Initially appearing only in the opening credits of the 1963 live-action film "The Inspector," it unexpectedly gained immense popularity. The creator, Friz Freleng, who had unintentionally struck gold, produced a seven-minute animated short titled "The Pink Phink" the following year. From then on, this animated character came to be known as "Pink Panther." It first appeared in film format on April 11, 1964, as part of a detective movie, designed by David DePatie, who hailed from Warner Bros. Pink Panther not only played a supporting role in the live-action "The Inspector" series but also stepped into the spotlight as a leading character, winning the 1965 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Consequently, Friz Freleng and David DePatie went on to produce a series of Pink Panther cartoons. Coupled with Henry Mancini’s catchy "The Pink Panther Theme" melody, the character quickly captivated audiences worldwide, leading to the release of 32 cartoon TV series.