Felix the Cat:

A. comics and collectibles are still being produced.

B. was devised by Walt Disney Studios as an antagonist for Mickey Mouse, then gradually phased out when Mickey turned into a bigger than anticipated superstar.

C. accompanied Charles Lindbergh as a lucky mascot on his famous solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927.

D. was an obscure comics character discovered by American troops in France during World War I, who brought "Felix le Chat" back to the United States. Many of the collectibles from this period feature Felix in an army doughboy uniform.


Answer: A and C are true. Felix the Cat, created by Otto Messmer, debuted in a 1919 movie and quickly went on to become the best known cartoon personality before Mickey Mouse. The mischievous cat starred in his own animation shorts and was syndicated in 250 newspapers around the world. Felix did not, however, make a successful transition to talking pictures, and by the mid-1930s he was eclipsed by characters from the Disney and Fleischer Studios, although Messmer continued producing the popular comic strip.

Felix collectibles began appearing in the early 1920s and remained in demand until World War II. The most available items today are the moveable wooden figures made in four, six and eight inch sizes by the A. Schoenhut Co., famous for its circus characters and animals. Any Felix collectible from this period brings a strong price. A child's lusterware tea service set for six sells for $900. A combination rattle-whistle would fetch $250. Other playthings included porridge bowls, pails, metal and celluloid statues, pull toys, wind-ups, and imaginative pieces such as the tin "Speedy Felix" roadster, worth over $1,200. The value of all collectible toys is very sensitive to condition. The same "Speedy Felix" with evident overall wear, even if in good working order and without dings, would command half the price. Original boxes add at least 10 percent.

The 1960s witnessed a Felix revival that continues to the present with comic books, cartoons and products; recent collectibles have minimal value. Felix has changed with middle age. Not only is he heavier, he has lost some of his witty irreverence and is designed more for children, unlike the early days of cartoons that entertained Mom and Dad as much as the kids. Back then, there were Felix the Cat lighters and ashtrays.