Chip ‘N Dale Were More Like These Two Iconic 80s Characters Than You Think

Chip ‘N Dale Rescue Rangers.

If you were a fan of cartoons (or even had to watch them with your kids) in the 80s and 90s, chances are that you are very familiar with Chip ‘N Dale Rescue Rangers.

You might even be able to sing the theme song to the hit show in your sleep.

However, even some of the most loyal Chip ‘N Dale fans have no idea that the two animated chipmunks were actually modeled after two other iconic characters from the 1980s.

As highlighted in a recent picture posted on Reddit by user Mandal0re, Chip ‘N Dale bear a strong resemblance to Dr. Henry Walton Jones, Jr. (aka Indiana Jones) and Thomas Magnum (aka Magnum P.I.).

After looking at the picture, chances are that you are slapping yourself in the face for not noticing it sooner.

The funniest part about this whole thing is that Chip and Dale’s resemblance to Indiana Jones and Magnum P.I. was actually intentional!

According to an interview with Tad Stone for the Animation World Network, using an Indiana Jones-styled character was a part of the plan long before Chip was selected for the character.

“The lead character was Kit Colby, a mouse who was an Indiana Jones type of guy, complete with the leather jacket and the fluffy collar. They went, ‘We love the idea of the show, but your main character doesn’t have it.'”

That meeting with the executives ran a little longer than initially expected, but they eventually went down a list of other Disney characters that could be used to play the role. Neither of them wanted to use any of the iconic Disney characters that had already established a following – such as Mickey Mouse or Goofy. So, that was when the concept of using the dynamic duo of the chipmunk world was used.

Therefore, the Indiana Jones outfit that was originally drawn for Kit Colby went to Chip and a Hawaiian shirt went to his partner, Dale.

The average Chip ‘N Dale fan might feel a little embarrassed by this discovery – especially if they have enjoyed the show for well over 20 years without ever drawing that connection before.

If you are included in that group, you can rest assured that you are not the only one. Perhaps if a live-action film is ever developed as planned, fans and critics will finally get a chance to see Chip ‘N Dale Rescue Rangers on the big screen.

However, now that your “glass ceiling” of 80s/90s cartoon animation has been broken, what other cartoon characters (besides Chip ‘N Dale) do you look at differently?