View source for Pluto (Disney)

{{short description|Disney character}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2014}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Pluto
| franchise = ''[[Mickey Mouse universe|Mickey Mouse & Friends]]''
| image = Pluto (Disney) transparent.png
| first = {{Plainlist|
* ''[[The Chain Gang (1930 film)|The Chain Gang]]'' ({{Start date and age|1930|9|5}}) (unnamed)
* ''[[The Picnic (1930 film)|The Picnic]]'' ({{Start date and age|1930|10|9}}) (as Rover)
* ''[[The Moose Hunt]]'' ({{Start date and age|1931|4|30}}) (as Pluto)
}}
| creator = {{Plainlist|
* [[Walt Disney]]
* [[Norm Ferguson (animator)|Norm Ferguson]]
}}
| designer = {{Plainlist|
* Norm Ferguson
}}
| voice = {{Plainlist|
* [[Lee Millar]] (1930–1940)<ref name="CartoonVoices">{{cite book |last1=Scott |first1=Keith |title=Cartoon Voices of the Golden Age, Vol. 2 |date=3 October 2022 |publisher=BearManor Media |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Pinto Colvig]] (1932–1937, 1954–1957)<ref name="CartoonVoices" />
* [[Jimmy MacDonald (sound effects artist)|Jimmy MacDonald]] (1941–1953)<ref name="CartoonVoices" />
* Teddy Barr (1941)<ref name="CartoonVoices" />
* [[Paul Frees]] (1959)<ref>{{cite web |title=Fred Flintstone Meets Jiminy Cricket: A Salute to Alan Reed - |url=https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/fred-flintstone-meets-jiminy-cricket-a-salute-to-alan-reed/ |website=CartoonResearch.com |access-date=11 November 2020 |date=25 August 2020}}</ref>
* [[Bill Farmer]] (1990–present)
}}
| alias = {{Plainlist|
* Rover
* Pluto the Pup
}}
| lbl1 = Developed by
| data1 = {{Plainlist|
* [[Norm Ferguson (animator)|Norm Ferguson]]
* [[Clyde Geronimi]]
* [[Charles August Nichols]]
}}
| species = [[Dog]]
| gender = Male
| family = [[Mickey Mouse]] (owner)
| significant_other = {{Plainlist|
* [[Dinah the Dachshund]]
* [[Fifi the Peke]]
* Tiki ("[[Mickey Mouse Works#ep2|Pluto's Penthouse Sweet]]")
}}
| children = {{Plainlist|
* [[Pluto's Quin-puplets|Pluto Junior]] (son)
* [[Pluto's Quin-puplets|Four other Quin-puplets]] (children)
}}
| relatives = [[Pluto's Kid Brother|K.B.]] (brother)
}}
'''Pluto''' is an American cartoon character created by [[Walt Disney]] and [[Norm Ferguson (animator)|Norm Ferguson]]. He is a yellow-orange color, medium-sized, short-haired [[dog]] with black ears. Unlike most Disney characters, Pluto is not [[Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] beyond some characteristics such as facial expression.<ref>Farrell, Ken. ''Warman's Disney Collectibles Field Guide: Values and Identification''. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2011. p. 308.</ref> He is [[Mickey Mouse]]'s pet. Officially a [[Mongrel|mixed-breed dog]],<ref name="trivia" /> he made his debut as a [[bloodhound]] in the Mickey Mouse cartoon ''[[The Chain Gang (1930 film)|The Chain Gang]]''.<ref>Smith, Dave. ''Disney A to Z: The Updated Official Encyclopedia''. New York: Hyperion, 1998. Print. {{ISBN|0-7868-6391-9}}.</ref> Together with [[Mickey Mouse]], [[Minnie Mouse]], [[Donald Duck]], [[Daisy Duck]], and [[Goofy]], Pluto is one of the "Sensational Six"—the biggest stars in the [[Disney]] universe.<ref>Stewart, James B. ''Disney War''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005. p. 5.</ref> Though all six are non-human animals, Pluto alone is not dressed as a human.<ref>[[Sean Griffin|Griffin, Sean]]. ''[[Tinker Belles and Evil Queens: The Walt Disney Company from the Inside Out]]''. New York: New York UP, 2000. p. 70.</ref>

