Road Runner

Road Runner
	; Beep, beep!
Species	Greater roadrunner
Gender	Male
Member of	Tune Squad
Affiliation	Wile E. Coyote; Bugs Bunny; Daffy Duck
Occupation	None
Father	Not mentioned
Mother	Not mentioned
Other relative(s)	One descendant, Rev Runner in Loonatics Unleashed
Marital status	Married to Matilda in the Dell comics
Children	3 unnamed children in the Dell comics
First appearance	LT: Fast and Furry-ous (1949)
Played by	Paul Julian (1949-1994,1996-present; archival sound); Mel Blanc (1968-1978); Eric Bauza (2018)
	File:TBBRRM Road Runner.png; The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie
	; Space Jam
	File:Baby Road Runner.png; Baby Looney Tunes
	File:CF Road Runner.png; Coyote Falls
	File:TLTS RR 3D.png; The Looney Tunes Show
	File:TLTS RR 2D.png; The Looney Tunes Show (2D)
	File:NLTS Road Runner.png; New Looney Tunes
	File:BBB Road Runner.png; Bugs Bunny Builders

This article is about the character. For the video game of the same name, see Road Runner.

The Road Runner is a character of the Looney Tunes animated franchise, and part of a duo alongside Wile E. Coyote. Created by Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese, he is constantly targeted by Wile E. in their cartoons, who attempts to catch him by using his complex contraptions or with the help of mail-in products from the Acme Corporation. Although he doesn't speak, the Road Runner's signature "beep, beep" sound was originated by Paul Julian.

The Road Runner's protégé in Tiny Toon Adventures is Lil Beeper.

Character description

The Road Runner is best described as a energetic, free-spirited bird who has the ability to run very fast with swift agility. While he is seen as a regular bird on the surface, he is usually portrayed as a target of Wile E. Coyote's relentless pursuit in catching him. Despite being chased, the Road Runner possesses enough cleverness to playfully outsmart Wile E.'s schemes on a consistent basis, putting him a spot where is one step ahead. He usually puts no malice towards Wile E. when besting him, showing his carefree nature in the pursuit of evading the latter's elaborate schemes, while also putting Wile E. in the losing position. He remains unfazed by whatever steps in his way, no matter how tough and intricate the coyote's plans become, or how many times Wile E. tries to capture him.

He is generally a non verbal character, and doesn't vocalize anything apart from the signature "beep, beep", in addition to another sound he makes with his tongue, which resembles a popping-cork. However, he does occasionally pull out a sign to communicate his thoughts at any given moment.

He is a large bird accented with elongated legs, a tall neck, a big tail, and a large crest on his head. His feathers consist of a blue coloring on his head and wings, and a lighter shade of blue for his body and tail.

Appearances

TV series

The Bugs Bunny Show
The Road Runner Show
Merrie Melodies Starring Bugs Bunny & Friends
Tiny Toon Adventures
Bugs 'N' Daffy
Baby Looney Tunes
What's New, Scooby-Doo?
- 2.13 "New Mexico, Old Monster"
The Looney Tunes Show
New Looney Tunes
Bugs Bunny Builders
- 1.04a "Smash House"
- 1.09 "Looney Science"
Tiny Toons Looniversity

Movies

Theme parks

Biography

Looney Tunius Wikipedius

We're All a Little Looney

Come On and Slam! and Welcome to the Jam!

The Road Runner Gets Modern (and 3D)

Going Down the Rabbit Hole

It's Hard Hat Time

The Road Runner Sell Out

Development

According to Chuck Jones, the Road Runner/Coyote series was originally created as a means of parodying traditional "cat-and-mouse" cartoons like Tom and Jerry, which relied heavily on the chase formula.^[1] He also cited the series to be influenced by Columbia Pictures' The Fox and the Crow cartoons, which fellow WB animator Frank Tashlin worked on and had done a similar chase formula but to a different extreme.^[2]^[3]

The Road Runner's signature phrase, "Beep, beep!", was taken from background artist Paul Julian's imitation of a car horn,^[4] though according to animation historian Michael Barrier, Julian's preferred to spell it as either "hmeep hmeep"^[5] or "mweep, mweep."^[6]

Gallery

Main article: Road Runner/Gallery

Toys and merchandise

Behind the scenes

In some international dubs, such as the French dub of Looney Tunes, the Road Runner is renamed to Beep Beep. The Road Runner was also named Beep Beep in the Dell comics, where he can speak full English.

