Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
A stutter that never gets stuck on the part that matters: Porky fumbles the first word and still lands the goodbye, which is why it has been the sound of the end for generations. It works well beyond cartoons as a joke ending for any talk, news item or show, and the stammer is the whole delivery. Hearing it, many fans can already see the drum and the pig closing the show.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Looney TunesShow the scene
The sign-off is older than Porky. It began with Bosko in the first official Looney Tune, "Sinkin' in the Bathtub", and was later used by Buddy and Beans as the studio's closing line. Porky's own version arrived in the 1937-38 season: he bursts out of a drum while a version of "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" plays, stutters the line, and the cartoon ends. The Looney Tunes fan wiki names "Rover's Rival" (released 9 October 1937, directed by Bob Clampett) as the first short to use it. Mel Blanc voiced Porky from 1937, and used the line again at the close of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988).
Sources (3)
- Looney Tunes Wiki: That's all Folks!History, Golden AgeReference checked
- Wikipedia: Rover's RivalinfoboxReference checked
- Wikipedia: Porky Pigintro, 1930s voice history and Roger Rabbit sectionReference checked
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