Magicians in cartoons

[Captain C]

Anyone else notice that almost everytime they show a magician in a cartoon, 90% of the time, he's evil? What's the deal with that? I'm proboly thinking far too much into it but it's a strange reacurring thing.

[Peter Paltridge]

Evil magicians are more interesting than good ones.

Good Magician: Ah, I shall help them on their quest! I shall create a bridge across the canyon and give them a neverending bucket of donuts! There we go, have fun! I do so hope they stop the dragon!

Bad Magician: Ha ha, those FOOLS. They have no idea their quest is doomed before it even began! They are NO MATCH FOR MY POWER! HA HA HA HAAAA!!

[Anthonynotes]

I like Dr. Fate and Zatanna, and she's a "good magician."

But yes, most cartoon magicians seem "evil" (BWA-HAHAHAHA!) or (if they're stage magicians) merely incompetent (see: too many cartoons to list). Though in the "Frosty" Christmas special, the magician there was both incompetent *and* evil (he wants Frosty's hat so he'd become a "millionaire magician").

-B.

[Johnny Cakes]

Evil magicians are more interesting than good ones.

Good Magician: Ah, I shall help them on their quest! I shall create a bridge across the canyon and give them a neverending bucket of donuts! There we go, have fun! I do so hope they stop the dragon!

Bad Magician: Ha ha, those FOOLS. They have no idea their quest is doomed before it even began! They are NO MATCH FOR MY POWER! HA HA HA HAAAA!!

I want a neverending bucket of donuts.

[Kryten]

Dr. Orpheus would count as a good-guy magician.


"But if it is mere parlor tricks you're after, you will be sorely disappointed. For if I were to reach behind your ear, it ould not be a nickel I pulled out... BUT YOUR VERY SOUL!!!"

[Mynd Hed]

I like Dr. Fate and Zatanna, and she's a "good magician."

Or there's Dr. Strange, who appeared on 90's Spider-Man.

Most of your evil magicians (Frosty the Snowman excepted) tend to fall more in the "wizard" or "sorceror" categories-- the sorts who appear in fantasy environments and wear robes instead of tuxedos. In those sorts of settings, you'll usually get at least one nice, Gandalf-style wizard to balance things out a bit.

Of course, when you think about it, magicianing as a profession would seem to attract a lot of jerks. The whole premise of their act is that they're smarter than you and can fool you. I think it says something about human nature that we take such delight in being lied to.

[Harlan_Phoenix]

Marlin (Brak Show) was a good magician. "I give you...The double beer hat!"

[Anyone00]

I think most writers have trauma associated with a few birthday parties, the result:
Clowns are evil (because, well, they are j/k) and some of it rubs off on magicians in a guilt by association kinda way :p

[Ekkostar]

I think most writers have trauma associated with a few birthday parties, the result:
Clowns are evil (because, well, they are j/k) and some of it rubs off on magicians in a guilt by association kinda way :p

The only trauma I have is when people sing 'Happy Birthday'. Once you get it stuck in your head, you can't get it out like 'It's a Small World After All'.

[Tommy Lawson]

10 posts in, and no one has mentioned The Magician from 1999 on Fox Kids. No wonder everyone usually sees them as evil characters. When one of them is a good guy, no one watches the show.

[Craig Crumpton]

10 posts in, and no one has mentioned The Magician from 1999 on Fox Kids. No wonder everyone usually sees them as evil characters. When one of them is a good guy, no one watches the show.No, "The Magician" was a "good guy", but it was a bad show.

[lostrune]

No, "The Magician" was a "good guy", but it was a bad show.
Can't be that bad with French pastel colors. :anime:

[Mynd Hed]

I think most writers have trauma associated with a few birthday parties, the result:
Clowns are evil (because, well, they are j/k) and some of it rubs off on magicians in a guilt by association kinda way :p

And when you've got both at once, a la Jekko in Batman: TAS' "Be a Clown," it reaches some sort of evil critical mass and drastically alters the laws of all that is good and right until you hear lines like "It's time for a little Bat-magic!" out of Batman's mouth.

[Juu-kuchi]

Negi-kun ain't evil, he just has a rather big problem of releasing a gust spell everytime he sneezes. This gust then proceeds to blow up his students' skirts or even blow away all their clothes.

[The Weed Of Cri]

Anyone else notice that almost everytime they show a magician in a cartoon, 90% of the time, he's evil? What's the deal with that? I'm proboly thinking far too much into it but it's a strange reacurring thing.In the mid-90's, there was a Saban series called "Tenko And The Guardians Of The Magic", about the fictionalized adventures of a real-life Japanese stage magician called Princess Tenko. It was a huge flop; never made it past 13 episodes. Maybe this gave people the idea that using magicians as heroes didn't work as a concept.:anime:

[Anyone00]

In the mid-90's, there was a Saban series called "Tenko And The Guardians Of The Magic", about the fictionalized adventures of a real-life Japanese stage magician called Princess Tenko. It was a huge flop; never made it past 13 episodes. Maybe this gave people the idea that using magicians as heroes didn't work as a concept.:anime:
Didn't they also try that with Sigfried(sp?) and Roy?

[Sommons the Conan O'Brian Sigfried and Roy graphic transition]

"Oh, Sigfried!" "Oh, Roy!"

[The Weed Of Cri]

Didn't they also try that with Sigfried(sp?) and Roy?

[Sommons the Conan O'Brian Sigfried and Roy graphic transition]

"Oh, Sigfried!" "Oh, Roy!"
Yes, there was a three-part Sigfried & Roy animated mini-series. I think Fox ran it in their weekday-afternoon block several years ago. It's also avialable on DVD. It wasn't very good and the voices of Sigfried and Roy, like Princess Tenko in her show, were done by other actors.

[sag_2002]

In the mid-90's, there was a Saban series called "Tenko And The Guardians Of The Magic", about the fictionalized adventures of a real-life Japanese stage magician called Princess Tenko. It was a huge flop; never made it past 13 episodes. Maybe this gave people the idea that using magicians as heroes didn't work as a concept.:anime:
I remember seeing a few episodes back in the early days of the old Fox Family Channel (now known as ABC Family, of course). I think I may be one of the only real fans of that show.

[Classic Speedy]

The magician from the King of the Hill episode "Sleight of Hank" wasn't evil, but he was Hank's nemesis because he couldn't figure out the trick and the magician kept rubbing his nose in it.

"For this next trick, I will need... a beautiful womans."
"He won't get far... without his KEYS, ladies and gentlemen!"

[Hordesman]

10 posts in, and no one has mentioned The Magician from 1999 on Fox Kids. No wonder everyone usually sees them as evil characters. When one of them is a good guy, no one watches the show.
Was that the show that was a Batman knockoff kinda thing? I remember seeing its toyline in an Italian toystore some years ago.

[Tash]

I think it's because of the evil magician in that old Bugs Bunny cartoon. Those can leave a lasting impression.

[Tak Mazé]

What about Magical Trevor? Was he evil? ;)
OK that probably doesn't count I'm sorry -_-
(runs)

[Captain C]

10 posts in, and no one has mentioned The Magician from 1999 on Fox Kids. No wonder everyone usually sees them as evil characters. When one of them is a good guy, no one watches the show.I remember that show. I think it mainly didn't work because it came on at the same time as Pokemon which in '99 was instant DEATH!