History Trivia / WoodyWoodpecker

* BreakthroughHit: WoodyWoodpecker is this for the Creator/WalterLantz studio; while they had enjoyed some mild success in the past, this series is unambiguously what put them on the map, and with AndyPanda, what pulled the studio out of its slump from the late 1930's and the decline of OswaldTheLuckyRabbit.

** ShamusCulhane -- Made his bow on the series with 1944's "The Barber of Seville," and continued until 1946's "Fair Weather Fiends." Usually regarded as the best director on the series by those who prefer more brutal WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry style comedy in the cartoons. Despite being highly regarded, his tenure on the series was surprisingly brief, only directing 10 shorts.

* HeyItsThatVoice: Billy West's voice for Wally Walrus sounds like a Swedish-accented [[WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}} Dr. Zoidberg]]. And Buzz Buzzard was Creator/MarkHamill, Ms. Meany was Andrea Martin from ''Series/{{SCTV}}'', and was previously [[WesternAnimation/EarthwormJim Queen Slug-For-A-Butt]] (that series was also a UCS production). Knothead and Splinter are Creator/ElizabethDaily and Creator/NikaFutterman, and Winnie is Creator/BJWard. For the Chilly Willy segments, Creator/RobPaulsen is Maxie, and Creator/KevinMichaelRichardson is Major Bull.

* HeyItsThatVoice: Billy West's voice for Wally Walrus sounds like a Swedish-accented [[WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}} Dr. Zoidberg]]. And Buzz Buzzard was Creator/MarkHamill, Ms. Meany was Andrea Martin from ''Series/{{SCTV}}'', and was previously [[WesternAnimation/EarthwormJim Queen Slug-for-a-butt]]. Knothead and Splinter are Creator/ElizabethDaily and Creator/NikaFutterman, and Winnie is Creator/BJWard. For the Chilly Willy segments, Creator/RobPaulsen is Maxie, and Creator/KevinMichaelRichardson is Major Bull.

** In Japan, he's actually voiced by Creator/KoichiYamadera in his most recent series and shorts. Creator/KumikoWatanabe also voices him in many attractions from Universal Studios Japan and KenichiOgata in the Japanese dub of ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'', not to mention Junko Hori (the Japanese dub voice of ''[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Bart Simpson]]'') who also voiced him previously. Creator/EijiTakemoto also voices Buzz Buzzard in the most recent dubs of the shorts.

** Creator/MelBlanc -- Woody's original voice actor, who developed Woody's voice from a rejected one he originally did for BugsBunny. He left after the first two shorts when he signed an exclusive contract with Warner Bros., though his version of Woody's laugh and many of the other vocal effects he did would continue to be used for years afterwards.

** Creator/BillyWest -- did several voices in the newer series.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: All of the original shorts from the 1940s to around the mid 1950s are available on DVD collections with some shorts from other Walter Lantz series sandwiched in, but there are currently no plans for a release of the remaining cartoons; and this is just the original cartoons as shown in theaters, not the versions with live action intermissions that aired on the original ''Woody Woodpecker Show'' (while both of the officially DVD sets include several of these excerpts as extras, its not all of them). Likewise, there are no plans for a rerelease of ''The New Woody Woodpecker Show'' either, or any dvd releases of Walter Lantz's other animated properties.

** Ray Abrams
** Tom Byrne
** Al Coe
** Ray Fahringer
** Laverne Harding: Created the final version of Woody that was used from the mid-50s onwards.
** Emery Hawkins: A notable animator during the Culhane era, and even directed one short before ShamusCulhane arrived at Lantz. While he was a serviceable director, he was a much better animator, with a slick, polished, but energetic style that perfectly suited the Woody Woodpecker shorts. One example of his animation is in "The Dippy Diplomat"; the scenes of Woody using a ping-pong racket and then eating a batch of Wally Walrus's eggs under the pretense of having lost a ping-pong ball in it are his animation.
** Volus Jones
** Lester Kline: Directed several Lantz cartunes during the 1930s prior to Woody's creation, and effectively co-directed several of Paul J. Smith's efforts later in the studio's life, when Smith's eyesight problems became more pronounced.
** Ed Love: Notably animated the short "Drooler's Delight" all by himself.
** Alex Lovy: In addition to directing several shorts, Lovy also did some animation work on the series.
** Dick Lundy: Before becoming a director, he animated a bit for Culhane on one short, "Chew Chew Baby".
** Hal Mason
** Pat Matthews
** Fred Moore: Normally known for his work at Disney, Moore briefly freelanced animation for a few WesternAnimation/AndyPanda and three Woody Woodpecker shorts; "Wild and Woody", "Wacky Bye Baby", and "The Mad Hatter". He notably gave Woody his third, handsomer design, which first appeared in "Musical Moments from Chopin".
** GrimNatwick: Was a top animator on many of the Woody shorts during the Culhane and Lundy era. He notably animated the entire climax sequence of "Chew Chew Baby", as well as entirely animating the chicken from "Solid Ivory". He also animated the climatic scene of Wally Walrus hassling with his haywire bed in "Smoked Hams". His drawing style is very easy to spot, as he tends to draw more rough and loosely than the other animators (one dead giveaway is the way he draws eyes on his characters).
** Casey Onaitis
** Don Patterson: Worked as an animator on several cartoons before being promoted to director, only to be busted back down to being an animator two years later.
** Virgil Ross
** Paul J. Smith
** Joe Voght

