Cartoon Characters.....
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BUZZ LIGHTYEAR
Personality:galactic leader, brave explorer, self sacrificing
Friends : Woody, Andy
Buzz Lightyear is simply the coolest space action figure ever made. Complete with voice samples ("I'm Buzz Lightyear, Space Ranger, Universe Protection Unit," "To infinity ... and beyond!")), laser beam, karate-chop action, and pop-out wings, Buzz is a boy's dream come true as a toy, but a pain in the neck to his fellow toy, Woody. Buzz suffers from the delusion that he is not a toy, but the actual intrepid defender of the galaxies, sent to save the universe from the evil Emperor Zurg. Buzz makes it his sole purpose after crash-landing in Andy's room to get his spaceship (the box in which he was sold) repaired and continue his mission with the universe protection unit. As a result, he views his daily routine as an outer-space adventure -- until he finally learns what Andy's other toys have known all along. He is only a toy.
Buzz Lightyear Statistics:
Description: Interplanetary hunk. Mr. Universe. Action figure. The complete package. Has all the tools. You've seen him on TV, now he can be yours. Available throughout the Tri-County area.
Intelligence: Needs batteries.
Uniform: Rigid construction of high-impact plastic. Bubble helmet.
Affiliation: Star Command, Space Ranger Corps, Universe Protection Unit.
Home Base: Gamma Quadrant of Sector Four.
Destination: Sector Twelve, or to infinity and beyond, whichever comes first.
Mission: Protect the galaxy from the threat of invasion from the Evil Emperor Zurg, sworn enemy of the Galactic Alliance.
Film: "Toy Story" (1995)
Voice Artist: Tim Allen
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Cursed by an enchantress because he has no love in his heart, a prince is transformed into a terrible beast. The fearful spell can only be broken when he truly learns to love -- and can earn the love of another. But who can love a beast? All seems hopeless ... until fate brings Belle into his grasp. Angry and despairing due to his long enchantment, the Beast tries to capture Belle's love with fear, not win it with kindness. Then slowly, through her courage and compassion, he begins to discover the secrets of his own heart and learns that even a beast can be loved.
Beast's key animator, Glen Keane, spent months surrounded by a bestiary of animals for inspiration, including a mandrill in the London Zoo named Boris and a gorilla named Caesar in the Los Angeles Zoo. Keane said of the final creation, "The first challenge was to design a Beast that felt real, felt like a real animal from earth ... The animal that most inspired me was the buffalo. There seems to be an incredible power and size in a buffalo. But he has very sad cow eyes that say there's a gentleness inside of him."
Actor Robby Benson, who voiced the monstrous Beast, is best known for playing earnest young men in film and theater and was considered an unlikely choice for the enchanted monster. But the Broadway-trained actor brought an unexpected power and intensity to the Beast's voice, as well as a sense of the Beast's youth and vulnerability. In an interview during production on "Beauty," Benson said, "I'm more excited about this than just about anything I've done."
Film: "Beauty and the Beast" (1991)
Voice Artist: Robby Benson
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Far-off places, daring sword fights ... a prince in disguise ... Belle longs for so much more than a "normal life" in this small, provincial town -- a town where girls don't aspire to more than being the wife of a handsome lunk like Gaston. Still, adventure is the last thing on her mind when she rides her horse, Philippe, into the forest to find her beloved father, who is missing. Thinking only of her father, she makes a terrible bargain with a pitiless monster, a beast who holds her father captive. "Take me instead ..." Though the Beast now holds the key to Belle's prison, he doesn't have the key to her heart, and her yearning spirit won't be kept prisoner. But after he risks his own life to save hers, she begins to see past his hideous appearance. She realizes that, deep inside him, there might be something more than she -- or he -- has ever dreamed.
With "The Little Mermaid," Disney had returned to the old custom of using live-action reference footage, a practice they continued for "Beauty." Actress Sherri Stoner portrayed the role of Belle on film and her live-action performance was used as inspiration for the character's animated performance. Beast's key animator, Glen Keane, and one of Belle's animators, Mark Henn, were drawing their respective characters (in the same scene) across the country from each other -- Henn at the Disney-MGM Studio in Florida, and Keane at the animation studio in Glendale, California. In order to coordinate their work, the animators had to exchange drawings daily by courier.
Film: "Beauty and the Beast"
Live-Action Model: Sherri Stoner
Voice Artist: Paige O'Hara
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First appeared in "Private Pluto," in which Pluto is ordered by Sgt. Pete to guard a pillbox that two pesky chipmunks are using for acorn storage.
Chip and Dale came into their own when Disney was looking for another foil for Donald Duck. Chip and Dale were the answer. These two critters were to become Donald's most popular and enduring adversaries. Although always together, they have quite distinct personalities. Dale is certainly the more capricious and flutter-witted of the two, and the slightly more logical Chip frequently has to bring him back in line, even if by force. Luckily, this behavior doesn't create any ill feeling between the two, nor does it divert them from their main aim in life: to amass as vast a stockpile of food as possible.
