Boo-Boo Bear is a cartoon bear cub in a bow tie. He first appeared in 1958 as a supporting character in the Hanna-Barbera series The Huckleberry Hound Show with his companion Yogi Bear. Boo-Boo often acts as Yogi Bear’s conscience and tries to prevent him from doing things he shouldn’t in Jellystone Park.
Yogi Bear is a cartoon bear whose name is a nod to baseball star Yogi Berra. He first appeared in 1958 as a supporting character in the Hanna-Barbera series The Huckleberry Hound Show. The plot of most of Yogi’s cartoons centers on his antics in the fictional Jellystone Park. Yogi, accompanied by his constant companion Boo-Boo Bear, often tries to steal picnic baskets from campers in the park.
Huckleberry Hound is a blue cartoon dog that speaks with a relaxed Southern drawl. Huck is typically portrayed trying to perform a job, in fields ranging from policeman to dogcatcher. His efforts typically backfire, yet he succeeds through slow persistence or sheer luck. He first appeared in the Hanna-Barbera series The Huckleberry Hound Show in 1958. He has appeared in other Hanna-Barbera productions, including Yogi’s Gang in 1973.
Bert is a Muppet on the children’s television show Sesame Street. He and his roommate Ernie form a comic duo that is one of the program’s centerpieces. While clearly adults who share an apartment, Ernie and Bert have no visible means of support and no reference is made to any form of employment, income or attempts to find work. Bert has made appearances within the Muppets franchise, including The Muppet Show.
Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson’s most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over the years.
Quick Draw McGraw is an anthropomorphic cartoon horse who starred in The Quick Draw McGraw Show (1959-1962), the third cartoon television production created by Hanna-Barbera. He is usually depicted as a sheriff, with a Mexican burro deputy named Baba Looey. Quick Draw was the mascot for Sugar Smacks (now Honey Smacks) from 1961-1965. In the 1970s, he appeared in several productions with Yogi Bear and friends.
Admiral Ackbar is a character in the Star Wars franchise. As the Mon Calamari rebel leader, he played a supporting role in the 1983 film Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Admiral Ackbar’s “It’s a trap!” line is one of the most popular lines from the Star Wars films and is a popular Internet meme.
This week I am attending WebVisions 2012 in Portland, Oregon.
Lando Calrissian is a character in the Star Wars franchise. He first appeared in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) as an administrator of Cloud City who later joins the Rebel Alliance. He helps Han Solo destroy Jabba’s barge and then takes the pilot chair in the Millennium Falcon to lead the attack on the second Death Star.
Monchhichi is a line of Japanese stuffed toy monkeys that Mattel introduced to the U.S. in the late 1970s. The Hanna-Barbera cartoon series Monchhichis debuted in 1983. Monchhichis are monkey-like creatures who live in the forest land of Monchia at the tops of very tall trees, high above the clouds. As a child, one of my favorite stuffed animals was a Monchhichi. I believe the character was the thumb-sucking Thumkii.
After additional, very important research, I have identified both of my beloved thumb-sucking monkey dolls from childhood. One was a tan, 11″ monkey from Atlanta Novelty, a division of Gerber Products. And the other was the banana-holding Thumkey, a 7″ Russ Berrie knockoff of the Monchhichi line. Both had plush bodies with plastic faces and hands.
Boba Fett is a character in the Star Wars franchise. He first appeared in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back in 1980. Boba Fett is a clone of Jango Fett, who raises him as a son. In the original trilogy, Boba is a bounty hunter hired by Darth Vader to find the Millennium Falcon.
Chewbacca is a character in the Star Wars franchise. He first appeared in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in 1977. Chewbacca, a Wookiee, became Han Solo’s first mate and companion after Solo, then an Imperial Captain, refused an order to kill him while Chewbacca was a slave of the Empire.
Note: The Chewbacca defense is an amusing legal strategy from South Park that satirized attorney Johnnie Cochran’s defense of O.J. Simpson in his murder trial. In essence, “if Chewbacca lives on Endor, you must acquit.” Look at the silly monkey!
