Courage first appeared in 1996 as a seven-minute short called “The Chicken from Outer Space.” The short was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Creator John R. Dilworth cited his artistic influences for the show as a mix of classic Looney Toons as well as surrealist painter Salvador Dali.
In Case You’ve Never Watched the Show
As the title suggests, Courage is this adorable purple dog that is frightened of basically everything. He lives in Nowhere, Kansas with Muriel and Eustace after he was abandoned as a puppy. Turns out that his parents were sent into outer space. Muriel is a sweet Scottish woman who uses too much vinegar in her recipes, while Eustace is your typical crabby old man that harasses Courage. Muriel is often the one who is kidnapped by the show’s villains.
I have to say that this show is wonderfully weird. There are some weird paranormal elements to it that I absolutely adore. As a kid, I didn’t think much of it when it came to the true stories or lore that may have inspired the series. Now, thanks to the reach of the internet and more, we are discovering more interesting stories behind the series.
WasCourage The Cowardly Dog Based On A True Story?
We’ll start with one of the more universally accepted sources we can find. According to Wikipedia, the creators claim the show’s inspiration was drawn from other contemporary animated works such as the “Ghost In The Shell”. I think I can speak for all when I say…
Now it’s fun to just take “info-memes” like this at face value. However sometimes you do have to dig a little deeper.
While it is hard to work with, it’s our first clue from this vague commentary is going to come from the most specific piece of info provided.
According to New Mexico Explorer, the existence of New Mexico Skinwalker is not some sort of myth, they are as real as humans are. In fact, they even described as similar to humans.
As explainedby Anthropologist David Zimmerman of the NavajoNation Historic Preservation Department:
“Like humans, they do kill, andlike humans, they have motivations for those acts of aggression.Power and revenge fuel their murderous intent, but such things cannot occupythe brain of a rational creature all the time, and skinwalkers do not makemurder part of their daily routine.”
So basically they are not like werewolves or boogieman. Skinwalkers don’t aim to go on killing sprees or torture humans. They are not stories created to entertain/frighten children. Also just to clarify, skinwalkers are an entity that is accepted by doctorate level Anthropologists.
There are still sites and resources on how to behave around a New Mexico skinwalker should you encounter one.
Now maybe these fancy doctorates mean nothing to you. But this part is still weird. New Mexico natives and the Navajo people will all pretend to not believe. They will say they do not know what you are talking about if you bring them up. From children to adults, they have all seen them, yet they are afraid to speak of them. Anthropologist and Sociologist Tony Hillerman spent two decades of his life studying this phenomenon:
“A lot of Navajo’s will tell me emphatically, especially when they don’t know me very well, that they don’t believe in all that stuff. And then when you get to be a friend, they’ll start telling you about the first time they ever saw one.” –Tony Hillerman
Something about the skin walkers eerily similar appearance to the human figure is what truly makes them terrifying.
How old is Eustace from Courage the Cowardly Dog?
| Eustace | |
|---|---|
| Age | 72 |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | Human |
| Voiced By | Arthur Anderson |
FAQ
What was Courage the Cowardly Dog based off of?
Is nowhere a real place?
Where is nowhere located Courage?