Casper the Friendly Ghost is the protagonist of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name. As his name indicates, he is a ghost, but is quite personable. According to the 1995 feature film Casper, his family name is McFadden, making his "full" name Casper McFadden. Famous Studios logo, as seen during the opening credits of a 1950s Popeye the Sailor cartoon. ... Casper the Friendly Ghost in Theres Good Boos To-Night (1948). ... In comic books, first appearance refers to first comic book to feature a character. ... Joe was a well noted Animater of Felix the Cat. ... Casper is a 1995 live-action feature film based on the Casper the Friendly Ghost cartoons and comic strips. ... A protagonist is the main figure of a piece of literature or drama and has the main part or role. ... Famous Studios logo, as seen during the opening credits of a 1950s Popeye the Sailor cartoon. ... The bouncing ball animation (below) consists of these 6 frames. ... For other uses, see Ghost (disambiguation). ... The year 1995 in film involved some significant events. ... A reel of film, which predates digital cinematography. ... Casper is a 1995 live-action feature film based on the Casper the Friendly Ghost cartoons and comic strips. ... A family name, surname, or last name is the part of a persons name indicating the family to which the person belongs. ...

Nature of Casper's existence

Given that Casper is depicted as a ghostly little boy, an ongoing issue with the series regards the question of whether or not he is, in fact, a dead child. Early Casper cartoons seemed to suggest this, as they portrayed him "living" beside a gravestone. Specifically, the short There's Good Boos To-Night featured Ferdie, a fox befriended by Casper coming back from the dead as a ghost. Headstones in the Japanese Cemetry in Broome, Western Australia A cemetery in rural Spain A typical late 20th century headstone in the United States A headstone, tombstone or gravestone is a marker, normally carved from stone, placed over or next to the site of a burial. ... This article is about the animal. ...

This somewhat macabre premise was later abandoned in favor of the idea that ghosts were merely a type of creature, similar to ghouls, goblins, etc. He was thereafter portrayed with feet and shown to have ghostly parents. In the 1960s and 1970s, the stock answer provided by Harvey Comics in response to those wondering how Casper died was that he was a ghost simply because his parents were already ghosts when they were married. [1] A ghoul is a monster from ancient Arabian folklore that dwells in burial grounds and other uninhabited places. ... For other uses, see Goblin (disambiguation). ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ...

The 1995 feature film Casper, however, revived the concept that Casper was a deceased human and a portion of the plot dealt with him trying to remember his life and had him rediscovering the circumstance of his own death. According to the film, Casper was left out to play in the snow and forgotten by his father, dying of pneumonia. The first direct-to-video film to follow the feature, Casper: A Spirited Beginning, showed Casper's early days as a ghost, not showing how he died (although implying he did) and ignoring the story provided in the previous film. All films to follow A Spirited Beginning avoided the issue altogether. A reel of film, which predates digital cinematography. ... This article is about human pneumonia. ... A film that is released direct-to-video (also straight-to-video) is one which has been released to the public on home video formats first rather than first being released in movie theaters. ...

History

Creation and success at Paramount

Casper was created in the early-1940s by Seymour Reit and Joe Oriolo, the former devising the idea for the character and the latter providing illustrations. Intended initially as the basis for a children's storybook, there was at first little interest in their idea and when Reit was away on military service during the Second World War, Oriolo sold the rights to the character to Paramount Pictures' Famous Studios animation division, for which he had occasionally worked. The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949. ... Joe was a well noted Animater of Felix the Cat. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and distribution company, based in Hollywood, California. ... Famous Studios logo, as seen during the opening credits of a 1950s Popeye the Sailor cartoon. ...

The Friendly Ghost, the first Noveltoon to feature Casper, was released by Paramount in 1945. In the cartoon, Casper is a cute, pudgy ghost-child, who prefers making friends with people instead of scaring them. He leaves his home at the local haunted house and goes out to make friends. However, every person or animal he meets takes one horrified look at him and runs off in the other direction. Distraught, Casper unsuccessfully attempts to commit suicide by laying himself down on a railway track before an oncoming train (apparently forgetting that he's already dead) before he meets two little children who become his friends. The children's mother at first rejects Casper, but later welcomes him into the family after he wards off a greedy landlord. Noveltoons were a series of animated anthology cartoons by Paramount Pictures Famous Studios from 1943 to the close of the studio in 1967. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ... A landlord, is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called the tenant. ...

