''Secret Squirrel'' is a
cartoon character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, i ...
created by
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...
and also the name of his segment in ''
The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show'', which debuted in 1965. He was given his own show in 1966, titled ''The Secret Squirrel Show'', but was reunited with
Atom Ant
Atom Ant is a cartoon ant and superhero, created by Hanna-Barbera in 1965. Atom costarred in ''The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show'' (sharing top billing with Secret Squirrel). In syndication, Atom Ant aired alongside '' Precious Pupp'' and '' The ...
for one more season in 1967. The half-hour ''The Secret Squirrel Show'' included three individual cartoon segments: "Secret Squirrel", "
Squiddly Diddly
Squiddly Diddly is an anthropomorphic animated octopus created by Hanna-Barbera, who was featured in his own cartoon segment on ''The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show'' beginning in 1965.
Fictional character biography
The round-headed, sailor-hatted ...
" and "
Winsome Witch
''Winsome Witch'' is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions which aired as a segment on '' The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show'' from October 2, 1965 to September 7, 1967. The main character, Winsome "Winnie" W. Witch, ...
". Secret Squirrel first appeared in a prime-time animated special called ''The World of Secret Squirrel and Atom Ant'', which aired on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
on September 12, 1965.
''Secret Squirrel'' was a
parody
A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its subj ...
of the spy genre, and most of the shorts parodied elements of the
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
films. Secret Squirrel was also known as "Agent 000". In 1993, 13 new ''Secret Squirrel'' cartoons appeared in-between the ''
2 Stupid Dogs
''2 Stupid Dogs'' is an American animated television series created and designed by Donovan Cook and produced by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons. It originally ran from September 5, 1993, to May 15, 1995, on TBS as a part of their ''Sunday Morning in Fr ...
'' first-season episodes, with the updated title ''Super Secret Secret Squirrel'' and a new cast.
Character profile
Secret
Squirrel
Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...
(voiced with a slight lisp by
Mel Blanc
Melvin Jerome Blanc (born Blank ; May 30, 1908July 10, 1989) was an American voice actor and radio personality whose career spanned over 60 years. During the Golden Age of Radio, he provided character voices and vocal sound effects for comedy ra ...
) serves as a
secret agent
Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...
, taking orders from his superior, Double-Q (voiced by
Paul Frees
Solomon Hersh "Paul" Frees (June 22, 1920November 2, 1986) was an American actor, comedian, impressionist, and vaudevillian. He is known for his work on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Walter Lantz, Rankin/Bass, and Walt Disney theatrical cartoons during ...
), of the International Sneaky Service. His designation is Agent 000. Secret Squirrel is assisted in his adventures by his
fez
Fez most often refers to:
* Fez (hat), a type of felt hat commonly worn in the Ottoman Empire
* Fez, Morocco (or Fes), the second largest city of Morocco
Fez or FEZ may also refer to:
Media
* ''Fez'' (Frank Stella), a 1964 painting by the moder ...
-wearing, bespectacled
sidekick
A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany.
Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, ...
Morocco
Mole
Mole (or Molé) may refer to:
Animals
* Mole (animal) or "true mole", mammals in the family Talpidae, found in Eurasia and North America
* Golden moles, southern African mammals in the family Chrysochloridae, similar to but unrelated to Talpida ...
(also voiced by Paul Frees impersonating
Peter Lorre
Peter Lorre (; born László Löwenstein, ; June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian and American actor, first in Europe and later in the United States. He began his stage career in Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, before movin ...
).
The pair fights crime and evil enemy agents using cunning and a variety of spy gadgets, including a
machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
cane, a collection of weapons kept inside Secret's
trench coat
A trench coat or trenchcoat is a variety of coat made of waterproof heavy-duty fabric, originally developed for British Army officers before the First World War, and becoming popular while used in the trenches.
Originally made from gabardine, ...
which is also bulletproof, and a variety of devices concealed in his purple
fedora
A fedora () is a hat with a soft brim and indented crown.Kilgour, Ruth Edwards (1958). ''A Pageant of Hats Ancient and Modern''. R. M. McBride Company. It is typically creased lengthwise down the crown and "pinched" near the front on both sides ...
(which has eye holes cut in it and which he seldom removes).
