Development of Bugs Bunny and of the character. A model sheet by Charlie Thorson describes this prototype character as "Bugs' Bunny" (note the apostrophe) but in most of the cartoons the character is unnamed. Virgil Ross, the animator for "A Wild Hare" describes how the character came to be named in the interview published by "Animato!" magazine #19. Mel Blanc often told the story of the creation of the character and its name. He suggested that the character be named after the character's initial director, Ben "Bugs" Hardaway. Blanc's own book, "That's Not All Folks" published by Warner Books in 1988, describes the "tough
Bugs Bunny Rides Again and the "William Tell Overture" were already associated with the Old West, cowboys, and cattle, and were familiar to audiences. "Der Erlkönig", the "Inflamatus", and the "Sonata Pathétique" fit the function of generic dramatic or agitated music used in genre films. In contrast, the titular tune of "Bugs Bunny Rides Again" is styled after the music of vaudeville shows.* Bugs Bunny Rides Again Bugs Bunny Rides Again is a 1948 Warner Bros. "Merrie Melodies" short, released in 1948, directed by Friz Freleng, and written by Tedd Pierce and Michael Maltese. The short is both part of the Western and a