Born in Taylor Texas, in 1908, Frederick 'Bean' "Tex" Avery directed many of the funniest cartoons in all of animation history, paving the way for Tom and Jerry, Roger Rabbit, and Ren and Stimpy. In fact, many of the top live action comedy directors agree that they would not have arrived at their own comedic visions and styles had they not taken their cue from Avery first, including Mel Brooks, The Zucker and Farrelly Brothers, and many others.
In 1930, he began working for Walter Lantz, but developed his original sense of humor and timing at Warner Brothers, influencing virtually every other artist at that studio and forever setting it apart from the then-standard realism and cuteness of Disney. He is also most frequently credited with bringing the personality of Bugs Bunny to full fruition in the classic short, "A Wild Hare". In 1941, Avery moved to MGM, where he created such characters as Droopy, Red, and The Wolf. More importantly, he became known for his marvelous conceptual ideas, surreal gags, and 'takes', or extreme moments of surprise. When an Avery character is disappointed, their mouths drop through wooden tables and slam onto the floor. When shocked, their eyes pop out of their heads several times over, or their entire bodies can be sent reeling ten feet back on their heels.
Avery never knew the acclaim that his contemporaries did later in life. He was described by fellow legend Chuck Jones as 'Shellfish':
.."His modesty was legendary. I'd go to lunch with him because I loved the man and it was embarrassing because I'd be doing all the talking and Tex would just be sitting there. I'd say, 'What did you do before you came to MGM?'
He'd say, 'Oh, I did a cartoon'".
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