Events in 1963 in animation.
Events
January January 1: The first episode of Astro Boy airs, based on the manga series by Osamu Tezuka. January 25: The Flintstones episode "The Surprise" is first broadcast where Wilma Flintstone announces to Fred that she is pregnant. This is the first time that an animated character is depicted being pregnant.
February February 9: Friz Freleng's Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam cartoon Devil's Feud Cake premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons.Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 61-62 . Retrieved June 6, 2020. February 22: The Flintstones episode "The Blessed Event" is first broadcast, where Pebbles Flintstone is born.
March March 9: Robert McKimson and Ted Bonnicksen's Daffy Duck cartoon Fast Buck Duck premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons.Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 71-72. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved June 6, 2020. Also starring Hector the Bulldog (named Percy in this short). March 24: Yūgo Serikawa's The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon premieres.
April April 6: Robert McKimson's Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck cartoon The Million Hare premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons.Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 60–61. . Retrieved June 6, 2020. April 8: 35th Academy Awards: The Hole by John Hubley and Faith Hubley wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. April 20: Friz Freleng's Speedy Gonzales and Sylvester cartoon Mexican Cat Dance premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons.Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 137. . Retrieved June 6, 2020. April 27: Chuck Jones' Now Hear This premieres.
May May 11: Phil Monroe and Richard Thompson's Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog cartoon Woolen Under Where premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. It's the final appearances of Ralph and Sam in the Golden age of American animation. May 20: Ernest Pintoff's The Critic, with voice-work by Mel Brooks, premieres.
June
June 8: Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble's Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoon Hare-Breadth Hurry premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs Bunny actually take the place of the Road Runner in this short. June 29: Robert McKimson's cartoon Banty Raids premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons, starring Foghorn Leghorn and Barnyard Dawg. This was Barnyard Dawg's final appearance in the Golden Age of Animation, but Foghorn later makes a cameo in Bugs Bunny's final cartoon False Hare the following year.
July July 27: Pent-House Mouse, the first Tom and Jerry cartoon by Chuck Jones is first released.
August August 12: The first episode of Bolek and Lolek airs. August 17: Friz Freleng's Speedy Gonzales and Sylvester cartoon Chili Weather premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons.
September September 1: The first episode of The Mighty Hercules airs. September 7: Friz Freleng's Bugs Bunny cartoon The Unmentionables premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. Also starring Rocky and Mugsy (making their final appearance in the Golden Age of Animation). September 19: The Flintstones episode "Ann-Margrock Presents" is first broadcast, guest starring Ann-Margret. September 28: Robert McKimson's Daffy Duck cartoon Aqua Duck premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. The first episode of Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales airs.
October October 3: The Flintstones episode "Little Bamm-Bamm" is first broadcast where Bamm-Bamm Rubble is delivered at Barney and Betty Rubble's doorstep and adopted by them. October 5: The first episode of Le Manège Enchanté (The Magic Roundabout) airs. October 19: Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble's Bugs Bunny cartoon Mad as a Mars Hare premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. This was Marvin the Martian's final appearance in the Golden Age of Animation.
November November 9: Robert McKimson's Sylvester cartoon Claws in the Lease premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. Also starring Sylvester Jr.Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pg. 141 . Retrieved 6 June 2020 – via Archive.org. November 11: The first episode of Wolf Boy Ken airs. November 30: Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble's Bugs Bunny cartoon Transylvania 6-5000 premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons.
December December 21: Akira Daikubara's Doggie March is first released. December 25: The Sword in the Stone, directed by Wolfgang Reitherman and produced by the Walt Disney Company is first released. December 28: Chuck Jones, Maurice Noble, & Tom Ray's Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoon To Beep or Not to Beep premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons.Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pg. 129. . Retrieved 6 June 2020 – via Archive.org. This was one of the 3 cartoons to be revamped from the cancelled TV pilot Adventures of the Road Runner. December 31: The first episode of Dáithí Lacha airs.The Irish Times, "Today's TV programmes", 31 December 1962 Warner Bros. Cartoons closes down, but will reopen in 1967.
Specific date unknown DePatie–Freleng Enterprises is founded by Friz Freleng and David DePatie. The first episode of Rod Rocket airs. Stan Brakhage's Mothlight is released. Arthur Lipsett's 21-87 premieres. Lawsuits were filed against Hanna-Barbera Productions by Morey Amsterdam and Pat Carroll for breach of contract. They had been initially cast and signed to the roles of George and Jane Jetson, but they were then replaced.
Films released
January 1: Comahue (Argentina) The Peacock Princess (China) March 24 - The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon (Japan) December 21 - Doggie March (Japan) December 25 - The Sword in the Stone (United States)
Television series
January 1 - Astro Boy debuts on Fuji TV. April 7: Ginga Shônentai debuts on NHK. Space Patrol debuts on ITV. September 1 - The Mighty Hercules debuts on NBC. September 4 - Sennin Buraku debuts on Fuji TV. September 28 - Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales debuts on CBS. October 5: Hector Heathcote Show debuts on NBC. The New Casper Cartoon Show debuts on ABC. October 20 - Tetsujin 28-Go (a.k.a. Gigantor) debuts on Fuji TV. November 7 - Eitoman debuts on TBS. November 25 - Ōkami shônen Ken debuts on TV Asahi. Specific date unknown: Bleep and Booster debuts on BBC. Daithi Lacha debuts on RTÉ. Le Manège Enchanté debuts on ORTF and BBC. Mr. Piper debuts on CBC. Rod Rocket and The Funny Company debut in syndication.
