A BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE… By PETER BOSCH Today is special because Melvin Jerome Blank came into this world May 30, 1908. Better known to cartoon lovers everywhere as Mel Blanc, he filled all of our lives with great laughter and our hearts with smiles. And this year in particular is extra special because it was 90 years ago, in late 1936, that he was hired by Warner Bros. as their newest – and, ultimately, greatest – voice actor. He would become known as “the Man of 1,000 Voices” and when you look at his career you too will believe it. So let’s start with an excellent feature on his life: The clips in that video leave you wanting more, so here are 13 GREAT CARTOONS featuring Blanc’s amazing talent — and, after that, a hilarious BONUS! Enjoy! In no particular order: — 1. Picador Porky (1937). Mel Blanc’s first cartoon for Warner Bros., in which Porky dresses himself up as a matador and his two drunken friends put on a bull costume. Blanc provided the voice of one of the friends, not yet graduating to the role of Porky Pig. — 2. Little Red Riding Rabbit (1944). On numerous occasions in the early 1940s, Blanc asked Leon Schlesinger, the producer of the Warner Bros. cartoons, for a raise but he wouldn’t grant it. After being turned down yet another time, Blanc got Schlesinger to agree that Blanc would be credited on the cartoons for the voice characterizations. Little Red Riding Rabbit in 1944 was the first to carry the credit. The short is also one of the best-written cartoons of the day, with Bea Benaderet as Red and Billy Bletcher as the wolf. Little Red Riding Rabbit (1944) byu/Clama264 inlooneytunes — 3. Duck Amuck (1953). Even with so many gems over the years featuring Daffy, Duck Amuck stands as pure genius. Duck Amuck by inlooneytunes — 4. Hillbilly Hare (1950). Picking just one Bugs Bunny cartoons is next to impossible, but this one should be near the top of everybody’s list. Blanc is the voice of Bugs and Clem Martin, with John T. Smith as Punkinhead Martin and the jukebox’s square dance caller. Hillbilly Hare byu/AstroTrain4412 inlooneytunes — 5. Operation: Rabbit (1952). Wile E. Coyote was for the most part a non-speaking role in the Road Runner cartoons, but the first...