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ood-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?" |