List of Animaniacs characters

This is a list of characters in the Warner Bros. animated television series, Animaniacs.

Animaniacs had a large cast of characters, most of whom appear here.

The Warner Brothers and their Sister, Dot

The Warner Brothers and Sister are small, mischievous creatures of unknown origin. Their species is never made clear; when asked what they are, they generally respond "we're the Warner Brothers (and the Warner Sister)", or say they're simply "cute".[1]

• Yakko (voiced by Rob Paulsen) Yakko is a loquacious, wise-cracking smart animal, who usually acts as the leader of the trio. He is also obsessed with girls, and is known for saying "Goodnight, everybody!" after a joke that only adult viewers will understand. Yakko wears tan pants with a black belt.
• Wakko (voiced by Jess Harnell) – Wakko is an animal that has a huge appetite and a "gag bag" full of tricks. He also appears to be the least intelligent, or most insane, although Yakko has claimed it to be "middle kid syndrome" in the episode "Survey Ladies". Wakko wears a red backwards baseball cap and a light blue turtleneck sweater. He is also very talented at burping out songs during "The Great Wakkorotti" segments (the burps were provided by Maurice LaMarche)
• Dot (voiced by Tress MacNeille) – Dot is a cute and sassy animal and is more easily relaxed than her brothers, but proves on numerous occasions that she can be just as zany. Her full name is "Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca III". She despises being referred to as "Dottie", threatening "Call me Dottie and you die." She wears a pink skirt with a flower in her ears. While no writer or creator has confirmed the fact, it has been suggested that Dot's name comes from the period, or 'dot', found at the end of 'Warner Bros.'.

Major supporting characters

• Dr. Otto Scratchansniff – German-accented studio psychiatrist, voiced by Rob Paulsen, who attempts to force the Warners to be less zany. He often loses patience with the Warners and freaks out, once pulling his hair out until he was bald.[2] He becomes fonder of the Warners and takes more responsibility for them, occasionally acting as a father figure. The Warners are clearly shown to be acting crazy around him on purpose, but are also fond of him.
• Hello Nurse – Buxom blonde studio nurse (who also appears in other occupations) voiced by Tress MacNeille, over whom Yakko and Wakko fawn. Her appearance usually prompts the boys into affectionate greetings ("Hellooooooo, Nurse!") followed by leaping into her arms, although sometimes they say the same thing to other characters, leaping into their arms in the same manner. Hello Nurse appears in a few Slappy cartoons as a running gag. In Wakko's Wish, it is learned that her "mean IQ (is) 192" and she laments that she is respected for her looks and not her mind.[2] The phrase was initially meant to be used as a catchphrase for Buster Bunny on Tiny Toon Adventures as a counterpart for Bugs Bunny's "Eh, what's up, doc?", however, the writers could not find an appropriate way for him to use the phrase organically. While this is true, the "What's up doc?" phrase still gets used in Tiny Toon Adventures. The phrase “Hellooooooo, nurse!” did not originate with Animaniacs; it had been used decades earlier in vaudeville shows.[3] Creator Tom Ruegger shared on Twitter that the character's name is Heloise Nerz and has German heritage.[4]
• Ralph T. Guard – A dim-witted Warner Studio security guard, voiced by Frank Welker, who is charged with recapturing the Warners and confining them to the tower. He first appeared in Tiny Toon Adventures as the Fat Guard.[5]
• Thaddeus Plotz – Short, hot-tempered, money-grubbing CEO of Warner Bros., voiced by Frank Welker.[2]

Pinky and the Brain

Main article: Pinky and the Brain

Pinky and the Brain are two white mice kept in a cage at ACME Labs, voiced by Rob Paulsen and Maurice LaMarche, respectively. The Brain is serious and clearly the leader, and constantly devises plans to conquer the world; Pinky is eccentric and unintelligent, but loyal to the Brain. In 1995, they were spun off into a cartoon series of their own.

Supporting characters

• Billie – Female white mouse, voiced by Tress MacNeille, who appeared in "The World Can Wait" and "You'll Never Eat Food Pellets In This Town Again!".
• Phar Fignewton – Female white race horse who Pinky fawns over, voiced by Rob Paulsen and Frank Welker. Her name refers to Phar Lap, Fig Newtons and Fahrvergnügen, an advertising slogan used by Volkswagen.