Births
January January 4: Dave Foley, Canadian-American actor and comedian (voice of Flik in A Bug's Life, Terry in Monsters University, Warren Ampersand in Adventure Time, Chris in Dan Vs., Francis Grey in The Batman episode "Seconds"). January 10: Marc du Pontavice, French animation producer (Gaumont Multimédia, co-founder of Xilam). Kurt Heinecke, American musician, songwriter, photographer, voice actor and composer (VeggieTales, 3-2-1 Penguins!, Superbook). January 11: Sam Kieth, American comics artist and screenwriter (What a Cartoon!), (d. 2026).Sam Kieth, Creator of The Maxx and Sandman, Has Died, Aged 63 Pres Romanillos, American animator and film producer (Walt Disney Animation Studios, DreamWorks Animation), (d. 2010).Article at Daily News Retrieved July 21, 2010. Brad Vandergrift, American animator (The Ren & Stimpy Show, The Critic, The Simpsons, Timon & Pumbaa, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water) and storyboard artist (Klutter!, Johnny Bravo, Disney Television Animation, The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue, The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars, Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers, Nickelodeon Animation Studio). January 20: James Denton, American actor (voice of Superman in All-Star Superman).
February February 2: Kirk Baily, American voice actor (voice of adult Millions Knives in Trigun, Shin in Cowboy Bebop, Robber D in Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, additional voices in The Brave Little Toaster, Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory, Aladdin, Ah! My Goddess: The Movie, The Road to El Dorado, Metropolis, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers, Shark Tale, Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas, Over the Hedge, Open Season, The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, The Tale of Despereaux, Dead Space: Downfall, Open Season 3, Yogi Bear, Rango, Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil, Hop, The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol, ParaNorman, The Lorax, Hotel Transylvania, Frozen, Despicable Me 2, Minions, Big Hero 6, The Star, The Boss Baby, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Missing Link, Sonic the Hedgehog, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, Tom & Jerry, Love, Death & Robots and Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank), (d. 2022). February 9: Travis Tritt, American country singer (voice of Walt in the King of the Hill episode "Livin' on Reds, Vitamin C and Propane" and Farmer Hero in the Higglytown Heroes episode "Halloween Heroes"). February 12: John Michael Higgins, American actor and comedian (voice of Mini-Max in Big Hero 6: The Series, Mentok the Mindtaker in Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Riddler in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Varrick in The Legend of Korra, Warren Stone in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). February 14: John R. Dilworth, American animator (Doug, Gumby: The Movie, Sesame Street, A Little Curious), storyboard artist (Doug, Rugrats), writer, director and producer (creator of Courage the Cowardly Dog, founder of Stretch Films). Enrico Colantoni, Canadian actor (voice of Felix Faust in Justice League Dark, Cyrus Bortel in Kim Possible, Glorious Godfrey in the Justice League episode "Eclipsed"). February 15: Wallace Wolodarsky, American actor (voice of Kylie in Fantastic Mr. Fox), director, television producer (The Simpsons, The Oblongs) and screenwriter (The Simpsons, Monsters vs. Aliens, Trolls World Tour). February 17: Michael Jordan, American businessman and former professional basketball player (portrayed himself in Space Jam). Larry the Cable Guy, American actor, comedian, producer, country music artist and former radio personality (voice of Mater in the Cars franchise). February 20: Charles Barkley, American former professional basketball player (portrayed himself in Space Jam, voice of Rayburn Senior in Rumble, voiced himself in Clerks: The Animated Series, The Simpsons episode "The Great Phatsby", and the We Bare Bears episode "Baby Bears Can't Jump"). February 21: William Baldwin, American actor (voice of Batman in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, Johnny 13 in Danny Phantom).
March March 11: Alex Kingston, English actress (voice of Quickshadow in Transformers: Rescue Bots, Vlurgen in the Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero episode "Mr. Rippen"). March 14: Vic Kephart, American television producer (The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin, ALF Tales) and production assistant (DIC Entertainment), (d. 1989). March 15: Ashley Lenz, American animator (Futurama, The Simpsons, The Princess and the Frog), storyboard artist (Time Squad, My Life as a Teenage Robot, Kim Possible, Teen Titans Go!, Puppy Dog Pals, The VeggieTales Show, The Harper House) and director (Futurama, Dan Vs.). March 17: Trish Burgio, American background artist (Warner Bros. Animation, DisneyToon Studios, Scooby-Doo, The New Woody Woodpecker Show, Curious George, Transformers: Rescue Bots, The Cleveland Show, Cats Don't Dance, Captain Planet and the Planeteers) and prop designer (Batman: The Animated Series, New Kids on the Block). March 18: Vanessa Williams, American actress (voice of Mirabelle in Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies, Eileen Underwood in Milo Murphy's Law, Candace Beakman in T.O.T.S., Hisako in When Marnie Was There, Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay and Batman: Hush, Beauty in the Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child episode "Beauty and the Beast").