Scarlett Fox Joins the Gang (1984)

Scarlett Fox, from the November 1995 issue of Ranger Rick.

Scarlett Fox is undoubtedly one of the most popular characters in Deep Green Wood, aside from Ranger Rick Raccoon himself. She's smart, cunning, and even short-tempered at times. During the 1990s, she had her own column, Ask Scarlett within the magazine where readers would send in questions about nature and Scarlett would respond to the question. This column did not last forever, and Scarlett's readers questions column became a feature where Ranger Rick would answer the questions sent in by readers.

Why the change? I'm not certain, given Scarlett's popularity why Ranger Rick started answering the questions. I can understand the original transition from Wise Old Owl to Scarlett (and phasing out the Wise Old Owl character entirely) because Scarlett had become a "regular" within Ranger Rick's community. Its baffling to say the least. Drop me a line if you know why this change occurred sometime in the 2000s.

But now for the main purpose of the page.....Scarlett was not always part of the gang. In fact, Scarlett didn't even exist in the world of Ranger Rick until 1983 when in the June issue, Ranger Rick, Cubby Bear, Odora Skunk, and Morgan Mockingbird go for a hike on the Appalachian Trail. There they met a soft-spoken red fox with a clear southern accent, named Scarlett.

The cover of the June 1983 issue.

Most would see this as a perfect opportunity for Scarlett to join the gang, as she lived alone, and seemed to have a lot of positive energy when talking and traveling with the gang. However, she did not join the gang back to Deep Green Wood. It would not be the last time Scarlett was seen for she reappeared six months later in the January 1984 issue of Ranger Rick. We learn during the adventure that Scarlett had been forced from her home in the countryside of Virginia and she was mighty upset over the whole thing. Scarlett's instinct and leadership abilities helped save Ranger Rick when he fell into a pool of icy water. It was then that Ranger Rick decided to have Scarlett join the group, and be his "right hand paw" so to speak. To make it official, he gave her a scarf with "S.F." sewn into the hem, and from then on, Scarlett became a regular in the Adventures of Ranger Rick articles.

The cover of the January 1984 issue.

Aside from the obvious change of appearance when Ranger Rick's adventures changed to a comic book format in March of 2000, Scarlett has remained looking much the same over the years. Aside from a couple of adventures in the 1990s, when Scarlett took on a toonish appearance (with wide whitened eyes), Alton Langford has kept Scarlett (and much of the gang for that matter) with her original red fox markings, colors, and anatomy. The drawings below will showcase the minimal changes throughout the years, with a reference to Scarlett's appearance in comic form.

Scarlett in 1983

Scarlett in 1984

Scarlett in 1989

Scarlett in 1995

Scarlett in 2008.

So yes, the popular red fox has undergone many changes visually and personally (her southern accent ceased to exist by the 1990s). Regardless, the popular deputy of Deep Green Wood soldiers on.