Bugs Bunny in a tuxedo: The Shiny Bugs by Bosa for Warner Bros.’ 100th anniversary
What does a rabbit wear when an entire film studio turns 100? A tuxedo, of course. To mark the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros., the Italian ceramics manufacturer Bosa immortalised Bugs Bunny in porcelain: The Shiny Bugs, designed by Vittorio Gennari, complete with bow tie, cummerbund and plenty of shine.
- The Shiny Bugs is a porcelain sculpture by Bosa, designed by Vittorio Gennari, for the 100th birthday of Warner Bros.
- Warner Bros. was founded on 4 April 1923 by the brothers Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack Warner.
- The sculpture is around 60 cm tall and was released as a numbered limited edition.
- You will find more objects by Bosa online and in our boutique in Bregenz.
An anniversary with bunny ears
For its big anniversary, Warner Bros. chose Bosa as its partner. The result is a special co-branding project that was planned for a limited period of two years. In it, Bugs Bunny, the studio’s mascot, becomes The Shiny Bugs: a porcelain sculpture with coloured glazes and metallic finishes.
Vittorio Gennari interprets the character just as we know him: mischievous, amused and seemingly innocent. Add rich textures, radiant colours and a balanced pose that says “Bugs” from three metres away.
The details: a character’s history in porcelain
For the occasion, Bugs Bunny dresses up. Glossy glazes and precious-metal accents contrast with the fur, which has a delicate satin finish. Many details retell the character’s story:
- Golden gloves: a nod to the yellow gloves Bugs wore in early cartoons.
- Fur on the paws: a reference to “Space Jam: A New Legacy” (2021), the sequel to the 1996 cult film set in the world of basketball.
- Big low-poly shoes: faceted like an early 3D model, a signature of Vittorio Gennari.
- A tuxedo in blue and silver: blue is Warner Bros.’ signature colour, plus bow tie and cummerbund.
- Blue and yellow eyes: the studio’s colours.
- Ears and whiskers: chrome pink inside the ears, and three-dimensional whiskers that ripple like the rings of the Looney Tunes logo. The green-blue tone of the paws echoes the logo once more.
- Lapel pins: bearing the logos of Warner Bros. and Bosa.
A rabbit with a CV
Clever, funny and cheeky: Bugs Bunny is one of the best-known film characters in the world. A prototype appeared in “Porky’s Hare Hunt” in 1938, and “A Wild Hare” from 1940 is considered his official debut. Ever since, Bugs has stood for wit and quick thinking across generations. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and his own US postage stamp.
Bosa: ceramics from the hills of the Veneto
Bosa started in 1976 as a small workshop in Borso del Grappa at the foot of Monte Grappa. Founder Italo Bosa later handed the company over to his wife, his daughters and his team; Francesca Bosa joined in 1994 and is now art director. Everything is still made by hand, using techniques from the ceramic tradition of nearby Bassano del Grappa, sometimes with gold, platinum and copper. Bosa shows how the workshop operates on its own official website.
Bosa is known for working with designers such as Elena Salmistraro, Jaime Hayon and Vittorio Gennari, who also created the “Dab Penguin”. And for icons in porcelain: besides Bugs Bunny there were projects for Mickey Mouse’s 90th birthday and Smiley’s 50th, as well as the porcelain sculptures for Karl Lagerfeld.
Curiosities about Bugs Bunny and Warner Bros.
Things you probably didn’t know
- The carrot comes from Clark Gable
According to his animators Friz Freleng, Chuck Jones and Bob Clampett, Bugs’ nonchalant carrot-chewing goes back to a scene in “It Happened One Night” (1934) in which Clark Gable eats a carrot while talking.
- Carrots into the spittoon
Voice actor Mel Blanc chewed real carrots for the typical crunch, because celery and the like didn’t sound the same, and then spat them into a spittoon. The oft-told carrot allergy is a myth: Blanc explicitly denied it in 1984.
- The second star after Mickey
On 10 December 1985 Bugs Bunny received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the second cartoon character after Mickey Mouse. In 1997 he became the first cartoon character on a US postage stamp.
- Just one Oscar
Despite hundreds of appearances, only one Bugs Bunny cartoon won an Oscar: “Knighty Knight Bugs” (1958), in which Bugs sets off as a court jester.
- The Warners were really called Wonsal
Sam Warner was born Szmuel Wonsal in Krasnosielc, Poland; his father later changed the family name to Warner. Tragically, Sam died on 5 October 1927, the day before the premiere of “The Jazz Singer”, the film that established the talkies and made the studio big.
Handmade ceramics is a game with the elements. At Bosa, as art director Francesca Bosa tells it, one look out of the window is enough: if the wind is blowing, something in the firing won’t work.
The Shiny Bugs at 4D OUTFITTERS
The Shiny Bugs is currently not available in our online shop. If you are interested, write to us at service@4doutfitters.com. You will find more sculptures, vases and objects in our Bosa collection and at the very bottom of this page.
Frequently asked questions about The Shiny Bugs
Who designed The Shiny Bugs?
The Italian designer Vittorio Gennari, for the ceramics manufacturer Bosa from Borso del Grappa.
What is the sculpture made of?
Porcelain with coloured glazes and metallic finishes. It is around 60 cm tall and was released as a numbered limited edition.
Why is Bugs Bunny wearing a tuxedo?
The sculpture was made for the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. For the celebration Bugs dresses up, with bow tie, cummerbund and pins bearing the logos of Warner Bros. and Bosa.
Good to know: shipping is free from € 200, you have a 14-day right of return, and every order earns you stars in the 4D Insider Club. Questions? Write to service@4doutfitters.com or visit us at Kornmarktstraße 7 in Bregenz.
Your 4D OUTFITTERS team, Bregenz
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