''Daffy Duck for President'' is a children's book, published by Warner Bros. and the

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...

in 1997 to coincide with the release of the first

Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the late 1930s by Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring roles in the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merr ...

U.S. postage stamp. The book was written and illustrated by

Chuck Jones Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, director, and painter, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the '' Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He wrote, pro ...

, edited by Charles Carney, and art directed by Allen Helbig.Jones, Chuck. ''Daffy Duck for President''. Burbank, CA: Warner Bros. Worldwide Pub., 1997. Print.

Plot

Echoing the popular "Rabbit Season/Duck Season" scenes from the Bugs Bunny/

Daffy Duck Daffy Duck is an animated cartoon character created for Leon Schlesinger Productions by animators Tex Avery and Bob Clampett. Styled as an anthropomorphic black duck, he has appeared in cartoon series such as ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Mel ...

Elmer Fudd Elmer J.'' Hare Brush'' (1956) Fudd is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes''/'' Merrie Melodies'' series and the archenemy of Bugs Bunny. He has one of the more disputed origins in the Warner Bros. cartoon panthe ...

shorts ''

Rabbit Fire ''Rabbit Fire'' is a 1951 ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon starring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Elmer Fudd. Directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese, the cartoon is the first in Jones' "hunting trilogy"—the other two cartoons following it ...

'', '' Rabbit Seasoning'' and ''

Duck! Rabbit, Duck! ''Duck! Rabbit, Duck!'' is a 1953 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Charles M. Jones. The cartoon was released on October 3, 1953 and stars Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd. The cartoon is the third of Jones' "hunting ...

'', the book tells how Daffy Duck, in an effort to outlaw Duck Season in favor of a perpetual Rabbit Season, attempts to become a politician so as to change the law to suit him.“Chuck Jones”
”www.answers.com”, 3.11.15 Through a civics lesson regarding the

United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the natio ...

and with Bugs' help, Daffy learns that it is "We the People" who run the country, not any one man or duck, as he experiences the

separation of powers Separation of powers refers to the division of a state's government into branches, each with separate, independent powers and responsibilities, so that the powers of one branch are not in conflict with those of the other branches. The typi ...

concept of the

United States Federal government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fed ...

. From the book's dust jacket:

"Bugs guides Daffy through the 3 branches of American government - the foundation of freedom - in a style so breezy and comic that you'd never confuse it with a
civics Civics is the study of the rights and obligations of citizens in society. The term derives from the Latin word ''civicus'', meaning "relating to a citizen". The term relates to behavior affecting other citizens, particularly in the context of ur ...
lesson. Or would you? In keeping with the explosive fun of the author's art, ''Daffy Duck for President'' is presented in its original sketch form. It's pure Chuck Jones - brash, witty, and reflective - in a bold flash of pencil, paper, and impulse."

Film

In 2004, Warner Bros. released a four-minute animated short of the same name based on the book, coinciding with the

Presidential election A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President. Elections by country Albania The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public. Chile The p ...

that year. The film was produced by

Spike Brandt Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Books * ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave * ''The Spike'' (book), a nonfiction book by Damien Broderick * ''The Spike'', a starship in Peter F. Hamilto ...

, Tony Cervone, and Linda M. Steiner, and was dedicated to the memory of MGM Animation/Visual Arts and Chuck Jones Enterprises's founder Chuck Jones (who died on February 22, 2002). It was considered for a 2005

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for Best Animated Short.

Joe Alaskey Joseph Francis Alaskey III (April 17, 1952 – February 3, 2016) was an American actor, voice actor, broadcaster, impressionist and stand-up comedian. Alaskey was one of Mel Blanc's successors at the Warner Bros. Animation studio until his de ...

voiced Bugs and Daffy. It was also planned for a worldwide theatrical release, but these plans were aborted after '' Looney Tunes: Back in Action'' performed poorly at the box office. However, it saw its eventual release as a bonus feature on the '' Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 2'' DVD set. The short is also available as a bonus feature on ''

The Essential Daffy Duck ''The Essential Daffy Duck'' is a DVD set featuring cartoons focusing on Daffy Duck. It was released on November 1, 2011. Contents The contents are split over two discs. The first disc features 15 classic Daffy Duck shorts (14 of which were previ ...

'' DVD set.

Sources

External links

* 1997 children's books American children's books American picture books Parody books Children's books adapted into films Books about rabbits and hares Books about ducks 2004 films 2004 short films 2004 animated films 2000s American animated films 2000s animated short films American animated short films Bugs Bunny films Daffy Duck films Animated films based on children's books 2000s Warner Bros. animated short films {{LooneyTunes-stub