List of TaleSpin characters

This is a list of characters in the Disney animated series TaleSpin. TaleSpin was previewed on The Disney Channel in May through July 1990,[1][2] and premiered in syndication in September of that year.[3]

Higher for Hire

Baloo

Baloo von Bruinwald XIII (voiced by Ed Gilbert) is the main character of the series, based primarily on the sloth bear from Disney's The Jungle Book, but with a flight cap and a yellow shirt (and four-fingered hands instead of his Jungle Book counterpart's claws). Although lazy, slobbish, unreliable and always broke, he is also an excellent pilot and capable of the most daring maneuvers in the air. He flies a cargo plane called the Sea Duck. He will also selflessly come to the aid of those in need of help. His irresponsible behavior sometimes jeopardizes important situations, as seen in the episode "Your Baloo's in the Mail" when he fails to mail a winning ticket in the proper way, which puts Rebecca's ability to receive $100,000 in prize money at risk.[4] He also has a penchant for getting into schemes that require him to dress up in drag to suit the situation, such as when he became Rebecca's "female" co-pilot Tan-Margaret (a play on Ann-Margret) in the episode "Feminine Air".[5] Some of his mannerisms survive from The Jungle Book, including his nickname of "Papa Bear" by Kit, which Mowgli had given to him. He also calls Kit "Li'l Britches", as he did with Mowgli. In the first part of the episode "A Bad Reflection on You", Baloo gives his full name as "Baloo Bear" when introducing himself to a guard at Khan Tower.[6] However, in the episode "The Balooest of the Bluebloods", it is revealed that Baloo comes from a prominent noble family and that Baloo's full designation is in fact "Baloo, Baron von Bruinwald XIII".[7] However, he himself had been initially unaware,[7] which raises the possibility that he was adopted. In this episode, he inherited $500 million in the form of an extravagant estate, which was taken from him to settle the matter of his family's impressively long history of owing back taxes, thus restoring the status quo.[7] Baloo only once mentioned any family, in reference to a gramophone record that had belonged to his father. The name "Baloo" comes from the Hindi word for bear: bhālū (Hindi: भालू, pronounced [ˈbʱaːlu]).

Kit Cloudkicker

Kit Cloudkicker (voiced by R. J. Williams in some episodes, Alan Roberts in others) is a 12-year-old[8] brown bear cub and the navigator aboard Baloo's plane, the Sea Duck. His first appearance was in the pilot episode and introductory television movie Plunder & Lightning.[9] He was originally voiced by Alan Roberts who did his voice for 9 episodes that aired as a preview-run before the series' syndicated premiere.[10] R. J. Williams voiced Kit for the rest of the series (including in the pilot episode Plunder & Lightning).[11] His trademarks are a green sweatshirt, a blue and red baseball cap worn backward and his ability to "cloud surf" (also referred to in the show as "cloud skiing"). The baseball cap was a gift to Kit from Baloo, as a sign of friendship and trust. In the episode "Flight School Confidential", Kit's height is revealed to be 3 feet 9 inches.[8]

As a 12-year-old who had lived with the air pirates under Don Karnage for one year prior to the start of the series,[12] Kit's character was a unique one in the history of Disney – he had a very dark past, partially because the storyline originally had him as being Don Karnage's protege. The story states that he left the air pirates because he "got sick" of them.[12] Kit first encountered Baloo when he crashed into him in Louie's Place, and later rejoined Baloo by grabbing onto the Sea Duck in order to escape from the air pirates because they were trying to catch him.[9][13] His ambition was to become a pilot and to purchase his own aircraft.[9]

Occasionally showing a selfish streak, Kit sometimes put his dreams ahead of those of his friends. Having lived on his own for most of his life, Kit's distrust of adults was apparent in the show. He warmed to Baloo only after being given the chance to fly the Sea Duck, and even then was ready to leave for greener pastures.[9]

Nevertheless, he looked upon the other members of the "Higher for Hire" company as a surrogate family, affectionately referring to Baloo as "Papa Bear" on occasion. He clearly demonstrated his fondness for Rebecca Cunningham's daughter Molly on a number of occasions throughout the show, having been seen giving Molly piggyback rides, and on one occasion rescuing her on his airfoil (the device Kit uses for cloud surfing – see below). Baloo gives him the same nicknames, such as "Little Britches" that was bestowed on Mowgli from The Jungle Book.

