05/14/2026
From Cartoon Royalty to Roadside Landmark
If you’ve driven along Route 23 in Hamburg, New Jersey, you’ve probably seen it: a distinctive building with Felix the Cat artwork that looks more like a cartoon studio than a typical Sussex County home. Locals know it simply as the Felix the Cat house—and behind that playful façade is a genuine connection to one of the most famous cartoon characters in history.
This building wasn’t where Felix was first invented, but it was a creative home for Felix’s modern era, owned by the family that helped bring the character back to life for television and merchandise.
Felix the Cat’s Origins: A New York Studio and a New Jersey Artist -
Felix the Cat dates back to the silent film era. The character first appeared in 1919 in a Paramount short called Feline Follies, produced at producer Pat Sullivan’s animation studio in New York City.
The lead animator on those early films was Otto Messmer, a New Jersey–born cartoonist (from what is now Union City/West Hoboken). Messmer is widely credited by historians as the creative force who designed and animated Felix, even though Sullivan took the on-screen credit.
So strictly speaking, Felix the Cat was created in a New York animation studio, not in Hamburg. But New Jersey has always had a strong claim to Felix through Messmer and, later, through the Oriolo family.
The Oriolo Family and the Revival of Felix
In the 1950s, Felix was reinvented for television. Cartoonist Joe Oriolo took over the Felix comic strip and then spearheaded a new series of TV cartoons, giving Felix his now-famous “Magic Bag of Tricks” and a more kid-friendly personality.
Joe’s son, Don Oriolo, later became the caretaker of the Felix the Cat franchise. Don is an artist, musician, and writer who took over creative control of Felix after his father’s death and oversaw Felix’s licensing, new artwork, and merchandising for decades.
That’s where Hamburg—and the Route 23 building—comes in-
Felix the Cat Productions on Route 23, Hamburg
The “Felix house” you see on Route 23 is tied to Felix the Cat Productions, Inc., the studio that managed the character and related media for many years.
The company has been listed at 123 State Route 23, Hamburg, NJ, operating as a creative studio for Felix projects and licensing.
Local discussions and community posts identify the distinctive Felix-decorated building on Route 23 as a property purchased and renovated by Don Oriolo, who turned it into a Felix-themed studio/office space.
The exterior, with its Felix imagery and bold styling, reflects Don’s art background and his role keeping Felix alive in modern animation, publishing, and merchandise. For people driving by, it looks like a cartoon dropped into real life—a perfect visual for a studio built around an animated icon.
A Studio Filled With Music and Guitars
One of the most distinct parts of the Felix story in Hamburg is the music connection.
Don Oriolo is not only an artist; he’s also a musician and guitar designer. He founded the Oriolo Guitar Company, which produces guitars, basses, and ukuleles featuring Felix the Cat artwork and other Oriolo designs.
Some key points:
Oriolo Guitars launched commercially around 2010 and quickly became known for their Felix-themed instruments.
Blue Book of Guitar Values -
Special Felix guitars and limited editions (including collaborations like a Felix-themed Little Martin) highlight Don’s dual world of animation and music.
Don has also opened Felix-themed retail spaces in Sussex County that combine Felix merchandise, artwork, and guitars, reinforcing that image of him as a serious guitar guy surrounded by his own creations.
Because of that, people who have visited the Hamburg building or followed local stories often describe it as a place filled with Felix art and guitars—a sort of hybrid between an animation studio, gallery, and musician’s workspace. That’s likely where the “guitar collection” memory comes from, and it’s accurate to say the owner is strongly associated with guitars and Felix-branded instruments.
Myth vs. Reality: Was Felix Created in Hamburg?
Over the years, a popular local belief has grown up around the Route 23 building—that it was “where Felix the Cat was created.” It’s an understandable story:
The house is visually dominated by Felix art.
It has housed Felix the Cat Productions, the company behind many modern Felix projects.
The building is owned or used by the family that revived Felix and continued his legacy.
However, historic records are clear that:
Felix was originally created in 1919 at Pat Sullivan’s studio in New York City, not in Hamburg.
So the most accurate way to describe the Hamburg property is:
It’s not the birthplace of Felix the Cat, but it became one of the character’s modern creative homes, tied directly to the Oriolo family and Felix the Cat Productions.
Why the Felix House Matters to Hamburg
For Hamburg and Sussex County, the Felix house on Route 23 is more than just a quirky façade:
It anchors New Jersey’s connection to one of the world’s most recognizable cartoon characters, through both Otto Messmer’s role in creating Felix and the Oriolo family’s role in reviving him.
It’s a roadside landmark people use for directions and as a mental “you’re almost there” marker when driving through town.
It reflects an era when creative studios and small towns intersected—animation rights, licensing, music, and merchandising all quietly happening in a building most people just call “the Felix place.”
Today, even as rights to Felix have changed hands over time—eventually involving larger companies like DreamWorks through DreamWorks Classics
—Hamburg still holds a unique spot in the character’s story thanks to that building and the Oriolo family’s presence.
This information was gathered from Wikipedia, Facebook, Oriologuitars.com, NJ Herald, MapQuest and several other sources.
Photos of the house inside and out can be seen via this Showcase.com link. The Property is not available for sale at this time. https://www.showcase.com/123-state-rt-23-s.../29514664/
The photos in this post are credited to Loopnet.
