Before Bugs Bunny, before Mickey Mouse, there was Felix the Cat—a mischievous, wide-eyed black cat with a magic bag of tricks and a knack for getting into surreal situations. Created in the silent film era and later revived in animated shorts and TV shows, Felix isn’t just a relic of early animation—he’s a comedy pioneer. With his expressive face, rubbery limbs, and that iconic grin, Felix was the original master of visual gags and cartoon logic. He could pull anything out of his bag (literally), twist the laws of physics, and charm his way out of trouble like a true animated escape artist.
Felix’s gags weren’t just funny—they were inventive, absurd, and sometimes bizarre in the best way possible. Whether he was turning into a balloon to float across town or pulling a stairway out of thin air, Felix’s antics were groundbreaking for their time and remain influential to this day. The early Felix cartoons relied entirely on visual storytelling—no voices, no dialogue bubbles—just wild imagination and flawless timing. Let’s dive into the top 10 funniest gags ever pulled off by Felix the Cat, the silent-era superstar with the loudest laugh.
#10: The Magic Bag Becomes a Car
In the 1959 television revival of Felix the Cat, his most iconic sidekick—his magic bag of tricks—became the cartoon’s Swiss Army knife. One of the best, most hilarious uses of the bag happens in an episode where Felix is on the run from the villainous Professor and Duke the bulldog. Cornered on a winding cliffside road with no way out, Felix grabs his trusty bag, throws it on the ground, and with a few quick flips and folds, transforms it into a full-blown getaway car.
The gag is pure cartoon genius. The bag flattens out, pops up wheels, sprouts an engine, and even honks with a musical “beep-beep” sound that mimics old Model-Ts. The design is wonky and ridiculous—it looks like something a child would draw on a napkin—but it works. Felix leaps inside, floors it, and peels off with a trail of dust while the Professor tumbles into a ditch. It’s a moment of pure visual humor that nails the slapstick, the absurdity, and the inventiveness that made Felix a star.
What makes this gag especially great is its timing. Felix doesn’t panic. He just smiles, adjusts his bag, and instantly invents a solution that defies reality but fits perfectly within the logic of his world. The car gag became such a fan favorite that the animators reused variations of it in several other episodes. Sometimes the bag becomes a plane, sometimes a pogo stick, sometimes a hot-air balloon—but the car version was arguably the funniest because of how over-the-top the transformation was.
This bit also showcases the brilliance of Felix’s visual comedy. Remember, this is a show that rarely relied on voice acting in its early incarnations. Everything had to be communicated through body language, facial expressions, and sight gags. The way Felix squints at his bag, tilts his head, then does a triumphant little hop when the car pops out? That’s classic pantomime humor at its finest. Even without words, you know exactly what he’s thinking—and you’re laughing right along with him.
Interestingly, the “magic bag of tricks” didn’t even exist in Felix’s earliest silent films. It was introduced in the late 1950s TV revival to give Felix more creative options and drive plots, and it quickly became his signature prop. You could even argue that it set the stage for future toon gadgets like Inspector Gadget’s coat, Doraemon’s pocket, or even SpongeBob’s endless drawer of nonsense.
This gag is the perfect kickoff to our list because it encapsulates everything that makes Felix so endearing: cleverness, visual ingenuity, and a sense of humor that bends reality just enough to keep things exciting. Watching a cat invent a car from a handbag is as funny now as it was over 60 years ago—and proof that when it comes to cartoon gags, Felix still drives circles around the competition.
#9: Felix Uses His Tail as a Fishing Rod
One of the funniest and most enduring gags from the classic Felix the Cat shorts is his ingenious use of his own tail—particularly the time he repurposed it as a fishing rod. This moment comes from the 1920s silent short Felix Goes Fishing, and it’s the kind of visual gag that helped solidify Felix’s status as animation’s first true superstar. With no dialogue to lean on, this sequence relied entirely on clever visual storytelling, and it delivered comedy that still holds up a century later.
