Hanna-Barbera
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry hold more Academy Awards than any other character series in animation — seven, for Best Animated Short — and they won them almost entirely without speaking. That is the whole design.
- First appearance
- Puss Gets the Boot (1940), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Created by
- William Hanna, Joseph Barbera
- Also known as
- Jasper and Jinx
- Universe
- Tom and Jerry
- Appears in
- animation, film, television
Who is Tom and Jerry?
Tom and Jerry hold more Academy Awards than any other character series in animation — seven, for Best Animated Short — and they won them almost entirely without speaking. That is the whole design. The shorts are silent comedy in the Keaton and Chaplin tradition, scored rather than written, where every gag is constructed physically and timed to Scott Bradley's music. It means the films need no translation and have never dated in the way dialogue comedy does, which is why they have run continuously somewhere in the world for eighty-five years. MGM closed the unit in 1957 and Hanna and Barbera left to invent television animation, taking the timing with them and leaving the budget behind. The pair began under different names: in the first short they are Jasper and a mouse with no name at all.
Tom and Jerry: the details
- First appearance
- Puss Gets the Boot, February 1940
- Created by
- William Hanna and Joseph Barbera at MGM
- Seven Academy Awards
- More Best Animated Short wins than any other character series
- Almost no dialogue
- The comedy is physical and scored, so the shorts need no translation
- Music by Scott Bradley
- Gags are timed to the score rather than the other way round
- They started unnamed
- The first short calls the cat Jasper; the mouse has no name
- MGM closed the unit
- In 1957, after which Hanna and Barbera moved into television
Why Tom and Jerry endures
The most decorated character series in animation history, built entirely on physical comedy and music rather than dialogue.
What Tom and Jerry looks like on a shirt
Signature motif: Grey cat and brown mouse, usually mid-chase
Two characters whose relationship is legible from the silhouette alone — a big shape pursuing a small one. That is a stronger design premise than either character has separately, and it is why almost every good Tom and Jerry garment shows both.
The chase pairing is the design — both characters, one silhouette relationship. Vintage title-card and film-strip treatments sell strongly into adult sizing. Works on any ground; the palette is muted enough not to fight the fabric.
Tom and Jerry T-shirts
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Tom & Jerry
Tom and Jerry Yellow Red Blue Circle Logo T-Shirt
$17.99on amazon.com · Aug 28, 2026
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Popfunk
Popfunk Tom and Jerry Prepared Unisex Adult T Shirt, Black, Large
$17.99on amazon.com · Aug 28, 2026
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Popfunk
Popfunk Tom and Jerry Leaning with Logo Unisex T-Shirt, Athletic Heather, L
$17.99on amazon.com · Aug 28, 2026
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Popfunk
Popfunk Tom and Jerry Silly Faces Unisex Adult T Shirt, Black, Large
$17.99on amazon.com · Aug 28, 2026
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Buying from outside the United States? Prices shown are amazon.com in US dollars. Links redirect international readers to their local Amazon, where pricing, sizing and availability are shown in local terms.
Price and availability are taken from Amazon at the time shown and can change. The price on Amazon at the time of purchase applies.
Sizes: kids to adult
Tom and Jerry shirts are produced across the full US size range. These links run a live Amazon search filtered to each band, so they show what is genuinely in stock rather than a cached list.
| Band | Ages | US sizes | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toddler | 2–4 years | 2T, 3T, 4T | Search toddler sizes |
| Kids | 4–7 years | XS (4/5), S (6/7) | Search kids sizes |
| Youth | 8–14 years | M (8), L (10/12), XL (14/16) | Search youth sizes |
| Adult | 15+ | S–3XL | Search adult sizes |
US sizing shown. Cut and measurement vary between brands — see the size guide before ordering, especially for youth sizes. Base search: Tom and Jerry t-shirt.
Who has played Tom and Jerry
| Performer | Production | Year | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Hanna | Tom and Jerry | 1940 | Live action |
More cartoons & animation
All cartoons & animation →Tom and Jerry T-shirts: common questions
Who created Tom and Jerry?
Tom and Jerry was created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, first appearing in Puss Gets the Boot in 1940 (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer).
What does a Tom and Jerry T-shirt usually look like?
Grey cat and brown mouse, usually mid-chase. The chase pairing is the design — both characters, one silhouette relationship. Vintage title-card and film-strip treatments sell strongly into adult sizing. Works on any ground; the palette is muted enough not to fight the fabric.
Are Tom and Jerry T-shirts made for children?
Yes — Tom and Jerry appears on our kids pages, and shirts are commonly made from US toddler 2T up through youth XL.
Who has played Tom and Jerry?
Tom and Jerry has been played on screen by William Hanna (Tom and Jerry, 1940).
How much does a Tom and Jerry T-shirt cost?
Tom and Jerry shirts we currently track start from around $17.99 on amazon.com. Every price on this page is dated, because they move.
This profile was compiled from published reference material about Tom and Jerry — first appearance, creator credits and production history — and is a secondary source rather than a substitute for the original publication. Where a detail could not be corroborated it has been left out. We do not physically test garments; see how we work for what that means and what it does not.
Reference. This profile was compiled from published sources. For the character's full publication history see Wikipedia (Wikidata Q131144). Our method and limitations are stated in full.
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