Who Censored Roger Rabbit?: Difference between revisions

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
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[[File:CensoredRabbit_4645.jpg|frame]]
[[File:CensoredRabbit_4645.jpg|frame]]


In the first book, we're introduced to our protagonist, hard-drinking, [[Fantastic Racism|Toon-hating]], [[Hardboiled Detective]] Eddie Valiant, hired by the famous [[Newspaper Comics|comic strip]] star Roger Rabbit to discover why his employers, Rocco and Dominick DeGreasy, have withheld their promise of giving Roger his own newspaper strip instead of constantly [[Straight Man|playing him as a foil]] for their biggest star, Baby Herman. This novel is set in [[The Eighties]] and features several odd fantasy elements that those familiar only with [[Who Framed Roger Rabbit?|the movie]] may find a bit strange, most notably the fact that in this version the Toons are not indestructible, but can create doppelgangers to do their most dangerous stunts for them. The two versions share only four characters: Eddie, Roger, Jessica, and Benny, although the last one appears as Bennie the Beetle rather than Benny the Cab.
In the first book, we're introduced to our protagonist, hard-drinking, [[Fantastic Racism|Toon-hating]], [[Hardboiled Detective]] Eddie Valiant, hired by the famous [[Newspaper Comics|comic strip]] star Roger Rabbit to discover why his employers, Rocco and Dominick DeGreasy, have withheld their promise of giving Roger his own newspaper strip instead of constantly [[Straight Man|playing him as a foil]] for their biggest star, Baby Herman. This novel is set in [[The Eighties]] and features several odd fantasy elements that those familiar only with [[Who Framed Roger Rabbit?|the movie]] may find a bit strange, most notably the fact that in this version the Toons are not indestructible, but can create doppelgangers to do their most dangerous stunts for them. The two versions share only four characters: Eddie, Roger, Jessica, and Benny, although the last one appears as Bennie the Beetle rather than Benny the Cab.


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The first short story is very rare, but the second is available for free at [http://garywolf.com/ the author's website.]
The first short story is very rare, but the second is available for free at [http://garywolf.com/ the author's website.]


