Line #52 WesternAnimation/Droopy


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/droopy_1836.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350: ''Hello, all you happy people!'']]
3
4	''Droopy'' is a cartoon character created by Creator/TexAvery during [[WesternAnimation/TexAveryMGMCartoons his years with MGM]] (1942-1954). This low-key basset hound was his most popular recurring [[Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer MGM]] character, and remains an icon of MediaNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation.
5
6	Droopy is a pathetically tiny, very melancholic, slow-moving dog. His DeadpanSnarker comments often form a sharp contrast to the zaniness of other characters around him and makes them appear even wilder. The plot of his cartoons are very similar -- he is usually given some kind of mission that he needs to accomplish and allows him to be pitted against one of his two main antagonists: Wolfie the Wolf or Spike the bulldog. At first the odds seem against him, because he's such a tiny and slow dog. Yet Droopy is intelligent and always master of the situation. If he gets really mad, he can even showcase enormous strength and beat up those who underestimate him.
7
8	List of Tex Avery's Droopy cartoons:
9	[[index]]
10	* ''WesternAnimation/DumbHounded'' (1943)
11	* ''WesternAnimation/TheShootingOfDanMcGoo'' (1945)
12	* ''Wild and Woolfy'' (1945)
13	* ''WesternAnimation/NorthwestHoundedPolice'' (1946)
14	* ''WesternAnimation/SenorDroopy'' (1949)
15	* ''Wags to Riches'' (1949)
16	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Out-Foxed}}'' (1949)
17	* ''The Chump Champ'' (1950)
18	* ''Daredevil Droopy'' (1951)
19	* ''Droopy's Good Deed'' (1951)
20	* ''Droopy's Double Trouble'' (1951)
21	* ''Caballero Droopy'' (1952)[[note]]Only Droopy cartoon directed by Dick Lundy.[[/note]]
22	* ''WesternAnimation/TheThreeLittlePups'' (1953)
23	* ''Drag-a-Long Droopy'' (1954)
24	* ''Homesteader Droopy'' (1954)
25	* ''WesternAnimation/DixielandDroopy'' (1954)
26	* ''Deputy Droopy'' (1955)
27	* ''Millionaire Droopy'' (1956)
28
29	Later Droopy cartoons include:
30
31	* ''Blackboard Jumble'' (1957)
32	* ''WesternAnimation/OneDroopyKnight'' (1957)
33	* ''Sheep Wrecked'' (1958)
34	[[/index]]
35
36	The Droopy cartoons ran through 1958 with Michael Lah at the helm, but the Avery cartoons are usually regarded as superior. The character was retired when the entire MGM animation department was shut down for good at the end of 1957 as MediaNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation was beginning.
37
38	The character has appeared in other works since the end of MediaNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation, with a renewed series by Creator/{{Filmation}} in the early 1980s, a cameo in ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'' (and each of the subsequent WesternAnimation/RogerRabbitShorts), and appearances in several ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' spinoffs such as ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerryKids'' (which in turn spawned a Droopy-centric spinoff, ''WesternAnimation/DroopyMasterDetective'') and ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerryTales''.
39
40	Due to his original voice actor Bill Thompson getting drafted to the war, several shorts feature Tex Avery and Don Messick as the voice of Droopy. Messick later became Droopy again for Hanna-Barbera's 90s products. Looney Tunes veterans Jeff Bergman and Joe Alaskey have also voiced the character.
41
42	The character is not to be confused with Snoopy from ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}''.
43	----
44	!! Droopy provides examples of the following tropes:
45	* AlliterativeTitle: Many of his cartoon shorts have an alliterative title: ''Deputy Droopy'', ''Drag-Along Droopy'', ''Dixieland Droopy'', ''Droopy's Double Trouble''.
46	* AmusingInjuries: A staple of many cartoons he appears in.
47	* ArtEvolution: The image above is Droopy's first appearance, where he's drawn with more emphasized jowls and baggy eyes, and generally looks more, well, droopy. He even has a belly button. As time went on and [[NoBudget MGM began slashing budgets]] for cartoons, he was redesigned to be smaller and more geometric, making him [[LimitedAnimation easier to animate]].
48	* BarelyMissedCushion: One short features the Wolf chasing Droopy into a saloon. In order to escape, Droopy jumps from the second floor and lands on his donkey. The Wolf tries something similar with his horse and misses. He goes back to saloon for a second attempt and ''misses'' again. He then moves his horse to the spot where he landed and makes a third attempt, this time landing where the horse originally was. He gives up and calls a cab.
49	* BigBallOfViolence: Happens often during the shorts.
50	* BigGuyLittleGuy: Droopy is much smaller than his opponents, Spike and Wolfie.