In popular culture

WARNING: The following section contains content that may be seen as mature or offensive to some readers.  Reader discretion is advised.

In the All in the Family episode "Edith Breaks Out," Archie sarcastically mentions that a Road Runner cartoon had started when Edith questions him on arriving home early, after witnessing her rushing back to prepare dinner.
In the 1989 film UHF, a depressed George presents his audience of children with a Wile E. Coyote & Road Runner cartoon, which he describes as a "sad, depressing story about a pathetic coyote who spends every waking moment of his life in the futile pursuit of a sadistic roadrunner, who mocks him and laughs at him as he's repeatedly crushed and maimed!"
In the Saved by the Bell episode "The Mamas and the Papas," Jessie compares her and Slater's fake marriage to Road Runner being married to Wile E.
In The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air episode "Hilary Gets a Job," Will says it isn't fair that he got cut on the news for another black guy, but Carlton says that life isn't fair, using how the coyote never gets the roadrunner as an example.
In the 3rd Rock from the Sun episode "Much Ado About Dick," Harry refuses to take Tommy out for a drive, so Tommy wagers a bet with Harry that if the Road Runner wins, Harry will drive him, but if he loses, Tommy will never ask Harry again. Harry takes the bet because he believes Wile's next scheme is too good to fail him again.
In the Moesha episode "The Crush," Dee affectionately calls Frank her "little Road Runner."
In the My Wife and Kids episode "Jr Kyle, Boy Genius," Michael asks his son if there are hidden messages in watching Road Runner, to which he responds it's about the pursuit of happiness of the coyote catching and eating the bird.
In the Sabrina the Teenage Witch episode "Bada-Ping," Sabrina gets carried away with her fear of death attempts by a gangster, becoming concerned about getting a boulder dropped on, but then calms down and remembers that this is something from the Road Runner. Roxie then interjects that if Wile E. Coyote flattens her with an Acme anvil, don't come running to her.
In "Episode Four" (series 9) of the BBC Radio 4 sketch program Dead Ringers, Politician Iain Duncan Smith wants cartoon characters to stop sneaking into the UK through "the channel" of Nickelodeon. He claims that dozens of road runners enter the country at night, dodging the customs officers by painting their own entry holes in tunnels. Another politician Ann Widdecombe claims they are connected to the terrorist organization Acme.
In the What's New, Scooby-Doo? episode "New Mexico, Old Monster," Wile E. and the Road Runner make a brief cameo doing their usual chase, outside of the Mystery Machine's window. After a failed attempt by Wile E., Scooby turns to the camera and says "Beep, beep?"
In the Teen Titans episode "Don't Touch That Dial," Beast Boy and Control Freak take on the roles of Wile E. and Road Runner, respectively, when they are zapped into the TV world.
In the Veronica Mars episode "Never Mind the Buttocks," Harry shows Veronica a magazine about Hermi Road Runners with one photo containing a Hermi next to the Road Runner bird.
In The Big Bang Theory episode "The Cruciferous Vegetable Amplification," Leonard makes a joke about Sheldon's whiteboard equations by saying that his plan is to capture the Road Runner, to which Sheldon acknowledges this by likening himself to Wile E. Coyote and then analyses Leonard's joke by describing a typical Wile E. trope.
In the Dan Vs. episode "Dan Vs. New Mexico," Ben argues with Dan in the former's car, which distracts him and accidentally runs over a roadrunner, which Dan thinks is the Road Runner.
In The Amazing World of Gumball episode "The Safety," Gumball and Darwin watch a parody of Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner.
In the Teen Titans Go! episode "Squash & Stretch," Cyborg teaches the other Titans the humor in cartoon violence, showing them a Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote cartoon, but the title characters are substituted with eratzes of Gumball and Darwin from the aforementioned Amazing World of Gumball, which is also aired on Cartoon Network.
In the Young Sheldon episode "A Sneeze, Detention, and Sissy Spacek," Meemaw called Sheldon the Road Runner for outrunning his mother.
In the Fresh Off the Boat episode "Be Like a Man," Jessica refers to Wile E. and Road Runner as "That wolf who can never catch that tall bird." Then she criticizes Wile E. for needing an anvil to get rid of Road Runner, and says Wile E. would do a better job just poisoning Road Runner's fruit.
A handler-dog team called Road Runners Beep Beep were competitors in the 2023 annual televised UK dog show Crufts.
In the 2023 film The Flash, the alternate 2013 version of Barry Allen has a Looney Tunes background screen on his computer, which includes the Road Runner, Tweety, Sylvester, Bugs, Daffy, and Wile E.
In The Really Loud House episode "McCloud vs. Machine," the GoBox would occasionally make a cheeky "Meep meep" sound as it rolled away after making its food delivery before Lincoln and Clyde.