The setup is simple: Felix is starving. He spots a fish swimming in a nearby lake and decides it’s dinner time. But instead of grabbing a pole or net, he simply detaches his tail, ties it in a knot, and casts it like a line. Just like that, his own body becomes a cartoon tool—and somehow, it works. He even wriggles the end like a real lure. In true Felix fashion, it takes just seconds for a giant fish to bite, and what follows is an outrageous slapstick battle between cat and fish that sends both flying across the screen.
The gag is hilariously absurd, but it works because Felix sells it with such confident logic. There’s no hesitation. He sees a problem, uses what he’s got, and makes it work—no questions asked. That’s part of what made Felix revolutionary. He wasn’t bound by realism or physics. His tail wasn’t just an appendage—it was a tool, a weapon, a vehicle part, even a makeshift umbrella in later episodes. It could become whatever the gag needed it to be, and this fishing sequence was one of the earliest examples of that elastic cartoon logic.
This gag also demonstrates the brilliant expressiveness that Felix was known for in the silent era. When the fish bites, Felix’s eyes bulge, his mouth twists into a spiral, and his feet do that frantic tapping motion as he digs in his heels. The animation is beautifully exaggerated—each reaction pushed to the extreme, which was critical for silent storytelling. Audiences didn’t need sound effects or narration. Every single frame told the joke visually, with precision timing and physical comedy that made it laugh-out-loud funny.
And there’s something charmingly self-aware about it too. After reeling in the fish (which turns out to be much larger than Felix), he gets yanked through the air, over trees, and into a log cabin. When he finally comes to a stop, dizzy but victorious, he casually reattaches his tail with a shrug, as if to say, “All in a day’s work.” It’s a perfect punchline.
Behind the scenes, this gag was also important in animation history. It helped define a principle that animators still use today: the “pliability” of cartoon anatomy. Felix wasn’t bound by bones or biology—his body existed for the joke. This approach influenced generations of animators, from Tex Avery to Chuck Jones, and helped pave the way for gags in Tom and Jerry, Ren & Stimpy, and even modern shows like Adventure Time.
Felix using his tail as a fishing rod isn’t just a funny visual—it’s a cornerstone of his identity as a resourceful, imaginative trickster. It’s the kind of gag that feels simple at first, but on closer inspection, it’s a masterclass in silent-era humor, timing, and cartoon logic. And it’s a reminder that sometimes, the best tools are the ones you already have… even if they’re attached to your backside.
#8: Felix Draws a Door and Walks Through It
One of the most mind-bending and hilarious gags in Felix the Cat history comes from the 1923 short Felix in Hollywood, where Felix, stuck in a tricky situation (as always), casually pulls out a pencil, draws a door on a wall, opens it, and walks through as if it’s been there the whole time. It’s a gag so simple, so surreal, and so effective that it would be copied by generations of animators. In fact, it’s widely considered one of the earliest instances of what we now call “meta-cartoon logic”—where the rules of the cartoon are fluid, limited only by the artist’s imagination.
The setup is classic Felix: he needs to get into a building, and naturally, the front entrance is blocked. No problem. Rather than waste time breaking in or looking for a key, he simply reaches off-screen for a giant pencil, draws a perfect rectangular door on the wall, and with a casual twist of the knob he’s just sketched, swings it open and strolls inside. It’s the ultimate flex—the animation equivalent of a mic drops. There’s no dramatic build-up or explanation. Felix just does it, and it works.
This gag is funny on multiple levels. First, there’s the pure visual absurdity of it—drawing an object into existence with zero delay or disbelief. But beyond that, there’s Felix’s total nonchalance. He doesn’t act like he’s doing something impossible. He acts like this is exactly how things are supposed to work. That’s part of Felix’s charm—he’s always one step ahead of reality, and he never lets it catch up.
In the silent era, gags like this were revolutionary. Felix wasn’t just interacting with the world around him—he was creating it as needed. This was a massive departure from the more grounded, slapstick-heavy comedy of live-action silent film stars like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Felix introduced the idea that in a cartoon, anything is possible—not just because of visual tricks, but because the character himself had agency over the medium. It was the first real taste of what animation could do if it stopped trying to mimic reality and instead started bending it.
