Heckle

Heckle is one of a duo of wisecracking magpies who debuted in the Terrytoons animated universe before transitioning to comic books with St. John Publishing. The clever, smooth-talking bird relies on wit and comic mischief rather than any special powers.

Few comic characters can claim a Golden Age debut and still be cracking wise four and a half decades later, but Heckle is exactly that kind of enduring entertainer. Hatched in the pages of Terry-Toons Comics #50 in 1946, this magpie made his mark in the lively Terrytoons universe published by Western, sharing ink with beloved cartoon icons like Mighty Mouse, Jeckle, Dinky Duck, and Gandy Goose across titles like New Terrytoons and Golden Comics Digest. A run stretching all the way from the Golden Age to 1991 speaks for itself — Heckle is the kind of character who simply refuses to be forgotten, a testament to the cheerful, anarchic spirit that made the Terrytoons stable such a joy for generations of young readers.