Drawn Together

Main article: Drawn Together

"Requiem for a Reality Show:" At the beginning of the episode, Wooldor runs around like the Road Runner and interrupts Spanky who was in the middle of watching porn. Wooldor is given the Latin name "Ritalinus Shouldatakus."
"Mexican't Buy Me Love:" When Ling-Ling tells Toot to leave, Toot says "Later asshole! Meep, meep!" before running away like the Road Runner, but only runs a few miles before falling to the floor exhausted.
The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie: the gang accidentally runs over and kills the Road Runner with their van while in the desert. Wile E., upon seeing his target dead, declares that his life has no meaning from knowing that the Road Runner is dead and shoots himself in the head with a Bang flag gun.

Family Guy

Main article: Family Guy

"I Never Met The Dead Man:" When Peter wants to drive, Brain reminds him of his trip to the southwest. The scene cuts to the Road Runner running to the screen before Peter runs him over. Peter asks his passenger, Wile E., if he hit "that ostrich", Wile E. tells him no and tells him to keep driving.
"PTV:" When Peter might get his own TV show, he recalls that he once owned a business before. The scene cuts to Peter working at ACME, where Wile E. tries to get a refund. Wile's wife comes in to tell him to hurry up.
"Peter Problems:" When Peter's erectile dysfunction prevents him from having sex with Lois. Lois wonders who will have sex with her now. Peter tells Lois not to say that out loud or Quagmire will show up like the Road Runner. True to his word, Quagmire runs into the room like the Road Runner and holds up a sign that says "Giggity Giggity". Peter tell Loise not to worry as her vagina is just a painted on hole.
"Coma Guy:"
"The First No L:" Quagmire, Mort, Stella and the Greased-up Deaf Guy arrive at the Griffin home with the sound that usually accompanies the arrival of the Road Runner.

Full House

"Middle Age Crazy," "Fogged In," "Working Mothers, "Pal Joey," "El Problema Grande de D.J.," "Blast from the Past," "Nerd for a Day," "Joey & Stacy and... Oh, Yeah, Jesse," "Those Better Not Be the Days," "The I.Q. Man," "Terror in Tanner Town," and "Happy New Year:" A 1986 Looney Tunes poster was added to Joey's bedroom in the second season onwards, featuring Bugs, Daffy, Porky, Sylvester, Road Runner, and Tweety.
"Divorce Court:" Joey says "Meep meep" while running against Danny and Jesse on the field track.
"A Fish Called Martin:" Joey tries to use Wile E.'s fall from a cliff after his encounter with Road Runner, as an analogy to explain the death of Martin the fish to Michelle.
"Matchmaker Michelle:" On a Saturday morning, Michelle enters D.J.'s room to wake her up to watch a Road Runner cartoon, saying "Meep meep." Joey then follows behind telling Michelle she's missing it. D.J. groggily follows them saying, "Meep meep."
"Spellbound:" Jesse's cartoon theme song for Joey ends with a "Meep meep."

Robot Chicken

Main article: Robot Chicken

"ACME CEO Remembered:"
"Executed by the State:" In the skit "Wile E Piphany", After the last attempt to kill the Road Runner fails, Wile E. decides to end his own life.
"Toon Trauma:"
"Sweet J Presents:"

Mad

Main article: Mad

"Pooh Grit/Not a Fan a Montana": in the segment "Not a Fan a Montana," Miley Cyrus baits Justin Beiber in the middle of the desert road with "Beib Seed," so the distracted Beiber gets run over by a bus. When Beiber stops at the road to eat the seeds, there isn't a bus in sit, forcing Cyrus to test it and get run over. Eventually, their feuding destroys the planet, but Beiber survives in a Jetsons-like space car, ending the short by saying, "Beep, beep!"
"TwiGH School Musical/Avenger Time": In "Meep! My Dad Says", Road Runner is the father of a kid who only says "Meep Meep".
"Rioa/Thomas the Unstoppable Tank Engine": In "Rioa", Road Runner is chosen as one of the Green Laterns and uses his power to smash Wile E with an Anvil.
"Lukewarm Bodies/Does Someone Have to GOa?": Road Runner made a small cameo in "Does Someone Have to Goa?"
"Outtagascar/F.I.E.N.D.S": In "Body of Pwoof", Road Runner's body is being inspected by Elmer Fudd, who discovers the Wile E was the one who killed him.
"Alfred's Game/We Are X-Men": In a segment called "Wile E Coyote and Road Runner Both Get Arrested", Wile E Coyote and Road Runner....both get arrested.