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Everyone orders Cinderella around: her cruel stepmother, her awful stepsisters -- even the big clock in the church tower tells her when to start another day of drudgery. But no matter how her family abuses and humiliates her, they can't stop her from dreaming. For dreams are the wishes of Cinderella's heart, and, despite her sadness and hardships, she has faith that someday her wishes of happiness will come true. When the invitation to the royal ball arrives, Cinderella is sure her time has come -- until the evil sisters, with the sly encouragement of Lady Tremaine, tear not only her gown to shreds, but her hopes and dreams as well. "There's nothing left to believe in," she cries, heartbroken and alone. However, though her own words are forgotten for the moment, they still hold the magic that will fulfill her hopes. "No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dreams that you wish will come true ..."
Cinderella is by no means a weak-willed character content to let events flow around her. On the contrary, when the invitation to the royal ball arrives, she uses everything short of physical force to persuade her stepmother that she has every right to attend. This makes her one of the more memorable Disney heroines.
Actress Helene Stanley performed the live-action reference not only for Cinderella, but also for Princess Aurora in "Sleeping Beauty" and Anita Radcliff in "101 Dalmatians." "Cinderella" was based on the French version of the tale as recounted by Charles Perrault in "Histoires ou Contes du Temps Passé," and was chosen for production based on its resemblance to the "Snow White" story.
Film: "Cinderella" (1950)
Voice Artist: Ilene Woods
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One of the most popular of the Disney cartoon characters, Donald Duck made his debut in the Silly Symphony cartoon "The Wise Little Hen" on June 9, 1934. His fiery temper endeared him to audiences, and in the 1940s he surpassed Mickey Mouse in the number of cartoons reaching the theaters. Eventually, there were 128 Donald Duck cartoons, but he also appeared in a number of others with Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Pluto. His middle name, shown in a wartime cartoon, is Fauntleroy. The original voice of Donald was Clarence "Ducky" Nash, who was succeeded after 50 years by Disney artist Tony Anselmo. A daily Donald Duck newspaper comic strip began on February 7, 1938.
Donald Duck has a good heart and always has good intentions. Well, almost always. Actually, it's his second or third intentions that are the good ones, but by the time they surface Donald's already off and running in the wrong direction. He refuses to let anyone or anything stand in his way. It doesn't matter how much humiliation the world dishes out to him, Donald will take it and come back for more. He's a loser, not a quitter, and he'll go down fighting. This is a duck with one short fuse, and an amazing (if unintelligible) command of language, and when things don't go right, he goes ballistic. Yet after the storm is over and the tantrum is through, when faithful Daisy soothes his brow or his conscience finally catches up with him, even Donald can admit that there must be a better way. If only he could figure out what it is.
Hot-headed Donald is a little man in a big world that's trying to keep him down. Call it fate, or call it lack of self-control, nothing goes right for this duck: even his best intentions often go awry. Of course, by the time his best intentions surface he's probably already chasing after less noble pursuits. As stubborn as he is temperamental, he won't give in, even when he's up to his beak in trouble. Then watch out. Like a lot of people with a temper problem, he's blind to his own faults but quick to see them in others. He can't understand why life seems so much easier for pals Mickey and easy-going Goofy. It's not fair. Still, Donald will keep struggling to get what he deserves in the world. Favorite sayings: "Oh, yeah?" "Hiya, toots!" "Aw, phooey!" "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" "Nothin' to it!" -
Donald Duck's girlfriend, Daisy, had her debut as Donna Duck in "Don Donald" (1937), but became known as Daisy in "Mr. Duck Steps Out" (1940). She went on to make 14 film appearances. Daisy had three nieces in comic book stories: April, May, and June. They first appeared in Walt Disney's Comics & Stories #149 (February 1953).
No other duck has a sassy sashay to her walk like Daisy; she's one-hundred-percent woman, from the top of the bow in her hair to the bottom of her determined heart. Mistress of high drama, Daisy can go from coy to flaming just as fast as her best beau Donald, and she more than matches him at his own game. A woman who knows her mind, she expects to be treated right: candy, flowers, a night on the town. If Donald won't toe the line, she's not afraid to offer an ultimatum. "Until you develop a more pleasant personality, I don't want to see you again." Threats notwithstanding, she's confident that Donald will always be back, faults and all. In fact, given the choice between keeping him for herself just as he is, or sharing him with the rest of the world, she makes her feelings for Donald very clear. "Me, me, me, me ... ME!" Daisy wouldn't have it any other way. Favorite sayings: "Well, I never!" "Oh, Donald ..."
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PONGO:
Urbane and cosmopolitan, Pongo is London's most eligible, yet uncirculated, canine bachelor -- until he spots the lovely Perdita walking her "pet" Anita. A dog who finds the bachelor life boring, the dapper dalmatian immediately takes matters into his own paws and arranges an "introduction." How could Perdita resist? Marriage, a new home ... and a bouncing family of 15 puppies soon arrive. Pongo's a proud and loving father (and the best dog in the world, as far as the pups are concerned), and he won't let anything stand in the way of his family's happiness. Not even that evil woman, Cruella De Vil.
