| Harvey Birdman | |
|---|---|
| Birdman and the Galaxy TrioandHarvey Birdman, Attorney at Law character | |
 Harvey Birdman inHarvey Birdman: Attorney General (2018). | |
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| Last appearance |
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| Created by | Alex Toth |
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| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | |
| Significantother | Gravity Girl |
| Nationality | American |
Harvey Raymond Randall Birdman is afictionalsuperhero/attorney at law who first appeared on theHanna-Barbera showBirdman and the Galaxy Trio (1967–1968) asRay Randall, Birdman, voiced byKeith Andes.[1] After returning asguest host inSpace Ghost Coast to Coast (1994–2001; 2001–2004; 2006–2008) asHarvey Birdman, voiced by Scott Finnell, he received a newspin-off solo series inHarvey Birdman, Attorney at Law (2000–2007), voiced byGary Cole, depicting his legal career.[2] The character returned asUnited States Attorney General inHarvey Birdman: Attorney General (2018).
Birdman was an ordinary human who has been endowed by the sun godRa with the ability to shoot solar rays from his fists and project quasi-solid "solar shields" to defend himself against attacks. Birdman's origin is only vaguely, and only briefly, hinted at during the series. His real name is there given as Raymond "Ray" Randall. After he had acquired his avian—and other—powers, he was recruited by a top-secret government agency, Inter-Nation Security, and now works full-time fighting crime, assisted by his pet eagle, who responds to the name of "Avenger." In addition to the abilities he received from Ra, Birdman also possesses the power of flight, thanks to the giant wings which sprout from his back. His sole weakness is that he has to recharge his powers periodically, through exposure either to the sun's rays or to a comparable source of heat or light.
In the 1990s,Cartoon Network decided to base new comedy shows on older characters (although in many cases, that simply meant creating a more or less original character sharing their basic name and appearance). Their earliest show of this style wasSpace Ghost Coast to Coast, where Birdman appeared in five episodes, voiced by Scott Finnell. On the show, he was portrayed comically; depressed, out-of-work and desperate for money. Birdman hosted the show in the episodes "Pilot" and "Sequel", and was fired on both occasions. It was here revealed, contradicting the originalBirdman show, that his first name was Harvey. "Harvey Birdman" was the name that writerEvan Dorkin came up with.[citation needed]
Birdman later got his own show,Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, now voiced byGary Cole. In the show, Harvey is a defense attorney, and his clients are generally classicHanna-Barbera characters given new roles (Fred Flintstone appears, for example, as a mafia don, andBoo-Boo Bear is accused in one episode of being a mad bomber). Many of Birdman's former associates and enemies appear on the show in supporting roles (the character Reducto, now given the first name Myron, regularly appears as a prosecuting attorney, andMentok the Mind-Taker judges cases from late season one onward). Instead of being a clever superhero, this version of Birdman is portrayed as a semi-competent, bungling lawyer, although among the series's increasingly outlandish cast of characters, he is often thestraight man. In the series finale, "The Death of Harvey Birdman", he returns to his superheroing ways, defeating an old enemy before being suddenly hit with a bus and killed.
Division ofWarner Bros. Discovery | |
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| Cartoonito | |
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| Defunct | |
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Birdman | |
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