Cartoon Icons of American TV: Heckle and Jeckle

Heckle and Jeckle are popular cartoon characters created by artist Paul Terry, and released by his own studio, Terrytoons, for 20th Century Fox.  Their names were inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous novella, the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  Combining the wit of Bugs Bunny and a mischievous streak reminiscent of Woody Woodpecker, Heckle and Jeckle are a pair of identical magpies who calmly outwit their numerous foes in each adventure.  (Many viewers mistakenly think they are crows.)  In many episodes, however–“Moose On the Loose,” “Free Enterprise,” “The Power of Thought,” and “Hula Hula Land," their foes inevitably come out on top.   One magpie–Jeckle–speaks with a distinguished British accent, while Heckle, a Brooklyn, New York dialect. Heckle frequently refers to Jeckle simply as ‘chum’ or ‘pal,’ while Jeckle refers to Heckle as ‘old chap,’ ‘old boy,’ and ‘old featherhead’– indicating the close friendship between them.  Read more . . .