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70-496: These range from minor roles to principal players and are often pivotal or vital to the story as in a best friend, love interest, sidekick (such as Robin in the Batman series), or antagonist (such as the villain). They are sometimes but not necessarily character roles . In earlier times, these could often be ethnic stereotypes . A supporting actor should usually not upstage the main actor or actress, but often do. In television,

140-439: A Hat (first released on March 2, 1935), directed by Friz Freleng . Studio head Leon Schlesinger suggested that Freleng do a cartoon version of the popular Our Gang films. Porky only has a minor role in the film, but the fat little stuttering pig quickly became popular. Porky's name came from two brothers who were childhood classmates of Freleng, nicknamed "Porky" and "Piggy". Since Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising had left

210-494: A Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas Special". Porky also made cameo appearances in Animaniacs (where he was voiced by Rob Paulsen in ”De-Zanitized”, Greg Burson in “The Warners' 65th Anniversary Special”, and Bob Bergen in “Suffragette City”) and Histeria! (where he was voiced by Billy West ). Porky appears in the movie Space Jam (1996) and collaborates with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, and Sylvester in challenging

280-569: A bar called Porky's which often featured attendants that were humanoid versions of other Looney Tunes characters. The bar and Porky also made a cameo in Tom King's Batman series. Porky appears in the preschool series Bugs Bunny Builders which aired on Cartoon Network 's Cartoonito block and HBO Max , where he is once again voiced by Bob Bergen. Porky appears in the Teen Titans Go! episode, "Warner Bros. 100th Anniversary". He

350-575: A bi-bi-, son of a bi-bi-, son of a bi-bi-bi-... gun!" He then turns to the viewers and says "Ha-ha-ha! You thought I was gonna say 's-s-son of a bitch ', didn't ya?" This short, so-called " blooper " can also be found on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4 of 2006, under the title Porky Pig Breakdowns of 1939 (with several versions of the clip, making it look like a true "blooper"), and on an Each Dawn I Die DVD box set, also released in 2006. Though

420-500: A company named Porkybux before it was hacked and ran him out of business. He is later approached by Lex to be in charge of LexCorp 's social media division and lets Lex get away with harassing his employees and stealing their sandwiches as repayment for the second chance. It is later revealed that Lex gave him the position to frame Porky when he used his social media website to steal important passwords from their users. Porky begins an autobiography in prison to expose Lex for his actions. In

490-449: A convincing reason to like the hero. Although Sherlock Holmes was portrayed as a difficult man to know, his friendship with Dr. Watson convinces the reader that Holmes is a good person. The Left Hand of Vampire Hunter D , being mentally linked to the reticent protagonist, often reveals thoughts, feelings, and the physical condition of his host, as well as background elements of the story. The apparent stupidity of some comedy sidekicks

560-634: A diverse array of sidekick successors to Bucky, including the Falcon , Demolition Man , Free Spirit , and Jack Flag . Conversely, the character Rick Jones is virtually a "sidekick-for-hire", having assisted a number of different heroes during his career, starting with the Hulk , moving onto Captain America (when he briefly became the second Bucky), then the first Captain Marvel , Rom Spaceknight , and finally

630-738: A few solo cartoons as well, such as Frank Tashlin 's Brother Brat . Other cartoons dumbed Porky down and cast him as a duck hunter after Daffy, largely paralleling the Elmer Fudd / Bugs Bunny pairings. Chuck Jones perfected the Porky-as-straight man scenarios, pairing the pig with Daffy Duck in a series of film and television parodies such as Drip-Along Daffy , Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century , Rocket Squad , Deduce, You Say! , The Scarlet Pumpernickel and Robin Hood Daffy . Jones also paired Porky with Sylvester in

700-431: A hero and sidekick. This may also be due to the different roles in fiction of the protagonist and the antagonist : whereas a sidekick is a relatively important character due to his or her proximity to the protagonist, and so will likely be a developed character, the role of a henchman is to act as cannon-fodder for the hero and his sidekick. As a result, henchmen tend to be anonymous, disposable characters, existing for

