PEPE LE PEW TURNS 55

PEPE LE PEW TURNS 55

IRVINE, Calif. (Wireless Flash) -- Cartoon fans should raise a stink today to honor Pepe LePew's 55th birthday. On January 5, 1945, the French skunk made his screen debut in a cartoon titled "Odor-able Kitty." However, he was referred to as Henry, not Pepe. Although LePew is one of Warner Brothers' best known characters, his creator, Chuck Jones, says studio officials tried to stop production of the first LePew film because they didn't think French skunks were funny. The attitude changed when LePew won an Oscar for a cartoon titled "For Scent-imental Reasons." As for you trivia buffs, Jones claims there's a split-second scene in one cartoon in which LePew can be seen having sex.