In the episode "Stormy Weather", Kit chastised Baloo saying, "You can't tell me what to do! You're not my dad!"[14] This was a decision Kit would come to regret later in that episode.[14]

Kit had the ability to cloud surf using a crescent shaped metal device called an airfoil and a regular cord attached to the back of the Sea Duck or another plane, thus allowing him to "surf" in a similar fashion to someone wakeboarding or water skiing. It was not made clear where Kit learned this skill, but he demonstrates at numerous times throughout the various episodes that he is incredibly adept at it. He can also use his board to free glide without being towed by a plane. Baloo would often give his permission for Kit to be towed behind the Sea Duck when appropriate, trusting in Kit's skill to let him have some fun. Baloo also had enough confidence in Kit to keep himself safe on the airfoil when separated and under attack, or when Kit had to be outside for something important. Outside such situations however, he did not like Kit to take unnecessary risks, such as doing dangerous tricks or stunts.[14]

Rebecca Cunningham

Rebecca Cunningham (voiced by Sally Struthers) is a petite brown bear with long brown hair in a french twist style, usually wears a white turtleneck sweater, and a purple-red jacket and matching slacks. She is nicknamed "Becky", "Beckers", "Beck" (used only once in episode "A Star is Torn"),[15] and/or "BC" (used once in "War of the Weirds")[16] by Baloo which at first she highly resented being called, but soon grew accustomed to with affection (in return, she calls him "Fly Boy" on occasion). She is an unassumingly attractive, yet shrewd businesswoman with an MBA. Rebecca bought out Baloo's Air Service and his plane in the introductory episode Plunder & Lightning when the pilot failed to pay his bank loan, and renamed the business "Higher for Hire".[17] Although she originally relegated herself to the administrative and sales functions of the business, the series shows she eventually learns to be a capable would-be pilot in her own right.[18] Baloo's laziness and carefree attitude towards his responsibilities often infuriates her explosive temper, despite having some possible feelings toward him at times which does come up as a blistering jealous streak, such as in the episode "A Star is Torn".[15] Rebecca can sometimes be too quick to jump to conclusions and judge people. Rebecca lives with her daughter Molly in an apartment in an upscale part of Cape Suzette, one which incorporates a waterfall in its design. She occasionally concocts outrageous schemes to quickly make extra money, such as when she buys a pig to sniff out truffles instead of a new pontoon which the Sea Duck needs in the episode "The Bigger They Are, the Louder They Oink".[19] She sometimes acts as a maternal figure for Kit Cloudkicker. However, in the episode "It Came from Beneath the Sea Duck", Rebecca's confidence in Kit was put to the test.[20] While Kit was babysitting her daughter Molly, the girl accidentally got separated from him when the wagon she was on rolled down a hill and Kit had to chase it all the way to the docks.[20] When Rebecca heard that her young daughter had been so far from home, she blamed Kit and would not let him explain what happened, accusing him of being "reckless and irresponsible".[20] Later in the episode, her confidence in him was restored when he saved her daughter from a giant squid (voiced by Peter Cullen), and she apologized to him for being too quick to judge him.[20]

Molly Cunningham

Molly Elizabeth Cunningham (voiced by Janna Michaels) is Rebecca's yellow-furred, 6-year-old[21] daughter. She is an adventurous child who even at her age, is not afraid to speak her mind just like her mother, who nicknames her "Honey" and "Pumpkin" (while Baloo calls her "Button Nose"). Molly has a thing for her favorite ice cream brand "Frosty Pep", and sometimes pretends she is "Danger Woman" (the action/adventure heroine of a popular kids radio program) while seeking adventure along with Kit and Baloo. She carries a doll named "Lucy". She often outwits adversaries much older than her. Her middle name, Elizabeth, is revealed in the episode "Mommy for a Day",[22] and Molly is the only character to have any middle name revealed. Molly has taken a special interest in snow, which is problematic since it never snows in Cape Suzette.[23][24] No mention was ever made of Molly's father, as series creator Jymn Magon reportedly said that Rebecca is either a widow or divorced, although at a 1998 U.S. fan convention Q&A online chat he did state in roundabout tones that she is actually divorced as originally written in the first TaleSpin press release.[25]

Wildcat

Wildcat (voiced by Pat Fraley) is a clueless and gangly lion who typically wears a mechanic's outfit. Although very childlike, he is ultimately a mechanical genius. For example, he can fix a smashed telephone in under ten seconds.[17] He speaks with a slight lisp. Wildcat has a special place in his heart for dinosaurs as they are his favorite animal.[26] He is also fond of pets and toys. He is honest and truthful, but at times too truthful, much to the annoyance of Baloo.

