August 12, 1939 –
The Bugs Bunny everyone knows takes another step forward when Hare-um Scare-um, directed by Ben Hardaway and Cal Dalton, was released on this date.
It was during production of this cartoon that Bugs Bunny’s name originated. Designer Charles Thorson redesigned the rabbit character and labeled the model sheet “Bug’s Bunny,” after co-director Ben Hardaway’s nickname, Bugs. It’s also the first time Bugs cross dresses in a cartoon.
The Haus of Dcaligari 