Actor Rod Taylor, who voiced the urbane canine, was the star of many live-action feature films. One of his more notable roles was in H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine."
Voice Artist: Rod Taylor
PERDITA:
Quiet and refined, Perdita isn't too sure about the raffish Pongo when they first meet, but she never regrets her choice. When she and her mate are blessed with a healthy and rambunctious litter of pups, she's the happiest dog around -- or would be, if it weren't for her uneasy premonitions about that "devil" Cruella and her designs on the pups. Perdita's a dog who trusts her intuition. So when her babies vanish, she knows exactly who took them. Although she loves the comforts of hearth and home, she's willing to leave them behind and take on a frightening journey to save her beloved children -- as long as her dashing husband is by her side.
In the book upon which the Disney film is based, Anita's dog and Pongo's wife was a beautiful dalmatian named Missus. A dalmatian named Perdita appears in the book, but she was a lost dog whose own pups were purchased by Cruella De Vil for their skins. Perdita, whose name means "lost," was adopted by the Pongo family to help nurse their own 15 puppies and was eventually reunited with her own missing children.
Voice: Lisa Daniels, Cate Bauer
99 DALMATIAN PUPPIES:
These pups may be difficult to tell apart, but they're all individuals. From the moment they arrive during a dark and stormy night, their personalities ARE set. Lucky, the runt of the litter, likes television -- maybe a little too much (Penny and Freckles always have to keep telling him to get out of their way so they can see too). Rolly's always hungry -- even in the middle of their great escape he wouldn't mind stopping for a quick snack. If Patch had to face their favorite TV bad guy, Dirty Dawson, he's sure he wouldn't let that "yellow-livered old varmint" escape. He's not quite as feisty, though, when faced with real-life villains like Horace and Jasper. Still, the pups do have one important thing in common, and that's a dose of bravery much bigger than themselves. When evil Cruella puppy-naps them away from hearth and home, these kids chip right in to save their own skins.
For viewers who find it difficult to discriminate between so many adorable spotted pups, here's a few tips: the boy pups wear red collars (like their father, Pongo) and the girl pups wear blue (like Perdita). Patch has a black patch around his eye, Lucky has two black ears and a horseshoe-shaped spot pattern on his back (as well as an insatiable appetite for television), Rolly's a bit pudgier than the others, Freckles has a few spots sprinkled on his nose, dainty Penny has the fewest spots of all ... and for the rest, you're on your own.
Film: "101 Dalmatians" (1961)
Voice: Barbara Beaird (Rolly), Micky Maga (Patch), Sandra Abbott (Penny), Mimi Gibson (Lucky) -
Good-natured but not that bright, this cartoon character made his first appearance, somewhat disguised, as a member of the audience in "Mickey's Revue" (1932). What distinguished the character from those sitting around him was not so much his appearance but his raucous laugh. That laugh, supplied by Disney storyman, musician, and former circus clown Pinto Colvig, made such an impression on Walt Disney and his staff that the character soon began to be featured in other cartoons. Before long, Goofy was part of the gang that included Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Clarabelle Cow, and Horace Horsecollar. In the newspaper comic strips, this new character was first given the name Dippy Dawg. A 1938 book indicated the first change to Dippy's name, "The Story of Dippy the Goof," and by 1939 the final change was made to Goofy with the release of the cartoon "Goofy and Wilbur."
Goofy was created as a human character, as opposed to Pluto, who was a pet, so he walked upright and had a speaking voice (first supplied by Colvig, and later by George Johnson, Bob Jackman, and Bill Farmer). There were 48 Goofy cartoons (primarily in the 1940s and 1950s), but he also appeared in many cartoons with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. He was best known for his series of "How to" cartoons, where he bumbled through the explanations. In the 1950s, he appeared in several cartoons as Mr. Geef, with a wife and son. The 1990s television series "The Goof Troop" reintroduced Goofy and son, but by this time the son was Max, quite different from his earlier incarnation, and the wife was no longer on the scene. Favorite sayings: "Gawrsh!" "Well, whaddya know ..." "A-hyuck!" "Huh?" -
The wacky and wisecracking Genie has, among other functions, the purpose of providing a burst of slam-bang comic relief (somewhat in the style of the similar Wilbur from "The Rescuers Down Under"). In his first encounter with Aladdin, he presents the youth with an incredibly fast-moving parade of verbal tricks, shape-shifting impersonations, and stand-up comedy routines -- all the while singing a rambunctious song.
Freed from a lifetime of confinement, Genie radiates energy and geniality. This character, inspired by its voice artist, Robin Williams, is one of Disney's all-time funniest creations.
Film: "Aladdin" (1992)
Voice Artist: Robin Williams