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=== This series contains examples of: ===
=== This series contains examples of: ===
* [[Affectionate Parody]]: of [[Comics]], [[Western Animation]], and [[Film Noir]].
* [[Affectionate Parody]]: of [[Comics]], [[Western Animation]], and [[Film Noir]].
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* [[Bizarre Alien Biology|Bizarre Alien (in this case, cartoon) Biology]]
* [[Bizarre Alien Biology|Bizarre Alien (in this case, cartoon) Biology]]
* [[By-The-Book Cop]]: Toon police Captain "Clever" Cleaver.
* [[By-The-Book Cop]]: Toon police Captain "Clever" Cleaver.
* [[Canon Immigrant]]: [[Who Framed Roger Rabbit?|Doris and Benny the Cab]] make cameo appearances in the second book, and Teddy Valiant is also mentioned.
* [[Canon Immigrant]]: [[Who Framed Roger Rabbit?|Doris and Benny the Cab]] make cameo appearances in the second book, and Teddy Valiant is also mentioned.
* [[Can't Grow Up]]: Some Toons age normally, but others can't--Baby Herman, for example.
* [[Can't Grow Up]]: Some Toons age normally, but others can't--Baby Herman, for example.
* [[Cargo Envy]]: Jessica's cigarettes tend to inspire this.
* [[Cargo Envy]]: Jessica's cigarettes tend to inspire this.
* [[Cloudcuckoolander]]: Roger Rabbit, in all but his first-book incarnation.
* [[Cloudcuckoolander]]: Roger Rabbit, in all but his first-book incarnation.
* [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]]: The DeGreasy Brothers, and millionaire Hollywood exec "Big Bull" Topman.
* [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]]: The DeGreasy Brothers, and millionaire Hollywood exec "Big Bull" Topman.
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* [[Drowning My Sorrows]]: Eddie's response to pretty much any problem that comes up. (Admittedly, he drinks a lot anyway.) In the second book, Roger tries it after {{spoiler|he finds out that Jessica is philandering}}, and Eddie notes that there are whole bars meant just for catering to this kind of difficulty.
* [[Drowning My Sorrows]]: Eddie's response to pretty much any problem that comes up. (Admittedly, he drinks a lot anyway.) In the second book, Roger tries it after {{spoiler|he finds out that Jessica is philandering}}, and Eddie notes that there are whole bars meant just for catering to this kind of difficulty.
* [[Dying Clue]]: Toons create word balloons when they speak (unless they consciously choose not to). A word balloon containing Roger's final words is found at the scene of the crime, but it's ambiguous without knowing the way the words were said.
* [[Dying Clue]]: Toons create word balloons when they speak (unless they consciously choose not to). A word balloon containing Roger's final words is found at the scene of the crime, but it's ambiguous without knowing the way the words were said.
** In the sequel, the same thing happens when {{spoiler|Enigman}} dies.
** In the sequel, the same thing happens when {{spoiler|Enigman}} dies.
* [[Evil Twin]]: Dodger Rabbit.
* [[Evil Twin]]: Dodger Rabbit.
* [[Expospeak Gag]]: Delancey Duck gets one in the second book.
* [[Expospeak Gag]]: Delancey Duck gets one in the second book.
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*** Though Bugs is mentioned in the book as taking a part from Roger as the March Hare in Alice in Wonderland.
*** Though Bugs is mentioned in the book as taking a part from Roger as the March Hare in Alice in Wonderland.
** 'Poopdeck' Pappy is also Popeye's real father in the Popeye comics. Maybe less an expy and more the [[Lawyer-Friendly Cameo]]?
** 'Poopdeck' Pappy is also Popeye's real father in the Popeye comics. Maybe less an expy and more the [[Lawyer-Friendly Cameo]]?
* [[Family Theme Naming]]: In the second book, Eddie's siblings are named Teddy, Freddy and Heddy. Heddy, said to have taken after her mother as far as theme-naming goes, named ''all three'' of her sons after their dad.
* [[Family Theme Naming]]: In the second book, Eddie's siblings are named Teddy, Freddy and Heddy. Heddy, said to have taken after her mother as far as theme-naming goes, named ''all three'' of her sons after their dad.
* [[Fantastic Noir]]: Possibly the [[Trope Maker]].
* [[Fantastic Noir]]: Possibly the [[Trope Maker]].
* [[Fantastic Racism]]: Toons are heavily discriminated against; one scene in the first book has Eddie and Roger having difficulties finding a good meeting spot, since bars are either human-only or toon-only, resulting in a [[Deconstruction]]. It is also revealed that in this world, toons have fulfilled the roles that certain non-white minorities have fallen into in ours, such as building the railroads.
* [[Fantastic Racism]]: Toons are heavily discriminated against; one scene in the first book has Eddie and Roger having difficulties finding a good meeting spot, since bars are either human-only or toon-only, resulting in a [[Deconstruction]]. It is also revealed that in this world, toons have fulfilled the roles that certain non-white minorities have fallen into in ours, such as building the railroads.
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* [[Historical Domain Character]]: Any of the movie stars appearing in the second book.
* [[Historical Domain Character]]: Any of the movie stars appearing in the second book.
