History Creator / OttoMessmer

Messmer was undoubtedly a big influence on many animators. Along with [[Creator/WinsorMcCay Winsor [=McCay=]]], Creator/VanBeurenStudios and Creator/MaxAndDaveFleischer, he was a big influence on future stars like Creator/WaltDisney, whose WesternAnimation/AliceComedies, WesternAnimation/OswaldTheLuckyRabbit and MickeyMouse cartoons undoubtedly drew much influence from Messmer's work.

One of the most influential artists in the HistoryOfAnimation, Otto James Messmer, born on August 16, 1892 in West Hoboken, UsefulNotes/NewJersey (now Union City), was an animator and comic artist during UsefulNotes/TheSilentAgeOfAnimation, UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation and UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation, and one of the founding fathers of the American cartoon. His most famous creation is WesternAnimation/FelixTheCat, easily the most influential, and at 98 years and going, [[LongRunner longest lasting]], animated cartoon character in history, and the first to achieve genuine popularity and success. Messmer's iconic [[RubberhoseLimbs rubberhose art style]] was also universally copied by the animation community of the time, due to how practical and inexpensive it was to animate.

One of the most influential artists in the HistoryOfAnimation, '''''Otto James Messmer''''', born on August 16, 1892 in West Hoboken, UsefulNotes/NewJersey (now Union City), was an animator and comic artist during UsefulNotes/TheSilentAgeOfAnimation, UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation and UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation, and one of the founding fathers of the American cartoon. His most famous creation is WesternAnimation/FelixTheCat, easily the most influential, and at 98 years and going, [[LongRunner longest lasting]], animated cartoon character in history, and the first to achieve genuine popularity and success. Messmer's iconic [[RubberhoseLimbs rubberhose art style]] was also universally copied by the animation community of the time, due to how practical and inexpensive it was to animate.

!!!Tropes Related to Him:

* MyRealDaddy: For most of his lifetime, Pat Sullivan, his boss, was credited as the creator of Felix, even though he had virtually nothing to do with creating the character or even drawing the cartoons and was barely present at his own studio (the ''only'' role Sullivan had in it was asking Messmer to whip out a cartoon to fill in for a tardy animators work, inking the very first Felix newspaper comic, and drawing the character for publicity tours). Messmer was a shy and humble worker who shunned the spotlight--it wasn't until the rights to Felix were bought out from Sullivan's estate by his own prestige, Creator/JoeOriolo, along with other surviving artists from the early days of Felix, finally gave Messmer the credit he deserved as Felix's creator. When WesternAnimation/TheTwistedTalesOfFelixTheCat came out, both Otto Messmer ''and'' Joe Oriolo are credited as the creators of the series in the credits, but Pat Sullivan [[UnPerson isn't even mentioned.]]
* PassingTheTorch: When Messmer retired from animation and comics, he passed on the responsibility of handling Felix the Cat to his former assistant, Joe Oriolo, who would run the Felix franchise all the way to his death in the 80's.
* RubberhoseLimbs: Messmer is arguably the [[TropeMakers Trope Maker]], or at least the TropeCodifier, although that might belong to one of his friends and animators, Creator/BillNolan, who redesigned Felix into his more circular design. It should be noted that Otto's art style was largely influenced by early NewspaperComics such as the ''Katzenjammer Kids''.

* MyRealDaddy: For most of his lifetime, Pat Sullivan, his boss, was credited as the creator of Felix, even though he had virtually nothing to do with creating the character or even drawing the cartoons and was barely present at his own studio (the ''only'' role Sullivan had in it was asking Messmer to whip out a cartoon to fill in for a tardy animators work, inking the very first Felix newspaper comic, and drawing the character for publicity tours). Messmer was a shy and humble worker who shunned the spotlight--it wasn't until the rights to Felix were bought out from Sullivan's estate by his own prestige, Creator/JoeOriolo, along with other surviving artists from the early days of Felix, finally gave Messmer the credit he deserved as Felix's creator. When ''WesternAnimation/TheTwistedTalesOfFelix'' came out, both Otto Messmer ''and'' Joe Oriolo are credited as the creators of the series in the credits, but Pat Sullivan [[UnPerson isn't even mentioned.]]

