Top Cat ("T.C.") is the titular leader of the gang. He is a confidence man (conman) who often rips off and/or tricks those around him, including his gang and Officer Dibble. He is voiced by Arnold Stang.
Appearance[]
TC is a creamy yellow-furred alley-cat with a white muzzle, four whiskers, and a rather long tail. He can usually be seen wearing a tyrian purple vest and matching pork pie hat. Though his eyes are colored a stylistic black in the series and official art, he implies that his eyes are a golden color.
Personality[]
He is a rather greedy cat, though often incredibly lazy and will attempt anything to make a quick profit without actually getting a job. TC is almost always able to worm his way out of trouble, often by tricking or otherwise flattering Officer Dibble. He is quite clever, often coming up with schemes on the fly, and is considered to be wise by his gang. Though he often takes advantage of or tries to take credit for the achievements of his peers, he does often respect the efforts his gang go through for him and genuinely cares for them and their well-being.
Relatives[]
Myra[]
Myra is Top Cat's sister, mentioned in the Big Golden Book Top Cat story. TC thinks that she is a worrywart, and he tells her that he is rich and lives in a mansion because he fears that she would never sleep again if she knew the truth.
Sheldon[]
Myra's son and Top Cat's nephew. Sheldon looks up to Top Cat quite a bit. TC is a little protective of the kitten, and is saddened by the idea of letting Sheldon down. When Top Cat thinks he is in trouble, he asks Sheldon not to think too harshly of him.
Shifty[]
Top Cat's cousin and ex-coworker. Top Cat doesn't seem to like Shifty very much. When TC is informed that Shifty is coming to visit he gets somewhat upset. While Shifty is excited to see his cousin, TC is just irritable and impatient.
History[]
Top Cat Begins[]
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Top Cat[]
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Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats[]
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Top Cat: The Movie[]
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Other appearances[]
- In one episode of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Gomer is seen in a restaurant reading a Top Cat comic book.
- Top Cat also made a cameo appearance in one of What-a-Cartoon shorts named "Buy One, Get One Free" in a party scene.
- Top Cat made a cameo appearance in a 2012 MetLife commercial entitled, "Everyone".
- Top Cat's theme is featured in The Flintstones episode "Surfin Fred" when Barney and Betty discover that Jimmy Darrock is in fact not a lifeguard.
- Officer Dibble makes a cameo appearance in The Flintstones episode "Time Machine", as a policeman in the future, thus returning the favor done in the episode "The Rafeefleas" mentioned above.
- Top Cat and his gang appeared in Yogi's Ark Lark. While the others don't have dialogue, Top Cat was voiced by Daws Butler while Benny the Ball was voiced by John Stephenson. It was presumed that Arnold Stang wasn't available at the time while Maurice Gosfield was already dead in 1964.
- In 1985, Top Cat appeared on Yogi's Treasure Hunt with Yogi Bear and other Hanna-Barbera toon stars as the treasure hunt assigner. Officer Dibble made an appearance in the end of the show's episode, "Yogi's Beanstalk" voiced by John Stephenson since Allen Jenkins had died in 1974.
- In 1987, Hanna-Barbera produced a feature-length television film based on the show titled Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats (part of the Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 film series), in which the gang helps a young girl claim her inheritance. During that time, John Stephenson reprised Officer Dibble while Benny the Ball was voiced by Avery Schreiber.
- In the Fender Bender 500 segment of Wake, Rattle, and Roll, Top Cat and Choo Choo were one of the racers driving a trash can-modeled monster truck called the Alley Cat.
- In Yo Yogi!, Top Cat was a teenage cat voiced by Arte Johnson. Even here, he still lives in a trash can.
- Top Cat was seen in a Cartoon Network Rap in 1995.
- In the Duck Dodgers episode "K-9 Quarry", Top Cat was amongst the poached characters on the Alien Hunter's ship.
- Top Cat, Benny and Brain made a cameo appearance at the end of The Powerpuff Girlsepisode "Catastrophe". They can be seen at the bottom left corner of the screen (although, instead of his hat, Top Cat has a splat of slime on his head).
- Top Cat was seen briefly driving a motorcycle in the Foster's Home for Imaginary Friendsepisode "Cheese a go-go".
- In the Futurama episode "That Darn Katz!", a picture of Top Cat is seen.
- An excerpt from the show appears in the 1982 film Cat People.
Trivia[]
- There appear to be special holes in Top Cat's hat for him to poke his ears through.
- His birthday is on February 5th.
- In The Unscratchables, he and Benny the Ball briefly talk about how they met each other in the Boy Scouts.
- Top Cat possibly report a penny for their poisonous pet.