A Dragon’s Crusade

By W. R. Miller on May 13, 2011


In 1992, Levy and Williamson purchased the rights for Dudley the Dragon from the Ontario Ministry of Energy. Together with Dudley’s performer, Alex Galatis, they created a series, The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon. Funding came from a slew of sources: the Canadian Parks Service, Environment Canada; Energy, Mines and Resources Canada; Environment Canada—Environmental Citizenship Initiative, Government of Canada: Science Culture Canada Program; Health Canada; Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy; Rogers Telefund; and the Ontario Film Investment Program. Twelve episodes were made for the first season, promoting the values of the sponsors—i.e., environmental awareness.

The stories took place in a magical forest along the coast of British Columbia. A ten-year-old girl, Sally, is reading a book about a dragon who gorged himself with dragonberries and fell asleep for a hundred years. “I wonder whatever became of that dragon?” she asks. Lo and behold, the dragon wakes up behind the boulder next to her. After they scream at each other, Sally and Dudley calm down, introduce themselves and become friends. Sally and her detective brother Matt help the befuddled dragon find his home and clean it. And they would continue to clean the environment in the episodes to come.

Sources: Justin Smallbridge, Maclean‘s, February 19, 1996, “Dudley is No Dud; Children Love the Goofy Canadian Dragon,” p. 62; The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon, “Dudley Finds His Home,” TV Ontario, October 2, 1993; Neepawa Banner, September 27, 1993, p. 27A.

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Posted in Dragons, News | Tagged Alex Galatis, Dudley the Dragon, Ira Levy, Ontario Ministry of Energy, Peter Williamson
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