Pluto debuted in [[animated cartoon]]s and appeared in 24 ''[[Mickey Mouse (film series)|Mickey Mouse]]'' films before receiving his [[Pluto (film series)|own series]] in 1937. All together Pluto appeared in 89 short films between 1930 and 1953. Several of these were nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film|Academy Award]], including ''[[The Pointer]]'' (1939), ''[[Squatter's Rights (film)|Squatter's Rights]]'' (1946), ''[[Pluto's Blue Note]]'' (1947), and ''[[Mickey and the Seal]]'' (1948). One film starring him, ''[[Lend a Paw]]'' (1941), won the award in 1942. Because Pluto does not speak, his presence relies on physical humor. This made him a pioneering figure in character animation, by expressing personality through animation rather than dialogue.<ref>"[http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Essays/Flypaper%20Sequence/FlypaperSequence.html#originalpost The Flypaper Sequence Mystery]", essay by Michael Barrier</ref>

Like all of Pluto's co-stars, he appears extensively in comics, first in 1931.<ref>[https://inducks.org/character.php?c=PL Pluto] at [[INDUCKS]]</ref> He returned to theatrical animation in 1990 with ''[[The Prince and the Pauper (1990 film)|The Prince and the Pauper]]'' and is in several direct-to-video films. Pluto is in countless television series, video games, and all other ''Mickey Mouse'' media.

In 1998, Disney's copyright on Pluto, set to expire at the end of 2005, was extended by the passage of the [[Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act]]. Disney, along with other rights holders, lobbied for passage of the act to preserve their copyrights on characters such as Pluto for 20 additional years.<ref>Sprigman, Chris. FindLaw's Writ, March 5, 2002, "[http://www.cbe.csueastbay.edu/~alima/courses/3107/Articles/SprigmanDisneyCopyright.pdf THE MOUSE THAT ATE THE PUBLIC DOMAIN: Disney, The Copyright Term Extension Act, And eldred V. Ashcroft] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030081013/http://www.cbe.csueastbay.edu/~alima/courses/3107/Articles/SprigmanDisneyCopyright.pdf |date=October 30, 2012}}". Accessed September 19, 2012.</ref> Under current American copyright law, Pluto's earliest appearances will become public domain at the start of 2026. However, Pluto, like all widely-merchandised Disney characters, will remain [[trademarked]] by Disney, and trademarks do not expire unless the rights holder stops using it.

==Origin==
The character of Pluto originated with animator [[Norm Ferguson (animator)|Norm Ferguson]], who came to the Disney Studio in 1929. Ferguson is credited with introducing the [[Twelve basic principles of animation|animation principle]] of "[[follow through and overlapping action]]": where different parts of the body move at different times and speeds compared to the main action. Ferguson first introduced this technique in the [[Silly Symphony]] short ''[[Frolicking Fish]]'' (released May 8, 1930): where he animated a trio of dancing fish, and offset the movement of their fins, having them "drag" along with the main body's movement. This gave the characters a more flowing and natural movement than in most other animation of that time.<ref name="Hollywood Cartoons">{{cite book |last1=Barrier |first1=Michael |title=Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age |date=1999 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-19-516729-0 |page=75 |edition=2003 Revised |url=https://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Cartoons-American-Animation-Golden/dp/0195167295/ref=sr_1_2?crid=S0YKBYUNHHTD&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.H2-i6hBH2lNgZ0cuLeIZGvvoauerILd2Td6ebsuDfMYIpAO_w3gOPX7MZ7w5VKCZfmsf3G1KsaYnkxvXwvLp8F8Qc2Io22ULEit_Ov-6Xx_7QxTbo1uj4B6I61xmBWjE0Q0lXn1RSg0DhiEsFhqnptokMiPBvecqKYZ0F2WLk_K1s9OV34A6VhmpCjRfQP7uAjJNeQWFEmsKN8L28DsSQdsNT1AcciRs6m68fNmmUiQ.3vLLBaSVWaKlXjGJzmpnvWRvWsY_vkbAG1MUlQ0mrKw&dib_tag=se&keywords=hollywood+cartoons&qid=1736412953&sprefix=hollywood+cartoo%2Caps%2C350&sr=8-2 |access-date=9 January 2025}}</ref> [[Walt Disney]] was so impressed with Ferguson's work on ''Frolicking Fish'', that he ordered all of his animators study the scene.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gabler |first1=Neal |title=Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagnation |date=2006 |publisher=Alfred A Knof |location=New York |isbn=0-679-43822-X |pages=169–170 |url=https://www.amazon.com/Walt-Disney-Triumph-American-Imagination/dp/0679757473/ref=sr_1_1?crid=33J1BH7QRIGLQ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.40QKkl1L7Dxg4CuiI5HAH8UxWq90p_Lz-N18Ipdgj6ZOcJDncod0wVjHN0SUnGQx_fY3BGuVTtn9ZGN1wVZuol0mYbYt7to3O7QerTxKQi_2FHRDPLi9NC73JdtnK3ngjFrx3WEJwniYnJu1-1YzGRvSZpeKSuYspHXmFJdaA_ztEo0hdiRYP2--PUiaGlPZNmHchBlQYBTGUwC0o2GXGUoroN7uIK00kHdhbE6o2NI.r7qaBV0gnhvFLHXGTV6veNUFD1-Bm3wV51Vj4WXF-uw&dib_tag=se&keywords=walt+disney+neal+gabler&qid=1736413964&sprefix=walt+disney+neal+g%2Caps%2C352&sr=8-1 |access-date=9 January 2025}}</ref>