Slappy Squirrel

• Slappy Squirrel – Grumpy cartoon veteran, voiced by series writer Sherri Stoner impersonating Penny Marshall, who lives in a tree with nephew Skippy Squirrel.[6] The music played during her segments is an excerpt from Antonín Dvořák's "Humoresque No. 7".
• Skippy Squirrel – Voiced by Nathan Ruegger, Skippy's chipper personality is the opposite of his aunt's. His character varies, from slightly naive ("Slappy Goes Walnuts") to innocent ("Bumbie's Mom") to complicit partner of Slappy ("Critical Condition").

Supporting characters

• Walter Wolf – Slappy Squirrel's longtime nemesis, voiced by Frank Welker in his first appearance and Jess Harnell for the remainder of the series; is a parody of the Big Bad Wolf characters of Disney and Tex Avery. In "...And Justice For Slappy", he has an adult grandson.
• Sid the Squid – Villain, voiced by Jack Burns, who appeared in five Slappy cartoons: "Hurray for Slappy", "Scare Happy Slappy", "Rest in Pieces", "Macadamia Nut", and 'Star Warners".
• Beanie the Brain-Dead Bison – Villain similar to Pete Puma, voiced by Avery Schreiber, who appeared in "Hurray for Slappy", "Scare Happy Slappy", "Rest in Pieces", "Macadamia Nut", and "Star Warners".
• Bumpo Bassett – Stinkbomb's grandson, voiced by Luke Ruegger (younger brother of Nathan Ruegger), who appears in "Smell Ya Later".
• Stinkbomb D. Bassett – Slappy Squirrel foe, voiced by Jonathan Winters, who appears in "Smell Ya Later".
• Candie Chipmunk – Slappy's self-centred neighbour, voiced by Gail Matthius, who appears in "I Got Yer Can". An excerpt of the "Dance of the Reed Flutes", from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, plays when she appears.
• Baynarts "Charlton" Woodchuck – Cartoon director and former child actor who appears in "Nutcracker Slappy".
• Codger Eggbert – Parody of Roger Ebert, voiced by Chuck McCann in "Critical Condition" and Billy West in "Hurray for North Hollywood (Part II)"
• Lene Hisskill – Parody of Gene Siskel, voiced by Maurice LaMarche in "Critical Condition"
• Doug the Dog – Large bulldog and villain, voiced by Frank Welker in "Slappy Goes Walnuts"
• Vina Walleen – Old friend of Slappy, voiced by Tress MacNeille in "Bumbie's Mom"
• Daniel Boone – Self-proclaimed "best frontiersman that ever lived", voiced by Jim Cummings in "Frontier Slappy"
• Hello Nurse – Appears in "Bumbie's Mom".
• Yakko, Wakko, and Dot – Also appears in "Bumbie's Mom" and in "Bully for Skippy", but only Yakko speaks. Rob Paulsen reprises his role.
• Duke – School bully, voiced by Corey Burton in "Bully for Skippy"
• Ms. Butley – Skippy's guidance counselor, voiced by Tress MacNeille in "Bully for Skippy
• Reef Blunt – A foe of Slappy's and a comedy chairman, voiced by Rob Paulsen in "Bully for Skippy"

The Goodfeathers

The Goodfeathers are an Italian American trio of pigeons: Squit (gray), Bobby (turquoise), and Pesto (lavender), who were voiced by Maurice LaMarche, John Mariano and Chick Vennera, influenced by Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci's roles in Goodfellas.

Supporting characters

• The Godpigeon (Chick Vennera) – A pigeon who is an unintelligible parody of Marlon Brando's Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather. The bird's bulky appearance signifies Brando's massive weight gain, due to overeating habits in his later years. Bobby usually acts as interpreter for his gibberish.
• The Girlfeathers are their girlfriends. Sasha (voiced by Tress MacNeille) is Squit's girlfriend and Pesto's sister. Lana (voiced by Gail Matthius) is Bobby's girlfriend, a parody of Cathy Moriarty's character in Raging Bull. Kiki, Pesto's girlfriend, is a stereotypical dumb blonde.
• Pipsqueak – Tiny great horned owl, voiced by Gabriel Luque
• Ma (Lainie Kazan) – Pesto and Sasha's mother, who lives in Miami Beach, Florida
• Steven Seagull – Pesto and Sasha's stepfather, a parody of Steven Seagal voiced by David Kaufman

Rita and Runt

These segments, along with "Minerva Mink", were discontinued at the end of Season 1 (in part, because of Bernadette Peters' salary). Welker remained a series regular, voicing other characters. Rita and Runt returned as minor characters toward the series' end.

