Tom (originally called "Jasper") is a bluish grey and white domestic shorthair cat. He is usually, but not always, portrayed as living a comfortable and pampered life, while Jerry (originally called "Jinx"), a brown house mouse, is always living in close proximity to Tom. Despite being very energetic, determined, and much larger, Tom is no match for Jerry's wits. Jerry also possesses surprising strength for his size, sometimes even greater than Tom's, being able to lift items such as anvils with relative ease, and withstand big impacts. Although cats usually chase mice to eat them, it is quite rare for Tom to actually try to eat Jerry. Instead, he tends to compete with Jerry to taunt him (even as revenge) or to obtain a reward from a human (including his owner(s) or master(s)) for catching him or for generally doing his job as a house cat well. By the final "fade-out" of each cartoon, Jerry usually gets the best of Tom.
However, on rare occasions Tom triumphs over Jerry, and this usually happens when the latter pushes Tom a little too far, such as in The Million Dollar Cat, where Jerry learns that Tom will lose his newly acquired wealth if he harms any animal, "including mice." He then torments Tom a touch too much until he retaliates. In Timid Tabby, Tom's look-alike cousin pushes Jerry over the edge. Occasionally and ironically, sometimes they both lose, like when Jerry's final trap or attack on Tom backfires or he overlooks something, like in Filet Meow, where Jerry orders a shark from the pet store to scare Tom away from eating a goldfish, but finds himself entirely intimidated as well. They even occasionally end up being friends, although within this set of stories, the truce is often ruined by some last minute event. One story that has a friendly ending is Snowbody Loves Me.
Both characters display sadistic tendencies, usually taking pleasure in tormenting each other, although it is often in response to a triggering event. However, when one character appears to be in mortal danger from an unplanned situation, or due to actions by a third party, the other will develop a conscience and save him. Occasionally, the duo can bond over a mutual sentiment towards an unpleasant experience and their attacking each other is more of a game than serious. Multiple shorts show the two getting along with minimal difficulty, and they are more than capable of teamwork when the situation calls for it, usually against a third party who manages to torture and humiliate them both. These partnerships are usually forgotten about when an unexpected event happens, or when one character feels that the other is no longer necessary. This is the case in Posse Cat, when they agree that Jerry will allow himself to be caught if Tom agrees to share his reward dinner, but Tom then reneges. Other times, however, Tom does keep his promise to Jerry and the partnerships are not so quickly dissolved after a solution to the problem has been found.
Hanna-Barbera era (1940–1958, 2000–2005)
The following characters were introduced in the theatrical shorts that were directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera.
Spike, occasionally referred to as Butch or Killer, is a stern though occasionally dim-witted grey bulldog who is particularly disapproving of cats, but is gentle towards mice (though in his debut appearance, Dog Trouble (1942), Spike goes after both Tom and Jerry), and later, his son Tyke. In the shorts, Jerry would often try to get Tom in trouble with Spike so that the bulldog would beat him. Spike has a few weaknesses that Tom tries to capitalize upon: his possessiveness about his bone and his ticklishness. His first speaking role was in The Bodyguard (1944), where he was voiced by Billy Bletcher up until 1949, from which point he was voiced by other actors, including Patrick McGeehan, Jerry Mann, Bob Shamrock, John Brown, Fred Karbo, Stan Freberg and Daws Butler.[1][2] Spike is very protective towards his son and gets very angry at Tom if Tyke is bothered or harmed. After Daws Butler, Maurice LaMarche, Frank Welker, John DiMaggio, Michael Donovan,[3]Phil LaMarr, Rick Zieff,[4] and Bobby Cannavale[5] would all perform Spike's voice. Unlike his father Spike, Tyke does not speak in Tom and Jerry or the 2014 TV series (aside from laughing in one short); he does speak in Tom and Jerry Kids, voiced by Patric Zimmerman.
Nibbles (also known as Tuffy) is a little, blue/gray, diaper-wearing orphan mouse who is close to Jerry and appears frequently with him, especially in the comics. His cartoon debut came in the short The Milky Waif (1946). Nibbles was later featured in the Academy Award-winning short The Little Orphan (1949).
He is sometimes seen as Jerry's nephew, but occasionally referred to as an orphan. Although these details are very inconclusive. Nibbles is often shown eating excessively as he is always hungry. In his first animated appearance, Tuffy was left on Jerry's doorstep, abandoned by his parents. Tom enjoys chasing Nibbles/Tuffy as much as he does Jerry.
Though the character was created under the name Tuffy for the comics in 1942, his early animated appearances (from 1945) gave him the name Nibbles. During the 1950s and subsequently, the mouse was called Tuffy on-screen as well. In Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring (2002), the name Nibbles was used again; and he was depicted as a pet-store mouse whom Jerry doesn't know.
In the Mouseketeer shorts, Nibbles speaks in French and English. He also is not Jerry's nephew; rather, he is the son of François Mouse—who does not make an appearance, but his name was given in two letters in the short Touché, Pussy Cat! (1954).