** Don Patterson -- Took over as the primary director between 1951 and 1954. He had a very similar style to Lundy, albeit with a bit less polish. Sadly, he was demoted to being an animator in order to make way for the returning TexAvery (who subsequently left the studio without directing a Woody Woodpecker cartoon and in turn was replaced by Alex Lovy, who himself was returning to the studio). He directed 14 shorts total.

** In Japan, he's actually voiced by Creator/KoichiYamadera in his most recent series and shorts. KumikoWatanabe also voices him in many attractions from Universal Studios Japan and KenichiOgata in the Japanese dub of ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'', not to mention Junko Hori (the Japanese dub voice of ''[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Bart Simpson]]'') who also voiced him previously. Creator/EijiTakemoto also voices Buzz Buzzard in the most recent dubs of the shorts.

* BreakthroughHit: WoodyWoodpecker is this for the Creator/WalterLantz studio; while they had enjoyed some mild success in the past, this series is ambiguously what put them on the map, and with AndyPanda, what pulled the studio out of its slump from the late 1930's and the decline of OswaldTheLuckyRabbit.

* BreakthroughHit: WoodyWoodpecker is this for the Creator/WalterLantz studio; while they had enjoyed some success in the past, this series is ambiguously what put them on the map.

** In Japan, he's actually voiced by KoichiYamadera in his most recent series and shorts. KumikoWatanabe also voices him in many attractions from Universal Studios Japan and KenichiOgata in the Japanese dub of ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'', not to mention Junko Hori (the Japanese dub voice of ''[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Bart Simpson]]'') who also voiced him previously. Creator/EijiTakemoto also voices Buzz Buzzard in the most recent dubs of the shorts.

** In Japan, he's actually voiced by KoichiYamadera in his most recent series and shorts. KumikoWatanabe also voices him in many attractions from Universal Studios Japan and KenichiOgata in the Japanese dub of ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'', not to mention Junko Hori (the Japanese dub voice of ''[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Bart Simpson]]'') who also voiced him previously. Creator/EijiTakemoto also voices Buzz Buzzard in the most recent dubs of the shorts.

** Casey Onaitis

** Ed Love: Notably animated the short "Drooler's Delight" all by himself.
** Emery Hawkins: A notable animator during the Culhane era, and even directed one short before ShamusCulhane arrived at Lantz. While he was a serviceable director, he was a much better animator, with a slick, polished, but energetic style that perfectly suited the Woody Woodpecker shorts. One example of his animation is in "The Dippy Diplomat"; the scenes of Woody using a ping-pong racket and then eating a batch of Wally Walrus's eggs under the pretense of having lost a ping-pong ball in it are his animation.
** Fred Moore: Normally known for his work at Disney, Moore briefly freelanced animation for a few AndyPanda and three WoodyWoodpecker shorts; "Wild and Woody", "Wacky Bye Baby", and "The Mad Hatter". He notably gave Woody his third, handsomer design, which first appeared in "Musical Moments from Chopin".
** GrimNatwick: Was a top animator on many of the Woody shorts during the Culhane and Lundy era. He notably animated the entire climax sequence of "Chew Chew Baby", as well as entirely animating the chicken from "Solid Ivory". He also animated the climatic scene of Wally Walrus hassling with his haywire bed in "Smoked Hams". His drawing style is very easy to spot, as he tends to draw more rough and loosely than the other animators (one dead giveaway is the way he draws eyes on his characters).
** Hal Mason

** Laverne Harding: Created the final version of Woody that was used from the mid-50s onwards.
** Lester Kline: Directed several Lantz cartunes during the 1930s prior to Woody's creation, and effectively co-directed several of Paul J. Smith's efforts later in the studio's life, when Smith's eyesight problems became more pronounced.
** Pat Matthews
** Paul J. Smith
** Ray Abrams
** Ray Fahringer
** Tom Byrne
** Virgil Ross
** Volus Jones

** Alex Lovy -- Directed Woody's debut cartoon, in addition to providing his original design, and handled most of Woody's early shorts until 1943. He later returned in 1956, before leaving for good in 1960. His shorts tended to be the most derivative of Warner Bros. shorts, although they often suffered from mushy timing and even pacing. All in all, his 40's shorts are not highly regarded, but his 50's works tend to be considered better. He directed 12 shorts on his own, and co-directed "Dizzy Acrobat" with Lantz and Hardaway.

