title: Narwhal

text: The narwhal was one of many species originally described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of "Systema Naturae". Its name is derived from the Old Norse word "nár", meaning "corpse", in reference to the animal's greyish, mottled pigmentation, like that of a drowned sailor and its summertime habit of lying still at or near the surface of the sea (called "logging"). The scientific name, "Monodon monoceros", is derived from Greek: "one-tooth one-horn".


title: Narwhal

text: The narwhal is most closely related to the beluga whale. Together, these two species comprise the only extant members of the family Monodontidae, sometimes referred to as the "white whales". The Monodontidae are distinguished by their medium size (at around in length), pronounced melons (round sensory organs), short snouts and the absence of a true dorsal fin.


title: Narwhal

text: Although the narwhal and the beluga are classified as separate genera, with one species each, there is some evidence that they may, very rarely, interbreed. The complete skull of an anomalous whale was discovered in West Greenland circa 1990. It was described by marine zoologists as unlike any known species, but with features midway between a narwhal and a beluga, consistent with the hypothesis that the anomalous whale was a narwhal-beluga hybrid; in 2019, this was confirmed by DNA and isotopic analysis.


title: Narwhal

text: The white whales, dolphins (Delphinidae) and porpoises (Phocoenidae) together comprise the superfamily Delphinoidea, which are of likely monophyletic origin. Genetic evidence suggests the porpoises are more closely related to the white whales and that these two families constitute a separate clade which diverged from the rest of Delphinoidea within the past 11 million years. Fossil evidence shows that ancient white whales lived in tropical waters. They may have migrated to Arctic and sub-Arctic waters in response to changes in the marine food chain during the Pliocene.


title: Narwhal

text: Narwhals are medium-sized whales and are around the same size as beluga whales. Total length in both sexes, excluding the tusk of the male, can range from . Males, at an average length of , are slightly larger than females, with an average length of . Typical adult body weight ranges from . Male narwhals attain sexual maturity at 11 to 13 years of age, when they are about long. Females become sexually mature at a younger age, between 5 and 8 years old, when they are around long.


title: Narwhal

text: The pigmentation of narwhals is a mottled pattern, with blackish-brown markings over a white background. They are darkest when born and become whiter with age; white patches develop on the navel and genital slit at sexual maturity. Old males may be almost pure white. Narwhals do not have a dorsal fin, possibly an evolutionary adaptation to swimming easily under ice, to facilitate rolling, or to reduce surface area and heat loss. Instead narwhals possess a shallower dorsal ridge. Their neck vertebrae are jointed, like those of land mammals, instead of being fused together as in most whales, allowing a great range of neck flexibility. Both these characteristics are shared by the fellow beluga whale. The tail flukes of female narwhals have front edges that are swept back and those of males have front edges that are more concave and lack a sweep-back. This is thought to be an adaptation for reducing drag caused by the tusk.


title: Narwhal

text: The most conspicuous characteristic of the male narwhal is a single long tusk, which is in fact a canine tooth that projects from the left side of the upper jaw, through the lip and forms a left-handed helical spiral. The tusk grows throughout life, reaching a length of about . It is hollow and weighs around . About one in 500 males has two tusks, occurring when the right canine also grows out through the lip. Only about 15 percent of females grow a tusk, which typically is smaller than a male tusk, with a less noticeable spiral. Collected in 1684, there is only one known case of a female growing a second tusk (image).


title: Narwhal

text: Scientists have long speculated on the biological function of the tusk. Proposed functions include use of the tusk as a weapon, for opening breathing holes in sea ice, in feeding, as an acoustic organ and as a secondary sex character. The leading theory has long been that the narwhal tusk serves as a secondary sex character of males, for nonviolent assessment of hierarchical status on the basis of relative tusk size. However, detailed analysis reveals that the tusk is a highly innervated sensory organ with millions of nerve endings connecting seawater stimuli in the external ocean environment with the brain. The rubbing of tusks together by male narwhals is thought to be a method of communicating information about characteristics of the water each has travelled through, rather than the previously assumed posturing display of aggressive male-to-male rivalry. In August 2016, drone videos of narwhals surface-feeding in Tremblay Sound, Nunavut showed that the tusk was used to tap and stun small Arctic cod, making them easier to catch for feeding. The tusk cannot serve a critical function for the animal's survival, as females — which generally do not have tusks — typically live longer than males. Therefore, the general scientific consensus is that the narwhal tusk is a sexual trait, much like the antlers of a stag, the mane of a lion, or the feathers of a peacock.


title: Narwhal

text: The tusks are surrounded posteriorly, ventrally and laterally by several small vestigial teeth which vary in morphology and histology. These teeth can sometimes be extruded from the bone, but mainly reside inside open tooth sockets in the narwhal's snout alongside the tusks. The varied morphology and anatomy of small teeth indicate a path of evolutionary obsolescence, leaving the narwhal's mouth toothless.


title: Narwhal

text: A 2.3 GB genome sequence has been assembled from multiple Illumina libraries. The genome consists of 37.9% repetitive elements and encodes 21,785 protein-coding genes (similar to many other mammals). The genome will help to place the narwhal both into the evolutionary context of other whales but also will help to understand the evolution and embryonic development of features such as the striking tusk and its sexual dimorphism.


title: Narwhal

text: The narwhal is found predominantly in the Atlantic and Russian areas of the Arctic Ocean. Individuals are commonly recorded in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, such as in the northern part of Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Baffin Bay; off the east coast of Greenland; and in a strip running east from the northern end of Greenland round to eastern Russia (170° East). Land in this strip includes Svalbard, Franz Joseph Land and Severnaya Zemlya. The northernmost sightings of narwhal have occurred north of Franz Joseph Land, at about 85° North latitude.


title: Narwhal

text: Narwhals normally congregate in groups of about five to ten and sometimes up to 20 individuals outside the summer. Groups may be "nurseries" with only females and young, or can contain only post-dispersal juveniles or adult males ("bulls"), but mixed groups can occur at any time of year. In the summer, several groups come together, forming larger aggregations which can contain from 500 to over 1000 individuals.


title: Narwhal

text: At times, a bull narwhal may rub its tusk with another bull, a display known as "tusking" and thought to maintain social dominance hierarchies. However, this behaviour may exhibit tusk use as a sensory and communication organ for sharing information about water chemistry sensed in tusk microchannels.


title: Narwhal

text: Narwhals exhibit seasonal migrations, with a high fidelity of return to preferred, ice-free summering grounds, usually in shallow waters. In summer months, they move closer to coasts, often in pods of 10–100. In the winter, they move to offshore, deeper waters under thick pack ice, surfacing in narrow fissures in the sea ice, or leads. As spring comes, these leads open up into channels and the narwhals return to the coastal bays. Narwhals from Canada and West Greenland winter regularly in the pack ice of Davis Strait and Baffin Bay along the continental slope with less than 5% open water and high densities of Greenland halibut. Feeding in the winter accounts for a much larger portion of narwhal energy intake than in the summer.


title: Narwhal

text: Narwhals have a relatively restricted and specialized diet. Their prey is predominantly composed of Greenland halibut, polar and Arctic cod, cuttlefish, shrimp and armhook squid. Additional items found in stomachs have included wolffish, capelin, skate eggs and sometimes rocks, accidentally ingested when whales feed near the bottom. Due to the lack of well-developed dentition in the mouth, narwhals are believed to feed by swimming towards prey until it is within close range and then sucking it with considerable force into the mouth. It is thought that the beaked whales, which have similarly reduced dentition, also suck up their prey. The distinctive tusk is used to tap and stun small prey, facilitating a catch.


title: Narwhal

text: Narwhals have a very intense summer feeding society. One study published in the Canadian Journal of Zoology tested 73 narwhals of different age and gender to see what they ate. The individuals were from the Pond Inlet and had their stomach contents tested from June 1978 until September 1979. The study found in 1978 that the Arctic cod ("Boreogadus saida") made up about 51% of the diet of the narwhals, with the next most common animal being the Greenland halibut ("Reinhardtius hippoglossoides"), consisting of 37% of the weight of their diet. A year later, the percentages of both animals in the diet of narwhals had changed. Arctic cod represented 57% and Greenland halibut 29% in 1979. The deep-water fish – halibut, redfish ("Sebastes marinus") and polar cod ("Arctogadus glacialis") – were found primarily in the diet of the males, which means that the narwhals can dive deeper than below sea level. The study found that the dietary needs of the narwhal did not differ among genders or ages.


title: Narwhal

text: When in their wintering waters, narwhals make some of the deepest dives recorded for a marine mammal, diving to at least over 15 times per day, with many dives reaching . Dives to these depths last around 25 minutes, including the time spent at the bottom and the transit down and back from the surface. Dive times can also vary in time and depth, based on local variation between environments, as well as seasonality. For example, in the Baffin Bay wintering grounds, narwhals farther south appear to be spending most of their time diving to deeper depths along the steep slopes of Baffin Bay, suggesting differences in habitat structure, prey


title: Narwhal

text: availability, or innate adaptations between subpopulations. Curiously, whales in the deeper northern wintering ground have access to deeper depths, yet make shallower dives. Because vertical distribution of narwhal prey in the water column influences feeding behaviour and dive tactics, regional differences in the spatial and temporal patterns of prey density, as well as differences in prey assemblage, may be shaping winter foraging behaviour of narwhals.


title: Narwhal

text: As in most toothed whales, narwhals use sound to navigate and hunt for food. Narwhals primarily vocalise through "clicks", "whistles" and "knocks", created by air movement between chambers near the blow-hole. These sounds are reflected off the sloping front of the skull and focused by the animal's melon, which can be controlled by musculature. Echolocation clicks are primarily produced for prey detection and for locating obstacles at short distances. It is possible that individual "bangs" are capable of disorienting or incapacitating prey, making them easier to hunt, but this has not been verified. They also emit tonal signals, such as whistles and pulsed calls, that are believed to have a communication function. The calls recorded from the same herd are more similar than calls from different herds, suggesting the possibility of group or individual-specific calls in narwhals. Narwhals may also adjust the duration and the pitch of their pulsed calls to maximise sound propagation in varying acoustic environments Other sounds produced by narwhals include trumpeting and squeaking door sounds. The narwhal vocal repertoire is similar to that of the closely related beluga, with comparable whistle frequency ranges, whistle duration and repetition rates of pulse calls, however beluga whistles may have a higher frequency range and more diversified whistle contours.


