Norm Ferguson

William Norman "Norm" Ferguson (September 2, 1902 – November 4, 1957) was an animator for Walt Disney Studios and a central contributor to the studio's stylistic development in the 1930s. He is most frequently noted for his contribution to the creation of Pluto, one of the studio's best-known and most enduring characters, and is the artist most closely associated with that character. He is also credited for developing Peg-Leg Pete and the Big Bad Wolf. Ferguson, known at the studio as "Norm" or "Fergy", was the primary animator of the witch in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first in a long line of great Disney feature villains. He was also a sequence director on the film.

After starting at the studio in 1929 as a cameraman, Ferguson switched to the animation department and rose rapidly, despite a lack of formal art training. His early animation of the dog who would become Pluto drew strong response at the studio and on-screen for giving the character a personality and apparent inner life that was considered a great step forward for the young art form of animation. Animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston paid extensive tribute to Ferguson's work in their 1981 book Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life,calling his famous "flypaper sequence" from the 1934 short Playful Pluto- in which the dog is stuck to a piece of flypaper- a "milestone in personality animation...through it all, his reaction to his predicament and his thoughts of what to try next are shared with the audience. It was the first time a character seemed to be thinking on the screen, and, though it lasted only 65 seconds, it opened the way for animation of real characters with real problems."

Ferguson served as a sequence director or directing animator on many of the classic Disney features from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs through the 1953 film Peter Pan, including Pinocchio, Fantasia, Cinderella, and Alice in Wonderland .

 

Ferguson, who later in life suffered from diabetes, left the Disney Studios with his health and career in decline in about 1953. Immediately after a brief, unsuccessful stint with Shamus Culhane Productions, described by Culhane in his 1986 book Talking Animals And Other People, Ferguson died as a result of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California in 1957.

 

Ferguson posthumously received the industry's Winsor McCay Award in 1987 and was posthumously inducted as a Disney Legend by the studio in 1999, along with fellow animator Hamilton Luske (also posthumous), among others. The two men are the subjects of chapter five in Thomas and Johnston's Disney Animation: The Illusion Of Life, titled Cartoon Comes Of Age- Norm Ferguson and Ham Luske.

Pluto felt disgrace and sadly of his mother's death and his father's anger. K.B. stayed with his father for a month and few days. He came back to Pluto. They went off to the train and went off to Hollywood, California.

Pluto and K.B. arrived in Hollywood and there is the young female Dachshund named, Dinah. Dinah was born in 1929, with the Olsen family and the oldest female black Dachshund sister, Lucille. She stayed with her father before he divorce her wife.

Pluto was upset for her, but K.B. knows. He's buying a dinner of cheeseburgers and hamburgers at the outside restaurant. K.B. spotted the theater and it says, "MICKEY MOUSE" on it.

K.B. is selling the tickets for three seats. They seated in the audience and starts to laugh. Before the people are hearing laughing, starting to laugh. The talent scouts found Pluto, K.B. and Dinah are laughing. They went to the studios all by themselves.

That's the picture of the studio main gate (where Goofy made a laugh and becomes an actor) and sees J.B. the studio mogul who tells them for $2,000 a week for 85 years. Here is Mickey and Minnie Mouse the stars of Walt Disney. Until J.B. asked Pluto and K.B. with Dinah about the courage in the history of their lives.

This is the birthplace of Jefferson City, Missouri. Pluto was born in the small town of Jefferson City, Missouri. On September 5, 1930, the son of John and Betty was born. Pluto's father has the girlfriend, Rosie died in the jail of the electric chair and transformed into the female Bloodhound devil. She has fur of red with the tail of the devil, the wings of devil, and the horns of the devil. Pluto's mother died where the bulldogs attacked her and Pluto's father saved him. After, Pluto dig up the yard to buried the bone earlier and mad at his father.


