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Pluto (Disney)

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Pluto
Mickey Mouse & Friends character
First appearance
  • The Chain Gang (September 5, 1930; 94 years ago (1930-09-05)) (unnamed)
  • The Picnic (October 9, 1930; 94 years ago (1930-10-09)) (as Rover)
  • The Moose Hunt (April 30, 1931; 93 years ago (1931-04-30)) (as Pluto)
Created by
Designed by
  • Norm Ferguson
Voiced by
Developed by
In-universe information
Alias
  • Rover
  • Pluto the Pup
SpeciesDog
GenderMale
FamilyMickey Mouse (owner)
Significant other
Relatives

Pluto is an American cartoon character created by Walt Disney and Norm Ferguson. He is a yellow-orange color, medium-sized, short-haired dog with black ears. Unlike most Disney characters, Pluto is not anthropomorphic beyond some characteristics such as facial expression.[3] He is Mickey's pet. Officially a mixed-breed dog,[4] he made his debut as a bloodhound in the Mickey Mouse cartoon The Chain Gang.[5] Together with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, and Goofy, Pluto is one of the "Sensational Six"—the biggest stars in the Disney universe.[6] Though all six are non-human animals, Pluto alone is not dressed as a human.[7]

Pluto debuted in animated cartoons and appeared in 24 Mickey Mouse films before receiving his own series in 1937. All together Pluto appeared in 89 short films between 1930 and 1953. Several of these were nominated for an Academy Award, including The Pointer (1939), Squatter's Rights (1946), Pluto's Blue Note (1947), and Mickey and the Seal (1948). One film starring him, Lend a Paw (1941), won the award in 1942.[Note 1] Because Pluto does not speak, his films generally rely on physical humor. This made Pluto a pioneering figure in character animation, by expressing personality through animation rather than dialogue.[8]

Like all of Pluto's co-stars, the dog has appeared extensively in comics over the years, first making an appearance in 1931.[9] He returned to theatrical animation in 1990 with The Prince and the Pauper and has also appeared in several direct-to-video films. Pluto also appears in the television series Mickey Mouse Works (1999–2000), House of Mouse (2001–2003), Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (2006–2016), Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures (2017–2021), Mickey Mouse (2013–2019) and its successor The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse (2020–2023), Mickey Mouse Funhouse (2021–present) and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+ (2025–present).

In 1998, Disney's copyright on Pluto, set to expire at the end of 2005, was extended by the passage of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act. Disney, along with other studios, lobbied for passage of the act to preserve their copyrights on characters such as Pluto for 20 additional years.[10] Under current US copyright law, Pluto's earliest appearances will become public domain at the start of 2026. However Pluto, like all Disney characters, will remain trademarked by Disney, and trademarks do not expire unless the rights holder stops using it.

Origin

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The character of Pluto originated with animator Norm Ferguson, who came to the Disney Studio in 1929. Ferguson is credited with introducing the animation principle of "follow through and overlapping action": where different parts of the body move at different times and speeds compared to the main action. Ferguson first introduced this technique in the Silly Symphony short Frolicking Fish (released May 8, 1930): where he animated a trio of dancing fish, and offset the movement of their fins, having them "drag" along with the main body's movement. This gave the characters a more flowing and natural movement compared to most other animation of that time.[11] Walt Disney was so impressed with Ferguson's work on Frolicking Fish, that he ordered all of his animators study the scene.[12]

Shortly after completing his work on Frolicking Fish, Disney assigned Ferguson to work on the Mickey Mouse cartoon The Chain Gang (released on September 5, 1930); where Mickey is portrayed as a prisoner who escapes from jail, and is perused by two nameless bloodhounds. Ferguson was tasked with animating a scene where Mickey runs towards the camera and is followed by the two bloodhounds, who sniff Mickey's trail, look up, snort and bark at the camera.[13] According to Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, when describing this scene to Ferguson, Disney would reminisce about different dogs he grew up with as a child, and act out their mannerisms (much to the staff's amusement), to which Ferguson would then translate into his animation.[14]

When animating the scene, Ferguson applied his principle of "follow through and overlapping action" to the jowls of the dogs, which gave them surprisingly lifelike movement for the time. As animation historian Michael Barrier writes of the scene:

"The dogs were among the very first Disney characters whose design broke with the prevailing formula that put white masks on virtually interchangeable black bodies... their jowls hang loosely, their nostrils wrinkle and flair, their movements echo those of real dogs. When the dogs appear, there is a sense, however faint and fleeting, of solid flesh on a screen otherwise occupied by phantoms."[13]

Upon reviewing the scene, Disney was so impressed by Ferguson's animation on the dogs, he decided to develop one of them into a recurring character.[14] Ferguson's dog character next appeared in The Picnic (released on October 23 of that same year), however he was portrayed as Minnie's dog, and was named "Rover". In his third appearance, The Moose Hunt (released on May 3, 1931), he appeared as Mickey's pet, and was finally given the name "Pluto".[4] Disney animator Ben Sharpsteen claimed they changed the name to Pluto because: "We thought the name [Rover] was too common, so we had to look for something else. ... We changed it to Pluto the Pup ... but I don't honestly remember why."[15] Some Disney animators reportedly believed that Disney chose the name "Pluto" to capitalize on the then-newly-named ninth planet of Pluto.[16] However, animation historian John Canemaker states that Disney chose the name simply because he once had a dog named Pluto.[17]