Roy Batty is the main antagonist of the 1982 American science-fiction film Blade Runner. The film is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. Batty, portrayed by Rutger Hauer, is the leader of the renegade Nexus-6 replicants. He is intelligent, fast and skilled at combat, but still learning how to deal with developing emotions.
P.S. “All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.” – Roy Batty
The evil robot seductress from Metropolis, a 1927 German expressionist science-fiction film by Fritz Lang. Metropolis is set in a futuristic urban dystopia, and follows the attempts of activists Freder and Maria (Brigitte Helm) to overcome the class divide separating the wealthy intellectuals and working class. In this bizarre labor-relations parable, Rotwang the scientist creates a robotic double of Maria to generate chaos and discredit her.
Note: Maria is basically the great-grandmother of C-3PO.
The Great Gazoo is a tiny, green, floating alien who first appeared in The Flintstones animated series in 1965. He was banished to prehistoric Earth from his home planet Zetox in 2000 AD, as punishment for having invented a doomsday machine. He can materialize and dematerialize objects, teleport and manipulate time. The only people able to see him are Fred, Barney, and the children, because they believe in him; animals can also see him.
Note: Gazoo was introduced midway through the show’s final season and is often cited as an example of The Flintstones having “jumped the shark.” In all, Gazoo appeared in 11 episodes, and was basically the nail in the show’s coffin. “Toodle-loo, dumb-dumbs!”
The 45th Vice President of the United States (1993-2001), under President Bill Clinton, and the Democratic candidate in the 2000 U.S. presidential election. Gore is also an environmental activist who wrote An Inconvenient Truth. He has founded several nonprofits including the Alliance for Climate Protection, and received a Nobel Peace Prize for his work in climate change activism. A well-known animatronic human, Gore was “born” tomorrow in 1948.
I’m pretty tired of creating 8-bit versions of famous white dudes in suits, so this character is based on a Futurama version of Al Gore (plus his South Park superhero cape). In the 31st century, Gore is First Emperor of the Moon. You guys, I’m serial. I’m super-serial. Lockbox.
The Joker is a DC Comics supervillain with a clown-like appearance. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman’s life. Generally portrayed as a highly intelligent but sadistic psychopath, he is one of the most iconic and recognized villains in popular media.
Princess Leia Organa is a main character in the original Star Wars trilogy, portrayed by Carrie Fisher. She first appeared in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in 1977. Leia is the daughter of Padmé Amidala and her husband, Anakin Skywalker, a fallen Jedi also known as Darth Vader. She is also the twin sister of Luke Skywalker.
I know 8-bit Leia is missing her classic cinnamon-bun hairdo, but I couldn’t resist the iconic slave girl costume. Behold her metal bikini from Jabba the Hutt’s palace at the beginning of Return of the Jedi.
Luke Skywalker is the main protagonist in the original Star Wars trilogy, portrayed by Mark Hamill. He first appeared in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in 1977. Skywalker is the son of Padmé Amidala and her husband, Anakin Skywalker, a fallen Jedi also known as Darth Vader. He is also the twin brother of Princess Leia Organa.
Yoda is a major character in the Star Wars saga, appearing in five of the six films (all except the original). He made his first appearance in The Empire Strikes Back in 1980. A renowned Jedi master, Yoda was responsible for training Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Jedi. In Return of the Jedi, he dies peacefully at the age of 900.
P.S. “Do, or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda
Ernie (Sesame Street) – No. 446
Ernie is a Muppet on the children’s television show Sesame Street. He and his roommate Bert form a comic duo that is one of the program’s centerpieces. Ernie is known for his fondness for baths with his Rubber Duckie, learning to play the saxophone and keeping Bert awake at night. Ernie has made appearances within the Muppets franchise, including The Muppet Show.
I am in Boston for the HOW Design Conference 2012 this week.