51	* BerserkButton: Whatever you do to Droopy, don't ever, EVER deface a picture of the girl he loves.
52	* BornLucky: It's rare for anything to go wrong for Droopy in stark contrast to just how bad the luck of his foes is.
53	* {{Bowdlerization}}: If some of the gags from ''Droopy's Good Deed'' seem to end rather abruptly, there's a good reason for it: The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfN3bGYyR9I original payoffs]] each involved Spike (and a hapless old rich guy) getting turned into a {{Blackface Style Caricature}} from the various mishaps. The DVD collection retains the original gags, with an [[ContentWarnings obligatory disclaimer that the shorts are a product of their time]].
54	* TheCatCameBack: His trademark.
55	* CharacterCatchphrase:
56	** ''"Hello, all you happy people."''
57	** ''[[MadLibsCatchphrase "You know what? [X]"]]'' (often accompained by [[ThatMakesMeFeelAngry "I'm happy" or "That makes me mad"]] at the end)
58	* CheatersNeverProsper: Quite frequently when competing against Spike, Spike will often try to sabotage Droopy's chances only for it to instantly backfire on him in the most comedic ways imaginable.
59	* ComicallyInvincibleHero: In quite a few of his appearances, Droopy's near-infallibility is the primary engine of comedy.
60	* TheComicallySerious: Part of what makes Droopy so funny is how utterly disinterested he is in... well, almost everything.
61	* CoversAlwaysLie: The cover of the VHS tape "Here Comes Droopy" depicts a scene from ''Out-Foxed'', which is not on the tape. Averted when the same cover was reused for the "Compleat Tex Avery" laserdisc, which does indeed have the cartoon.
62	* CrazyPrepared: Droopy has to be a master of psychology to be able to figure out where Wolfie's gone to next.
63	* CreepyMonotone: Droopy speaks in a monotone all the time.
64	* CrushingHandshake: In ''Droopy's Double Trouble'', Droopy's super strong twin cousin Drippy crushes the hand of Droopy's superior, the mansion's head butler, upon extending it for a shake.
65	* CunningLikeAFox: The short "Out-Foxed" features Droopy and a Fox who is both cunning and a KarmicTrickster.
66	* DavidVersusGoliath: Droopy's opponents, the Wolf and Spike, are way taller than he is.
67	* DeadpanSnarker: Droopy's comments are very dry.
68	* DickDastardlyStopsToCheat: Whenever Droopy and Spike compete against each other, Spike will almost always cheat. Fortunately for Droopy, Spike's attempts will also [[HoistByHisOwnPetard always backfire in some humorous fashion.]]
69	* DigitalDestruction: Four of the cartoons on the DVD set, "Wags to Riches", "Daredevil Droopy", "Droopy's Good Deed", and "The Three Little Pups" got hit with some very nasty DVNR artwork erasing issues. "Riches" has it all over the entire cartoon. Some feel this makes them rendered unwatchable in that format. The restorations of "Daredevil" and "Wags" on the Warner Archive's "Tex Avery Screwball Classics" Blu-Ray lack DVNR.
70	* DogsLoveFireHydrants: In ''Dumb-Hounded'' Droopy walks behind a hydrant and after a brief pause, walks out with a look of embarrassment on his face.
71	* DogStereotype: Droopy is a basset hound, therefore he must be melancholic, just look at his face!
72	* TheEeyore: Droopy always seemed to be in a really sad and gloomy state.
73	** Subverted when someone pushes his BerserkButton. He calmly says [[PreAsskickingOneLiner "You know what? That makes me mad"]], then proceeds to beat the other guy to a pulp and throw him miles away.
74	** Also subverted in the ending of some cartoons. Winning a large sum of money or a kiss from Red makes him madly overreact for a while just to suddenly stop, return to his sad state, looking at the camera to say his CatchPhrase "You know what? I'm happy."
75	* ElevatorSnare: No matter how TheBigBadWolf tries to escape the titular character, whenever any door he shuts is re-opened, [[TheCatCameBack the doggedly determined Droopy will be standing there]].
76	* EstablishingCharacterMoment: {{Subverted}} by the Big Bad Wolf dog catcher in "Three Little Pups", who is introduced as an over-the-top stage villain with an evil sneer, and goes right to work trying to snag Droopy and his fellow pups with great relish. After failing to blow Droopy's house down and a few seconds of furious, but fruitless effort to force open Droopy's door, the wolf instantly and permanently drops the hamminess and turns into a laid-back MellowFellow who never loses his chill again, in this short or in any of the others he appears in.
77	* FakeRabies: In the Droopy short "Wags to Riches," Spike puts shaving cream on a sleeping Droopy and phones in a report of a mad dog, but a fan blows the foam onto Spike's face just as the dog catcher arrives.