770-512: A highly unsuccessful foray into the real world, Porky returns happily to the studio that created him. To this day, Porky remains as a loyal sidekick while Daffy refuses to be a second banana to Bugs Bunny , who rose to prominence shortly after Daffy. Porky always remained a sentimental favorite of the Warner directors. His mild-mannered nature and shy demeanor made him the perfect straight man for zanier characters such as Daffy. He still starred in

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840-493: A mechanical robot sidekick named Geoff Peterson (voiced by Josh Robert Thompson ). Clarence Gilyard informed viewers on a television commercial for Walker Texas Ranger that he was not Chuck Norris 's sidekick, instead humorously saying " This is Chuck Norris's sidekick" over footage of Norris kicking a villain. In animation , some popular examples are Boo-Boo Bear being Yogi Bear 's sidekick, Barney Rubble being Fred Flintstone 's sidekick, Waylon Smithers being

910-482: A screwy black duck, Daffy . Daffy Duck, the creation of Tex Avery, was by far the most popular, eventually outshining even Porky. In fact, Friz Freleng satirized this phenomenon when he directed You Ought to Be in Pictures (1940), where Daffy convinces Porky to quit his job at Warner Bros. to find better-paying work elsewhere. Porky then convinces studio head Leon Schlesinger to release him from his contract. After

980-647: A selection of super-powered teenagers — heroes in their own right, such as Spider-Man , the second Human Torch , and the X-Men .) Most of the Golden Age and Silver Age sidekicks have subsequently evolved into mature heroes in their own right or have been killed off; and in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, some new sidekicks have come into being. Certain heroes seem to attract serial sidekicks, notably Batman , Captain America , and The Flash . There have been at least five iterations of Robin ; while Captain America has had

1050-608: A series of cartoons in the late 1940s and early 1950s, in which Porky plays the curmudgeonly and naive owner of the cat and remains clueless that Sylvester is constantly saving him from homicidal mice, space aliens and other threats. Porky was used in regular rotation in television syndication beginning in the 1960s, as were the rest of his Looney Tunes co-stars. A Saturday morning cartoon, The Porky Pig Show , ran from 1964 to 1967. In 1971, he starred in another show, Porky Pig and Friends . Both of these programs were collections of old theatrical shorts. Porky also appeared in all

1120-509: A sexual subtext. In 1954, Wertham's book Seduction of the Innocent coincided with Congressional hearings on (among other topics) the negative influence of comic books. For a time, superhero comics lost their popularity, and many teenage sidekicks faded into obscurity. ( Rick Veitch 's graphic novel Brat Pack , and issues of Alan Moore 's Top 10 , directly address the seamy, exploitative, and potentially pedophilia -related aspects of

1190-550: A shy little boy to an immensely fat adult. Though he was still in a supporting role, Porky got most of the laughs. The directors realized they had a star on their hands. Porky shared his stutter with the voice actor who originally played him, Joe Dougherty , who was actually a person who stuttered. Because Dougherty could not control his stutter, however, production costs became too high as his recording sessions took hours, and Porky's additional lines were done by Count Cutelli . Mel Blanc replaced Dougherty in 1937. Blanc continued

1260-531: A stutterer. Also, some cartoons show Porky as an antagonist ( Porky's Duck Hunt , Porky's Hare Hunt , My Favorite Duck , A Corny Concerto , Duck Soup to Nuts , Daffy Doodles , Daffy Duck Hunt , Boobs in the Woods , Thumb Fun and Cracked Quack ). Eventually, he settled into a kind persona. Clampett's Porky was an innocent traveler, taking in the world's wonders—and in Clampett's universe,

1330-838: A supporting pivotal role to the star. Examples include Ethel Mertz to Lucy Ricardo ( I Love Lucy ), Ed Norton to Ralph Kramden ( The Honeymooners ), Screech Powers to Zack Morris ( Saved by the Bell ), Major Roger Healey to Major Anthony "Tony" Nelson ( I Dream of Jeannie ), or even a group of people such as the Sweathogs to Mr. Kotter ( Welcome Back, Kotter ). Duos of equal importance on TV such as Kate McArdle and Allie Lowell ( Kate & Allie ), Oscar Madison and Felix Unger ( The Odd Couple ), Bret Maverick and Bart Maverick ( Maverick ), or Laverne De Fazio and Shirley Feeney ( Laverne & Shirley ), are sometimes both called sidekicks to each other, although

