So last week, I was somewhat of a Negative Nelly and went on a small rant over which characters from The Disney Afternoon (a group of tv shows that I have the utmost admiration for) I liked the LEAST! Well now I'm counteracting those negative waves with some positivity. Here are my FAVORITE characters from The Disney Afternoon!
*everyone sighs from relief while simultaneously gasping with delight*
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| Monterey Jack |
I kicked the last list off with Rescue Rangers, so I'll go ahead and do the same here. First up, the cheese-chaser from down under who's always ready to throw a little shrimp on the fondue - Monterey Jack!
The reason I love Monty so much is basically because of the way he talks. Hearing Jim Cummings use an Australian accent to say things like, "Too-la-roo, boyo!" or "Bonzer move, Chipper me lad!" is just something that I apparently never grow tired of.
It's not only how he says things, but also the things he says! In practically every episode, Mr. Jack here will say something referencing one of his many past adventures. "This reminds me of the time I got shanghaied in Shanghai on a junk full of junk," or "This is better than the time I rode a walrus over Niagara Falls!" and not once do the other Rescue Rangers say, "That sounds fascinating, Monty! Please tell me more about the time you were bushwhacked by bush wrens!" Nope! They just ignore him and go on as if he didn't say anything at all. Well, it's their folly, if you ask me. They're only denying themselves of what I'm sure is a treasure trove of anecdotes that are, at the very least... delightful!
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| Launchpad McQuack |
As I've said before, my favorite show from The Disney Afternoon is DuckTales. This being the case, picking one character as a favorite isn't an easy thing to do... but it is something I have to do. So here he is! Duckburg's own breathing crash dummy, Launchpad McQuack!
Launchpad has an amazing amount of clarity with everything, including himself. He knows he's not a good pilot, and he never tries to hide this fact. But despite not being good at what he does, he loves doing it, nevertheless. Launchpad doesn't let something as trivial as expertise stand in the way of doing what makes him happy... and there's something admirable in that, I suppose. It'd probably be best, though, to do any admiring on the ground.
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| Bigtime Beagle |
Okay. I lied. I have two favorite characters from Ducktales. In the original Uncle Scrooge comics, the Beagle Boys didn't really have individual names or personalities. Ducktales, on the other hand, is different! And the Beagle Boy with distinctest of the personalities, for my money, is Bigtime! The point man for most of the Beagle Boys' capers, this little guy is cunning, assertive, and probably best personifies the collective traits of the comic book Beagles - mean and clever.
There are a few times when other Beagles, like Bomber or Bankjob, take the lead but it's never quite as fun. To quote the man himself: "You can't have a good time without Bigtime."
Such eloquence.
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| Zummi Gummi |
And lastly, there's Gummi Glen's resident wizard, Zummi Gummi. Of all the Gummi bears, I think Zummi is the one I can relate to the most. He has before him a wealth of knowledge and expertise from those who came before him, and is perfectly content spending every one of his waking hours pouring over every last detail. Zummi wants desperately, and even attempts at times, to make his own mark on Gummi history, but I don't think it's ever really an obsession. More than anything, I think, Zummi is content just having so much to geek out over while remaining confident in his own abilities and accomplishments.
I'm talking, of course, about Gummi bear magic spells. You know? Being able to light a candle from across the room? Without a match?
That's the dream.