title: Narwhal

text: Females start bearing calves when six to eight years old. Adult narwhals mate in April or May when they are in the offshore pack ice. Gestation lasts for 14 months and calves are born between June and August the following year. As with most marine mammals, only a single young is born, averaging in length and white or light grey in colour. During summer population counts along different coastal inlets of Baffin Island, calf numbers varied from 0.05% to 5% of the total numbering from 10,000 to 35,000 narwhals, indicating that higher calf counts may reflect calving and nursery habitats in favourable inlets. Hybrids have been documented between the narwhal and beluga (specifically a beluga male and a narwhal female), as one, perhaps even as many as three, were killed and harvested during a sustenance hunt. Whether or not these hybrids could breed remains unknown. The unusual dentition seen in the single remaining skull indicates the hybrid hunted on the seabed, much as walruses do, indicating feeding habits different from those of either parent species.


title: Narwhal

text: Newborn calves begin their lives with a thin layer of blubber which thickens as they nurse their mother's milk which is rich in fat. Calves are dependent on milk for around 20 months. This long lactation period gives calves time to learn skills needed for survival during maturation when they stay within two body lengths of the mother.


title: Narwhal

text: Narwhals can live an average of 50 years, however research using aspartic acid racemization from the lens of the eyes suggests that narwhals can live to be as old as 115 ± 10 years and 84 ± 9 years for females and males, respectively Mortality often occurs when the narwhals suffocate after they fail to leave before the surface of the Arctic waters freeze over in the late autumn. As narwhals need to breathe, they drown if open water is no longer accessible and the ice is too thick for them to break through. Maximum aerobic swimming distance between breathing holes in ice is less than which limits the use of foraging grounds and these holes must be at least wide to allow an adult whale to breathe. The last major entrapment events occurred when there was little to no wind. Entrapment can affect as many as 600 individuals, most occurring in narwhal wintering areas such as Disko Bay. In the largest entrapment in 1915 in West Greenland, over 1,000 narwhals were trapped under the ice.


title: Narwhal

text: Despite the decreases in sea ice cover, there were several large cases of sea ice entrapment in 2008–2010 in the winter close to known summering grounds, two of which were locations where there had been no previous cases documented. This suggests later departure dates from summering grounds. Sites surrounding Greenland experience advection (moving) of sea ice from surrounding regions by wind and currents, increasing the variability of sea ice concentration. Due to strong site fidelity, changes in weather and ice conditions are not always associated with narwhal movement toward open water. More information is needed to determine the vulnerability of narwhals to sea ice changes. Narwhals can also die of starvation.


title: Narwhal

text: Major predators are polar bears, which attack at breathing holes mainly for young narwhals and Greenland sharks. Killer whales (orcas) group together to overwhelm narwhal pods in the shallow water of enclosed bays, in one case killing dozens of narwhals in a single attack. To escape predators such as orcas, narwhals may use prolonged submergence to hide under ice floes rather than relying on speed.


title: Narwhal

text: Humans hunt narwhals, often selling commercially the skin, carved vertebrae, teeth and tusk, while eating the meat, or feeding it to dogs. About 1,000 narwhals per year are killed, 600 in Canada and 400 in Greenland. Canadian harvests were steady at this level in the 1970s, dropped to 300–400 per year in the late 1980s and 1990s and rose again since 1999. Greenland harvested more, 700–900 per year, in the 1980s and 1990s.


title: Narwhal

text: Tusks are sold with or without carving in Canada and Greenland. An average of one or two vertebrae and one or two teeth per narwhal are carved and sold. In Greenland the skin (muktuk) is sold commercially to fish factories, and in Canada to other communities. One estimate of the annual gross value received from narwhal hunts in Hudson Bay in 2013 was for 81 narwhals, or per narwhal. However the net income, after subtracting costs in time and equipment, was a loss of per person. Hunts receive subsidies, but they continue as a tradition, rather than for the money and the economic analysis noted that whale watching may be an alternate revenue source. Of the gross income, was for skin and meat, to replace beef, pork and chickens which would otherwise be bought, was received for tusks and carved vertebrae and teeth of males and was received for carved vertebrae and teeth of females.


title: Narwhal

text: Narwhals are one of many mammals that are being threatened by human actions. Estimates of the world population of narwhals range from around 50,000 (from 1996) to around 170,000 (compilation of various sub-population estimates from the years 2000–2017). They are considered to be near threatened and several sub-populations have evidence of decline. In an effort to support conservation, the European Union established an import ban on tusks in 2004 and lifted it in 2010. The United States has forbidden imports since 1972 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Narwhals are difficult to keep in captivity.


title: Narwhal

text: Inuit are able to hunt this whale species legally, as discussed above in Predation and hunting. Narwhals have been extensively hunted the same way as other sea mammals, such as seals and whales, for their large quantities of fat. Almost all parts of the narwhal, meat, skin, blubber and organs are consumed. "Muktuk", the name for raw skin and blubber, is considered a delicacy. One or two vertebrae per animal are used for tools and art. The skin is an important source of vitamin C which is otherwise difficult to obtain. In some places in Greenland, such as Qaanaaq, traditional hunting methods are used and whales are harpooned from handmade kayaks. In other parts of Greenland and Northern Canada, high-speed boats and hunting rifles are used.


title: Narwhal

text: During growth, the narwhal accumulates metals in its internal organs. One study found that many metals are low in concentration in the blubber of narwhals and high in the liver and the kidney. Zinc and cadmium are found in higher densities in the kidney than the liver and lead, copper and mercury were found to be the opposite. Certain metals were correlated with size and sex. During growth, it was found that mercury accumulated in the liver, kidney, muscle and blubber and that cadmium settled in the blubber.


title: Narwhal

text: Narwhals are one of the most vulnerable Arctic marine mammals to climate change due to altering sea ice coverage in their environment, especially in their northern wintering grounds such as the Baffin Bay and Davis Strait regions. Satellite data collected from these areas shows the amount of sea ice has been markedly reduced. Narwhals' ranges for foraging are believed to be patterns developed early in their life which increase their ability to gain necessary food resources during winter. This strategy focuses on strong site fidelity rather than individual level responses to local prey distribution and this results in focal foraging areas during the winter. As such, despite changing conditions, narwhals will continue returning to the same areas during migration. Despite its vulnerability to sea ice change, the narwhal has some flexibility when it comes to sea ice and habitat selection. It evolved in the late Pliocene and so is moderately accustomed to periods of glaciation and environmental variability.


title: Narwhal

text: An indirect danger for narwhals associated with changes in sea ice is the increased exposure in open water. In 2002 there was an increase in narwhal catches by hunters in Siorapaluk that did not appear to be associated with increased effort, implying that climate change may be making the narwhal more vulnerable to harvesting. Scientists urge assessment of population numbers with the assignment of sustainable quotas for stocks and the collaboration of management agreements to ensure local acceptance. Seismic surveys associated with oil exploration have also disrupted normal migration patterns which may also be associated with increased sea ice entrapment.


title: Narwhal

text: In Inuit legend, the narwhal's tusk was created when a woman with a harpoon rope tied around her waist was dragged into the ocean after the harpoon had struck a large narwhal. She was transformed into a narwhal and her hair, which she was wearing in a twisted knot, became the characteristic spiral narwhal tusk.


title: Narwhal

text: Some medieval Europeans believed narwhal tusks to be the horns from the legendary unicorn. As these horns were considered to have magic powers, such as neutralising poison and curing melancholia, Vikings and other northern traders were able to sell them for many times their weight in gold. The tusks were used to make cups that were thought to negate any poison that may have been slipped into the drink. A narwhal tusk exhibited at Warwick Castle is according to legend the rib of the mythical Dun Cow. In 1555, Olaus Magnus published a drawing of a fish-like creature with a horn on its forehead, correctly identifying it as a "Narwal". During the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I received a narwhal tusk worth 10,000 pounds sterling—the 16th-century equivalent cost of a castle (approximately £1.5–2.5 million in 2007, using the retail price index)–from Sir Humphrey Gilbert, who proposed that the tusk was from a "sea-unicorne". The tusks were staples of the cabinet of curiosities.


title: Narwhal

text: The narwhal was one of two possible explanations of the giant sea phenomenon written by Jules Verne in his 1870 novel "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea". Verne thought that it would be unlikely that there was such a gigantic narwhal in existence. The size of the narwhal, or "unicorn of the sea", as found by Verne, would have been . For the narwhal to have caused the phenomenon, Verne stated that its size and strength would have to increase by five or ten times.


title: Narwhal

text: Herman Melville wrote a section on the narwhal (written as "narwhale") in his 1851 novel "Moby-Dick", in which he claims a narwhal tusk hung for "a long period" in Windsor Castle after Sir Martin Frobisher had given it to Queen Elizabeth. Another claim he made was that the Danish kings made their thrones from narwhal tusks.


title: Cuphead

text: Cuphead is a run-and-gun video game developed and published by Studio MDHR. The game follows the titular Cuphead who, in a deal with the Devil after losing a game at the Devil's casino, is sent on a quest to repossess the souls of runaway debtors as payment for Cuphead's loss. In the game, up to two players control Cuphead and/or his brother Mugman to fight through several levels and boss fights; the game does not have a rigid narrative structure. As the game progresses, the protagonist acquires more power and abilities, eventually threatening the Devil himself. Players, however, can only equip a limited number of these abilities at a given time.


title: Cuphead

text: The game's creators, brothers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer, took inspiration from the rubber hose style of the golden age of American animation and the surrealist qualities of works of Walt Disney Animation Studios, Fleischer Studios, Warner Bros. Cartoons, MGM Cartoon Studio and Walter Lantz Productions. Reminiscent of the '30s aesthetics and Jazz Age, the game is noted for its animation and soundtrack: all in-game assets used hand-drawn animation with deliberate human imperfections, and the soundtrack was written for and recorded with a full jazz ensemble.