1400-544: A supporting role to his brother Mario. Sonic the Hedgehog is often accompanied by his sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower , and his would-be girlfriend Amy Rose also has a hero-sidekick relationship with Cream the Rabbit . Diddy Kong is often seen as the sidekick to Donkey Kong , while Mega Man is aided by his robotic dog Rush. However, video game heroes will occasionally work alone-as in the case of Kid Icarus ' Pit-or with

1470-629: A team supporting their efforts-as with Fox McCloud -as opposed to a single sidekick. Comic book sidekicks have a long and popular history, dating back to the beginnings of the form. Examples include the Crimson Avenger 's sidekick Wing , and Mister America 's sidekick Fatman , both of whom debuted in the late 1930s. Other notable comics sidekicks include Ebony White , Jughead , Etta Candy , Captain Haddock , and Obelix . In 1940 DC Comics introduced comics' first teenage sidekick, Robin

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1540-456: Is a severe stutter , for which he sometimes compensates by replacing his words; for example, "What's going on?" might become "What's guh-guh-guh-guh—   ...   what's happening?" Porky's age varied widely in the series; originally conceived as an innocent seven-year-old piglet (explicitly mentioned as such in Porky's Preview ), Porky was more frequently cast as an adult, often being cast as

1610-404: Is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to those whom they accompany. The first recorded use of the term dates from 1896. It is believed to have originated in pickpocket slang of the late 19th century. The "kick" was the front pocket of a pair of trousers, believed to be the pocket safest from theft. Thus, by analogy, a "side-kick"

1680-536: Is among the Looney Tunes characters guests for the Warner Bros. centennial celebration, voiced once again by Bob Bergen. A short black-and-white cartoon was made in 1938 as part of a Warner Bros. blooper reel . It was shown on the Warner Bros. 50th Anniversary TV show. Porky is shown doing some carpentry work, pounding nails, when he smacks his thumb with the hammer. Grimacing in pain, he cries, "Oh, son of

1750-418: Is often used to make a non-intellectual hero look intelligent. Similarly, a flamboyant or effeminate sidekick may make an otherwise unimposing hero look more masculine. And a strong, silent and modest hero may have his fighting qualities revealed to the other characters and the audience by a talkative sidekick. While many sidekicks are used for comic relief, there are other sidekicks who are less outrageous than

1820-557: Is replaced with "partner" or "companion". Whenever there is a team of more than two characters, the term sidekick is generally reserved for another team member of the same sex. It is rare for the relationship between a character and an opposite-sex sidekick to lack romantic or sexual overtones of any kind — though there are examples, like Modesty Blaise and Willie Garvin , The original Doctor Who series intentionally avoided any explicit onscreen indications of romantic or sexual attraction between The Doctor and his female companions. ( See

1890-404: Is shown to be fatter, like some of his earlier appearances in the mid-1930s. Porky was first mentioned in "Dust Bugster", where he told Bugs about a television series whose name was not mentioned that led to Bugs binge-watching it. In the 2018 DC Comics and Looney Tunes comic crossovers, Porky appeared in a story that paired him with Lex Luthor . This version of Porky was the successful owner of

1960-425: Is still friends with Daffy Duck and often sucked into Daffy's schemes. Porky is also Daffy's nervous, fall guy buddy, similar to their relationship in classic comic books. It is also revealed in the show that in his high school years, he was a jock who bullied Daffy, while during their childhood years, it was Daffy who bullied Porky. In the documentary I Know That Voice (2013), Bob Bergen explains how to recreate

2030-673: The X-Men live action films). Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote 's Sancho Panza , Sherlock Holmes ' Doctor Watson , The Lone Ranger 's Tonto , The Green Hornet 's Kato , Shrek 's Donkey and Puss in Boots , Aquaman 's Aqualad , Mickey Mouse 's Donald Duck and Goofy , Mario 's Luigi and Yoshi , Sonic 's Tails and Knuckles , Donkey Kong 's Diddy Kong , Bugs Bunny 's Daffy Duck and Porky Pig , Captain America 's Bucky , Batman 's Robin , and SpongeBob SquarePants 's Patrick Star . TV sidekicks usually play