While other animators would handle the character of Pluto - Ferguson became the Pluto specialist at the Disney Studio. Over the next few years, Ferguson would continue to develop and refine the character of Pluto, ultimately crystalizing with Playful Pluto (1934), in which Ferguson animated a scene where Pluto gets a piece of flypaper stuck to his rear end. While the sequence storyboarded by Webb Smith, Ferguson padded the scene and added extra bits of comic business.[18] The scene was considered a major landmark in the development of character animation. Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston described the scene as:

"...a milestone in personality animation. From the time he [Pluto] accidently sits on a sheet of the sticky flypaper, Pluto's problems seem to become ever worse as he tries to extricate himself. Through it all, his reaction to his predicament and his thoughts of what to try next are shared with the audience. It was the first time a character seemed to be thinking on screen, and, though it lasted only 65 seconds, it opened [up] the way for animation of real characters with real problems."[19]

Following the circulation of Art Babbitt's Character Analysis of the Goof around the Disney studio,[20] Ferguson wrote a 4-Page character bible on Pluto that was published on Jan 4, 1936, and detailed Pluto's body construction, facial expressions, mannerisms and personality.[21]

Characterization

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Unlike Mickey's other animal friends, such as Goofy (who is also a dog), Pluto is a relatively normal animal, with few anthropomorphic traits apart from his facial expressions. Pluto usually doesn't speak in English, walk upright or wear clothing. A significant departure from this was his speaking role in The Moose Hunt (1931), which was produced before Pluto's characterization had been clearly defined. As Pluto made more appearances, it became common that he would mostly speak in barks and grunts like most dogs. Other ways of communicating Pluto's thoughts occur through his facial expressions, and sometimes through the use of a shoulder angel/devil who speak directly to Pluto. (Mickey's Elephant, Lend a Paw).

Pluto is generally a cheerful and adventurous dog, although he can be given to sheer panic when confronted with something unknown. Common themes in Pluto's stories involve him becoming jealous of Mickey getting another pet (Mickey's Elephant, Lend a Paw, Mickey and the Seal), Pluto accidentally and unwittingly swallowing something and panicking when he realizes it (Playful Pluto, Donald and Pluto), Pluto getting entangled with something inanimate like a piece of flypaper (Beach Picnic, Playful Pluto), or Pluto being pestered by a smaller animal (Private Pluto, Squatter's Rights). In many of his appearances with Mickey, Pluto will get himself into trouble and cause Mickey to get angry at him. Mickey, however, often cheers up quickly, often telling Pluto "Aw, I can't be mad at ya.".

Pluto sometimes appears with other regular animal characters. His friends include Fifi the Peke, Dinah the Dachshund, and Ronnie the St. Bernard Puppy. Other animals he is less friendly with include Salty the Seal, Butch the Bulldog, Figaro the Kitten, Chip 'n Dale, Peg Leg Pete, Spike the Bee, Bent-Tail the Coyote, Milton the Cat, and other characters. In Disney's 1937 animated short Pluto's Quin-puplets, Pluto has five sons, one of them returning in the 1942 short Pluto Junior. In the 1946 animated short Pluto's Kid Brother, Pluto has a younger brother named K.B.

Appearances

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Bone Trouble (1940); Butch the Bulldog is a common antagonist of Pluto

Pluto first and most often appears in the Mickey Mouse series of cartoons. On rare occasions, he is paired with Donald Duck ("Donald and Pluto", "Beach Picnic", "Window Cleaners", "The Eyes Have It", "Donald's Dog Laundry", & "Put-Put Troubles").

The first cartoons to feature Pluto as a solo star were two Silly Symphony shorts, Just Dogs (1932) and Mother Pluto (1936). In 1937, Pluto appeared in Pluto's Quin-Puplets which was the first installment of his own film series, then headlined Pluto the Pup. However, they were not produced on a regular basis until 1940, by which time the name of the series was shortened to Pluto.

His first comics appearance was in the Mickey Mouse comic strip in July 1931,[22] two months after the release of The Moose Hunt. In 1938, Pluto headlined in the Silly Symphony Sunday comic strip, in an adaptation of his Silly Symphony short, Mother Pluto.[23] Pluto was later featured in several sequences of the Silly Symphony strip in 1939 and 1940.

Pluto Saves the Ship, a comic book published in 1942, was one of the first Disney comics prepared for publication outside newspaper strips. However, not counting a few cereal giveaway mini-comics in 1947 and 1951, he did not have his own comics title until 1952.

In 1936, Pluto was featured in the picture book Mickey Mouse and Pluto the Pup by Whitman Publishing.

Pluto ran his own neighborhood in Disney's Toontown Online until its closedown. It was called the Brrrgh and it was always snowing there except during Halloween. During April Toons Week, a weekly event that was very silly, Pluto switched playgrounds with Minnie (all other characters did this as well), and he actually talked in Minnie's Melodyland.

