was babs bunny really the prototype for lola bunny?

wrenchien · #1 09-11-2002, 05:51 AM

i can't help but wonder since they look so much alike. sure, lola is older and at best her only role in animation so far was the space jam movie... but still...

finbarlafume · #2 09-11-2002, 08:05 AM

It'd be interesting if she was... it'd be the first case of a TTA character inspiring a Looney Tunes character. ( although as to whether Lola can be considered a Looney Tune or not is another question )

One of the Lola bunny model sheets has the words: 'Less of the Babs Bunny look' scribbled on it... so the animators were obviously thinking of her

Kermit · #3 09-14-2002, 11:15 AM

Though Babs might look somewhat like Lola I don't think she was really the model for Lola. Bab's is more of a comedian and Lola is more of just the sassy girlfriend, in my opinion. They might have some similarities though.

Jack · #4 09-14-2002, 01:25 PM

I once saw a prototype Lola Bunny drawing posted somewhere, it said "The new and IMPROVED Daisy Lou." Daisy Lou was Bugs' girlfriend in a 1948 cartoon called Hare-Splitter.

I'm sure there was a bit of a Babs Bunny influence, though.

I don't really consider Lola to be a Looney Tune character, and the people I have talked to who have read her stories in the comics say she's more like an Animaniacs character than a Looney Tune. She's just a female rabbit figure that can be paired with Bugs Bunny for merchandise. She replaced Honey Bunny, a character created by Robert McKimson for use in the comics.

Jack

David64ca · #5 09-21-2002, 11:10 AM

There was a Selvester and Tweety video and Lola did have a cameo in it. So in other words, I think Lola is a Looney Tune.

Dante Bunny · #6 09-22-2002, 12:34 AM

Well, one, Babs is funny and smart and so as Lola. I also thinking the same thing between Babs and Honey, back in 1995.

BlackCat · #7 09-22-2002, 05:01 PM

Well, since she is in the new show, Baby Looney Tunes, you can now officially call her one.

I'm not sure about the Babs reference, but that obviously was something they were thinking about when creating her and probably what helped influence them to create her.

**Lonestarr** · #8 09-22-2002, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by David64ca
So in other words, I think Lola is a Looney Tune.

Pray that this one never, ever finds the Termite Terrace Trading Post.

David Gerstein · #9 10-17-2002, 05:43 PM

Oh, but it doesn't need to find us, because we found it! >Heh! Heh!<
Actually, I have no serious problem with Lola, as her real origin with Bugs comes in the 1940s comic books (where a prototypical version of her is called Lula Belle). Never looked consistent in them, though— one version looked a lot like today's Lola, other versions looked weird (and/or more like the later comics character Honey Bunny).

Matthew Hunter · #10 11-06-2002, 11:10 PM

Okay. History lesson. Bugs Bunny had a girlfriend called Daisy Lou in the 1948 cartoon "Hare Splitter". That was mentioned earlier. Honey Bunny came later, she was created by Robert McKimson, whose brothers, Charles and Tom, worked on the comics for Western Publishing, then under the Dell banner. 1953, as far as I know, marks the first appearance of the Honey Bunny character, but instead of the character that later developed, she was a small white rabbit and not Bugs' girl friend at all...just his cousin. The comic was a one-shot special called "Bugs Bunny's Album", and featured Bugs in various historical situations as or with his 'relatives'. Honey Bunny was an explorer in the African jungle.

Later on, Honey Bunny was revamped by the McKimson brothers and continued in the comics through the 1980's, as well as on merchandise. She was even used in the Warner Brothers stores and on limited edition animation art well into the 90's, until she was replaced by Lola in 1997 or so.

When Space Jam came along, Lola Bunny was introduced, and it would actually be much later that she would resurface on merchandise unrelated to the movie. As far as I know, her first comics appearance in DC's "Looney Tunes" was around 1999. I have no idea where this image originally came from, but someone sent it to me a long time ago. It was from a model guide to merchandising and animating Lola. There are 2 versions, it appears they dressed her more tastefully for merchandise:

In the comics, Lola is actually used very creatively. She is (as far as I've seen) kept separate from the other characters except on the occasional cover appearance. Lola, in most of these stories, is a pizza delivery girl who encounters wacky weirdos along the way, and her stories are more one-liner based and non-LT character driven, much like the Animaniacs comics. Here's an image from the cover of Looney Tunes #80, drawn by, IIRC, artist Neil Sternecky:

-Matthew

#11 01-14-2006, 03:52 PM

Where can I order for comic with Lola Bunny?
thank you by Kent Davis

tb4000 · #12 01-14-2006, 05:06 PM

I always thought she was inspired by Minerva Mink.

Fifi Fanatic · #13 01-14-2006, 09:25 PM

There was a story in one of the comics (too lazy to go to the other end of the house and dig up which issue it was) in which Bugs gets Lola to race Cecil Turtle! Cecil, of course, outwits both wabbits this time. Poor ol' Bugs, Cecil is the one and only adversary that he's never going to get the best of....

J. B. Warner · #14 01-23-2006, 02:51 PM

I wouldn't say that Lola was based on Babs - in fact, they're almost polar opposites. Lola's main problem is that she has potential, but it's already been used in the form of Babs. If Lola was "loonier" and less down-to-earth PC, I don't think I'd have a problem with her. For Gosh sakes, she's a Warner Bros. character - swing a mallet, drop an anvil, do something funny.

