Huey, Dewey, and Louie are triplet cartoon characters created by storyboard artist (screenwriter) Carl Barks for The Walt Disney Company[2] from an idea proposed by cartoonistAl Taliaferro. They are the nephews of Donald Duck and the grand-nephews of Scrooge McDuck. Like their maternal uncles, the brothers are anthropomorphicwhite ducks with yellow-orange bills and feet. The boys are sometimes distinguished by the color of their shirts and baseball caps (with Huey wearing red, Dewey wearing blue, and Louie wearing green). They appeared in many Donald Duck animated shorts, as well as in the television show DuckTales and its reboot, but the comics remain their primary medium.
While the boys were originally created as troublemakers to provoke Donald's famous easily-triggered temper, in later appearances, beginning especially in the comic books stories by Carl Barks, they are shown growing to be heroes in their own right and valuable assets to him and Uncle Scrooge on their adventures. All three of the triplets are members of a fictional scouting organization called the Junior Woodchucks.
Origins
Final panel of 1937 Sunday newspaper strip Silly Symphonies featuring Donald Duck that introduced Donald's nephews; drawn by Al Taliaferro
Al Taliaferro, the artist for the Silly Symphony comic strip, proposed the idea for the film Donald's Nephews, so that the studio would have duck counterparts to Morty and Ferdie Fieldmouse, the nephews of Mickey Mouse. The Walt Disney Productions Story Dept. on February 5, 1937, sent Taliaferro a memo recognizing him as the source of the idea for the planned short.
The memo indicated, “we have decided to actually put a story crew to work on Donald’s Nephews.” With the short already in production more than eight months before the boys' Silly Symphonies comic strip debut (on October 17, 1937), the animation studio's model sheet and storyline would have been Taliaferro and writer Ted Osborne's frame of reference for the comic strip. Because the strip was an adaptation of the animated shorts, it could utilize ideas from films still in production (DuckTales reversed this, being a TV adaptation of the comics). Similarly, Barks' Junior Woodchuckprototype, Good Scouts, was released three months after identical scouting uniforms were introduced by Taliaferro and Bob Karp in the comic strip.
The nephews being triplets who finished each others' sentences was developed by Carl Barks, the screenwriter of Donald's Nephews, for whom Happy Hooligan, a comic strip that featured such triplets, was a childhood influence. This characteristic appeared for the first time at the end of the film, as the boys parted with Donald. In the comic strip, it was first implemented a week after the film's release.
The nephews' names were devised by Disney gag man Dana Coty, who took them from Huey Long, Thomas Dewey, and Louis Schmitt, a Disney Studio animator. In translation, the nephews' names often follow the repetition (parachesis) of their names in English, for example, Tupu, Hupu and Lupu (Finnish) and Hyzio, Dyzio and Zyzio (Polish).
Huey, Dewey, and Louie are the sons of Donald's sister Della Duck; in Donald's Nephews, their mother is instead named Dumbella. In the original theatrical shorts, they were originally sent to visit Donald for only one day; in the comics, the three were sent to stay with Donald on a temporary basis, until their father came back from the hospital (the boys ended up sending him there after a practical joke of putting firecrackers under his chair). In both the comics and animated shorts, the boys' parents were never heard from or mentioned again after these instances, with the boys ending up permanently living with Donald. All four of them live in the fictional city of Duckburg, in the fictional state of Calisota.
In the theatrical shorts, Huey, Dewey, and Louie often behave in a rambunctious and mischievous manner, and they sometimes commit retaliation or revenge on Donald. In the early Barks comics, the ducklings were still wild and unruly, but their character improved considerably due to their membership in the Junior Woodchucks and the good influence of Grandma Duck. As the boys mature, they prefer to assist Donald and Scrooge in the adventure at hand.[3]
In early comic books and shorts, the caps of Huey, Dewey, and Louie were colored randomly, depending on the whim of the colorist. On a few occasions until 1945 and most cartoons shortly afterward, all three nephews wore identical outfits (most commonly red).
