| Humphrey the Bear | |
|---|---|
| Donald Duck character | |
 Humphrey the Bear sporting his signature grin; from the intro to Hooked Bear (1956). | |
| First appearance | Hold That Pose (1950) |
| Created by | Walt Disney Jack Hannah |
| Voiced by | James MacDonald (1950–1956, 1989) Frank Welker (1992) Jim Cummings (1999–present) |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Brown bear |
| Gender | Male |
Humphrey the Bear is a cartoon character created in 1950 at Walt Disney Animation Studios.[1] He first appeared in the 1950 Goofy cartoon Hold That Pose, in which Goofy tried to take his picture. After that he appeared in four classic Donald Duck cartoons: Rugged Bear (1953), Grin and Bear It (1954), Bearly Asleep (1955), and Beezy Bear (1955).[2]
Disney gave him his own series in 1955, but only two films resulted (Hooked Bear and In the Bag, both 1956) before Disney discontinued making theatrical short subjects. When the shorts division closed, Humphrey was the last of only seven Disney characters who had been given a series of their own, starring in cartoons who opened with their own logo (the six others were Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Chip 'n' Dale, and Figaro).
The Humphrey cartoons feature a broader, wilder style of comedy than the usually cute or coy Disney gags; critic Leonard Maltin described them as "belly-laugh comedies that can hold their own against the best of MGM and Warner Brothers".[3]
- ^ ""Bearly" a Star: A Tribute To Disney's Humphrey the Bear |". cartoonresearch.com.
- ^ Grant, John (1998). Encyclopedia of Walt Disney's Animated Characters (2nd ed.). Hyperion. pp. 113–114. ISBN 978-0786863365.
- ^ Maltin, Leonard (1987). Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons (Revised ed.). Plume. p. 72. ISBN 0-452-25993-2.