Shortly after completing his work on ''Frolicking Fish'', Disney assigned Ferguson to work on the [[Mickey Mouse]] cartoon ''[[The Chain Gang (1930 film)|The Chain Gang]]'' (released on September 5, 1930); where Mickey is portrayed as a prisoner who escapes from jail, and is pursued by two nameless [[bloodhound]]s. Ferguson was tasked with animating a scene where Mickey runs towards the camera and is followed by the two bloodhounds, who sniff Mickey's trail, look up, snort, and bark at the camera.{{sfn|Barrier|1999|p=75}} According to [[Frank Thomas (animator)|Frank Thomas]] and [[Ollie Johnston]], when describing this scene to Ferguson, Disney reminisced about different dogs he grew up with as a child, and acted out their mannerisms (much to the staff's amusement), which Ferguson would then translate into his animation.<ref name="Illusion of Life">{{cite book |last1=Thomas |first1=Frank |last2=Johnston |first2=Ollie |title=Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life |date=1981 |publisher=Disney Editions |location=New York |isbn=0-7868-6070-7 |pages=99–104 |edition=1984 Revised}}</ref>

When animating the scene, Ferguson applied his principle of "follow through and overlapping action" to the jowls of the dogs, which gave them surprisingly lifelike movement for the time. Animation historian [[Michael Barrier]] wrote about the scene: 
{{blockquote|"The dogs were among the very first Disney characters whose design broke with the prevailing formula that put white masks on virtually interchangeable black bodies... their jowls hang loosely, their nostrils wrinkle and flair, their movements echo those of real dogs. When the dogs appear, there is a sense, however faint and fleeting, of solid flesh on a screen otherwise occupied by phantoms."{{sfn|Barrier|1999|p=75}}}}

Upon reviewing the scene, Disney was so impressed by Ferguson's animation on the dogs, he decided to develop one of them into a recurring character.<ref name="Illusion of Life" /> Ferguson's dog character next appeared in ''[[The Picnic (1930 film)|The Picnic]]'' (released on October 23 of that same year), however he was portrayed as Minnie's dog, and was named "Rover". In his third appearance, ''[[The Moose Hunt]]'' (released on May 3, 1931), he appeared as Mickey's pet, and was finally given the name "Pluto".<ref name=trivia>Smith, Dave. ''Disney Trivia from the Vault: Secrets Revealed and Questions Answered''. New York: Disney Editions, 2012.</ref> Disney animator [[Ben Sharpsteen]] claimed they changed the name to Pluto because: "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."<ref>{{cite book |last=Brasch |first=Walter M. |title=Cartoon Monikers: An Insight into the Animation Industry |publisher=Bowling Green University Popular Press |location=Bowling Green, OH |date=1983 |page=69 |isbn=0-87972-244-4}}</ref> Some Disney animators reportedly believed that Disney chose the name "Pluto" to capitalize on the then-newly-named ninth planet of [[Pluto]].<ref>Boyle, Alan. ''The Case for Pluto: How a Little Planet Made a Big Difference''. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2009. p. 49.</ref> However, animation historian [[John Canemaker]] states that Disney chose the name simply because he once had a dog named Pluto.<ref>''The Life and Times of Pluto'' (2004), Documentary featurette (''[[Walt Disney Treasures]]'': ''[[Walt Disney Treasures: Wave Four#The Complete Pluto|The Complete Pluto]]'' DVD - Disc 1), [[Walt Disney Home Entertainment]]</ref>

