Isadore "Friz" Freleng (1906–1995), sometimes credited asI. Freleng, was an Americananimator,cartoonist,director, andproducerbest known for his work on theLooney TunesandMerrie Melodiesseries ofcartoonsfromWarner Bros. He introduced and/or developed several of the studio's biggest stars, includingBugs Bunny,Porky Pig,Tweety Bird,Sylvester the cat,Yosemite Sam(to whom he was said to bear more than a passing resemblance) andSpeedy Gonzales. The senior director at Warners'Termite Terracestudio, Freleng directed more cartoons than any other director in the studio (a total of 266), and is also the most honored of the Warner directors,having won fourAcademy Awards. After Warners shut down the animation studio in 1963, Freleng and business partnerDavid H. DePatiefoundedDePatie-Freleng Enterprises, which produced cartoons (notablyThe Pink Panther Show), feature film title sequences, andSaturday morning cartoonsthrough the early 1980s. The nickname "Friz" came from his friendHugh Harman, who initially nicknamed him "Congressman Frizby" after a fictional senator that was in articles in theLos Angeles Examiner. Over time this shortened to "Friz".