The Quick 10: Happy Birthday, Marvin the Martian!

Stacy Conradt
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Marvin the Martian crash-landed on our planet sixty-one years ago tomorrow. Maybe he's your favorite and maybe he's not (I would be in the latter category), but there's no doubt that he's one of the most beloved Looney Toons characters to many fans. Happy almost-birthday, Marvin, and please wait to destroy Earth until I'm no longer on it.

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2. Marvin's debut on July 24, 1948, was in the animated short Haredevil Hare. Bugs is chosen to explore space, and when he gets to the moon, he discovers this strange little creature plotting to blow up the earth. At this point, Marvin didn't have a name "“ or at least, we didn't know it. See for yourself, and take note of how different Marvin's voice is "“ Mel Blanc changed it after this appearance.

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10. Speaking of which, have you ever wondered exactly why Marvin is so hell-bent on blowing up or otherwise destroying the Earth? In case you've never caught it in one of the cartoons, the answer is that Earth blocks Marvin's view of Venus.

Is Marvin one of your favorite Looney Toons characters? If not, who is? I think you all know that I would take Disney over Looney Toons any day, but I do have a certain affinity for Gossamer and Wile E. Coyote.

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