Peg-leg Pete / Black Pete

[Rod Davidek]

Luca Boschi and John Chadwick wrote:

> > Exactly WHEN did Peg-leg Pete become "Black Pete" ?

>I would suspect the change was first made officially somewhere in the
animated
>shorts and that the comics followed suit.

The last cartoon appearance of Pete sporting his peg leg was in "Mickey's
Service Station" (March 1935) and his first appearance with no peg leg was
in "Moving Day" (June 1936).

Coincidentally, these were also the last Pete cartoon in black and white
and the first in colour.

I find it interesting that the peg leg is very prominent in "Mickey's
Service Station" and is featured in one gag where Pete steps on a old
bicycle-type horn which makes a whoopee-cushion kind of sound.

In "Moving Day" on the other hand, I had to watch very closely to determine
whether Pete still had a peg leg or not. In fact, in one long scene one of
his legs is "off camera", which seems to be an attempt to downplay the change.

I'd like to know when the change occurred in the newspaper strips.


                          - Rod -