Secret's recurring archenemy is Yellow Pinkie (also voiced by Frees), a parody of both
Auric Goldfinger
Auric Goldfinger is a fictional character and the main antagonist in Ian Fleming's 1959 seventh ''James Bond'' novel, '' Goldfinger'', and the 1964 film it inspired (the third in the ''James Bond'' series). His first name, Auric, is an adjectiv ...
from ''
Goldfinger'' and of Sydney Greenstreet's portrayal of the Kasper Gutman character from
Dashiell Hammett
Samuel Dashiell Hammett (; May 27, 1894 – January 10, 1961) was an American writer of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories. He was also a screenwriter and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade ('' ...
's ''
The Maltese Falcon''. He also tangles with such enemies as the Masked Granny, Captain Kidd and Robin Hood and his Merry Mugs. The last three episodes introduced Hi-Spy (again voiced by Frees), a master of scientific criminology.
''Super Secret Secret Squirrel''
The 1993 reboot segments saw several changes in characters and artwork compared to the 1960s original cartoons, including the recasting of
Jess Harnell
Jess Harnell (born December 23, 1963) is an American voice actor and singer. His notable roles include Captain Hero in the animated TV series ''Drawn Together'', Wakko Warner in ''Animaniacs'', Ironhide in the first three ''Transformers'' films ...
as Secret and
Jim Cummings
James Jonah Cummings (born November 3, 1952) is an American voice actor. Since beginning his career in the 1980s, he has appeared in almost 400 roles. Cummings has frequently worked with The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros., including as th ...
as Morocco. All the characters inhabiting the world are now animals (except for a
gingerbread man
A gingerbread man or a Gingerbread man cookie is a biscuit or cookie made from gingerbread, usually in the shape of a stylized form / caricature of a human being, although other shapes, especially seasonal themes (Christmas, Halloween, Easter, et ...
and a
Quark
A quark () is a type of elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. Quarks combine to form composite particles called hadrons, the most stable of which are protons and neutrons, the components of atomic nuclei. All commonly o ...
). Double-Q (voiced by
Tony Jay
Tony Jay (2 February 1933 – 13 August 2006) was a British actor.
A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was known for his voice work in radio, animation, film, and video games. Jay was particularly noted for his distinctive bari ...
), now simply called "the Chief" in these shorts, is a
Cape buffalo with a sour cherry-scented
calabash pipe
A tobacco pipe, often called simply a pipe, is a device specifically made to smoke tobacco. It comprises a chamber (the bowl) for the tobacco from which a thin hollow stem (shank) emerges, ending in a mouthpiece. Pipes can range from very simp ...
. Yellow Pinkie has been replaced by a
sea lion
Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear flaps, long foreflippers, the ability to walk on all fours, short and thick hair, and a big chest and belly. Together with the fur seals, they make up the family Otariidae, eared seals. ...
named Goldflipper (voiced by
Jim Cummings
James Jonah Cummings (born November 3, 1952) is an American voice actor. Since beginning his career in the 1980s, he has appeared in almost 400 roles. Cummings has frequently worked with The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros., including as th ...
) who, despite being Secret's archenemy, only appears in one episode of the revival series. These new cartoons also introduce Penny (voiced by
Kimmy Robertson
Kimmy Robertson is an American actress best known for her role as Lucy Moran in the TV series ''Twin Peaks'' and for the film ''The Last American Virgin''.
Career
Robertson's high-pitched voice has led to roles in animated series such as '' Batm ...
), a female squirrel assistant to the Chief (''à la''
Miss Moneypenny
Miss Moneypenny, later assigned the first names of Eve or Jane, is a fictional character in the James Bond novels and films. She is secretary to M (James Bond), M, who is Bond's superior officer and head of the British Secret Intelligence Serv ...
) and a possible love interest for Secret (as hinted at in the episodes "Queen Bea" and "Quark").
Secret's art design remains relatively intact, but looks more modern than the original 1960s version of the character, featuring hard lines and sharper angles, giving him a leaner and more slick style. His trademark hat looks slightly different. Secret also loses his signature lisp given to him by Blanc that was similar to that of
Sylvester from the ''
Looney Tunes
''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation. '' and ''
Merrie Melodies
''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animation, animated series of comedy short films produced by Warner Bros. starting in 1931, during the golden age of American animation, and ending in 1969. Then some new cartoons were produced from the late 197 ...
'' cartoons from
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
(although it was paid homage to in the episode "Goldflipper", where Secret spoke with it to mock Morocco's sudden lisp in that episode). Harnell's portrayal gives Secret a suave voice in reminiscence of him sometimes breaking into his
Wakko Warner
This is a list of characters in the 1993 animated series, ''Animaniacs'', and its 2020 revival.
