Darkwing Duck facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Darkwing Duck
Genre	Superhero stories Comedy
Created by	Tad Stones (uncredited)
Voices of	Jim Cummings Christine Cavanaugh Terry McGovern
Theme music composer	Steve Nelson Thom Sharp
Composer(s)	Philip Giffin
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	91 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time	22 minutes
Production company(s)	Walt Disney Television Animation Walt Disney Television
Distributor	Buena Vista Television
Release
Original network	The Disney Channel (1991) Syndication (1991–1995) ABC (1991–1993)
Picture format	SD: 4:3 (broadcast/DVD release) HD: 16:9 (streaming)
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	September 8, 1991 (1991-09-08) – December 5, 1992 (1992-12-05)

Darkwing Duck is an exciting American superhero comedy cartoon series from Disney Television Animation. It first aired from 1991 to 1992. The show was seen on a special block called The Disney Afternoon and on Saturday mornings on ABC. In total, 91 episodes were made.

The series follows the adventures of Darkwing Duck. He is a superhero, but his secret identity is an ordinary duck named Drake Mallard. Drake lives in a quiet suburban house.

Some fans used to think Darkwing Duck was a spin-off from the 1987 DuckTales series. However, the creator, Tad Stones, said in 2016 that he believes the two shows are in different universes. Even so, characters like Launchpad McQuack and Gizmoduck appear in both shows. Also, Scrooge McDuck is mentioned in a Darkwing Duck episode. Later comic books for both series also featured crossovers, where characters from one show appeared in the other.

What the Show is About

Darkwing Duck is all about the adventures of its main superhero. He gets help from his sidekick and pilot, Launchpad McQuack, who you might know from DuckTales. In his secret life, Darkwing is Drake Mallard. He lives in a normal house with his adopted daughter, Gosalyn. Their neighbors are the funny Muddlefoot family.

Darkwing tries to balance his desire for fame with being a good dad to Gosalyn. He also wants to help the city of St. Canard. Most episodes show these two sides of Darkwing. Usually, his good nature wins out in the end.

This show was the first Disney Afternoon series to focus more on action than just adventure. Darkwing often gets into funny fights with supervillains and regular criminals. While other Disney shows had villains, actual fight scenes were not as common.

Darkwing Duck was also the first Disney Afternoon show that was a complete parody. This means it made fun of other types of stories. Every episode is full of jokes and references to superhero, adventure, or spy stories. Darkwing Duck himself is a funny character. His costume, gas gun, and flashy introductions are like those of old pulp heroes and Golden Age superheroes. Think of characters like The Shadow, Batman, and The Green Hornet. The city where he lives, St. Canard, is a direct parody of Gotham City. "Canard" is the French word for "duck."

Episodes

Characters

How the Show Was Made

Darkwing Duck was created quickly to replace a planned reboot of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. Disney realized they didn't own the rights to those characters.

The show was inspired by the very popular series DuckTales. Darkwing Duck started production about a year after DuckTales finished. Specifically, it was inspired by two DuckTales episodes: "Double-O-Duck" where Launchpad McQuack acts as a secret agent, and "The Masked Mallard" where Scrooge McDuck becomes a masked superhero. The name "The Masked Mallard" became a nickname for Darkwing in the new show.

Tad Stones was asked to create a series for The Disney Afternoon based on the idea of "Double-O-Duck." An executive liked the name because it sounded like James Bond. They thought Launchpad McQuack would be the main star. However, the title "Double-O Duck" could not be used because the Broccoli family, who own the James Bond movies, owned the "double-o" title.

So, a new name was chosen: "Darkwing Duck." Tad Stones then designed a new main character, Drake Mallard. Launchpad McQuack became his sidekick. This new name also led to a new look for the hero. Other parts of the show, like Darkwing making up new catchphrases every time he appeared, were created during production. As a joke, one episode had Drake suggest "Double-O Duck" as his new secret identity, and Launchpad said it "seems kinda silly."

Most Disney Afternoon shows before Darkwing Duck used some existing cartoon characters. But Darkwing Duck had a completely new cast. Even the DuckTales characters it used were new versions, not from old Disney shorts or comics. The only exception was an episode called "In Like Blunt," which had small appearances by the Beagle Boys, Flintheart Glomgold, and Magica De Spell.

Where to Watch It (Home Media)

VHS Tapes

Four VHS tapes of Darkwing Duck were released in the United States on March 23, 1993. They were called Darkwing Duck: His Favorite Adventures. Each tape had one or two episodes. These included "Darkly Dawns the Duck," "Justice Ducks Unite!," "Comic Book Capers," and "Birth of Negaduck!". Many other countries only got the first two tapes. Each video came with two special "glow-in-the-Darkwing" trading cards. The tapes also had a Darkwing Duck music video at the end.

Other special VHS releases included Darkwing Duck episodes with other Disney shows. For example, "It's a Wonderful Leaf" was released with a Goof Troop episode in 1993. "Ghoul of My Dreams" was released with a Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers episode in 1996.

UK, Australia and New Zealand releases

Seven VHS tapes with 12 episodes were released in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

DVD Releases

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released two DVD box sets. "Darkwing Duck - Volume 1" came out on August 29, 2006. It had 25 episodes, plus the two-part pilot "Darkly Dawns the Duck." The second volume, with 27 more episodes, was released on August 7, 2007. These DVD sets did not have any special bonus features. It's not known if Disney plans to release the rest of the episodes on DVD. No official DVDs have been released outside of the United States and Canada.

