Tuffy
Encyclopedia
Tuffy is a fictional character from the Tom and Jerry
cartoon series. He is the little grey
, diaper
-wearing orphan
mouse whose cartoon debut came in the 1946 short The Milky Waif
. Tuffy was later featured in the 1949 Academy Award-winning short The Little Orphan
. Tuffy wears a diaper on most of his appearances since he is portrayed as a baby mouse.
When the smaller Nibbles design was introduced to animation in 1946, the comics' Tuffy was retcon
ned to match, almost immediately shrinking in size and age, although the name Tuffy was retained. In the comics, Tuffy remained a peer of Jerry with no familial relationship to him. But in 1953, the animation writers decided to change his on-screen relationship to Jerry. He became Jerry's nephew in Life with Tom
.
Now it was the cartoons' turn to retcon, changing the screen name Nibbles to Tuffy in the 1957 cartoon Feedin' The Kiddie
. Tuffy was thus named Tuffy in all English-language media from 1957 through the 1980s.
Tom and Jerry comic books have been out of print in the United States since 1991. Not surprisingly, as time passes, fewer English-speaking staffers working on modern Tom and Jerry products remember the comics and the continuity they introduced. For this reason, Tuffy's name has sometimes changed back to Nibbles in new product: notably the Tom and Jerry movies, Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring
, and the new TV series, Tom and Jerry Tales
. The reference books Hanna-Barbera Cartoons by Michael Mallory
and The Hanna-Barbera Treasury by Jerry Beck
refer to the character only as Nibbles, without mentioning his alternate name at all.
On the other hand, the recent movies Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale
, Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes
and Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz
both use the name Tuffy.
Tuffy is more often a speaking character than Jerry. In the "Mouseketeer" sub-series, he spoke mostly in French
, resorting to English
whenever a gag depended on it. The only exception to this was Robin Hoodwinked
where he talked purely in Saxon English and had a different, rougher voice. Tuffy looked somewhat more mature in Hoodwinked as well, despite the fact that he still wore his diaper. The Mouseketeer shorts almost always featured sequences in which Tuffy got drunk. In his last appearance in Robin Hoodwinked
, he is also shown to be drunk as the cartoon comes to a close.
In the Tom and Jerry Tales episode "Cat Nebula", Nibbles appeared as Jerry's sidekick and had a younger voice. Strangely, he spoke in a more feminine French accent in the non-Mouseketeer Tales episodes "Cat Show Catastrophe" and "Cat of Prey". In another Tales episode "Babysitting Blues", Tuffy was actually portrayed as a real baby who could not speak, though it is unknown if this was really Tuffy or another nephew of Jerry's.
In his normal appearances, Tuffy is typically hungry and has the ability to eat huge amounts of food in one sitting. He often angers Tom and Jerry when he eats a table full of food or steals theirs just as they're about to bite in. When making his cartoon debut in The Milky Waif, Tuffy's first motion is to point at his mouth, indicating hunger—as a letter announces "P.S. He's always hungry."
Although Jerry cares for Tuffy, he is usually annoyed by Tuffy's antics which often get him in trouble with Tom. Coincidentally in every short except Mice Follies, Jerry gets mad at Tuffy whenever he does something dangerous or reckless.
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
cartoon series. He is the little grey
Grey
Grey or gray is an achromatic or neutral color.Complementary colors are defined to mix to grey, either additively or subtractively, and many color models place complements opposite each other in a color wheel. To produce grey in RGB displays, the R, G, and B primary light sources are combined in...
, diaper
Diaper
A nappy or a diaper is a kind of pant that allows one to defecate or urinate on oneself discreetly. When diapers become soiled, they require changing; this process is often performed by a second person such as a parent or caregiver...
-wearing orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
mouse whose cartoon debut came in the 1946 short The Milky Waif
The Milky Waif
The Milky Waif is a 1946 American one-reel animated cartoon and is the 24th Tom and Jerry short directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, produced by Fred Quimby in Technicolor, released in theaters on May 18, 1946, and re-released in theaters on January 9, 1954 by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer...
. Tuffy was later featured in the 1949 Academy Award-winning short The Little Orphan
The Little Orphan
The Little Orphan is a 1949 American one-reel animated cartoon and is the 40th Tom and Jerry short, released in theatres on April 30, 1949 by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer. It was produced by Fred Quimby and directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, with music by Scott Bradley...
. Tuffy wears a diaper on most of his appearances since he is portrayed as a baby mouse.