Casper appeared in two subsequent Noveltoons before Paramount started a Casper the Friendly Ghost series in 1950, and ran the theatrical releases until the summer of 1959. Nearly every entry in the series was the same: Casper leaves the (after)life of a regular ghost, tries to find friends but scares nearly everyone, and finally finds a (cute little) friend, whom he saves from some sort of fate. The cartoon series also boasted a catchy title song which was written by Jerry Livingston and Mack David. Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Mack David (born July 5, 1912) was an American lyricist and songwriter, best known for his work with movies and television in the 1960s, particularly his work on the Disney films Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland. ...

Harvey Comics, television and films

Casper went on to become one of the most famous properties from the Famous Studio. Alfred Harvey, founder and publisher of Harvey Comics began producing Casper comic books in 1952, and in 1957, purchased the rights to the character outright. Alfred Harvey is the founder of comic book publisher Harvey Comics. ... Casper the Friendly Ghost in Theres Good Boos To-Night (1948). ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ...

After Harvey bought the rights to Casper and many other Famous properties in 1959 (including Herman and Katnip, Little Audrey, and Baby Huey), they began broadcasting the post-1950 theatrical Famous shorts on a television show sponsored by Mattel Toys titled Matty's Funday Funnies on ABC in 1959 which introduced the Barbie doll to the public. The other Famous produced Casper cartoons had already been acquired by television distributor U.M.&M. T.V. Corp. in 1956. U.M.&M. retitled just "A Haunting We Will Go", but miscredited "Featuring Casper The Friendly Ghost" as "Featuring Caspers Friendly Ghost". Herman and Katnip are a duo of cartoon characters (Herman the mouse and Katnip the cat), who have appeared both separately and together in Famous Studios cartoons from 1943 to 1960. ... Little Audrey on the cover of Little Audrey and Melvin #54 drawn by Warren Kremer Little Audrey is a fictional character, appearing in Paramount Pictures Famous Studios cartoons from 1947 to 1959. ... The famous Baby Huey Baby Huey, a gigantic and naïve infant duckling cartoon character, was a creation of Paramount Pictures Famous Studios in the early 1950s. ... Mattel headquarters in El Segundo Mattel Inc. ... This article is about the American broadcast network. ... Information Occupation See: Barbies careers Family See: List of Barbies friends and family Created by Ruth Handler Barbie is a best-selling fashion doll launched in 1959. ... For other uses, see Doll (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A car from 1956 Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

New cartoons were created for the New Casper Cartoon Show in 1963, also on ABC. The original Casper cartoons were syndicated under the title Harveytoons in 1962 and ran continually until the mid-90s. Casper has remained popular in reruns and merchandising, and Hanna-Barbera produced two holiday specials, Casper's First Christmas (which also starred Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Snagglepuss, Quick Draw McGraw, Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy) and Casper's Halloween Special, and also the Saturday morning cartoon series Casper and the Angels in the autumn of 1979, all on NBC. Also featured on the NBC version was a big ghost named Hairy Scary (voiced by John Stephenson). None of Casper's original co-stars appeared in the show. The New Casper Cartoon Show was a 1963 to 1969 animated television series that appeared on the ABC saturday morning schedule. ... For other uses, see 1963 (disambiguation). ... Casper and Friends (originally known as The Harveytoon Show) is a television series presenting theatrical animated cartoons featuring Harvey Comics characters and series, such as Casper the Friendly Ghost, Little Audrey, Tommy Tortoise and Moe Hare, Baby Huey, Herman and Katnip, Modern Madcaps, and the more recent Film Roman version... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cartoon Network Studios, formerly known as Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ... Caspers First Christmas is a 1979 NBC TV special that featured Casper the Ghost and the same cast as Casper and the Angels plus Yogi Bear (who believed Casper to be a fellow out celebrating Halloween late), Boo Boo, Huckleberry Hound, Snagglepuss, Quick Draw McGraw, Augie Doggie and Doggie... Yogi Bear Yogi Bear is a fictional anthropomorphic bear who appears in animated cartoons created by Hanna-Barbera Studios. ... Huckleberry Hound Huckleberry Huck Hound is a fictional cartoon character created by Hanna-Barbera, and the star of the late 1950s animated series The Huckleberry Hound Show, Hanna-Barberas second series made for television after The Ruff & Reddy Show. ... Snagglepuss is a Hanna-Barbera cartoon character created in 1959; a pink anthropomorphic mountain lion voiced by Daws Butler. ... El Kabong redirects here. ... Augie Doggie and Doggy Daddy Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy are Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters who debuted on The Quick Draw McGraw Show and appeared in their own segment of that show. ... Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming which was typically scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the 1990s. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... This article is about the television network. ...

