First Run
Some cartoon characters are so deeply ingrained into modern culture, it’s hard to imagine them making a first appearance. Was there a time without Bugs Bunny or Donald Duck? Difficult to visualize.
Here’s Casper the Friendly Ghost in his 1945 film debut, “The Friendly Ghost.” Although he looks more like a dollop of Cool Whip than his eventual visage, the spunky little spook came into the world with his personality pretty much fully formed. In his first cartoon, Casper moped around, inadvertently scaring a bunch of characters who all say “A ga-ga-ghost!” and then do something really CRAZY! Eventually he finds some new friends, broadminded children who are not put off by his mortality challenged status. In other words, the same gig Casper has been successfully working for the last sixty plus years. Hey, if it works, don’t knock it!
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