Pete Puma

Pete Puma (voiced by Stan Freberg) is a cartoon puma. He debuted in the November 15, 1952 Rabbit's Kin, a Merrie Melodies animated short directed by Robert McKimson, from a story by Tedd Pierce. Animation was by Charles McKimson, Herman Cohen, Rod Scribner, and Phil De Lara. Though Pete Puma made only two appearances, in Rabbit's Kin and in Pullet Surprise, he is often vividly remembered by cartoon fans, especially for his bizarre, inhaled, almost choking laugh (based on comedian Frank Fontaine's "Crazy Guggenheim" character). His inhaled chortling sound is "Ihhhhhhhh!". In Rabbit's Kin, Pete is chasing a young rabbit (named "Buster Rabbit" by some fans, though in the cartoon, Bugs repeatedly calls him "Shorty"), who asks Bugs Bunny for help. Bugs is eager to oblige, and subjects Pete to some of his trademark pranks. Pete Puma's voice was used (though not by Freberg) in a Sylvester cartoon titled Mouse and Garden, in 1960. More recently, he has made occasional appearances on Tiny Toon Adventures (as the ACME Looniversity janitor), episodes of The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries, co-starred with Foghorn Leghorn in Pullet Surprise (voiced again by Stan in all of these appearances), made a cameo appearance in the crowd scenes of Space Jam, Carrotblanca (as a waiter), and is a supporting character in the Looney Tunes comic books.

Stan Freberg provides commentary for Rabbit's Kin on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection, but spends most of his time simply repeating Pete Puma's lines in the Pete Puma voice, instead of providing any real insight on the creative process.