXyC3kHSU, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfsTk5i7mPw, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tJBeih6JZrs, https://youtu.be/3L1jcZiDeq0.
BirdNote’s theme composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2018 Tune In to Nature.org December 2018/2020/2025
Narrator: Michael Stein
ID# daffyduck-01b-2018-12-03 daffyduck-01b
Bob Sundstrom
Writer