1928 to 1969 was the supposed golden age of American animation. Walt Disney productions produced classics such as Alice in Wonderland, Dumbo, Bambi, and introduced Mickey Mouse to the world. Metro-Goldwyn Mayer produced quite possibly the best animated shorts of all time with Tom and Jerry, a cartoon about an ambitious cat on a never-ending hunt to capture and kill a pestering mouse. Warner Bros. introduced Looney Tunes, which featured many household names including Daffy Duck, Porky the Pig, Sylvester the Cat, Tweety Bird, the Tasmanian Devil, the Coyote and Roadrunner, and the only tune who has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the one and only Bugs Bunny. In his tenure with Warner Bros. Bugs Bunny outsmarted many enemies including Elmer Fudd, Daffy Duck, Marvin the Martian, and Cecil Turtle.

Elmer Fudd, Bugs Bunny’s most famous nemesis.

Daffy Duck getting a rare edge of over Bugs.

Today, I’m going to focus on the American western influenced Yosemite Sam, another rival of Bugs Bunny.  Yosemite Sam’s name was inspired by Yosemite National Park in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. Initially, the character was considered being named other western-esque names such as Texas Tiny, Wyoming Willie, and Denver Dan before the creator, Mike Maltese finally choose Yosemite Sam. Maltese may have chosen Yosemite, because it has its fair share of rabbits roaming around the area, resembling Yosemite Sam’s archenemy, Bugs Bunny.

White-tailed jackrabbit in Yosemite, CA.

Although Yosemite Sam had roles such as a prison guard, an English lord, and a pirate, his main role was an outlaw in the American West.

18 Shades of Yosemite Sam.

His character is known for having a short temper with minimal impulse control. My theory is he was raised by an abusive father who severely stunted the growth of his dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, contributing to his bad decision making.

I digress; like a cowboy in a classic western, Sam has impressive facial hair, a raspy voice, a revolver in each hand, a large belt buckle, cowboy boots, and a knack for revenge.

In the short below, Bugs and Sam get in a heated argument. They both get on horses and chase one another through an open desert that resembles Arizona and New Mexico. Bugs suggest that they should “make like the western pictures and play cards and the loser gets out of town.” Like characters in classic westerns, both Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam show pride and confidence when faced with a stressful situation, in this case-playing for the right to stay in town. 

Looney Tunes short.

Additionally, the card scene resembles a 1971 western called Trinity Is STILL My Name! There’s a poker scene in the film that shows men with cowboy hats sitting at a table with guns nearby, with money and respect on the line. Just like Bugs Bunny, Terence Hill embarrassed the antagonist, or in this case, good old Yosemite Sam.

Trinity Is STILL My Name! poker scene.

You’ve probably been reading this and thinking to yourself, ‘who cares?’ Well, when I was a boy, I always wanted to be a cowboy. But realistically, I couldn’t have been a cowboy when I grew up. Well, I could, but I wouldn’t get paid for it and what the hell does a cowboy actually do? Anyway, Looney Tunes may have heavily influenced me to be able to sit through and enjoy westerns. Before I watched The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, I was first exposed to Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam.  These cartoons gave me a glimpse, albeit a small an but somewhat parallel version, of a real western picture. That answer may not suffice all, but for me and many other kids, Yosemite Sam’s strong western personality coupled with arch nemesis Bugs Bunny and accurate western animations may have been the perfect prerequisite to being a fan of great modern and classic western films.

-Etamar Prizament