|
|
| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| :''This article is about the character. For other uses, see [[Top Cat]].''
| | Try not to laugh. |
| {{Infobox character
| |
| |name= Top Cat
| |
| |image1= [[File:Top Cat (character).png|300px]]
| |
| |caption1= I may be shrewd and all, but my friends call me a charismatic leader, if that's what you're looking for!
| |
| |species= Cat
| |
| |gender= Male
| |
| |team= [[Yogi's Gang (team)|Yogi's Gang]]<ref group="Note">In ''[[Yogi's Gang]]''.</ref><br />[[Yogi's Treasure Hunters]]<ref group="Note">In ''[[Yogi's Funtastic Treasure Hunt]]''.</ref>
| |
| |affiliation= [[Benny the Ball]]<br />[[Brain]]<br />[[Spook]]<br />[[Choo Choo]]<br />[[Fancy Fancy]]<br />[[Officer Dibble]]<br />[[Batman]]<ref group="Note">In ''[[Adam Strange/Future Quest Special/Issue 1|Adam Strange/Future Quest Special]]''.</ref><br />[[Superman]]<ref group="Note">In ''[[Superman/Top Cat Special/Issue 1|Superman/Top Cat Special]]''.</ref>
| |
| |job= Con artist
| |
| |goals= Scam people to get food and money<br />Outsmarting Officer Dibble
| |
| |father=
| |
| |mother=
| |
| |married= Single
| |
| |first= [[Top Cat (TV series)|TC]]: "[[The $1,000,000 Derby]]" ([[1961]])
| |
| |actor= [[Arnold Stang]] (1961-[[1990|90]])<br />[[Daws Butler]] ([[1972]])<br />[[Tom Kenny]] ([[2000]]-[[2002|02]])<br />[[Jason Harris]] ([[2011]], [[2015]], [[2016]])<br />[[Thomas Lennon]] ([[2021]])
| |
| |image2= [[File:80s Top Cat.png|300px]]
| |
| |caption2= ''[[Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats (film)|Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats]]''
| |
| |image3= [[File:90s Top Cat.png|300px]]
| |
| |caption3= ''[[Fender Bender 500]]''
| |
| |image4= [[File:TCTM Top Cat.png|300px]]
| |
| |caption4= ''[[Top Cat: The Movie (film)|Top Cat: The Movie]]''
| |
| |image5= [[File:TCB Top Cat.png|300px]]
| |
| |caption5= ''[[Top Cat Begins (film)|Top Cat Begins]]''
| |
| |image6= [[File:WR 2017 Top Cat and Benny the Ball.png|300px]]
| |
| |caption6= ''[[Wacky Races (2017 TV series)|Wacky Races]]''
| |
| |image7= [[File:DC Top Cat.png|300px]]
| |
| |caption7= ''[[Adam Strange/Future Quest Special/Issue 1|Adam Strange/Future Quest Special]]''
| |
| |image8= [[File:JS Top Cat.png|300px]]
| |
| |caption8= ''[[Jellystone!]]''
| |
| }}
| |
| '''Top Cat''', often abbreviated to '''T.C.''', is an anthropomorphic cat and the smooth-talking main title character of the ''[[Top Cat (TV series)|Top Cat]]'' animated television series. He is a highly mischievous con artist living at [[Hoagy's Alley]] in [[Manhattan]]. His voice was originated by [[Arnold Stang]], using a [[Phil Silvers]] impression as the basis.
| |
| | |
| He uses his clever wit to devise various schemes for the sake of money, food, or places to stay in. He is often referred to as the most effectual, intellectual, and indisputable leader of his own street gang. Top Cat's foil in the series is [[Officer Dibble]], an [[New York Police Department|NYPD]] police officer who keeps a watchful eye on his antics.
| |
| | |
| ==Character description==
| |
| Top Cat is a yellow, slender feline with an oval-shaped head, white muzzle, a black nose, and a long tail. His attire consists of a Tyrian purple waistcoat, and a matching pork pie hat with a black band, which his ears poke out of. He also sports a black cane that he carries, although its notable appearance appears to be in the series' title sequence.