title: Cuphead

text: "Cuphead" had a preview at E3 2014 and was released in 2017 as a timed-exclusive for Microsoft's Windows and Xbox One, with ports to other systems subsequently added. The game was a commercial success, selling two million copies within two weeks of release and six million in two years. "Cuphead" received widespread critical acclaim, with praises for its art style, gameplay, soundtrack, and difficulty; the latter was singled out for scrutiny, with multiple outlets naming "Cuphead" one of the hardest video games ever created. The game won several awards, including three Game Awards, three D.I.C.E. Awards, and a British Academy Games Award. A DLC expansion, entitled "Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course", was released on June 30, 2022. A Netflix animated series based on the game, "The Cuphead Show!", premiered in February 2022.


title: Cuphead

text: "Cuphead"s gameplay is centered on continual boss fights, interspersed with run-and-gun levels. Each is housed in one of four worlds, with the final fight against the Devil. Each boss fight includes a simple, normal, and expert difficulty mode (with the exception of the final two bosses, which lack a simple mode). Defeating a boss on normal mode is required to progress through the game and unlocks expert mode for that particular level. Most boss battles take place on land, although some involve player characters piloting aeroplanes and play like a side-scrolling shoot 'em up. The game includes role-playing elements and a branching level sequence. Player characters have infinite lives, maintaining all equipment between deaths. Equippable weapons and special abilities, referred to as Charms, can be purchased from Porkrind's Emporium, an in-game shop, using coins found in levels and the overworld. Player characters can use a slapping parry attack on objects marked in pink to various effects, the most important of them being a super meter charge that enables more powerful attacks. The super meter is represented by a row of five playing cards, and can also be charged through attacking or Charm effects. An enhanced attack can be executed at the cost of one card, with its particular form determined by the currently equipped weapon. The most powerful strikes, or Super Arts, require the Super Meter to be fully charged and will completely drain it upon use. Three Super Arts are available, one in each of the first three worlds; to earn each one, the player must enter a mausoleum and parry a horde of ghosts to stop them from reaching an urn at the center of the screen.


title: Cuphead

text: After completing a level, the players are ranked with a grade based on performance, determined by the time taken to complete the level, damage taken, number of parried attacks, and the number of times part of the super meter was used, in addition to the level difficulty. The levels are accessible through a top-down perspective overworld with its own secret areas. The game has a two-player local cooperative mode, in which either player character can return to the game after being killed if the other one parries his soul before it rises off the screen. Cuphead's brother, Mugman, acts as an alternative skin and potential co-op partner within the game. The DLC expansion, "Delicious Last Course", adds a new area with its own campaign, including new bosses, weapons, and Charms; a third playable character is also added, Ms. Chalice, who replaces either Cuphead or Mugman when equipped with the Astral Cookie Charm. Ms. Chalice has her own unique set of moves, including a double jump, an invincible roll maneuver, and a parry dash.


title: Cuphead

text: On Inkwell Isle, Cuphead and his brother, Mugman, are two fun-loving children who live under the watchful eye of Elder Kettle. Despite Elder Kettle's warnings, the brothers wander off to the Devil's Casino and begin playing craps. When they go on a winning streak, the Devil appears and makes a deal, offering to give them all the money in the casino if they win the next roll and threatening to take their souls if they lose. Cuphead accepts the offer and loses by rolling snake eyes. As he and Mugman beg for mercy, the Devil offers them another deal: if they can collect the "soul contracts" from his runaway debtors by midnight the next day, the brothers will be spared. Cuphead and Mugman return to Elder Kettle, who gives them a magic potion that allows them to fire blasts of energy from their fingers, but also warns them that the debtors may not turn in their soul contracts willingly.


title: Cuphead

text: The brothers travel around the neighboring Inkwell Isles, fighting the debtors in order to obtain their contracts. As they enter the second Isle, Elder Kettle notices that the duo are getting stronger from their battles, and urges them to "do the right thing" when they meet the Devil. When Cuphead and Mugman enter the third Isle, King Dice, the casino's manager, reports the cup brothers' progress to the Devil. King Dice soon becomes suspicious that they are up to something, to which the Devil replies that there is nothing to worry about; if they were to try anything, he would be waiting for them.


title: Cuphead

text: The brothers soon collect all the soul contracts, and return to the Devil's Casino. After defeating King Dice, the brothers confront the Devil. If the player chooses to turn over the contracts, Cuphead and Mugman are transformed into the Devil's demonic lackeys and the game ends. If they refuse, the Devil becomes furious at the brothers for not upholding their end of the bargain and attacks them. Cuphead and Mugman defeat the Devil, burn the contracts, and return home. Learning that they have nothing to fear from the Devil anymore, the former debtors honor the brothers for their heroic actions.


title: Cuphead

text: After freeing a spirit known as the Legendary Chalice from one of the main game's mausoleums, Cuphead and Mugman receive a summons from her to visit a distant fourth Inkwell Isle. Once they arrive, Chalice demonstrates an "Astral Cookie" which allows her to trade places with the brother who eats it, turning him into a ghost and temporarily bringing her back to life as Ms. Chalice. The cookie's inventor, Chef Saltbaker, unveils his recipe for a special dessert known as the Wondertart, which has the power to give Chalice her own permanent body. Saltbaker notes that its required ingredients are held by several antagonistic inhabitants of the Island, and the brothers set out to collect them with Chalice's help.


title: Cuphead

text: Once they return to the bakery with the ingredients, Saltbaker reveals that the Wondertart requires a living soul baked into it to work, and that he intends to use the Wondertart for himself and conquer the astral plane. To this end, he has captured the soul of one protagonist, who may be any character not in play upon reaching the bakery, and further plans to kill the other two cups to resume his scheme. The remaining two engage Saltbaker in battle and defeat him, resulting in the destruction of the bakery and leaving no way to finish the Wondertart. Unwilling to let anyone else give up their soul for her benefit, Chalice decides to remain a ghost and continue searching for a way to return to life, while still offering to assist Cuphead and Mugman as needed via the Astral Cookie. In the epilogue, Saltbaker is arrested for his crimes and sentenced to community service. Saltbaker makes amends for his actions, and rebuilds his bakery, now a changed person much to everyone's joy.


title: Cuphead

text: "Cuphead" is the first game by Studio MDHR, a Canadian indie game development studio founded by brothers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer. The brothers wound up remortgaging their house to finish the game. The game was written by Evan Skolnick; additional animation work was contributed by Jake Clark, with programming led by Tony Coculuzzi. Its development began in 2010 using the Unity game engine, and it was developed from the brothers' homes in Oakville, Ontario and Regina, Saskatchewan, respectively. It was inspired by cartoons from the early days of golden age of American animation such as Disney and Fleischer Studios, along with cartoonists Ub Iwerks, Grim Natwick, and Willard Bowsky. Chad Moldenhauer called Fleischer Studios "the magnetic north of his art style", and particularly sought to mimic their "subversive and surrealist" elements.


title: Cuphead

text: The Moldenhauers watched many early golden-age cartoons in their youth, which Chad Moldenhauer describes as happenstance, based on gifts and VHS compilations. Among other siblings in their Regina, Saskatchewan childhood home, the two shared aesthetic taste and interest in gameplay. They attempted a game in the style of "Cuphead" in 2000, but lacked the tools to continue. The brothers decided to try again following the success of the indie game "Super Meat Boy", which was released in 2010. The character that became Cuphead descended from a 1936 Japanese propaganda animated film featuring a character with a teacup for a head. The Moldenhauers emulated the animation because they found it strange, and "right away it stuck". Before settling on him as the main character, the brothers had created around one hundred fifty different character designs, including a kappa wearing a tophat and characters with a plate or fork for a head.


title: Cuphead

text: Their animation techniques are similar to those of these cartoons. Chad Moldenhauer, who had previously worked in graphic design, hand-drew the animations and painted the backgrounds using watercolors, colorizing them in Photoshop. The gameplay's frame rate is 60 frames per second, while the animation runs at 24 per second, which is the standard in American film. Chad Moldenhauer saw the deliberately included human imperfections of their art design as a reaction to the perfectionism of modern pixel art. Jared Moldenhauer worked on other aspects of the game, and they discussed gameplay design together. Their studio hired a Romanian developer, a Brooklyn animator, and an Ontario jazz musician for the project. They sought to use recording processes vintage to that era. The score was composed by Kristofer Maddigan and consists of fifty one tracks performed by jazz and big band musicians.


title: Cuphead

text: The Moldenhauers described "Cuphead" as having a difficult, "retro game" core for its emphasis on gameplay over plot. "Kill Screen" described the developers as "obsessed" with run-and-gun fundamentals of "animations and exploits and hitboxes". They made multiple revisions to many gameplay elements, including how gameplay actions feel at the edges of platforms and how long players are disabled after receiving damage. They planned multiple difficulty levels and chose to abandon a typical damsel in distress plot for one where Cuphead perpetually creates trouble for himself. The developers planned to surpass the Guinness World Record for number of boss battles in a run-and-gun game by having more than 30, compared to the record's 25 in "Alien Soldier". The game's implementation and visual design, combined with the limited number of staff, was Studio MDHR's biggest challenge, and as such the Moldenhauers went to great lengths to complete the game, even remortgaging their house in order to finance it.


title: Cuphead

text: Though the game was shown during the Xbox press event of Electronic Entertainment Expo 2014 to audience approval, it was not available to play and was estimated to be 40 percent complete. It was expected to be extended via expansion packs with 10 to 15 bosses each, similar to how "Sonic & Knuckles" added atop the "Sonic" series. "Cuphead" was released on September 29, 2017 for Windows and Xbox One, and it supports Xbox Play Anywhere. King Features Syndicate has the licensing rights to merchandise and assorted paraphernalia.


title: Cuphead

text: Downloadable content for the game, "The Delicious Last Course", which adds a new island, boss encounters, and a third playable character (Ms. Chalice), was revealed at E3 2018 for release in 2019. However, the new content was pushed back into 2020 to avoid putting too much pressure and crunch time on the development team. It was further delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was eventually released on June 30, 2022.


title: Cuphead

text: A port of "Cuphead" for macOS was released on October 19, 2018, and advertised with an animated short titled "Crisp Apples".