Butch is a black alley cat who made his first appearance in the Tom and Jerry series in the short Baby Puss (1943), alongside Topsy and the already-established Meathead. His character, however (along with the character of Toodles Galore), first appeared in the MGM short (and Butch's only solo cartoon) The Alley Cat (1941), directed by Hugh Harman. Though unnamed in the short, he was referred to as "Tom" in a model sheet.[8] Butch is the leader of the alley cat bullies who are usually friends with Tom and help him catch Jerry. In his first appearance, Baby Puss, Butch was an antagonist, tormenting Tom after Tom's young girl owner treated him like a baby—to the point of dressing Tom up in a diaper, a bonnet, and pink paw mittens. Thus costumed, Tom couldn't help, but be a figure of fun—both for Butch and his gang, and for Jerry. Butch also battles with Tom over Toodles Galore and her affections, creating a love triangle between him and Tom in a couple of shorts including the shorts, Springtime for Thomas (1946) and Casanova Cat (1951). In some cartoons, such as A Mouse in the House (1947), Butch battles with Tom to catch Jerry. Butch is usually portrayed as a homeless alley/street cat although in the short, Blue Cat Blues (1956), Butch is apparently a millionaire who wins the attention of Tom's love interest due to his immense wealth much to Tom's dismay. Butch also appears in a cartoon in the short-lived Spike and Tyke cartoon series, Scat Cats (1957), as a house cat owned by George and Joan, who in later installments of the original series own Tom.
Toodles Galore is an attractive white female cat, who usually wears a large blue bow around her neck, and is supposedly Tom's love interest, although Tom is a reputed playboy, and had other love interests before and after Toodles. Toodles is the only love interest who appeared more than twice. During the classic era, Tom had to compete twice against Butch and even once against Spike for Toodles's affection, and he lost them all. In Casanova Cat (1951), Toodles even fell in love once with Jerry.
Toodles is one of the more anthropomorphic animals in the early series, but her depiction varies by period. She never speaks and she rarely moves around. She has a feline main body, not a human one; however, details like whiskers come and go. She also has cat ears and nose. However, she has many human attributes. She sits in very human poses and walks on two feet (as does Tom in all but the very early shorts, where he chases Jerry on all fours). She has human-shaped hands with painted nails, and rather human eyes and lips made up as a human woman of the era might. In most appearances, like the other cats, she wears nothing but her fur, but she wears a bathing-suit in Salt Water Tabby (1947) with a human feminine figure.
Toodles appears in four episodes of Tom and Jerry Tales (2006–08); "Joy Riding Jokers", "Spaced Out Cat", "Piranha Be Loved By You", "Abracadumb", and "Flamenco Fiasco", credited in the latter episode as "Senorita Cat" and voiced by Chantal Strand.[3] In the later series, The Tom and Jerry Show (2014–2021), she makes cameo appearances in the episodes "Belly Achin'", "Cat Napped", "Don't Cut the Cheese", and "A Star Forlorn". She would later make a full appearance in the Season 4 episode "Tap Cat". She also appears in Tom and Jerry in New York, voiced by Rachael MacFarlane.[9] A white cat similar in appearance to her appears in the 2021 film.
Mammy Two Shoes (voiced by Lillian Randolph) is an African-American woman. Whether or not she is a maid taking care of the home in which Tom and Jerry reside or the homeowner is never made clear. Her face is never seen (with the exception of Saturday Evening Puss (1950), in which her face is very briefly seen as she runs towards the viewer), and she usually wallops the cat (whom she usually addresses as "Thomas") with a broom whenever he misbehaves. She sometimes tries to get rid of Jerry's presence in the house. Mammy would appear in 19 cartoons, starting with Puss Gets the Boot (1940) and ending with Push-Button Kitty (1952). She was voiced by Lillian Randolph in most of her appearances, with Anita Brown performing the role in The Mouse Comes to Dinner.[11][1][2] The character eventually became controversial due to being based on the Mammy archetype, and was retired from the series in 1953.[12][13]Gene Deitch opted not to use Mammy's character in his shorts, as he felt a "stereotypical black housekeep" character "didn't work in a modern context."[14]MGM Animation/Visual Arts, under the supervision of Chuck Jones, created replacement characters for Mammy in the Tom and Jerry cartoons featuring her for television. These versions used rotoscoping techniques to replace Mammy on-screen with a similarly stocky white woman (in most shorts) or a thin white woman (in Saturday Evening Puss); Randolph's voice on the soundtracks was replaced by an Irish-accented (or, in Puss, generic young adult) voice performed by actress June Foray.[11] Three years after Turner Broadcasting System acquired Tom and Jerry, the cartoons featuring Mammy were edited again, with Lillian Randolph's voice replaced with that of Thea Vidale, who re-recorded the dialogue to remove Mammy's stereotype.
