Bugs Bunny animator and veteran illustrator Bob Givens passes away aged 99

The animator famous for bringing Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd to life has died at the age of 99, as reported by BBC.

During his illustrious career spanning over 60 years, Bob Givens joined hands with companies like Disney, Warner Bros  and Hanna-Barbera as an exceptional animator. Givens also sketched cartoon favourites such as Tom & Jerry, Daffy Duck, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Popeye.

One of the last surviving figures from the golden age of animation, Givens started his career in 1937 at Disney where he used to draw Donald Duck and Snow White cartoons. He then joined Warner Bros in 1940 and eventually became world famous for his brilliant work on the Bugs Bunny character. Givens’ career also encompassed TV ads, including commercials for Raid.

Los Angeles Times reports that his initial drawings were rumoured to be ‘too cute’  for the type of cartoons the company was looking to produce. But Givens’ sketches emerged as the first official design for the lead character of the Looney Tunes franchise, making him a famous in the industry.  

Along with Tex Avery, Givens worked on the redesign of Bugs Bunny before the character’s debut in the 1940 animated short A Wild Hare. The film also introduced the iconic phrase,  “What’s up, Doc?” which became synonymous with the character.

Outside of Looney Tunes, the celebrated animator also worked on layouts for  Garfield and Friends  (Season 1 - Season 4) and  Bobby’s World  (Season 1 - Season 5).

Bob’s daughter, Mariana Givens, has confirmed her father’s death on her Facebook page as she revealed Bob died on 14 December in Burbank, California from acute respiratory failure.