Felix the Cat first appeared in the early 1900s in a short film called "Feline Follies". He became famous after being featured in 250 newspapers worldwide, reaching global audiences. Felix was chosen as the mascot for Fighter Squadron 2-B and his image was the first broadcast on television. By the 1950s, Joe Oriolo had produced over 250 animated shorts of Felix for television that were popular with both children and adults. Today, Felix remains popular with new licensing deals and appearances, including a traveling musical in Japan featuring Felix and Hello Kitty.