Humphrey the Bear

Humphrey the Bear is a cartoon character created by the Walt Disney studio in 1950. He first appeared in the Goofy cartoon Hold That Pose, in which Goofy tried to take his picture. After that he appeared in four classic Donald Duck cartoons: Grin and Bear It, Bearly Asleep, Rugged Bear, and Beezy Bear. Disney gave him his own series in 1955, but only two films resulted (Hooked Bear and In the Bag) 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 (counting as one), and Figaro). The Humphrey cartoons have been aptly described by Leonard Maltin as "belly-laugh" shorts, and they feature a broader, wilder style of comedy than the usually cute or coy Disney gags.

Personality
Humphrey is a big, foolish, opportunistic, neurotic brown bear who lives in Brownstone National Park. He is constantly trying different ways to catch food and/or shelter from unsuspecting visitors, often violating social rules in the process. Unlike most Disney characters, Humphrey does not speak, but instead makes an assortment of inarticulate sounds to convey his emotions. These grunts were supplied by Disney staffer Jimmy MacDonald. When stricken by worry or panic, Humphrey runs desperately in place, with his feet seemingly headed in all directions. Humphrey's foil is usually Donald Duck, one of his antagonists; otherwise it is an officious park ranger voiced by Bill Thompson. The ranger's name was never identified in the theatrical shorts, but when the films were re-edited into an hour-long Disney TV episode, he was referred to as J. Audubon Woodlore.

Popularity
The films were popular in theaters, and the character was familiar enough to be included in the Mickey Mouse Club credits (Humphrey holds the trampoline that bounces Mickey Mouse in the air).

Later appearances
Although the series Humphrey starred in enjoyed only a short run, a later generation of Disney artists and directors remembered Humphrey fondly, and cast him in episodes of Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, Goof Troop, Mickey Mouse Works, House of Mouse, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Humphrey also made a cameo appearance during the final scene of Who Framed Roger Rabbit with other toons. Humphrey returned to the screen in three new shorts: Donald's Grizzly Guest and Donald's Fish Fry reunite Humphrey with Donald Duck, and in Hot Tub Humphrey Humphrey is once again in the title role, alongside Ranger Woodlore. In these appearances his vocals alternated between Frank Welker and Jim Cummings. Due to adding Humphrey to these Disney programs he became a more current character and can be seen in more Disney-related merchandise such as watches, cards, pins, t-shirts, and posters.

Theatrical cartoons

 * Hold That Pose
 * Rugged Bear
 * Grin and Bear it
 * Bearly Asleep
 * Beezy Bear
 * Hooked Bear
 * In the Bag
 * Working for Peanuts (cameo)

Television

 * ''Donald Duck Presents (1983)
 * Volume Four contains "Bear Country"


 * Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (1989)
 * Bearing Up Baby, May 14, 1989


 * Goof Troop (1992)
 * You Camp Take It with You, September 9, 1992


 * Mickey Mouse Works (1999)
 * Donald's Grizzly Guest, November 7, 1999
 * Donald's Fish Fry, September 23, 2000


 * Hot Tub Humphrey
 * Survival of the Woodchucks


 * Disney's House of Mouse (2001)
 * Humphrey in the House, September 2, 2002


 * Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (2006)
 * Clarabelle's Clubhouse Carnival, May 10, 2008


 * Mickey Mouse (2013)
 * Flipperboobootosis, January 3, 2014

Movies

 * The Ranger of Brownstone
 * Mickey's House of Villains
 * Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse
 * ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Comic Book Appearances
Humphrey appeared in two American comic stories drawn by Paul Murry in 1959 and in another one drawn by Tony Strobl in 1966. Strobl also drew comic stories with Humphrey for the market outside of USA, most of them also featuring Grandma Duck. Ed Nofziger wrote scripts for many foreign market stories with Humphrey. Most of those ones were drawn by cartoonists of the Argentinian art studio Jaime Diaz Studio.

Popular culture
Jack Hannah, who directed the 1950s Humphrey shorts, revived the "dumb bear" idea for Walter Lantz's "Fatso the Bear" cartoons in 1960 and 1961. It would also seem probable that the Hanna-Barbera animation studio was somewhat inspired by Humphrey in its creation of the somewhat smarter Yogi Bear (from 1958), who lives at Jellystone National Park, begs, steals, and plays tricks to steal picnic baskets from campers, and is constantly on the lookout for Ranger Smith.

Humphrey is currently the spokes-character for Disney's Wilderness Lodge Resort at Walt Disney World in Florida. He is featured on the totem pole in the lobby along with Mickey, Donald Duck, and Goofy.