Pluto has also appeared in the television series Mickey Mouse Works (1999–2000), House of Mouse (2001–2003), Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (2006–2016), Mickey Mouse (2013–2019), Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures (2017–2021), and The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse (2020-present) and Mickey Mouse Funhouse (2021–present). Curiously enough, however, Pluto was the only standard Disney character not included when the whole gang was reunited for the 1983 featurette Mickey's Christmas Carol, although he did return in The Prince and the Pauper (1990) and Runaway Brain (1995). He also had a cameo at the ending of Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). In 1996, he made a cameo in the Quack Pack episode "The Really Mighty Ducks".

Short films

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Feature films

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Video games

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Pluto appeared as a non-playable character in Mickey Mania (1994).

Pluto also appears in Disney Golf for the PlayStation 2. In the event that the player's golf ball goes out of bounds or hits a water hazard, Pluto will come and look for the player's golf ball.

In the Kingdom Hearts video game series, Pluto is still Mickey's pet and acts as somewhat of a messenger, assisting in his master's plans. For most of Kingdom Hearts II, Pluto stays by Kairi's side (even when she has been kidnapped), as he has apparently taken a liking to her. Strangely, throughout the series, Pluto appears and disappears at random moments.

Pluto is a playable character in the world builder game Disney Magic Kingdoms, being a premium character to unlock in the main storyline of the game.

Disney parks

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In the various Disney theme park resorts around the world, Pluto is a meetable character just like many of his film co-stars.[24] Pluto, however, uncharacteristically walks on two legs in this capacity out of necessity. Adults and children are able to meet, play with, and get autographs and pictures with Pluto and his friends at all Disney parks. Shirts, hats, toys and other various types of merchandise featuring Pluto are available.

Notes

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  1. ^ Pluto also appears in the Academy Award-nominated films Building a Building (1933) and Runaway Brain (1995), but does not play a significant role in either.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Scott, Keith (October 3, 2022). Cartoon Voices of the Golden Age, Vol. 2. BearManor Media.
  2. ^ "Fred Flintstone Meets Jiminy Cricket: A Salute to Alan Reed -". CartoonResearch.com. August 25, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  3. ^ Farrell, Ken. Warman's Disney Collectibles Field Guide: Values and Identification. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2011. p. 308.
  4. ^ a b Smith, Dave. Disney Trivia from the Vault: Secrets Revealed and Questions Answered. New York: Disney Editions, 2012.
  5. ^ Smith, Dave. Disney A to Z: The Updated Official Encyclopedia. New York: Hyperion, 1998. Print. ISBN 0-7868-6391-9.
  6. ^ Stewart, James B. Disney War. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005. p. 5.
  7. ^ Griffin, Sean. Tinker Belles and Evil Queens: The Walt Disney Company from the Inside Out. New York: New York UP, 2000. p. 70.
  8. ^ "The Flypaper Sequence Mystery," essay by Michael Barrier
  9. ^ Pluto at INDUCKS
  10. ^ Sprigman, Chris. FindLaw's Writ, March 5, 2002, "THE MOUSE THAT ATE THE PUBLIC DOMAIN: Disney, The Copyright Term Extension Act, And eldred V. Ashcroft Archived October 30, 2012, at the Wayback Machine". Accessed September 19, 2012.
  11. ^ Barrier, Michael (1999). Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in It's Golden Age (2003 Revised ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-19-516729-0. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  12. ^ Gabler, Neal (2006). Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagnation. New York: Alfred A Knof. pp. 169–170. ISBN 0-679-43822-X. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  13. ^ a b Barrier 1999, p. 75.
  14. ^ a b Thomas, Frank; Johnston, Ollie (1981). Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life (1984 Revised ed.). New York: Disney Editions. pp. 99–104. ISBN 0-7868-6070-7. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  15. ^ Brasch, Walter M. (1983). Cartoon Monikers: An Insight into the Animation Industry. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green University Popular Press. p. 69. ISBN 0-87972-244-4.
  16. ^ Boyle, Alan. The Case for Pluto: How a Little Planet Made a Big Difference. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2009. p. 49.
  17. ^ The Life and Times of Pluto (2004), Documentary featurette (Walt Disney Treasures: The Complete Pluto DVD - Disc 1), Walt Disney Home Entertainment
  18. ^ Barrier 1999, pp. 113–114.
  19. ^ Thomas and Johnston 1981, p. 100.
  20. ^ Friedman, Jake S. (2022). The Disney Revolt: The Great Labor War of Animation's Golden Age. Chicago Review Press. p. 71. ISBN 9781641607223. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  21. ^ Sporn, Michael (July 29, 2009). "Pluto models". Michael Sporn Animation. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  22. ^ Gottfredson, Floyd (2011). Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse, vol 1: Race to Death Valley. Seattle, WA: Fantagraphics Books. pp. 163–166. ISBN 978-1-60699-441-2.
  23. ^ Kaufman, J.B. (2016). "Introduction". Silly Symphonies: The Complete Disney Classics, vol 2. San Diego: IDW Publishing. pp. 7–8. ISBN 978-1-63140-804-5.
  24. ^ "Pluto".
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