Cuphead [Character References]

Some of the character references that I could find. Write in the comments the ones you have found.
Song: Murine Corps

[@game84cube]

Wow, they really liked Swing You Sinners

[@derwingreave9530]

Doesn't the achievement from beating the devil have the same name?

[@raccoonchild]

I mean, who in their right minds doesn't love it?

[@SamP-th3pb]

game84cube And popeye

[@stevenwarner9156]

After playing the game for a good while I decided to check out some Fleischer cartoons. Swing You Sinners was the first one I watched. Creepy stuff they did back then. MDHR did well with their inspiration.

[@ladynikkie]

The creators mentioned in an interview that Swing you Sinners was their main inspiration

[@UEhappydudey]

I love how there's all the references to cartoons in the 20's 30's and 40's... And then there's that one reference to the iron giant in 1999 lol

[@bryancorts5389]

Tin man from wizard of oz???

[@Paulito-ym4qc]

who cares i love that movie

[@GGamerLiam]

20s 30s 40s 2000

[@NautilusArtShow]

in all honesty, The Iron Giant is one of the best movies ever made, so I can understand why they did it.

[@macdaddychene]

The Iron Giant was set in the 1950s.

[@ProfesserLuigi]

Yo I didn't notice but Mr. King Dice is totally Cab Calloway!

[@CrossoverGameReviews]

I should've known as well when he ended his quote with "Hi-De-Ho!", though I just assumed that part alone was the Calloway reference.

[@lucasbissi21]

ME TOO!

[@Chud_Bud_Supreme]

His theme even kinda sounds like Minnie the Moocher

[@gemstoneprincess2890]

Prof. Luigi omg

[@lisettegarcia7013]

I thought he was referencing Gomez Addams.

[@samin90]

Only 30s kids will get this

[@tareklegrand7747]

everybody know who's woody woodpecker , tom and jerry

[@ivangalvan1058]

Translate: Only dead people will get this

[@TailsWarrior38]

@Black Ice You would probably have gotten eviscerated by WW2

[@gustyproductions6611]

@@ivangalvan1058 bruh the queen of england gew up in the 30s, theres one example

[@user-nf2es5xv5w]

More like only old mans will get this

[@agamaz5650]

Imagine if you told people in 70 years they could control what's happening on screen with the exact same visuals

[@theblackbaron4119]

Cab Calloway wasn't only a singer he was an entertainer and a legend :)

[@trashdanarts]

FACTS

[@WM_Nonsense]

TRUE

[@Nikica-q4w]

You Forgot The Train references Thomas the tank engine

[@JIDcrit]

Holy shit....i didnt know tom and jerry were that old

[@faheemjerseyxs4222]

I knew, but I didn't know Popeye was that damn old

[@everardofavela665]

I mean, Popeye is older than Mickey mouse. Wow.

[@jordanh4362]

Popeye is the only that really surprised me

[@brettpierce5225]

I knew that Tom & Jerry and all the old school Looney Tunes and Hanna Barbera cartoons were from the 30s-40s but Popeye in 1919?? That shit is 100 years old!

[@vhpercincula]

Why? Most part of those old cartoons have the release year in opening credits.

[@SegaMario]

I think Captain Brineybeard could also be inspired by Sinbad's appearance in that Popeye cartoon. He's got the bandanna and the beard.

[@overkill2735]

Rose Supreme Sinbad was played by Bluto

[@SegaMario]

Overkill27 Still.

[@JUSLOFI]

There’s another Popeyes cartoon where Bluto is an Arabian with a red nose.

[@SamP-th3pb]

You already commented this on another video XD

[@n0denz]

Brineybeard as inspired by Sinbad the Sailor as portrayed by Bluto.

[@SmolboiOswald]

I knew mug man referenced me

[@clairezolomonnotreal]

Are you related to Mickey? I would ship you with Mickey Mickey + Oswald = Oskey

[@zealkurusuthegatorman5439]

Yep!

[@WouldntWeather]

Christian10293 D: I hope that ship is platonic because they ARE brothers.

[@Dremag_Gaming]

mannystella lol right. And oswald is the older bro.

