Dudley’s Nightmare
Our hero huffs and puffs along for a second day. That night, he’s still not close enough to the moon to touch it. The poor fellow. Listening to the desperation, the anguish in his voice, one can’t help but feel pity for him. Either that, or laugh at his stupidity for trying to reach it […]
The Departure
As Dudley begins his quest, Sally calls out to him. He stops, and the two friends share a poignant moment. “It’s good to see you again,” Sally says. Actress Asia Vieira says the words with great sincerity, and warmth. She knows that after five years, this is the last time she’ll be interacting with this […]
Dudley’s Kids
For the first two seasons, brother-and-sister Matt and Sally served as Dudley’s human contacts in the modern world. To the viewers at home, they had at least three functions on the show. (1. They provided a reality-based anchor in a fantasy world. (2. Young viewers had young heroes to relate to. Viewers could learn from […]
There’s Gold in Them Thar Dragons
Dudley the Dragon’s merchandising potential was enticing. Already, Breakthrough had seen its gross revenue rise from $100,000 in the mid-1980s to $5 million as of May 1994. By June 1995, Breakthrough had signed 72 licensees—52 American, 20 Canadian—to market Dudley products. The Canadian licensing agent, Art Kraus of Castle Licensing Inc., estimated that Dudley’s worth […]
The Pro-Social Dragon
Dudley’s second season began the weekend of October 1-2, 1994 in Canada. The show had lost most of its environmental sponsors but gained financial support from other sources. (See previous posts.) With a change in sponsors came a change in themes. And so it would be for the remainder of the series. Season One taught […]
The Second Dudley
Alex Galatis wore the costume for Dudley the Dragon‘s first two seasons. After that, Kirk Dunn performed the character while Galatis continued providing his voice. The blend was seamless. In May 1999, Dunn recalled winning the role: “I showed up for this audition. They put me into a body puppet. My right arm went up […]
Green Skin, Sneakers and a Tail
Karen Waterman and Daniel Wood of Waterwood Theatre Projects, Toronto are credited with creating Dudley the Dragon for The Conserving Kingdom. But the man who brought the lovable character to life was Alex Galatis. In 1983 budding young actor had graduated from the theater program at York University. The following year, he embodied the 8-foot-dragon […]
A Dragon’s Crusade
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 […]