One of the most influential artists in the HistoryOfAnimation, '''''Otto James Messmer''''', born on August 16, 1892 in West Hoboken, UsefulNotes/NewJersey (now Union City), was an animator and comic artist during UsefulNotes/TheSilentAgeOfAnimation, UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation and UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation, and one of the founding fathers of the American cartoon. His most famous creation is WesternAnimation/FelixTheCat, easily the most influential, and at 97 years and going, [[LongRunner longest lasting]], animated cartoon character in history, and the first to achieve genuine popularity and success. Messmer's iconic [[RubberhoseLimbs rubberhose art style]] was also universally copied by the animation community of the time, due to how practical and inexpensive it was to animate.

* MyRealDaddy: For most of his lifetime, Pat Sullivan, his boss, was credited as the creator of Felix, even though he had virtually nothing to do with creating the creator or even drawing the cartoons and was barely present at his own studio. The ''only'' Sullivan had in it was asking Messmer to whip out a cartoon to fill in for a tardy animators work. Messmer was a shy and humble worker who shunned the spotlight--it wasn't until the rights to Felix were bought out from Sullivan's estate by his own prestige, Creator/JoeOriolo, along with other surviving artists from the early days of Felix, finally gave Messmer the credit he deserved as Felix's creator. When ''WesternAnimation/TheTwistedTalesOfFelix'' came out, both Otto Messmer ''and'' Joe Oriolo are credited as the creators of the series in the credits, but Pat Sullivan [[UnPerson isn't even mentioned.]]

* ReclusiveArtist: To a degree. In real life, Messmer was a very modest man who preferred to work on his animation and comics solo and without complication--alledgedly, he even turned down an offer to work for Disney so that he could continue working alone in peace (although he did agree to contribute some new animation of Felix to the Series/WaltDisneyPresents episode ''The Story of the Animated Drawing''). Thankfully, he did grant interviews and got recognition as the creator of Felix and a pioneer of animation by the end of his life.

* ReclusiveArtist: To a degree. In real life, Messmer was a very modest man who preferred to work on his animation and comics solo and without complication--alledgedly, he even turned down an offer to work for Disney so that he could continue working alone in peace (although he did agree to contribute some new animation of Felix to the Walt Disney Presents episode ''The Story of the Animated Drawing''). Thankfully, he did grant interviews and got recognition as the creator of Felix and a pioneer of animation by the end of his life.

One of the most influential artists in the HistoryOfAnimation, '''''Otto James Messmer''''', born on August 16, 1892 in West Hoboken, UsefulNotes/NewJersey (now Union City), was an animator and comic artist during UsefulNotes/TheSilentAgeOfAnimation, UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation and UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation, and one of the founding fathers of the american cartoon. His most famous creation is WesternAnimation/FelixTheCat, easily the most influential, and at 97 years and going, [[LongRunner longest lasting]], animated cartoon character in history, and the first to achieve genuine popularity and success. Messmer's iconic [[RubberhoseLimbs rubberhose art style]] was also universally copied by the animation community of the time, due to how practical and inexpensive it was to animate.

One of the most influential artists in the HistoryOfAnimation, '''''Otto James Messmer''''', born on August 16, 1892 in West Hoboken, UsefulNotes/NewJersey (now Union City), was an animator and comic artist during UsefulNotes/TheSilentAgeOfAnimation, UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation and UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation, and one of the founding fathers of the american cartoon. His most famous creation is WesternAnimation/FelixTheCat, easily the most influential, and at 97 years and going, [[LongRunner longest lasting]], cartoon character in history, and the first to achieve genuine popularity and success. Messmer's iconic [[RubberhoseLimbs rubberhose art style]] was also universally copied by the animation community of the time, due to how practical and inexpensive it was to animate.

