Pete Junior facts for kids

P.J. Pete is a well-known Disney character. He is the son of Pete, who is often a villain in Disney stories. P.J. first appeared in a cartoon called "Bellboy Donald" in 1942. Back then, he was known as Pete Junior.

Later, P.J. was reimagined for the 1992 TV show Goof Troop. In this show, he became a main character alongside his mother, Peg, and his younger sister, Pistol. P.J. also plays an important role in the 1995 movie A Goofy Movie and its sequel, An Extremely Goofy Movie, released in 2000. Clarence Nash voiced P.J. in his first cartoon. Later, Rob Paulsen took over his voice in all other appearances.

About P.J. Pete

P.J. Pete is always shown as the best friend of Max Goof. Just like Max, P.J. grows older in each of his appearances. P.J. is often a bit nervous and unsure of himself. He worries a lot about getting in trouble with his father, Pete, who is very strict. Their relationship is often based on fear, which is very different from the loving bond between Max and Goofy. P.J. even calls his dad "sir."

P.J.'s Personality and Skills

Even though P.J. doesn't usually come up with the big ideas, he is very helpful and polite. He is also sensitive, honest, and works hard. He often thinks about what might happen if a plan goes wrong. Physically, P.J. is quite strong and tough. He can do a lot of hard work, which his lazier father often takes advantage of. However, inside, he can be scared because his father often makes him feel controlled, as seen in A Goofy Movie.

P.J. enjoys fun activities like bike riding and skateboarding. He also likes playing video games and watching TV. But his father often pushes him into activities that are more "manly," which P.J. doesn't always enjoy.

How P.J. Looks

P.J. looks a lot like his father, Pete, but he is not as big or bulky. Because their personalities are so different, P.J. has a much friendlier look on his face. As the TV series and movies go on, P.J. gets bigger in size, but he doesn't actually get fatter.

P.J.'s behavior is almost the complete opposite of his father's. He often shows fear of Pete. He worries about spending time with him or failing to obey him. Pete seems to think this fear means P.J. respects him. P.J. often wants to get away from his father. Their relationship is clearly about fear and control. This is a big contrast to the much healthier relationship between Max and Goofy.

P.J.'s Appearances

Early Days: Bellboy Donald (1942)

An early version of Pete Junior appeared as the main troublemaker in the short cartoon "Bellboy Donald." In this cartoon, Junior was much more like his father, Pete. He was bratty, liked to cause problems, and was sneaky. His appearance was also different. He was much smaller and had bigger ears than the P.J. we know today.

Goof Troop (1992 TV Series)

In the TV series Goof Troop, P.J. is 11 years old. He lives right next door to Goofy and Max. In this show, P.J.'s relationship with his father, Pete, is clearly based on fear. Pete often bullies P.J. into doing chores without thanks. He also manipulates, insults, and punishes P.J. for small mistakes. P.J. is shown to fear his father more often than he loves him. He really wants his father's approval, even though he is scared.

In the first episode, P.J. sadly tells Max he can't play with anything in his room. This is because his dad bought them all as collector's items. In another episode, Pete pretends to be very sick. He does this just to trick P.J. into doing his job so Pete can have a day off.

P.J. is usually seen hanging out with Max. At one point, P.J. says that Max is his only friend. P.J. often gets talked into helping with Max's plans. But he also shows he can be brave when Max or even his father truly need him. He also has more self-control than Pete. P.J. knows when a plan is going too far and when it's smart to give up.

A Goofy Movie (1995 Film)

In A Goofy Movie, P.J. is a teenager in high school. He helps Max try to impress Roxanne. He videotapes Max dancing to Powerline's new song. P.J. was very scared to do this in case his dad found out, which he did. After they get caught, P.J. says, "Oh man, my dad is gonna smash me like a bug."

Later, P.J. briefly appears cleaning Pete's RV with a floor-buffer. Max thinks P.J. is lucky to travel in Pete's fancy RV. But P.J. tells Max that Max is the lucky one. Everyone has heard that Max will be on stage with Powerline. Max then tells P.J. that it was a lie to impress Roxanne. He hasn't told Goofy about it.

Pete and P.J. meet Goofy and Max again at a motel. Max tells P.J. that he changed the map to go to L.A. Pete overhears this and tells Goofy. P.J. makes a very short final appearance. He is cleaning the RV while watching Max on TV. In Goof Troop, all characters were equally important. But in this movie, P.J. and Pete's roles were less important than Goofy and Max's.

An Extremely Goofy Movie (2000 Film)

In An Extremely Goofy Movie, P.J. is a college student. He has grown bigger, almost as large as Pete and nearly as tall as Goofy. P.J. is seen a lot throughout this movie. He shares a dorm room with Max and Bobby. He is also on their team for the College X Games. P.J., Max, and Bobby travel to college in Bobby's van.

When they arrive, Bradley Uppercrust III follows them to a café. Bradley is the college X Games "king." He offers Max a spot on his team, but not P.J. or Bobby. Max says no. When Tank, Bradley's helper, threatens Bobby, P.J. defends him with a biscotti. Later, P.J. makes a joke about Bradley's fraternity name, Gamma Mu Mu. Tank punishes him with a wedgie.

P.J.'s personality changes when he meets the Beret Girl at the disco. After he speaks poetically to her, she asks him to dance. After this, he becomes a bit of a "beatnik." His casual blue T-shirt and green shorts change to a black turtleneck, black pants, and a beret. His team makes it to the finals. But P.J. cannot race in the final event. Bradley straps rockets to his boots and blasts him out of the arena. P.J.'s best event is shown to be bike riding. At the very end of the movie, P.J. is seen reading poetry to Beret Girl.

DuckTales (2017 TV Series)

P.J. makes a quick appearance in the 2017 DuckTales series. He is seen in one of Goofy's wallet photos in the episode "Quack Pack!".

P.J. in Other Media

Video Games

P.J. appeared in the Goof Troop video game. This game was released on the SNES gaming system. In the game, P.J. and Pete are captured by pirates. Goofy and Max must save them. P.J. has a small role as a NPC, meaning you don't play as him.

Comic Books

P.J.'s first appearance in a comic book was in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories No. 21 (June 1942). This comic was based on the "Bellboy Donald" cartoon. He also appeared in several comic strips based on the Goof Troop TV series. In 1996, he was in the comic book version of A Goofy Movie.

Merchandise

In 1991, Kellogg's cereal offered a P.J. figure. It was part of a set of 2.5-inch Goof Troop figures found in cereal boxes. Kellogg's also released Goof Troop "squirters." These toys squirted water when squeezed. You could get them by buying cereal and sending in proof of purchase.

In 1992, Burger King released a P.J. figure. It was part of their "Goof Troop Bowlers" set. When you pulled it back, it would race forward. Other P.J. merchandise includes a "bendem" figure. This was part of a set that also had Max, Goofy, and Pistol. This figure showed P.J. as he appeared in A Goofy Movie.