[@WouldntWeather]

Zarozapa CnJ They're brothers in an extremely meta sense. They were both created by Walt Disney with the intent of being the company's star mascot which signifies their close relation with the creator and company. Walt Disney acts as their "Father" figure in that sense since he created them while the two belong (Or belonged in Oswald's case) to two different "Mother" companies, that being Universal for Oswald and The Walt Disney Company for Mickey. So in that sense they're half brothers, but in the game Epic Mickey (Which is a very meta game in it of itself that connects the real world with the "Disney World") once you get Oswald to actually like you (You play as Mickey) instead of hating your guts like he did for a majority of the game then he says that he used to think of him and Mickey as half brothers but that he'd like to just plainly be brothers from now on.

[@yuka_aia5230]

i really love the passion and determination these creators have for 30's cartoons

[@mikhailbobrov382]

actually,Hilda Berg isn't a reference to Betty Boop. It's a reference to Olive Oil. Cala Maria is a reference to Betty Boop

[@simpaldom7720]

Sensey Bobrovich o

[@boidude1129]

Sensey Bobrovich no

[@metr0nom314]

The pirate girl in the hub is betty boop

[@Adrot]

sparkle Kat It has been confirmed tho

[@VilaToro64]

Adrot and plus when she turns into Medusa she moves her arms the same way when betty boop sings a song

[@MJN_SEIFER]

Am I the only one who finds this heart-warming? I understand that originality can be good, but I also love the fact that you can be inspired by something you love, and I really love how the creators of this game took so much inspiration from the things they loved and grew up with - I have heard it said that they watched a lot of old cartoons when they were younger, so it is obviously something that means a lot to them. It's not even like they were trying to take the easy way out, and copy things, but rather, show their love for something. They also did pretty well with them in not directly copying, so they still managed to be unoriginal in an original way - some are more obvious than others, but a lot of them, you need to do a bit of work to see what they referenced/were inspired by, and then there's a bit of reward when you notice it, in a way. I'd actually love to make a game which references things I love, but in a way that looks like I'm using them as a base for what I create, and not just copying everything (I don't mind being unoriginal, but I do mind that people will write them off as rip offs and not tributes/inspirations, and I don't want to copy things directly). They did really well at not making things too obvious as well like putting the references where you wouldn't always expect them - they could have put all the "Swing You Sinners" references in one obvious place (i.e. a graveyard level), yet they shook things up by scattering them about, and putting some of them in levels you wouldn't think to look for them in.

[@kylebeck8251]

Ribby+Croaks≈Ryu+Ken >White+Red outfits >Hadoukens >Intro Animations

[@MidBoss666]

+Yayuhz. EXE The slot machine also references Bison and Sagat. When it strikes 3 bisons, you are attacked by purple psycho power, and when it strikes 3 tigers, the energy comes from below, like an uppercut.

[@FGirao]

Yes

[@ADCM95]

I thoug in battletoads

[@alissonduarte1435]

The background characters watching the fight and reacting to it are definetely another reference to the Street Fighter saga.

[@uniquesapphire2594]

Everytime i play against Ribby and Croaks i think of the Frog and the Toad books 😂

[@GeolyteGM]

This game brings me back memories... 😊

[@rare676]

Alejandro Mendez boi are u 100 or something

[@GeolyteGM]

Not quite, bust I do remember some form 1990! 😉

[@TomboyGirlfriend]

this game and _Bendy and the Ink Machine_ makes me mad nostalgic

[@beachturkey7643]

especially the iron giant

[@ScienceDiscoverer]

Tom and Jerry and Woody are my fav ones. Childhood T_T

[@creasedaf1s]

I always thought King Dice looked like Cab Calloway but I never knew that they actually made a reference to him! That's cool!!

[@thenerdly]

I really like how the music fits so well with the video and gives of the vibe where all the chaotic bosses came from cartoons that were sweet and innocent ( well most of them)

[@owllariat8773]

Grim Matchstick (the dragon) is based off of Grim Natwick who was an animator at Fleischer studios. The name is an obvious reference and the dragon stutters like Natwick too.

[@TJPostrado]

Yes, Dr. Kahl is based of Erwin "Milt" Kahl, animator of Nine Old Men from Disney.

[@Doors067]

When every reference is a cartoon but one boss is a human being, that human being is a boss. Cab calloway, you were the true 1930s boss

[@xdayday]

and my great uncle

[@browneburbs5377]

If you ever do Part 3, I do got at least one more thing you should know. In Inkwell Isle 3, there's a statue that is a saxophone with a hat. This Saxophone is a reference to "Music Land" of the main character, a saxophone with a hat. A side note including "Music Land" is that the part where the music war starts with the Jazz King, it heavily reminds me of a few songs in this game.

