Spike and Tyke (characters)
| Spike & Tyke | |
|---|---|
| Tom and Jerry character | |
| First appearance |
Spike: Dog Trouble April 18, 1942 Tyke: Love That Pup October 1, 1949 |
| Created by |
William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
| Voiced by | Spike: below Tyke: below |
| Information | |
| Species | Canines |
| Gender | Both males |
Spike and Tyke are fictional characters from the Tom and Jerry animated film series, created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Spike (who goes by different names in a few episodes - Killer for four episodes, Butch for two episodes, and Bulldog for one) is portrayed as an American bulldog, who is generally friendly and amiable, and a loving father to his son Tyke in several episodes. However, Spike's character also has a very stern, and fierce side, for occasions such as when he is defending his son Tyke.
Spike made his first appearance in the 1942 Tom and Jerry cartoon Dog Trouble, and his first speaking role was in 1944's The Bodyguard, where he was voiced by Billy Bletcher up until 1949, from which point he was voiced by Daws Butler, with a thick New Yorker accent similar to Jimmy Durante's.
Spike's son, Tyke is shown as a cute, sweet, happy and innocent puppy. Spike does not speak for most of the earlier series. Spike and Tyke's characters, provide a model of father and son behavior, with Spike spending much of his free time taking Tyke on father-son outings, teaching him the facts of life for dogs and guarding him diligently when they are sleeping. In Tom and Jerry Kids, Tyke has a speaking role for the first time, aside from traditional dog noises he expressed in the prior films.
Spike's relationships with Tom and Jerry have varied from time to time, but essentially Spike has little affection for Tom Cat, who seems always to be disrupting his life, causing trouble, antagonizing Tyke or all of the above. The Truce Hurts (1948) and Pet Peeve (1954) are so far the only cartoons where Spike actually cares about and shows affection for Tom; these relationships often dissolve and usually end with them fighting. Tom does not usually antagonize Spike intentionally, but Spike often ends up in the middle of a Tom and Jerry chase, (as they are all seemingly living together) which ends up waking Spike up, ruining his new dog house, wrecking his and Tyke's picnic, etc. Spike has a few weaknesses that Tom tries to capitalize upon: his possessiveness about his bone and his ticklishness.
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