DuckTales

***DuckTales*** (not to be confused with the 2017 reboot of *DuckTales*) is a 1987 TV show based off of the *Uncle Scrooge* comic books, mostly those crafted by Scrooge's creator, Carl Barks.

## List of episodes

*See main article: List of DuckTales episodes*

## Plot

Donald Duck is hired by the U.S. Navy, and has to let Huey, Dewey and Louie in his rich uncle Scrooge McDuck's care. Scrooge, to take better care of his three grandnephews, permanently moves to his holiday mansion in Duckburg's countryside and hires nurse Madam Beakley to take care of the three ducklings. Along with clumsy airplane-pilot Launchpad McQuack and Mrs Beakley's granddaughter Webby, Scrooge and the ducklings go on daring adventures and treasure quests all around the world, much like in the original comics, and have to foil a brand new set of villainous Beagle Boys.

## Characters

### Heroes

* Scrooge McDuck
	+ Lucky
* Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck
* Donald Duck
* Bentina Beakley
* Webby Vanderquack
	+ Webby Drake
	+ M'Lady
	+ Mr Fuzzy
	+ Nice Lady
* Gyro Gearloose
	+ Future Gyro Gearloose
	+ Li'l Bulb
* Launchpad McQuack
	+ Future Launchpad
* Duckworth
* Doofus Drake
	+ Future Doofus Drake
* Duckburg Chiefs of Police
* Homer
	+ Ariel
* Twitchy
* Mr Merriweather
* Ludwig von Drake
* Wildcat
* Sundowner
* Duckburg Intelligence Agency
	+ J. Gander Hoover
* Prince Greydrake
* Count Roy
* Shedlock Jones
* Bubba Duck
	+ Tootsie
* Sen-Sen
* Fenton Crackshell/Gizmoduck
	+ M'ma Crackshell
	+ Gandra Dee
* Brotherhood of the Goose
	+ Poupon

### Neutral

* Mr Changemaker
* Skittles
	+ Skittles' mother
* Webra Walters
* Admiral Grimmitz
* Garbled One
* Mayor of Duckburg
* Vacation Van Honk
* Schewebazade
* Ludwig von Strangeduck
	+ Featherika von Strangeduck
* Duchess of Swansylvania
* Benzino Gassolini
* Snowy
* Lord Battmountain
* Percival
* Genghis Khan
* Aquatraz Warden
* Mrs. McGurk
* Officer Parolski
* King Artie
	+ Moorloon
* Mrs Featherby
* Caveducks
* Junior Woodchucks
	+ Bill and Webster
* Captain Jack
* Mr O'Flanel
* Salvation Mary
* Clan McDuck
	+ Seafoam McDuck
	+ Simon McDuck
	+ McPapa
	+ McMama
	+ Catfish McDuck
* Robin Lurch
* William Drakespeare
* Filler Brushbill
* Pluck
* Flying McQuacks
	+ Ripcord McQuack
	+ Birdie McQuack
	+ Loopy McQuack
* Banana Island Chief
* Officer Burly
* Rhubarb McQuack
	+ Billy
	+ Eagle Eye
* Rufus B. Pinfeathers
* Gladstone Gander
* King Ulysses
* Captain Foghorn
	+ Mr. Sparks
* Micro Ducks
* Goldie O'Gilt
	+ Blackjack
* Captain Frye
	+ Barnacle Biff
* Grand Kishki
* Mr Wimpleman
* Captain Tann
* Dogface Pete
* Captain Mallard
* J.R. Mooing
* Helen of Troy
	+ Magic Harp
* Minotaur
* Dr Von Geezer
	+ Ronnie
* King Brian
	+ Fardaring
* Captain Fargo
* Becky Waddle
* Gloria Swansong
* Mr Webworth
* Burt Quackarach
* Irwin Mallard
* John D. Rockefeather
* Carl Sagander
* Lady de Lardo
* Chief of Rippon Taro
* Dr Koocenwiemers
* Joe
* Mrs Quackenbush
* Dr Jekyll
* Queen of England
* Curly
* Scotty McGuillicutty
* Arnold Schwarzenfeather
* Monsters Anonymous
	+ Quackenstein
	+ Quackenstein's Bride
	+ Quackymodo
	+ Mr Wolf
	+ Count Drakeula
	+ The Blob
	+ The Mummy
	+ The Thing
	+ Invisible Man
	+ Creature from the Blue Lagoon
	+ Ping Pong
* Screamin' Sky McFly
* Buffy Parvenu
* Sevenchins Snootsbury
* High Muckyduck
* Walter Cronduck
* Tiny Blurf
	+ Cookie Blurf
	+ Lucie Blurf
* Oprah Webfeet
* Geralduck Rivera
* Mr Beaver
* Mr Trumpcard
* Melvis Pigsley
* Dirty Harriet
* Nina Quackwell
* Dr Von Swine
* Judge B. Fair
* Yeeker
* Aphroducky
* Dr Glockenspiel
* Nurse Hatchett

