Duckula was a spin-off from DangerMouse which was also created by Cosgrove Hall and like DangerMouse he was voiced by David Jason (aka Del Boy from Only Fools and Horses). Duckula appears a number of times in DangerMouse as a villain (first showing was in The Four Tasks of DangerMouse [1982]) as a vegetarian Vampire Duck that was hell-bent on becoming famous no matter what it took.
DangerMouse had to retrieve a feather from a Vampire Duck and so we were introduced to Duckula, in 1982 he had a very questionable hair-style and a dirtier looking beak - but by 1988 Duckula had been given a show of his own!
I've got realy fond memories of Duckula, like DangerMouse it was a clever, funny and completely random cartoon - which is still incredibly enjoyable to watch today. As per the opening credits, Duckula is a Vegeterian Vampire due to a mistake made during the ancient ceremony to resurrect Duckula from his ashes. Rather than including blood in the mystical rites, Nanny and Igor accidentally replaced this with Ketchup and Duckula was born!
The whole cartoon is loosely based on the idea of Dracula, witha Von Helsing character, angry villagers, Castle Duckula etc. But to make the cartoon more varied, it didn't stick to a Transylvania type setting, but due to various plot lines the trio travel through time and space in their various adventures (Using Castle Duckula's ability to transport anywhere during the night - and return back to Transylvania at dawn). Not much more to say really other than it is well worth buying a dvd/video to watch this again, it's got great voice actors and lots of really sharp one-liners.
Count Duckula
I've chosen the above picture as when he's not wearing his traditional vampire cowl, this is what you will find Duckula wearing! He's a modern thinking Duck, and is not really your traditional vampire. Duckula does have certain things in common with his ancestors - he can transform into a bat, he can teleport, he has no shadow, but he can go out in the daylight.
In term so fhis culural heritage Duckula is shown to be a modern thinking vampire, he often states how he finds the castle and the villagers / servants etc dismal (in one episode 'Restoration Comdey') he even gets an interior designer in to try and brighten things up.
Like his originating character in DangerMouse he also dreams of being a stage star, but unlike his character in Dangermouse he isn't a villain in Count Duckula, in fact he often tries to help people - with disastrous consequences as they of course just see a vampire!
Igor
Igor -- Igor is your traditional Igor, hunchbacked man-servant. He wants nothing more than for his master to be a 'real vampire', killing villagers and sucking blood etc. He is loyal to Count Duckula even though he can't understand his do-good attitude and vegetarian bent, and still hopes that one day he will turn his master to the dark-side and make him a real vampire.
Igor is the oldest character of the three, he often refers to having served the family for seven or sometimes eight centuries, and has certainly served and resurrected a number of Duckula's ancestors. In that sense Igor really is the back-bone of the Duckula empire, resurrecting a vampire master every hundred years to keep the line going.
Nanny
Almost all of the characters in Duckula's world are some form of bird, his nanny is no exception. Nanny is only ever referred to as Nanny, and she is a giant Hen (and I mean giant! she is bigger than Duckula and Igor put together).
What we do know about Nanny is that she loves Duckula very much and sees him as her 'Duckypoos', she won't let anyone hurt him, but in addition to being his nanny, she is also the housemaid and the cook (although as we learn throughout the series - cooking is not her forte!).
Like Igor, Nanny has served several of Duckula's ancestors and so again is very old. She also perpetually wears her arm in a sling, from which she draws untold amounts of objects, a bit like Captain Caveman pulling stuff out of his fur!
Von GooseWing
Following the Dracula theme, Duckula's main enemy is Von GooseWing (based on Van Helsing). Von GooseWing is a Vampire Hunter and also an inventor, often making crazy inventions to help him with the former.
Von GooseWing never seems to realise that Duckula is actually a harmless vampire and continues to hunt him throughout all the episodes. Von GooseWing often travels using a helium balloon (like a 1920's airship) which has VG emblazoned across the side. As peer the above his standard get-up confusingly is to be dressed as Sherlock Holmes, with a tweed hat and cape.
Like all good villains, Von GooseWing has a side-kick Heinrich (that we never actually see) on home he can blame all his failures!
Duckula: The Lyrics
Narrator:
'Castle Duckula, home for many centuries to a dreadful dynasty of vicious vampire ducks - The Counts of Duckula.
Legend has it that these foul beings can be destroyed by a stake through the heart or exposure to sunlight.
This does not suffice however, for they may be brought back to life by means of a secret rite that can be performed once a century when the moon is in the eighth house of Aquarius. . .
Igor: 'Blood!'
Nanny: 'I'll get it'
Narrator: 'The latest reincarnation did not run according to plan.'
In the heart of Transylvan-ia,
In the Vampire Hall of Fame-yeah,
There's not a vampire zanier than...
Duckula!
He won't bite beast or man,
'Cos he's a vegetari-an. (Aagh!)
And things never run to plan for...
Duckula!
If you're looking for some fun,
You can always count upon,
Come and find the one they call...
Duckula!
