1961's Franken-Stymied. Woody's popularity had been based on his manic craziness, and by 1961, this had all but been eliminated in favor of a more serious Woody, a straight man who was trying to do good. This was due in part to Woody's large presence on television, which meant Lantz had to meet the stringent rules against violence for children's television. Though the cartoons continued in production until 1972, they were a definite notch lower than the predecessors of the 1940s and 1950s.
Woody continued to appear in new theatrical shorts until 1972, when Lantz closed his studio's doors due to rising production costs. His cartoons returned to syndication in the late 1970s. Lantz sold his library of Woody shorts to MCA/Universal in 1985. Universal repackaged the cartoons for another syndicated Woody Woodpecker Show in 1987. A year later, Woody made a brief cameo in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, voiced by Cherry Davis, near the end of the film. In 1995, Woody appeared in a Pepsi commercial with NBA star Shaquille O'Neal.
Woody Woodpecker reappeared in the Fox Kids series The New Woody Woodpecker Show, which ran on Saturday mornings from 1999 to 2002 where he was voiced by Billy West. For this series, Woody's appearance was redesigned to look more like his mid-1940s look instead of the classic look he had sported for years afterward. To that effect, his crest was pushed back and his eyes were once again made green. Winnie Woodpecker, who had debuted in Real Gone Woody in 1954, became a semi-regular character as Woody's primary love interest. Like Woody, Winnie received a redesign that made her look almost exactly like Woody did from 1947 until 1972, with the obvious differences being that she was a female woodpecker and had blue eyes. Woody's primary antagonist was Wally Walrus, who became Woody's neighbor (Woody lived in a tree house in Mrs. Meany's front yard, and Mrs. Meany's house was next door). Buzz Buzzard often made appearances, as did Mrs. Meany and several other older characters.
Woody and Winnie both appear as costumed characters at PortAventura Park, Universal Orlando, Universal Studios Japan, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Singapore.
Woody and Winnie Woodpecker, as seen at Universal Studios Florida
Reception[edit]
Walter Lantz with his most famous creation
The Woody Woodpecker Show was named the 88th best animated series by IGN.[8]
Legacy[edit]
Walter Lantz and movie pioneer George Pal were good friends. Woody Woodpecker makes a cameo in nearly every film that Pal either produced or directed—for example, during the supposed 1966 sequence in The Time Machine (1960), there is a brief shot of a little girl dropping her Woody Woodpecker doll as she goes into the air raid shelter. In Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975), Grace Stafford is seen in a cameo carrying a Woody Woodpecker doll.
Woody was number 46 on TV Guide's list of the 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All-Time in 2002 and 2003. He came in at number 25 on Animal Planet's list of The 50 Greatest Movie Animals in 2004. The character has been referenced and spoofed on many later television programs, among them The Simpsons, American Dad!, South Park, The Fairly OddParents, Family Guy, Seinfeld, Robot Chicken and Flash Toons
Woody Woodpecker is the mascot for the Universal Studios Theme Parks. In 1998 and 1999, Woody appeared on the nose of the Williams Formula One Team, and in 2000, he became the official team mascot of the Honda Motorcycle Racing Team. A balloon featuring the character has long been a staple of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
VHS and DVD releases[edit]
Woody continued to appear in new theatrical shorts until 1972, when Lantz closed his studio's doors due to rising production costs. His cartoons returned to syndication in the late 1970s. Lantz sold his library of Woody shorts to MCA/Universal in 1985. Universal repackaged the cartoons for another syndicated Woody Woodpecker Show in 1987. A year later, Woody made a brief cameo in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, voiced by Cherry Davis, near the end of the film. In 1995, Woody appeared in a Pepsi commercial with NBA star Shaquille O'Neal.
Woody Woodpecker reappeared in the Fox Kids series The New Woody Woodpecker Show, which ran on Saturday mornings from 1999 to 2002 where he was voiced by Billy West. For this series, Woody's appearance was redesigned to look more like his mid-1940s look instead of the classic look he had sported for years afterward. To that effect, his crest was pushed back and his eyes were once again made green. Winnie Woodpecker, who had debuted in Real Gone Woody in 1954, became a semi-regular character as Woody's primary love interest. Like Woody, Winnie received a redesign that made her look almost exactly like Woody did from 1947 until 1972, with the obvious differences being that she was a female woodpecker and had blue eyes. Woody's primary antagonist was Wally Walrus, who became Woody's neighbor (Woody lived in a tree house in Mrs. Meany's front yard, and Mrs. Meany's house was next door). Buzz Buzzard often made appearances, as did Mrs. Meany and several other older characters.
Woody and Winnie both appear as costumed characters at PortAventura Park, Universal Orlando, Universal Studios Japan, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Singapore.
Woody and Winnie Woodpecker, as seen at Universal Studios Florida
Reception[edit]
Walter Lantz with his most famous creation
The Woody Woodpecker Show was named the 88th best animated series by IGN.[8]
Legacy[edit]
Walter Lantz and movie pioneer George Pal were good friends. Woody Woodpecker makes a cameo in nearly every film that Pal either produced or directed—for example, during the supposed 1966 sequence in The Time Machine (1960), there is a brief shot of a little girl dropping her Woody Woodpecker doll as she goes into the air raid shelter. In Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975), Grace Stafford is seen in a cameo carrying a Woody Woodpecker doll.
Woody was number 46 on TV Guide's list of the 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All-Time in 2002 and 2003. He came in at number 25 on Animal Planet's list of The 50 Greatest Movie Animals in 2004. The character has been referenced and spoofed on many later television programs, among them The Simpsons, American Dad!, South Park, The Fairly OddParents, Family Guy, Seinfeld, Robot Chicken and Flash Toons
Woody Woodpecker is the mascot for the Universal Studios Theme Parks. In 1998 and 1999, Woody appeared on the nose of the Williams Formula One Team, and in 2000, he became the official team mascot of the Honda Motorcycle Racing Team. A balloon featuring the character has long been a staple of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
VHS and DVD releases[edit]
0 comments:
Post a Comment