Rascally Raccoon: Difference between revisions

"Commercials" -> "Advertising", "Tabletop RPG" -> "Tabletop Games", re-sorted the sections, did other minor cleanup
m (categories and general cleanup)
("Commercials" -> "Advertising", "Tabletop RPG" -> "Tabletop Games", re-sorted the sections, did other minor cleanup)
 
(4 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)
Line 1:
{{trope}}
[[File:Chibi_Sly_Cooper_by_lildarkangel99_576Chibi Sly Cooper by lildarkangel99 576.jpg|link=Sly Cooper (Video Game)|right]]
Raccoons' cute masked faces have led to countless fictional depictions as sly, thieving (though usually cute and cuddly) [[The Trickster|tricksters]]. Due to [[Added Alliterative AppealAlliteration]], most fictional raccoons are usually described as "rascals" (this word was used so often, it even became their [[Stock Animal Name]]!). Usually [[Rascally Raccoon|'''Rascally Raccoons]]''' are depicted as just playful, mischievous, maybe a bit disobedient – though portrayal as literal thiefs or kleptomaniacs isn't rare, either.
 
'''''Note:''''' ''This trope is not a list of all raccoons in fiction. Nor is it a list of all raccoons named "Rascal" (such examples should go into [[Stock Animal Name]]). Only raccoons with "rascally" personality apply here.''
 
A subtrope of [[Animal Stereotypes]]. Compare [[Cunning Like a Fox]]. For the Japanese raccoon dog that tends to get a similar treatment in fiction, see [[Tanuki]].
 
{{examples}}
== [[CommercialsAdvertising]] ==
* One ''Sears Optical'' commercial had a woman telling her cat to come back into her house, but ended up having a raccoon enter her house instead. Cue the raccoon being revealed to be very sick and biting her in her sleep.
 
== [[Anime]] &and [[Manga]] ==
* In 1977, Sterling North's book ''Rascal'' about a mischievous raccoon (see {{smallcaps|[[Literature]]}}) got an anime adaptation called ''Araiguma Rasukaru''.
** In 2005, the anime got a [[Chibi]] spin-off called ''Poka Poka Mori No Rascal''.
* Due to the very similar [[Animal Stereotypes]] and vaguely similar appearances of the two species, the [[Tanuki]] in ''[[Pom Poko]]'' were mistakenly identified as raccoons in the English dub.
 
== [[Commercials]] ==
* One ''Sears Optical'' commercial had a woman telling her cat to come back into her house, but ended up having a raccoon enter her house instead. Cue the raccoon being revealed to be very sick and biting her in her sleep.
 
== [[Film]] ==
* R.J. the lazy and thieving raccoon in ''[[Over the Hedge (Filmanimation)|Over the Hedge]]'' (see {{smallcaps|[[Newspaper Comics]]}}).
 
== [[Literature]] ==
* ''Rascal'' is a 1963 book by Sterling North about a boy who raises a pet raccoon, but eventually has to release him after the raccoon starts raiding fields and henhouses, and getting into trouble with other raccoons.
** "[[Stock Animal Name|Damn you]], Sterling North! [[Sandra and Woo (Webcomic)|Damn you]] [http://www.sandraandwoo.com/2008/11/03/nomenclature/ for all eternity!]"
* The ''Adam Raccoon'' series of Christian children's books, written and illustrated by none other than Glen Keane. According to one book's description, the series stars the "rascally, fun-loving Adam who wants to follow his King ''(a lion symbolizing Jesus)'', but finds it so easy to stray".
* A few books in the ''[[Hank the Cowdog]]'' feature Eddy the Rac, a cute little orphan raccoon. He's a nice kid, but his [[Trickster Archetype]] creeps up on him often.
* Children's author [[Avi]] has two books about a female raccoon named Amanda, including ''Keep Your Eye on Amanda!'', in which she wants to be a professional thief, and ''Amanda Joins the Circus'', which is [[Exactly What It Says Onon the Tin]]. This is an extremely rare example of the "rascal" stereotype applied to a female.
 
== [[Newspaper Comics]] ==
* R.J. the Raccoon from ''[[Over the Hedge (Comiccomic Stripstrip)|Over the Hedge]]'', a lazy con artist raccoon who likes to ransack human homes.
 
== [[Puppet Shows]] ==
* Rummage C. Raccoon on ''[[The Funday Pawpet Show]]''.
 
== [[Tabletop RPGGames]] ==
* In ''[[Dungeons and Dragons (Tabletop Game)|Dungeons and Dragons]]'', the gnomish deity Baervan Wildwanderer has a raccoon sidekick named Chiktikka, who tends to act before he thinks and steals items.
 
== [[Video Games]] ==
* In ''[[Sly Cooper (Video Game)|Sly Cooper]]'', the title character is descended from a line of master thief raccoons.
* The [[Pokémon]] Zigzagoon is clearly based on either the raccoon or the [[Tanuki]]. Its special ability in the game is Pick Up, which randomly finds items buried in the grass, and it learns several moves related to stealing. (Its evolution Linoone is based more on a badger.)
* ''[[Super Mario Bros 3 (Video Game)|Super Mario Bros 3]]'' featured a leaf powerup that gave Mario/Luigi a raccoon's ears and tail when transformed. It featured a similar powerup called the Tanuki suit, which also gave him the ability to become a statue. The powerup returned in ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]''.
 
== [[Web Comics]] ==
* ''[[Sandra and Woo (Webcomic)|Sandra and Woo]]'': one of the main characters is Woo, a smart-mouthed raccoon who is sometimes prone to mischief and raiding fridges.
* T-Rex from ''[[Dinosaur Comics (Webcomic)|Dinosaur Comics]]'' has raccoons living next door to him. Utahraptor and Dromeciomimus both think they're cute and fit this trope, but T-Rex finds them terrifying.
* Roger from ''[[The Whiteboard]]''.
* The Raccoon Family (drawn by ''[[Gene Catlow]]'' artist Albert Temple in his earlier works), but the three youngster raccoons qualify.
Line 50:
 
== [[Western Animation]] ==
* Rigby from ''[[Regular Show (Animation)|Regular Show]]'', who often tries to reach his goals through lying and cheating.
* ''[[The Penguins of Madagascar (Animation)|The Penguins of Madagascar]]'' episode "Mask of the Raccoon" focuses on a French-accented raccoon named Ze Archer, who "borrows" from others and says that he intends to ''give'' the stuff away. When his cover is blown (he's not really French and his name is Archie, and he's keeping the stuff for himself), the penguins use him to help give to the less fortunate.
* Wabuu, the cheeky raccoon from the [[Dingo Pictures]] films. He hops like a kangaroo and likes to pull practical jokes on other animals.
* Meeko, from ''[[Pocahontas (Disney)|Pocahontas]]''. He steals [[Mister Muffykins|Percy]]'s food as a [[Running Gag]].
* Carl Raccoon of ''[[Get Muggsy]]'' joins his opossum friend Tred in begging for food from humans.
 
Line 59:
[[Category:Mammal Tropes]]
[[Category:The Trickster]]
[[Category:Rascally Raccoon{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Alliterative Trope Titles]]