In 1995, the friendly ghost was adapted into a live-action feature film entitled Casper, where he and his wicked uncles, the Ghostly Trio, were created with computer animation. The film constructed a backstory for Casper and is the only time in the series that the question of his death has been addressed. According to the film, Casper was a twelve-year-old boy living in Whipstaff Manor with his inventor father J. T. McFadden until he died from pneumonia after playing out in the cold until it was past nightfall. Much of the backstory he is given in the film is contradicted by other Casper media. Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... In film and video, live action refers to works that are acted out by human actors, as opposed to animation. ... A reel of film, which predates digital cinematography. ... Casper is a 1995 live-action film based on the Casper the Friendly Ghost cartoons and comic strips and made extensive use of computer-generated imagery, including a fully computer-rendered title character, the first in a live action movie. ... Cover of Casper and the Ghostly Trio #7 The Ghostly Trio (known as Fatso, Fusso and Lazo in the comics and Fatso, Stinkie, and Stretch in the film series), are fictional characters in the Casper the Friendly Ghosts series. ... See also: Computer-generated imagery Computer animation is the art of creating moving images via the use of computers. ... In narratology, a back-story (also back story or backstory) is the history behind the situation extant at the start of the main story. ... For other uses, see Inventor (disambiguation). ... This article is about human pneumonia. ...

In 1995, Fox created a new Casper series, based on the 1995 feature, that lasted two years. Two live-action direct-to-video follow-ups, Casper: A Spirited Beginning and Casper Meets Wendy, which introduced Hilary Duff, to the film were later made. They were followed by Casper's Haunted Christmas (starring Spooky and Poil from the animated spinoff of the first movie), and Casper's Scare School, which were done entirely in CGI with no live-action elements. These films are often referred to as being "sequels" to the 1995 feature despite the fact that they heartily contradict the feature and do not appear to even take place in the same universe. Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... FOX redirects here. ... The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper (also known as simply Casper) was an animated television spin-off of the feature film Casper, which, in turn, was based on the Harvey Comics character of Casper the Friendly Ghost. ... Casper Meets Wendy is a direct-to-video sequel to the 1995 film Casper. ... Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, producer, fashion designer, and spokesperson. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Caspers Scare School is the name of a 2006 computer animated film starring Casper the Friendly Ghost. ...

In Casper's Scare School, Casper's personality remains unchanged, but he had new friends, enemies, etc. Casper was not really the only friendly ghost however. Kibosh (this time without Snivel) also was friendly back when he was a child like Casper. Unlike the previous Casper films, Casper's uncles appear to care for him and when he goes to scare school, they are not really happy about him leaving. Whipstaff Manor (or a house that resembles it) was in the movie but Dr. Harvey and his daughter Kat were not in it. His voice is noticeably deeper than previous versions.

Actors to play Casper

Cecil Roy voiced Casper in the majority of the Famous Studios cartoons. Casper was voiced by Norma MacMillan in The New Casper Cartoon Show, by Julie McWhirter in the Hanna-Barbara cartoons, by Malachi Pearson in the 1995 movie Casper and The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper, by Jeremy Foley in Casper: A Spirited Beginning and Casper Meets Wendy, by Brendon Ryan Barrett in Casper's Haunted Christmas and by Devon Werkheiser in Casper's Scare School. Devon Sawa is the only actor to play the character in live-action, portraying him in a sequence from the 1995 film in which Casper was temporarily brought back to life. Norma Macmillan (1921 - March 21, 2001) was the voice of cartoon characters Casper the Friendly Ghost and Gumby. ... The New Casper Cartoon Show was a 1963 to 1969 animated television series that appeared on the ABC saturday morning schedule. ... Julie McWhirter (also known as Julie Dees and Julie McWhirter Dees) is a voice actess best known for her work in Hanna-Barbera cartoons, such as Drak Pack and The Smurfs. ... Jeremy N. Foley (born December 1, 1952 in Washington, D.C.) is the athletic director for the Florida Gators athletic program at the University of Florida. ... Devon Joseph Werkheiser (born March 8, 1991) is an American actor. ... Devon Edward Sawa (born September 7, 1978) is a Saturn Award-winning Canadian actor. ...