### Antagonists

* El Capitán
* Beagle Boys
	+ Ma Beagle
	+ Big Time Beagle
	+ Bouncer Beagle
	+ Burger Beagle
	+ Babyface Beagle
	+ Baggy Beagle
	+ Bankjob Beagle
	+ Banzai Beagle
	+ Beanball Beagle
	+ Bifocal Beagle
	+ Blitzkrieg Beagle
	+ Bomber Beagle
	+ Boomboom Beagle
	+ Beagle Babes
		- Babydoll
		- Boom-Boom
		- Bouffant
	+ Beagle Brats
	+ Blueblood Beagle Boys
		- Bearnaise
		- Bicep
		- Bonaparte
	+ Bombshell Beagle
	+ Buckaroo Beagle
	+ Bugle Beagle
	+ Bumpkin Beagle
	+ Bullseye Beagle
	+ Butterball Beagle
	+ Canadian Beagle Boys
		- Backwoods
		- Bacon
		- Binky
	+ Frontier Beagle Boys
	+ Megabyte Beagle
		- GICU-2
* Flintheart Glomgold
* Joaquin Slowly
* Penguin leader
* Magica De Spell
	+ Poe De Spell
	+ Magica's Shadow
	+ Commander Gander
	+ Talking Banana
	+ Future Huey, Dewey, and Louie
		- Ms Woods
* Sarkus
	+ Priestess of Garbabble
	+ Ka-hoo-fu
* Major Courage
	+ Robot Butler
* Overlord Bulovan
* Armstrong
* Robot Robbers
* Djinni
	+ Sultan of Somnambula
	+ Emir of Somnambula
* Bernardo
* Sir Guy Standforth
* Mad Dog McGurk
* Lesdred
* Black Knight
* Alien Robbers
* Vikings
	+ Auric
	+ Griselda
	+ Swanwhite
	+ Thor
* Fritter O'Way
	+ Diddle O'Way
* Witches of Great Written
* Sharkey
	+ Yardarm
* Druids
* Beauregard DuBark
	+ Elijah DuBark
* Swamp Dweller
* Terra-Firmians
	+ Terra-Firmian King
* Circe
* Sirens
* Captain Bounty
	+ Captain Slattery
* Dangerous Dan
	+ Witlow
* Bull Weevil
* Shifty
* Dr Horatio Bluebottle
* Malek
	+ Glubzilla
* Archibald Quackerbill
* Harpies
	+ Anastasia
	+ Agnes
* Tex Dogie
* Captain Blackheart
* Duke Duggan
* Ping the Pitiless
* F.O.W.L.
	+ Dr Nogood
	+ Bruno von Beak
	+ Feathers Galore
	+ Odduck
* Brigadier Broccoli
	+ Lieutenant Garlic
	+ Sergeant Squash
* Uncle Greydrake
* Count Ray
	+ Captain Pietro
* Charles Upstart III
* Jack the Tripper
* Old Man Ribbit
* Victor Luzer
* Cinnamon Teal
* Phantom Blot
	+ Ensign Plover
* Millionara Vanderbucks
* Mung Ho
* M.E.L.
* General Chiquita
* Robotica
* Happy Jack
* Lawrence Loudmouth
* Vulcan
* Merlock
	+ Dijon
* Goldfeather
* Von Duckhausen