Rita and Runt are a vagabond stray duo that get into so many scraps and adventures. They are often searching for a home, but are back as strays by the end of the episode.

• Rita (voiced by Bernadette Peters, with vocal effects by Frank Welker) - Rita is a funny, aloof and intelligent cat that sings.
• Runt (voiced by Welker) - Runt is a dim-witted dog who thinks that Rita is also a dog like himself and who constantly uses the word, "definitely" a lot when speaking (for example, "Rita, you're a good dog. Definitely a good dog!"). This verbal tic, as well as Runt's speaking style, is a reference to Dustin Hoffman's character in Rain Man.

Supporting characters

• French Poodle Pack – Pack of Stray Poodles that once helped Runt save Rita.
• Dr. Phrankenstein – Stumpy female mad scientist, voiced by Adrienne Alexander in "Phranken-Runt"
• Scout– Dr. Phrankenstein's creation, voiced by Frank Welker in "Phranken-Runt"
• Mr. Squeak – Dr. Phrankenstein's pet rat in "Phranken-Runt"
• Pinky – Appears in a short and unnamed crossover episode of "Animaniacs Stew", in which Rita eats him, reprised by Rob Paulsen.
• Brain – Appears in "Of Nice and Men", reprised by Maurice LaMarche.
• Mrs. Mumphead – Eccentric old lady, voiced by Paul Rugg, in "No Place Like Homeless"
• Crackers the Parrot – Mrs. Mumphead's pet, voiced by Frank Welker in "No Place Like Homeless"
• Pesto – Paired with Runt in a crossover episode of "Animaniacs Stew": called"No Place Like Homeless", reprised by Chick Vennera.
• Kiki the Angry Ape – Ill-tempered gorilla, voiced by Frank Welker, who appears in "Kiki's Kitten"
• Mr. Politician – Parody of Ross Perot, voiced by Frank Welker, who appears in "Icebreakers"
• Missy "Ma" McCoy – Elderly farm cat, voiced by Tress MacNeille

Buttons and Mindy

Buttons is a German Shepherd who watches Mindy when her parents are away and is voiced by Frank Welker. Mindy, voiced by Nancy Cartwright, is a young girl who constantly wanders into trouble without being aware of it. Buttons haplessly struggles with various dangers and narrowly rescues Mindy, only to be blamed and punished for her misbehavior. There is no consistency or continuity in the storytelling; most episodes each feature Mindy's family living in a different setting and portraying them as different sorts of people (I.E. costumed superheroes, mer-people, cave people, etc.).

Supporting characters

• Mindy's mother – In brief off-camera appearances, she is usually called "Lady" by Mindy in the series; in Wakko's Wish, Mindy finally calls her "Mom".
• Mindy's father – His face is also never shown, Mindy calls him "Mr. Man".

Minerva Mink

Minerva Mink is an attractive young mink, voiced by Julie Brown, who was called Marilyn Mink in pre-production.

Supporting characters

• Newt – Faithful dachshund of his lazy owner, who also appears in "Puttin' on the Blitz" with Rita and Runt as "Schnappsie". Voiced by Arte Johnson (Newt) and by Frank Welker (Schnappsie).
• Wilford B. Wolf – Nerdy wolf who becomes a handsome werewolf every full moon, voiced by Peter Scolari. His werewolf alter-ego is built like a Chippendales dancer and dresses like one, and is very affectionate to Minerva. Minerva once asked him about his werewolf changes. Unfortunately, he was in his nerd alter-ego and launched into a long, boring explanation replete with mathematical diagrams and charts.