Martiangirl · #15 01-24-2006, 11:30 AM

You took the words right out of my mouth! Lola does have potential to be funny (in my case, "likable"). But WB seems too reluctant to make her "loonier", like they're afraid they'll offend someone and get a bunch of scathing letters telling them they're sexist and painting a negative image of women.

PC America run amok ruins so much.

Wabbit Wuv · #16 01-24-2006, 06:07 PM

She does have a lot of potential! C'mon WB, give her a chance!!!
Sure she's sassy, but she's not afraid to take on the opponent. And she is looney, it was evident in her last scene in Space Jam. I know she could do more. With her tough personality she could do some really funny stuff. Cartoon violence anyone?

Honestly, WB needs to wise up...

#17 01-24-2006, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew Hunter

Okay. History lesson. Bugs Bunny had a girlfriend called Daisy Lou in the 1948 cartoon "Hare Splitter". That was mentioned earlier. Honey Bunny came later, she was created by Robert McKimson, whose brothers, Charles and Tom, worked on the comics for Western Publishing, then under the Dell banner. 1953, as far as I know, marks the first appearance of the Honey Bunny character, but instead of the character that later developed, she was a small white rabbit and not Bugs' girl friend at all...just his cousin. The comic was a one-shot special called "Bugs Bunny's Album", and featured Bugs in various historical situations as or with his 'relatives'. Honey Bunny was an explorer in the African jungle.

Later on, Honey Bunny was revamped by the McKimson brothers and continued in the comics through the 1980's, as well as on merchandise. She was even used in the Warner Brothers stores and on limited edition animation art well into the 90's, until she was replaced by Lola in 1997 or so.

When Space Jam came along, Lola Bunny was introduced, and it would actually be much later that she would resurface on merchandise unrelated to the movie. As far as I know, her first comics appearance in DC's "Looney Tunes" was around 1999. I have no idea where this image originally came from, but someone sent it to me a long time ago. It was from a model guide to merchandising and animating Lola. There are 2 versions, it appears they dressed her more tastefully for merchandise:

In the comics, Lola is actually used very creatively. She is (as far as I've seen) kept separate from the other characters except on the occasional cover appearance. Lola, in most of these stories, is a pizza delivery girl who encounters wacky weirdos along the way, and her stories are more one-liner based and non-LT character driven, much like the Animaniacs comics. Here's an image from the cover of Looney Tunes #80, drawn by, IIRC, artist Neil Sternecky:

-Matthew

I love Lola Bunny because She is cute.

Where can I order this Lola Bunny comic book?

JMorgan · #18 02-14-2006, 03:17 PM

Inspired by Babs? Probably not, especially since there were more "direct" prototypes of her as mentioned earlier in this thread (it's very odd, I haven't read any Looney Tunes comic books in my life, and yet I very distinctly remember a character named Honey Bunny from when I was young... I had an old VHS video tape from AGES ago that was like, some Thanksgiving special or something, in which Bugs had a girlfriend from what I recall, and I don't remember her name, but I very much remember knowing a girl named Honey Bunny and not any of the other non-Lola Bugs counterparts on this thread).

But, partially inspired in some aspects through what Babs was? Most likely; Babs was actually a female counterpart to the next-generation counterpart of Bugs, and was in the series from the get-go. She was different from Bugs in both appearance and personality, and was very popular, so WB probably deciced to say "hey, let's just do this" and thre away the old, rarely-seen, from-what-I-can-tell-extremely-Bugs-like counterparts and made him a new one, who was smart and sassy and, both physically and personality-wise, contrasted him. Her "realistic" female body could more than likely have been inspired by the oh-so-interesting Minerva Mink character as mentioned earlier in this thread as well, which seemed to be liked overall by many fans as well as the creators and was stuffed in many Animaniacs comics as well as even being in the intro shortly, but never really got much of anywhere since she was designed to be part of what was more or less a kids' show. And, unlike Lola, she wasn't especially outstanding as a female role model.

And there, if you compare Lola's aspects to those of all the other girls mentioned in this thread, and her aspects compared to those of her male counterpart, I'd say she definately seems mostly based around Babs. Not completely based around, and not completely inspired by, but I'd definately not be afriad to say Babs played some big influences in her creation.

SAMaine · #19 03-08-2006, 12:10 AM

Well, Lola can't much like Babs because Babs was half of a duo, whereas Bugs' best work was solo. To make Lola like Babs would force Bugs to be more 'Buster.'

Look, example. Bugs is never afraid to crossdress to get out of a bad situation whereas Buster NEVER crossdress. That's a distinct difference between Bugs and Buster. Babs usually does the crossdressing of the Buster & Babs duo.

However, Lola does seem to be a good occasional one-liner character.

STARTOUNZ · #20 03-08-2006, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAMaine

Look, example. Bugs is never afraid to crossdress to get out of a bad situation whereas Buster NEVER crossdress. That's a distinct difference between Bugs and Buster. Babs usually does the crossdressing of the Buster & Babs duo.

That's incorrect. Buster did crossdress a few times. Among those I can remember was in "Citizen Max" when he dressed as a female reporter when Babs crossdressed as a male reporter at the same time. Other time he's crossed are in episodes Babs wasn't around.