As a publicity stunt, Paramount Pictures put a huge cut-out of Holli Would on the D of the Hollywood sign. The studio donated $27,000 to the sign's maintenance fund, another $27,000 to the Rebuild L.A. fund (it was just after the L.A. riots), and paid for 2 park rangers to guard the sign 24 hours a day. The stunt angered local residents, who picketed and demanded that the cut-out be taken down.
Traci Lords was in contention for the role of Holli Would, but lost out to the more widely recognized Kim Basinger.
Ralph Bakshi wanted Brad Pitt to play Jack Deebs. Brad said he wanted the same, but Paramount Pictures disagreed.
The movie was originally sold as a "hard-R" animated/live action horror film. The original concept art that Ralph Bakshi used to pitch the film was significantly more disturbing than what ultimately ended up onscreen, and had character designs stylistically similar to those found in Frank Miller's "Sin City". Once Kim Basinger became attached, she and the studio became ambivalent about the kind of reaction the movie would generate, resulting in the studio deciding to "soften" the picture to a PG-rated dark comedy (though the ratings board ultimately gave this a PG-13).
In Ralph Bakshi's original script, Holli Would was named Debbie Dallas, after the porn film Debbie Does Dallas (1978).
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