Quacker
Little Quacker is a duck and another recurring character in the series. He appears in Little Quacker (1950), Just Ducky (1953), Downhearted Duckling (1954), Southbound Duckling (1955), That's My Mommy (also 1955), Happy Go Ducky (1958), and The Vanishing Duck (1958). Quacker talks a lot compared to Tom and Jerry. His voice is a "duck voice" similar to Disney's Donald Duck. In many shorts, he is the only character who speaks. He is very trusting, even trusting Tom in many situations in which Tom wishes to eat him. He is a friend of Jerry, but unlike Jerry harbors no hard feelings towards Tom. In three cartoons, Quacker becomes separated from his mother at birth, only to reunite with her later in two of them (Little Quacker and Just Ducky). In That's My Mommy however, he is adopted by Tom. In Little Quacker, Quacker's father, Henry makes an appearance. Because his birth is shown differently in different cartoons, he may have siblings as seen in Just Ducky and Happy Go Ducky. Quacker also gets a girlfriend named Fifi in Downhearted Duckling. He appeared in The Tom and Jerry Show episode "The Lost Duckling" (1975). Quacker was used as a template for the Hanna-Barbera character Yakky Doodle, who made guest appearances in several Hanna-Barbera TV shows before starring in his own series of shorts on The Yogi Bear Show. In 1995, he was used as a template for the character Hard Luck Duck in the short of the same name in What a Cartoon!, voiced by Russi Taylor.
Cuckoo is a canary that first appeared in Kitty Foiled (1948). He also appeared in The Flying Cat (1952), Life with Tom (1953), Hic-cup Pup (1954), Two Little Indians (where he is red in color), and Matinee Mouse (which reuses clips from the previous episodes). He is Jerry's best friend. Despite being a little bird, he can actually carry heavy objects like a bowling ball in Kitty Foiled and a 2000 lb. weight in The Flying Cat.
Lightning
Lightning is a ginger orange cat who first appeared in the short Old Rockin' Chair Tom (1948) as Tom's rival. Lightning is named as such because in his first short, he practically moved at the speed of lightning. In later cartoons, Lightning often appeared as one of Tom's alley cat buddies/rivals. Lightning has the same character design as Butch, but with an orange color (although his tone of his coloring and even his design occasionally varies from film-to-film). In Mucho Mouse, he speaks Spanish and is a house cat. He also appears in the Gene Deitch short Switchin' Kitten. In the Chuck Jones short Catty-Cornered (his final appearance), Lightning is portrayed with more of an orange-yellow color than before, with the additional changes of a black tail and ears. Lightning also appears in the live action film where he is voiced by Joey Wells.[5]
Topsy
Topsy is a grey/brown Scottish Fold kitten. He is one of Tom's alley cat friends/foes, although in Professor Tom he befriends Jerry. He first appeared in Baby Puss; his final appearance in the original theatrical shorts was in Scat Cats. He also appears in Tom and Jerry Tales with a more yellowish color (similar to Life with Tom). In Professor Tom, Topsy is explicitly a house cat; more often (as in Saturday Evening Puss and elsewhere), he is depicted as an alley cat or a cat of unknown origin. In the live action film, Topsy is voiced by Harry Ratchford.[5]
Meathead
Meathead is a brown, mangy alley cat who wears a red toupee (which is occasionally seen the same color as the rest of his fur). He is generally portrayed as dull-witted and first appeared in the short, Sufferin' Cats! (1943), as Tom's rival. He also appears in Baby Puss and additional shorts as one of Tom's alley cat buddies/foes. He is known as Frankie in Heavenly Puss. In Scat Cats, his final appearance in the original theatrical shorts, he is portrayed with an all-gray color.
Meathead appears in several episodes of Tom and Jerry Tales with an orange color similar to that of Lightning and also has a red nose and, in two episodes, a bushy tail. He re-appeared in The Tom and Jerry Show episode Cruisin' for a Bruisin' as a lead antagonist, while a drag version of the character named Meathelda appeared in the episode Hop to It! Meathead also makes multiple appearances in later seasons, usually alongside Butch and other alley cats. He appears in the live action film, voiced by Na'im Lynn.[5]
George and Joan
George and Joan (voiced by Daws Butler (1954-1957; George) and Richard Anderson (1958; George) and June Foray (1954-1956; Joan), Julie Bennett (1956-1958; Joan), Pilar Arcos (1957; Joan) and Perry Sheehan (1958; Joan),[2] respectively) are an average middle-class white couple, who debuted in the short Pet Peeve (1954), replacing Mammy Two Shoes. They are the owners of Tom, Jerry, and Spike, but Tom likes to keep Joan company and Spike likes to keep George company. Joan is often seen either cooking or sitting on her armchair knitting or sewing a dress with Tom keeping her company. George, on the other hand, hates the monthly bills and complains that they're too expensive. But when he's not complaining about the bills, he is sitting in his armchair or on the sofa reading the newspaper wearing his smart purple or grey suit and Spike is keeping him company. Both George and Joan are very kind and polite towards each other and Tom and Spike. In Pet Peeve, George and Joan decided to keep Jerry as a pet because he is easy to look after and doesn't eat too much and tell Tom and Spike to leave. However, in later shorts with George and Joan, Tom and Spike still happily live with them and Jerry is not a pet.
