Michigan J. Frog is an animated cartoon character who debuted in the Looney Tunes cartoon One Froggy Evening (December 31, 1955), written by Michael Maltese and directed by Chuck Jones. Michigan occurs as male frog who wears a top hat, carries a cane, sings ragtime, and dances in the style of Al Jolson. the character appeared within a late cartoon entitled A second Froggy Evening (October 6, 1995). His title comes from either a song "The Michigan Rag" (an original song written by Jones, Maltese, & musical director Milt Franklyn), which he sings in the cartoon.

A gag around each cartoons is that Michigan's talent is found by a bit of miserable human world health organization has visions of making a fortune exploiting the frog, however world health organization before long discovers that Michigan might exclusively perform for him.

He as well appeared within an episode of Tiny Toon Adventures, an episode of "Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries", & late as a talent indicate host inside an episode of Duck Dodgers.

As WB mascot

From either 1995 until 2005, he was the official mascot of the WB Television Network.

In July 22, 2005, Michigan's "death" was announced by WB Network Chair Garth Ancier, at a fall year preview, sustaining a curt statement "The frog is dead and buried." A head of programming for the WB Network, David Janollari, announced services will be held for Mr. Frog, however failing to springiness details. Janollari stated that "[Michigan] was a symbol that prepetuated the young teen feel of the network. That's not the image we [now] want to put out to our audience."

Various humorous necrology for the mascot were published by owning details in Michigan's life & dying. His dates were given when December 31, 1955 - July 22, 2005.

Other references to Michigan

Touching a prevent of the 1988 movie Spaceballs, there is a scene which parodies both Of these Froggy Evening & a motion-picture show Alien. Once Single Starr & Barf prevent at a diner, one of the more patrons collapses & a animal which looks prefer the aliens from either Alien bursts away from his chest, exactly when in this moving picture. (John Hurt plays the character this happens to inside two Alien & Spaceballs.) It so hops onto the counter, produces a top hat & cane, & sings an excerption from either "Hello, Ma Baby" when dancing exactly rather Michigan.

In the 2005 movie, Son of the Mask, the young child mimics Michigan when seeing him in television.

In an episode of Chappelle's Show, after a segment supposedly previewing Dave's new prank show on the WB, a crudely animated version of the frog appears next to Dave. While a indicate reverts to a studio, Dave imitates a frog & accuses the WB of racism. This might keep around influenced a network to retire a character.