78	* FlatJoy: Even when Droopy is truly happy his voice and demeanor hardly change.
79	* {{Homage}}:
80	** Creator/{{Gotlib}}'s ''Gai-Luron'' is a homage to the character. Both of them are white melancholic dogs.
81	** Hans Moleman from WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons was based on Droopy, according to Creator/MattGroening.
82	* {{Lampshading}}: Droopy often comments on the predictability or corniness of the story and/or the gags.
83	* LaserGuidedKarma: '''Nothing''' ever goes right for Droopy's enemies, whether it be the Wolf or Spike/Butch. Any attempt at trying to get the upper hand over Droopy, particularly by cheating, is guaranteed to end in failure either by their shortsightedness or just sheer bad luck. The closest thing Spike ever got to a victory was "The Chump Champ", but even that [[PyrrhicVictory blows up in his face]] when he discovers his prize for winning is to get to kiss a [[ButterFace particularly gonkish lady]].
84	* LaterInstallmentWeirdness: The later WesternAnimation/{{Droopy}} cartoons made just before and then after Creator/TexAvery left MGM can be a bit jarring, as they are done in LimitedAnimation with neither the Wolf nor Butch/Spike as antagonists, the madcap slapstick humor is severely scaled back, and worst of all, Droopy's face is no longer "droopy".
85	* LetsGetDangerous: Droopy, when someone has a laugh at his expense for any reason and is about to be severely punished by him for it.
86	* LoveMakesYouCrazy: Whenever Droopy receives a kiss from Red, he generally reacts the same way Wolfie would, even kidnapping her at the end of Wild and Woolfy.
87	* MadLibsCatchphrase: "You know what?", followed by either [[DeadpanSnarker a dry comment]], [[ThatMakesMeFeelAngry expressing his current feeling]], or though rarely, a PreAsskickingOneLiner.
88	* MeaningfulName: Droopy has a droopy face.
89	* MetronomicManMashing: Droopy's preferred form of ass-kicking is to deliver a devastating uppercut to the person, animal, or monster that offended him, knock them off their feet, then smash them on the ground repeatedly in this manner.
90	* MistakenForInsane: "Droopy's Double Trouble", Spike is the victim of a TwinSwitch; whenever Droopy leaves, his stronger twin brother Drippy comes and beats Spike up. When Spike confronts him about it, Droopy says, "Why, Spike, I haven't touched you all day." Thinking he's cracked up, Spike calls for the insane asylum to come pick him up. When the van arrives and Spike calls for Droopy, both him and Drippy respond; seeing double, Spike has a FreakOut and is the one taken away to the looney bin.
91	* OffscreenTeleportation: Droopy can appear anywhere in a matter of seconds, even if its at the other end of the world. Though in ''WesternAnimation/NorthWestHoundedPolice'' it is explained that there are just a large number of identical Droopys.
92	** Sometimes the Wolf or any other villains aknowledge that Droopy are waiting for them but they guess the wrong place, like instead behind the door Droopy hides under the villain's hat or instead of hiding under a big enough rock Droppy pops out from under a smaller one.
93	* OnOneCondition: In "Wags to Riches", Droopy and Spike are the pets of a deceased millionaire who bequeathed his fortune to Droopy on the condition that the fortune will go to Spike upon Droopy's death. Spike spends most of the episode trying to kill Droopy.
94	* PerpetualFrowner: Droopy rarely smiles. When he does, it's [[WhenSheSmiles satisfying]].
95	* PintsizedPowerhouse: Although small and unimposing, Droopy will kick the snot out of anyone who makes him angry.
96	** His twin brother Drippy in ''Droopy's Double Trouble''. He's strong.
97	** In ''Homesteader Droopy'', it's Droopy's infant son who delivers the beatdown.
98	* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: The MellowFellow wolf antagonist is established as being from the DeepSouth, not only due to his accent and repeatedly whistling "The Year of Jubilo" (a pro-''Union'' anthem, oddly), but also due to him admiring the Confederate flag during ''Blackboard Jumble''.
99	* PreAsskickingOneLiner: Say it with us now... ''Y'know what? That makes me mad.''
100	* PyrrhicVictory: Spike technically emerges as the victor over Droopy in "The Chump Champ", but it turns out all for naught, as his prize is winning the affection of a [[ButterFace very ugly lady]] who chases after him.
101	* TheRuntAtTheEnd: ''Out-Foxed'' opens with the kennel master doing a roll call. After assorted similar dogs and one very feminine dog of the same size, he gets to the much smaller Droopy.
102	* SmarterThanYouLook: Some of Droopy's antagonists have often tried to outwit him, with disastrous consequences.
103	* SophisticatedAsHell: The very English fox in the Droopy cartoon "Out-Foxed" lapses into this at one point.
