Jerry, the brown mouse ... wall clock at the top right of the screen while maintaining aggressive eye contact with Tom, the blue-gray cat. Spike, the gray bulldog, loudly reprimands Tom.

On Feb. 10, 1940 — 85 years ago Monday — the first Tom & Jerry cartoon short and the first cartoon directed by the soon-to-be- famous team of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera was released in ...