| |
| | |
| Living in small area in [[Manhattan]] known as [[Hoagy's Alley]], Top Cat makes a living by being a sly, greedy con artist. Although he acts incredibly lazy, he has own charm by using sarcastic remarks, alliterative wordplay, and a natural wit in dry comedy. Top Cat strives to make a fast buck or to get food, typically using his mind to scam those who bump into him. He does so by taking advantage of the person he targets, usually by complimenting their traits so they would fall under his schemes. Top Cat's targets vary, ranging from gullible patrons, to [[Officer Dibble]], to even his own gang on rare occasions; although he does show a strong respect to the latter (particularly [[Benny the Ball]]). In spite of the gang's best efforts, Top Cat's elaborate schemes often backfire in the end.
| |
| | |
| Top Cat is also the main target of Officer Dibble, a beat patrol cop who bats an eye on him and his gang. The shady gentleman is a thorn on Dibble's no-nonsense authority, which infuriates him just as much as any customer Top Cat has. He lazily ignores cleaning up his own alley, and is frequently seen using Dibble's patrol call box in spite of it only made for the latter's use. Regardless of how many times Dibble tried to arrest him, or evict him from the area, Top Cat has nearly evaded from these actions, opting to instead continue his own way of life.
| |
| | |
| ==Appearances==
| |
| ===TV series===
| |
| <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
| |
| * ''Top Cat''
| |
| ** 1.1 "[[The $1,000,000 Derby]]"
| |
| ** 1.2 "[[The Missing Heir]]"
| |
| ** 1.3 "[[Hawaii, Here We Come]]"
| |
| ** 1.4 "[[Top Cat Falls in Love]]"
| |
| ** 1.5 "[[The Violin Player]]"
| |
| ** 1.6 "[[The Unscratchables]]"
| |
| ** 1.7 "[[All That Jazz (Top Cat)|All That Jazz]]"
| |
| ** 1.8 "[[Choo Choo's Romance]]"
| |
| ** 1.9 "[[A Visit from Mother]]"
| |
| ** 1.10 "[[Rafeefleas]]"
| |
| ** 1.11 "[[Sergeant Top Cat]]"
| |
| ** 1.12 "[[Naked Town]]"
| |
| ** 1.13 "[[The Maharajah of Pookajee]]"
| |
| ** 1.14 "[[The Long Hot Winter]]"
| |
| ** 1.15 "[[The Tycoon (Top Cat)|The Tycoon]]"
| |
| ** 1.16 "[[The Grand Tour]]"
| |
| ** 1.17 "[[Space Monkey]]"
| |
| ** 1.18 "[[T.C. Minds the Baby]]"
| |
| ** 1.19 "[[The Golden Fleecing]]"
| |
| ** 1.20 "[[The Case of the Missing Anteater]]"
| |
| ** 1.21 "[[Farewell, Mr. Dibble]]"
| |
| ** 1.22 "[[The Late T.C.]]"
| |
| ** 1.23 "[[Choo Choo Goes Ga Ga]]"
| |
| ** 1.24 "[[King for a Day (Top Cat)|King for a Day]]"
| |
| ** 1.25 "[[Dibble Breaks the Record]]"
| |
| ** 1.26 "[[The Con Men]]"
| |
| ** 1.27 "[[Dibble's Birthday]]"
| |
| ** 1.28 "[[Dibble Sings Again]]"
| |
| ** 1.29 "[[Griswald]]"
| |
| ** 1.30 "[[Dibble's Double]]"
| |
| * ''[[Yogi's Treasure Hunt]]''
| |
| * ''[[Fender Bender 500]]''
| |
| * ''[[The Powerpuff Girls (1998 TV series)|The Powerpuff Girls]]''
| |
| ** 3.8B "[[Catastrophe (Powerpuff Girls)|Catastrophe]]" (no lines)
| |
| * ''[[Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law]]''
| |
| ** 3.10 "[[Mindless]]"
| |
| ** 4.17 "[[The Death of Harvey]]"
| |
| * ''[[Duck Dodgers]]''
| |
| ** 2.16B "K9 Quarry" (taxidermized)
| |
| * ''[[Wacky Races (2017 TV series)|Wacky Races]]''
| |
| ** 1.14 "[[Off Track]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 2.22 "[[Super Wacky]]" (painting)
| |
| * ''[[Jellystone!]]''