Origin and development
Tuffy's first actual appearance came in the 1942 comic book Our Gang Comics 1, where despite his diaper, he was presented as a peer of Jerry rather than a younger individual. In the comics, the grey mouse's name was given as Tuffy Mouse from the start.When the smaller Nibbles design was introduced to animation in 1946, the comics' Tuffy was retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
ned to match, almost immediately shrinking in size and age, although the name Tuffy was retained. In the comics, Tuffy remained a peer of Jerry with no familial relationship to him. But in 1953, the animation writers decided to change his on-screen relationship to Jerry. He became Jerry's nephew in Life with Tom
Life with Tom
Life with Tom is the 79th one reel animated Tom and Jerry short, created in 1953 directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and produced by Fred Quimby with music by Scott Bradley. The cartoon was animated by Kenneth Muse, Irven Spence and Ed Barge with backgrounds by Robert Gentle...
.
Now it was the cartoons' turn to retcon, changing the screen name Nibbles to Tuffy in the 1957 cartoon Feedin' The Kiddie
Feedin' the Kiddie
Feedin' the Kiddie is the 107th one reel animated Tom and Jerry short, created in 1956, directed and produced by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera with music by Scott Bradley. It is a CinemaScope remake of 1948's Academy Award winning cartoon, The Little Orphan...
. Tuffy was thus named Tuffy in all English-language media from 1957 through the 1980s.
Tom and Jerry comic books have been out of print in the United States since 1991. Not surprisingly, as time passes, fewer English-speaking staffers working on modern Tom and Jerry products remember the comics and the continuity they introduced. For this reason, Tuffy's name has sometimes changed back to Nibbles in new product: notably the Tom and Jerry movies, Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring
Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring
Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring is a 2001 animated direct-to-video film starring Tom and Jerry. This was the first made-for-video attempt to recapture the style of Hanna and Barbera's original Tom & Jerry theatricals...
, and the new TV series, Tom and Jerry Tales
Tom and Jerry Tales
Tom and Jerry Tales is an animated television series which began production in 2005, and premiered in the United States on September 23, 2006 and cancelled on March 22, 2008 on Kids' WB!. It is the fourth television show in the franchise that continues the chase and violence of the cat and mouse...
. The reference books Hanna-Barbera Cartoons by Michael Mallory
Michael Mallory
Michael Mallory is a writer on the subjects of animation and post-war pop culture, and the author of the books Hanna-Barbera Cartoons , Marvel: The Characters and Their Universe, X-Men: The Characters and Their Universe and Universal Studios Monsters: A Legacy of Horror...
and The Hanna-Barbera Treasury by Jerry Beck
Jerry Beck
Jerry Beck is a well-known animation historian, with ten books and numerous articles to his credit. He is also an animation producer, an industry consultant to Warner Bros., and has been an executive with Nickelodeon and Disney....
refer to the character only as Nibbles, without mentioning his alternate name at all.
On the other hand, the recent movies Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale
Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale
Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale is a 2007 holiday themed animated direct-to-video film starring Tom and Jerry produced by Warner Bros. Animation...
, Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes
Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes
Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes is a 2010 animated direct-to-video film starring Tom and Jerry produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is the first Tom and Jerry direct-to-video film to be produced without any of its original creators, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera...
and Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz
Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz
Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz is a 2011 animated direct-to-video film starring Tom and Jerry, produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is a crossover film version of MGM's famed 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, with characters from the Tom and Jerry/Droopy universe sharing screen with Dorothy and her...
both use the name Tuffy.
Tuffy is more often a speaking character than Jerry. In the "Mouseketeer" sub-series, he spoke mostly in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, resorting to English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
whenever a gag depended on it. The only exception to this was Robin Hoodwinked
Robin Hoodwinked
Robin Hoodwinked is the 113th one reel animated Tom and Jerry short, copyrighted 1957 and released on June 6, 1958 after the MGM cartoon studio had effectively closed down. It was the penultimate Tom and Jerry cartoon that was directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera with music by Scott Bradley...
where he talked purely in Saxon English and had a different, rougher voice. Tuffy looked somewhat more mature in Hoodwinked as well, despite the fact that he still wore his diaper. The Mouseketeer shorts almost always featured sequences in which Tuffy got drunk. In his last appearance in Robin Hoodwinked
Robin Hoodwinked
Robin Hoodwinked is the 113th one reel animated Tom and Jerry short, copyrighted 1957 and released on June 6, 1958 after the MGM cartoon studio had effectively closed down. It was the penultimate Tom and Jerry cartoon that was directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera with music by Scott Bradley...