[@imaginaryobserver]

BrownyBubs235 Great catch!

[@aleksavukasinovic9927]

Dude this game is pure awesomeness, everything about this game is perfect, the references, inspiration, gameplay, graphics, music, oh the music!

[@Kittygames50]

Mug Man is also a reference to Megaman. Both names sound similar, both are blue and they both are in games that are classified as run-and-gun games.

[@CannedDepression]

I would assume that's just a coincidence

[@C000CCKJ0KKEEE]

As a Person who watched all of these vintage films before knowing about cuphead, I loved seeing and noticing that these characters and boss fights that were inspired off these vintage films.

[@elizadesiree843]

Me too

[@jellyalvaro9052]

Great references! Did you find all of these by yourself? Also, the Betty Boop one should have showed the mermaid boss fight

[@antonioservvin]

Yeah, I found some videos of Betty Boop as a mermaid. I think I'll make a part 2 so I can put all those I missed.

[@ihate2danimationprofiles895]

Álvaro Nabuco yeah

[@murrayparr3641]

But look closer, they have the same hairstyle

[@silly2496]

Álvaro Nabuco no Cala Maria is like medusa

[@igodreamer7096]

Indeed

[@TraXXXtar]

oh man. at the time i definitely knew they were references, especially things like woody woodpecker and bluto. but i never treated them as like obvious homages to those classic characters. and just like that i have yet again found a whole new respect for cuphead

[@andershelling]

Dr Kahl’s robot can be referenced to the wizard of oz from 1939, where in the first stage the player destroys his brain (scarecrow), heart (tin man), and gut, referring to courage (lion)

[@MayaMachina-n8s]

0:39 The funny thing is I watched that Popeye many times over as a kid but when seeing the bird in cuphead I didn't realize the similarity. Still, really amazing!

[@aeaea_kirke]

Oh my God, no wonder why they looked so familiar and nostalgic!

[@silverdamascus2023]

For the people who claim that the creators of Cuphead stole from these cartoons, first, these are inspirations, not copies, they took a few ideas from other cartoons but they still create their own characters and elements, second, when it seems that they straight-up ripped off those cartoons and not just took inspiration, many of these are cartoons in the public domain, meaning that the copyright to them expired and no one owns these cartoons anymore.

[@Duvmasta]

I love this video!

[@jacksonridexplayinggames1997]

Hey. I not know all this references but you super, you open my eyes on this game thanks you. I'm one million times played this game and no times not seeing reference on this all in this game.

[@VioletFeatherWind]

Now all we need is an animation of King Dice doing the famous dance that Cab Calloway did (The one where he almost looks like he’s doing the moon walk)

[@xdayday]

my great uncle

[@VioletFeatherWind]

@@xdayday really?? Wow!!

[@xdayday]

@@VioletFeatherWind yep

[@tsoziin]

@@VioletFeatherWind yep

[@VandelayH]

Thank you for making this awesome video.

[@horaciosi]

Cuphead makes me wish creators would stop making throwbacks to the 80s every 2 seconds and start making for other eras.

[@kidrobot.]

thats probably their only trick in the book tho

[@jamesdime6865]

Why? It worked perfectly for their game or are you referring to other game creators as well?

[@MJN_SEIFER]

@@jamesdime6865 I think they just mean that every other "Nostalgia Project" goes back to the 80s (or seems to in their opinion), and Cuphead's creators focused their "Nostalgia Project" around the 30s (although the videogame references where from and/or around the 80s.)

[@horaciosi]

@@MJN_SEIFER Exactly. Nothing against the 80s, I'm just tired of 80s nostalgia being everywhere. I love Thor Ragnarok, Kung Fury and Turbo Kid, but after making the mistake of watching them back to back, I didn't want to hear anothing fucking synthesizer or see another goddamn neon light for a long ass time!

[@AnomalousNormie]

I'm mad that I know these, but couldn't think of the names for 1/3 of them. Thanks for making this!

[@RootyTootTootin]

I feel like the Frog and Toad books were inspiration for the ferry fight against the frog/toad boss

[@GendoFM]

Makes the song sung for King Dice all the more obvious, since it was done in Cab's signature style.

