The lion logo was created in 1916 by ad executive Howard Dietz for Samuel Goldwyn Pictures Corp. and was based on the Columbia University fight song, Roar, Lion, Roar. When Goldwyn merged with Metro and Louis B. Mayer in 1924, Leo became the logo for the new studio. Audiences could hear his mighty roar the first time on July 31, 1928, for the debut of the movie White Shadows of the Seas. Because it was a silent movie, the roar was heard via a phonograph. Slats, who was born in 1919 at the Dublin Zoo, was Leo from 1924-28. Jackie was the first lion to be heard growling. The most famous of the Leos was Tanner, who was used on all Technicolor films and MGM cartoons. He was the logo for 22 years. (Nick Ut / AP)
In this Japanese anime series from the 1960s the first color TV animation in the country Kimba is a powerful white lion who wants to bring peace between animals and humans. The story of Kimba was originally told in a 1950 Manga Shonen magazine. Besides the TV series, there also have been several Japanese films starring Kimba, including Jungle Emperor. After the release of The Lion King in 1994, petitions were signed in Japan by manga and anime artists and fans stating that Disney should acknowledge that its film based situations and characters in “Liong King” on Jungle Emperor, though Disney stated that no one had heard of Kimba until after Lion King was released. (Anacleto Rapping / Los Angeles Times)