The Warner Siblings (Animaniacs)
The Warner Siblings (also known as "the Animaniacs" by fans and the media) are small, silly, mischievous, anthro ...
voice without the Scouse accent, most notably when he is screaming.
Morocco's color scheme has been redesigned, his wardrobe's palette has been swapped and he wears sunglasses. Cummings' portrayal of Morocco makes his voice less of a Peter Lorre impersonation: the Moroccan accent remains, but the voice is higher-pitched. He also now has an
evil twin brother named Scirocco Mole (voiced by
Jess Harnell
Jess Harnell (born December 23, 1963) is an American voice actor and singer. His notable roles include Captain Hero in the animated TV series ''Drawn Together'', Wakko Warner in ''Animaniacs'', Ironhide in the first three ''Transformers'' films ...
).
Apparently, in the 1993 revival cartoons, the personalities and traits of Secret and Morocco have been switched as opposed to their original 1960s personalities. Morocco was more of a chauffeur and used to be quite intelligent, while in the revival cartoons he is more independent as a sidekick, becomes more of a bungler, and is more childlike, often getting injured (which was Secret's department in the 1960s series) and often using his catchphrase "Okay, Secret!". Secret was portrayed as a bumbling secret agent in the original, while in the revival version he is actually capable of doing his job right. He can be both a workaholic and more easygoing while still able to get the job done. Like the original, Secret has a gadget for almost everything but also relies on his mixed martial arts combat skills. Most of his injuries either come from his job or Morocco's bumbling.
The Chief speaks with a British accent now, as evidenced by his catchphrase "Good show, Secret".
Broadcast history
The series' debut was on September 12, 1965, in ''The World of Atom Ant and Secret Squirrel'' prime-time special on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
.
The original series, ''
The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show'', was broadcast from October 2, 1965, to September 2, 1967. Secret Squirrel had his own show in 1966 and was then reunited with Atom Ant in 1967-1968. Episodes were broadcast in syndication and as part of ''
The Banana Splits
''The Banana Splits'' is an American television variety show produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and featuring the Banana Splits, a fictional rock band composed of four costumed animal characters in red marching band hats with yellow plumes. ...
'' variety and compilation series.
''Super Secret Secret Squirrel''
Secret Squirrel and Morocco Mole were revived in 1993 for back-up segments of the first season of
TBS Superstation
TBS (an abbreviation for Turner Broadcasting System) is an American pay television network owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It carries a variety of programming, with a focus on comedy, alo ...
's animated series ''
2 Stupid Dogs
''2 Stupid Dogs'' is an American animated television series created and designed by Donovan Cook and produced by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons. It originally ran from September 5, 1993, to May 15, 1995, on TBS as a part of their ''Sunday Morning in Fr ...
''. Titled ''Super Secret Secret Squirrel'', these new cartoons featured Secret Squirrel (voiced by
Jess Harnell
Jess Harnell (born December 23, 1963) is an American voice actor and singer. His notable roles include Captain Hero in the animated TV series ''Drawn Together'', Wakko Warner in ''Animaniacs'', Ironhide in the first three ''Transformers'' films ...
) and Morocco Mole (voiced by
Jim Cummings
James Jonah Cummings (born November 3, 1952) is an American voice actor. Since beginning his career in the 1980s, he has appeared in almost 400 roles. Cummings has frequently worked with The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros., including as th ...
). ''
2 Stupid Dogs
''2 Stupid Dogs'' is an American animated television series created and designed by Donovan Cook and produced by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons. It originally ran from September 5, 1993, to May 15, 1995, on TBS as a part of their ''Sunday Morning in Fr ...
'' creator
Donovan Cook
Donovan Ryan Cook III (born January 30, 1968) is an American film director, cartoon creator and producer, best known for creating, directing and producing the animated series ''2 Stupid Dogs'' and directing the Disney animated features ''Return ...
was asked by then-new
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...
president
Fred Seibert
Frederick (Fred) Seibert (born September 15, 1951) is an American television producer, co-founder of MTV and the CEO of FredFilms, an animation production company based in Burbank, California. His official biography states he has led five (working ...
to choose a classic studio cartoon to revive within the main show, and ''Super Secret Secret Squirrel'' was the result. The reason to revive ''Secret Squirrel'' was because it was one of Cook's favorite Hanna-Barbera shows.
