Speedy Gonzales (character)

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

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

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.

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

• The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie
• Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales
• Daffy Duck's Fantastic Island
• Space Jam
• Tweety's High-Flying Adventure
• Looney Tunes: Back in Action
• Bah Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas
• Looney Tunes: Rabbits Run
• Space Jam: A New Legacy

Shorts

• Merrie Melodies
  • Cat-Tails for Two (prototype)
  • Speedy Gonzales
  • Chili Weather
  • Road to Andalay
  • Cats and Bruises
  • Asssault and Peppered
  • Mucho Locos
  • Mexican Mousepiece
  • Snow Excuse
  • Feather Finger
  • Daffy's Diner
  • The Music Mice-tro
  • Go Away Stowaway
• Looney Tunes
  • Tabasco Road
  • Gonzales' Tamales
  • Tortilla Flaps
  • Mexicali Shmoes
  • Here Today, Gone Tamale
  • West of the Pesos
  • Cannery Woe
  • The Pied Piper of Guadalupe
  • Mexican Boarders
  • Mexican Cat Dance
  • A Taste of Catnip
  • A Message to Gracias
  • Nuts and Volts
  • Pancho's Hideaway
  • It's Nice to Have A Mouse Around The House
  • Moby Duck
  • Well Worn Daffy
  • Chili Corn Corny
  • Go Go Amigo
  • The Astroduck
  • Daffy Rents
  • A-Haunting We Will Go
  • A Squeak in the Deep
  • Swing Ding Amigo
  • Quacker Tracker
  • The Spy Swatter
  • Speedy Ghost to Town
  • Rodent to Stardom
  • Fiesta Fiasco
  • See Ya Later, Gladiator
• The Fright Before Christmas
• The Chocolate Chase

Video games

• Speedy Gonzales: Los Gatos Banditos
• Cheese Cat-tastrophe Starring Speedy Gonzales
• Speedy Gonzales: Aztec Adventure
• Looney Tunes Collector
• Looney Tunes Dash!
• Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem

Biography

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 several cartoons, Speedy is paired with his cousin Slowpoke Rodriguez, the "slowest mouse in all Mexico." Slowpoke made his first debut in Mexicali Shmoes (1959), and despite his seemingly sluggish demeanor, he mentions that he is not slow in "la cabeza" (the head).

The Daffy Days

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.

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 Pizzarriba.

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). 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."

The League of United Latin American Citizens deemed Speedy a cultural icon, 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.

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."

Gallery

Main article: Speedy Gonzales/Gallery

In popular culture

• 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.