** WalterLantz -- Handled a few early cartoons, although exactly ''which'' ones is up for debate. He definitely directed a number of cartoons in 1951 following Dick Lundy's departure. Like Lovy, the cartoons he (supposedly) directed in the 40s aren't too well regarded, but his 1951 efforts benefited from him maintaining the animation standards of Dick Lundy. He directed 16 shorts total, and co-directed "Dizzy Acrobat" with Lovy and Hardaway.

** ShamusCulhane -- Made his bow on the series with 1944's "The Barber of Seville," and continued until 1946's "Fair Weather Fiends." Usually regarded as the best director on the series by those who prefer more brutal WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry style comedy in the cartoons. Despite being highly regarded, his tenure on the series was surprisingly brief, only directing 10 shorts.

** Jack Hannah -- Showed up in 1960, following Alex Lovy's final departure from the studio. Probably the least well-remembered of Woody's directors, although his work is generally regarded as being better than what Paul J. Smith was doing at the time. His last cartoon was 1962's "Voodoo Boodoo". He directed 8 shorts total.
** Sid Marcus -- Better known as a storyboard artist, though he also worked as a director at the studio from 1963 until 1967. Like Hannah, his work isn't particularly well remembered (mostly because he actually directed more ChillyWilly cartoons than Woody Woodpecker ones), but is held in higher regard than that of Paul J. Smith. He directed 14 shorts.

** MelBlanc -- Woody's original voice actor, who developed Woody's voice from a rejected one he originally did for BugsBunny. He left after the first two shorts when he signed an exclusive contract with Warner Bros., though his version of Woody's laugh and many of the other vocal effects he did would continue to be used for years afterwards.

** Danny Webb -- Another short-lived voice of Woody, who only performed the role for "Pantry Panic" and "The Hollywood Matador" in 1941 and 1942 respectively, though continued to voice other, minor roles in Woody's cartoons for several more years.

** Grace Stafford -- The longest-serving voice for Woody, and also Walter Lantz's wife. Her earliest confirmed cartoon is 1952's "Stage Hoax" (though it's thought that she may have occasionally deputized for Hardaway in the previous decade), and she carried on until the final Walter Lantz cartune, "Bye Bye, Blackboard" in 1972. Even then she continued voicing Woody in commercials and television specials until the early 1990s.
** Cherry Davis -- Woody's voice in ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit''.

** In Mexico, he was voiced by Ruben "El Tata" Arvizu, who, along with [[TheFlintstones Fred Flintstone]] and BugsBunny, it's one of his most well roles he voiced. He's later voiced by Juan Alfonso Carralero (aka [[Manga/{{Bleach}} Mayuri Kurotsuchi]] and the Mexican dub voice of WillSmith).
** In Japan, he's actually voiced by KoichiYamadera in his most recent series and shorts. KumikoWatanabe also voices him in many attractions from Universal Studios Japan and KenichiOgata in the Japanese dub of ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'', not to mention Junko Hori (the Japanese dub voice of ''[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Bart Simpson]]'') who also voiced him previously. EijiTakemoto also voices Buzz Buzzard in the most recent dubs of the shorts.

** In Mexico, he was voiced by Ruben "El Tata" Arvizu, who, along with [[TheFlintstones Fred Flintstone]] and BugsBunny, it's one of his most well roles he voiced. He's later voiced by Juan Alfonso Carralero (aka [[Manga/{{Bleach}} Mayuri Kurotsuchi]] and the Mexican dub voice of WillSmith).

** In Mexico, he was voiced by Ruben "El Tata" Arvizu, who, along with [[TheFlintstones Fred Flintstone]] and BugsBunny, it's one of his most well roles he voiced. He's later voiced by Juan Alfonso Carralero (aka [[Manga/{{Bleach}} Mayuri Kurotsuchi]] and the Mexican dub voice of WillSmith]].

** Creator/BillyWest -- did several voices in the newer series.

** BillyWest -- did several voices in the newer series.

** Don Patterson

** Laverne Harding
** Lester Kline

** Grace Stafford -- The longest-service voice for Woody, and also Walter Lantz's wife. Her earliest confirmed cartoon is 1952's "Stage Hoax" (though it's thought that she may have occasionally deputized for Hardaway in the previous decade), and she carried on until the final Walter Lantz cartune, "Bye Bye, Blackboard" in 1972. Even then she continued voicing Woody in commercials and television specials until the early 1990s.

** MelBlanc -- Woody's original voice actor, who developed Woody's voice from rejected one he originally did for BugsBunny. He left after the first two shorts after he signed an exclusive contract with Warner Bros., though his version of Woody's laugh and many of the other vocal effects he did would continue to be used for years afterwards.

** BillyWest did several voices in the newer series.

** Sid Marcus -- Better known as a storyboard artist, though he also worked as a director at the studio from 1963 until 1967. Like Hannah, his work isn't particularly well remembered (mostly because he actually directed more ChillyWilly cartoons than Woody Woodpecker ones), but is held in higher regard than that of Paul J. Smith. He directed 14 shorts.