, he is also shown to be drunk as the cartoon comes to a close.
In the Tom and Jerry Tales episode "Cat Nebula", Nibbles appeared as Jerry's sidekick and had a younger voice. Strangely, he spoke in a more feminine French accent in the non-Mouseketeer Tales episodes "Cat Show Catastrophe" and "Cat of Prey". In another Tales episode "Babysitting Blues", Tuffy was actually portrayed as a real baby who could not speak, though it is unknown if this was really Tuffy or another nephew of Jerry's.
In his normal appearances, Tuffy is typically hungry and has the ability to eat huge amounts of food in one sitting. He often angers Tom and Jerry when he eats a table full of food or steals theirs just as they're about to bite in. When making his cartoon debut in The Milky Waif, Tuffy's first motion is to point at his mouth, indicating hunger—as a letter announces "P.S. He's always hungry."
Although Jerry cares for Tuffy, he is usually annoyed by Tuffy's antics which often get him in trouble with Tom. Coincidentally in every short except Mice Follies, Jerry gets mad at Tuffy whenever he does something dangerous or reckless.
Tom and Jerry
- The Milky WaifThe Milky WaifThe Milky Waif is a 1946 American one-reel animated cartoon and is the 24th Tom and Jerry short directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, produced by Fred Quimby in Technicolor, released in theaters on May 18, 1946, and re-released in theaters on January 9, 1954 by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer...
(1945) - The Little OrphanThe Little OrphanThe Little Orphan is a 1949 American one-reel animated cartoon and is the 40th Tom and Jerry short, released in theatres on April 30, 1949 by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer. It was produced by Fred Quimby and directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, with music by Scott Bradley...
(1948) - Safety SecondSafety SecondSafety Second is a 1950 one-reel animated cartoon and is the 51st Tom and Jerry short directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and produced by Fred Quimby. The working title for this cartoon was F'r Safety Sake before Hanna and Barbera finally settled for Safety Second...
(1949) - The Two MouseketeersThe Two MouseketeersThe Two Mouseketeers is a 1952 American one-reel animated cartoon and is the 65th Tom and Jerry short, produced in Technicolor and released to theatres on March 15, 1952 by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer. It was produced by Fred Quimby and directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, with musical supervision...
(1951) - Two Little IndiansTwo Little IndiansTwo Little Indians is the 78th one reel animated Tom and Jerry short, created in 1952 directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and produced by Fred Quimby with music by Scott Bradley. The cartoon was animated by Ray Patterson, Kenneth Muse, Irven Spence and Ed Barge with backgrounds by Robert...
(appears with an identical twin) (1952) - Life with TomLife with TomLife with Tom is the 79th one reel animated Tom and Jerry short, created in 1953 directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and produced by Fred Quimby with music by Scott Bradley. The cartoon was animated by Kenneth Muse, Irven Spence and Ed Barge with backgrounds by Robert Gentle...
Cameo appearanceCameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
(1952) - Little School MouseLittle School MouseLittle School Mouse is the 83rd one-reel animated Tom and Jerry short, created in 1952 directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and produced by Fred Quimby with music by Scott Bradley...
(1953) - Mice FolliesMice Follies (1954 film)Mice Follies is the 85th one-reel animated Tom and Jerry short, created in 1953 directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and produced by Fred Quimby with music by Scott Bradley. The cartoon was animated by Kenneth Muse, Ed Barge, Irven Spence and Ray Patterson with backgrounds by Robert Gentle...
(1953) - Touché, Pussy Cat!Touché, Pussy Cat!Touché, Pussy Cat! is the 89th one-reel animated Tom and Jerry short, created in 1954 directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and produced by Fred Quimby with music by Scott Bradley...
(1953) - Tom and ChérieTom and ChérieTom and Chérie is the 94th one reel animated Tom and Jerry short, created in 1955 directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and produced by Fred Quimby with music by Scott Bradley...
(1954) - Feedin' The KiddieFeedin' the KiddieFeedin' the Kiddie is the 107th one reel animated Tom and Jerry short, created in 1956, directed and produced by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera with music by Scott Bradley. It is a CinemaScope remake of 1948's Academy Award winning cartoon, The Little Orphan...
