A cartoon by any other name…

When cartoon characters, muppets, and other fictional characters go from the U.S. to the Portuguese-speaking world, they very often keep their English names or a direct translation thereof. Virtually the entire Marvel roster of superheroes fits into this group, Thor still being Thor, Captains America and Marvel being Capitão América and Capitã Marvel, and Black Panther being Pantera Negra.

Sometimes, however, characters get new names that better fit the new language context. So for example, in Brazil, Bugs Bunny is Pernalonga (literally “Longlegs”) and Daffy Duck is Patolino (which has “pato,” the Portuguese word for “duck,” at the beginning). Tweety Bird becomes Piu-Piu (“Tweet-Tweet”) and the Road Runner is Papa-Léguas (that second half being “leagues”) in Brazil and Bip Bip in Portugal. Porky Pig gets the somewhat on-the-nose name of Gaguinho (“Stutterer”).

Sometimes the English names of fictional characters are abandoned altogether in favor of names that simply ring better in Portuguese. Since “Kermit” would sound odd rendered in Portuguese, he is Caco instead in Brazil - and Cocas in Portugal. Cookie Monster is Come-Come (literally “Eat-Eat”) and Big Bird is Garibaldo. Sylvester the cat is Frajola.

Perhaps the oddest of all, though, is Shaggy from Scooby-Doo. He’s still “Shaggy” in Portugal, but in Brazil, for some reason his name is Salsicha - literally “Sausage.”