It was not until the 1980s when it became established that Huey is dressed in pink then in 1982 changed to red, Dewey in black then in 1982 changed to blue, and Louie in brown then in 1982 changed to green. Disney's archivist Dave Smith, in "Disney A to Z", said, "Note that the brightest hue of the three is red (Huey), the color of water, dew, is blue (Dewey), and that leaves Louie, and leaves are green (Louie)."
A few random combinations appear in early Disney merchandise and books, such as orange and yellow. Another combination that shows up from time to time is Huey in blue, Dewey in green, and Louie in red. In-story, this inconsistency is explained away as a result of the ducklings borrowing each other's clothes. The trio have often been depicted wearing indistinguishable black shirts (or the same dark color).
The Don Rosa story An Eye for Detail was based around Donald spending so much time trying to tell his three nephews apart that he developed a heightened sense of sight.
Panel with Huey, Dewey, and Louie along with a fourth nephew, Phooey Duck
On a few occasions, an artist by error drew four nephews and the error was published. This fourth nephew has been named Phooey Duck by Disney comic editor Bob Foster.[4][5]
The six-page Danish Egmont-licensed Disney comic Much Ado About Phooey (1999), plotted by Lars Jensen, written by Jack Sutter and drawn by Tino Santanach Hernandez, used Phooey as a character and explained Phooey's sporadic appearances as a freak incident of nature. (The text in the two speech balloons says "It is a fourth nephew! An exact copy of the others! / Yes, it's probably best that I explain".)[6] Phooey also made a cameo appearance in the 2017 DuckTales animated series episode, "A Nightmare on Killmotor Hill!", during a dream sequence.
In the comics, Huey, Dewey, and Louie often play a major role in most stories involving either their "Unca Donald" or great-uncle Scrooge McDuck, accompanying them on most of their adventures. Originating in the comics is the boys' membership in the Boy Scouts of America-like organization, the Junior Woodchucks, including their use of the Junior Woodchucks Guidebook, a fantastically exhaustive field guide containing information on science, history and survival skills. This youth organization, which has twin goals of preserving knowledge and protecting the environment, was instrumental in transforming the three brothers from "little hellions" to upstanding young ducks.
In Disney comic writer Don Rosa's continuity, Huey, Dewey, and Louie Duck were born around 1940 in Duckburg. In his award-winning epic series, Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, Rosa reveals the domestic pain felt by the boys' loss of their parents. When Scrooge first meets Donald and his nephews, he says: "I'm not used to relatives, either! The few I had seem to have... disappeared!" Huey, Dewey, and Louie respond: "We know how that feels, Unca Scrooge!"
In Some Heir Over the Rainbow by Carl Barks, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, along with Donald Duck and Gladstone Gander, are tested by Scrooge McDuck, who wants to pick an heir to his fortune. Using the legend of a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, Scrooge secretly gives the nephews, Donald and their cousin each $1,000 to invest. Donald uses his money for a down payment of a new car, now being $1,000 in debt. Gladstone, considering himself too lucky to need the money this soon, hides the money for when and if he needs it, causing Scrooge to consider him a better option than Donald. Huey, Dewey, and Louie lend their money to a man who claims to need the money to search for a treasure. Initially thinking they were tricked out of the money, Scrooge actually considers leaving his fortune to Gladstone, even though he sees that as "an awful injustice to the world", but the man actually finds the treasure and pays the kids back. Scrooge makes Huey, Dewey, and Louie his heirs. It seems to be the most solidly canon indication of Scrooge's plans.
