Yogi Bear is a family cartoon character who has appeared in numerous comic books, animated
television shows and films.
He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in The Huckleberry Hound Show.
Yogi Bear was the first breakout character created by Hanna-Barbera and was eventually
more popular than Huckleberry Hound.
In January 1961, he was given his own show, The Yogi Bear Show, sponsored by Kellogg's,
which included the segments Snagglepuss and Yakky Doodle.
Hokey Wolf replaced his segment on The Huckleberry Hound Show.
A musical animated feature film, Hey There, It's Yogi Bear!, was produced in 1964.
Yogi was one of several Hanna-Barbera characters to have a collar.
This allowed animators to keep his body static, redrawing only his head in each frame when
he spoke.
This reduced the number of drawings needed for a seven-minute cartoon from around 14,000
to around 2,000.
Personality
Like many Hanna-Barbera characters, Yogi's personality and mannerisms were based on a
popular celebrity of the time.
Art Carney's Ed Norton character on The Honeymooners was said to be Yogi's inspiration; his voice
mannerisms broadly mimic Carney as Norton.
Norton, in turn, received influence from Borscht Belt and comedians of vaudeville.
Yogi's name was similar to that of contemporary baseball star Yogi Berra, who was known for
his amusing quotes such as "half the lies they tell about me aren't true."
Berra sued Hanna-Barbera for defamation but their management claimed that the similarity
of the names was just a coincidence.
Berra withdrew his suit but the defense was considered implausible and sources now report
that Berra was the inspiration for the name.
Hanna-Barbera also had a contemporary character Augie Doggie whose name bore similarity to
baseball umpire Augie Donatelli.
The plot of most of Yogi's cartoons centered on his antics in the fictional Jellystone
Park, a takeoff on the famous Yellowstone National Park.
Yogi, accompanied by his constant companion Boo-Boo Bear, would often try to steal picnic
baskets from campers in the park, much to the displeasure of Park Ranger Smith.
Yogi's girlfriend, Cindy Bear, sometimes appeared and usually disapproved of Yogi's antics.
Catchphrases Besides often speaking in rhyme, Yogi Bear
had a number of catchphrases, including his pet name for picnic baskets and his favorite
self-promotion, although he often overestimates his own cleverness.
Another characteristic of Yogi was his deep and silly voice.
He often greets the ranger with a cordial, "Hello, Mr. Ranger, sir!" and "Hey there,
Boo Boo!"
as his preferred greeting to his sidekick, Boo Boo.
Yogi would also often use puns in his speech, and have a habit of pronouncing large words
with a long vocal flourish.
Portrayers From the time of the character's debut until
1988, Yogi was voiced by voice actor Daws Butler.
Butler died in 1988; his last performance as Yogi was in the television film Yogi and
the Invasion of the Space Bears.
After Butler's death, Greg Burson stepped in to perform the role.
Greg Burson died in 2008.
Jeff Bergman also performed the character throughout the 1990s for various Cartoon Network
commercials and bumpers.
In the Yogi Bear film, the character is voiced by actor Dan Aykroyd.
In the animated stop motion sketch comedy show Robot Chicken created by Seth Green,
Dan Milano voiced Yogi Bear.
Media Television
Various series The Yogi Bear Show
Yogi Bear & Friends, a syndicated animated series that aired between 1967 and 1968
Yogi's Gang Laff-A-Lympics, where he captained the Yogi
Yahooeys team from 1977 to 1979 on ABC Yogi's Space Race
Galaxy Goof-Ups Yogi's Treasure Hunt
The New Yogi Bear Show, a 30-minute weekday animated series which aired in first-run syndication
Wake, Rattle, and Roll Yo Yogi!
Films and specials Hey There, It's Yogi Bear!, a 1964 animated
feature released by Columbia Pictures Yogi's Ark Lark, a 1972 made-for TV movie
for The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie Casper's First Christmas, a 1979 TV special
which had the characters from Casper and the Angels meeting Yogi and his gang
Yogi's First Christmas, a 1980 made-for-TV movie for syndication
Yogi Bear's All Star Comedy Christmas Caper, a 1982 television special starring Yogi and
friends Yogi Bear Earthquake Preparedness, a 1984
short educational cartoon made to teach young children in preparations for earthquakes.
Yogi's Great Escape, a 1987 made-for-TV movie for syndication
Yogi Bear and the Magical Flight of the Spruce Goose, a 1987 made-for-TV movie for syndication
Yogi and the Invasion of the Space Bears, a 1988 made-for-TV movie for syndication
Yogi the Easter Bear, a 1994 TV special for first-run syndication
Arabian Nights, a 1994 TV special for TBS Boo Boo Runs Wild and A Day in the Life of
Ranger Smith, Back-to-back 1999 TV specials for Cartoon Network created by John Kricfalusi
and his company Spumco.
Yogi Bear, a live-action/animated film released in 3-D on December 17, 2010, starring Dan
Aykroyd as the voice of Yogi.