References

↑ Barrier, Michael (November 6, 2003). Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age. United States: Oxford University Press. p. 672. ISBN 978-0-19-516729-0.
↑ Maltin, Leonard (1980). "Columbia: Charles Mintz and Screen Gems". Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, p. 214. New American Library. ISBN 9780452259935.
↑ Lenburg, Jeff (1991). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons (1991 edition), page 114. Facts on File, Inc., New York NY. ISBN 0-8160-2252-6.
↑ Michael Barrier. Beep, Beep on Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 2 (DVD commentary, 2004). Event occurs at 0m26s.
"Actually the title is somewhat of a misnomer, the actual 'beep beep' sound you just heard the Road Runner make was made by a background painter named Paul Julian, who used to make it in the hallways at Warner Brothers when he was carrying a large painting along, so people would get out of his way. Chuck Jones heard him make that - or Treg Brown I guess, actually, the sound effects wizard at Warner Brothers - heard him make that noise and suggested that they record that for the Road Runner, and it's been the standard Road Runner noise ever since."
↑ Michael Barrier. Fast and Furry-ous on Looney Tunes All-Stars: Part 1 (DVD commentary). Event occurs at 6m10s.
"Even though the expression was spelled 'beep beep' on the screen, and that the word 'beep' was used in many subsequent Road Runner cartoon titles, Paul Julian insisted that the correct spelling was 'H-M-E-E-P," 'hmeep hmeep', rather than 'beep beep'. But obviously after dozens of Road Runner cartoons, and other appearances of the Road Runner and Coyote in other media, with the word 'beep' attached, it's much too late to make any change in that spelling."
↑ Michael Barrier. Beep, Beep on Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 2 (DVD commentary, 2004). Event occurs at 0m50s.
"Paul Julian said that the actual spelling of that should be something more like 'M-W-E-E-P', 'mweep mweep' as opposed to 'beep beep'. But 'beep beep' it is on screen here and 'beep beep', as far as 99.9% of the world is concerned, it still is."

[1] Barrier, Michael (November 6, 2003). Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age. United States: Oxford University Press. p. 672. ISBN 978-0-19-516729-0.

[2] Maltin, Leonard (1980). "Columbia: Charles Mintz and Screen Gems". Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, p. 214. New American Library. ISBN 9780452259935.

[3] Lenburg, Jeff (1991). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons (1991 edition), page 114. Facts on File, Inc., New York NY. ISBN 0-8160-2252-6.

[4] Michael Barrier. Beep, Beep on Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 2 (DVD commentary, 2004). Event occurs at 0m26s.
"Actually the title is somewhat of a misnomer, the actual 'beep beep' sound you just heard the Road Runner make was made by a background painter named Paul Julian, who used to make it in the hallways at Warner Brothers when he was carrying a large painting along, so people would get out of his way. Chuck Jones heard him make that - or Treg Brown I guess, actually, the sound effects wizard at Warner Brothers - heard him make that noise and suggested that they record that for the Road Runner, and it's been the standard Road Runner noise ever since."

[5] Michael Barrier. Fast and Furry-ous on Looney Tunes All-Stars: Part 1 (DVD commentary). Event occurs at 6m10s.
"Even though the expression was spelled 'beep beep' on the screen, and that the word 'beep' was used in many subsequent Road Runner cartoon titles, Paul Julian insisted that the correct spelling was 'H-M-E-E-P," 'hmeep hmeep', rather than 'beep beep'. But obviously after dozens of Road Runner cartoons, and other appearances of the Road Runner and Coyote in other media, with the word 'beep' attached, it's much too late to make any change in that spelling."

[6] Michael Barrier. Beep, Beep on Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 2 (DVD commentary, 2004). Event occurs at 0m50s.
"Paul Julian said that the actual spelling of that should be something more like 'M-W-E-E-P', 'mweep mweep' as opposed to 'beep beep'. But 'beep beep' it is on screen here and 'beep beep', as far as 99.9% of the world is concerned, it still is."

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Road Runner

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