Mel Blanc, Bugs Bunny, and me

My dad worked in television almost his entire life, and occasionally he would come home with an interesting story about some famous person who had stopped by the studio that day. One day when I was about eight years old, legendary voice actor Mel Blanc visited the TV studio, and Dad brought home slips of paper with a picture of Bugs Bunny and Mel Blanc's original inscription and autograph on them. Dad had one for all three of my siblings and me, personally inscribed to each of us (mine, shown here, says "Hi Ricky").

As a big fan of both Bugs Bunny and Mel Blanc, I was thrilled.

Flash forward to the year 1978. I'm on a weeklong visit to Los Angeles with my boss, Will Vinton, and during a short break in our hectic schedule I visit the studios of Hanna-Barbera to watch a live voice taping for The Flintstones. Mel Blanc is behind one of the mikes, doing the voice of Barney Rubble and a few of the prehistoric critters that power the Flintstones' household appliances. Three other actors are performing the voices of Fred, Wilma, and Betty. I am in awe. The actor performing Fred's voice sounded different than I remembered, but Blanc's Barney Rubble sounds just like it did when I was a kid.

When they're done recording, I exit the viewing room and start making my way to the front door to leave. Mel Blanc walks right in front of me, nods, and says "Hi."

I may have said "Hi" back. I'm not sure. I was too stunned.

Blanc died in 1989 at the age of 81. During the course of his more than 60-year career, he performed the voices for dozens of characters, including Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Barney Rubble, Dino, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Woody Woodpecker, Tweety Bird, Sylvester the Cat, Wile E. Coyote, Yosemite Sam, Speedy Gonzales, Pepé Le Pew, and Foghorn Leghorn. He is regarded as the most prolific voice actor in the history of the industry. Both he and Bugs Bunny have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Th-th-th-that's all, folks!