Jeannie, the babysitter of George and Joan's baby, is an average teenager who spends much of her time talking on the phone. She is often called on to look after the baby if they're going out. Jeannie proceeds to leap straight onto the phone just as George and Joan shut the front door, which implies that she is very negligent about her job. Despite this, Jeannie is very kind, friendly, cheerful, and rarely loses a smile—except to scold Tom for "bothering the baby", which she thinks that he and Jerry are doing on purpose to annoy her. Jeannie and the baby were seen in only two cartoons: Busy Buddies (1956) and Tot Watchers (1958). Jeannie is voiced by Janet Waldo in the original shorts. The baby also appears in Tom & Jerry Kids where the babysitter is slightly younger and a redhead instead of a blonde. Due to modern sensibilities, this negligent-based climax would no longer be replicated in the newer entrees since child neglect became a very serious matter.
A handful of teenage babysitters do the similar climax as Jeannie's on The Flintstones.
The Ants
The Ants are an army of red ants who steal food as they see them. They appeared in four cartoons Cat Napping, Pup on a Picnic, Barbecue Brawl, and Carmen Get It!. They also appeared in Tom & Jerry Kids. They are unusually heavy for their size, and their combined weight often causes many items, such as Tom's hammock, to break. It is unclear how or why the ants are so heavy, as they are even capable of making tables and diving boards shake as they march onto them.
Guardian devils
Each guardian devil for Tom and Jerry appeared in three cartoons Sufferin' Cats! (1943), Springtime for Thomas (1946), and Smitten Kitten (1952). In the first of these cartoons, one served as evil conscience for Tom and in the other one for Jerry.
Muscles is Jerry's cousin and a mouse with incredible strength. In Jerry's Cousin (1951), Muscles appears to hate cats, including Tom. In Haunted Mouse, another mouse named Merlin, who is also a cousin of Jerry's, appears as a wizard with magical abilities. Muscles' other appearance was in Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring, however, his name was changed to Freddie and he was hostile towards Jerry (although it could be a different mouse who is identical to Muscles). He was voiced by Paul Frees in Jerry's Cousin and by Billy West in Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring. He also appeared in The Tom and Jerry Show.
George the Cat
George is the cat counterpart of Muscles, but with a personality that is in stark contrast to him. Like Muscles, George is identical to Tom (although he is shorter) and is his cousin. Unlike Muscles, however, George is a coward and is scared of mice. He first appeared at the beginning of Jerry's Cousin where he gets thrashed by Muscles (possibly the reason for his fear of mice). His bigger role was in Timid Tabby (1957) where he finally overcomes his fear. He also appeared in Tom & Jerry Kids, the early 1990s television series, where his fear seems to have re-instated even though he pretended it had not (his name was changed to Tim in that short). He is voiced by Bill Thompson.
Fluff, Muff, and Puff
Fluff, Muff, and Puff are a trio of brown, black, and orange kittens that first featured in Heavenly Puss (1949) in a cameo appearance (during Tom's dream) as charming kittens who drowned. They also appeared as cute but mischievous kittens in Triplet Trouble (1952). They also appeared on The Tom and Jerry Show.
Chérie
Chérie is a brown/grey female mouse who serves as Jerry's love interest. She first appeared at the end of Springtime for Thomas (1946), and then later in Smitten Kitten (1952), Touché, Pussy Cat! (1954, the only cartoon where she has an identical twin), Tom and Chérie (1955, the first cartoon where she is named, but only seen in silhouette form) and The Mouse from H.U.N.G.E.R. (1967, as a ticking time bomb set by Tom).
Toots
Toots is the name given to three different characters that have appeared infrequently. The first of these is a fluffy beige cat who appears in Puss n' Toots (1942) and in The Mouse Comes to Dinner (1945), the latter being her only speaking role. She also has a cameo in The Bodyguard (1944) and Smitten Kitten (1952). This version of Toots also appeared in some 1940s Tom and Jerry comics, and in The Tom and Jerry Show (2014–2021), mistakenly credited as "Toodles" and voiced by Alicyn Packard.[4] Toots is also a different cat by the same name who appears in The Zoot Cat (1944) and in the Tom and Jerry Tales episode "Kitty Cat Blues". She has occasionally and erroneously been referred to as "Sheikie", but this is actually Tom's nickname, as seen on a gift card in the cartoon. Finally, Toots is the name of a mouse who serves as Jerry's love interest in Blue Cat Blues (1956). Toots also appeared as an antagonist in Love Me, Love My Mouse (1966).
King of France
In some of the mouseketeer series of cartoons, Tom serves the king of France. This is an obvious reference to Louis XVI of France, who is shown as an extremely short-tempered and cruel monarch. In The Two Mouseketeers (1952), the king executes Tom while in Royal Cat Nap (1958), he orders for Tom's execution.
