Bugs Bunny is an Academy Award-winning animated rabbit who appears in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of animated film s produced by Warner Bros., and is one of the most recognizable characters in the world. According to his biography, he was "born" in 1940 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York and the product of many creators: Ben "Bugs" Hardaway( who created a prototypical version of Bugs Bunny that appeared in 1938's Porky's Hare Hunt, 1939's Prest-O Change-O, 1939's Hare-um Scare-um and 1940's Elmer's Candid Camera) Bob Clampett, Tex Avery, Robert McKimson(created the definitive Bugs Bunny character design), Chuck Jones, and Friz Freleng. According to Mel Blanc, his original voice actor, his accent is an equal blend of the Bronx and Brooklyn dialects. A number of animation historians believe Bugs Bunny to have been influenced by an earlier Disney character called Max Hare. Max, designed by Charlie Thorson, first appeared in the Silly Symphony The Tortoise and the Hare, directed by Wilfred Jackson.