In a 1994 interview, Erik Svane asked Barks who would inherit Scrooge's money. Barks' response was "Probably Donald's nephews." Svane further queried, "Why would Huey, Dewey and Louie receive it?" Barks: "Oh, well, because they are so much more practical than Donald. In the later stories, as I developed those duck people and the whole community of Duckburg and all of its problems, I began giving those kids much more intelligence than anybody else in Duckburg. And so, I guess that when Uncle Scrooge passes on, he will leave all of his money to his three nephews. And I'm sure they will do a lot of good in the world, their Junior Woodchucks organization. They will save all the birds and all the whales."[7]
Television
Huey, Dewey, and Louie, as they are seen in the original DuckTales animated series
Huey, Dewey, and Louie starred in the 1987 animated television series DuckTales, in which they went on adventures with their great-uncle, Scrooge McDuck, after their "Unca Donald" left them with him to enlist in the U.S. Navy. The boys' personalities in this series were mainly based on their comic book appearances versus the theatrical shorts. In the 1996 series Quack Pack, the three were portrayed as teenagers and given distinct personalities, with Huey serving as the group's leader, Dewey as a computer whiz, and Louie as a sports enthusiast. After Quack Pack, the boys were reverted to their original ages for most appearances, including the 1999 series Mickey Mouse Works. An exception was the 2001 series House of Mouse, in which they served as the house band in a variety of different styles (most commonly as "The Quackstreet Boys").
In the 2017 DuckTales series, the brothers are once again given distinct designs, voices, and personalities: Huey is intelligent and logical, Dewey is adventurous and excitable, and Louie is laid-back and cunning. The boys move to Scrooge's mansion with Donald after Dewey accidentally destroys their houseboat and travel the world on adventures with their uncles. They also have different roles: Huey is a Junior Woodchuck, Dewey likes to go on adventures, and Louie wants to be wealthy like Scrooge, except that he likes to do everything the easy way. This iteration also changed Dewey's real name to Dewford, while making Dingus his middle name, and Louie's real name to Llewellyn. In the second season, the boys are reunited with their long-lost mother Della, who reveals she intended to name them "Jet, Turbo, and Rebel" before she disappeared, after which Donald named them instead.
Video games
Huey, Dewey and Louie have been given many appearances in video games over the years, starting with DuckTales (1989), a popular NES game based on the show, wherein they aid their Uncle Scrooge in finding treasure.
Huey, Dewey, and Louie have recurring roles as shopkeepers in the Kingdom Hearts video game series. In the first entry (2002), the trio work in the item shop in the First District of Traverse Town. In Kingdom Hearts II (2005), they individually run an item shop (Huey), an accessory shop (Dewey), and a weapon shop (Louie) in Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden. In both games' endings, they are seen returning to Disney Castle.
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep (2010) features the nephews in Disney Town, recreating Ice Cream flavors, this time with a speaking role. Kingdom Hearts Coded (2008) also has Huey, Dewey, and Louie in Traverse Town, much like the first game. The three nephews were investigating the strange block phenomena occurring in their world which also resided inside Jiminy's journal. In Kingdom Hearts χ (2013), they are displayed on special Support medals that grant the player's other medals a set number of experience points based on the medal's star value. They appear in the Tram Common area of Twilight Town in Kingdom Hearts III (2019), where they each take turns running the gummi shop. In all of their Kingdom Hearts appearances, the nephews look similar to their appearance in the original DuckTales.
Parks and attractions
Huey, Dewey and Louie have made numerous appearances at Disney theme parks.
Tokyo Disney
The nephews appeared in seasonal parades during Easter, Halloween and Christmas 2011 after a long absence. They also appeared in the Countdown Party Parade 2011.
Disneyland Paris
Huey, Dewey and Louie appear regularly in Paris. They appeared during the Christmas season 2010 in their daytime and nighttime Parades at "Disneyland Paris's Magic Kingdom", Disney's Once Upon a Dream Parade and in the Disney's Fantillusion Parade in glittery outfits. They made another appearance at Disneyland Paris for meet-and-greet at the Disneyland Hotel on April 2, 2011, the day of the Press Event for the launch of the Magical Moments Festival. They also appeared at Disney's Once Upon a Dream Parade at the Disneyland Park in special outfits for the parade and at the Disney's Stars 'n' Cars Parade at the Walt Disney Studios Park in directors outfits.
The nephews appeared at Disneyland Paris's Halloween season 2011. They have their own show during Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Parties at the Disneyland Park in Disneyland Paris, titled Huey, Dewey and Louie's Trick or Treat Party. They also made an appearance for meet-and-greet at Disneyland Paris's "Disney's Halloween Party" on October 31, 2011. They were also part of the Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve 2011–2012 celebrations at the Disneyland Hotel.
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