Wile E. Coyote has spent decades chasing one fast bird around the Southwest, succeeding mainly at blowing himself up. Some fans now think we misread the whole thing. It wasn’t hunger. It was romance, the complicated kind. Thanks to a new movie, Coyote vs. Acme, those fans feel vindicated, Esther Zuckerman reports on the Journal’s front page.
Beep means friend
Spoiler ahead. In the film, the Coyote takes the Acme Corporation to court over faulty gear that reliably backfires the moment the bird is within reach. At a congressional hearing, Road Runner bursts in and becomes the Coyote’s lone character witness. In beeps, he calls the Coyote a friend. The internet took it from there.
Fans are “shipping” the pair — fan-speak for wishing two characters were a couple — with fan art and TikTok edits set to love songs. Annie Tarin, a University of Arizona student, made a viral montage to Chappell Roan’s The Subway, complete with the Coyote gazing longingly at a Road Runner feather. “It seems like they’re the only two who can complete each other,” she said.
Talya Perper, a Los Angeles storyboard artist, drew Road Runner pinning the Coyote to a wall with one foot, a pose meant to suggest intimacy. Fans have done this before. Sesame Workshop once had to put out a statement about Bert and Ernie: they’re puppets, and best friends.
The rules of the chase
It all began in 1949 with Fast and Furry-ous, directed by Chuck Jones. In his 1989 book Chuck Amuck, Jones wrote down the rules, including this gem: “The Road Runner cannot harm the Coyote except by going ‘Beep-Beep!’”
Neither director Dave Green nor screenwriter Samy Burch saw the fan reaction coming. Burch won’t confirm the two are in love, but she figures characters this durable belong to everyone. Animation historian Jerry Beck welcomes the shippers if they revive interest in the characters.
The film could use the help. Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) shelved it in 2023 as a tax write-off — a loss booked to trim a tax bill — before Ketchup Entertainment bought it. It has since grossed over $57 million worldwide, and some fan artists see their posts as grassroots promotion.
As for the Coyote, he remains the patron saint of buying gear for a plan that’s never once worked.