Other appearances and references

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• In the film Ghost Dad, with Bill Cosby, the main character's daughter comments that when everyone learns her father is a ghost they will say, "Oh, look; there goes Casper's daughter."

• In the film A Perfect World, eight-year old Phillip Perry (T. J. Lowther) shoplifts and wears a Casper costume,which makes the film more touching.

• In the film Kids, one of the lead characters' names is Casper, and he frequently describes himself as the friendly ghost.

• The Command Service Module on NASA's Apollo 16 mission to the moon in 1971 was named "Casper" after the cartoon character.^[1]

• NASA named a martian rock after Casper during the Mars Pathfinder's trip to the planet Mars in 1997. In the initial photos, the "Casper Rock" was shown to be completely white.

• Casper was parodied in an episode of The Simpsons. Bart and Lisa were comparing each other's comic unfavorably, when Bart pointed out that Casper bore an uncanny resemblance to Richie Rich and was probably Richie's ghost. When Bart wondered how Richie died, Lisa mused that perhaps he became disillusioned with wealth, and took his own life.

• In the Family Guy film, Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story, one scene depicts Casper's demise in an act accidentally initiated by Stewie (though Casper claims that he was "going to off himself on Tuesday anyway").

• On Cheers, Norm Peterson observed that by the end of each episode Casper was surrounded by friends, but by the beginning of the next episode he was once again friendless. Cliff Clavin's response was that Casper was simply quenching his thirst for blood.

• The name of the school in the Nickelodeon series Danny Phantom is Casper High.

• Casper is parodied in an episode of Robot Chicken in which he has a brother named Jasper "The Douchebag Ghost". Jasper is identical in appearance to Casper, but his personality and mannerisms are the opposite of Casper's. Instead of being friendly toward people, Jasper plays rude jokes on them (Possessing the body of a dead person at their funeral, cursing at people, etc).

• The song "Ghost Ride" by Mistah FAB makes a reference to Casper.

• Casper CD-ROM games were developed and published in many languages in 2006 and 2007 by Compedia [2]

• An episode of SpongeBob Squarepants is called Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost.

• In the The Hermit of Black Rock episode of The Land Before Time (based on The Land Before Time films), Guido refers to Chomper as Chomper the friendly Sharptooth. This is a parody of Casper the Friendly Ghost.

• Wesley Willis wrote a song entitled "Casper the Homosexual Friendly Ghost".

• Daniel Johnston wrote a song entitled "Casper the Friendly Ghost" which was included on his 1983 recording Yip/Jump Music.

• The Casper Ghosts minor league baseball team uses the icon of Casper as an alternate logo with permission from the Harvey Entertainment division of Classic Media.

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Ghost Dad is a 1990 comedy film directed by Sidney Poitier and starring Bill Cosby, in which a widowers spirit is able to communicate with his children after his death. ... William Henry Bill Cosby, Jr. ... A Perfect World is a 1993 film directed by Clint Eastwood. ... Kids is a 1995 American film written by Harmony Korine and directed by Larry Clark. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (IPA [ˈnæsə]) is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... Apollo 16 was the tenth manned mission in the Apollo program and the fifth mission to land on the Moon. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (IPA [ˈnæsə]) is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... The Mars Pathfinder was launched on December 4, 1996 by NASA aboard a Delta II just a month after the Mars Global Surveyor was launched. ... Adjectives: Martian Atmosphere Surface pressure: 0. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Richie Rich may refer to one of the following: Richie Rich (comics), a Harvey Comics comic book character Richie Rich (1980 TV series), an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Richie Rich (1996 TV series), an animated television series produced by Harvey Entertainment, Film Roman and Universal Studios Richie... Family Guy is an Emmy Award-winning American animated television series about a dysfunctional family in the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode Island. ... For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ... This article is about the TV series. ... Hillary Norman Norm Peterson was a character on the American television show Cheers, portrayed by George Wendt. ... Clifford C. Clavin, Jr. ... This article is about the TV channel. ... Danny Phantom is an animated childrens program created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon, produced by Billionfold Studios. ... Robot Chicken is an Emmy award-winning American stop motion animated television series produced by Stoopid Monkey, ShadowMachine Films, Williams Street, and Sony Pictures Digital, currently airing in the US as a part of Cartoon Networks Adult Swim line-up, in the United Kingdom and Ireland as part of... A vaginal bulb syringe. ... This article is about the series. ... Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season one. ... The Land Before Time is an animated television series, based on characters from The Land Before Time film series created by Judy Freudberg and Tony Geiss. ... This article is about the 1988 film. ... Screen shot from The Land Before Time. ... This article is about The Land Before Time character. ... This article is about The Land Before Time character. ... The original Sharptooth engaged in combat with Littlefoots mother. ... Wesley Willis Wesley Willis (May 31, 1963 – August 21, 2003) was a musician and artist from Chicago. ... Daniel Dale Johnston (b. ... Yip/Jump Music is the fifth self-released music cassette album by singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston, recorded over the summer 1983. ... Class-Level Advanced Rookie (2001-present) Minor League affiliations Pioneer League (2001-present) South Division Major League affiliations Colorado Rockies (2001-present) Name Casper Ghosts (2008-) Casper Rockies (2001-2007) Ballpark Mike Lansing Field (2001-present) Minor League titles League titles Division titles Owner(s)/Operated by: Manager: Tony Diaz... Harvey Comics (also known as Harvey Publications) was an American comic book publisher. ... Classic Media, Inc. ...