Air Pirates

Don Karnage

Don Karnage (voiced by Jim Cummings) is the leader of a group of air pirates and captain of the massive hybrid airship, the Iron Vulture, which serves as an airborne aircraft carrier. He is the main antagonist in the series. He is a wolf (according to series creator Jymn Magon),[27] and has orangish-brown fur. He wears a blue Napoleonic-style high-collared captain's tailcoat (with a red interior, red cuffs, and gold trim and buttons, and with the upper-front part unbuttoned and folded down as a small red triangular fold on his chest), a red belt, light bluish-gray pants, and dark-gray boots with gray cuffs. He is armed with a cutlass, which he wears on the left side of his waist, so that he can easily access it with his right hand. He speaks with an accent that is a blend of Spanish, Italian, and French accents. He pronounces /t/ and /d/ as dental consonants rather than the normal English alveolar consonants. He is a skilled pilot and ruthlessly cunning with an over-sized ego that makes him blunder with whatever scheme or raid he conducts with his pirates. When dogfighting or raiding, he flies a hybrid fighter plane that appears to be based on a low-wing monoplane but with wings added so that it is actually a triplane. Voice actor Jim Cummings has cited Ricky Ricardo as an inspiration.

Other Pirates

Thembrians

Khan Industries

Shere Khan

Shere Khan (voiced by Tony Jay) is a Bengal tiger who also appeared in The Jungle Book, but here stands upright and wears a business suit. He sports retractable claws, which is a rarity in the show. He is sometimes accompanied by an unnamed emaciated tiger "yes-man" office aide. Khan is an extremely wealthy businessman and the head of the corporation Khan Industries (sometimes called Khan Enterprises) which is the dominant economic force in the city of Cape Suzette. Dour, humorless and slightly arrogant because of his wealth and position, he takes enjoyment out of running small companies out of business (Higher for Hire is sometimes on his hit list) with a sense of ruthlessness to skirt around the law as he chooses. He also likes to feed tiny insects to the many carnivorous plants he grows in his office.[17] He once even made a deal with Don Karnage and his air pirates to create an artificial oil shortage so he could extort higher prices from the public in the episode "On a Wing and a Bear".[35]

He has a well-armed air force and navy, complete with battleships (referred to as "gunships"). This is mainly to protect his shipping and business interests worldwide. However, despite his ruthless and self-interested behavior, Khan is willing to act nobly at times, such as ordering his forces into the air to protect Cape Suzette from air pirate attacks. He is also shown to respect Baloo's piloting skills, most notably in the episode "From Here to Machinery", in which Khan's plane had been ambushed by Don Karnage's air pirates and the robotic pilot (created by the sleazy Professor Martin Torque) refused to deviate from its flight plan due to its programming, causing an arriving Baloo to forcibly remove the robot and take control of the plane (with Khan's permission) in order to evade the pirates.[36] The name "Shere Khan" is derived from Hindi: Shere or Sher, i.e., a lion/tiger (Hindi: शेर, Urdu: شیر, pronounced [ˈʃeːr]), and Khan, i.e., a South Asian title or surname (Hindi: ख़ान, Urdu: خان, [ˈxaːn]).