title: Cuphead

text: A port for the Nintendo Switch was released on April 18, 2019. This was made possible when Microsoft approached the development team about it. A PlayStation 4 port was released on July 28, 2020.


title: Cuphead

text: In June 2019, a port for Tesla, Inc.'s Linux-based operating system for some of its cars was announced by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who expressed his appreciation of the game. It was released in September 2019 as part of Tesla's software version 10, though only the first level was playable.


title: Cuphead

text: Ben Kuchera of "Polygon" wrote that "Cuphead" was one of the five most interesting reveals at Microsoft's E3 2014 press conference, even though he knew little about the game apart from its aesthetic. He said it "stood out immediately" and that everyone in the website's press room viscerally reacted to the trailer. "Cuphead" won the "IGN" Best Xbox One game at E3 award in 2015, and "Best Indie Game" at the Gamescom 2015 Awards. It was nominated as "Best Independent Game" at the E3 2016 Game Critics Awards.


title: Cuphead

text: "Cuphead" received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic. Its difficulty was noted by several media outlets. "Destructoid"'s Brett Makedonski welcomed the high difficulty, which he noted as "tough but fair". Based on "exhaustive" pattern recognition, he said it ultimately relied on muscle memory, rather than reaction. He thought structuring the game around boss battles was well executed, and that each boss encounter held "different and special and memorable" traits. Praising the 1930s aesthetics as cohesive, he found the jazz-based soundtrack to be "similarly fabulous". He said the "eight-direction firing radius" was "clunky and awkward". Though dying 188 times in his playthrough, Ray Carsillo at "EGMNow" was not frustrated by the difficulty, but rather was motivated to "dig my heels in deeper". He lauded the "gorgeous" hand-drawn visuals, surpassed only by the gameplay which goes "beyond pattern recognition". Peter Brown of "GameSpot" opined that combating enemies provided a considerably rewarding experience. He described the cartoon aesthetic as charming, infusing "color and expression", and a "true recreation" of hand-drawn cel animation. He relished the quick loading times which serve trial and error tactics. Though he saw "the fear of the unexpected" as part of "Cuphead"s thrill, he disparaged its failure to identify progress and capability.


title: Cuphead

text: Lucas Sullivan at "GamesRadar+" wrote that "Cuphead" "stands tall among the best 2D shooters of all time", and that the gameplay demands patient pattern recognition, but which is not frustrating and would reward players "tenfold". Sullivan called the animation adorable, with a wealth of detail in the watercolor backdrops, which worked well with the gameplay. "Giant Bomb"s Ben Pack remarked that playing the game yielded one of his most enjoyable gaming experiences, citing the combination of "brutal" platforming and an "exceptionally well realized" art style. Joe Skrebels of IGN declared every scene a "masterwork" and commended the sound work, calling it an "ideal match" to the aesthetics. He called platforming battles the most imaginative part, and the lack of enemy health bars its "smartest" and "most devilish" feature. He found the battles rewarding and "one of "Cuphead"s greatest strengths". He said the "run 'n' gun, left-to-right platforming" lacked inventiveness, and criticized the "parry system" and control scheme. Chris Schilling of "PC Gamer" liked the "reliable jump and dash" controls with "nimble and responsive" handling. Schilling explained that certain random elements meant "you can't simply learn patterns by rote and rely entirely on muscle memory". Chris Plante of "Polygon" said the game educates the player in strategy through trial and error. He enjoyed the "crucial" and "relatively forgiving" parrying system, more than the various attacks. He complained that the final bosses diminished the game's greatest features, and that the difficulty "eventually goes too far". Colm Ahern of VideoGamer.com wrote, ""Cuphead" will best most games in how it looks and sounds, and defeating that boss that you once deemed unbeatable is glorious." He criticized the final bosses, saying that the challenge was "a step too far".


title: Cuphead

text: "Unwinnable" writer Yussef Cole wrote an essay titled "Cuphead and the Racist Spectre of Fleischer Animation", arguing that by using the rubber hose animation style, Studio MDHR also brought up the "bigotry and prejudice" that had a strong influence on early animation, claiming that Studio MDHR ignored the context and history of the aesthetic it "so faithfully" replicated. Cole states that much of the imagery that Studio MDHR took from the Fleischer style effectively carried the racial stereotypes of the 1930s Harlem and minstrel shows that the animation style was built on. Chad and Jared Moldenhauer had stated prior to release that they wanted to make an animation style that harkened back to 1930s cartoons without getting ties to racism or minstrel shows in them. Maja Moldenhauer further stated that all they wanted from the Fleischers was the animation style and visuals, and are "not versed in" anything else happening in that era. In response to Cole's essay, Brandon Orselli of "Niche Gamer" defended the game as a tribute to that art style, writing that it was not meant to deliver narratives, or "go anywhere beyond where it needs to go in terms of its basic and child-like storytelling".


title: Cuphead

text: In the two first weeks of release, more than one million copies of "Cuphead" were sold worldwide. Sales reached more than four million by July 2019, and five million by its second anniversary of release. By the time it was released for the PlayStation 4 in July 2020, it had reached 6 million sales. "Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course" accumulated a total of one million sales within less than two weeks of its launch.


title: Cuphead

text: "Entertainment Weekly" placed "Cuphead" fifth on the list of its "Best Games of 2017", "GamesRadar+" ranked it ninth on its list of the 25 Best Games of 2017", and "Polygon" ranked it 14th on its list of the "50 best games of 2017". In "Game Informer"s Reader's Choice Best of 2017 Awards, the game won the "Best Microsoft Game" and "Best Co-op Multiplayer" categories, and got third place for "Best Action Game". The website also gave it the awards for "Best Microsoft Exclusive" in its "Best of 2017 Awards", and for "Best Bosses" in its 2017 Action Game of the Year Awards. EGMNow ranked the game at #2 on its list of the 25 best games of 2017, and Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw of "Zero Punctuation" ranked it third on his list of the Best Games of 2017. "The Verge" named it one of its 15 best video games of 2017.


title: Cuphead

text: "Cuphead" was nominated for "Breakout Game of the Year" in "PC Gamer"s 2017 Game of the Year Awards, and won the award for "Best Xbox One Game" in "Destructoid"s Game of the Year Awards 2017. It won "Best Xbox One Game" and "Best Art Direction" in IGN's Best of 2017 Awards, whereas its other nominations were for "Game of the Year", "Best PC Game", "Best Platformer", "Best Original Music", and "Best Multiplayer". It won "Best Looking Game" and "Best Style", and was runner-up for "Best Shopkeeper" for the character Porkrind, "Best Music", "Best Debut", and "Game of the Year" at "Giant Bomb" Game of the Year 2017 Awards.


title: Cuphead

text: In the week of September 14, 2019, the album "Selected Tunes from Cuphead" topped the Jazz Albums "Billboard" charts.


title: Cuphead

text: A "Cuphead" Mii Fighter costume was added to the 2018 fighting game "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" via downloadable content in January 2020. It also came bundled with one of the game's boss level themes, "Floral Fury". Four "Cuphead"-themed "spirits" were added to "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" in February 2020. Later in 2020, Arby's added limited-edition toys and papercrafts based on some characters from the game to its kids' menu at select locations. A tabletop game, "Cuphead: Fast Rolling Dice Game", was released in 2021, featuring a companion app for iOS and Android that plays music and calculates the score.