2100-621: The "Eager Young Space Cadet" in the animated series Duck Dodgers (2003–2005), again voiced by Bob Bergen. Porky has a descendant in Loonatics Unleashed (2005–2007) named Pinkster Pig (who was also voiced by Bob Bergen). Pinkster had been an old friend of Danger Duck ( Daffy Duck 's descendant), but became a villain when he was adopted by Stoney and Bugsy (descendants of Rocky and Mugsy ). Porky also appears in most episodes of Cartoon Network 's animated series The Looney Tunes Show (2011–2014), voiced again by Bob Bergen . He

2170-594: The "blooper" was made a year before Gone with the Wind famously used the word in the line " Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn ", due to the Motion Picture Production Code the "blooper" was not shown publicly until the aforementioned special, which by that point FCC regulations softened enough for the word "bitch" to be used on television. The blooper was also shown as part of a package of other vintage bloopers on Warner Cable pay-per-view in

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2240-464: The 1960s television series with Bruce Lee ) been depicted as a capable man of action, for instance in martial arts . The earliest Doctor Who serials, particularly during the First Doctor era, had young male companions who were capable of the physical action that the elderly William Hartnell was not. This became more important as Hartnell's health declined during his tenure as The Doctor. This

2310-661: The Boy Wonder , created to soften the dark tone of the Batman comics and make the Dark Knight more attractive to younger readers. Robin's instant popularity spawned a host of imitations, including such iconic characters as Bucky , Toro , Sandy the Golden Boy , and Speedy . ( Stripesy was the exception to the rule: an adult sidekick to a teen hero, the Star-Spangled Kid . Another unusual sidekick pairing

2380-663: The Nerdlucks to a basketball game. He tries to get Michael Jordan 's autograph when the basketball star is first recruited to join the team and later plays for the Tune Squad in the game itself, scoring one basket. Porky tries to end the movie with his famous line but is prevented by the combined efforts of Bugs, Daffy, and the Nerdlucks. He was voiced by Bob Bergen . Porky is the star of the Super NES video game Porky Pig's Haunted Holiday (1995). He also made appearances in

2450-457: The Warners directors, who recast him in numerous everyman and sidekick roles. He is known for his signature line at the end of many shorts, "(stutter) that's all, folks!" This slogan (without stuttering) had also been used by both Bosko and Buddy and even Beans at the end of Looney Tunes cartoons. Porky is the oldest continuing Looney Tunes character. Porky's most distinctive trait

2520-431: The adult hero-teen sidekick relationship.) In the early 1960s, at the advent of comics' so-called Silver Age , a new round of superhero sidekicks made their debuts, including Rick Jones , Aqualad , Snapper Carr , Kid Flash , and Wonder Girl . Indeed, the original Teen Titans superhero team, appearing in 1964, was composed entirely of sidekicks. ( Marvel Comics mostly got around the teen sidekick quandary by creating

2590-690: The backup story stylized more like Looney Tunes, Porky tries selling Acme office supplies to Lex but ends up stopping Lex from defeating Superman . Porky's latest appearance is in Looney Tunes Cartoons , where he is once again voiced by Bob Bergen. His personality is based on the earlier shorts, however, his appearance is based on later shorts like The Looney Tunes Show for example. He is mostly paired with Daffy Duck who always drives him crazy. A humanoid version of Porky also appeared in Tom King's Batman/Elmer Fudd Special , where he ran

2660-521: The character, however; his appearance, age, and personality all varied from picture to picture. Several such cartoons show Porky as a child with parents: father Phineas ( Porky the Rainmaker , Milk and Money , Porky's Poppa , and Porky and Teabiscuit ) and an unnamed mother ( Wholly Smoke and Porky's Hero Agency ). Bob Clampett finally pinned Porky down in 1939, making him a permanent young adult: cuter, slimmer, smarter, and eventually less of

