Slick McWolf

Slick McWolf
Droopy character
Slick McWolf and Red in the 1945 animated short Swing Shift Cinderella.
First appearance
Blitz Wolf (August 22, 1942; 84 years ago (1942-08-22))
Created byTex Avery
Voiced byBill Thompson (1942)
Frank Graham (1943–1946)
Kent Rogers (1943)
Billy Bletcher (1945)
Patrick McGeehan (1945)
William Hanna (1946)
Daws Butler (1949)
Manuel Paris (1952)
Frank Welker (1980–1993)
Lou Scheimer (1980)
Will Ryan (1999)
Dave Redl (2001)
John DiMaggio (2012)
Stephen Stanton (2018–present)
In-universe information
Full nameSlick McWolf
AliasesSlick Wolf
Wally Wolf
Killer Joe
Wolfie
SpeciesGray wolf
GenderMale

Slick McWolf, also known as Slick Wolf or simply the Big Bad Wolf, is a cartoon character created by animation director Tex Avery for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. One of Avery's most prominent characters and a frequent antagonist of Droopy, he is a lecherous and scheming individual who never succeeds thanks to the consequences of his own actions. Due to his frequent sexual harassment of female characters, he is the namesake of wolf-whistling.

History

Slick McWolf debuted in Blitz Wolf (1942) as Adolf Wolf, a caricature of Adolf Hitler. The Avery Wolf returned as a Hollywood swinger in Red Hot Riding Hood (1943), memorably aroused by Red's song and dance performance. Further girl-chasing roles came to the Wolf in Swing Shift Cinderella, Wild and Woolfy and Little Rural Riding Hood; simultaneously, the Wolf was used as foe against Avery's Droopy, a role he would keep into the 1950s. He would later reprise the role in the "Droopy and Dripple" segments of Hanna-Barbera's Tom & Jerry Kids (1990).

Slick McWolf was voiced by Bill Thompson (Blitz Wolf), Frank Graham (Dumb-Hounded, Red Hot Riding Hood, The Shooting of Dan McGoo, Swing Shift Cinderella, Northwest Hounded Police), Kent Rogers (Red Hot Riding Hood and One Ham's Family), Billy Bletcher (The Screwy Truant), Patrick McGeehan (The Screwy Truant and Wild and Woolfy), Tex Avery (Wild and Woolfy), Daws Butler (Little Rural Riding Hood), Manuel Paris (Caballero Droopy), Frank Welker (The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show, Tom & Jerry Kids, Droopy Master Detective), Lou Scheimer (The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show), Will Ryan (Thanks a Latte), Dave Redl (Web Premiere Toons), John DiMaggio (Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse) and Stephen Stanton (The Tom and Jerry Show).

The Wolf's actual name has varied over time. It was seldom given in the 1940s, but a 1945 studio announcement called him Wally Wolf. In modern-day appearances, the Wolf's name is often given as Slick Wolf or McWolf.

The Avery Wolf was referenced in the film The Mask (1994), when Stanley/The Mask (performed by Jim Carrey) briefly transforms into him while watching Tina Carlyle perform in a Red Hot Riding Hood-like performance, howling and whistling at her and then banging his head with a mallet. The Mask also changes into his wolf-like form on occasion in the spin-off animated series of the same name, particularly in the animated crossover featuring Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.

No.TitleReleasedNotes
1 Blitz Wolf August 22, 1942 Oscar nominee. The Wolf's debut.
2 Dumb-Hounded March 20, 1943 First time paired with Droopy.
3 Red Hot Riding Hood May 8, 1943 First time paired with Red. Ranked as #7 of The 50 Greatest Cartoons list.
4 One Ham's Family August 14, 1943
5 The Screwy Truant January 13, 1945 Cameo appearance.
6 The Shooting of Dan McGoo March 3, 1945 First time paired with Droopy and Red.
7 Swing Shift Cinderella August 25, 1945
8 Wild and Woolfy November 3, 1945
9 Lonesome Lenny March 9, 1946 Cameo appearance.
10 Northwest Hounded Police August 3, 1946 Remake. Ranked as #28 of The 50 Greatest Cartoons list.
11 Hound Hunters April 12, 1947 Cameo appearance.
12 Señor Droopy April 9, 1949 Non-speaking appearance.
13 Little Rural Riding Hood September 17, 1949 Ranked as #23 of The 50 Greatest Cartoons list. Final appearance alongside Red.
14 Caballero Droopy September 27, 1952

References

  1. ↑ "Wolf-whistling is just the start – harassment is not harmless". The Guardian. March 8, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Wolf-whistling "could be made illegal" under new European convention". The Daily Telegraph. March 8, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  3. ↑ "'Wolf-whistling isn't fun, it's humiliating': Hollaback! campaign aims to end street harassment". Hull Daily Mail. June 17, 2014. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 ""Hello All You Happy Tax Payers": Tex Avery's Voice Stock Company |". cartoonresearch.com. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 ""Pretty Long Wait, Wasn't It?": TEX AVERY'S VOICE ACTORS (Volume 3) |". cartoonresearch.com. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  6. ↑ "AVERY…. Vol. 2??? WELL, IMAGINE THAT! |". cartoonresearch.com. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  7. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: The Way It Was (March 7, 2014). "CN Shorties: "Thanks a Latte"". YouTube. Retrieved August 14, 2020. The wolf sounds like either Jim Cummings or Will Ryan. That's probably Jeff Bergman as Droopy.
  8. ↑ "Wolf". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Wolves". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  10. ↑ Boxoffice, Oct. 20, 1945