104	-->'''Droopy''': Hello, Mr. Fox. Now can I catch you?\
105	'''Fox''': Ah, as they say in America... ''(Brooklyn accent)'' Are you kiddin'?
106	* StandardHeroReward: In ''One Droopy Knight'' he fights a dragon to earn the hand of the king's beautiful daughter.
107	* TheStoic: Droopy doesn't show too much emotion. [[NotSoStoic If he ever does]] though, {{beware\|TheNiceOnes}}.
108	* TheStrongman: In ''Daredevil Droopy'', Droopy and Spike compete for the role of acrobatic dog in a circus' dog act. One tryout they have to do is a test of strength courtesy of Simpson the Strong Man. Spike tries to cheat by covering over part of the barbells Droopy is to lift so that it looks like he's lifting one-pound weights as opposed to the original 1,000 lbs. As one might expect, Droopy succeeds in lifting the barbells with no trouble at all, but when a surprised Spike tries it, the strips covering the barbells come loose and they weigh down on Spike and send him crashing through the floor.
109	* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Droopy had much of the mannerisms and actions in common with another one of Avery's creations: Cecil Turtle from the ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon ''WesternAnimation/TortoiseBeatsHare'' (1941). Droopy's voice and personality were modeled after Wallace Wimple, a character from the radio show ''Radio/FibberMcGeeAndMolly'', whom was also portrayed by actor Bill Thompson (Droopy's voice).
110	** Creator/{{Gotlib}}'s comic book character ''Gai-Luron'' is basically a copy of Droopy: a bassoon hound with a melancholic expression and DeadpanSnarker comments.
111	* TakeOurWordForIt: In the Droopy cartoon ''The Three Little Pups'', one scene ends with the pursuing dogcatcher swallowing Droopy's TV set whole. A couple of scenes later, Droopy and his brothers are watching TV again, and he says to us "Now, don't ask how we got the television set back." Probably just intended as a wink toward cartoon continuity, but the implication was it happened the "natural" way.
112	* TalkingAnimal: Droopy and all the others can talk. Yet in ''Dumb-Hounded'' he barks with another dog, then says to the audience: ''Heh-heh, dog talk!''
113	* TeamRocketWins: The only time Droopy outright loses to his foe is when Spike tricks him into forfeiting his victory in "The Chump Champ", but even there Droopy emerges as the moral victor when Spike's prize is winning the affection of a very ugly lady.
114	* ThatMakesMeFeelAngry: Droopy used to say this, almost word for word.
115	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodSandwich: The result when he drives Wolfie crazy in "Thanks a Latte"...
116	-->'''Droopy:''' Ya know what? He forgot his latte. ''("Ring Around the Rosey" [[IronicNurseryTune sounds in the background]] to the rhythm of Droopy's comment)''
117	* TranquilFury: When Droopy gets angry, he barely raises his voice and says "You know what? That makes me mad." The then proceeds to give a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown on whoever crossed him.
118	* {{Transplant}}: Droopy, who stayed mostly separate from Tom and Jerry in the MGM days, is a regular supporting character in recent media starring the duo, including the current run of direct-to-video movies.
119	* TrickedIntoSigning: One cartoon has a competitor in a sports contest set up a fake psychic reading tent and asked for Droopy's signature to get a reading off it. Turns out he tricked him into signing a document confessing to cheating and forfeiting.
120	* TwinSwitch: Happens accidentally on ''Droopy's Double Trouble''. Whenever Droopy leaves Spike's side, Drippy comes along to beat him up.
121	* UnlikelyHero
122	-->'''Droopy''': ''You know what? I'm the hero''.
123	* UnstoppableRage: When Droopy says he's mad, somebody's in for a world of hurt.
124	* WetCementGag: While fleeing from the owner of a flea circus in "Dixieland Droopy", John Pettibone (Droopy) rounds a corner and finds himself trying to run through wet sidewalk concrete. The Dixieland fleas embedded in John's fur slow their music tempo down as John gets bogged down in the stuff, then speed up their tempo as John gets his HeroicSecondWind at the midpoint. Once free of the concrete, John resumes running at full tilt as his fleas play furiously fast.
125	* WhenHeSmiles: Droopy's small, bashful smile is ''adorable''.
126	* WhoAreYou: In ''Wild and Woolfy'', Droopy gets asked this after repeated encounters.
127	-->'''Wolf:''' Hey now, wait a minute, shorty! You've been a doggin' me all through this picture! Just who the heck are you, anyway?!\
128	'''Droopy''': ''[taking out a mallet]'' Why, haven't you heard? [[PreAsskickingOneLiner I'm the hero.]] ''[wallops him]''

Context WesternAnimation / Droopy