## Production

### Origins

   As early as 1954, there had been plans to do a spin-off of Donald Duck's own cartoon series that would feature the then newly created Scrooge McDuck, whose popularity in the comic medium was at its finest. Carl Barks himself was asked to storyboard the seven-minutes pilot that would feature Scroogre trying to get rid of a banknote-eating rat (see on the right). The short, however, was never made, and Scroog McDuck's film career effectively debuted 13 years later with *Scrooge McDuck and Money,*a featurette that was part of the same educative series as the much-praised *Donald in Mathmagicland* and *Donald and the Wheel.*Contrary to its two spiritual predecessors, *Scrooge McDuck and Money* did not feature Donald, instead focusing on Scrooge and Huey, Dewey and Louie alone, which clearly foreshadows *DuckTales*. *Scrooge McDuck and Money* was, however, a financial failure and had no more follow-ups.

In 1984, the main Walt Disney Studios produced another featurette that was officially part of the *Mickey Mouse*series, *Mickey's Christmas Carol*. In this new adaptation of Charles Dickens's well-known christmas tale, classic Disney characters were assigned roles in the story (Mickey being Bob Cratchitt, Mr Fezziwig being Mr Toad, the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come Peg-Leg Pete…). Naturally, Scrooge was chosen to play the part of Ebenezer Scrooge himself, in a slightly altered design. Although the movie had to much to do with *DuckTales* in itself, it caused a regain of popularity toward Scrooge, leading to the creation of *Soccermania.*

Production for *Soccermania*began shortly after *Mickey's Christmas Carol* came out, thanks to *Christmas Carol's* enormos success at the box office. It was decided that contrary to *Christmas Carol, Soccermania* would be a direct follow-up to the Carl Barks comics, instead of a reimagining. It marked the first animated appearance of aspects of the comics as numerous as Scrooge himself in his classic design, the Beagle Boys, Gyro Gearloose, the Money Bin, Scrooge swimming in his money, or even Duckburg itself ! Much like *Scrooge McDuck and Money* and, later, *DuckTales*, *Soccermania* features Scrooge, Huey, Dewey and Louie but not Donald Duck. For that reason, *Soccermania* almost feels like a standard *DuckTales* episode, if it wasn't for the presence of Sport Goofy as a supporting character and the superior-quality animation.

### Pilot

As usual for TV series, DuckTales began with a feature-length pilot, *The Treasure of the Golden Suns,*introducing most of the show's new characters (Launchpad McQuack, Webby Vanderquack, Duckworth and the show's Beagle Boys), as well as providing the first animated appearance of Flintheart Glomgold and the second of Gyro Gearloose. It was first aired as a feature-length movie in September of 1987, before being split into the show's first 5 episodes for re-airings. *The Treasure of the Golden Suns* contains the show's explanation for Donald being missing, but still gives him a decent amount of screen time. Although it is not adapted from one specific Barks comic, the stories's segments draws inspiration from numerous comics: El Capitan is inspired by Khan Khan, and the lost treasure is reminscent of *The Seven Cities of Cibola*, as many fans have noted.

## Critical reception

### Positive reception

*DuckTales* is widely understood as aiming at a younger audience than its source material. Taken as a kid show, it had a very positive reception, standing out as one of Disney's most popular TV shows of the eighties and nineties, and it is considered one of the series that launched the rebirth of Disney's TV animation, leading to the making of other series such as *Chip'n'Dale Rescue Rangers*, *TaleSpin*, *Aladdin — The Series* or *Bonkers*.

### Negative reception

Many long-time fans of the original comics, however, tended to dislike the show, finding it disrespectful to the original comics. The cheap animation, when compared to Disney's animated features, has also been much criticized; the choice of the voice acting for the characters is also contested, especially when it comes to Scrooge. *DuckTales*has also received criticism from its exclusion of Donald Duck, a common fixture of the stories by Carl Barks that some of *DuckTales'*s episodes were based on.