* [[Historical Fiction]]
* [[Historical Fiction]]
* [[Improbable Species Compatibility]]
* [[Hot Skitty-On-Wailord Action]]
* [[Humanity Ensues]]: A major plot point in the second book is a substance called "[[Applied Phlebotinum|Toon Tonic]]", which can {{spoiler|transform humans into Toons and vice-versa. Roger brews himself some and becomes a red-haired, pale-skinned, large-eared man, adjusting rather awkwardly to changes such as [[Four-Fingered Hands|the fact that he now has five fingers]] and no longer produces speech balloons}}.
* [[Humanity Ensues]]: A major plot point in the second book is a substance called "[[Applied Phlebotinum|Toon Tonic]]", which can {{spoiler|transform humans into Toons and vice-versa. Roger brews himself some and becomes a red-haired, pale-skinned, large-eared man, adjusting rather awkwardly to changes such as [[Four-Fingered Hands|the fact that he now has five fingers]] and no longer produces speech balloons}}.
* [[Hurricane of Puns]]: Plenty. For instance, in "Who P-P-P-Plugged Roger Rabbit?", the narration of the scene in which Eddie Valiant visits Delancey Duck's office is overflowing with duck puns.
* [[Hurricane of Puns]]: Plenty. For instance, in "Who P-P-P-Plugged Roger Rabbit?", the narration of the scene in which Eddie Valiant visits Delancey Duck's office is overflowing with duck puns.
* [[Interspecies Romance]]: Of course, Roger's and Jessica's romance only ''looks'' like one; Toons take radically different shapes, but they're a species unto themselves. A more straight example would be Jessica's affairs and flirtations with various human characters. {{spoiler|In the second book, Eddie's sister Heddy is married to a Toon and they have three children}}.
* [[Interspecies Romance]]: Of course, Roger's and Jessica's romance only ''looks'' like one; Toons take radically different shapes, but they're a species unto themselves. A more straight example would be Jessica's affairs and flirtations with various human characters. {{spoiler|In the second book, Eddie's sister Heddy is married to a Toon and they have three children}}.
* [[Jackass Genie]]
* [[Jackass Genie]]
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* [[Odd Couple]]: Roger (cheery, silly, and naive) and Eddie (serious, no-nonsense, and street-smart), in the second book and the movie.
* [[Odd Couple]]: Roger (cheery, silly, and naive) and Eddie (serious, no-nonsense, and street-smart), in the second book and the movie.
* [[Older Than They Look]]: Baby Herman, who resembles an infant but is, in fact, thirty-six years old.
* [[Older Than They Look]]: Baby Herman, who resembles an infant but is, in fact, thirty-six years old.
* [[Only Sane Man]]: Tadbitty Stifles, a hapless human dramatic actor and part-time bodyguard to Big Bull Topman's wayward son.
* [[Only Sane Man]]: Tadbitty Stifles, a hapless human dramatic actor and part-time bodyguard to Big Bull Topman's wayward son.
* [[Our Founder]]: the founders of the ''Toontown Telltale'', a gossip tabloid.
* [[Our Founder]]: the founders of the ''Toontown Telltale'', a gossip tabloid.
* [[Pass Fail]]: {{spoiler|1=The DeGreasys.}}
* [[Pass Fail]]: {{spoiler|1=The DeGreasys.}}
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* [[Private Eye Monologue]]
* [[Private Eye Monologue]]
* [[Punny Name]]
* [[Punny Name]]
* [[Really Gets Around]]: Jessica.
* [[Really Gets Around]]: Jessica.
* [[Roger Rabbit Effect]]
* [[Roger Rabbit Effect]]
* [[Shapeshifting]]
* [[Shapeshifting]]
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* [[Species Surname]]: Before meeting Jessica Rabbit, Eddie assumes that she's a Toon rabbit. Turns out that "Rabbit" is her married name via Roger Rabbit and she's a humanoid Toon. The trope is also frequently used for background characters--Dodger Rabbit, Carbuncle Chameleon, Delancey Duck, etc.--in the tradition of Golden Age cartoons.
* [[Species Surname]]: Before meeting Jessica Rabbit, Eddie assumes that she's a Toon rabbit. Turns out that "Rabbit" is her married name via Roger Rabbit and she's a humanoid Toon. The trope is also frequently used for background characters--Dodger Rabbit, Carbuncle Chameleon, Delancey Duck, etc.--in the tradition of Golden Age cartoons.
* [[Speech Bubbles]]: They literally appear above the toons as physical objects. One bubble becomes a piece of evidence in Roger's murder.
* [[Speech Bubbles]]: They literally appear above the toons as physical objects. One bubble becomes a piece of evidence in Roger's murder.
* [[Super Drowning Skills]]: Delancey Duck can't even remotely swim. He mentions that just because [[Donald Duck|Donald]] and [[Daffy Duck|Daffy]] can do it doesn't mean all ducks can.
* [[Super Drowning Skills]]: Delancey Duck can't even remotely swim. He mentions that just because [[Donald Duck|Donald]] and [[Daffy Duck|Daffy]] can do it doesn't mean all ducks can.
* [[Sympathetic Murderer]]: {{spoiler|Roger, in the first book.}}
* [[Sympathetic Murderer]]: {{spoiler|Roger, in the first book.}}
** {{spoiler|Well, he was going to frame Eddie Valiant for the murder, so your sympathy can only stretch so much.}}
** {{spoiler|Well, he was going to frame Eddie Valiant for the murder, so your sympathy can only stretch so much.}}

