It's the Woody Woodpecker Song by Linda Rosenkrantz on Creators.com

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It's the Woody Woodpecker Song

In the long history of animated cartoons, there is probably no sound as hideous as the maniacal five-syllable laugh of Woody Woodpecker. It's one of those things that if you hear it once, it stays with you for life and was a key factor in the longevity of the character.

Unlike most early animation icons, Woody Woodpecker was born not at Disney or Warner Bros, but under the auspices of Walter Lantz. Lantz, an alumnus of the Universal animation unit, became an independent producer in 1935 in search of new characters. His first was Andy Panda, followed by primitive versions of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, both the creations of Ben ("Bugs") Hardaway.

Not long after arriving at the Lantz Studio, Hardaway came up with another of his trademark obstreperous anthropomorphic creatures in the guise of Woody Woodpecker, who would launch his career by annoying Andy Panda's father in the 1940 cartoon "Knock, Knock." His first starring role came the following year with "The Cracked Nut," in which he was named for the first time.

Very quickly, the hyperkinetic Woody became the studio's top attraction, and endured until Lantz closed its doors in 1972. Woody appealed to the little boy in everyone, and for years, schoolyards around the world resounded with youthful imitations of the pesky bird's mocking laugh. (That sound was created by voicemeister Mel Blanc — also the voice of Bugs Bunny — then taken over later by Walter Lantz's wife, Grace Stafford.) He would go on to be featured in more than 200 animated shorts, winning two Oscar nominations for best cartoon, for "The Dizzy Acrobat" and "Musical Moments from Chopin."

Over the years, Woody calmed down a little, going from an out-and-out lunatic to a somewhat more restrained rascal. His look changed, too, from a many-hued character to red-haired. One single 1946 story is notable for having been drawn by Walt Kelly, creator of Pogo.

His anthem, "The Woody Woodpecker Song," was a huge hit and was actually nominated for an Academy Award in 1948.

Woody then became multimedia. "The Woody Woodpecker Show" came to radio in 1954, and then arrived on network television in 1957 in a half-hour series that was carried on ABC on Thursday afternoons. The cartoon segments included not only the woodpecker, but also Gabby Gator, Andy Panda and others — and was hosted, a la Disney, by Walter Lantz himself, who also demonstrated to viewers the basics of the art of animation. Woody also made a number of comic book appearances starting in 1942, in which a cast of supporting characters was introduced, with names like Nuthead, Splinter and Knothead, and he also had a cameo in the 1988 film "Who Framed Roger Rabbit." Not only that, but Woody Woodpecker has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In terms of Woody collectibles, there are, in addition to the obvious comics, a number of premiums and other related items. From the 1940s, there is a now-rare boxed wristwatch, and such commercial-product related material as a sought-after Albers Quick Oats Container with instructions on how to draw Woody, complete with a model sheet for inspiration.

The next two decades saw an increase in Woodiana memorabilia, including celluloid buttons; Rice Krispies premiums, such as a plastic figural kazoo and a harmonica in the shape of the woodpecker; cereal spoons; mugs and bowls; a plastic door-knocker assembly kit; and a "secret seal" ring. Woody was also one of several Lantz characters to be portrayed on a set of glazed ceramic salt and pepper shakers made by Guildcraft.

More recent items include an alarm clock made first by Columbia (the more valuable) and, later, by Westclox, yo-yos, bobbing-head figures and a 1970s green leather lunch box — valued at $500-plus in mint condition.

Linda Rosenkrantz has edited Auction magazine and authored 18 books, most recently "Beyond Ava & Aidan: The Enlightened Guide to Naming your Baby" (St. Martin's Press). Visit her baby names website at http://nameberry.com. She cannot answer letters personally. To find out more about Linda Rosenkrantz and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.