A-Z Challenge

Pepe Le Pew & Penelope Pussycat

I knew from the start which characters I wanted to sketch in my A2Z Looney Tunes series.  Some of y’all even expressed your hopes for me to include Pepe Lew Pew.  I don’t think this set would be complete without the French striped skunk and his heart desire.

Pepe & Penelope Pencil Sketch

Pepe’s debuted in Odor-able Kitty <—clip portion with Pepe ] in 1945 where he mistakes a male cat disguised as a skunk. The cartoons featuring this little stinker is typically the same, Pepe in pursuit of a female black cat who once again mistaken for a “la belle femme skunk fatale”. The female cat was later named Penelope Pussycat, often with white stripe painted down her back which happens usually accidentally when squeezing under a freshly white painted fence or other ways.  Penelope frantically hurries away from Pepe because of his putrescent odor which doesn’t stop his pursuit for his love.  The first time Pepe and Penelope appeared together is in the 1949 short, For Scent-imental Reasons.

Did you know the cartoon won an Academy Award?  Apparently so according to Wiki.  Other cartoons featuring the delightfully hilarious characters are Really Scent (1959) and Louvre Come Back to Me (1962) which I watched as a kid.  Pepe has gotten a bad rap in MSM which is stupid.  Good grief, it’s a cartoon and besides, it’s not his affections that bother her it’s his smell but she finds away to get past Pepe’s scent to embrace her love for him.  I found a collection of clips, most of which I recall vividly, of Pepe’s persistent chase after his girl.

My pencil sketch was messy where I filled in the black areas.  Trying to correct the mistake by erasing the smudged places didn’t work too well.  I’m eager to bring this back as a clean version when I use the Procreate app re-draw it.

Thanks for allowing me to be a part of your day.  Please leave a direct link for today’s post in comments to ensure others can find an easy way back to you.   I’m heading over to the A2Z headquarters to see who’s joined the party now.  I hope to see you again tomorrow for the next letter in the alphabet in my Looney Tunes Art Sketch series! X💋X💋 Cathy

 

Pepe & Penelope Pixelmator Pro Cosmic effect

Alphabetical Looney Tunes Art Sketch series quick links:

21 Comments

  • Arlee Bird

    I never cared that much for the Pepe character but I always watched the cartoons when they were on. You captured Pepe and his amour very well.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

  • Pamela J

    Wonderful, persistent, Pepe – I loved how every episode Penelope managed to get white paint on herself. So cute and thanks for doing these two.

  • John Holton

    Pepe Le Pew is one of my favorite WB characters, because he was a takeoff on Maurice Chevalier, who I’m always trying to do. What’s so funny about this is Pepe thinks the kitty is another skunk…

  • ahtdoucette

    Pepe was my dad’s favorite character and I got him a skunk doll one year for his birthday and he loved it. Yes, Pepe had his issues like we all do, but I love him anyway. Have a great day!

  • Lissa

    I love Pepe even though he’s a bit off with his interest in a cat. Your drawing looks good to me. I didn’t notice the smudge until you mentioned it.

    Have a lovely day.

  • Sandee

    Wonderful sketch and I love this cartoon. Penelope doesn’t want anything to do with him. So fun.

    I linked this one to Awww Mondays too.

    Have a fabulous day, Cathy. Love and hugs. ♥

  • Birgit

    Oh man..I forgot to mention your great illustration and you have the facial expressions down pat! One ting I would add would be some black “odor” come from Pepe’s tail

  • Birgit

    Oh My wonderful Pepe and the beautiful Penelope. I love that he is based on Charles Boyer, The great Lover. I knew more than one Warner Bros. cartoon won the Oscar but forget which ones. Pepe should never be forgotten since he loves love.

  • Lisa

    I didn’t know the cat had a name! You are providing me with a lot of Looney Toon trivia I never knew! The story of Pepe and his lady love is changing in newer works.

  • Crackerberries

    L♥ve, l♥ve, l♥ve Pepe and Pussy-Cat and I think you did a splendid job at the sketch…. are you selling your sketches? You should and if you are I’d like to know. I love this one…it’s purr-fect! I am trying to get caught up today as Tall Cool ☺ne had us busy with projects all weekend so I’m so far behind at catching up on my reading and commenting. I am so happy that you did Pepe today! I talked a little about people if you care to take a gander.
    Cheers,
    Crackerberries

  • Thomas Anderson

    Hi, Cathy!

    Happy P-day, dear friend!

    I was certain you’d pick Porky Pig for this one, but since the sweet stuttering swine has already appeared in other posts of your series, it makes sense to focus on two other important Looney Tunes characters – Pepe Le Pew & Penelope Pussycat. As long as we’re discussing those three “PP” characters, I thought I’d mention a 4th – Percy Platypus – one of the puppets used by Marijane Landis on her Lancaster, PA-based children’s TV show Percy Platypus and His Friends starting in 1955. When I was a boy in Cub Scouting, my den traveled by bus to WGAL, the station that broadcast the show, and we sat in the audience during a taping of the program. I later worked at that station alongside Marijane producing newscasts on which she appeared as the “weather girl” (in the olden days before they were called “meteorologists”).

    I love your well drawn sketch of stinky Pepe squeezing and smooching the love of his life, Penelope. (An inter-species relationship!) No, I wasn’t aware that the cartoon “For Scent-imental Reasons” won the 1949 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. I love the line: “Do not come wiz me to ze Casbah – we shall make beautiful musicks togezzer right here!” It occurs to me that your sketch of Pepe & Penelope does not need to be colorized since the main colors are black and white. 🙂

    Have a great Monday, dear friend Cathy. I’ll be back tamale for your Q-day essay!

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