History Main / RogerRabbitEffect

A sub-category of this trope is any story where cartoon characters are real and exist independently from "real" human beings (which may or may not be set in ToonTown and/or an AlternateTooniverse). Since this is such a visual idea, it's not very common in forms of media that lack a visual aspect, although the odd duck does exist--including [[Literature/WhoCensoredRogerRabbit the trope maker itself]].

A sub-category of this trope is any story where cartoon characters are real and exist independently from "real" human beings (which may or may not be set in ToonTown and/or an AlternateTooniverse). Since this is such a visual idea, it's not very common in forms of media that lack a visual aspect, although the odd duck does exist.

* Infrequently done for comic effect on ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'' when the characters go on land. In one episode, they were all portrayed as [[StylisticSuck crude puppets]]. In ''[=The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie=]'', part of the climax even involves Spongebob and Patrick receiving help from an AdamWesting Creator/DavidHasselhoff.

** Also "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS12E1TreehouseOfHorrorXI Treehouse of Horror XI]]", "The Terror of Tiny Toon", has Bart and Lisa [[TrappedInTVLand trapped inside a TV]] with Itchy and Scratchy trying to murder them. At one point Homer changes the channel and they end up ruining a scene for ''Regis and Kathy Lee'' (it was originally going to be the FOX legal dramedy ''Series/AllyMcBeal'', but Calista Flockhart (the show's star) declined. It does explain why a morning show like ''Regis and Kathy Lee'' would air at night).

* [=AniMae=] from the ''Roleplay/GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'' is a "living anime" ActionGirl superhero who possesses all the usual MagicalGirl / ActionGirl abilities, with the added benefit of being really hard to injure permanently because she's a cartoon character.

* Disney used this for decades, starting with the ''WesternAnimation/AliceComedies'' series, which started in 1923, and kept right on going through ''Film/TheReluctantDragon'', ''Film/SoDearToMyHeart'', the eternally un-re-released ''Film/SongOfTheSouth'', ''Film/MaryPoppins'', ''Film/BedknobsAndBroomsticks'', ''Film/PetesDragon1977'', ''Disney/TheThreeCaballeros'', ''Disney/FunAndFancyFree'', ''Disney/MelodyTime'', ''Disney/{{Fantasia}}'', ''Disney/Fantasia2000'', and ''Film/{{Enchanted}}''.

* The opening of the [[Creator/{{Disney}} "Best of Disney-]][[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4TuB_cNIaY 50 Years of Magic"]] documentary shows Michael Eisner interacting with MickeyMouse. [[Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit Roger Rabbit]] and [[Disney/{{Fantasia}} a few others]] also appear.

* The live broadcast of the UsefulNotes/{{Academy Awards|Ceremonies}} sometimes has cartoon characters as presenters. They almost always present the Best Animated Short award, although there's been exceptions (WesternAnimation/WoodyWoodpecker for the Special Achievement Award to Creator/WalterLantz, WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtHead presenting Best Sound Effects, [[WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles Edna Mode]] for Best Costume and {{Film/Ted}} for Best Sound Editing/Mixing). [[Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast Belle and the Beast]] and [[Disney/ChickenLittle Chicken Little and Abby Mallard]] (the latter appearance had a ''hilarious'' lampshade of the HalfDressedCartoonAnimal trope where Abby made makeshift pants out of the envelope) are among those who have presented for Best Animated Short. Almost always, with a few exceptions, whenever animated characters present at the awards, their mouths are covered up by the envelope when announcing the winner. For the Best Animated Feature awards, the characters from the nominated films [[http://maxtaroisheretoo.tumblr.com/post/79006596218 are sometimes shown sitting in the audience]]. If those weren't enough, WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck ''co-hosted'' the 1957 ceremony!

** One time, the Nega Chin beat up Creator/PattonOswalt, although the interaction between them [[SpecialEffectFailure comes off as looking pretty fake]] due to the cartoon's comparatively stiff animation.

* The Disney series ''WesternAnimation/{{Bonkers}}'' is similar to ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit''. In fact, it owes it existence to being inspired by ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit''. The titular Bonkers T. Bobcat is a washed-up cartoon star working as a cop in the "real world". If you're wondering how they pulled that off in pure animation, "Real" things and people were [[RealIsBrown painted in a shade darker]] than "Toon" people and objects, as well as having a much more subdued range of motion and especially reaction. Humans were also drawn with [[FourFingeredHands five fingers]], which becomes a plot point in one episode. The characters seemed to be [[GenreSavvy aware]] that different physics applied to 'toon characters, and even referred to them like an ethnic minority.

* ''Series/PressYourLuck'' had the show's penalty, the Whammy, appear in front of the contestants' score and perform a cartoony stunt to erase it when it was landed upon at the big board. Similarly done in its 2002 reboot ''[[Series/{{Whammy}} Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck]]'' which was in CGI as where the original was computer-composite 2-D.

