Felix the Cat on Plaza Sésamo
Felix the Cat is one of the oldest animated cartoon stars, coming after Gertie the Dinosaur but before Mickey Mouse. He debuted in 1919 in silent shorts produced at the studio of Pat Sullivan but animated primarily by Otto Messmer. One of his trademarks in the early era was his ability to remove his tail and use it as a variety of implements, as well as his pacing walk. The latter inspired a popular song, "Felix Kept on Walking" (1923).
The character went on to appear in comic strips and even became the mascot of the Los Angeles Felix Chevrolet dealership (remaining to the present). As the silent era ended, however, Felix made an unsuccessful transition with sound effects added afterwards in 1930. The character didn't speak until three 1936 shorts by a different studio. The cat made a comeback in a TV cartoon series (1958-1960), in which he had a magic carpet bag (his "bag of tricks") and a catchy theme song, dealing with aliens, gangsters, and mad scientists. This version of Felix was the basis for a 1980s animated feature, while the CBS series The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat combined elements of silent and TV Felix.
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- A background kid in a Plaza Sésamo scene (included on the video release ¡Vamos a Cantar!) wears a Felix the Cat t-shirt.
- Janice promotes Felix the Cat: The Movie (then simply called Felix the Cat) in the Summer 1988 issue of Muppet Magazine. The movie was planned for a release then, but pushed back, with its only theatrical screening being at the Los Angeles Animation Celebration festival in 1989. It wouldn't receive wider release until its video debut in 1991. Janice describes the plot: "Felix, that totally cool cat, uses his magic powers to rescue a princess from the evil Duke of Zill. Gnarly!" Felix also figures in the "Mondo Muppet" movie quiz, in a question about animated moves coming out that summer.