2730-518: The classic film-feature compilations in the 1970s and 1980s. Another such collection was the 1986 film, Porky Pig in Hollywood , which ran in art and college theaters. Porky made an appearance in the Disney / Amblin film Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) at the end of the film where he, being paired with Disney's Tinkerbell , closes the movie with his famous line "Th-Th-Th-That's All Folks!". It

2800-579: The club, where he meets several other sidekicks who spend the night lamenting their second-fiddle lot in life. Some video games have sidekicks who provide assistance to players during their adventures. An early example was Floyd in Planetfall , whom Computer Gaming World in April 1984 described as "unique". A potential example of this is found in the case of the Mario Bros. , with Luigi serving in

2870-458: The competent straight man in the series in later years. At the ending of many Looney Tunes cartoons, Porky Pig bursts through a bass drum head, and his attempt to close the show with "The End" becomes "Th-Th-The, Th-Th-The, Th-Th... That's all, folks!" Porky Pig appeared in 153 cartoons in the Golden age of American animation . The character was introduced in the 100th short, I Haven't Got

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2940-526: The discussion of comic books' teenage sidekicks below .) While unusual, it is not unheard of for a sidekick to be more attractive , charismatic, or physically capable than the supposed hero. This is most typically encountered when the hero's appeal is more intellectual rather than sexual. Such heroes (usually fictional sleuths and scientists) are often middle-aged or older and tend towards eccentricity. Such protagonists may, due to either age or physical unsuitability, be limited to cerebral conflicts, while leaving

3010-478: The end of the movie, Porky tries to say his classic line, but stutters so much, the lights are turned off around him as the studio closes for the night; so an irritated Porky simply says, "G-g-go home, folks." Porky appears as a toddler version of himself in Baby Looney Tunes (2002), albeit only in the show's musical numbers. Petunia functioned as the show's more major pig character. Porky appears as

3080-574: The games Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal , Looney Tunes: Marvin Strikes Back! , Looney Tunes: Space Race , Looney Tunes: Back in Action , Bugs Bunny Rabbit Rampage and The Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout . Bob Bergen reprises his role in these games. In the movie Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003), Porky (Bob Bergen again) makes a cameo appearance alongside Speedy Gonzales , where they both lament their politically incorrect status. At

3150-418: The hero from a dire fate. Kalimán , a heroic character depicted on movies, radio theatre and comic books, mentors a young lad named Solín. A villain 's supporters are normally called henchmen , minions, or lackeys , not sidekicks. While this is partially a convention in terminology, it also reflects that few villains are capable of bonds of friendship and loyalty, which are normal in the relationship between

3220-401: The hero, an alternate point of view, or knowledge, skills, or anything else the hero does not have. They often function as comic relief , and/or the straight man to the hero's comedic actions. A sidekick can also be a character to whom the audience can more easily relate than the hero, or whom the audience can imagine themselves as being (such as teen sidekicks). And by asking questions of

3290-451: The hero, or giving the hero someone to talk to, the sidekick provides an opportunity for the author to provide exposition , thereby filling the same role as a Greek chorus . Sidekicks frequently serve as an emotional connection, especially when the hero is depicted as detached and distant, traits which might make it difficult to like the hero. The sidekick is often the confidant who knows the main character better than anyone else, and gives

3360-508: The hero. The sidekick was a regular presence in westerns , where Fuzzy Knight , Al "Fuzzy" St. John , Smiley Burnette , and Andy Devine had longer careers than some of the heroic singing cowboys for whom they took pratfalls. In science fiction the sub-type of the alien sidekick has been established. Examples of alien sidekicks are Mr. Spock (sidekick of Captain James T. Kirk ) on Star Trek and Chewbacca (sidekick of Han Solo ) in

3430-407: The heroes they pledge themselves to, and comedy derived from the hero can often be amplified by the presence or reaction of the sidekick. Examples include Porky Pig , who is more sensible and calmer than Daffy Duck in later short films; similarly, Sancho Panza is more rational than Don Quixote . It is typical for the character and sidekick to be of the same gender — otherwise the term "sidekick"

3500-435: The members of the academy. Critics have pointed out that the leading/supporting roles have "no set rules, no general rational, just vibes" that may stem from racial, social, or gender identity bias. This drama-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This job-, occupation-, or vocation-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Sidekick A sidekick