Others

Other characters

References

  1. The Disney Channel Magazine, Vol. 8, no. 2 (typo in magazine: should be "no. 3"), May/June 1990: pp. 22, 34, 37, 46, 49-53, 57-59.
  2. The Disney Channel Magazine, Vol. 8, no. 3 (typo in magazine: should be "no. 4"), July/August 1990: pp. 45-47.
  3. "TaleSpin (TV Series 1990–1991) - IMDb". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2013-09-27.
  4. "Your Baloo's in the Mail". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 61. 1991-02-22.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Feminine Air". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 31. 1990-10-30.
  6. 1 2 "A Bad Reflection on You (Part 1)". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 20. 1990-10-01.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "The Balooest of the Bluebloods". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 27. 1990-10-15.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Flight School Confidential". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 46. 1991-01-10.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Plunder & Lightning (Part 1)". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 1. 1990-09-07.
  10. "Alan Roberts - IMDb". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2014-06-26.
  11. "R.J. Williams - IMDb". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2014-06-26.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Plunder & Lightning (Part 3)". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 3. 1990-09-07.
  13. Cotter, Bill (1997). The Wonderful World of Disney Television: A Complete History. New York: Hyperion. p. 24. ISBN 0-7868-6359-5. OCLC 37180049.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Stormy Weather". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 14. 1990-09-21.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "A Star is Torn". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 23. 1990-10-04.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "War of the Weirds". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 36. 1990-11-13.
  17. 1 2 3 "Plunder & Lightning (Part 2)". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 2. 1990-09-07.
  18. 1 2 3 4 "I Only Have Ice for You". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 9. 1990-09-14.
  19. "The Bigger They Are, the Louder They Oink". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 25. 1990-10-08.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "It Came from Beneath the Sea Duck". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 6. 1990-09-11.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Molly Coddled". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 10. 1990-09-17.
  22. 1 2 3 "Mommy for a Day". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 8. 1990-09-13.
  23. "Flight of the Snow Duck". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 33. 1990-11-05.
  24. "Jolly Molly Christmas". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 43. 1990-12-20.
  25. "Link to Jymn Magon online chat interview on the TaleSpin EMUCK page". Starflashes.tripod.com. 1998-06-13. Retrieved 2014-06-26.
  26. 1 2 3 4 "Paradise Lost". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 62. 1991-02-25.
  27. "Jymn Magon - "Ask the Creators" - TaleSpin Source". Animationsource.org. 2009-07-27. Retrieved 2014-06-26.
  28. "Stuck on You". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 57. 1991-02-12.
  29. 1 2 3 4 5 "Jumping the Guns". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 48. 1991-01-21.
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 "A Bad Reflection on You (Part 2)". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 21. 1990-10-02.
  31. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "In Search of Ancient Blunders". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 49. 1991-01-30.
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Flying Dupes". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 65. 1991-08-08.
  33. "The Idol Rich". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 13. 1990-09-20.
  34. 1 2 3 4 "Gruel and Unusual Punishment". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 42. 1990-12-04.
  35. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "On a Wing and a Bear". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 22. 1990-10-03.
  36. 1 2 3 4 "From Here to Machinery". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 5. 1990-09-10.
  37. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Baloo Thunder". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 53. 1991-02-06.
  38. 1 2 3 4 "Bullethead Baloo". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 54. 1991-02-07.
  39. 1 2 "Plunder & Lightning (Part 4)". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 4. 1990-09-07.
  40. Weiss, Bobbi J.G. (adaptation from a teleplay by Len Uhley) (w), Quartieri, Cosme (p), Valenti, Carlos, Robert Bat (i). "Take Off: Part Three – Khan Job" Disney’s TaleSpin Limited Series #3 (March 1991), W. D. Publications, Inc., p. 24, ISBN 1-56115-117-3, Cover code: KB 0690, Story code: KB 0490
  41. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Louie's Last Stand". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 50. 1991-01-31.
  42. 1 2 "Save the Tiger". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 34. 1990-11-07.
  43. "For a Fuel Dollars More". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 19. 1990-09-28.
  44. 1 2 3 "The Ransom of Red Chimp". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 60. 1991-02-21.
  45. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Captains Outrageous". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 37. 1990-11-15.
  46. 1 2 3 "Time Waits for No Bear". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 7. 1990-09-12.
  47. 1 2 3 4 "The Golden Sprocket of Friendship". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 18. 1990-09-27.
  48. 1 2 "Double or Nothing". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 30. 1990-10-24.
  49. 1 2 3 "Destiny Rides Again". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 55. 1991-02-08.
  50. 1 2 3 "A Baloo Switcheroo". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 28. 1990-10-16.
  51. 1 2 3 "Polly Wants a Treasure". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 11. 1990-09-18.
  52. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "All's Whale That Ends Whale". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 17. 1990-09-26.
  53. 1 2 "Bearly Alive". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 15. 1990-09-24.
  54. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "A Spy in the Ointment". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 26. 1990-10-09.
  55. 1 2 3 "The Incredible Shrinking Molly". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 63. 1991-04-08.
  56. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Bringing Down Babyface". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 47. 1991-01-17.
  57. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Vowel Play". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 12. 1990-09-19.
  58. 1 2 3 4 5 "For Whom the Bell Klangs (Part 1)". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 39. 1990-11-27.
  59. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "For Whom the Bell Klangs (Part 2)". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 40. 1990-11-28.
  60. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "The Road to Macadamia". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 59. 1991-02-20.
  61. 1 2 3 4 "My Fair Baloo". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 44. 1991-01-07.
  62. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Mach One for the Gipper". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 56. 1991-02-11.
  63. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Whistlestop Jackson, Legend". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 29. 1990-10-22.
  64. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "The Old Man and the Sea Duck". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 35. 1990-11-08.
  65. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "Bygones". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 64. 1991-05-03.
  66. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Sheepskin Deep". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 51. 1991-02-04.
  67. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Citizen Khan". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 41. 1990-12-03.
  68. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Last Horizons". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 32. 1990-11-01.
  69. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "A Touch of Glass". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 24. 1990-10-05.
  70. 1 2 3 "The Time Bandit". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 38. 1990-11-23.
  71. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Waiders of the Wost Tweasure". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 45. 1991-01-09.
  72. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Her Chance to Dream". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 16. 1990-09-25.
  73. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Sound and the Furry". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 58. 1991-02-13.
  74. 1 2 3 "Pizza Pie in the Sky". TaleSpin. Season 1. Episode 52. 1991-02-05.

External links

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