* The [[Series/WaltDisneyPresents ''Disneyland'' anthology show]] often had Creator/WaltDisney interacting with his cartoon creations. A perfect example is a 1956 episode entitled "A Day in the Life of Donald Duck", in which WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck struggles through a typical day at the Disney Studio. Along the way, he meets [[Series/TheMickeyMouseClub the Mouseketeers]], the [[TalkingToHimself voice of Donald himself]] Clarence Nash, and of course Walt Disney.

* In a truly bizarre example of this trope, in the late 40's, when Creator/ColumbiaPictures was making live action Franchise/{{Superman}} serials, in order to save money on the flight effect, they actually had Superman ''turn into a cartoon version of himself'' when he flew!

* CBS's ill-fated [[FollowTheLeader attempt to mimic]] Disney's ''Wonderful World of Color'' was 1956's ''CBS Cartoon Theater'' in which Creator/DickVanDyke hosted and interacted with Terrytoons characters (who appeared on a TV set).

* ''WesternAnimation/MuppetBabies1984'' uses footage of live-action movies as a general rule, but in one episode in particular, "The Incredible Shrinking Weirdo", there is a scene where a live-action adult Kermit interacts with an animated Baby Gonzo. A clip from ''Series/TheMuppetShow'' (Episode 223: Creator/JohnCleese) was used, with Creator/FrankWelker dubbing new lines for Kermit and with Baby Gonzo matted into the scene.

* 1991 short ''WesternAnimation/{{Manipulation}}'', inspired by the classic ''WesternAnimation/DuckAmuck'', features the hands of an animator, shown in live-action, manipulating the cartoon man on his page. At the end of the cartoon the animator throws the drawing in the garbage, only for the cartoon man to crawl out of the garbage can.

* The ''WesternAnimation/MuppetBabies1984'' episode, "The Incredible Shrinking Weirdo" features a scene where a live-action adult Kermit interacts with an animated Baby Gonzo. A clip from ''Series/TheMuppetShow'' (Episode 223: Creator/JohnCleese) was used, with Creator/FrankWelker dubbing new lines for Kermit and with Baby Gonzo matted into the scene.

* ''[[VideoGame/SegaSuperstars Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing]]'': The realistic [[VideoGame/VirtuaFighter Jacky, Akira]], [[VideoGame/{{Shenmue}} Ryo Hazuki]], and [[VideoGame/CrazyTaxi B.D. Joe]] race against the cartoonish Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog and friends, [[VideoGame/SuperMonkeyBall Aiai]], VideoGame/{{Billy Hatcher|AndTheGiantEgg}}, and more. They can also get SquashedFlat, hit with flying boxing gloves and missiles, and have other cartoonish things happen to them. [[VideoGame/JetSetRadio Beat]] may also count since he comes from a realistic-type game but with stylish graphics. Real-life racer Danica Patrick joins the party in ''All-Stars Racing Transformed''.

* The Energizer Bunny:

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9hrPb0cQhs A commercial for the Renault Kangaroo.]]

* Most early VideoGame/{{Pokemon}} commercials had the characters drawn in anime-style amongst live-action backgrounds, often with human actors ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSD0ixlhczY here's an example]]). Around the DS era, the Pokémon were CGI instead.

* The {{Trope Namer|s}}, ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit''. The special effects included several mechanical props covered by the animation to create the illusion of Toons being able to interact with real objects. A barroom had slots in the floor and puppeteers with large poles so animated penguins could carry real serving trays. A sink was built with a robotic pipe thingy so Roger Rabbit could splash in the sink and spit out a mouthful of water. One of the most elaborate effects was for the scenes with Benny the Cab; they were filmed with a custom rig which was essentially a steel bed frame with tires and a small gasoline engine to move about, with Creator/BobHoskins sitting on an elevated platform holding a fake steering wheel while the actual driver was down below, concealed by overlaying Benny in post. As one critic said in their review, "although this wasn't the first time that cartoon characters have shared the screen with live actors, it was the first time they did it on their own terms and made it look real."

* The {{Trope Namer|s}}, ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit''. The special effects included several mechanical props covered by the animation to create the illusion of Toons being able to interact with real objects. A barroom had slots in the floor and puppeteers with large poles so animated penguins could carry real serving trays. A sink was built with a robotic pipe thingy so Roger Rabbit could splash in the sink and spit out a mouthful of water. As one critic said in their review, "although this wasn't the first time that cartoon characters have shared the screen with live actors, it was the first time they did it on their own terms and made it look real."

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' has static, heavily-edited photographs for backgrounds and characters that are animated in 2D, CGI, and one character and her family is a live-action puppet (specifically a live-action actor's upside-down chin). However, the live-action actors only appear on in-universe videos and TV shows, never together with animated people, until the SeriesFinale has a live-action human ([[spoiler:[[FullBodyDisguise seemingly]]) as the antagonist.