3570-537: The new identity of Nightwing . Grayson for awhile succeeded his mentor and took on the costumed identity of Batman himself. Another example is the popular comic-strip soldier of fortune Captain Easy , who started as the two-fisted sidekick of the scrawny eponymous hero of the strip Wash Tubbs . Frodo Baggins 's Samwise Gamgee , and Harry Potter 's Ron Weasley , as well as the afore-mentioned Sancho Panza and Doctor Watson, are notable sidekicks from fiction. In fiction,

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3640-552: The original Star Wars trilogy. One of the roles of the alien sidekick is to act as a mouthpiece for social commentary on the human condition from an outsider's point of view. Heroic sidekicks such as Streaky the Supercat of Krypto the Superdog , Festus Haggen of Gunsmoke 's Matt Dillon , or Gabrielle of Xena: Warrior Princess not only provide comic relief, but can occasionally be brave and/or resourceful and rescue

3710-409: The permanent voice of Porky until his death in 1989. In later interviews, Blanc often said that he intended Porky's stutter to be suggestive of the grunting of actual pigs. Porky's Duck Hunt was also the first film of another Looney Tunes star, Daffy Duck . Porky Pig is currently voiced by Bob Bergen . Porky starred in dozens of films in the late 1930s. The directors still did not have a grasp on

3780-653: The physical action to a younger or more physically capable sidekick. This type of sidekick is rarely encountered in fiction, because the hero runs the risk of being upstaged by them. However, examples of successful such pairings include Detective Monk and his sidekick Sharona, Inspector Morse and his sidekick Detective Sergeant Robbie Lewis , Nero Wolfe and his sidekick Archie Goodwin , Hiro Nakamura and his sidekick Ando Masahashi , and Miles Vorkosigan and his sidekick cousin Ivan Vorpatril. In other media, The Green Hornet 's sidekick, Kato , has (especially since

3850-474: The pig's famous stutter, demonstrating how difficult it is to do it without practice. He finishes the segment by joking "Nobody [else] can do that, and that's why I have job security !" Porky appears in the direct-to-video movie Looney Tunes: Rabbits Run (2015), reprised by Bob Bergen. Porky Pig appears as a recurring character in New Looney Tunes , voiced once again by Bob Bergen. Here, he

3920-476: The producers thought he "looked naked". Meanwhile, as Clampett noted, nothing was ever made of the fact that "all those years, Porky never wore any pants!" However, Porky was seen with pants in Porky's Badtime Story , Tick Tock Tuckered and Brother Brat . Porky's post at the pinnacle of the Warners' pantheon was short-lived. In 1937, the studio tried pairing Porky with various sidekicks, such as love interest Petunia Pig , cantankerous foil Gabby Goat , and

3990-479: The sidekick of Mr. Burns on The Simpsons , Baba Looey being the sidekick of Quick Draw McGraw , and Stimpy being the sidekick of Ren Höek on The Ren and Stimpy Show . In the seventh episode of the 1994 animated series The Tick , the heroes take a night to relax at a local superhero nightclub. When they arrive, however, Arthur is promptly escorted to the Sidekick Lounge, a small shack behind

4060-518: The sole purpose of illustrating the protagonists' prowess as they defeat them. Nevertheless, some villains do have sidekicks, including Lex Luthor 's Mercy Graves , the Joker 's Harley Quinn , Jigsaw 's Amanda , Shao Kahn 's Shang Tsung , Shinnok 's Quan Chi , Ben Wade's Charlie Prince (from Three-Ten to Yuma ), Light Yagami 's Misa Amane and Ryuk , Wario 's Waluigi , Dr. Eggman 's Orbot and Cubot, and Magneto 's Mystique (albeit only in

4130-417: The studio in 1933, taking the studio's star character Bosko with them, Looney Tunes had been kept afloat by cartoons featuring the bland Buddy. Porky's introduction ushered Buddy out the door and pointed to things to come. Tex Avery was hired to the studio in 1935, and his film Gold Diggers of '49 reused much of the cast from I Haven't Got a Hat , albeit in wildly different roles. Porky transitioned from