[@venus_luv]

0:12 him: WHAT ARE DOZZZZZ

[@LandryClrk398]

It'sJustJassy :3 he said ya needed it

[@galaxycakee]

Wow this was so interesting! I even noticed a few episodes I used to watch of these characters bk then! XD nostalgic

[@Andres33AU]

Also the bugs in the background of the Ribby and Croak boss fight remind me of that animation short with the dancing bugs, I think it was called Silly Symphony: Woodland Cafe.

[@barbaragarrido8201]

thats the way thats you convince your grandpa play videogames

[@daniellisantos5470]

I KNEW IT THAT KING DICE WAS CAB CALLOWAY!! he reminded me of him so much.

[@Mad-Hatter-ison]

Great, now I am imagining King Dice dancing and singing Minnie the Moocher, Thank you

[@HeartzieHearts]

*as someone born in 2007 who grew up with tom and Jerry, I didn't realize/know it was THAT old*

[@latenightgaming5057]

I love the audio and background song. It was a good choice

[@anthonyroberts9273]

I can't help but notice that the ghost has an eye in each hand, but only has one eye socket.

[@solgaleooflight8703]

for real

[@creathechiboi]

Now this is a surprise

[@shinuou1251]

The NPC in the background of BOSS - Clip Joint Calamity. It is a reference to a 1936 animation - The Cobweb Hotel.

[@FredbonFilms]

HOLY THIS IS INSANELY OBSCURE AND AMAZING

[@potatoking4227]

dr kahl is a mix of dr wily, dr eggman, and bowser's clown kart from megaman, sonic, and mario. cuphead and mugman can be references to mario and luigi as well.

[@connormclernon26]

Swing you Sinners definitely seems to have had the largest single influence on Cuphead.

[@aisadal2521]

Why doesn't this have more views?

[@jeanmarcu1446]

I love how cuphead is paying tribute to these animations without copying them.

[@LeanneMustafa]

my fave reference: 1:48 3D Models [Demo Reel] is a reference to Cuphead [References & Inspiration] (Part 2)

[@bobboboogaloo]

Really well put together! Thanks!

[@CooperFranson]

0:5

[@TheLenesco]

*''BACK IN MY DAYS CARTOONS WHERE CREATIVE'''* *''NOW WE HAVE A SCREAMING SPONGE''*

[@turebw]

Gravity falls incest hentai is good for your liver and brain

[@d1n0alg75]

I'm glad they referenced cab colloway. Such a cool jazz artist. Also made music for the scene with Koko the clown in Betty Boop

[@jelly9257]

But I find it a coincidence that elder kettle looks almost based of the coffee pot from picnic panic

[@wildstoneproductions8412]

holy crap he does

[@tadpole3924]

RIGHT?

[@sweetzeyraa]

When I was younger I used to watch the cookie carnival with my brother and sister I loved it so much!!

[@MilesDeighton1]

The iron giant deserves to be added to every list, including ones it plainly doesn't categorially belong in, or even have anything to do with.

[@abloogywoogywoo]

Cute. But. You missed the obvious reference:- pictures.abebooks.com/LASTING/30061553814.jpg

[@Eric19401]

The close references to classic animation makes this game even better.

[@MarioSonicDKPokeFAN]

I seriously did not think this game had any references to other characters. I thought it was just referencing the old time cartoons only.

[@herokevin9518]

the pirate from cuphead is literally the most remarkable, extraordinary fellow. Sinbad, the sailor! KZbin sent me here and I have no regrets.

[@excitedmilk6046]

I feel like Cuphead should actually resemble Bimbo the Dog since he got their souls dealt off, looks more brave and is money hungry. Mugman should represent Mickey since he is the one getting out of trouble, he KNEW the dangers, and looks less threatening

[@heresy7266]

yea agreed

[@dumbfridge7576]

this made me smile and I have no idea why

[@conchaquat6277]

CAB CALLOWAY? I clicked because I saw my man up there.

[@Octohug]

Awesome video!

[@peterandreyev]

I know that King Dice might be inspired by Cab Calloway, but I still think he looks like Walt Disney.

[@arasseo_wakarimashita3904]

A game with classic cartoons references and even the animations. Nice idea

[@nadiacastanon9599]

YO THE BIRD FROM CUPHEAD IS THE SAMEBIRD FROM POPEYE THE SAILOR

[@LemmingOverlord]

Cuphead is a magnificent tribute to this era.