The “draw-a-door” gag would go on to inspire some of the most iconic cartoon moments in history. Bugs Bunny used it. So did Daffy Duck, Mickey Mouse, Roger Rabbit, and even SpongeBob SquarePants. Every time you see a character draw an object or weapon mid-scene and use it instantly, you’re seeing the ghost of Felix. In that moment, he wasn’t just a mischievous cat—he was a cartoon god, editing his world on the fly.
But the reason this gag remains funny after all these years isn’t just because it was groundbreaking—it’s because it’s so perfectly Felix. Of course he wouldn’t panic or get stuck. Of course he wouldn’t ask for help. He’s too clever for that. He’ll just draw a solution and move on with a grin, as if we should’ve known that all along.
“Felix Draws a Door and Walks Through It” represents the core of his comedic genius: cleverness, control, and creativity wrapped in a deceptively simple sight gag. And in a world where animation was still finding its voice, Felix spoke volumes—without ever saying a word.
#7: Felix Swallows the Moon to Light His Way
In one of Felix’s most delightfully surreal and surprisingly poetic gags, the clever cat literally swallows the moon so he can use it as a flashlight. Yes, swallows the moon. This gag appears in the silent short Felix Lends a Hand (1922), and it perfectly captures the charm of early animation, where rules didn’t exist and logic was optional—especially if it meant getting a good laugh.
The setup is as classic Felix as it gets. He’s out on a nighttime adventure, wandering through the dark countryside, trying to navigate his way back home. With no streetlights in sight and only the moon in the sky, he looks up at it, shrugs, climbs a ladder into the sky (because of course he can), grabs the glowing orb, and pops it into his mouth like a glowing jellybean. His silhouette lights up from the inside, and suddenly, he becomes a walking lantern, casting shadows and illuminating the path ahead.
It’s a gag that makes no sense and perfect sense all at once. There’s something both hilarious and oddly beautiful about it. The moon, usually this untouchable, majestic symbol of the night sky, becomes a snack for a cartoon cat in need of visibility. The comedy isn’t just in the absurdity—it’s in the deadpan way Felix handles it. No panic, no fuss. Just “Oh, I need light? I’ll eat the moon.”
What makes this gag so iconic is how seamlessly it combines visual humor with surrealism. In live-action comedy, eating the moon would be absurd. But in Felix’s world, it’s not just possible—it’s expected. This short cemented the idea that Felix didn’t just live in a cartoon universe. He controlled it. Reality bends to his needs, and he navigates it with the smooth confidence of someone who knows he’s untouchable.
The animation here is especially noteworthy. Silent-era animators had to rely entirely on timing, silhouette, and gesture to communicate ideas. When Felix swallows the moon and his whole-body glows, the visual punchline lands immediately. It’s elegant and hilarious, using light and shape in a way that’s genuinely inventive, even by today’s standards.
And in case you were wondering, yes—he spits the moon back out later, unharmed. Felix always cleans up his messes (at least, the celestial ones).
This gag stands as one of the most brilliant examples of early cartoon magic. It’s silly, it’s smart, and it reminds you that Felix could do what no other character at the time could: rewrite the rules of the universe with a grin and a shrug.
#6: Felix Turns His Thoughts into Balloons
One of the cleverest and funniest recurring gags in the original Felix silent shorts is how he literally thinks his way out of trouble—by turning his thoughts into real, tangible objects. In a time before characters spoke, Felix found a way to make his thoughts visible—and then use them as tools, weapons, or even escape routes. This meta gag appeared in multiple shorts from the early 1920s and became a signature part of Felix’s identity.
In one classic example from Felix in the Bone Age (1923), Felix is caught in a prehistoric setting after a time-traveling mishap. Surrounded by dinosaurs and stuck in a cave, he pauses to think. A thought balloon appears above his head, showing a ladder. Then, to the audience’s surprise and delight, he grabs the balloon, pulls the ladder out of it, and uses it to climb to safety. No dialogue, no explanation—just pure cartoon logic.
This gag is so inventive because it doubles as both a narrative device and a comedic punchline. The thought balloon is a literal solution to his problem. Felix doesn’t talk, but we see his brain working. And instead of the balloon disappearing once we know what he’s thinking, he interacts with it. He grabs it, molds it, and turns imagination into reality.
