Posted By Dan Greenfield on May 30, 2025 | 4 comments

FRANCO’s FREE-FOR-ALL FRIDAYS!

By FRANCO

Whenever anyone asks me who my favorite actor is, I always tell them it’s Bugs Bunny.

Yeah, I know Bugs Bunny is not a real person, but here’s the thing… Bugs was funny. Even at a young age, I could tell the humor was much more sophisticated than what was just on the surface. You’re placed in front of that TV screen because it’s a good babysitter for a few minutes — hey, cartoons back then were only on for a few hours on Saturdays or in the afternoon.

Unlike others, I continued to watch Bugs as I grew up. I would watch over and over again. He had definitely become my favorite cartoon character. No matter how many times I watched, he was still funny. As a matter of fact, when I would watch when I was older, I realized some of those jokes went right over my head as a kid. These cartoons were funny because you saw him hit someone over the head with a frying pan and it made you laugh. As an adult, you watch and then question something funny he just said to Elmer Fudd and laugh at that.

I love Bugs Bunny. When Art Baltazar and I were writing Tiny Titans for DC Comics we really styled the humor like when you would watch those old cartoons. You could pick it up and the humor and artwork were slapstick funny enough for a kid, but if you were reading as an adult there were winking throwbacks to Teen Titans continuity that would make you chuckle as well. We would often have adults come up to us and tell us how much they liked the book.

Anyway, if you recall any of those Bugs Bunny cartoons, there was that one where Bugs, dressed as Superman, got his powers from some supercharged carrots.

Let me tell you a secret: I love Bugs Bunny so much, that when we were working on Tiny Titans, I even asked Dan DiDio (big Honcho in charge of DC Comics at the time) if I could write a Bug Bunny-as-Superman comic. He didn’t take me seriously. But I really pressed him on it, mentioning it to him a few times in a few different cities whenever we crossed paths at a conventions. Then he realized I was serious, but alas, the world of comics breaks your heart sometimes, and it never materialized.

My story would have been funny and crazy and a true highlight for me. Geez, even the fact that I got to pitch it and seriously talk about it was thrilling enough to be a true highlight in my comics career. I’ll keep what I wanted to do secret, in case I ever do get the chance — because even though comics can break your heart sometimes, other times they can be a magical place where dreams do come true!

Why bring any of this up? Well, today, May 30, happens to be Mel Blanc’s birthday. (He was born 117 years ago.) Mel was the iconic voice of Bugs Bunny from my youth. He was Bugs for me. Even though he was dubbed the “man of a thousand voices,” he was always Bugs Bunny first.

Mel was even the voice of Porky Pig and that famous line everyone knows “That’s all, folks!” Weird fun fact for ya: Those also just happened to be Mel’s actual last words on camera.

Thank you Mel, and all the animators and writers who brought Bugs Bunny to the screen. You inspired and changed the course of my life forever.

Happy Friday!

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MORE

— Changing the THUNDERBOLTS* Name Was Sheer Genius. Click here.

— Every Time YVONNE CRAIG’s BATGIRL Was on TV It Was a Special Occasion. Click here.

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Franco and his forehead have traveled the world and he writes and draws stuff. Franco is the creator, artist and writer of Patrick the Wolf Boy and Aw Yeah Comics! Franco has worked on books/comics, including Tiny Titans and Superman Family Adventures. Franco was also a high-school teacher and is one of the principal owners of Aw Yeah Comics retail stores. Dan made Franco add that he has won three Eisners.