Mechano cat and Robot-Mouse
Mechano cat first appeared in Push Button Kitty (1952) as Tom's rival. Later, Mechano and Robot-Mouse are seen as a cat-like-robot and mouse-like-robot who serve Tom and Jerry (except at the end of Advance and Be Mechanized (1967), when they get revenge and switch roles with Tom and Jerry, as they control their minds and make them do the work) in the three Chuck Jones outer space cartoons O-Solar Meow, Guided Mouse-ille, and Advance and Be Mechanized (both 1967). Mechano's efforts to catch or trap Jerry or Robot-Mouse always backfire for Tom, except in Advance and Be Mechanized, when he succeeds to catch Robot-Mouse in the beginning. In Guided Mouse-ille, he can stand upright and have hands to use a gun to try and blast Jerry in his mobile tank. This backfired and left Mechano with a black face, while crying in frustration. He sneaks back and promptly shoots Tom, who attempts to shoot Mechano back for his insubordination. However, the shot came out on the wrong end and Tom faints leaving Mechano laughing himself silly. He also appeared in the Tom and Jerry Tales episode "Tin Cat of Tomorrow" (2006) where he is named Verminator 7000. Mechano (called "Robot Cat") also appeared as a fighter in the video game, War of the Whiskers (2002), and was voiced by Marc Silk.[7]
The St. Bernard
The St. Bernard is a dog who first appeared in Puttin' on the Dog (1944) and then again in The A-Tom-Inable Snowman (1966). Unlike the other dogs in the franchise, he is not hostile to cats and on one occasion becomes Tom's medical aid. He also appeared in War Dogs and Little Cesario.
Eagle
Eagle is an eagle that tries to steal Jerry for food from Tom. He first appeared in Flirty Birdy, then in The Tom and Jerry Show episode "The Egg and Tom and Jerry" (1975, where he is female instead of male) and then again in Tom and Jerry Tales episode "Bend it like Thomas" (2007). Eagle also appeared as a playable character in the video game War of the Whiskers (2006), voiced by Marc Silk.[7]
A baby woodpecker that first appeared in Hatch Up Your Troubles (1949) and its remake The Egg and Jerry (1956) where he could peck into virtually anything including Tom's stomach or his golf club in Tee for Two (1945). Baby Woodpecker and his Mama would re-appear by making cameo appearances in The Tom and Jerry Show which ran from 2014.
Uncle Pecos
Uncle Pecos is Jerry's cowboyish uncle who appears in Pecos Pest (1955). He was voiced by Shug Fisher.[1][2] He is known to always play with a guitar and wears a black cowboy hat that covers his eyes. He plucks each of Tom's whiskers off to replace broken strings on the guitar. Being from Texas, he is shown to be super strong and is also shown to have a stammer, especially while singing.
Uncle Pecos returned in the Tom and Jerry Tales episode "Cry Uncle" (2006), voiced by Scott McNeil.[3] In the episode, he arrives at Tom and Jerry's house and annoys Tom and Jerry with his music. He later leaves with Auntie Spinner in the end of the episode. Uncle Pecos made his second return in The Tom and Jerry Show, voiced by Stephen Stanton.[4] He appears in the episodes, "I Quit" , "Uncle Pecos Rides Again" and "Cat-A-Tonic Mouse" (all 2018).
Radio
A radio with a male human voice that broadcasts music, cookery shows and warnings on escaped animals, bomb threats etc. In Jerry's Diary (1949), the radio is shown to be anthropomorphic (with the announcer's name as "Uncle Dudley") but this is not the case with other cartoons. The radio's announcements often cause troubles for Tom, as in Jerry and the Lion (1950), Little Runaway, (1952) The Missing Mouse (1953), and Down Beat Bear (1956), fear in Fraidy Cat (1942), embarrassment in Jerry's Diary (1949) and Life with Tom (1953) or as in Jerry and the Goldfish (1951) may be the cause of evil intentions.
Unlike the other Tom and Jerry characters, this one is not a character per se, but rather a substitution for a character, such as Spike the Bulldog, for a brief visual gag. Usually, a character turns into a jackass when it is fooled such as Spike in Solid Serenade (1946), The Framed Cat (1950), and Pet Peeve (1954) or Tom in Polka-Dot Puss (1949). In Pup on a Picnic (1955), 'Jackass' is replaced with 'Sucker'.
Gene Deitch era (1961–1962)
The following characters were introduced in the theatrical shorts that were directed by Gene Deitch in the early 1960s.
The Grumpy Owner
An overweight, short-tempered, average height, middle-aged, and bald white man became Tom's owner only in three of the thirteen cartoons: Down and Outing (1961), High Steaks (1962), and Sorry Safari (also 1962). Unlike any of the other owners and Spike, he has severe anger issues and is repeatedly violent toward Tom for his actions. He is voiced by Allen Swift.[15]
The Grumpy Owner bears a strong resemblance to another character created by Deitch: Clint Clobber, the property manager of a rundown apartment building who had been created for Terrytoons in the mid to late 1950s.[16] There is some debate as to whether the Owner and Clobber were the same character; however, Deitch claimed they were in fact different characters.
Mad Scientist
He is a mad scientist reminiscent of Frankenstein. He first appeared in Switchin' Kitten (1961) and subsequently was the subject of a number of television episodes (for e.g. 'Trojan Dog' in The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show, 1980–82) and movies thereafter. In his first appearance, the mad scientist is the owner of Jerry (who is also his assistant) and has numerous cats trapped in a prison. When Jerry picks an orange cat named Lightning, the other cats flee in terror as the scientist pulls him out for his latest experiment. He switches the mind of the orange cat with that of a bulldog and presents him as his present to Jerry.
The following characters were introduced in the theatrical shorts that were produced by Chuck Jones in the mid to late-1960s.