Then, K.B. become the real name, "Kevin Burlington" in 1931. Before his father was fighting with Pluto and he is eating the steaks, spaghetti with meatballs. His father was furious to K.B. to tell him to take a bath. K.B. was refused him, forcefully to pulled his father's ears to smacked his eyes. His father lose his temper and beating him on his face. They lost their tempers and that is happened.


Now, Pluto's mother died by the bulldogs attacked. She's in the funeral and Pluto's father ran away. K.B. followed him all alone. Pluto stay in the town and he's at the house.

Here's the picture of Pluto from The Chain Gang. Pluto was born on September 5, 1930. Pluto will made dreams will come true. Pluto left  his mother on her death of the bulldog. His beloved mother got killed by the bulldogs. She's the loving dog. His father was the bloodhound of his son, very jealous and spoiled and grumpy indeed.

In 1946, on April 12, there is Pluto has a younger brother named K.B. from Pluto's Kid Brother. He's staying with his loving father at his own. His father was no good for K.B., very upset and disappointed indeed.

In 1942, on July 3, this is Dinah the Dachshund, Pluto's love interest. She appears in The Sleepwalker and 1945 also appears in Canine Casanova.

In February 28, 1942, there's Pluto's young loving son, Junior from Pluto, Junior. Pluto's father loved his grandson for his own way, so nice and kind indeed.

In 1933 to 2003, Pluto's Angel and Pluto's Devil appears in Mickey's Pal Pluto, until Pluto's Devil appears in Mickey's Elephant, until they appears in Lend a Paw for 1941 Oscars Best Cartoon Shorts, until they're appearances in Mickey Mouse Works and House of Mouse.

 

 

 

Hi! Welcome to Walt Disney's Pluto!

On September 5, 1930, Pluto first appeared in the 1930 Mickey Mouse cartoon The Chain Gang as a bloodhound on the trail of escaped prisoner Mickey Mouse. The bloodhound character was adapted into Minnie Mouse's dog, Rover. His name was later changed to Pluto and his owner to Mickey Mouse, making him Mickey's best pal. As such, Pluto is considered one of the "Fab Five" Disney animated characters alongside Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy.


Several months had passed between the naming of what was believed to be the ninth planet, Pluto, on March 24, 1930, and the attachment of that name to the dog character. Venetia Burney (later Venetia Phair), who as an eleven-year-old British schoolgirl had suggested the name Pluto for the planet, remarked in 2006: "The name had nothing to do with the Disney cartoon. Mickey Mouse's dog was named after the planet, not the other way around." Although it has been claimed that Disney named the dog after the planet, rather than after the mythical god of the underworld, this has not been verified. Disney animator Ben Sharpsteen said "We thought the name [Rover] was too common, so we had to look for something else. ... We changed it to Pluto the Pup ... but I don't honestly remember why." Disney says they have no documents to support or refute the connection. Unofficially, even Disney's animators believed that Walt Disney chose the name to capitalize on the sensation of the newly named planet.


Pluto is also considered one of the first Disney characters to break out of the "rubber hose and circle" formula style the studio had relied on; the dog's design gave him the appearance of actually being round instead of flat. In addition, Pluto is one of the first cartoon characters that is actually shown to have thought processes through the use of character animation. His thought processes are showcased in a landmark scene from 1934's Playful Pluto, in which Pluto becomes stuck to a piece of flypaper and attempts to figure out a way to get himself unstuck.


Pluto was initially a minor character until 1934, when Disney animator Norm Ferguson gave the dog a key role in the cartoon Playful Pluto. Pluto becomes entangled with a sticky piece of flypaper, and Ferguson expanded the sequence significantly. The segment became a classic, demonstrating how Disney artists can take a simple circumstance and build humor through a character.