Other supporting characters

• The Baby Bluebird ("Birdie") – Voiced by Cody Ruegger.
• Chicken Boo – Six-foot-tall chicken, voiced by Frank Welker. He wishes to live as a human, so he wears flimsy disguises, usually just a hat or a coat, which somehow always fool everyone (except for one person who no one believes). Unlike other animal characters, Boo cannot talk and acts almost exactly like a real chicken, making his disguises all the more absurd. At the end of each episode, his disguise falls apart, and he is exposed as a giant chicken. This causes all of his previous supporters to turn against him by saying "I told you that guy was a chicken!" and usually running him out of town.
• Steven Spielberg (voiced by Frank Welker) – The show's executive producer, often mentioned by the cast.
• Colin (the Randy Beaman Kid) – Wide-eyed boy who tells improbable stories which allegedly happened to his (never-seen) friend, Randy Beaman. He comes out of his home with an object in hand that he fidgets with while he tells the story (the object is usually not related to the story) and starts off with "One time...okay, see, one time..." and then tells his story while playing with whatever he has. When he is finished, something will usually happen with the object that he is playing with (like an ice cream cone melting or a baseball going through someone's window), and the kid will finish with "'kay, bye." and walk back into his house.
• The Flame – Childlike candle flame, voiced by Luke Ruegger, who is present at important historical events and teaches fire safety.
• Flavio and Marita – Also known as the Hip Hippos, a wealthy, Spanish hippo couple voiced by Frank Welker and Tress MacNeille. (Singing voices done by Wendy Knudsen for Marita, and Ray McLeod for Flavio.)
• Dr. Gina Embryo – Zoologist who studies the Hip Hippos and tries in vain to protect them, a parody of Joan Embery and Jane Goodall voiced by Tress MacNeille.
• Mr. Cory Skullhead – Mute skeleton seen in the "Good Idea-Bad Idea" segment narrated by Tom Bodett and a parody of Edward Scissorhands.
• The Mime – Nameless mime who appears in "Mime Time", also narrated by Bodett.
• Katie Ka-Boom – A teenage girl voiced by Laura Mooney,[7] who morphs into various violent, destructive monsters when things do not go her way. She lives with her parents and her little brother named Tinker. Katie is the only member of her family who has blonde hair while the rest of her family are brunettes. The premiere Katie Ka-boom segment was also a Chicken Boo crossover, in which Katie morphs into a green Incredible Hulk-like monster when initially told her new boyfriend (who is also the student council president, class valedictorian and the school's star wrestler) is a giant chicken, and then morphs into a monster made of fire when she herself realizes that he is a giant chicken and ends their relationship.
• Mary Hartless – Parody of Mary Hart, voiced by Valri Bromfield and Tress MacNeille, who appears as a newsreader with a variety of hairstyles in "Hurray for Slappy", "Chairman of the Bored", "Bubba Bo Bob Brain", and "Critical Condition".
• Death – Archetypical Grim Reaper with black robe, skeletal appearance, scythe and speaks in a Swedish accent. In "Meatballs or Consequences" the Warner siblings challenge him to a game of checkers, reminiscent of the chess game with Death in Ingmar Bergman's 1956 The Seventh Seal.[8][9]
• The Narrator – Offscreen narrator (voiced by Jim Cummings) whose voice resembles Cummings' voice for Winnie the Pooh, who appears in "Nighty-Night Toon", "Gift of Gold", and "Warners and the Beanstalk".
• Francis "Pip" Pumphandle (voiced by Ben Stein) a man who tells long and boring stories, and bores the Warners in "Chairman of the Bored". He also appears in the Pinky and the Brain episode "Star Warners", and returns in Wakko's Wish as a Desire Fulfillment Facilitator.
• Bugs Bunny - a bunny who likes carrots.
• Daffy Duck - a duck who laughs.

References

1. What are we? (episode 6). 20 September 1993.
2. "De-Zanitized". Animaniacs. Season 1. Episode 1. 1993-09-13. FOX Kids.
3. Cronin, Brian (2018-03-25). "15 Times Animaniacs Snuck By Censors (And 1 Time They Got Caught)". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
4. https://twitter.com/tomruegger/status/1282209112650969093
5. "A Christmas Plotz". Animaniacs. Season 1. Episode 49. 1993-12-06. FOX Kids.
6. Slappy Squirrel at Don Markstein's Toonopedia Archived from the original on June 4, 2017.
7. Katie Ka-Boom at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015.
8. "CULTURAL REFERENCES GUIDE for ANIMANIACS (CRGA)". Webcitation.org. Archived from the original on October 25, 2009. Retrieved 2015-05-17.
9. sfan64 Added Jul 25, 2007 All my reviews (2007-07-25). "Meatballs or Consequences Season Episode Guide on". Tv.com. Retrieved 2010-04-15.