Tiny Bulldog
This nameless mouse-sized bulldog, designed similarly to Spike the Bulldog, is Jerry's pet dog companion in only two shorts: The Cat's Me-Ouch (1965) and Purr-Chance to Dream (1967). His role is similar to Spike in cartoons such as The Bodyguard (1944), Fit To Be Tied (1952), and Much Ado About Mousing (1964), which is to defend Jerry against Tom. He is presumably the oldest son of Spike before Tyke, and this could be identified by his looks and personality that is similar to his father Spike. Unlike Spike and Tyke, he has a big bite (similar to those of Looney Tunes'Tasmanian Devil).
A Basset Hound often with a miserable look on his face, originally introduced in the Tex Avery shorts of the 1940s. He first made a poster cameo in Matinee Mouse (1966) in the Chuck Jones era. He also appeared in the Droopy and Dripple segments of Tom and Jerry Kids. He is sometimes an adversary of Spike. He would also appear in Tom and Jerry Tales and would appear in the direct-to-video films.
An anthropomorphic cartoon character, a sluggish, sleepy bear who often is in pursuit of nothing, but peace and quiet, originally introduced in the Harman-Ising shorts of the 1930s. He would also appear in the direct-to-video films.
McWolf
McWolf, initially named "Slick Wolf" is the villain of the "Droopy and Dripple" segments. A bad and cruel wolf whose only mission is to ruin the life of Droopy (and Dripple and sometimes to remain with Miss Vavoom in Tom & Jerry Kids). McWolf sometimes appears as a crazy scientist whom loves to try and dominate the world, as a space villain, or a criminal fat person (known as "The Chubby Man"), etc. His character is based on the wolf in Red Hot Riding Hood. He is voiced by Frank Welker.
Tom & Jerry Kids (1990–92)
The following characters were introduced in the television series Tom & Jerry Kids.
Dripple
The son of Droopy, essentially an older version of the infant pup from Homesteader Droopy (1954). He is always with his father and they always do the same (although sometimes Dripple thinks “better” than his father). The identity of his mother is never mentioned or even addressed, although, due to Droopy's frequent relationships with Miss Vavoom, it can be assumed that his mother is either dead or is divorced from Droopy with no visitation rights prior to the events of the series. He is voiced by Charlie Adler.
Miss Vavoom
The contiguous woman of the show. She is very seductive and she always takes different hairdos. She always is conquered by Droopy and most of times is the greater target of McWolf. Sometimes, she is called Bubbles Vavoom, Ultra Vavoom, Sugar Vavoom, etc. Her character is based on Red from Red Hot Riding Hood (1943). She is voiced by Teresa Ganzel.
Calaboose Cal
A gold cat owner of a show of demonstration and participation. He is arrogant (sometimes), has a rancher accent, and is sometimes presented as an enemy to Tom. Purportedly inspired by legendary Southern California car dealer Cal Worthington. He is voiced by Phil Hartman.
Urfo
Urfo is a six-legged alien dog that arrives on Earth many times and helps Jerry fend off Tom. His owners often send people to retrieve him.
Clyde
A fat cat who often causes problems for Tom while trying to be friendly and helpful to him. He is voiced by Brian Cummings. He also appears (uncredited) in the live action film as one of the many alley cats in Butch's gang.
Kyle the Cat
A mangy orange cat that first appeared as the antagonist of Spike and/or Tyke. Voiced by Pat Fraley.
Bernie the Swallow
A medically challenged yellow swallow that is friends with Jerry in "Hard to Swallow". He had a color change to blue in "Swallow the Swallow" and "Grab that Bird" as he is chased mostly by Clyde and Kyle. Voiced by David L. Lander.
Wild Mouse
A grayish-green, shaggy fanged mouse who occasionally replaces Jerry and outwits his foes. Like Tom and Jerry, Wildmouse is voiced by Frank Welker. He first appears in the episode "Wildmouse" and is last seen in the episode "King Windmouse."
Moncy
A cougar who loves tormenting Spike and Tyke. He wants to eat Tyke's lunch (and Spike prevents him). He was voiced by Frank Welker.
Sheriff Potgut
The elderly sheriff of Hokey Finokey Swamp. He is arrogant, rude, and self-centered. He threatened to send Swampy back to the circus (which Swampy is aware of the fact that it promotes animal cruelty), throwing Swampy into tears. He also envies the map Swampy made to search for the hidden treasure. He appears in the episode "Cajun Gumbo" as the episode's main antagonist. Aside from the lone episode where he battled Swampy, the Sheriff and the Gator Brothers were also used as antagonists in an episode featuring Wild Mouse.
Gator Brothers
Sheriff Potgut's henchmen. They appear in the episode "Cajun Gumbo" as antagonists and in another episode featuring Wild Mouse.
Stinky Jr. McWolf
Stinky Jr. is the son of McWolf who has the same personality as him.
Screwball Squirrel is based on the original Screwball "Screwy" Squirrel in 1944, but now his adventures take place in a public city park, as he messes with hot-headed park attendant Dweeble and his dumb guard dog, Rumpley. He was voiced by Charlie Adler. He would also appear in one direct-to-video film, Tom and Jerry's Giant Adventure, voiced by Paul Reubens. He would also make a cameo appearance in the Season 3 episode of The Tom and Jerry Show, "Kid Stuff".
