Marsupilami is a fictional animal which first appeared in the Belgian comic book Spirou in 1952. He was created by André Franquin. Disney's version of the Marsupilami first appeared on television in Raw Toonage in 1992, and was then spun off into his own eponymous show on the CBS network. Marsupilami's supporting characters included Maurice the Gorilla, Stewart the Elephant, Eduardo the Jaguar, Norman the Poacher, Leonardo the Lion, and other characters. The original Marsupilami stories by André Franquin never encountered a gorilla or elephant, since these species are native to Africa, while the marsupilami originates from South America. The other change in the Disney version is, Marsupilami does not only say "HOUBA!" all the time. Instead of that, Marsupilami can speak in full sentences.
There were thirteen episodes in the series, and the series only lasted one season. Reruns of the show were aired on both the Disney Channel and Toon Disney. Since 2002, Disney ceased broadcast of the program and has yet to appear on subsequent Disney formats for reasons beyond their control.
Characters[]
Main Characters[]
- Marsupilami is the titular character and star of the program. Voiced by Steve Mackall.
- Maurice is a purple gorilla who wears a pink shirt. He is the sidekick and friend of Marsupilami. His burps and grunts are provided by Jim Cummings.
- Norman the poacher is the show's main antagonist. He was voiced by Jim Cummings.
- Stewart is Marsupilami's elephant friend who insisted on being addressed as "Stewart." Whenever Marsupilami called him "Stewie", he would shout, "That's Stewart!" He was voiced by Dan Castellaneta.
- Eduardo is an evil jaguar who wants to eat Marsupilami. He voiced by the late Steve Landesberg.
One Shot Characters[]
- Leonardo (Jungle Fever) is an old lion and he was voiced by Jim Cummings.
- The Three Baby Monkeys (Hey! Hey! They're the Monkeys!) are rough playful monkeys and they're voiced by the late Jim Thurman.
- Aunt Bethie (Romancing the Clone) and (Safari So Good) is Norman's Aunt and photographer and she was voiced by the late June Foray.
- Cropsy (Cropsy-Turvy) is a nice creature that resembles the extinct giant ground sloth, and he was voiced by Jim Cummings.
Legal issues[]
In September 1997, U.S. District Senior Judge Edward Rafeedie ordered Disney to pay Marsu B.V. nearly $10.4 million in damages for breaching its promise to make 13 half-hour episodes. The lawsuit stated that Disney favored some of the company's other franchises such as Aladdin or The Little Mermaid.[1] By March 1999, Disney still owed $9.3 million to Marsu B.V.[2] After completed paying these damages, Disney ceased broadcast of the program on Toon Disney a few years later, ultimately putting it in obscurity as Marsu Productions would produce and televised their input in Belgium, Marsupilami's country of origin.
References[]
- ↑ O'Neill, Ann W. (September 28, 1997). "Mickey's Masters Killed Fellow Cartoon Critter, Judge Rules" (en-US). Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ "Disney Still Owes $9.3 Million Award For Failing to Make Marsupilami a Star" (in en-US), Wall Street Journal (March 27, 1999).