title: Cuphead

text: "The Cuphead Show!", an animated series based on the game and produced by Netflix Animation, was announced in July 2019. The show does not use pen-and-paper animation methods like the game and instead uses digital animation. Chad and Jared Moldenhauer serve as executive producers alongside CJ Kettler from King Features Syndicate. The series premiered on February 18, 2022. On August 19, 2022, the 13-episode second season was released worldwide. The 11-episode third season was released on November 18, 2022.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: Hercules is a 1997 American animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation for Walt Disney Pictures. The 35th Disney animated feature film and the eighth animated film produced during the Disney Renaissance, it is loosely based on the legendary hero Heracles (known in the film by his Roman name, Hercules), the son of Zeus, in Greek mythology. The film was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, both of whom also produced the film with Alice Dewey Goldstone. The screenplay was written by Musker, Clements, Donald McEnery, Bob Shaw, and Irene Mecchi. Featuring the voices of Tate Donovan, Danny DeVito, James Woods, and Susan Egan, the film follows the titular Hercules, a demigod with super-strength raised among mortals, who must learn to become a true hero in order to earn back his godhood and place in Mount Olympus, while his evil uncle Hades plots his downfall.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: Development of "Hercules" began in 1992 following a pitch adaptation of the Heracles mythological stories by animator Joe Haidar. Meanwhile, Clements and Musker re-developed their idea for "Treasure Planet" (2002) following the critical and commercial success of "Aladdin" (1992). Their project was removed from development in 1993, and Musker and Clements joined "Hercules" later that same year. Following an unused treatment by Haidar, Clements and Musker studied multiple interpretations of Greek mythology before abandoning Zeus's adulterous affair with Alcmene. The project underwent multiple story treatments and a first script draft was inspired by the screwball comedy films of the classic Hollywood era and popular culture of the 1990s. McEnery, Shaw, and Mecchi were brought on board to revise the script. British cartoonist Gerald Scarfe was recruited as production designer and produced over seven hundred visualization designs of the characters. Research trips to Greece and Turkey provided inspiration for the background designs. Animation for the film was done in California and Paris. Computer animation was used in several scenes, predominantly in the Hydra battle sequence.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: "Hercules" was released on June 13, 1997, and received generally positive reviews from film critics, with James Woods's performance as Hades receiving particular praise, but the animation (particularly the visual style) and music received a mixed response. The film under-performed in its theatrical release notably in comparison to previous animated Disney films, ultimately earning $252.7 million in box office revenue worldwide. "Hercules" was later followed by the direct-to-video prequel "" (1999), which served as the pilot to "Hercules: The Animated Series", a syndicated Disney television series focusing on Hercules during his time at the Prometheus Academy.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: In Ancient Greece, the gods Zeus and Hera have a son named Hercules. While the other gods are joyful, Zeus' wicked brother Hades plots to overthrow Zeus and rule Mount Olympus. Through the Fates, Hades learns that in eighteen years, a planetary alignment will allow him to free the Titans to conquer Olympus, but only if Hercules does not interfere. Hades sends his imp minions, Pain and Panic, to murder Hercules, providing them with a potion that can strip a god of immortality. The two kidnap the baby, take him down to the valley and feed him the potion. However, before Hercules drinks the last drop, two farmers pass nearby and startle the demons, causing them to drop the bottle. Hercules is stripped of immortality but retains his god-like strength. Pain and Panic attempt to murder the baby, but Hercules easily overpowers them. The pair decide not to report their failure to Hades.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: Years later, the teenage Hercules becomes an outcast for his inability to control his strength. Wondering about his origins, he decides to visit the Temple of Zeus for answers. Once there, a statue of Zeus comes to life and reveals all to Hercules, telling him that he can earn back his godhood by becoming a "true hero." Zeus sends Hercules and his forgotten childhood friend Pegasus to the satyr Philoctetes ("Phil") who is known for training heroes. Phil has retired in frustration after none of his past students managed to earn a constellation in the sky. Zeus obliges Phil to train Hercules anyway. After completing the training, Phil and Hercules head towards Thebes. On the way, they meet Megara ("Meg"), a sarcastic damsel whom Hercules saves from the centaur Nessus. Unbeknownst to Hercules, Meg is Hades' slave and was actually trying to recruit Nessus. She had sold her soul to Hades previously to save a lover who then left her. When Meg mentions what happened, Hades realizes that Pain and Panic failed him and plots to finish off Hercules properly.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: Arriving in Thebes, Hercules is met with skepticism by the locals, but then Meg appears, saying that two boys are trapped under a large rock in a gorge. Hercules lifts the rock and rescues the boys, unaware that they are Pain and Panic in disguise, and unwittingly releases the Hydra. Much to Hades's chagrin, Hercules defeats the monster and becomes a celebrated hero. Hercules defeats many other monsters, many of which are sent by Hades, and his popularity and fortune grow. However, Zeus tells him that he is not yet a "true" hero and refuses to explain what that means. Saddened and frustrated, Hercules spends a day out with Meg, who starts to fall in love with him. Hades learns of this, and on the eve of his takeover, he holds Meg hostage and offers her freedom in exchange for Hercules surrendering his powers for a day. On the condition that Meg will be unharmed, Hercules accepts and is heartbroken after learning that Meg was working for Hades all along.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: Hades unleashes the Titans, who climb Olympus and defeat the gods, while the Cyclops goes to Thebes to kill Hercules. Hercules uses his wits to defeat the Cyclops. Unfortunately, during the battle, Meg is mortally injured. This breaks Hades's promise that Meg would not be harmed, so Hercules regains his strength. Hercules and Pegasus fly to Olympus, free the gods and vanquish the Titans, but Meg dies before he can return to her.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: To recover Meg's soul, Hercules goes to the underworld and risks his life by leaping into the River Styx. Hercules is able to reach Meg's soul in the river, and his Godhood is restored. Hercules steps out of the river and knocks Hades in After reviving Meg, she and Hercules are summoned to Olympus, where Zeus and Hera welcome their son home, saying that he has proved himself a "true hero" through the "strength of his heart." However, rather than join the gods there, Hercules chooses to remain on Earth with Meg. The heroes then return to Thebes, where they watch Zeus form a constellation in Hercules' honor.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: In early 1992, thirty artists, writers, and animators pitched their ideas for potential animated features, each given a limited time of two minutes. The first pitch was for an adaptation of "The Odyssey", which entered into production in the following summer. However, production on the film was abandoned when it was deemed too long, lacked central characters, and failed to translate into animation comedy. Animator Joe Haidar also suggested pitching a story from Greek mythology, but thought his chances plummeted when work on "The Odyssey" was discontinued. Nervously, he produced a pitch sketch of Hercules, and delivered a brief outline set during the Trojan War where both sides seek the title character for their secret weapon. Hercules makes a choice, without considering the consequences, though in the end, he learns humility and realizes that strength is not always the answer. With the pitching session concluded, "Hercules" was approved for development in which Haidar presented a page-and-a-half outline, but his involvement with the project succeeded no further.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: In November 1992, fresh off of their critical and commercial success of "Aladdin" (1992), directors Ron Clements and John Musker re-developed "Treasure Planet" up until fall 1993. "Aladdin" co-screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio subsequently had taken Clements and Musker's earlier ideas and wrote a treatment. Jeffrey Katzenberg, who was the chairman of Walt Disney Studios, disapproved of the project, and instead offered them to do an adaptation of "A Princess of Mars" (in which Disney had held the film rights to). Clements and Musker were disinterested in the adaptation, and the film rights lapsed shortly after. Katzenberg later struck a deal with the directors to produce another commercially viable film before he would green-light "Treasure Planet". Turning down adaptation proposals for "Don Quixote", "The Odyssey", and "Around the World in Eighty Days", the directors were notified of Haidar's pitch for a "Hercules" feature. "We thought it would be our opportunity to do a "superhero" movie," Musker said, so "Ron and I being comic book fans. The studio liked us moving onto that project and so we did ["Hercules"]."


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: With "Hercules" in production, Clements and Musker conducted research and wrote extensive notes for the film. On excerpts detailed in November 1993, the similarities between their outlines included the naïve title character caught between two worlds, a Danny DeVito-type sidekick, a world-wise heroine, and a powerful villain in a battle of idealism versus cynicism. The directors also sought inspiration from classic screwball comedy films directed by Preston Sturges and Frank Capra with "Hercules as the young Jimmy Stewart in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"," Musker explained, and "Meg is modeled on Barbara Stanwyck, especially the characters she played in "The Lady Eve" and "Meet John Doe"."


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: While preparing the script, Clements and Musker consulted the works of Thomas Bullfinch, Edith Hamilton, Robert Graves, and other interpreters of Greek mythology until they reached the conclusion to not portray the traditional story of Hercules. Because Zeus sired Hercules outside of his marriage with Hera, Clements remarked "that illegitimacy would be difficult subject matter for a Disney movie. So [he and Musker] thought of different ways he could be half-man and half-god. [They] moved more toward making Hades the villain instead of Hera. The Underworld seemed like such a fascinating, dark image; the contrast with Olympus seemed to have all kinds of visual possibilities." Additionally during their research, the directors were inspired by the correlation of the popularity of Hercules in comparison to that of sport athletes and celebrities in the contemporary era, with both stating Hercules was the Michael Jordan of his era.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: After multiple meetings and story conferences, Clements and Musker wrote several story treatments before proceeding to their first script draft. Comedy writers Donald McEnery and Bob Shaw were recruited by creative executive Jane Healey to work on "Hercules". Meanwhile, their draft was concurrently rewritten by Irene Mecchi, which altogether brought additional humor and definition to the script.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: Donny Osmond originally auditioned as the speaking voice of the title character, but he was turned down because his voice was considered too deep and would later be given a singing role in "Mulan" (1998) instead. Writing the role of Philoctetes, Musker and Clements envisioned Danny DeVito in the role. However, DeVito declined to audition so Ed Asner, Ernest Borgnine, and Dick Latessa were brought in to read for the part. After Red Buttons had auditioned, he left stating, "I know what you're gonna do. You're gonna give this part to Danny Devito!" Shortly after, the directors and producer Alice Dewey approached DeVito at a pasta lunch during the filming of "Matilda" (1996), where DeVito signed on to the role.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: For every Disney animated feature since "Beauty and the Beast" (1991), Susan Egan auditioned for a role, and then landed the role of Belle in the Broadway production. Upon learning about "Hercules", Egan actively pursued the role of Megara, though she revealed that "Alan Menken initially blocked me from going after that part. He said that the female lead in "Hercules" was supposed to be this cynical smart-ass, sounding nothing at all like sweet, innocent Belle." Menken eventually relented and allowed Egan to audition for the role. Egan read for the part in front of a microphone while being videotaped as Menken, "Beauty and the Beast" musical director Michael Kosarin, and the filmmakers sat at a table with their eyes closed. Nine months following the results of the test animation synced with Egan's audition, Egan won the role. During production, Meg was originally given a ballad titled "I Can't Believe My Heart", but Ken Duncan, the supervising animator of Meg, pointed out the song was out of character for Meg. Menken and Zippel would later compose "I Won't Say I'm in Love" instead.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: The casting of Hades proved to be very problematic for Musker and Clements. When DeVito asked the directors who they had in mind to play Hades, Musker and Clements responded by saying they had not selected an appropriate actor. In response, DeVito blurted, "Why don't you ask Jack [Nicholson]?" After DeVito notified Nicholson of the project, the next week, the studio was willing to pay Nicholson $500,000 for the role, but Nicholson demanded roughly a paycheck of $10–15 million, plus a 50 percent cut of all the proceeds from Hades merchandise. Unwilling to share merchandising proceeds with the actor, Disney came back with a counter offer that was significantly less than what Nicholson had asked for. Because of this, Nicholson decided to pass on the project.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: Disappointed by Nicholson's refusal, Clements and Musker eventually selected John Lithgow as Hades in fall 1994. After nine months of trying to make Lithgow's portrayal of Hades work, Lithgow was released from the role in August 1995. According to John Musker, Ron Silver, James Coburn, Kevin Spacey, Phil Hartman, and Rod Steiger arrived to the Disney studios to read as Hades. Musker also invited producer Robert Evans to read. Additionally, animator Nik Ranieri claimed Michael Ironside, Terrence Mann, and Martin Landau also auditioned for the role, and that Musker and Clements had reached out to Jerry Lewis to read for the role. When the directors invited James Woods to read for the part, they were surprised by Woods' interpretation, and he was hired by October 1995. Hades's co-henchman Pain was written with Bobcat Goldthwait in mind, although the actor confessed he still had to audition for the role despite playing himself.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: In 1993, Clements and Musker fondly remembered a "Time" magazine cover of the Beatles, illustrated by English cartoonist Gerald Scarfe. While working as the production designer on a production of "The Magic Flute", Scarfe was invited to tour the Disney studios where Clements and Musker noticed a direct correlation between Scarfe's style and the Greek vase painting style. With the permission from the Disney studios, Scarfe was hired as production designer to produce a dozen drawings. Scarfe conducted minimal research, not wanting to be influenced by other interpretations where he sent thirty-two sketches via fax machine or courier, and ended up producing more than 700 drawings throughout production. By July 1995, Scarfe and fifteen animators and designers began developing working prototypes for every character in the movie. That same year, the filmmakers embarked on a research trip to Greece and Turkey to research classic Greek mythology. Since Scarfe's style proved to be too fluid and chaotic for the animators, production stylist Sue Nichols created reference charts for the animators on which elements of Scarfe's style, as well as classical Greek illustration, to adapt into their work.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: Animation began in early 1995 with a team of nearly 700 artists, animators, and technicians in Burbank, California while Walt Disney Animation France contributed nearly ten minutes of animation, including the finale with the Titans and Hercules' descent into the Underworld. Andreas Deja, the supervising animator for Hercules, commented that the animation crew he worked with to animate Hercules was the "largest [he] ever worked with". He previously worked on other characters (like Gaston in "Beauty and the Beast", Jafar in "Aladdin", and Scar in "The Lion King") with about four animators on his crew, but he had a team of twelve or thirteen for Hercules. Given Deja had worked with three villains before, he was first offered Hades, but asked to animate Hercules instead – "I knew if would be more difficult and more challenging, but I just needed that experience to have that in your repertoire."