These moments also gave audiences a peek into Felix’s psyche. Unlike other silent-era characters who were reactive, Felix was proactive and deeply imaginative. He wasn’t just a silly cat getting into trouble—he was a creative problem-solver, and his gags reflected that.
It’s also worth noting how innovative this technique was for the time. The idea of characters interacting with their own thought balloons was groundbreaking in the 1920s. It blurred the line between internal and external, between thought and action, in a way that would influence generations of animators.
The gag evolved over time. In later shorts, Felix could turn his thoughts into parachutes, boats, even weapons. The punchline was always the same: his brain was his greatest asset, and the weirder the solution, the better.
This visual pun perfectly encapsulates the spirit of Felix: clever, wordless, endlessly resourceful, and never afraid to break reality for a laugh. No one thinks their way through chaos quite like this cat.
#5: Felix Uses His Tail as a Pen
In yet another brilliant example of Felix’s body-as-a-tool gags, there’s a moment in Felix Minds the Kid (1922) where the feline finds himself needing to write a letter. But he doesn’t have a pen. Not a problem—Felix just pulls off his tail, dips it in ink, and starts scribbling away like it’s the most normal thing in the world.
The beauty of this gag is in its absurd calm. Felix doesn’t panic or look for a writing utensil. He just casually detaches part of himself and makes do. The tail acts like a perfect quill pen, and the look of satisfaction on Felix’s face as he writes adds a layer of smug delight. He knows he’s clever—and so do we.
This type of gag defined early cartoon logic: anything can be a tool if you’re creative (or stretchy) enough. Felix doesn’t just bend the rules of anatomy—he completely ignores them when it suits him. And the audience never questions it because he’s so confident about it.
The tail-pen also reflects a larger theme in Felix’s world: improvisation. He doesn’t rely on gadgets or luck. He relies on his wits and his willingness to use anything—even himself—to get the job done. And he does it all with a sense of style that would make MacGyver jealous.
What’s especially funny about this gag is the follow-up: when he tries to reattach the tail, it wriggles like a confused worm and slaps him in the face. Felix yelps, then shrugs and tries again. It’s a perfect one-two punch of cleverness and slapstick.
This moment reminds us that in the silent film era, where dialogue wasn’t an option, Felix had to rely entirely on his body and timing. The result? A sight gag that’s just as clever as anything Bugs Bunny or Mickey Mouse would pull decades later—and just a little weirder.
#4: Felix Inflates Himself into a Balloon
In one of Felix the Cat’s most delightfully ridiculous and cartoonishly inventive gags, he finds himself in need of transportation—and solves the problem by inflating himself like a balloon and floating through the air. This gag appeared in several early Felix shorts, including Felix Wins and Loses (1925), and it’s a perfect example of the kind of surreal, anything-goes humor that made Felix a superstar of silent animation.
The situation is simple: Felix needs to cross a vast canyon or chase down something that’s flying away. With no bridges, planes, or gadgets in sight, he simply takes a deep breath, blows into his thumb like it’s a valve, and starts to inflate like a balloon. His body becomes round and buoyant, his tail flutters like a propeller, and before long, he’s soaring through the sky like a helium blimp. The scene is completely absurd, visually hilarious, and somehow—thanks to the silent film timing—feels perfectly natural in Felix’s world.
There’s something so charming about how casually Felix uses his own body as a solution to his problems. There’s no panic, no explanation. It’s pure visual comedy. The gag is drawn out with amazing pacing—he struggles to stay airborne, bounces off rooftops, and even gets tangled in laundry lines as he floats past tenement buildings. At one point, he even drifts into a passing flock of birds and starts flapping his arms to mimic their wing patterns. It’s slapstick gold.
What’s especially funny is what happens when he tries to land. Typically, something pokes him midair—like a clothesline pole or a passing umbrella—and he deflates with a prolonged pffffft, spiraling through the air before crash-landing in a chicken coop or muddy pond. Then, in classic Felix fashion, he shakes it off, smooths his fur, and keeps going like nothing happened. That commitment to cool under pressure is part of what makes him so fun to watch.