Pluto is sometimes billed as "Mickey's Pal Pluto " (which is also the title of a 1933 cartoon), as he is very devoted to his master. Even though he's been known to run in the opposite direction when confronted by something frightening, Pluto is protective of Mickey. In many cartoons, Pluto tried his doggonedest to assist his owner, and nothing made the happy hound happier, even if their plans didn't always turn out as expected. Puppy Love (1933) found Pluto accompanying Mickey on a romantic visit to Minnie; the pooch tries to help out with spring cleaning in Playful Pluto (1934); and in On Ice (1935), the curious canine was out for a day of ice-skating, even though in Pluto's case it is thanks to two pairs of skates attached to his paws by Donald Duck.


Audiences so took the loose-limbed hound to heart that, even as continued to co-star in many of Mickey's films, he was given his own series of solo-starring cartoons, starting with Pluto's Quinpuplets (1937), but even before that he became the only Disney standard character to star in his own Silly Symphony, Mother Pluto (1936). Pluto has a veritable kennel-full of supporting players, including his nemesis, the bullying bulldog called Butch, and not one but two canine-cuties as sweethearts Fifi, the temperamental Pekinese and also Dinah the long-lashed dachshund. Interestingly, in Pluto's Quinpuplets, Pluto and Fifi are seen as "Mr. And Mrs. Pluto," the parents of five mischievous mutts. Pluto is also seen as the pop of a pup in Pluto Junior (1942) and as the big bro of a little guy in Pluto's Kid Brother (1946). In films such as First Aiders (1944), Pluto has been teamed with Figaro the feisty feline from Pinocchio (1940), whose annoying antics gets the easily frustrated pooch's hairs up. A definite highlight for the humble hound was Lend a Paw (1941) which was awarded the Oscar® for Best Cartoon of the Year.


Unlike Mickey's other animal friends, such as Goofy (who is also a dog), Pluto is not a "funny animal". Pluto does not speak, walk upright, or wear clothing, but rather acts like a normal (if exaggerated) dog. A significant departure from this was his speaking role in The Moose Hunt (1931), which was produced before Pluto's characterization had been clearly defined. As Pluto made more appearances, it became common that he would not speak, but only vocalize in barks and grunts. Other ways of communicating Pluto's thoughts occur through his facial expressions, and sometimes through the use of a shoulder angel/devil who speak directly to Pluto. (Mickey's Elephant, Lend a Paw).


Throughout the 1950s, Pluto would continue to appear in short films. But, as the studio began focusing on other endeavors such as their animated features, the introduction of television, and the debut of Disneyland, Pluto's career in animated shorts would eventually cease; his last theatrical cartoon in the original Mickey Mouse series being The Simple Things (1953).


Pluto is generally a cheerful and adventurous dog, although he can be given to sheer panic when confronted with something unknown. Common themes in Pluto's stories involve him becoming jealous of Mickey getting another pet (Mickey's Elephant, Lend a Paw, Mickey and the Seal), Pluto accidentally and unwittingly swallowing something and panicking when he realizes it (Playful Pluto, Donald and Pluto), Pluto getting entangled with something inanimate, or Pluto being pestered by a smaller animal (Private Pluto, Squatter's Rights). In many of his appearances with Mickey, Pluto will get himself into trouble and cause Mickey to get angry at him. Mickey however, often cheers up quickly; often telling Pluto "I can't be mad at ya."


Pluto also has the tendency to fall in love rather quickly. Whenever this would occur, Pluto would usually stop at nothing to win the heart of the girl in question. Some of the girls Pluto has been smitten with include: Fifi the Peke, Dinah the Dachshund, and Tiki. Despite his recurring love bug, the cartoon Pluto's Penthouse Sweet, showed that Pluto's friendship with Mickey can overshadow his love interest.


Pluto sometimes appears with other regular animal characters. His friends include Fifi the Peke, Dinah the Dachshund, and Ronnie the St. Bernard Puppy. Other animals he is less friendly with include Salty the Seal, Butch the Bulldog, Figaro the Kitten, Chip 'n Dale, Spike the Bee, Bent-Tail the Coyote, Milton the cat and other characters. In Disney's 1937 animated short Pluto's Quin-Puplets, Pluto has a son who is simply referred to as "Pluto Junior." In the 1946 animated short Pluto's Kid Brother, Pluto has a younger brother named K.B.