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: Following the release of "Pocahontas" (1995), Eric Goldberg was initially assigned to animate Hades when Jack Nicholson was thought to play the character. However, when Nicholson decided to pass on the role, Goldberg was not interested in animating the character anymore. Around the same time, Chris Buck was assigned to animate Philoctetes, but after he left the production of "Hercules", this left the character of Philoctetes without a supervising animator. Goldberg then decided to instead animate Philoctetes when DeVito signed onto the role noting his similarities with the actor in their short stature, baldness, and admittedly a little "soft around the middle". Throughout production, there were twenty-seven designs for the character, but the final design took inspiration from Grumpy in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937) and Bacchus in "Fantasia" (1940) in terms of their curmudgeonly personality and facial structure. For Hades, animator Nik Ranieri took inspiration from Scarfe's concept drawings and James Woods' mannerisms during the recording sessions. While Hades' body was drawn by hand, the animation of the hair was handled by the effects animators with input from Ranieri as to how it should move.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: For the Hydra, Scarfe provided preliminary drawings to give the mythical beast its requisite fangs and serpentine necks before work was transferred over to the computer animation team headed by Roger Gould. The Hydra was sculpted into a clay model where the dimensions were digitized into the computers as a wire-frame model by which the monster was animated. Early into production, the filmmakers decided the Hydra would ultimately have thirty heads by which the animators created one master head, and the computer could multiply the heads to their desired scale. Overall, thirteen animators and technical directors spent nearly a year-and-a-half creating the four-minute battle sequence. Additionally, because the directors envisioned Olympus as a city composed of clouds, painted backgrounds of clouds and cloud-like imagery were blended with drawn effects animation to create a morphing technique that were used for baby Hercules's cradle and Zeus's reclining chair.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: The soundtrack for "Hercules" consists of music written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist David Zippel, orchestrated by Daniel Troob and Michael Starobin, with vocals performed by Lillias White, LaChanze, Roz Ryan, Roger Bart, Danny DeVito, and Susan Egan among others. The album also includes the single version of "Go the Distance" by Michael Bolton. This was the last Disney Renaissance film for which Alan Menken composed music.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: On February 4, 1997, Disney began its marketing campaign by starting a five-month promotional traveling tour called "Disney's Hercules Mega Mall Tour". Sponsored by Chevy Venture, the tour traveled throughout 20 cities starting first in Atlanta, Georgia. Previously used for the marketing campaigns for "Pocahontas" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", the tour featured eleven attractions including a multimedia stage show, a miniature carousel themed to Baby Pegasus, a carnival with "Hercules"-themed game booths, and a ten-minute animation workshop hosted by animator Andreas Deja where visitors would try their hand at drawing Hercules.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: On June 14, the premiere of the film was accompanied with a Hercules-led performance of Disneyland's Main Street Electrical Parade held in Times Square. The parade of electrified floats, which was broadcast live on the Disney Channel as part of a program involving the making of "Hercules", traveled from 42nd Street to Fifth Avenue. The parade also included attendees such as Lauren Hutton, Harvey Keitel, Andy Garcia, Barbara Walters, Michael Bolton, and Marilu Henner, as well as Olympic athletes who rode on thirty floats. The media event was not without controversy as former New York mayor Ed Koch objected to surrendering the city over to Disney, and critics raising questions about what politicians are willing to give a private firm in return for investment. Also, nearly 100 members of National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians used the occasion to strike for a new contract from Disney/ABC, with local union president Tony Capitano who complained: "I think the Mayor gave away the city to Disneyland." Furthermore, 5,000 businesses and residents within the city felt unusually eerie upon being asked to dim their lights as the parade passed. Following the parade, a private party was held at the Chelsea Piers complex, where dinner guests were served to a performance of Susan Egan singing songs from the movie along the Hudson River, and ten minutes of fireworks display.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: Additionally, the film was accompanied by a marketing campaign with promotional tie-ins with 85 licensees including McDonald's, Mattel, Nestlé, Hallmark, and various merchandise. A tie-in video game, titled "Hercules Action Game", was developed by Eurocom and released in July 1997 for the PC and PlayStation. Another tie-in game was developed by Tiertex Design Studios and was released for the Game Boy by THQ the same month. "Hercules" was also the first Disney on Ice adaptation before the film was theatrically released.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: "Hercules" was first released on VHS and widescreen LaserDisc in the United States on February 3, 1998, included as an installment of the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection series. By summer 1998, sales and rentals of the VHS release had accumulated to $165 million. Released on November 9, 1999, "Hercules" was released in a "Limited Issue" DVD for a limited sixty-day time period before going into moratorium. Launching in January 2000, Walt Disney Home Video began the Gold Classic Collection, with "Hercules" re-issued on VHS and DVD on August 1, 2000. The DVD contained the film in its 1.66:1 aspect ratio and THX-certified, and was accompanied with special features including "The Making of Hercules" documentary video and the "Go The Distance" music video sung by Ricky Martin, as well as an "Animals of the Outback" activity booklet. The early DVD issues utilized a 35mm print of the film, rather than use the computer to encode the movie directly to digital. The film was released on a Special Edition Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD on June 10, 2014. On September 1, 2017, "Hercules" became available on Netflix.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: Wall Street analysts estimated that "Hercules" could bring in between $125 to $150 million in the United States, on the basis of the extensive marketing campaign and the movie's light, humorous tone similar to that of "Aladdin". "Hercules" began its limited release in North America on June 13, 1997, playing in one selected theater. The film earned $249,567 in box office receipts during the weekend of June 13–15, standing at the thirteenth place in the box office ranking. During its first two weeks, the film had grossed $1.45 million when it expanded into two selected theaters. The general release followed on June 27, 1997, in 2,621 screens. During the weekend of June 27–29, box office analysts estimated that "Hercules" earned $21.5 million ranking second behind "Face/Off", which grossed $22.7 million.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: In its first two weeks of general release, "Hercules" amounted $58 million in box office grosses, compared to "Pocahontas" (which took in $80 million) and "The Lion King" (which grossed $119 million) in their respective two weeks. Considered a disappointment among Disney shareholders, Disney's stock price slipped 9.7 percent by which executives blamed the film's box office performance on "more competition". By its third weekend, Buena Vista Pictures Distribution president Dick Cook confessed that competing family films such as "Men in Black" and "Batman & Robin" played a role in the downward box office performance, but projected the film would receive a worldwide gross of $300 million. Likewise, entertainment analysts speculated "Hercules" did not appeal strongly towards adults and teenagers compared to "Beauty and the Beast", "Aladdin", and "The Lion King", which served as date movies and family outings. By spring 1998, "Hercules" grossed $99 million, and the international totals for "Hercules" raised its gross to $253 million.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported the film has an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The website's critical consensus reads, "Fast-paced and packed with dozens of pop culture references, "Hercules" might not measure up with the true classics of the Disney pantheon, but it's still plenty of fun." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: James Woods received universal acclaim from film reviewers for his vocal performance as Hades. Reviewing for "Entertainment Weekly", Owen Gleiberman graded the film an A− acclaiming it was Woods' most exciting performance since "Salvador". He wrote his performance "is an inspired piece of deadpan vaudeville. His dry jocularity is hilariously incongruous – he's like a hostile, wisecracking salesman trapped in the body of the Antichrist." Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" wrote a positive review of the film, enjoying the story as well as the animation. Ebert also praised Woods' portrayal of Hades, stating that Woods brings "something of the same verbal inventiveness that Robin Williams brought to "Aladdin"". Similarly, "Chicago Tribune" film reviewer Gene Siskel, while awarding the film 2 out of 4 stars, stated, "The only memorable character in the film is the nicely drawn villain Hades (voice by James Woods), who seeks to turn Hercules to the dark side. Hades supplies the genie-like patter that Robin Williams provided in "Aladdin."" Janet Maslin of "The New York Times" also praised Woods' performance, remarking that he "shows off the full verve of an edgy Scarfe villain", and added "On any level, earthly or otherwise, the ingenious new animated "Hercules" is pretty divine." James Berardinelli, film critic for "ReelViews", awarded the film 3 out of 4, stars writing, "The real star of the show is James Woods, whose Hades is the most vibrant Disney creation since Robin Williams' Genie. Hades is a lively villain with a great repertoire of one-liners. And, although Woods isn't as much of a vocal chameleon as Williams, he's close enough that it hardly matters."