[@doio8917]

I thought Dr Kahl's last phase was a reference to Dr. Eggman, since their designs in these flying machines are similar and he takes a supposed powerful diamond that he uses against you (*the chaos emerald).

[@stove1592]

fun fact: mortimer was the original name for mickey mouse till they changed it, they later introduced a character named mortimer mouse. a rat who seems friendly but rips everyone off

[@dryanoid8494]

0:58 Nope !! ;) That robot references to the classic 1980 animation "The King and the Mockingbird"

[@TheVeryIce9]

Is megaman bro

[@HiThere-ig5iz]

I knew it wouldn't be from something that recent for a game about cartoons from the 20s-40s

[@abloogywoogywoo]

No. The robot and Iron Giant both reference the iconic novel from which they are derived:- pictures.abebooks.com/LASTING/30061553814.jpg

[@bereniceservin1459]

Good job

[@SasukeUchiha-pv4xn]

The bluto reference was quite obvious

[@MrThunderwing]

Outstanding work on this! Woody Woodpecker was the only one I recognised myself so far (haven't actually finished the game yet though, so haven't got to the Tom and Jerry boss). No that I see them here, the Betty Boop and Bluto are stuff I should've got.

[@arifsumarlin4612]

1:33 the hardest boss

[@CooperFranson]

I hate him. He’s the hardest boss for me to.

[@Choom89]

Great video!

[@guilhermeemanuel1331]

I'm Like Woody Woodpecker in 1:08

[@chrysalis3508]

holy shit, when they said this game was 80 years in the making... that's no joke

[@MJN_SEIFER]

Yes, The Cookie Carnival was one of my guesses. :)

[@geraldwrongway]

Fans:How many references has a cuphead? Cuphead creators:Y E S

[@braydenthepurplehedgehog2673]

I get how cuphead and mugman are Mickey and Oswald because there brothers like cuphead and mugman

[@realslimcandy5361]

Wow i didnt know mickey had a brother

[@braydenthepurplehedgehog2673]

@@realslimcandy5361 people say that there not but they are they were both made by Walt Disney

[@KentuckyWallChicken]

With both Cuphead and Bendy and the Ink Machine imagine all the awareness for old cartoons being spread! I love it!

[@deadman5071]

1:03 I think was Willy from Mega Man 2.

[@philiproe1661]

Also a reference to Dr. Robotnik due to his "egg flyer" lookalike and using Chaos Emeralds.

[@deadman5071]

@@philiproe1661 Yeah!

[@TouyaYamamoto]

Holy mother of god, these are not just references to me, their memories

[@akane215ignoredsquad3]

0:43 I KNEW HE WAS FAMILIAR! Fun fact:a Popeye movie was supposed to come out this year,but got switched for the emoji movie 😢💔😤😠

[@elizadesiree843]

"ok,im gonna stop using a little imagem created to express myself on the internet because some one made a shitty movie using them"

[@celotehlangit7437]

Thats amazing!!!

[@derrey5123z]

When your reference is someone living in the trash 1:27 :,v

[@bodezr5700]

I was stunned by this classic cartoon graphics first time I saw cuphead gameplay.

[@kitikuma-1048]

このゲームのキャラって全部元ネタあったんや

[@hevertonfonseca9366]

This is sooo cool! Now that's what i call a research!

[@jelly9257]

I fucking knew wally was based off the bird from sinbad

[@MrBlackboy21ful]

Seeing your sinners and Popeye seemed to be a big inspiration for most of the characters

[@bestshadow6585]

Omg I never noticed the cuphead and mugman reference with Mickey and oswald :( Shame on me

[@piperthecollector]

Wow. I didn't realise there were so many references!!!! I knew there were some, but others never crossed my mind!!!! =^-^=

[@keybladegames_real]

So this is basically Disney wiping out other cartoon companies. Got it

[@PokeLume]

This game wasnt made by disney.... Was made by 2 brothers that loved 30s cartoons....

[@BrokTheLoneWolf]

Wow that’s awesome.

[@hiimrad]

Fun fact:Tom and jerry Real name Was Jasper And jinx!

[@stellarcore.official]

Ah thanks

[@elizadesiree843]

Glad they changed it

[@user-cm4op2kz3y]

Brings back so many memories.