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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?" |