(1956) - Royal Cat NapRoyal Cat NapRoyal Cat Nap is the 111th one reel animated Tom and Jerry short, created 1957, directed and produced by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, with music by Scott Bradley...
(1957) - Robin HoodwinkedRobin HoodwinkedRobin Hoodwinked is the 113th one reel animated Tom and Jerry short, copyrighted 1957 and released on June 6, 1958 after the MGM cartoon studio had effectively closed down. It was the penultimate Tom and Jerry cartoon that was directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera with music by Scott Bradley...
(1957)
Tom and Jerry Tales
- Cat Nebula
- Cat Show Catastrophe
- Cat of Prey (cameo appearance)
- Sasquashed
- DJ Jerry (cameo appearance)
- Babysitting Blues (appears as a baby)
Voice actors
- Shirley TempleShirley TempleShirley Temple Black , born Shirley Jane Temple, is an American film and television actress, singer, dancer, autobiographer, and former U.S. Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia...
(1942) - Luana PattenLuana Patten-Career:Patten made her first film appearance in Joel Chandler Harris's Song of the South with Bobby Driscoll, and they both appeared in Song of the Souths sister film So Dear to My Heart. She appeared again with Bobby Driscoll in the Pecos Bill segment of Disney's Melody Time...
(1946-1952) - Francoise Brun-Cottan (1952–1958)
- Lucille BlissLucille BlissLucille Bliss is an American actress and voice artist. A New York City native, she has appeared in films and on television shows, including The Smurfs as Smurfette, Nickelodeon's Invader ZIM and Walt Disney's Cinderella...
(1958) - Lou ScheimerLou ScheimerLouis Scheimer is an Emmy and Grammy Award–winning American producer, one of the original founders of Filmation, an animation company, and also an executive producer of many of its cartoons .-Career:Early in Filmation's history, Scheimer also contributed...
: The Tom and Jerry Comedy ShowThe Tom and Jerry Comedy ShowThe Tom and Jerry Comedy Show is an animated television program produced by Filmation for MGM Television in 1980, on CBS for Saturday mornings. The show lasted two seasons and the individual episodes were eventually added to syndicated Tom and Jerry packages, and also occasionally appeared on... - Tara StrongTara StrongTara Lyn Strong is a Canadian actress, voice-over artist, singer, who is best known for her voice work in cartoons.-Early life and career:...
: Tom and Jerry: The Magic RingTom and Jerry: The Magic RingTom and Jerry: The Magic Ring is a 2001 animated direct-to-video film starring Tom and Jerry. This was the first made-for-video attempt to recapture the style of Hanna and Barbera's original Tom & Jerry theatricals... - Reece ThompsonReece ThompsonReece Daniel Thompson is a Canadian actor. Thompson started his acting career by voice acting in several animated television series and minor roles on television shows before transitioning to films. His first major role came in the 2007 film Rocket Science...
, later Chantal StrandChantal StrandChantal Strand is a Canadian actress and singer. She is best known for the voice role of Bijou in Hamtaro, Cassie in Dragon Tales and did the voice of Secret Bear in the Care Bears 2000's merchandise as a talking toy.-Biography:She has a twin sister Michelle Strand...
: Tom and Jerry TalesTom and Jerry TalesTom and Jerry Tales is an animated television series which began production in 2005, and premiered in the United States on September 23, 2006 and cancelled on March 22, 2008 on Kids' WB!. It is the fourth television show in the franchise that continues the chase and violence of the cat and mouse... - Kath SoucieKath SoucieKatherine Elaine Soucie is an American voice actress. She is sometimes credited as Kath Soucie, Katherine Soucie, Kath Souci, Kath E...
: Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock HolmesTom and Jerry Meet Sherlock HolmesTom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes is a 2010 animated direct-to-video film starring Tom and Jerry produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is the first Tom and Jerry direct-to-video film to be produced without any of its original creators, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera...
, Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of OzTom and Jerry and the Wizard of OzTom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz is a 2011 animated direct-to-video film starring Tom and Jerry, produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is a crossover film version of MGM's famed 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, with characters from the Tom and Jerry/Droopy universe sharing screen with Dorothy and her... - Etsuko KozakuraEtsuko Kozakura, better known by her stage name , is a Japanese voice actress from Mizuho and works at Ohsawa Jimusho. She is married to fellow voice actor Jin Domon.Etsuko also voices Tuffy in the Tom and Jerry series.- Notable voice roles :* Atashinchi - Yuri Ishida...
(Japanese dub of the cartoons)