the project is disputed, although handwriting in the animation has been identified as his. In addition to Sullivans handwriting in 'Feline Follies', the Australian term for mother 'MUM' is used in a speech bubble of one of the kittens at the 4:00 mark of 'Feline Follies'. Felix was the first cartoon character created and developed for the screen, as well as the first to become a licensed, mass merchandised character. Both his design and his unique character were highly influential. Sullivan took the credit for Felix, and though Messmer directed and was the lead animator on all of the episodes he appeared in, Sullivan's name was the only onscreen credit that appeared in them. Messmer also oversaw the direction of the Felix newspaper strip, doing most of the pencils and inks on the strip until 1954. Felix the Cat starred in over 150 cartoons until 1931, when animation studios began converting to sound films. The newspaper strip's popularity began to fade in the late 1930s, though the character was reintroduced to new fans via comic books in the 1940s. Messmer then teamed with Douglas Leigh on the large moving electronic signs that lit up Times Square. Messmer also produced more Felix comic books in the 1940s and 1950s for companies such as Dell Comics, Toby Press, and Harvey Comics, as well as doing animation for Famous Studios (Several Popeye cartoons carry his credit). By the 1960s, Felix had been reinvented for television, and Messmer's longtime assistant Joe Oriolo (the creator of Casper the Friendly Ghost) made sure that Messmer was finally credited as the creator of Felix the Cat. Messmer continued working on the character for the rest of his life. Death and legacy Messmer died from a heart attack at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey on October 28, 1983. He was 91 years old. Today, Felix the Cat is run in syndication in over 250 newspapers all over the world. References Other sources Mavromatis, Kally; "Felix the Cat – Silent Star of April 1999", accessed April 5, 2007. Gordon, Ian. Felix the Cat at St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture, accessed April 5, 2007. Canemaker, John. Felix: the Twisted Tale of the World's Most Famous Cat. New York: Pantheon, 1991. External links Otto Messmer.com Lambiek Comiclopedia article 1892 births 1983 deaths People from Union City, New Jersey American people of German descent Animators from New Jersey