After Cook guided the updated design with artists
Paul Rudish
Paul may refer to:
*Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name)
*Paul (surname), a list of people
People
Christianity
* Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
and
Craig McCracken
Craig McCracken (born March 31, 1971) is an American animator, writer, producer, director, storyboard artist, and designer known for creating the Cartoon Network's ''The Powerpuff Girls'' and ''Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends'', Disney Channe ...
, supervising producer
Larry Huber
Lawrence "Larry" Huber (born May 6, 1946) is an American television producer, writer, and animator who is known for his long history as a producer at Hanna-Barbera, Ruby-Spears, and Nickelodeon. Huber began his animation career in 1969 while worki ...
, the "adult supervision" assigned by Seibert, was responsible for all further aspects of these cartoons. He assigned animator
David Feiss
David Feiss (born 1959) is an American animator, writer, director, and storyboard artist.Lenburg, Jeff, ''Who's Who in Animated Cartoons: An International Guide to Film & Television'' (Applause Theater & Cinema Books, 2006), 80. Feiss began his ca ...
to the storyboards.
This new series seems to have fallen under the
villain of the week
"Villain of the week" (or, depending on genre, "monster of the week", "freak of the week" or "alien of the week") is an antagonist that only appears in one episode of a multi-episode work of fiction. A villain of the week is commonly seen in Brit ...
formula. Except for "Egg" and "Agent Penny", every episode is named after the enemies Secret and Morocco encounter.
Secret and Morocco make an appearance in a ''2 Stupid Dogs'' episode titled "Let's Make a Right Price", in which they star in a commercial for Granny's Joybone Doggie Treats. The Little Dog and the Big Dog from ''2 Stupid Dogs'' appear in the ''Super Secret Secret Squirrel'' episode "Scirocco Mole" as contestants in a game show.
Voices
*
Mel Blanc
Melvin Jerome Blanc (born Blank ; May 30, 1908July 10, 1989) was an American voice actor and radio personality whose career spanned over 60 years. During the Golden Age of Radio, he provided character voices and vocal sound effects for comedy ra ...
as Secret Squirrel (original series)
*
Paul Frees
Solomon Hersh "Paul" Frees (June 22, 1920November 2, 1986) was an American actor, comedian, impressionist, and vaudevillian. He is known for his work on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Walter Lantz, Rankin/Bass, and Walt Disney theatrical cartoons during ...
as Morocco Mole, Double-Q, Yellow Pinkie, Hi-Spy (original series)
*
Jim Cummings
James Jonah Cummings (born November 3, 1952) is an American voice actor. Since beginning his career in the 1980s, he has appeared in almost 400 roles. Cummings has frequently worked with The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros., including as th ...
as Morocco Mole, Goldflipper (''Super Secret Secret Squirrel'')
*
Jess Harnell
Jess Harnell (born December 23, 1963) is an American voice actor and singer. His notable roles include Captain Hero in the animated TV series ''Drawn Together'', Wakko Warner in ''Animaniacs'', Ironhide in the first three ''Transformers'' films ...
as Secret Squirrel, Scirocco Mole (''Super Secret Secret Squirrel'')
*
Tony Jay
Tony Jay (2 February 1933 – 13 August 2006) was a British actor.
A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was known for his voice work in radio, animation, film, and video games. Jay was particularly noted for his distinctive bari ...
as Double-Q/the Chief (''Super Secret Secret Squirrel'')
*
Kimmy Robertson
Kimmy Robertson is an American actress best known for her role as Lucy Moran in the TV series ''Twin Peaks'' and for the film ''The Last American Virgin''.
Career
Robertson's high-pitched voice has led to roles in animated series such as '' Batm ...
as Penny (''Super Secret Secret Squirrel'')
Production credits
*Produced and Directed by:
William Hanna
William Denby Hanna (July 14, 1910 – March 22, 2001) was an American animator and cartoonist who was the creator of ''Tom and Jerry'' as well as the voice actor for the two title characters. Alongside Joseph Barbera, he also founded the ani ...
and
Joseph Barbera
Joseph Roland Barbera ( ; ; March 24, 1911 – December 18, 2006) was an American animator, director, producer, storyboard artist, and cartoon artist who co-founded the animation studio and production company Hanna-Barbera.
Born to Italian im ...
*Story: Tony Benedict,
Warren Foster
Warren Foster (October 24, 1904 – December 13, 1971) was an American writer, cartoonist and composer for the animation division of Warner Brothers and later with Hanna-Barbera.