| |
| ** 1.1 "[[Yogi's Tummy Trouble]]"
| |
| ** 1.2 "[[Gorilla in Our Midst]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 1.7 "[[Must Be Jelly]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 1.8 "[[Cats Do Dance]]"
| |
| ** 1.11 "[[Mr. Flabby Dabby Wabby Jabby]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 1.12 "[[Ice Ice Daddy]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 1.13 "[[DNA, A-OK!]]"
| |
| ** 1.14 "[[Face of the Town!]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 1.17 "[[Gotta Kiss Them All]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 1.19 "[[A Fish Sticky Situation]]"
| |
| ** 1.21 "[[Spell Book]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 1.23 "[[Baby Shenanigans]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 1.24 "[[Bleep!]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 1.25 "[[Yogi's Mid-Life Crisis]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 1.26 "[[Jellystone Moon Platoon]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 1.27 "[[The Sea Monster of Jellystone Cove]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 1.28 "[[Business]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 1.30 "[[Uh Oh! It's a Burglar!]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 1.32 "[[The Brave Little Daddy]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 1.34 "[[Boo Boo and Benny: Little Buddy Trouble]]"
| |
| ** 1.35 "[[The Box Thief]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 1.36 "[[Jailcation]]"
| |
| ** 1.38 "[[Augie's Baby]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 1.39 "[[Heroes and Capes]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 1.40 "[[Sweet Dreams]]"
| |
| ** 2.1 "[[Meet the Jetsons]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 2.2 "[[Disco Fever]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 2.3 "[[Cindy vs. Noodle Arms]]"
| |
| ** 2.4 "[[Hot Guys, Cold Turkey]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 2.5 "[[Lotions 11]]"
| |
| ** 2.8 "[[Girl, You My Friend!]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 2.10 "[[Vote Raspberry]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 2.12 "[[Mummy Knows Best (Jellystone!)|Mummy Knows Best]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 2.13 "[[Augie-mented Reality]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 2.16 "[[Lil' Honk Honks!]]" (no lines)
| |
| ** 2.17 "[[Epic Rager]]"
| |
| * ''[[Teen Titans Go!]]''
| |
| ** 8.24 "[[Warner Bros. 100th Anniversary]]" (no lines)
| |
| </div>
| |
| | |
| ===Movies===
| |
| <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
| |
| * ''[[Yogi's Ark Lark]]''
| |
| * ''[[Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats (film)|Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats]]''
| |
| * ''[[Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon (film)|Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon]]'' (poster)
| |
| * ''[[Top Cat: The Movie (film)|Top Cat: The Movie]]''
| |
| * ''[[Top Cat Begins (film)|Top Cat Begins]]''
| |
| * ''[[Scoob! (film)|Scoob!]]'' (mentioned)
| |
| </div>
| |
| | |
| ===Specials===
| |
| * ''[[Hanna-Barbera's 50th: A Yabba Dabba Doo Celebration]]'' (no lines)
| |
| * ''[[The 1st 13th Annual Fancy Anvil Awards Show Program Special: Live in Stereo]]''
| |
| | |
| ===Shorts===
| |
| * "[[Everyone]]" (no lines)
| |
| * [[Halifax]]'s "[[Top Cat (Halifax)|Top Cat]]" commercial
| |
| | |
| ===Comics===
| |
| <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
| |
| * ''[[Top Cat (Dell Comics)|Top Cat]]'' ([[Dell Comics]])
| |
| * ''[[Top Cat (Gold Key Comics)|Top Cat]]'' ([[Gold Key Comics]])
| |
| * ''[[Top Cat (Charlton Comics)|Top Cat]]'' ([[Charlton Comics]])
| |
| * ''[[Cartoon Network Presents]]''
| |
| ** [[Cartoon Network Presents/Issue 1|Issue #1B]]: "Alley Oops!"