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: The Scarfe-inspired animation style received mixed reviews, with Berardinelli labeling it as the film's most disappointing aspect. He wrote: "This approach makes the film look rushed and, at times, incomplete. It is never a visual marvel – even the computer-generated scenes fail to impress. The sequences intended to offer the biggest spectacle – Olympus and the Underworld – provoke little more than a yawn." Likewise, Siskel noted his surprise of "how soft and cheap the animation looks." Writing for "The Washington Post", Desson Howe criticized the animation as being "some of the worst I've ever cringed through, including the corner-cutting junk of Don Bluth movies and every trashy cartoon that passes for entertainment on Saturday morning television. In "Hercules," ancient Thebes looks like a hastily sketched field-trip location from public TV's "The Magic School Bus"; and no self-respecting immortal would be seen dead in this simplistic rendition of Mount Olympus. Nevertheless, Kenneth Turan of the "Los Angeles Times" noted the animation "has just enough of a different look to it to make things interesting" and praised the Hydra as a technological marvel.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: Likewise, the music also received a mixed response, with Rita Kempley of "The Washington Post" writing, "Like the other songs by Disney veteran Alan Menken and his new lyricist, David Zippel ("City of Angels"), the number gets the job done, but it doesn't topple the temple. The score is influenced by gospel, Broadway musicals, processional music and R&B, but its only spice is its variety." "Variety" film critic Leonard Klady noted the lack of distinctiveness of the music writing Menken "is hitting too many tired notes in his sixth animated score" and "there's simply not a song in the piece that has you humming as you exit the theater, and ballads such as "Go the Distance" will require aggressive repetition to register as playlist material."


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: Disney intended for the film to have an open-air premiere at Pnyx hill, but the Greek government declined after the Greek media and public panned the film. Ciaran Byrne, reviewing the film for the Greek newspaper "Adesmevtos Typos", called it "another case of foreigners distorting our history and culture just to suit their commercial interests".


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: The sequel "Hercules II: The Trojan War" was planned. It would have been about Hercules is now living in Athens with Megara and their daughter, Hebe. However, when an old friend named Helen is captured by the evil Paris of Troy, Hercules joins the united Greek army as they head out to war. However, this war will create revelations, and Hercules finds an old friend who eventually goes missing. The project was cancelled when John Lasseter was named Disney's new chief creative officer in 2006, in which he called off all direct-to-video sequels that Disney had planned.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: "" is a 1999 American animated fantasy television film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. The film is a direct-to-video follow-up to 1997 original animated feature film. It was released on August 17, 1999. The film serves as a package film combining three episodes of the TV series as flashback segments. "Hercules: The Animated Series" is an American animated television series based on the original film and the Greek myth. The series premiered in syndication on August 31, 1998, and on ABC through its Disney's One Saturday Morning block on September 12, 1998. The syndicated run lasted 52 episodes, while the ABC run lasted 13 episodes.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: On February 6, 2019, it was announced that a theatrical adaptation of the film would premiere at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park as part of its annual Shakespeare in the Park festival from August 31 until September 8. Menken and Zippel returned to compose and write the songs, while Kristoffer Diaz wrote the book, Lear deBessonet directed and Chase Brock will choreograph. The cast included Jelani Alladin (Hercules), Roger Bart (Hades), Jeff Hiller (Panic), James Monroe Iglehart (Phil), Ramona Keller (Thalia), Tamika Lawrence (Calliope), Krysta Rodriguez (Meg), and Rema Webb (Terpsichore). A revised version of the musical is scheduled to play the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey during the 2022-23 season, from February 9 to March 12, 2023. The revised book will be written by Kwame Kwei-Armah and Robert Horn.


title: Hercules (1997 film)

text: On April 29, 2020, it was reported that a live-action remake of "Hercules" is being developed by Walt Disney Pictures, with Jeffery Silver and Karen Gilchrist, who previously produced the CGI remake of "The Lion King", set to produce the film. Joe and Anthony Russo will also serve as producers on the film through their AGBO banner, while Dave Callaham will write the script. On May 7, 2020, the Russo brothers stated that the remake will not be a "literal translation" as they want the film to have new elements yet still being "something that's in the vein of the original and inspired by it". In June 2022, it was announced that Guy Ritchie, who had previously directed Disney's live-action "Aladdin" remake, had signed on to direct the film. Joe Russo told GamesRadar that the reimagining movie will pay homage to the original with a more modern spin on it and revealed that it will also be an modern musical inspired by TikTok.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: The Sukhoi Su-34 (; NATO reporting name: Fullback) is a Soviet-origin Russian twin-engine, twin-seat, all-weather supersonic medium-range fighter-bomber/strike aircraft. It first flew in 1990, intended for the Soviet Air Forces, and it entered service in 2014 with the Russian Air Force.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: Based on the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker air superiority fighter, the Su-34 has an armoured cockpit with side-by-side seating for its two pilots. The Su-34 is designed primarily for tactical deployment against ground and naval targets (tactical bombing/attack/interdiction roles, including against small and mobile targets) on solo and group missions in daytime and at night, under favourable and adverse weather conditions and in a hostile environment with counter-fire and electronic warfare (EW) counter-measures deployed, as well as for aerial reconnaissance. The Su-34 is planned to eventually replace the Su-24 tactical strike fighter and the Tu-22M long-distance bomber.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: The Su-34 had a murky and protracted beginning. In the mid-1980s, Sukhoi began developing a new tactical multirole combat aircraft to replace the swing-wing Su-24, which would incorporate a host of conflicting requirements. The bureau thus selected the Su-27, which excelled in maneuverability and range, and could carry a large payload, as the basis for the new fighter-bomber. More specifically, the aircraft was developed from , the naval trainer derivative of the Sukhoi Su-27K. The development, known internally as T-10V, was shelved at the end of the 1980s sharing the fate of the aircraft carrier "Ulyanovsk"; this was the result of the political upheaval in the Soviet Union and its subsequent disintegration.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: In August 1990, a photograph taken by a TASS officer showed an aircraft making a dummy approach towards the aircraft carrier "Tbilisi". The aircraft, subsequently and erroneously labelled Su-27KU by Western intelligence, made its maiden flight on 13 April 1990 with Anatoliy Ivanov at the controls. Converted from an Su-27UB with the new distinctive nose, while retaining the main undercarriage of previous Su-27s, it was a prototype for the Su-27IB (IB stands for "istrebitel-bombardirovshchik", or "fighter bomber"). It was developed in parallel with the two-seat naval trainer, the Su-27KUB. However, contrary to earlier reports, the two aircraft are not directly related. Flight tests continued throughout 1990 and into 1991.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: In 1992, the Su-27IB was displayed to the public at the MosAeroshow (later renamed "MAKS Airshow"), where it demonstrated aerial refuelling with an Il-78, and performed an aerobatic display. The aircraft was officially unveiled on 13 February 1992 at Machulishi, where Russian President Boris Yeltsin and the CIS leaders were holding a summit. The following year the Su-27IB was again displayed at the MAKS Airshow.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: The next prototype, and first pre-production aircraft, T10V-2, first flew on 18 December 1993, with Igor Votintsev and Yevgeniy Revoonov at the controls. Built at Novosibirsk, where Su-24s were constructed, this aircraft was visibly different from the original prototype; it had modified vertical stabilizers, twin tandem main undercarriage and a longer "stinger", which houses an N012 rearward-facing warning radar, plus the drogue chute and as well as fuel jettison outlet.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: The first aircraft built to production standard made its maiden flight on 28 December 1994. It was fitted with a fire-control system, at the heart of which was the Leninets OKB-designed V004 passive electronically scanned array radar. It was different enough from the earlier versions that it was re-designated the "Su-34". However, at the 1995 Paris Air Show, the aircraft was allocated the "Su-32FN" designation, signalling the aircraft's potential role as a shore-based naval aircraft for the Russian Naval Aviation. Sukhoi also promoted the Su-34 as the "Su-32MF" ("MnogoFunksionalniy", "multi-function").


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: Budget restrictions caused the programme to stall repeatedly. Nevertheless, flight testing continued, albeit at a slow pace. The third pre-production aircraft first flew in late 1996.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: Russia's Ministry of Defence plans to modernize the Su-34; according to the deputy head of the military department, Yuriy Borisov, "We are planning to modernize the aircraft: prolong its service life, increase the number of airborne weapons. Plane is in great demand in our armed forces, and it has a great future."


