Felix the Catlives to fight another day. The 100-year-old black-and-white cartoon cat with a giant grin returns in an all-new, all-different adventure from DreamWorks Animation and Bottlerocket. The pre-ordercomicscampaign forFelix the Catlaunched onKickstarteron June 24, 2025.
On November 15, Rocketship Entertainment announced that it’s starting a new imprint for early readers (ages 6-10) and middle grade (ages 8-12) titles, Bottlerocket. For its first title, the imprint partnered with Studio Stario to publish DreamWorks Animation’sFelix the Cat, written by Mike Federali (Mystery Science Theater 3000),with contributions by Bob Frantz (Metalshark Bro) and Tracy Yardly (Sonic the Hedgehog). Although the book will be available for order after the Kickstarter campaign ends, the pre-order page includes several exclusive products for backers, including a Felix and friends enamel pin set, a dust jacket by Ringo-nominated artist Thom Zahler (My Little Pony), and prints from Eisner Award-winnerArt Baltazar (Tiny Titans).
In Felix’s new adventure, he must face the mysterious XILEF the Extraordinary, an all-new foe who is more powerful than all of Felix’s past enemies combined. But just because a new challenger has entered the ring, that doesn’t mean that Felix won’t be facing some of his classic foes as well. Felix must defeat The Professor, Rock Bottom, and Master Cylinder, or hand over his Magic Bag O' Tricks forever!
“We’ve put a lot of love and time into this story, and I’m so grateful that it’s making its way to the fans. Felix has always been a favorite of mine, so it was very important to take the time with NBCUniversal to get it right. Being able to bring new Felix stories to life is a dream come true, and I hope the fans enjoy the ride as much as we did,” Federali toldBleeding Cool.
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Felix the Cat Debuted in 1919
Felix the Cat debuted in the 1919 animated short filmFeline Folliesby Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer. It was released by Paramount Studios nine years before Mickey Mouse’s debut in Disney’s 1928 animated shortSteamboat Willie. The first 25 Felix the Cat animated shorts were shown between 1919 and 1921.
After a brief resurgence of the character in the 1930s, the black-and-white cat again started to charm audiences in 1953 whenFelix the Catcartoons started to air on American television. The 1950s cartoons were responsible for introducing a long-legged Felix to audiences for the first time and gave Felix what he is perhaps best remembered for, a Magic Bag of Tricks that can assume an infinite variety of shapes at the cat’s behest.
In 2014, the rights to Felix the Cat were sold toDreamWorks Animation, now part of Comcast’s NBCUniversal division via Universal Pictures.
