| Julius the Cat | |
|---|---|
 An image of Walt Disney's Julius the Cat taken from Alice Gets Stung | |
|
Real Name |
Julius the Cat |
|
First Appearance |
Little Red Riding Hood (July 29, 1922) |
|
Created by |
Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks |
Origin[]
Julius is an anthropomorphic cat, similar in appearance to Felix the Cat. In the 1922 Laugh-O-Gram shorts, he was partnered with a young boy named Jack in reimagined fairy tales even taking on the role of Puss-In-Boots.
A bold and inventive anti-hero, he became the comedic partner for young Alice in the Alice Comedies and was the first arch nemesis of Pete. Using his prehensile tail as a crane, unicycle, ladder, or other practical tool was just one of Julius's many clever and resourceful tricks.
While most cartoon heroes of the theatrical era, including the early iterations of Mickey Mouse, could be classified as anti-heroes of sorts, Julius is especially notable for his questionable actions within shorts, ranging from putting a woman he rescued back in danger because he found her ugly, to sucking the king and his house into a vacuum after being undercharged for his Pied Piper extermination services so he can steal a $100 dollar note from within the rubble.
Public Domain Cartoon Appearances[]
Laugh‐o‐Gram[]
- Little Red Riding Hood (anonymous appearance) (original silent version, 1922)
- The Four Musicians of Bremen (original silent version, 1922)
- Jack and the Beanstalk (original silent version, 1922)
- Jack the Giant Killer (original silent version, 1922)
- Goldie Locks and the Three Bears (original silent version, 1922)
- Puss in Boots (original silent version, 1922)
- Cinderella (original silent version, 1922)
- Alice's Wonderland (anonymous appearance) (1923)
Alice Comedies[]
- Alice's Day at Sea (1924)
- Alice's Spooky Adventure (1924)
- Alice's Fishy Story (1924)
- Alice the Peacemaker (named Mike; name not used again) (1924)
- Alice Hunting in Africa (1924)
- Alice and the Three Bears (1924)
- Alice the Piper (1924)
- Alice Cans the Cannibals (1925)
- Alice the Toreador (1925)
- Alice Gets Stung (1925)
- Alice Solves the Puzzle (1925)
- Alice's Egg Plant (named Julius) (1925)
- Alice Loses Out (1925)
- Alice Wins the Derby (1925)
- Alice Picks the Champ (1925)
- Alice Chops the Suey (1925)
- Alice the Jail Bird (1925)
- Alice's Tin Pony (1925)
- Alice Plays Cupid (1925)
- Alice in the Jungle (1925)
- Alice on the Farm (1926)
- Alice's Balloon Race (1926)
- Alice's Little Parade (1926)
- Alice's Mysterious Mystery (1926)
- Alice Charms the Fish (1926)
- Alice's Orphan (1926)
- Alice's Monkey Business (1926)
- Alice in the Wooly West (1926)
- Alice the Fire Fighter (1926)
- Alice Cuts the Ice (1926)
- Alice Helps the Romance (1926)
- Alice's Spanish Guitar (1926)
- Alice's Brown Derby (1926)
- Alice the LumberJack (1926)
- Alice the Golf Bug (1927)
- Alice Foils the Pirates (1927)
- Alice at the Carnival (1927)
- Alice at the Rodeo (1927)
- Alice the Collegiate (1927)
- Alice's Auto Race (1927)
- Alice's Circus Daze (1927)
- Alice's Knaughty Knight (1927)
- Alice's Three Bad Eggs (1927)
- Alice's Channel Swim (1927)
- Alice in the Klondike (1927)
- Alice's Medicine Show (1927)
- Alice the Whaler (1927)
- Alice the Beach Nut (1927)
Notes[]
- The two "Julius Katz" stores on Buena Vista Street in Disney California Adventure are named in his honor.
- Julius' similarity to Felix was not accidental, but due to Margaret Winkler urging the reluctant Disney to copy him. She had been the distributor for Felix the Cat, but was constantly fighting with Sullivan, eventually leading to a split, so she turned to Disney to fill the void. Like Felix, Julius would pace and detach his tail. When he was in a quandary, visible question marks would form over his head. The New York Times went so far as to call Julius a "blatant clone... from the rubber-hose-and-circle design to the detachable body parts."
- The aesthetic differences that Julius has from Felix varies from short to short, with him sometimes being a direct copy of Felix's model sheet, and other times having distinguishing factors - for instance, his paws and belly being drawn in white and his head having a taller figure.