The Origins of Goofy

The Origins of Goofy

His clumsiness and unforgettable holler have made him one of the most popular cartoon characters of all time. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be taking a look at the origins of Goofy.

An iconic Disney creation, Goofy made his debut on May 25th, 1932 in the Mickey Mouse cartoon “Mickey’s Review.” Originally named Dippy Dawg, he debuted as an audience member of the music show that gleefully annoyed the other spectators.

Drafted by Frank Webb, and developed by Disney animator Art Babbitt, this version of Goofy was created as a gullible simpleton and friendly hick.

Very different from the character we know and love today, he was showcased as an old dog with a white beard and puffy tail. While few aspects resembled his later designs, he did showcase his trademark laugh, which was provided by voice actor Pinto Colvig.

Later that year, he was remade as a younger character and appeared as a joyous guest at “The Whoopee Party”.

By the time he appeared in 1934’s “Orphan’s Benefit”, the character was rebranded as Goofy, to better represent his personality.

A hit, he quickly became a Disney staple, and went on to become a member of a comedy trio alongside his pal’s Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Their first romp together was the classic cartoon short “Mickey’s Service Station.” This led to further misadventures and countless antics in such shorts as “The Moving Day” and “Clock Cleaners”.

Quickly becoming one of Disney’s most popular characters, fans loved him for his clumsy and dimwitted demeanor, and he became recognized for his new look, which included a hat, pants, long sleeved shirt and vest. However, as a man-dog hybrid the ability to speak, Goofy continued to generate confusion from audiences due to comparisons with Pluto, Mickey’s pet pooch.

With much of the humor coming from Goofy and Donald, the two became their own team with 1938’s “Polar Trappers”, a cartoon that stationed them in the Arctic surviving on canned beans while attempting to capture walruses.

As Goofy proved capable of carrying much of the comedy, he was given his own solo cartoon outings starting with 1939’s “Goofy and Wilbur”.

When Colvig departed the studio that same year, Disney decided to recast Goofy in a string of narrated “How to” cartoons”, where he developed his iconic “Goofy Holler”.

By 1942’s “How to Play Baseball”, Goofy’s supporting characters were made to look resemble him in an attempt to normalize his world.

Colvig returned as Goofy’s voice in 1944, and the character soon transformed into a family man, complete with the full name George Geef – which implied that “Goofy” was just a nickname. At the same time, he was made to be smarter, given shrunken facial features, his droopy ears were removed, and he began sporting a much more normal voice.

By the time 1965’s educational film “Goofy’s Freeway Troubles” rolled around, Goofy had faded from the spotlight. Even sadder, the man behind his voice passed away just two years later.

With other actors replicating his vocal cues, Goofy eventually re-emerged in 1983’s “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” in the role of Jacob Marley. This led to his appearance in 1987’s “Sport Goofy in Soccermania”, and a brief cameo in 1988’s “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.”

In a successful attempt to reintroduce the character, Goofy was then given his own TV series in 1992 called “Goof Troop”. There, he assumed the role of a single father living with his son Max and cat Whiskers. That success spawned 1995’s “A Goofy Movie” and its follow-up, 2000’s “An Extremely Goofy Movie.”

Following this stint, Goofy was given the gig of headwaiter on “The House of Mouse”, which had him balance his traditional Disney persona and fatherly relationship with Max.

Today, Goofy continues to appear on the early childhood education program “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”, and in cameos in various Disney licensed video games, such as “Kingdom Hearts.”

An icon of the Walt Disney Company, Goofy remains one of the most famous animated characters in the world. Despite his age, he continues to entertain generations of children with his hilarious personality, antics and unforgettable holler.