| |
| ** [[Cartoon Network Presents/Issue 3|Issue #3A]]: "The Twiddle Method"
| |
| ** [[Cartoon Network Presents/Issue 16|Issue #16A]]: "It's a Wonderful Strife"
| |
| ** [[Cartoon Network Presents/Issue 16|Issue #16B]]: "Stray Pets"
| |
| ** [[Cartoon Network Presents/Issue 16|Issue #16C]]: "Cops Cat"
| |
| * ''[[Scooby-Doo! Team-Up]]''
| |
| ** [[Scooby-Doo! Team-Up/Issue 29|Issue 29]]: "Reigning Cats and Dogs"
| |
| * ''[[Adam Strange/Future Quest Special/Issue 1|Adam Strange/Future Quest Special]]''
| |
| ** Issue #1B: "Out of the Alley"
| |
| * ''[[Superman/Top Cat Special/Issue 1|Superman/Top Cat Special]]''
| |
| ** Issue #1A: "...The Kalien Among Us"
| |
| </div>
| |
| | |
| ===Video games===
| |
| * ''[[Top Cat Starring in Beverly Hills Cats]]''
| |
| * ''[[Hanna-Barbera's Turbo Toons]]''
| |
| | |
| ==Biography==
| |
| ===Debut Series===
| |
| In ''Top Cat'', not much is known of the title character prior to his life as a con artist, although in the episode "[[The Unscratchables]]," Top Cat and Benny mentioned that they first met each other when they were Boy Scouts.<ref>''[[Top Cat (TV series)|Top Cat]]'': "[[The Unscratchables]]", season 1, episode 6 (1961).</ref>
| |
| | |
| ===Crossover Era===
| |
| ====Yogi's Ark Lark====
| |
| ====The Treasure Hunt====
| |
| In ''[[Yogi's Treasure Hunt]]'', Top Cat became a taskmaker and assigner to [[Yogi Bear (character)|Yogi]]'s [[Yogi's Treasure Hunters|Treasure Hunters]] team. In a flashback preceeding the series, he was recruited by the President of the United States and left his residence in Hoagy's Alley to pursue a luxourious life,<ref>''[[Yogi's Treasure Hunt]]'': "[[The Great American Treasure]]", season 2, episode 6 (1987).</ref> a goal that he persued prior.
| |
| | |
| ====Fender Bender 500====
| |
| He is the driver of the [[Alley Cat]] (designated #4), with [[Choo Choo]] as a passenger.
| |
| | |
| ===Misplaced in Beverly Hills===
| |
| ===Harvey Birdman Represents===
| |
| In the ''[[Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law]]'' episode "[[Mindless]]," Top Cat crashes at Harvey's place after being neutered. He was arrested for money laundering just outside of Harvey's house.
| |
| | |
| ===Back in the New York Groove===
| |
| ===Top Cat Begins===
| |
| ===Wacky Reboot===
| |
| ===Everyone's Back in Jellystone!===
| |
| ===Top Cat in the Funny Books===
| |
| ====Flintstones visit New York World's Fair====
| |
| ====T.C. Joins the DC Universe====
| |
| ===Top Cat Sells Out===
| |
| [[File:Stuff Top Cat.png|thumb|150px]]
| |
| In the ''Duck Dodgers'' episode "K9 Quarry," stuffed trophies of [[Yogi Bear (character)|Yogi]], [[Wally Gator (character)|Wally Gator]], Boo Boo, [[Hong Kong Phooey (character)|Hong Kong Phooey]], and Top Cat, appear on an [[Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner|alien hunter]]'s ship.
| |
| | |
| ==Development==
| |
| The personality of Top Cat was largely inspired by Sargent "Ernie" Bilko, a character played by [[Phil Silvers]] in the 1950s TV sitcom ''The Phil Silvers Show''. While both of these characters may seem different on the surface, the two share a shrewd taste for coming up with crazy schemes, using their wits to fool their superiors and exploit their teams to do the hard work. Apart from their personalities, Top Cat and Bilko also have the same vocal tone.