Early life
He was born in Brooklyn, New York to Marion B. Fos ...
, Dalton Sandifer,
Michael Maltese
Michael Maltese (February 6, 1908 – February 22, 1981) was an American story man for classic animated cartoon shorts. He is best known for working in the 1950s on a series of ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoons with director Chuck Jones, notably "Wha ...
*Musical Direction:
Ted Nichols
Theodore Nicholas Sflotsos (born October 2, 1928), known professionally as Ted Nichols, is an American composer, conductor, arranger, educator, and minister of music. He is best known for his work at Hanna-Barbera Productions from 1963 to 1972, ...
*Story Direction:
Alex Lovy
Alexander Lovy (September 2, 1913 – February 14, 1992) was an American animator. He spent the majority of his career as an animator and director at Walter Lantz Productions. He was later a producer at Hanna-Barbera, and also supervised the cart ...
, Lewis Marshall, Paul Sommer, Art Scott, Steve Clark, Art Davis
*Voices:
Mel Blanc
Melvin Jerome Blanc (born Blank ; May 30, 1908July 10, 1989) was an American voice actor and radio personality whose career spanned over 60 years. During the Golden Age of Radio, he provided character voices and vocal sound effects for comedy ra ...
,
Paul Frees
Solomon Hersh "Paul" Frees (June 22, 1920November 2, 1986) was an American actor, comedian, impressionist, and vaudevillian. He is known for his work on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Walter Lantz, Rankin/Bass, and Walt Disney theatrical cartoons during ...
,
John Stephenson,
Jean Vander Pyl
Jean Thurston Vander Pyl (October 11, 1919 – April 10, 1999) was an American voice actress. Although her career spanned many decades, she is best known as the voice of Wilma Flintstone for the Hanna-Barbera cartoon ''The Flintstones''. In ...
,
Henry Corden
Henry Corden (born Henry Cohen; January 6, 1920 – May 19, 2005) was a Canadian-born American actor, best known for taking over the role of Fred Flintstone after Alan Reed's death in 1977. His official debut as Fred's new voice was in the 1 ...
,
Don Messick
Donald Earle Messick (September 7, 1926 – October 24, 1997) was an American voice actor. He was best known for his performances in Hanna-Barbera cartoons.
His best-remembered vocal creations include Scooby-Doo, Bamm-Bamm Rubble and Hoppy in ...
,
Allan Melvin
Allan John Melvin (February 18, 1923 – January 17, 2008) was an American actor and impressionist, who was cast in hundreds of television episodes from the 1950s to the early 1990s, often appearing in recurring roles on various series. Some of th ...
,
Howard Morris
Howard Jerome Morris (September 4, 1919 – May 21, 2005) was an American actor, comedian, and director. He was best known for his role in ''The Andy Griffith Show'' as Ernest T. Bass, and as "Uncle Goopy" in a celebrated comedy sketch on Sid Cae ...
,
Janet Waldo
Janet Waldo (born Jeanette Marie Waldo; February 4, 1919 – June 12, 2016) was an American radio and voice actress. In animation, she voiced Judy Jetson in various Hanna-Barbera media, Nancy in ''Shazzan'', Penelope Pitstop, Princess from '' B ...
,
Dick Beals
Richard Beals (March 16, 1927 – May 29, 2012) was an American actor, who performed many voices in his career, which spanned the period from the early 1950s into the 21st century. Beals voiced both male and female children.
Perhaps his most reco ...
,
Gerry Johnson
*Animation Direction:
Charles A. Nichols
*Production Supervision: Howard Hanson
*Animation: Ray Abrams, Ed Barge, Robert Bemiller, O.E. "Lefty" Callahan, Emil Carle, Hugh Fraser, George Germanetti, George Goepper, Anatole Kirsanoff, Hicks Lokey, Kenneth Muse, George Nicholas, Don Schloat, Larry Silverman, Ralph Somerville, John Sparey
*Layout: Cornelius "Corny" Cole, Jerry Eisenberg, Jack Huber, Lance Nolley, Bill Perez, Tony Sgroi,
Bob Singer Bob Singer (born 1928) is an American animation artist, character designer, layout and background artist and storyboard director of animated television programs, most memorably of several Hanna-Barbera productions such as ''The Flintstones'', ''Jonn ...