Afterwards, Pluto would make appearances in comic stories, and some episodes of the Walt Disney anthology series, until finally vanishing from the mainstream audience for nearly three decades. Unlike the rest of the classic cast, Pluto did not return for the short film Mickey's Christmas Carol, instead reappearing in the 1990 short The Prince and the Pauper, reprising his classic role as Mickey's dog and companion. From this point, forward, Pluto's vocal performance would be provided by Bill Farmer, who also began voicing Goofy around the same time. Pluto's red collar was also revamped as an identical green collar for most modern appearances, something that was first introduced in Society Dog Show (1939).


The first cartoons to feature Pluto as a solo star were two Silly Symphonies, Just Dogs (1932) and Mother Pluto (1936). In 1937, Pluto appeared in Pluto's Quin-Puplets which was the first instalment of his own film series, then headlined Pluto the Pup. However, they were not produced on a regular basis until 1940, by which time the name of the series was shortened to Pluto.


Pluto first and most often appears in the Mickey Mouse series of cartoons. On rare occasions he is paired with Donald Duck ("Donald and Pluto", "Beach Picnic", "Window Cleaners", "The Eyes Have It", "Donald's Dog Laundry", & "Put Put Troubles").


Pluto has also appeared in the television series Mickey Mouse Works (1999–2000), Disney's House of Mouse (2001–2003) and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (2006–present). Curiously enough, however, Pluto was the only standard Disney character not included when the whole gang was reunited for the 1983 featurette Mickey's Christmas Carol, although he did return in The Prince and the Pauper (1990) and Runaway Brain (1995). He also had a cameo in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). In 1996, he made a cameo in the Quack Pack episode "The Really Mighty Ducks".


Today, Pluto remains one of Disney's most recognizable and popular characters, appearing in various forms of media, and every incarnation of the Mickey Mouse franchise. Along with Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Minnie, and Daisy, Pluto is one of the six leading characters of the Walt Disney Company.


Pluto runs his own neighborhood in Disney's Toontown Online. It's called the Brrrgh and it's always snowing there except during Halloween. During April Toons Week, a weekly event that is very silly, Pluto switches playgrounds with Minnie (all other characters do this as well). Pluto actually talks in Minnie's Melodyland.


Pluto is truly a well-trained dog. Like his master Mickey, he can get into a large amount of trouble but has enough brains to escape the situation. He acts as Mickey's sidekick, best friend, conscience in some occasions, and pet. The pet is extremely loyal but on occasion does have the tendency to argue and be fussy with people or even Mickey.

He shows a strong disliking towards cats. This hatred could have mostly been sparked by not only natural instincts, but the rivalry with Minnie's cat Figaro. The two constantly compete for Minnie's attention and love but in recent years have been much kinder to each other. Pluto is also famous for his powerful sense of smell. According to Mickey, Pluto can find anything and anybody with his nose. He appears to be a mixed breed containing both a bloodhound and a pointer.

While intelligent enough, Pluto can be a bit clumsy and his childlike persona is often mistaken for stupidity. He's not immune to being outwitted but can get back on track which is usually bad news being that Pluto can have a nasty temper. He has two consciences. One evil (which is Pluto's devil counterpart) and one good (which is Pluto's angel counterpart). They occasional appear in hard situations and Pluto tends to listen to the negative side at the beginning but the positive doesn't take no for an answer, having Pluto do good in the end.

The pup has an A-list life: a good home, family, and the greatest owner for his type, but he has been accidentally mistreated. Being that he spends most time in the house, he has been blamed for a handful of things. His pal Mickey has always forgiven him in the end as he is often reminded why Pluto is deemed his best friend. This situation showcases the strong bond between Mickey and Pluto who can be inseparable at times.


If you need anything, just tell me what would you like to be. Then, it will be great. And remember, if you don't like them. Find someone could help you at lot.


Thank you!