We all grew up with the famous duo and it’s had nearly a century to evolve. We take a brief look at how the most famous cat and mouse have changed since their 1940s debut.
Jasper and Jinx vs Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry weren’t always Tom and Jerry. The duo initially went by the names Jasper and Jinx until John Carr, the then animator, won a renaming competition and came up with Tom and Jerry.
Animation Style
Early animated Tom was extremely detailed due to the popular animation style in the 1940s. Tom has changed significantly since then into the cat we know today. Initially, he had a rounder face and detailed fur. Over the years, he’s been simplified. Jerry’s been tweaked a little, but he’s remained relatively the same.
Main Characters
They took out an important character, Mammy Two Shoes who looked after Tom. She was replaced with Mrs. Two Shoes and other owners over time.
Cultural Changes
By the 1970s, some of the earlier episodes were considered ‘too violent’ and new episodes adjusted accordingly to the critique but still didn’t deviate from the lovable cat vs mouse action.
They went through a baby stage in the early 90s. The 'babyfying' of characters was popular, Tom and Jerry didn’t miss the trend.
The famous duo is officially checking-in to the big screen with the much-anticipated live-action release of, you guessed it ‘Tom and Jerry.’ It’s featuring big names like Chloe-Grace Moretz, Michael Pena, and Ken Jeong. With a cast like that, we can tell it’s going to be a comedic classic that the whole family can enjoy.