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: Russia is developing two new versions of the aircraft: one for electronic warfare (L700 Tarantul ECM pod can provide electronic cover for a group of aircraft) and one for Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: "Su-34M" modernised version will feature a new electro-optical infrared targeting pod, a Kopyo-DL rearward facing radar that can warn the pilots if missiles are approaching, combined with automatic deployment of countermeasures and jamming.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: An initial batch of eight aircraft was completed by the Novosibirsk factory in 2004. In March 2006, Russia's Minister of Defence Sergei Ivanov announced the purchase of the first five pre-production Su-34s for the Russian Air Force. In late 2008, a second contract was signed for delivery of 32 aircraft by 2015. A total of 70 aircraft were to be purchased by 2015 to replace some 300 Su-24s in service at the time, which were then undergoing a modernization program. Ivanov claimed that as it is "many times more effective on all critical parameters", fewer of these newer bombers are required than the old Su-24 it replaces. In December 2006, Ivanov stated that approximately 200 Su-34s were expected to be in service by 2020. This was confirmed by Air Force chief Vladimir Mikhaylov on 6 March 2007. Two Su-34s were delivered in 2006–2007, and three more were delivered by the end of 2009.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: On 9 January 2008, Sukhoi reported that the Su-34 had begun full-rate production. The final stage of the state tests were completed on 19 September 2011.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: The Russian Air Force received another four Su-34s on 28 December 2010, as combat units in airbases first received six Su-34s in 2011. Delivery came in the form of two contracts, the first in 2008 for 32 aircraft and the second in 2012 for a further 92 aircraft, totaling 124 to be delivered by 2020.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: On 6 May 2013, the first Su-34s under the 2013 defence procurement plan were delivered. On 9 July 2013, three more Su-34s were delivered in an official acceptance ceremony held at the Novosibirsk Aircraft Plant. By the end of 2013, Sukhoi completed the 2008 contract and started deliveries of aircraft under the 2012 contract.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: In August 2013, Sukhoi signed a contract with the Kazan-based Radiopribor holding company for 184 Identification friend or foe transponders for the Russian Su-34s to be delivered by 2020.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: On 10 June 2014, a further delivery of Su-34s was made to the 559th Bomber Aviation Regiment at Morozovsk Air Base. Another three aircraft were delivered on 18 July 2014. In total, 18 aircraft were delivered in 2014, with 20 planned to be delivered in 2015.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: Sukhoi has delivered the first batch of Su-34s under the 2015 defence procurement plan on 21 May 2015. On 16 July 2015, the Sukhoi Company handed over another batch of Su-34 frontline bombers to the Russian Defence Ministry. The transfer took place in the framework of the Unified Military Hardware Acceptance Day in the Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association Plant.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: After eight years of negotiations, Rosoboronexport received official request to supply the Su-34 for the Algerian Air Force.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: Last two Su-34s of the 2012 contract were delivered to the 968th Fighter Aviation Regiment at the Lipetsk Air Base in December 2020. This brought the total number of operational aircraft delivered to the Russian Air Force to 131 (not counting crashes and aircraft written off). Apart from this, also seven pre-production units were built under previous contracts.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: On 25 August 2020, the Russian Defence Ministry signed third contract to deliver a further 24 Su-34 aircraft for the Russian Air Force. The deliveries will stretch over 3 years. By December 2021, Russian Air Force received six new aircraft of the third order.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: In June 2022, Russian Air Force received another four aircraft of the third order. This should be the first aircraft built under the new "Su-34M" standard. They became part of the 277th Bomber Aviation Regiment. A new contract was signed in August 2022. A new batch was delivered in November 2022. On November 2022, Russia received a new batch of Sukhoi Su-34s of the modernized Su-34M variant, the number is yet unknown but it is safe to assume it is at least 4, thus raising the total number of operational Su-34s to 151 not counting crashes and losses.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: The Su-34 shares most of its wing structure, tail, and engine nacelles with the Su-27/Su-30, with canards like the Su-30MKI, Su-33, and Su-27M/35 to increase static instability (higher manoeuvrability) and to reduce trim drag.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: The Su-34 is powered by a pair of Saturn AL-31FM1 turbofan engines, the same engines used on the Su-27SM, giving the aircraft a maximum speed of Mach 1.8+ when fully loaded. Although slower than the standard Su-27, the Su-34 can still handle high G-loads and perform aerobatic maneuvers. When equipped with a full weapons load, the Su-34 has a maximum range of , or further with aerial refueling. The airframe is cleared to perform maneuvers of up to +9 g. The noise level of the Su-34 is two times lower than the level of its predecessors.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: The Su-34 is a three lifting surface design having both a conventional horizontal tailplane at the rear and a canard foreplane in front of the main wings. The foreplane provides both additional lift (force) and greater maneuverability. It has twin tail fins like those of Su-27 from which it is derived. The Su-34 has 12 hardpoints for of ordnance, intended to include the latest Russian precision-guided weapons. It retains the 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon of the Su-27 and Su-30, and the ability to carry six R-77 or R-73 air-to-air missiles, with these being primarily for defense against pursuers if detected by the rearward facing radar. The maximum weight of any single munition carried is . Its stand-off weapons have a range of up to . A Khibiny electronic countermeasures (ECM) system is fitted as standard.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: Compared to other members of the Flanker family, the Su-34 has an entirely new "Duckbill" nose and forward fuselage designed to increase cabin room and maximize crew comfort and safety, giving the Su-34 the nickname ‘Hellduck’ or ‘Platypus’. The two pilots sit side-by-side in NPP Zvezda K-36dm ejection seats: the pilot-commander on the left with the navigator and weapon operator on the right. An advantage of the side by side cockpit is that duplicate instruments are not required for each pilot. Since long missions require comfort, the pressurization system allows operation up to without oxygen masks, which are available for emergencies and combat situations.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: The crew members have room to stand and move about the cabin during long missions. The space between the seats allows them to lie down, if necessary. A hand-held urinal "toilet" and vaccuum flask "kitchen" are provided. A ladder attached to the nose landing gear and a hatch in the cockpit floor is used to enter the cockpit. The cockpit is a continuous capsule of armour (17 mm).


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: The multifunctional Leninets V-004 main radar has terrain-following and terrain avoidance modes. Maximum detection range for the passive electronically scanned array forward radar is against large surface targets, to cover the rear a second aft-facing radar is mounted. The main radar can simultaneously track ten air targets and attack four targets (in the air, on land or on the water). The radius of detection for fighter-sized targets is up to 120 km, the range of the survey is +/- 60 degrees. The rear warning radar system can warn of attack from behind and allow it to fire its R-73 missiles against pursuers without needing to turn the aircraft. The rear radar is from Phazotron/Rassvet, and is unofficially called the N-012. The Su-34 reportedly has a frontal radar cross-section that is an order of magnitude smaller than prior generation fighters.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: A new 4th generation radar Pika-M of the complex BKR-3, having a range up to 300 km, passed state tests in 2016. As of 2021, several aircraft of the RuAF have passed modernization with special equipment that increases capabilities in detecting air and ground targets and expand the types of weapons used.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: In July 2010, several Su-34s and Su-24Ms conducted a non-stop flight from air bases in European Russia to the Russian Far East. The exercise included aircraft carrying weapons at full load and simulated delivering them on targets, demonstrating the Su-34's long-range capability. The Su-24Ms were refuelled three times, while the Su-34s were refuelled twice.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: The final stage of the Su-34's state trials was completed on 19 September 2011 and the aircraft entered service in early 2014. Russia plans to have 124 aircraft in use by 2020. It is planned to increase to 200 aircraft later.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: On 4 June 2015, an Su-34 slid off the runway and flipped over when its parachute failed to open after landing. Nobody was injured. The aircraft was returning from a routine training mission in Russia's Voronezh region. In June 2016, the damaged aircraft was transferred on board an Antonov An-124 to the Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association plant for repairs, and was likely returned to service the same year.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: On 18 January 2019, two Su-34s collided mid-air in Russia's Far East region, while performing a scheduled training flight. Two pilots were killed, one was rescued and one remained missing. All Su-34 flights were suspended throughout Russia following the accident.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: On 6 September 2019, two Su-34s again collided mid-air, this time in the western Russian city of Lipetsk. According to a Russian source the collision happened due to pilot error. Both pilots managed to land after the accident.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: On 17 October 2022, an Su-34 crashed into the courtyard of a residential apartment complex in Yeysk during a training flight, setting two blocks on fire. At least 13 people were killed and 19 were treated in hospital. Locals were seen rescuing one of the pilots and a school was evacuated. Russian defense ministry sources stated the cause of the crash was an engine fire on take off and that both pilots ejected safely. Russian naval aviation uses Yeysk as a main training area.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: In September 2015, six Su-34s arrived at Latakia airport in Syria, for attacks against rebel and ISIL forces. Russian air attacks in Syria started on 30 September, in the Homs region. On 1 October, the Su-34 was used to bomb Islamic State targets in Syria. The Russian Air Force Su-34 fighter-bombers destroyed an Islamic State command center and training camp south-west of the city of Raqqa. These included precision strikes from an altitude of over 5,000 m (16,400 ft).


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: Russian Su-34 and Su-25 attack aircraft carried out air strikes the next day against Islamic State targets in Syria's Hama province using precision bombs. According to Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, Su-34s hit an ISIL fortified bunker in the Hama province with guided bombs. Fortifications, ammunition depots, seven units of the military equipment near Syria's Maarrat al-Numan were also destroyed by the Russian Air Force. An ISIL command center and underground depot were also destroyed with explosives near Raqqa.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: Defense Ministry spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, said in a statement on 3 October: "Accurate delivery of a concrete-piercing bomb BETAB-500 launched from a Su-34 aircraft near Raqqa destroyed a hardened command centre of one of the illegal armed groups as well as an underground bunker with explosives and ammunition depot." A Russian Air Force representative stated Su-34s acquire targets using the GLONASS satellite system for bombing. During this time six Su-34s were in Syria.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: Following the downing of a Su-24 by Turkey, Russia announced on 30 November 2015 that Su-34s in Syria had begun flying combat missions while armed with air-to-air missiles. On 16 August 2016, Tu-22M3 long-range bombers and Su-34 bombers, having taken off from their base in Hamadan Islamic Republic of Iran, carried out group airstrikes against targets belonging to ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist groups in the provinces of Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor and Idlib.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: On 3 October 2017, Russian Su-34s and Su-35s were deployed to strike "the place of the Al-Nusra leadership meeting" whose location was discovered by Russian military intelligence in Syria subsequently eliminating 12 Al-Nusra field commanders and some 50 militants of the group including Ahmad al-Ghizai, Al-Nusra's security chief according to the Russian Defense Ministry.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: On 28 May 2018, it was reported that Russian Su-34s intercepted two Israeli Air Force F-16s over Tripoli, Lebanon, forcing them to retreat.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: On 27 February 2020, two Russian Su-34s allegedly carried out an airstrike on a Turkish military convoy killing up to 36 soldiers and injuring at least 60 more in Balyun, Syria.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: On 6 October 2020, two Russian Su-34s conducted air strikes against underground structures in the Eastern bank of Euphrates, Deir Ez-Zor province allegedly inside Rojava territory resulting in the death of ISIL field commander Abu Qatada, who was involved in preparing a terrorist attack against Russian forces which resulted in the death of Major General Vyacheslav Gladkikh. Additionally, the strike also destroyed two underground shelters and killed some 30 militants.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: On 28 February 2022, footage emerged reportedly showing Su-34s overflying the Kharkiv region of Ukraine. In various regions of Ukraine, downed Su-34 aircraft were mostly shot down by Ukrainian forces but some crashed for other reasons. One Su-34 was in a flat spin before it crashed. Another was a modernized variant Su-34M and was reportedly shot down by Russian forces. There were reports of pilots ejecting with some dying and some captured. Most of the downed planes were identified by their red tail numbers and registration numbers, for example, Red 31 with RF-81251.


title: Sukhoi Su-34

text: , Russia had lost 11 Su-34 aircraft over Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion five months earlier. That was nearly 10% of all that had been built. A lack of guided bombs required the Su-34s to fly low for accurate bombing, where they were subjected to heavy Ukrainian air-defenses.