4200-485: The stutter; however, it was harnessed for a more precise comedic effect (such as stumbling over a simple word only to substitute a longer word without difficulty, or vice versa). This is parodied in A Connecticut Rabbit in King Arthur's Court , where Bugs Bunny struggles to pronounce the word "porcupine", which Porky pronounces with no trouble. Porky's Duck Hunt was released in 1937, and Blanc officially became

4270-484: The team of "squints" back in the Jeffersonian Institution's Medico-Legal Lab, each with their own scientific specialty, all of whom are usually needed to break the case. In certain cases, a sidekick can grow out of their role of second fiddle to the hero and become a hero in their own right. Dick Grayson is one such example, having outgrown the mantle of Robin when he was under Batman and taken up

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4340-549: The term day player is used to refer to most performers with supporting speaking roles hired daily without long-term contracts. In Academy Awards , an annual award is given for the Best Performance by an actor/ actress in a supporting role. There is currently no specific criteria for the difference between nominations for supporting or lead actor/actress roles, so long as the actor's dialog has not been dubbed. Determination of supporting and lead roles are determined by

4410-435: The term "sidekick" commonly refers to assistants to crime-fighting heroes. However, sidekicks do not necessarily accompany a crime-fighter, such as Leporello, Don Giovanni 's servant in the 1787 opera. Villains can also have sidekicks, who are usually portrayed as less brilliant or lacking cunning. The sidekick has the literary function of playing against the hero, often contrasting in skill, or performing functions not suited to

4480-531: The third Captain Marvel (Genis) . Porky Pig Porky Pig is a cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on his star power , and the animators created many critically acclaimed shorts featuring the character. Even after he was supplanted by later characters, Porky continued to be popular with moviegoers and, more importantly,

4550-518: The usual sense of the term denotes inequality. Many television talk shows make use of a sidekick as a co-host who anchors a show with the main star. Ed McMahon played this role famously to Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show , as did Andy Richter to Conan O'Brien on the Late Night with Conan O'Brien , Tonight Show , and Conan . The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson employed

4620-605: The world is a very weird place. This principle is perhaps best demonstrated in Porky in Wackyland , a film that sends Porky on a quest to find the last of the surreal Dodos, Yoyo Dodo. Porky in Wackyland was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry in 2000. In his commentary as part of the 1970s documentary film Bugs Bunny: Superstar , Clampett said that his early version of Tweety Bird had to be redesigned after his first picture because

4690-570: Was a person's closest companion. One of the earliest recorded examples of a sidekick may be Enkidu , who played a sidekick role to Gilgamesh after they became allies in the Epic of Gilgamesh . Other early examples are Achilles and Patroclus in the Iliad and Moses and Aaron in the Old Testament . Sidekicks can fulfill one or multiple functions in fiction, such as a counterpoint to

4760-535: Was not an issue with the following Doctors as they were cast with significantly younger actors. It is also not unusual, especially in more recent TV programs such as Bones and NCIS , for there to be a team of sidekicks. In Bones , for example, FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth often fulfills one of the traditional roles of a sidekick by providing translations for the brilliant but socially incapable Dr. Temperance Brennan . Both Brennan and Booth, however, are heroes in their own right. The sidekicks in this case are

4830-530: Was the Blonde Bomber [a.k.a. Honey Blake], a newsreel camerawoman, chemist, and crime-fighter with a male sidekick named Jimmy Slapso.) The prevalence of so many adult male superheroes and their teenage "wards" caused some observers to look askance at the trend. Psychologist Fredric Wertham decided that the phenomenon was a landmine of hidden and repressed Freudian issues, and that a sidekick's participation in violent encounters alongside his hero masked

4900-414: Was the last time that Mel Blanc voiced Porky before his death in 1989. In the 1990s animated series Tiny Toon Adventures , Porky appears as the mentor of Hamton J. Pig . He was voiced by Bob Bergen in "Animaniacs" and "Hero Hamton", Rob Paulsen in "The Wacko World of Sports", Noel Blanc in "Fields of Honey", "The Acme Bowl" and "Hero Hamton", Joe Alaskey in "Music Day", and Greg Burson in "It's

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