Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character, created in the late 1930s by Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring roles in the "Looney Tunes" and "Merrie Melodies" series of animated short films, produced by Warner Bros. Though a similar character first appeared in the WB cartoon "Porky's Hare Hunt" (1938) and a few subsequent shorts, the definitive characterization of Bugs Bunny is widely credited to have debuted in director Tex Avery's Oscar-nominated film "A Wild Hare" (1940).