Other animators handled the character, but Ferguson became the Pluto specialist at the Disney Studio. Over the next few years, Ferguson continued to develop and refine the character, ultimately crystalizing with ''[[Playful Pluto]]'' (1934), in which Ferguson animated a scene where Pluto gets a piece of [[flypaper]] stuck to his rear end. The sequence was storyboarded by [[Webb Smith]], and Ferguson padded the scene and added extra bits of comic business.{{sfn|Barrier|1999|pp=113-114}} The scene was considered a major landmark in the development of [[character animation]]. Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston described the scene as:

{{blockquote|"...a milestone in personality animation. From the time he [Pluto] accidently sits on a sheet of the sticky flypaper, Pluto's problems seem to become ever worse as he tries to extricate himself. Through it all, his reaction to his predicament and his thoughts of what to try next are shared with the audience. It was the first time a character seemed to be thinking on screen, and, though it lasted only 65 seconds, it opened [up] the way for animation of real characters with real problems."{{sfn|Thomas|Johnston|1981|p=100}}}}

Following the circulation of [[Art Babbitt]]'s ''[[Goofy#Development under Art Babbitt|Character Analysis of the Goof]]'' around the Disney studio,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Friedman |first1=Jake S. |title=The Disney Revolt: The Great Labor War of Animation's Golden Age |date=2022 |publisher=Chicago Review Press |isbn=9781641607223 |page=71 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ciVSEAAAQBAJ |access-date=10 January 2025}}</ref> Ferguson wrote a 4-Page character bible on Pluto that was published on Jan 4, 1936, and detailed Pluto's body construction, facial expressions, mannerisms and personality.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sporn |first1=Michael |title=Pluto models |url=https://www.michaelspornanimation.com/splog/?p=1930 |website=Michael Sporn Animation |date=29 July 2009 |access-date=10 January 2025}}</ref>

==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.

==Appearances==
[[File:Butch and Pluto.jpg|thumb|''Bone Trouble'' (1940); Butch the [[Bulldog]] is a common antagonist of Pluto]]
Pluto first and most often appears in the ''Mickey Mouse'' series of cartoons. His solo star debut is in two ''[[Silly Symphony]]'' shorts, ''[[Just Dogs]]'' (1932) and ''[[Mother Pluto]]'' (1936). In 1937, Pluto appeared in ''Pluto's Quin-Puplets'' which was the first installment of [[Pluto (film series)|his own film series]], then headlined ''Pluto the Pup''.

His first comics appearance was in the [[Mickey Mouse (comic strip)|''Mickey Mouse'' comic strip]] on July 1, 1931,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gottfredson |first1=Floyd |title=[[Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse]], vol 1: Race to Death Valley |date=2011 |publisher=Fantagraphics Books |location=Seattle, WA |isbn=978-1-60699-441-2|pages=163–166}}</ref> two months after the release of ''The Moose Hunt''. In 1938, Pluto headlined in the ''[[Silly Symphony (comic strip)|Silly Symphony]]'' Sunday comic strip, in an adaptation of his ''Silly Symphony'' short, ''[[Mother Pluto]]''.<ref name=IDW-v2>{{cite book |last1=Kaufman |first1=J.B. |title=Silly Symphonies: The Complete Disney Classics, vol 2 |date=2016 |publisher=IDW Publishing |location=San Diego |isbn=978-1-63140-804-5 |pages=7–8 |chapter=Introduction}}</ref> Pluto was later featured in several sequences of the ''Silly Symphony'' strip in 1939 and 1940.

In the various Disney theme park resorts worldwide, Pluto is an interactive character just like many of his film co-stars.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.charactercentral.net/C36_DisneyCharacters_MickeyFriends_Pluto.aspx|title = Pluto}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Inducks character|PL|Pluto}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20170725075741/http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0027779/ Pluto] on [[IMDb]]
{{commons category}}
{{Disney Characters}}
{{Pluto (Disney) in animation}}
{{House of Mouse}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Disney comics characters]]
[[Category:Disney core universe characters]]
[[Category:Fictional characters from Calisota]]
[[Category:Animated characters introduced in 1930]]
[[Category:Film characters introduced in 1930]]
[[Category:Comics characters introduced in 1930]]
[[Category:Comics about dogs]]
[[Category:Fictional dogs]]
[[Category:Male characters in animation]]
[[Category:Male characters in comics]]
[[Category:Comedy film characters]]
[[Category:Characters created by Walt Disney]]
[[Category:Fictional mute characters]]