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Cartoon characters are some of popular culture’s most beloved and instantly recognizable elements. They remain timeless throughout the decades or are pleasant reminders of a bygone era. Of course, there are those like Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Scooby-Doo, and others, but what about those who have been lost to time?
While some cartoon characters are undoubtedly recognizable, they haven’t seen any notable spikes in popularity apart from die-hard fans. They may have a movie or theme park attraction in their name, but rarely are they seen in the public eye again. Still, these former icons could make a comeback someday soon, but only time will tell.
10 Betty Boop
Known for her distinctive voice, large head, big heart, and flapper girl-like attitude, Betty was a girl who enjoyed having fun. She’s crossed over with the likes of Felix the Cat and Popeye and remains well-known for her sense of style. But after the Hayes Code went into effect, said style had to be toned down, causing a decline in interest in the character that hasn’t returned in quite the same way.
Among her most recent appearances was her cameo appearance in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. She worked as a waitress at the Ink and Paint Club and was the only toon to have Eddie Valiant’s (Bob Hoskins) admiration at that point.
9 Rocky and Bullwinkle
It may have been one of the cheaper cartoons of its day, but The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle was also one of the best-written. The show involved multiple characters and segments, but the main story focused on the titular duo; Rocky (June Foray), a flying squirrel with a knack for adrenaline, and Bullwinkle (Bill Scott), a dim-witted moose with a penchant for magic tricks.
As they were created during the Cold War, much of their antics involved the two running afoul of thick-accented spies from the distant land of Pottsylvania. Unfortunately, apart from a few shorts and a theatrical film released in 2000, Rocky and Bullwinkle themselves have faded further from the public eye.
8 Woody Woodpecker
This diminutive bird spent his days avoiding predators and bad guys through his quick wit and general manic attitude. In many respects, he was Universal’s answer to Bugs Bunny (even sharing the same voice actor at one point), albeit with more of a demented, childlike demeanor.
Despite being somewhat recognizable today, Woody needs to be more utilized when compared to his contemporaries. The most Woody’s been seen as of late has been appearances at Universal theme parks, a direct-to-DVD live-action film, and a surprisingly large cult following in Brazil.
7 Popeye
Settled down in the village of Seahaven, Popeye is a deformed sailor who spends his days on the open ocean fighting bad guys, rescuing his girlfriend Olive, and eating his spinach.
He is also one of the most ridiculously overpowered characters in all of fiction, having given the sun itself a black eye in his cartoon debut and, in one comic, survived the temporary destruction of his own universe. While not entirely as forgotten as others, the one-eyed sailor man with an affinity for spinach desperately needs a comeback.
6 Mighty Mouse
Mighty Mouse was a superhero that served as a parody of the man of steel. His flights were legendary, his strength was incredible, and he also had a pretty cool theme song. While his shorts left little of an impact in their original theatrical runs, they became extremely popular on television in the 1950s.
He has not been immune to the occasional comeback, among which was the cult series Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures, helmed by Ralph Bakshi and providing work for many first-time animators, including Bruce Timm and Andrew Stanton.
5 Alice (‘Alice Comedies’)
Before Mickey and Oswald, Walt Disney’s first star was a young girl named Alice. Inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, the Alice Comedies revolved around a live-action human girl transported into an animated world of talking animals.
Of course, this being the early days of cinematic storytelling, many of the shorts had nonsensical plots and often ended without an actual resolution. Still, they were the hits that Walt needed to get his job working on the Oswald shorts, and the idea of a live-action kid in an animated world is still fascinating.
4 The Pink Panther
This colorful feline first appeared in animated opening sequences of self-titled detective movies that otherwise had nothing to do with the panther. But the character became so popular with audiences that he took on a life of his own.
His shorts played out in a similar spirit to Woody Woodpecker, Bugs Bunny and others, though the panther was a suaver and cool-headed character who didn’t usually talk. He was the star of several cartoon shows for kids, notably with supporting characters such as the Inspector, the white guy, and The Ant and the Aardvark.
3 Dudley Do-Right
While Rocky and Bullwinkle were famous stars, Dudley Do-Right would become the breakout segment of their series. Dudley himself (Bill Scott) was a dim-witted Canadian Mountie police officer who spent his days saving the beautiful Nell Fenwick (June Foray) from the dastardly Snidely Whiplash (Hans Conreid). But while Dudley was in love with Nell, she had an objectively concerning relationship with his horse.
Like the hosts of his show, only a little has been done since, apart from a brief revival in the 1990s. During that decade, he got his own film starring Brendan Fraser and a log flume ride at Universal’s Islands of adventure, which can still be ridden today.
2 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
Alice might have come first, but when it comes to forgotten Disney stars, none are more infamous than Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. This rabbit spent his days just getting by, falling in love, and fighting a few bad guys on the way.
But the tipping point for when this rabbit faded into obscurity was when Walt lost the rights to Oswald in a contract dispute with his creator – and created Mickey Mouse as a result. Apart from the occasional 1-minute short and a significant role in the Epic Mickey video games, Oswald has mainly been left out of the limelight yet remains beloved by old-school Disney fans.
1 Felix the Cat
If any cartoon star thrived during the silent age, it was Felix the Cat. While largely left behind by history, Felix set the template for many of his predecessors to come. He was a clever little cat who rolled with life’s punches to outwit his opponents or even survive.
Felix was the most popular cartoon star of his day, appearing in animated shorts, comic books, and newspapers. But once the age of sound took over, his star began to fade, and apart from the occasional short-lived TV show and an ill-fated movie in the ’90s, it has remained faded since.
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