Speedy Gonzales (character)

Speedy Gonzales
	; Mexico's favorite non-stereotype.
Species	Mouse
Gender	Male
Member of	Tune Squad
Affiliation	Bugs Bunny; Daffy Duck; Porky Pig; Sylvester
Occupation	Pizza shop owner in The Looney Tunes Show
Father	Not mentioned
Mother	Unnamed mother in The Looney Tunes Show
Cousin(s)	One cousin, Slowpoke Rodriguez
Marital status	Single
First appearance	MM: Cat-Tails for Two (1953)
Played by	Mel Blanc (1953-1989); Joe Alaskey (1990-2008); Greg Burson (1994); Eric Goldberg (2003); Billy West (2003); Bob Bergen (2006); Fred Armisen (2011-2015); Tim Dabado (2014); Eric Bauza (Since 2014); Dino Andrade (2018); Gabriel Iglesias (2021)
	; Robert McKimson's early Speedy
	; Space Jam
	File:TLTS Speedy Gonzales.png; The Looney Tunes Show
	File:NLTS Speedy Gonzales.png; New Looney Tunes
	File:Space Jam New Legacy Speedy.png; Space Jam: A New Legacy

This article is about the character, for other uses see Speedy Gonzales.

Speedy Gonzales is an anthropomorphic mouse from Mexico, and a main character of the Looney Tunes & Merrie Melodies theatrical shorts. He is recognized in his home country as the "fastest mouse in all of Mexico," with his distinct traits being his his extrodinary quick speed and cunning trickery. His voice was originated by Mel Blanc.

Speedy first appeared in prototype form in the 1953 short by Robert KcKimson, Cat-Tails for Two. After a redesign by Friz Freleng and layout artist Hawley Pratt in the 1955 short, Speedy Gonzales, the character appeared in further theatrical shorts during the Golden Age of American animation.

Character Description

Appearances

TV series

The Bugs Bunny Show
Merrie Melodies Starring Bugs Bunny & Friends
Tiny Toon Adventures
Bugs 'N' Daffy
Duck Dodgers (mentioned)
The Looney Tunes Show
New Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes Cartoons

Movies

Shorts

Comics

Video games

Biography

Original shorts

Prototype Appearance

The Sylvester Days

In many of the classic shorts, Speedy Gonzales is mostly paired with his nemesis Sylvester the Cat (often referred to as "Pussygato" or "Pussycats" by Speedy). The typical format of these shorts revolve around Speedy helping the mice of Mexico and outwitting Sylvester in the persuit of food, outsmarting the cat's plans and causing them to backfire him in all sorts of humiliation, from mousetraps to large quantaties of Tabasco hot sauce.

In two of his entries, Mexicali Schmoes (1959) and Mexican Boarders (1962), Speedy is paired with his cousin Slowpoke Rodriguez, the "slowest mouse in all Mexico." Despite his seemingly sluggish demeanor, Slowpoke mentions that he is not slow in "la cabeza" (the head) and just as calculative as Speedy.

The Daffy Daze

In the later 1960s cartoons produced during the DePatie–Freleng and Warner Bros.-Seven Arts era, his main antagonist was switched to Daffy Duck, who filled Sylvester's position as his aggressor. Speedy's role in these remains reatively consistent with his appearances in the earlier Warner Bros. Cartoons entries.

Fantastic Island

We're All a Little Looney

Come on and Slam! And Welcome to the Jam!

Back in Action

Speedy appeared briefly alongside Porky Pig in a scene on Looney Tunes: Back in Action, during which the latter laments their politically incorrect status at a restaurant.

Speedy Gets Modern

In The Looney Tunes Show, Speedy is an occasional resident in Bugs and Daffy's home and runs a pizza parlor called Pizzarribba.

Going Down the Rabbit Hole

Jamming in the Serververse

Speedy sells out

Development

Concerns on stereotypes

In 1999, Cartoon Network shelved the airing of Speedy's shorts when they gained the exclusive rights to broadcast them, due to concerns of the shorts perpetuating negative Mexican sterotypes (namely other characters like Slowpoke Rodriguez).^[1]^[2] In a 2002 interview with Fox News, Cartoon Network spokeswoman Laurie Goldberg remarked, "It hasn't been on the air for years because of its ethnic stereotypes."^[3]

The League of United Latin American Citizens deemed Speedy a cultural icon,^[4] and as a result of the network's push to not air the films, thousands of users voiced their support of the character on the HispanicOnline.com message boards. The support of the campaign resulted Cartoon Network to finally air the cartoons in 2002.^[1]^[2]

Despite such controversy, Speedy is highly regarded as a positive icon among Mexican Americans and people in Latin America, with many fondly remembering him for his quick-witted, heroic personality. In a 2021 essay, Los Angeles Times columnist Gustavo Arellano wrote, "I love Speedy so much, I keep a large painting of him in my home office. His kind smile and brown skin takes me back to my childhood — and reminds me of where we as Mexicans exist today."^[4]

Gallery

Main article: Speedy Gonzales/Gallery

Toys and merchandise

Behind the scenes

In popular culture

In The Big Bang Theory episode "The Weekend Vortex," when Penny acted upset about Leonard spending a weekend of playing an online Star Wars game and then accepting it would turn her on, she added, "Ay, papi," which Leonard questioned and asked if becoming aroused turned her into Speedy Gonzales.
In the 2015 comedic documentary Half Like Me, an elderly version of Speedy (voiced by Carlos Alazraqui) was given a fictional interview by host Al Madrigal. Speedy's "participation" in social activism, and the abscense of his shorts on Cartoon Network during 1999 were also discussed in this portion of the documentary.
In the 2023 film The Flash, the alternate 2013 Barry did the trademark pose of Speedy before the first time he properly used his super speed.

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Kuntz, Tom (April 7, 2002). "The Nation; Adiós, Speedy. Not So Fast." New York Times. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 "Speedy Return". Tampa Bay Times (June 23, 2002).
↑ Park, Michael Y. (March 28, 2002) Park, Michael Y. (March 28, 2002). "Speedy Gonzales Caged by Cartoon Network". FoxNews.com. Archived from the original on January 16, 2012.
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 Arellano, Gustavo (March 17, 2021)."Column: Why do so many Mexican Americans defend Speedy Gonzales?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 22, 2024.

[NY_Times-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Kuntz, Tom (April 7, 2002). "The Nation; Adiós, Speedy. Not So Fast." New York Times. Retrieved January 22, 2024.

[Tampa-2] 2.0 ^2.1 "Speedy Return". Tampa Bay Times (June 23, 2002).

[3] Park, Michael Y. (March 28, 2002) Park, Michael Y. (March 28, 2002). "Speedy Gonzales Caged by Cartoon Network". FoxNews.com. Archived from the original on January 16, 2012.

[LA_Times-4] 4.0 ^4.1 Arellano, Gustavo (March 17, 2021)."Column: Why do so many Mexican Americans defend Speedy Gonzales?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 22, 2024.

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