Pluto (Disney)

Pluto
K.B. (brother)

Pluto is an American cartoon character created by

Pluto debuted in

Like all of Pluto's co-stars, the dog has appeared extensively in comics over the years, first making an appearance in 1931.[9] He returned to theatrical animation in 1990 with The Prince and the Pauper and has also appeared in several direct-to-video films. Pluto also appears in the television series Mickey Mouse Works (1999–2000), House of Mouse (2001–2003), Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (2006–2016), Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures (2017–2021), Mickey Mouse (2013–2019) and its successor The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse (2020–2023), and Mickey Mouse Funhouse (2021–present).

In 1998, Disney's copyright on Pluto, set to expire in 2003, was extended by the passage of the

Origin

Pluto first appeared as a nameless bloodhound tracking the escaped convict Mickey in the film The Chain Gang, which released on August 6, 1930.^[11] On October 23 of that same year, The Picnic was released. Pluto was Minnie's dog and was named Rover. The Moose Hunt, which came out on May 3, 1931, Pluto appeared as Mickey's pet, and was given the name "Pluto".^[4]

Several months had passed between the naming of what was then classified as the ninth planet, Pluto, on May 1, 1930, and the attachment of that name to the dog character. Disney animator Ben Sharpsteen said "We thought the name [Rover] was too common, so we had to look for something else. ... We changed it to Pluto the Pup ... but I don't honestly remember why."^[12] Some Disney animators reportedly believed that Walt Disney chose the name to capitalize on the sensation of the newly named planet.^[13]

Pluto was initially a minor character until 1934 when Disney animator Norm Ferguson gave the dog a key role in the cartoon Playful Pluto. Pluto becomes entangled with a sticky piece of flypaper, and Ferguson expanded the sequence significantly. The segment became a classic, demonstrating how Disney artists can take a simple circumstance and build humor through a character.^[14]

Characterization

Unlike Mickey's other animal friends, such as Goofy (who is also a dog), Pluto is a relatively normal animal, with few anthropomorphic traits apart from his facial expressions. Pluto usually doesn't speak in English, walk upright or wear clothing. A significant departure from this was his speaking role in The Moose Hunt (1931), which was produced before Pluto's characterization had been clearly defined. As Pluto made more appearances, it became common that he would mostly speak in barks and grunts like most dogs. Other ways of communicating Pluto's thoughts occur through his facial expressions, and sometimes through the use of a shoulder angel/devil who speak directly to Pluto. (Mickey's Elephant, Lend a Paw).

Pluto is generally a cheerful and adventurous dog, although he can be given to sheer panic when confronted with something unknown. Common themes in Pluto's stories involve him becoming jealous of Mickey getting another pet (Mickey's Elephant,

). In many of his appearances with Mickey, Pluto will get himself into trouble and cause Mickey to get angry at him. Mickey, however, often cheers up quickly, often telling Pluto "Aw, I can't be mad at ya.".

Pluto sometimes appears with other regular animal characters. His friends include

, Pluto has a younger brother named K.B.

Appearances

Pluto first and most often appears in the Mickey Mouse series of cartoons. On rare occasions, he is paired with Donald Duck ("Donald and Pluto", "Beach Picnic", "Window Cleaners", "The Eyes Have It", "Donald's Dog Laundry", & "Put-Put Troubles").

The first cartoons to feature Pluto as a solo star were two

.

His first comics appearance was in the Mickey Mouse comic strip in July 1931,^[15] two months after the release of The Moose Hunt. In 1938, Pluto headlined in the Silly Symphony Sunday comic strip, in an adaptation of his Silly Symphony short, Mother Pluto.^[16] Pluto was later featured in several sequences of the Silly Symphony strip in 1939 and 1940.

Pluto Saves the Ship, a comic book published in 1942, was one of the first Disney comics prepared for publication outside newspaper strips. However, not counting a few cereal giveaway mini-comics in 1947 and 1951, he did not have his own comics title until 1952.

In 1936, Pluto was featured in the picture book Mickey Mouse and Pluto the Pup by Whitman Publishing.

Pluto ran his own neighborhood in

until its closedown. It was called the Brrrgh and it was always snowing there except during Halloween. During April Toons Week, a weekly event that was very silly, Pluto switched playgrounds with Minnie (all other characters did this as well), and he actually talked in Minnie's Melodyland.

Pluto has also appeared in the television series Mickey Mouse Works (1999–2000), House of Mouse (2001–2003), Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (2006–2016), Mickey Mouse (2013–2019), Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures (2017–2021), and The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse (2020-present) and Mickey Mouse Funhouse (2021–present). Curiously enough, however, Pluto was the only standard Disney character not included when the whole gang was reunited for the 1983 featurette Mickey's Christmas Carol, although he did return in The Prince and the Pauper (1990) and Runaway Brain (1995). He also had a cameo at the ending of Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). In 1996, he made a cameo in the Quack Pack episode "The Really Mighty Ducks".

Short films

Feature films

• Totally Minnie (1988; TV special)
• Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) – (cameo)
• The Prince and the Pauper (1990; featurette)
• Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas (1999)
• Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse (2001)
• Mickey's House of Villains (2002) – (archive footage)
• Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers (2004)
• Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas (2004)
• Mickey's Tale of Two Witches (2021; TV special)
• Mickey Saves Christmas
  (2022; TV special)

Video games

Pluto appeared as a non-playable character in

(1994).

Pluto also appears in Disney Golf for the PlayStation 2. In the event that the player's golf ball goes out of bounds or hits a water hazard, Pluto will come and look for the player's golf ball.

In the

side (even when she has been kidnapped), as he has apparently taken a liking to her. Strangely, throughout the series, Pluto appears and disappears at random moments.

Pluto is a playable character in the world builder game

premium character

to unlock in the main storyline of the game.

Disney parks

In the various Disney theme park resorts around the world, Pluto is a meetable character just like many of his film co-stars.[17] Pluto, however, uncharacteristically walks on two legs in this capacity out of necessity. Adults and children are able to meet, play with, and get autographs and pictures with Pluto and his friends at all Disney parks. Shirts, hats, toys and other various types of merchandise featuring Pluto are available.

Notes

1. ^ Pluto also appears in the Academy Award-nominated films Building a Building (1933) and Runaway Brain (1995), but does not play a significant role in either.

References

External links

• Pluto at Inducks
• Pluto on IMDb

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pluto (Disney character).