How time flies! I remember when I first saw it on television, starting in 1986... as soon as I saw it, I became a huge fan of the series immediately!
According to the history of the cartoon and based on the information found on this site:

https://cartoonresearch.com/index.p.....anecdotes-392/

and in Phil Mendez's own words, Kissyfur began this way:

“It started because my son Christopher couldn't get his sister to read a book to him,” Mendez recalled. "He was four at the time and I said I'd make him a book that he could read. I drew a book of pictures about a bear cub and his troubles. I called the book 'Kissyfur' because that is the way Christopher said his own name when he had a missing tooth.

"I put up seven thousand dollars and another seven thousand was slow to me by a friend. After I had the books printed I gave one to Christopher and I had 1,999 copies left. A friend of mine owned a bookstore and he took 30. They quickly sold out and they kept selling.

"Phyllis Tucker Vinson, who's in charge of Saturday morning programming at NBC saw the book and asked if I'd do a Saturday morning show. I said 'no'. I'd worked as an animator at the Disney Studios and Hanna-Barbera and did commercials for Dancer Fitzgerald Sample advertising agency and I knew what quality was. And I knew the quality of the Saturday morning shows.

"Instead I produced the four specials for prime time. Kissyfur is the story of a bear cub who has lost his mother and is raised by his father, Gus. They were circus bears but escaped and now live in a swamp with a variety of characters. The whole concept is that it's a single parent show. NBC wanted to call the show Paddlecab County but I refused. I said that I'd promised my son I'd name the show after him. I said if they changed the name I wouldn't do the show!”


My drawing is an anniversary drawing, celebrating 40 years since it aired on NBC, but first Phil Mendez published the book he made for his son titled "KISSYFUR'S HONEYPOT"!
In my drawing, the one on the right was originally done by Phil Mendez, which appears on the cover of the original book, and the one on the left was done by hand by me!

Of all the cartoons I've seen in my life (and there are countless ones), many have been my favorites for a long time, like "The Raccoons" and "Dungeons & Dragons"...but the one that captivated me forever was this classic cartoon called "Kissyfur"...40 years is a long time, but I'll never forget it and it will always be in my heart forever!

HAPPY 40TH ANNIVERSARY KISSYFUR!!!!


Kissyfur/DIC/NBC Productions/Saban Entertainment/Phil Mendez/September 13, 1986 –
December 3, 1988
Arts by Phil Mendez(1983) and FredVegerano(2026)