Historically, this gag was ahead of its time. Using a character’s body as a balloon became a staple in cartoon logic—used later by Daffy Duck, Tom & Jerry, even SpongeBob SquarePants. But Felix did it first. And unlike later characters, he didn’t need a setup. He just did it, and the audience rolled with it. That’s the power of Felix’s world: logic was optional, but laughs were guaranteed.
There’s also something oddly empowering about this gag. Felix isn’t dependent on tools or magic (well, not yet—his magic bag came later). He uses what he’s got. He’s the original DIY hero. Inflate yourself, fly through the air, and keep on grinning. That’s the Felix way.
This gag sticks in fans’ memories not just for its humor, but for its visual cleverness. Watching a black-and-white silent character rise through the air using his own breath is both hilarious and strangely artistic. It’s cartoon surrealism at its finest—and it’s 100% Felix the Cat.
#3: Felix Paints Himself into a Disguise
One of the cleverest and visually stunning gags in Felix’s silent-era arsenal comes from a 1924 short called Felix Tries to Rest. In it, Felix finds himself being chased by angry dogs, only to suddenly stop, pull out a paintbrush, and paint himself into a new identity right there on the wall. It’s a dazzling moment of cartoon art blending with comedy—and it shows off just how far ahead of his time Felix truly was.
The gag starts when Felix, cornered and out of options, spots a billboard on the street. He dips his tail into a puddle of paint, and in a few rapid strokes, creates a portrait of a scary, muscular bulldog—complete with collar and sneer. Then, with a few flicks, he paints himself into the scene, perfectly camouflaged. When the real dogs arrive, they bark at the image, get spooked, and flee, thinking a rival is guarding the territory. Once the coast is clear, Felix steps out of the mural and dusts off his tail like an artist finishing a masterpiece.
What’s so funny about this gag is the confidence and speed with which Felix operates. He’s not just running from danger—he’s performing a work of art under pressure. The humor isn’t just in the absurdity, but in the craftsmanship. There’s something undeniably impressive about how detailed the painted disguise is—especially considering he’s using a wet tail as a brush. But that’s classic Felix: stylish, sly, and totally unbothered.
The use of painting as a form of escape or transformation is a theme that would become popular in later animation—think of Bugs Bunny painting a tunnel entrance on a wall in Rabbit Seasoning, or Wile E. Coyote running face-first into a painted train. But again, Felix did it first. And unlike the slapstick failures of his successors, Felix always made it work.
This gag is also a great example of Felix breaking the fourth wall in a subtle but brilliant way. He’s not just surviving a chase—he’s literally interacting with the background, turning a flat surface into a living part of the cartoon. It’s almost like he’s hacking the cartoon itself. And in an era where animation was still finding its visual language, that was revolutionary.
Felix painting himself into a disguise isn’t just a gag—it’s a statement. It says: “I don’t need superpowers or tools. I just need a little paint, a cool head, and a whole lot of style.” It’s inventive, surprising, and deeply satisfying to watch. That’s the magic of Felix—he turns a brushstroke into a punchline.
#2: Felix Pulls Objects Out of Thin Air
One of Felix the Cat’s most defining and hilarious powers was his ability to seemingly pull objects out of nowhere—often midair or directly out of thin air, like a magician without sleeves. This gag was common throughout the silent era and into the later TV series, and it always delivered a good laugh thanks to its surprise factor and visual ingenuity. While other characters might fumble around looking for tools or try to make do, Felix simply reaches into space and grabs exactly what he needs.
Take, for example, the short Felix the Cat Trumps the Ace (1926), where Felix is trapped in an airplane cockpit spiraling out of control. As the aircraft nosedives, Felix nonchalantly reaches into the open air, pulls out a parachute strap, and yanks—only to realize he’s now holding a full functioning parachute. Another time, he needs a weapon to fend off an attacker and simply tugs on the air and pulls out an umbrella, which he immediately uses to clobber his foe. The absurdity and timing of these gags are part of what made audiences howl.