,
Iwao Takamoto
Iwao Takamoto (April 29, 1925 – January 8, 2007) was a Japanese-American animator, television producer, and film director. He began his career as a production and character designer for Walt Disney Animation Studios films such as ''Cinderella ...
*Background: Fernando Arce, Ron Dias, Rene Garcia, Bob Gentle, F. Montealegre, Richard H. Thomas
*Camera: Gary Milton, Roger Sims, Clarence Wogatzke, Norman Stainback, John Pratt, John Aardal
*Sound Direction: Richard Olson, William Getty
*'' Secret Squirrel''
*Approved MPAA Certification No. 21205
*RCA Sound Recording
*This Picture Made Under the Jurisdiction of IATSE-IA Affiliated with A.F.L.-C.I.O.
*A Hanna-Barbera Production
Episodes
Other appearances
* Secret Squirrel appears as a child on ''
Yo Yogi!
''Yo Yogi!'' is an American animated television series and the seventh entry in the ''Yogi Bear'' franchise produced by Hanna-Barbera that aired from September 14 to December 7, 1991 on NBC for 13 episodes. This would be one of the last Yogi Bear ...
'', voiced by
Kath Soucie Kath or KATH may refer to:
* Kath (city), the historical capital of Khwarezm
* Kath (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname
* KATH-TV, the NBC TV station in Juneau, Alaska
* KATH (AM)
KATH (910 kHz) is an ...
. He has an uncle named Uncle Undercover (voiced by
Greg Burson
Gregory Lewis Burson (June 29, 1949 – July 22, 2008) was an American voice actor. He was best known as a replacement for voice actors Daws Butler and Mel Blanc following their deaths in 1988 and 1989, respectively.
Career
Burson was trained ...
) who owns the Invention Dimension store in Jellystone Mall.
* Both the original and reboot versions appeared in
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
Cartoon Network Presents.
* Secret Squirrel and Morocco Mole appear in ''
Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law
''Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law'' is an American adult animation, adult animated television sitcom created by Michael Ouweleen and Erik Richter for Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim. A Spin-off (media), spin-off of '' ...
'' with Secret Squirrel voiced by
Bill Farmer
Bill Farmer (born November 14, 1952) is an American voice actor, comedian and impressionist. He has performed the voice of the Disney character Goofy since 1987, and has also been the voice of Pluto and Horace Horsecollar since 1990.
Early li ...
and Morocco Mole voiced by
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...
. Secret Squirrel first appears in the Season 2 episode "Blackwatch Plaid" as a client of Harvey's arrested for flashing people (a play on Secret's famous trench coat). Secret Squirrel then appeared again in the Season 3 episode "Bird Girl of Guantanamole", hiring Harvey to get Morocco Mole out of the
Guantanamo Bay detention camp
The Guantanamo Bay detention camp ( es, Centro de detención de la bahía de Guantánamo) is a United States military prison located within Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, also referred to as Guantánamo, GTMO, and Gitmo (), on the coast of Guant ...
. Secret Squirrel also has a brief cameo in the
series finale
A series finale is the final installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. It may also refer to a final theatrical sequel, the last part of a television miniseries, the last installment of a literary series, or ...
"The Death of Harvey".
* Secret Squirrel appeared in the
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
book ''Scooby-Doo! Team-Up'' #11 in September 2015.
* A "rebooted" version of ''Secret Squirrel and Morocco Mole'' was a back-up feature of the DC comic book series ''
Scooby Apocalypse
''Scooby Apocalypse'' is a monthly comic book series published by DC Comics, which began in May 2016. It re-imagines the characters from the ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise, particularly the 1969 TV series ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'', setting them in ...
'' in issues #16-29.
* Secret Squirrel and Morocco Mole made appearances in ''
Jellystone!
''Jellystone!'' is an American animated streaming television comedy series developed by C. H. Greenblatt for HBO Max. The series is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and features reimagined versions of various characters by Hanna-Barbera. It pr ...
'' with Morocco Mole voiced by
Dana Snyder
Dana Snyder is an American actor. He is known for his voice roles of Master Shake in ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'', Granny Cuyler in ''Squidbillies'', Baby Ball on '' Ballmastrz: 9009'', and other roles in various Adult Swim television shows. His o ...
. In the season 2 episode "It's a Mad Mad Mad Rat Race", Secret Squirrel is seen on a movie poster for a film called "The Blowening" and Morocco Mole runs a sauna-themed restaurant called "Saunas, Sweats & Sandwiches" in response to the fact that people can't eat sandwiches in a sauna.
