Woody Woodpecker
| Woody Woodpecker | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| First appearance | Knock Knock (1940) |
| Last appearance | Woody Woodpecker (upcoming) |
| Created by |
Walter Lantz Ben Hardaway |
| Voiced by |
Mel Blanc (1940–1941; speaking), (1940–1949; trademark laugh), (1940–1972; "Guess Who" line), (2001; Woody Woodpecker: Escape from Buzz Buzzard Park) Ben Hardaway (1941–1949; speaking) Danny Webb (1941–1942; speaking) Kent Rogers (1942–1944; speaking) Grace Stafford (1950–1972, 1990) Cherry Davis (in Who Framed Roger Rabbit) Billy West (1999–2002) Eric Kelso (Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Theme Parks Adventure) Eric Bauza (film) |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | Woody |
| Species | Woodpecker |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Woodpecker |
| Family | Splinter and Knothead (niece and nephew) |
| Significant other(s) | Winnie Woodpecker |
Woody Woodpecker is an anthropomorphic animated woodpecker, inspired by the acorn woodpecker and also resembling the pileated woodpecker, who appeared in theatrical short films produced by the Walter Lantz animation studio and distributed by Universal Pictures. Though not the first of the screwball characters that became popular in the 1940s, Woody is one of the most indicative of the type.
Woody was created in 1940 by Lantz and storyboard artist Ben "Bugs" Hardaway, who had previously laid the groundwork for two other screwball characters, Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, at the Warner Bros. cartoon studio in the late 1930s. Woody's character and design would evolve over the years, from an insane bird with an unusually garish design to a more refined looking and acting character in the vein of the later Chuck Jones version of Bugs Bunny. Woody was originally voiced by prolific voice actor Mel Blanc, who was succeeded by Ben Hardaway and later by Grace Stafford, wife of Walter Lantz.
Lantz produced theatrical cartoons longer than most of his contemporaries, and Woody Woodpecker remained a staple of Universal's release schedule until 1972, when Lantz finally closed down his studio. The character has been revived since then only for special productions and occasions, save for one new Saturday morning cartoon television series, The New Woody Woodpecker Show, for the Fox Network in the late 1990s/early 2000s. He was voiced by Mel Blanc.
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