Inspector Gadget Hackwrench: 1988 Chip N Dale's Rescue Rangers

Chip N Dale's Rescue Rangers debuted on The Disney Channel (and then in Syndication) in 1989, but the characters started appearing in magazines in 1988.  I saved this page from a September 1988 issue of Cabletime magazine.  The Rangers look a bit different here, especially Gadget the mouse and Zipper the Fly.

Gadget originally had more mouse-like proportions, looking more like Bernard and Bianca from The Rescuers.  And Zipper looks a bit more like Evinrude the Dragonfly from the same film.

The original pitch for Rescue Rangers did not star Chip N Dale.  There were other mouse characters, including a prototype Monterey Jack and Gadget. 

Early promotional artwork like this also appeared in The Disney Channel Magazine prior to the sneak preview of the series.

When The Disney Channel started airing the show again as part of "The Block Party" circa 1995, the Channel's website posted publicity artwork featuring the early designs.

When Rescue Rangers is inevitably rebooted like DuckTales, it will be interesting to see what form the characters take.

Tic et Tac Les Rangers Du Risque Feves

Bonjour!  These ceramic figurines were made to be baked inside a cake as part of the celebration of the Epiphany in France.  The lucky person that finds one of these Disney "Tic et Tac Les Rangers Du Risque" Feves (trinkets) in their slice of galette des rois (or in the south of France, gateau de rois) is "king for the day."

The figures are about one and a half inches in height.  This particular set is one of the best I've seen in terms of sculpting and having the characters look "on-model."

Chipmunks Tic (Chip) and Tac (Dale) are featured here with mice Gadget, Jack le Costaud (Monterey Jack) and housefly Rusor (Zipper).  The villain, Catox (Fat Cat) has his henchmen, Mepps the cat, Mole, Wart the lizard, and Snout the rat.  These characters are from the 1989 Disney TV animated series, "Chip 'N Dale Rescue Rangers."

If you are looking for a collectible with a French twist, know that the chances are pretty good that your favorite movie or cartoon character has been made into a Feve.  Oooh La La!