LP album
Hanna-Barbera Records released an LP album called ''Secret Squirrel and Morocco Mole in Super Spy'' (HLP-2046) in 1966. It featured an adventure with four songs - "Secret Squirrel" (based on the show's theme song) and "Morocco Mole" on the beginning and the end of Side 1, respectively, and "Agent O Double O" and "Super Spy" on the beginning and the end of Side 2, respectively. Mel Blanc reprised his role as Secret Squirrel, but
Daws Butler
Charles Dawson Butler (November 16, 1916May 18, 1988) was an American voice actor. He worked mostly for the Hanna-Barbera animation production company where he originated the voices of many familiar characters, including Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Ho ...
voiced Morocco Mole instead of Paul Frees.
Home video
The episode "Sub Swiper" is available on the DVD ''Saturday Morning Cartoons 1960s Vol. 1'', as well as a part of the "A Sample of Boomerang" tape, from Cartoon Network's sister channel, Boomerang.
Warner Archive
The Warner Archive Collection is a home video division for releasing classic and cult films from Warner Bros.' library. It started as a manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD series by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 23, 2009, with the inte ...
released ''The Secret Squirrel Show: The Complete Series'' on
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
in Region 1 as part of their
Hanna–Barbera Classics Collection
Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to ...
in November 2015. This is a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Warner's online store and Amazon.com.
''The Secret Squirrel Show: The Complete Series'' was made available for download via iTunes in August 2016.
Warner Archive released ''
2 Stupid Dogs
''2 Stupid Dogs'' is an American animated television series created and designed by Donovan Cook and produced by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons. It originally ran from September 5, 1993, to May 15, 1995, on TBS as a part of their ''Sunday Morning in Fr ...
/Secret Squirrel Show Volume 1'' on DVD in August 2018, which includes all of the first-season episodes of ''2 Stupid Dogs'' and all of the episodes of ''Super Secret Secret Squirrel''. Again, this is a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Warner's online store and Amazon.com.
Cultural influence
The phrase
"Secret Squirrel stuff" is used by people working in U.S. intelligence to lightheartedly describe material that is highly classified, usually as a non-answer to a question.
It may likewise be used in a pejorative manner to mean someone who is unlikely to have actually had a job as a special operations soldier, spy or mercenary, or to have performed the actions they claim to.
The history of the name "Secret Squirrel" for special operations forces and spies appears to predate the television show, as one story states that the word "squirrel" was used during World War II as a test to root out German spies.
The name "Secret Squirrel" is police slang for an agent of the
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security charged with conducting criminal investigations and protecting U.S. political leaders, their families, and ...
.
The 1990s alternative rock band
Marcy Playground
Marcy Playground is an American alternative rock band consisting of three members: John Wozniak (lead vocals, guitar), Dylan Keefe (bass), and Shlomi Lavie (drums). The band is best known for their 1997 hit "Sex and Candy".
History
Early yea ...
recorded a song as an homage called "Secret Squirrel" on their album ''Shapeshifter''.
See also
*
List of works produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
*
List of Hanna-Barbera characters
The following is a list of characters created by and featured in various Hanna-Barbera productions and series:
2 Stupid Dogs (1993–1995)
;2 Stupid Dogs
* Big Dog
* Little Dog
* Mr. Hollywood
* The Kitten
* Red Riding Hood
* Grandma
* The Wo ...
References
External links
Secret Squirrelat
Don Markstein's Toonopedia
Don Markstein's Toonopedia (subtitled A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge) is an online encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation, initiated February 13, 2001. Donald D. Markstein, the sole writer and editor of Toonopedi ...
Archivedfrom the original on May 19, 2017.
at the
Big Cartoon DataBase
The Big Cartoon DataBase (or BCDB for short) is an online database of information about animated cartoons, animated feature films, animated television shows, and cartoon shorts.
The BCDB project began in 1997 as a list of Disney animated featu ...
Informational profile on ''Secret Squirrel''at The Cartoon Scrapbook
{{Hanna-Barbera
1960s American animated television series
1965 American television series debuts
1966 American television series endings
American children's animated action television series
American children's animated adventure television series
American children's animated comedy television series
American detective television series
Animated television series about squirrels
English-language television shows
Fictional secret agents and spies
Hanna-Barbera characters
NBC original programming
Television series by Hanna-Barbera
Television series by Screen Gems
Male characters in animation