Ollie Otter - From "Always There" To "Where'd He Go?"

Written by Adam

Ah, Ollie Otter, clearly next to Rick, was the most common and popular character in Ranger Rick's adventures through the 1960s and 1970s. It never mattered what type adventure the gang had gone on, even if the climate seemed a little unusual for an otter, Ollie was there at Rick's side. Some would even say that Ollie Otter was Rick's best friend and "right-paw" because he was always around to help Rick out. In addition, in true otter personality, Ollie hosted "Ollie Otter's Fun Pages" in the magazine all the way through the 1980s. By the 1990s, the puzzles and crafts were still there, but were no longer associated with the fun-loving otter.

During the 1980s, Ollie became a less frequent adventurer and was seen less in the stories, especially when Scarlett Fox was introduced in 1983, and Boomer Badger in 1984 as recurring characters. Suddenly, there were more characters to use in the stories and it became a game of roulette to see which characters would find their ways into them. Unfortunately, Ollie Otter drew the short stick more often than not, and unless the adventure specifically dealt with lakes, ponds, or any sort of body of water, Ollie was less and less present in Ranger Rick's adventures. By the 1990s, Ollie was shown infrequently in the magazines, again usually when any sort of adventure involving water was involved. By the time Alton Langford stopped drawing the pictures and Ranger Rick had shifted to a comic book in March of 2000, Ollie had practically garnered MIA status. He has remained largely out of Ranger Rick's adventures throughout the issues in the 2000s.

1970s Ollie Otter drawn by Lorin Thompson

1980s Ollie Otter drawn by Alton Langford

2000s Ollie Otter drawn by Robby Gilbert

Ollie in the 1960s and 1970s

Ollie in 1987

Ollie in 1989

Ollie in the 2000s

So why did Ollie disappear over the years? I have a couple of theories why this has happened and here's what I think might have happened.

First, Ollie's personality as a fun-loving, sometimes naive character in the stories was overshadowed by the personality of Boomer Badger when he was introduced. While Ollie clearly is nicer and less brash about things than Boomer, Boomer clearly has similar traits as Ollie - fun loving, daring, and naive. Why have two characters in the same story with overlapping personalities? For some reason, Boomer got the nod and was used much more frequently in the adventures through the 90s and 2000s. Boomer and Ollie rarely appear together in adventures and we think that because they're too much alike could be a reason for this.

The second reason sounds silly when looked at face value, but if you look deeper into the reason, it makes plausible sense. The second reason Ollie may have disappeared from issues as of late is because he has a dated name. I know it sounds silly...let it sink in for a bit. Do you know any Ollie's in real life? An Oliver? Probably not very many, if you happen to know any at all personally. According to http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/1/Ollie Ollie has quickly declined and fallen off the radar in the past forty years. At the time of the magazine's creation, there probably were more children and adults named Ollie (or Oliver) in the 1960s and even into the 1970s as they grow older. With a dated name, Ollie might have been pushed aside in the past twenty years for characters with more modern or unique names. Let's be honest....who remembers Punkie Porcupine? Based on the character design, she was specifically created when punk rock was the in-thing. With punk rock largely no longer popular, Punkie is no longer used in adventures. Its all in the name and the same reasoning could certainly have befallen on Ollie. Additionally, with the recent push to comics and CGI-drawings, having an up to date name would help keep the magazine trendy and similar to other magazines for children of the same age.

Ollie may not be entirely gone, but the infrequency of his appearance is certainly noted among those who have always liked the playful, honest, truthful, otter in Deep Green Wood.

Comment if you think I hit the nail on the head or if you suspect Ollie has largely disappeared for other reasons.