These moments don’t just show off Felix’s resourcefulness—they reinforce the idea that he isn’t confined by the same laws of space and logic as his world. He’s a character who knows he’s in a cartoon, and he uses that to his full advantage. These gags often appear at just the right moment, when it seems like he’s completely out of options. Just when the tension builds, he reaches out, and pop—problem solved.
Visually, these gags were incredible for their time. Remember, this was before animation had standardized rules or expectations. The idea that a character could manifest tools out of midair with no setup was bold and funny. It played with the audience’s sense of reality, and the best part was that Felix never acknowledged it as strange. To him, grabbing a ladder or sandwich from thin air was as normal as blinking.
This type of gag would go on to influence decades of animation. Think of Bugs Bunny reaching behind his back for a mallet, or Daffy Duck pulling a door out of nowhere. These are direct descendants of Felix’s invisible inventory. Even video games have borrowed this idea—where a character can carry an entire arsenal of items with no visible backpack, Felix paved the way.
The brilliance of this gag lies in its simplicity. There’s no need for an explanation, no need to build the logic. It just happens, and it works because it’s Felix. When the world bends to your creativity, the only limit is your imagination—and Felix’s was endless.
#1: The Magic Bag of Tricks Transforms into Anything
While Felix was a visual gag machine long before sound ever entered the cartoon landscape, his most famous and funniest gimmick came during his 1959 TV revival: the introduction of the magic bag of tricks. This bottomless, morphing, physics-defying yellow satchel turned Felix into a living cartoon Swiss Army knife, and the gags that came from it were nothing short of iconic.
The magic bag could become anything. Need a submarine? It unfolds into one. Need a trampoline, a ladder, a rocket ship, or a disguise? The bag transforms on command, often with a twangy little sound effect and a puff of sparkles. One second, it’s a backpack, the next it’s a functioning cash register, complete with a cash drawer and receipt roll. And the comedy isn’t just in the transformation—it’s in how casual Felix is about the whole thing. He reaches in like someone digging through a glovebox and always pulls out the perfect gag.
In one memorable episode, Felix and the Master Cylinder, Felix uses the bag to escape a robot prison by turning it into a jet-powered drill. The transformation is smooth, absurd, and hilarious—he punches a button on the bag, it sprouts metal arms, and boom, he’s off. The visual is so bizarre and satisfying that it became a fan favorite. The magic bag didn’t just enable gags—it was the gag.
What makes this bit stand above the rest is how versatile and consistent it became. The bag was the ultimate cartoon logic device. It followed no rules except the ones Felix made up on the spot. The creativity from the animators exploded when the bag came on-screen, and they used it to keep every episode fresh and surprising.
The bag also became a character in its own right. In some episodes, it reacts to danger, squeaks, or resists being stolen. Villains like The Professor and Rock Bottom often try to steal it, knowing that without the bag, Felix is just a clever cat. But the irony is that Felix rarely relies on the bag—he still outsmarts his enemies with tricks, traps, and pure wit.
From a historical standpoint, the magic bag was a genius addition. It gave the animators a license to create endless gags and gave Felix a fresh identity in the television era without losing his silent-era charm. Kids loved it, adults were baffled by it, and the bag’s shape-shifting antics became synonymous with the Felix brand.
There’s a reason this gag lands at #1: it’s not just one joke—it’s infinite jokes. The bag became a limitless punchline generator, a visual playground, and the ultimate symbol of Felix’s creativity and cleverness. With it, he could do anything. And he did. Over and over, with style, charm, and a wink to the audience. Classic Felix.
Felix the Cat wasn’t just the first cartoon superstar—he was the original gag master, a trailblazer in visual comedy and cartoon logic. Whether using his tail as a pen, inflating himself like a balloon, or pulling entire worlds out of thin air, Felix’s humor came from his ingenuity, his cool confidence, and his love of turning every problem into an opportunity for mischief. These ten gags didn’t just make audiences laugh—they redefined what animation could do. And in every surreal, hilarious twist, Felix reminded us that sometimes, the smartest solution is also the silliest. That’s the true magic of Felix the Cat.
