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The Ducks went through several name
changes before they appeared on the air. Wildwing was originally named
Check, but head writer David Wise dismissed this name as being too brash
and aggressive. He opted instead to name the character after the hockey
team's mascot: Wild Wing.
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In preliminary sketches, Mallory
and Tanya had their names switched around. Duke's name was also spelled
Duques.
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Preliminary sketches had labeled
Nosedive as the team leader.
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Some writers and animators attended
a Ducks practice to gain inspiration for the show.
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The theme song is sung by the lead
singer from the 80's band Jefferson Starship, Mickey Thomas. You may
know them from their hit single "We Built This City on Rock and Roll."
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The Ducks never had last names
created for use in the show. However, the head writer David Wise created
a set for fans to use, and they are listed in this site's character
profiles.
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MD:TAS has aired in the following
countries: USA, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and China. The
theme song was re-sung and episodes were dubbed in German and Chinese.
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Mallory has often 'substituted' for
Tanya in merchandise, as Tanya is the only Duck who never became an
action figure. Mallory/Tanya substitution can be seen on the Puckworld
Sticker Book, and the trading card from Mallory's original series action
figure. Tanya was never made into an action figure because of her hair!
Toy regulators were concerned that the pointy hairstyle would endanger
children.
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Ian Zierring, the voice of Wildwing,
played a goalie in one episode of 90210, where he and his friends
practiced in the rink that was home to the L.A. Kings.
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Duke's original character design
was like that of a modern Robin Hood, which included a British accent in
his voice. Later, his character turned to the version we all know and
love, Brooklyn accent included!
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Wildwing is sometimes, but rarely,
featured on merchandise for the Ducks hockey team, in place of the
team's actual mascot, Wild Wing. The differences between the two are
that Wild Wing has a bigger head, a tuft of feathers for a tail, and the
number 93 on his jersey instead of 00. (1993 was the team's inaugural
year.)
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In the episode "The Most Dangerous
Duck Hunt", after Tanya scoops up a sample of solarinite, the camera
pans up to reveal Wildwing and Mallory looking on while "hugging" each
other.
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Parts of some episodes had to be
re-done, even after they had already aired, due to animation and
coloring mistakes. Most prominent is "To Catch A Duck". There are two
versions of this episode, which can be told apart when Duke rubs his
beak and says: "There's only one way to get to him..." In the original
airing, colorists failed to fill in a gap in his lower beak, making it
seem as though he were making an 'O' shape with his mouth even though he
wasn't speaking. The corrected version of this episode has his beak
completely colored in.
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Wildwing's jersey number, 00, is
officially not allowed for use by NHL players. Most goalies choose
jersey numbers in the 30's as a near-superstition, with 31 being the
most common number.
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David Wise, the head writer for the
Ducks, also worked as a writer for the original Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles animated series. Because the teams are so similar, he used some
episode ideas in TMNT for MD:TAS as well. Go back and check! It's fun to
compare.
