Bugs Bunny first said “What’s up, doc?” to Elmer Fudd in the 1940 cartoon A Wild Hare.

Quick scoop

  • The line is most associated with Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd.
  • It debuted in A Wild Hare in 1940.
  • The phrase is often linked to Tex Avery’s Texas slang and later became Bugs Bunny’s signature greeting.

Tiny note

Some sources describe the cartoon title slightly differently, but the key point is the same: Bugs’ first famous “What’s up, doc?” was aimed at Elmer Fudd.

TL;DR: He said it to Elmer Fudd first, in A Wild Hare (1940).