Dogs In American Animation
Kirsten Hawkins
One of the most beloved subjects for the creation of cartoon
characters in America is the dog. Countless dogs have graced
movie and television screens as animated characters – too many
to cover in one short article in fact. There must be something
special about the comical nature of canines that makes them
such ready targets to become humorous cartoon characters, but
there have been plenty to choose from.
In the 1970’s the creative team of William Hanna and Joseph
Barbera had their heyday on television. They practically owned
Saturday mornings when nearly every cartoon show seemed to be
an HB production. The team and their company created over a
thousand animated characters over the years and a number of
their most memorable ones are dogs.
Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo, where are you!? Anyone who was a growing and
television watching child in the seventies remembers the
lovable Great Dane with the bottomless stomach and nerves of
aluminum. As part of the team of teenagers that trekked the
country in their psychedelic van “The Mystery Machine,” Scooby
and his pal Shaggy got more mileage out of one plotline than
any cartoon characters in history. Scooby-Doo has aired on
television in one form or another for over thirty years and,
with the success of two recent live-action motion pictures
based on the series, shows no sign of stopping anytime soon.
We’d have gotten away with it if it weren’t for those meddling
kids and their dog…
Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy
This was a pair made for cartoons if there ever was one. Augie
and his dad were two bachelors traveling around and getting
into adventures and misadventures with humorous results. Augie
was clearly the brains of the operation, but he was never going
to reveal that to his Jimmy Durante inspired “dear old dad.” We
never did find out what happened to Doggie Mommy…
Hong Kong Phooey
Only Hanna Barbera Studious could have thought to take the
1970’s fads of “blacksploitation” and Kung Fu movies and make
it into a kids cartoon show. They pulled it off, though, with
this “number one super guy” that was voiced by the late, great
Scatman Crothers. By day he’s a mild mannered janitor working
at the police station, but whenever there’s trouble he jumps
into the filing cabinet, dons a mask and a gi, and emerges as…
a dog in a gi that knows kung fu. Good times all around.
Muttley
Appearing as the sidekick of the eternally villainous Dick
Dastardly, Muttley the dog never said a word, but his wheezy
snicker rings in the memory of anyone who ever saw an episode
of The Wacky Races, The Perils of Penelope Pitstop, or Stop
That Pigeon.
About The Author: Kirsten Hawkins is a dog lover and animal
expert from Nashville, TN. Visit
http://www.doghealth411.com/
for more information on dog health, the care of dogs, and dog
travel.
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