Fat Albert

Animated Character

Fat Albert was the central character of the 1970s TV cartoon series Fat Albert and The Cosby Kids, created by stand-up comedian Bill Cosby. The first appearance of an animated Fat Albert was in 1969, in a special TV show that showcased characters based on Cosby's early years in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; the Saturday morning cartoon began airing in 1972 and continued until 1982, when it went into syndication (having been re-titled The New Fat Albert Show in 1979). The characters, many of them originally voiced by Cosby, included Rudy, Mush Mouth, Bill, Dumb Donald, Old Weird Harold, and Russell -- African-American urban kids whose adventures inevitably resulted in lessons on social issues such as bullying, peer pressure, honesty and integrity. In the early 1990s plans were hatched to create a feature-length, live-action film based on the popular cartoon, and after a decade of production obstacles, it was announced in 2003 that the movie would be released in late 2004, with actor Kenan Thompson in the title role.

Extra credit: Fat Albert's signature line was "Hey, hey, hey, it's Fat Albert!"... Pop singers Aaron Carter and Omarion had small roles in the feature film... Not only did Fat Albert and The Cosby Kids represent the first U.S. cartoon featuring African-Americans as central characters, it was among the first children's cartoons to focus on educational and social issues... Although the character of Fat Albert is based on Cosby's childhood experiences and is mentioned on his early comedy records, the image known now as Fat Albert comes from the animated series.

Other Saturday-morning stars of Fat Albert's era include Scooby Doo, Josie and The Pussycats and Bugs Bunny.