Road Runner was created by animator Chuck Jones and writer Michael Maltese for Warner Bros., first appearing in the 1949 Looney Tunes short Fast and Furry-ous opposite Wile E. Coyote. Background artist Paul Julian supplied the famous vocal beep, inspired by a car horn, and the character never spoke full lines. The shorts became television staples for decades, and the tiny two note call survived as shorthand for cartoon speed. Online, editors reuse it whenever a chase, escape or sudden exit needs instant recognition.