Video games Yogi's Frustration
Yogi Bear Yogi Bear & Friends in The Greed Monster
Yogi's Great Escape Yogi Bear's Math Adventures
Yo Yogi Bear Yogi's Big Clean Up
Adventures of Yogi Bear, Yogi Bear's Gold Rush
Yogi Bear: Great Balloon Blast Yogi Bear: The Video Game,
Albums Yogi Bear and the Three Stooges Meet the Mad,
Mad, Mad Dr. No-No, a 1966 comedy album Live action/Animated feature film
A live-action/animated film titled Yogi Bear was released by Warner Bros. in December 2010.
The movie featured Dan Aykroyd as the voice of Yogi Bear.
The film, adapting the television series, follows the adventures of Yogi Bear and his
pal Boo-Boo in Jellystone Park, as they avoid Ranger Smith who is trying to stop Yogi from
stealing picnic baskets.
Songs "Yogi" by the Ivy Three, sung in a voice mimicking
Yogi Bear.
The song reached no.
8 on the Billboard Hot 100 Spümcø Ranger Smith and Boo Boo shorts
In 1999, animator John Kricfalusi's Spümcø company created and directed two Yogi cartoons,
A Day in the Life of Ranger Smith and Boo Boo Runs Wild.
Both shorts aired that year on the Cartoon Network as part of a Yogi Bear special.
"Boo Boo Runs Wild" features a fight between Yogi and Ranger Smith, which was edited heavily
for broadcast for both violence and torture situations.
In 2003, Spümcø created another Boo Boo cartoon, Boo Boo and the Man, which was made
with Macromedia Flash and released on Cartoon Network's website.
A music video for Yogi Bear airs on Cartoon Network and Boomerang.
It showcases clips of Yogi and Boo Boo stealing picnic baskets and annoying Ranger Smith.
Broadcasts Yogi Bear is currently aired by Cartoon Network's
sister channel, Boomerang.
In the Hanna-Barbera Personal Favorites video, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera picked their
favorite Yogi Bear episodes, including the very first one, "Yogi Bear's Big Break", and
Yogi meeting some storybook friends: The Three Little Pigs, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
and Little Red Riding Hood.
Comic books Over the years, several publishers have released
Yogi Bear comic books.
Gold Key Comics was first, with a title that ran 33 issues from 1962–70.
Charlton Comics then did a title for 35 issues from 1970–77.
Marvel Comics did a title for 9 issues in 1977.
Harvey Comics then did several titles for a total of 10 issues in 1992–94.
Archie Comics regularly featured Yogi Bear stories in the anthology comics Hanna-Barbera
All-Stars and Hanna-Barbera Presents.
After the cancellation of both titles, Archie Comics put out one issue of a Yogi Bear comic
DC Comics semi-regularly featured Yogi in Cartoon Network Presents.
The Yogi Bear comic strip began February 5, 1961.
Created by Gene Hazelton and distributed by the McNaught Syndicate, it ran from 1961 to
1988.
Hanna-Barbera produced an instructional comic book on earthquake preparedness called Yogi's
Quakey Shakey Van.
DVD release On November 15, 2005, Warner Home Video released
the complete series on DVD R1.
In popular culture Yogi Bear appears in 4 MAD segments: "Law
and Ogre", "Yu-gi Bear", "Frankenwinnie" and "Here Comes Yogi Boo Boo".
Homer Simpson and Bart Simpson portray Yogi and Boo Boo in the Simpsons episode "When
You Dish Upon a Star".
Yogi and Boo Boo cameo on an episode of The Flintstones, stealing Fred and Wilma's "pic-a-nic
basket".
In the first Jimmy Timmy Power Hour television special, when Jimmy Neutron tries to convince
everyone he is who he says he is supposed to be instead of the usual Timmy Turner, Sanjay
replies, "And I am Yogi Bear!
I am smarter than the average bear!"
In The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo appear in the episode
"Here Thar Be Dwarves!"
where they try to steal Billy's picnic basket.
They are depicted as overweight, dirty, and having primal, animalistic tendencies.
Billy runs into a cave and teases them, claiming they can't follow him in there.
Yogi, in response, says "He's right, Boo-Boo.
We bears are terribly afraid of caves."
Boo-Boo replies, "Why are we so lame, Yogi?"
Yogi is later seen at a karaoke bar where he is among those watching Billy do karaoke.
He later appears in the episode "Irwin Gets a Clue" as one of several Hanna-Barbera characters
to be run into by Hoss Delgado's truck.
Licensing Yogi Bear lends his name to a chain of recreational
vehicle and camping parks, with the first opening in 1969 in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.
As of 2011, over 70 locations have hosted the parks.
There is also one restaurant remaining from the chain bearing Yogi's name, "Yogi Bear's
Honey Fried Chicken," in Hartsville, South Carolina.
See also
Boo-Boo Bear List of Hanna-Barbera characters
List of works produced by Hanna-Barbera Theatrically released films based on Hanna-Barbera
animations The New Yogi Bear Show
Yo Yogi!
Yogi's Treasure Hunt Notes
External links The Yogi Bear Show at the Internet Movie Database
The Yogi Bear Show at TV.com The Yogi Bear Show at the Big Cartoon DataBase