Revision as of 07:49, 5 October 2014

A note to my clients:

Roger Rabbit and his screwball buddies play fast and loose with historical accuracy. That's the way things happen in Toontown. Take it from a guy who's been there. Relax, hang on, and enjoy the ride.

Eddie Valiant
Private Eye
Los Angeles, California
1947, more or less

Science Fiction writer Gary K. Wolf, having written a number of novels such as Killerbowl and The Resurrectionist in his genre of choice, wanted his next work to be something a little different, perhaps something that had to do with his two other great loves: detective novels and comic strips. Then, one day, when watching children's morning TV for research purposes, he noticed a commercial wherein several animated kids' cereal mascots interacted with live-action children. And thus, the world of Who Censored Roger Rabbit? was born!

In these novels, human beings who look and act much like you and me live side-by-side with an oppressed minority of living, breathing cartoon characters called Toons, who look and act exactly as they do on animated cartoons and comic strips but are unable to produce sound, communicating via visible dialogue balloons, (though they can -- with some effort -- suppress their word balloons and speak; Jessica Rabbit does this, which makes her sexier to humans). The series features various recurring characters but otherwise has a very loose continuity, to mimic the format of old-fashioned anthology-style cartoons such as the Looney Tunes.

The series has, of course, inspired a very successful feature film. Possibly someday to be two.

The series consists of:

  • Who Censored Roger Rabbit?
  • Who P-P-P-Plugged Roger Rabbit?
  • Hare's Looking at you, Babs! (short story)
  • Stay Tooned, Folks! (short story)

A third novel exists, to be published after the release of the second movie.

In the first book, we're introduced to our protagonist, hard-drinking, Toon-hating, Hardboiled Detective Eddie Valiant, hired by the famous comic strip star Roger Rabbit to discover why his employers, Rocco and Dominick DeGreasy, have withheld their promise of giving Roger his own newspaper strip instead of constantly playing him as a foil for their biggest star, Baby Herman. This novel is set in The Eighties and features several odd fantasy elements that those familiar only with the movie may find a bit strange, most notably the fact that in this version the Toons are not indestructible, but can create doppelgangers to do their most dangerous stunts for them. The two versions share only four characters: Eddie, Roger, Jessica, and Benny, although the last one appears as Bennie the Beetle rather than Benny the Cab.

The second book is a direct sequel to Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and totally disregards any continuity established in the first book. Like the movie, this is set in 1947 and features Eddie and Roger as an Odd Couple-style ensemble, both sharing protagonist status (rather than having Eddie as the clear star of the show and Roger merely as his shifty client, as in the first book). The plot concerns famed Hollywood director David O. Selznick and his attempts to adapt the novel Gone with the Wind to film. But who will he cast as Rhett Butler, the male lead? Will it be Clark Gable, Baby Herman, or Roger Rabbit? Selznick cannot make up his mind about it! We're also introduced to Eddie's sister Heddy, who's married to a Toon, and other brother Freddy, who's been mysteriously transformed into one. Also involved are the foul doings of an evil Roger-lookalike, the smuggling of a mysterious chemical from South America, Jessica Rabbit's mysterious pregnancy and her (quite literally) "little" sister.

The first short story is very rare, but the second is available for free at the author's website.

This series contains examples of:

I looked up at the sky. It was one of those rare days when the Earth revolves a little faster and shoos away the smog. You could see a long way, but not half as far as Roger had gone.

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