Gossamer | |
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Looney Tunes character | |
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First appearance | Hair-Raising Hare (May 25, 1946 ) |
Created by | Chuck Jones Ted Pierce |
Designed by | Bob Givens |
Voiced by | Mel Blanc (1946–1980) Frank Welker (1990) Maurice LaMarche (1995, 2002) Jim Cummings (1996–2006) Joe Alaskey (2000–2001) Kwesi Boakye (2011–2014) Eric Bauza (2018, 2023–present) [1] [2] Fred Tatasciore (2020–present) [3] |
In-universe information | |
Species | Monster |
Gender | Indeterminate [4] |
Nationality | American |
Gossamer is an animated character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. He is a large, hairy, orange [5] or red [6] [7] monster. His body is perched on two giant tennis shoes, and his heart-shaped face is composed of only two oval eyes and a wide mouth, with two hulking arms ending in dirty, clawed fingers. The monster's main trait is his uncombed, orange hair. He originally was voiced by Mel Blanc and has been voiced by Frank Welker, Maurice LaMarche, Joe Alaskey, Jim Cummings, Kwesi Boakye, Eric Bauza and currently Fred Tatasciore.
The word gossamer means any sort of thin, fragile, transparent material. In particular, it can refer to a kind of delicate, sheer gauze or a light cobweb. The name is meant to be ironic because the character is large, menacing, and destructive. [8]
Animator Chuck Jones introduced the unnamed monster in the 1946 cartoon Hair-Raising Hare . [9] In it, Bugs Bunny is lured to the lair of a mad scientist (a caricature of actor Peter Lorre). [10] [11] The monster serves as the scientist's henchman.
Part of this plot was repeated in the 1952 Jones cartoon Water, Water Every Hare [12] in which the monster's character is referred to as "Rudolph" or simply "Monster". In need of a live brain for his giant robot, the mad scientist (this time a caricature of Boris Karloff) releases Rudolph from his chamber on a mission to capture Bugs Bunny; the monster shows a sudden burst of joyousness and quickly sets out when the mad scientist promises the reward of "spider goulash" for capturing the rabbit.
The monster next appears in Duck Dodgers and the Return of the 24½th Century in 1980. This is the first cartoon where the character is called "Gossamer", and is so named by Marvin the Martian. [9] Jones gave the monster this name "because he's the opposite looking of gossamer. He's a big, hairy thing." [8]
In the 1995 short film, Carrotblanca , Gossamer is seated at a table.
Gossamer also has appeared in various Warner Bros. productions:
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