| |
| | |
| [[wikipedia:Michael O'Shea (actor)|Michael O'Shea]] was first slated to be the voice of Top Cat, but dropped out because of other commitments. According to associate producer [[Alan Dinehart]], O'Shea took too long to record his lines and was replaced by Arnold Stang mid-production.<ref>Yowp, Don M. (September 28, 2009). "[https://yowpyowp.blogspot.com/2009/09/top-cat-starring-voice-of-who_28.html?m=1 Top Cat! Starring the Voice of ... Who?]" yowpyowp.blogspot.com</ref> In a ''Weekly Variety'' story (dated July 19, 1961), [[wikipedia:Andy Devine|Andy Devine]], [[wikipedia:Mickey Rooney|Mickey Rooney]], [[wikipedia:Jerry Lester|Jerry Lester]], [[Larry Storch]], and [[wikipedia:Max Rosenbloom|Max Rosenbloom]] were also among the actors who auditioned for the role before Stang.<ref>Yowp, Don M. (December 9, 2015). "[https://yowpyowp.blogspot.com/2015/12/hanna-barbera-chugs-along-1961.html?m=1 Hanna-Barbera Chugs Along, 1961]" yowpyowp.blogspot.com</ref>
| |
| | |
| ==Gallery==
| |
| {{Main|Top Cat (character)/Gallery}}
| |
| | |
| ==Toys and merchandise==
| |
| {{Main|Top Cat (character)/Toys}}
| |
| | |
| ==Behind the scenes==
| |
| * Top Cat bares some similarities to [[Hokey Wolf (character)|Hokey Wolf]], who also came out the same year in 1961. The two create schemes to get what they want and both have similar voices, despite them being voiced by two different people.
| |
| ** Interestingly enough, [[Daws Butler]] represented the voice of Top Cat in the TV movie ''[[Yogi's Ark Lark]]'' — a pilot of the ''[[Yogi's Gang]]'' TV series — as Arnold Stang wasn't available at the time. Since Daws was using a similar-sounding voice to Hokey, Hokey had no dialogue in the film, and this issue could have also been the reason why Top Cat didn't appear for the series.
| |
| * According to [[Hanna-Barbera]]'s [[Heidi's Song Celebrates Hanna-Barbera's 25th Anniversary|1982 calendar]], he was born on [[May 29]]th.
| |
| * On the BBC airings of ''Top Cat'' and in some British merchandising prior to the [[1990s]], he was called '''Boss Cat''', due to trademark issues regarding British cat food with the same name as "Top Cat." The issue was rectified once the food brand was discontinued in [[1999]], although the British VHS releases of the show had still used the original "Top Cat" name prior to this.
| |
| * Top Cat's series is popular in Mexico under the name ''Don Gato y su pandilla'' (Mr. Cat and his Gang) and he is referred to as '''Don Gato''' in this dub. The series' popularity in the country led to two movies in the [[2010s]], ''Top Cat: The Movie'' and ''Top Cat Begins''; both produced by Mexican animation companies and distributed by Warner Bros. Mexico.
| |
| * Top Cat's Japanese name is '''Doraneko Taisho''' (ドラ猫大将, Boss Cat), but goes by his English name in later dubs except for ''Jellystone!''.
| |
| | |
| ==In popular culture==
| |
| * In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "The Day The Violence Died", Roger Myers Jr. says that animation "has always plagiarizes existing properties" and "without Sargent Bilko from ''The Phill Silvers Show'', we wouldn't have Top Cat."
| |
| | |
| ==Notes==
| |
| <references group="Note" />
| |
| | |
| ==References==
| |
| <references/>
| |
| [[Category:Animals]]
| |
| [[Category:Band-Wagon]]
| |
| [[Category:Birdman characters]]
| |
| [[Category:Birdman]]
| |
| [[Category:Cartoon Network Presents characters]]
| |
| [[Category:Cartoon Network Presents]]
| |
| [[Category:Cats]]
| |
| [[Category:Characters]]
| |
| [[Category:Charlton Comics]]
| |
| [[Category:Dell Comics]]
| |
| [[Category:DC Comics]]
| |
| [[Category:Fender Bender racers]]
| |
| [[Category:Flintstones (franchise)]]
| |
| [[Category:Flintstones characters]]
| |
| [[Category:Gold Key Comics]]
| |
| [[Category:Hanna-Barbera]]
| |
| [[Category:Powerpuff Girls characters]]
| |
| [[Category:Powerpuff Girls (franchise)]]
| |
| [[Category:Top Cat characters]]
| |
| [[Category:Top Cat's gang members]]
| |
| [[Category:Wacky Races characters]]
| |
| [[Category:Wally Gator characters]]
| |
| [[Category:Yogi Bear characters]]
| |
| [[Category:Yogi's Gang members]]
| |