One of the most influential artists in the HistoryOfAnimation, '''''Otto James Messmer''''', born on August 16, 1892 in West Hoboken, UsefulNotes/NewJersey (now Union City), was an animator and comic artist during UsefulNotes/TheSilentAgeOfAnimation, UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation and UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation, and one of the founding fathers of the american cartoon. His most famous creation is WesternAnimation/FelixTheCat, easily the most influential, and at 96 years and going, [[LongRunner longest lasting]], cartoon character in history, and the first to achieve genuine popularity and success. Messmer's iconic [[RubberhoseLimbs rubberhose art style]] was also universally copied by the animation community of the time, due to how practical and inexpensive it was to animate.

* FollowTheLeader: When Messmer's creation made a splash in the 1920s, just about everybody was trying to ape the Felix cartoons and his art style. This even lasted till the early 1930s, before Disney began truly establishing its influence in the industry.
* OldShame: He later openly regretted choosing [[PrimaDonnaDirector director]] [[UsefulNotes/NoteworthyDisneyStaff Burt Gillett]] to make the [[Creator/VanBeurenStudios Van Beuren]] Felix the Cat shorts.

* OldShame: He later openly regretted choosing [[PrimaDonnaDirector director]] [[NoteworthyDisneyStaff Burt Gillett]] to make the [[Creator/VanBeurenStudios Van Beuren]] Felix the Cat shorts.

One of the most influential artists in the HistoryOfAnimation, '''''Otto James Messmer''''', born on August 16, 1892 in West Hoboken, UsefulNotes/NewJersey (now Union City), was an animator and comic artist during TheSilentAgeOfAnimation, TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation and TheDarkAgeOfAnimation, and one of the founding fathers of the american cartoon. His most famous creation is WesternAnimation/FelixTheCat, easily the most influential, and at 96 years and going, [[LongRunner longest lasting]], cartoon character in history, and the first to achieve genuine popularity and success. Messmer's iconic [[RubberhoseLimbs rubberhose art style]] was also universally copied by the animation community of the time, due to how practical and inexpensive it was to animate.

One of the most influential artists in the HistoryOfAnimation, '''''Otto James Messmer''''', born on August 16, 1892 in West Hoboken, UsefulNotes/NewJersey (now Union City), was an animator and comic artist during TheSilentAgeOfAnimation, TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation and TheDarkAgeOfAnimation, and one of the founding fathers of the american cartoon. [[MagnumOpus His most famous creation]] is WesternAnimation/FelixTheCat, easily the most influential, and at 96 years and going, [[LongRunner longest lasting]], cartoon character in history, and the first to achieve genuine popularity and success. Messmer's iconic [[RubberhoseLimbs rubberhose art style]] was also universally copied by the animation community of the time, due to how practical and inexpensive it was to animate.

One of the most influential artists in the HistoryOfAnimation, '''''Otto James Messmer''''', born on August 16, 1892 in West Hoboken, UsefulNotes/NewJersey (now Union City), was an animator and comic artist during TheSilentAgeOfAnimation, TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation and TheDarkAgeOfAnimation, and one of the founding fathers of the american cartoon. [[MagnumOpus His most famous creation]] is WesternAnimation/FelixTheCat, easily the most influential, and at 92 years and going, [[LongRunner longest lasting]], cartoon character in history, and the first to achieve genuine popularity and success. Messmer's iconic [[RubberhoseLimbs rubberhose art style]] was also universally copied by the animation community of the time, due to how practical and inexpensive it was to animate.

* RubberhoseLimbs: Messmer is arguably the [[TropeMakers Trope Maker]], or at least the TropeCodifier, although that might belong to one of his friends and animators, BillNolan, who redesigned Felix into his more circular design. It should be noted that Otto's art style was largely influenced by early NewspaperComics such as the ''Katzenjammer Kids''.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2431984872_245a3aa8ba_9296.jpg

->''"I think everyone since [[NeedsMoreLove owes a huge debt]] to Otto Messmer and Felix. We are using techniques, ideas and cliches today that [[TropeMakers began with this creation]]. Felix is truly the father of cartoony cartoons."''