Lightning Bolt the Super Squirrel
A squirrel superhero. He is a rather campy and flamboyant superhero who throws lightning bolts. He also speaks with a slight Minnesotan accent and appeared in the spin-off series Droopy, Master Detective. He was voiced by Charlie Adler.
Tom and Jerry Tales (2006 series)
The following characters were introduced in the television series Tom and Jerry Tales.
Mauricio
Mauricio is a very amorous octopus gentleman who first appeared in the mainly live-action musical film Dangerous When Wet (1953) during a Tom and Jerry sequence with Esther Williams.[17] He was voiced by Fernando Lamas. In the Tom and Jerry Tales episode "Octo Sauve", Tom encounters him, and he mistakes Tom for a mermaid. Mauricio wants to date Tom, and they end up getting lost in the sea. He is voiced by David Kaye.[3]
Princess
The princess appears in Medieval Menace, where she kisses Tom, who has turned into a frog, thinking he is a prince transformed by a spell. She is voiced by Nicole Bouma.[3]
Mrs. Two Shoes
Mrs. Two Shoes is a white woman with a personality and a name similar to Mammy Two Shoes. Several photos on a mantel in "Ho, Ho Horrors" imply that Mrs. Two Shoes has a family (a man and a boy, also shown only as legs and partial torsos). Mrs. Two Shoes would be voiced by Nicole Oliver (Etsuko Kato in the Japanese dub).[3]
The Tom and Jerry Show (2014 series)
The following characters were introduced in the 2014 television series Tom and Jerry Show.
Rick and Ginger
Rick (voiced by Jason Alexander and later Stephen Stanton) and Ginger (voiced by Grey DeLisle) are a middle-class couple. Rick is more sympathetic towards Spike while Ginger favors Tom. Their faces are never seen in the show, but their voices are featured.
Hamster
The Hamster is a small "anti-social, overachieving" hamster with light brown fur. He wears glasses and is the smartest hamster in the lab.
Bot
Bot is a robot that cleans the lab with its vacuum cleaner and control arm. It has a red screen that spots trash all over the lab and most often mistakes Tom as such out of its programming.
Beatie and Hildie
Beatie and Hildie are witch sisters who act as Tom and Jerry's medieval owners.
The Detective
The detective is a detective who is the owner of Tom (and presumably Jerry too). In his absence, Tom and Jerry work as sleuths themselves, in the process using his name and fame. He appeared in the first season episodes, "Feline Fatale", "One of a Kind", "Haunted Mouse", "Sleuth or Consequences", "Poof!", "Bone Dry", "Cat Napped", and "Curse Case Scenario".
Dr. Bigby
Dr. Bigby is an eccentric scientist whose experiments don't always often go according to plan, he is also an owner of Jerry, Napoleon, Hamster and Bot.
Skid
Skid is an orange cat that was always the great leader and also always makes the election of the Top cat. Both Tom and Butch compete for the Golden Fez in the United Mouse Catchers when they both attempt to capture Jerry.
George and Junior are based on the original George and Junior from their only four shorts in the 1940s directed by Tex Avery. They appear in the Season 4 episode of The Tom and Jerry Show, "Shadow of a Doubt".
Tom and Jerry movies
The following recurring characters were introduced in the various Tom and Jerry movies.
Butch (originally known as Spike, until renamed as Butch to avoid confusion with Spike from the Tom and Jerry cartoons) is the name of another bulldog from Tex Avery's shorts in the 1940s and 1950s. He was one of the main antagonists in Droopy shorts (although he was replaced by Hanna-Barbera's Spike in the 1980s) and also had a series of his own. He appears in a number of movies e.g. Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz and Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring.
Related Research Articles
Thomas Jasper "Tom" Cat Sr. is an American cartoon character and one of the two titular main protagonists in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's series of Tom and Jerry theatrical animated short films. Created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, he is a grey and white anthropomorphic domestic short haired tuxedo British cat who first appeared in the 1940 MGM animated short Puss Gets the Boot. The cat was known as "Jasper" during his debut in the short; however, beginning with his next appearance in The Midnight Snack he was known as "Tom" or "Thomas".
Droopy is an animated character from the golden age of American animation. He is an anthropomorphic white Basset Hound with a droopy face. He was created in 1943 by Tex Avery for theatrical cartoon shorts produced by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio. Essentially the polar opposite of Avery's other MGM character, the loud and wacky Screwy Squirrel, Droopy moves slowly and lethargically, speaks in a jowly monotone voice, and—though hardly an imposing character—is shrewd enough to outwit his enemies. When finally roused to anger, often by a bad guy laughing heartily at him, Droopy is capable of beating adversaries many times his size with a comical thrashing.
Gerald Jinx "Jerry" Mouse is an American cartoon character and one of the two titular characters in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's series of Tom and Jerry theatrical animated short films and other animated media, usually acting as the protagonist opposite his rival Tom Cat. Created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, Jerry is an anthropomorphic brown house mouse, who first appeared as a mouse named Jinx in the 1940 MGM animated short Puss Gets the Boot. Hanna gave the mouse's original name as "Jinx", while Barbera claimed the mouse went unnamed in his first appearance.