Streaming Services

In the United States, most of the series can be bought on the iTunes Store and Google TV. The only episode not available is "Hot Spells". You can buy them in six separate volumes or as a complete series pack.

The series (except for "Hot Spells") is also available to watch on the Disney+ streaming service.

Internationally, the whole series, including "Hot Spells," can be bought on Amazon Prime Video in Germany.

Awards and Nominations

Darkwing Duck received several awards and nominations for its animation and voice acting.

Other Appearances

Video Games

Darkwing Duck has appeared in several video games:

• A Darkwing Duck video game was released by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1992. It was a platform side-scroller. A slightly simpler version was made for the Game Boy in 1993.
• A different Darkwing Duck game was released for the TurboGrafx-16 in 1992. This was also an action side-scroller.
• A hand-held LCD game by Tiger Electronics was released in 1992.
• A mobile phone game called Darkwing Duck came out in 2010.
• In Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes (2.0 Edition), there were two power discs related to Darkwing Duck. Darkwing Duck himself was a townsperson in the game's Toy Box mode. He was almost a playable character.
• Darkwing Duck was also considered for Disney Infinity 3.0 but lost in a fan poll.
• Darkwing Duck was added to Disney Emoji Blitz in 2017.
• Darkwing Duck was added to Disney Heroes: Battle Mode in January 2019. Megavolt joined the game in November 2019.

Comic Books

Disney Comics released a four-issue Darkwing Duck comic book mini-series in late 1991. This series was based on an early script for "Darkly Dawns the Duck." While a regular comic series was planned, it didn't happen at the time. However, Darkwing Duck stories were often printed in Disney Adventures magazine and in Marvel Comics' Disney Afternoon comic book.

BOOM! Studios Comics

In 2010, BOOM! Studios announced a new four-issue Darkwing Duck comic series called "The Duck Knight Returns." It was written by Aaron Sparrow and Ian Brill, and drawn by James Silvani. The story took place one year after the TV show ended. Because fans loved it so much, BOOM! decided to make it an ongoing series.

These comics connected Darkwing Duck more closely to DuckTales. They featured characters like Magica De Spell and even Scrooge McDuck. There was also a four-part crossover story with the DuckTales comics called "Dangerous Currency." The comics also included fun references to other Disney shows.

The series ended with its eighteenth issue in October 2011 because BOOM! Studios lost the Disney Comics license.

Joe Books Comics

In 2016, it was reported that Darkwing Duck comics would return with Joe Books. Aaron Sparrow and James Silvani, who worked on the previous comics, returned. The first issue, "Orange is the New Purple," came out on April 27, 2016. This comic series was canceled after eight issues due to low sales.

IDW Publishing Comics

In 2018, it was announced that the BOOM! Studios comics would be reprinted in a collection called Disney's Afternoon Giant.

Theme Park Appearances

• In 1991, Darkwing Duck was part of Mickey's Magical TV World at Walt Disney World.
• From 1991 to 1997, Darkwing Duck appeared in Disney on Ice, Double Feature... Live!.
• In 2013, Darkwing appeared at Disneyland Paris for the Disney Dreamers Everywhere Event.
• In September 2014, Darkwing appeared at Disney's California Adventure for meet and greets.
• In 2018, Darkwing attended the Disney FanDaze event at Walt Disney Studios Park Paris.

Cameos in Other TV Shows

Darkwing Duck and other characters from the show have made guest appearances in other Disney cartoons:

• Goof Troop (1992–1993): Quackerjack appeared on Max's watch. Darkwing Duck also appeared in comics and on TV screens in some episodes.
• Raw Toonage (1992): Gosalyn made a guest appearance.
• Bonkers (1993–1994): Darkwing appeared in a dream sequence and in three other episodes.
• Aladdin (1994–1995): The Genie turned into Darkwing Duck in one episode.
• Quack Pack (1996):
• Robot Chicken (2011): This show had a parody segment about old cartoon characters, including Darkwing Duck.

DuckTales (2017 Reboot)

In the new DuckTales reboot, Darkwing Duck plays a big role. At first, it's shown as an old TV show that Launchpad McQuack loves. The show-within-a-show features Darkwing fighting villains like Quackerjack and Megavolt. Launchpad mentions that the actor playing Darkwing is Jim Starling, a nod to Jim Cummings, Darkwing's original voice actor.

Darkwing's first major role in the reboot is in the episode "The Duck Knight Returns." In this story, Drake Mallard becomes the new Darkwing in a movie made by Scrooge McDuck. After some exciting events, Launchpad convinces Drake to become a real superhero. The old actor, Jim Starling, secretly survives and becomes Negaduck.

Drake later helps fight the Moonlanders and appears in other episodes. F.O.W.L., an evil organization from the original Darkwing Duck show, also appears in the DuckTales reboot. New versions of Gosalyn and Taurus Bulba are introduced in the two-part episode "Let's Get Dangerous!"

New Show in Development

A new Darkwing Duck show is being developed for Disney+. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are involved in making this new series. It's not yet confirmed if this new show will be connected to the DuckTales reboot.

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