Supporting characters

• The Ghostly Trio
• Wendy the Good Little Witch
• Hot Stuff the Little Devil
• Nightmare the ghost horse
• Spooky the Tuff Little Ghost
• Spooky's girlfriend Poil
• Gned Gnome
• Jason "Casper" K.

Cover of Casper and the Ghostly Trio #7 The Ghostly Trio (known as Fatso, Fusso and Lazo in the comics and Fatso, Stinkie, and Stretch in the film series), are fictional characters in the Casper the Friendly Ghosts series. ... Wendy the Good Little Witch is a fictional character, who was Caspers ghoul-friend. ... Casper the Friendly Ghost is the main character of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name. ... In Harvey comics, Nightmare was a beautiful and gentle ghost horse, a good friend of Casper the Friendly Ghost. ... Casper the Friendly Ghost is the main character of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name. ...

Enemies

• The Ghostly Trio - especially Stretch
• Kibosh (Casper: A Spirited Beginning)
• Desmond Spellman (Casper Meets Wendy)

Cover of Casper and the Ghostly Trio #7 The Ghostly Trio (known as Fatso, Fusso and Lazo in the comics and Fatso, Stinkie, and Stretch in the film series), are fictional characters in the Casper the Friendly Ghosts series. ... Casper Meets Wendy is a direct-to-video sequel to the 1995 film Casper. ...

Comic book titles

• Casper
• Casper Adventure Digest
• Casper and...
• Casper and Friends
• Casper and Friends Magazine
• Casper and Nightmare
• Casper and Spooky
• Casper and The Ghostly Trio
• Casper and Spooky
• Casper: A Spirited Beginning Adaptation
• Casper Big Book
• Casper Digest
• Casper Digest Stories
• Casper Digest Winners
• Casper Enchanted Tales Digest
• Casper Ghostland
• Casper Giant Size
• Casper Halloween Trick or Treat
• Casper in Space
• Casper in 3-D
• Casper Magazine
• Casper Movie Adaptation
• Casper's Ghostland
• Casper's Spaceship
• Casper Special
• Casper Strange Ghost Stories
• Casper, the Friendly Ghost
• Casper TV Showtime
• Famous TV Funday Funnies
• The Friendly Ghost, Casper
• Harvey Two-Pack
• Nightmare and Casper
• Richie Rich and Casper
• Richie Rich, Casper, and Wendy
• TV Casper and Company

Casper may mean: // Casper (name) Drew Casper, an award-winning Professor of Critical Studies in the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California. ...

See also

• Richie Rich (comics)
• The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper

Richard Richie Rich, Jr. ... The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper (also known as simply Casper) was an animated television spin-off of the feature film Casper, which, in turn, was based on the Harvey Comics character of Casper the Friendly Ghost. ...

References

External links

• Harvey Entertainment
• Don Markstein's Toonopedia
• There's Good Boos Tonight an episode of Casper the Friendly Ghost from the Internet Archive.
• Compedia