Tom and Jerry is an American animated media franchise and series of comedy short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Best known for its 161 theatrical short films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the series centers on the enmity between the titular characters of a cat named Tom and a mouse named Jerry. Many shorts also feature several recurring characters.
Tom & Jerry Kids is an American animated television series co-produced by Hanna-Barbera and Turner Entertainment Co., and starring the cat-and-mouse duo Tom and Jerry as toddlers. It premiered on Fox on September 8, 1990, airing as the first program of the children's programming block, Fox Kids, and was the second Tom and Jerry TV series to be produced by Hanna-Barbera following The Tom and Jerry Show in 1975.
The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show is an American animated television series produced by Filmation for MGM Television featuring the popular cartoon duo Tom and Jerry. The show first aired on September 6, 1980 on CBS and continued until December 13 the same year. Its episodes were eventually added to syndicated Tom and Jerry packages in 1983. Episodes of the show also occasionally appear on Cartoon Network and Boomerang.
Mammy Two Shoes is a fictional character in MGM's Tom and Jerry cartoons. She is a middle-aged African American woman based on the mammy stereotype.
Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring is a 2002 American animated fantasy comedy film. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and Turner Entertainment Co., it was the first direct-to-video attempt to recapture the style of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera's original film shorts from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as well as the final animated collaboration of both Hanna and Barbera, as Hanna died on March 22, 2001. It was directed by James Tim Walker, written by Tim Cahill & Julie McNally, produced by Tom Minton, and edited by Bradford H. Keatts.
This is a complete list of the 166 shorts in the Tom and Jerry series produced and released between 1940 and 2021. Of these, 162 are theatrical shorts, one is a made-for-TV short, one is a two-minute sketch shown as part of a telethon, and two are special shorts released on HBO Max.
The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio was an American animation studio operated by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) during the Golden Age of American animation. Active from 1937 until 1957, the studio was responsible for producing animated shorts to accompany MGM feature films in Loew's Theaters, which included popular cartoon characters Tom, Jerry, Droopy, Butch, Spike, Tyke, and Barney Bear.
The Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection is a series of two-disc DVD sets released by Warner Home Video. Originally planned as an uncensored, chronological set, the issued Spotlight Collection sets include selected Tom and Jerry shorts on each volume. Volume 1 was released on October 19, 2004, Volume 2 on October 25, 2005, and the third and final volume on September 11, 2007. On October 15, 2019, the set, which consists of 4 discs, was repackaged with some errors fixed.
Spike and Tyke are fictional characters from the Tom and Jerry animated film series, created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Spike is portrayed as an English Bulldog, who is generally amiable and friendly, and a loving father to his son Tyke in several episodes. However, Spike's character also has a very stern and fierce side for occasions, such as when he is defending his son Tyke.
Casanova Cat is a 1951 one-reel animated cartoon and is the 55th Tom and Jerry short directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and produced by Fred Quimby.
Saturday Evening Puss is a 1950 one-reel animated cartoon and is the 48th Tom and Jerry short directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. The cartoon was released on January 14, 1950, produced by Fred Quimby, scored by Scott Bradley and animated by Ed Barge, Kenneth Muse, Irven Spence and Ray Patterson. It is the only Tom and Jerry cartoon to feature Mammy's face on-screen, though only briefly. A re-edited version was produced in the 1960s replacing Mammy with a white teenage girl.
The Tom and Jerry Show is an American animated comedy television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation and Turner Entertainment Co., and animated by Renegade Animation. Based on the characters and theatrical cartoons created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, the series premiered on Teletoon in Canada on March 1, 2014, and on Cartoon Network in the United States on April 9, 2014. It also aired on Boomerang in the U.S., which became its primary network starting in 2017.
The Alley Cat is a 1941 American animated short film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Directed by Hugh Harman, the film centres on Butch, and Toodles Galore, who were subsequently integrated as recurring characters into the Tom and Jerry series of shorts.
Tom and Jerry: The Classic Collection is a series of Region 2 DVD sets released by Warner Home Video. The sets include selected Tom and Jerry shorts on each volume. These DVDs are available in 6 double-sided DVDs and 12 single-layer DVDs. The DVDs in the UK were re-released as "Collector Editions", which were Digipak versions with 2 Volumes inside.
Butch is an animated cartoon character created by Tex Avery. Portrayed as an anthropomorphic Irish bulldog, the character was a recurring antagonist in the Droopy shorts, and appeared in his own series of solo shorts as well. His name was changed to Butch in 1955's Deputy Droopy to avoid confusion with Spike from the Tom and Jerry cartoons. All of the original 1940s and 1950s shorts were directed by Avery and Michael Lah at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio. Butch would not appear in new material again until Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring in 2002.
Tom and Jerry in New York is an American animated television series that premiered on HBO Max on July 1, 2021, and ended on November 18, 2021. It is based on the Tom and Jerry characters and theatrical cartoon series created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and serves as a stand-alone sequel series to the film, Tom & Jerry, which was released in cinemas and HBO Max on February 26, 2021.
References
1 2 3 4 5 Scott, Keith (3 October 2022). Cartoon Voices of the Golden Age, Vol. 1. BearManor Media.
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