Tom the cat and Jerry the mouse were the stars of the popular cartoon, Tom and Jerry. Many fans, except for biggest ones, probably have no idea that Tom was originally named Jasper and would later be dubbed Tom Cat or Tomcat by some. Tom was a domestic shorthair feline who was gray in color. He was mostly the aggressor in the cartoon, constantly going after Jerry, the mouse, though Jerry played a role in the antagonism. He would often bait Tom until he would begin chasing them and together the two would cause all sorts of mayhem as Jerry was a small, ordinary mouse, who lived in Tom’s house.

Tom and Jerry first aired in 1940 and was originally produced by MGM, by the famed animation producing duo, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Tom and Jerry would continue to star in cartoons and movies into the 21st century.

The Tom and Jerry show wasn’t the first time that Tom and Jerry appeared in a cartoon. Both had cameos in the Puss Gets the Boot cartoon. When the duo stared together in Tom and Jerry, the premise of the show played off the adversarial relationships that cats and mice have in real life. Except in this story, Tom rarely ever tried to consume Jerry. That wasn’t really the point of the cartoon. The focus was always the chase and the comedy and entertainment that it provided for viewers.

Though Tom was the bigger animal of the two and a predator by nature, his size and basic instincts didn’t win out over Jerry’s smarts. Jerry would use his wits to out duel Tom. Now, there would be times when Tom would get the best of Jerry but only rarely. There would also be times when neither would come out on top. These ended being draws but entertaining ones no less.

Even though Tom and Jerry was rivals, they had a soft place in each of their heart’s for each other. If either of them were ever truly in danger, the other would come to the rescue, although the chase would eventually resume.

Throughout the series, there were several female characters that Tom was interested in romantically. They included Toots, from Puss n’ Toots and another character by the same name, who appeared in The Zoo Cat. Toodles Galore, however, was his most notable love interest.

There would be a few times when Tom would apparently die, only to show back up in the next episode. He would never stay dead for long.

Surprisingly, even though Tom and Jerry were the main characters of Tom and Jerry, they rarely ever spoke. The show’s supporting characters had much more to say then the show’s stars.

There were some people who felt that the Tom and Jerry show was too violent, although there were never any gruesome or gory scenes. What would pass for controversial then wouldn’t come close to doing so now. The show was popular amongst children, both older and younger. Many of today’s, older adults are still fans of the show. It holds a special place in their hearts. Younger children and teens are also being acquainted to the show via reruns and the more recent series, Tom and Jerry Kids.