This article was originally published in the Hamilton County Herald on December 2, 2011.
1. What cartoon hero was in love with Sweet Polly Purebred? Mighty Mouse; Underdog; Inspector Gadget; George of the Jungle.
2. Inspired by an unflattering baby photo of himself, what cartoon character did Bob Clampett create in 1942? Elmer Fudd; Tazmanian Devil; Porky Pig; Tweety Bird.
3. How many years after the airing of Mickey Mouse was it before his beloved partner, Minnie Mouse made her first appearance. One; two; five; they appeared the same year.
4. In a 1965 episode of The Flintstones, what little green alien from the planet Zetox is assigned to serve prehistoric “dumb-dumbs” Fred and Barney? Gravelberry; Gazam; Gazoo; Mork.
5. What blue-skinned cartoon characters took North America by storm in 1981? Blue’s Clues; Pokemon; The Smurfs; Teletubbies.
6. What cartoon, accompanied by a collectible card game, became a huge hit in Japan in 1998? Yu-Gi-Oh; Sailor Moon; Robotech; Speed Racer.
7. Which cartoon duck once ran for President of the United States? Daffy Duck; Howard the Duck; Uncle Scrooge; Danny Duck.
8. What “Terrytoons” duck was created in 1939 to try to take viewers away from Disney’s “Donald Duck” and Warner Brothers’ “Daffy Duck” cartoons? Yakky Duck; McQuack the Duck; Dinky Duck; Superduck.
9. This brainy cartoon kitten starred in a pal cartoon with a dumb, full-grown dog called “Ruff.” What was his name? Randy; Fluff; Robert; Reddy.
10. Olive Oyl, Popeye’s sweetheart, occasionally takes care of her cousin, who is: Swee’Cheeks; Swee’Pea; Swee’Corn; Swee’Cake.
ANSWERS: 1. Underdog was sweet on ace TV reporter Sweet Polly Purebred. Her cry of “Oh where, oh where has my Underdog gone?” would prompt the humble and loveable Shoeshine Boy to slip into a nearby phone booth, pop a “Super Vitamin Pill” that he kept in a secret compartment on his ring, and emerge as Underdog, champion of justice.
2. Inspired by an unflattering baby photo of himself and his longtime fascination with baby birds, Warner Brothers artist Bob Clampett created the character of Tweety Bird. 3. Minnie Mouse was by Mickey’s side from the start, on May 15, 1928.
4. During the final season of The Flintstones, a tiny green alien named Gazoo, was exiled from his home planet Zetox for inventing a weapon capable of destroying the universe. Gazoo’s punishment was to serve prehistoric “dumb-dumbs” Fred and Barney. He appeared in several episodes of The Flintstones, and was voiced by comedic actor Harvey Korman. 5. Originally created in 1958 by the Belgian cartoonist Peyo, the Smurfs didn’t make their way to North America until 1981 when they joined NBC’s Saturday-morning lineup. Brainy Smurf, Papa Smurf, and Smurfette, was an immediate success and captured the imagination of children across North America. 6. It was in 1998 before Yu-Gi-Oh really became a huge hit with the release of a television series and a collectible card game. Kids began collecting cards and monsters so that they could duel like their favorite Yu-Gi-Oh characters on the show.
The phenomenon quickly spread to other countries, including the United States, where some collectors have paid thousands of dollars for a single Yu-Gi-Oh card on auction web sites such as eBay. 7. “Howard the Duck,” created by Steve Gerber, was one of the first cartoon ducks not meant to just get laughs by having wild fits. He was a superhero duck at first, but later turned to darker humor. Disney sued “Howard the Duck” for being to much like “Donald Duck”, causing “Howard” to start dressing different to change the character’s appearance. 8. Dinky Duck, however, Dinky never caught on with the cartoon crowd. He was, however, a regular character on the “Heckle and Jeckle Show.” 9. Reddy. This cartoon first aired in 1957, by “Hanna/Barbera.”
10. At first, Swee’Pea is a foundling that Popeye takes care of, however, later in the series Swee’Pea is named as a cousin of Olive Oyl.