hoops&Yoyo

Hoops and Yoyo are a pair of animated characters featured on Hallmark Cards. The characters were created by Bob Holt and Mike Adair in September 11, 2003 who also voice the duo. The characters have a website that features E-cards, animated episodes, an "Ask hoops & yoyo" section, desktop and phone wallpapers, audio snippets, IM icons, fan photos, interactive monthly calendars, a blog, a podcast, games, and merchandise available for purchase. The story lines center around two main characters: Hoops, a pink cat, and Yoyo, a green rabbit, and also feature a few other humorous characters joining them. Hoops and Yoyo tend to get overexcited and commonly start yelling or talking really fast. They both love coffee, cookies, and any treat. They're always happy, and always try to have fun no matter what happens.[1]

Hoops & Yoyo
Hallmark Cards, Hallmark Channel character
Hoops (left), Yoyo (right), Piddles (center)
First appearanceSeptember 11, 2003
Created byBob Holt & Mike Adair

Characters

Main
  • Hoops – Hoops is a sarcastic pink cat who is best friends with Yoyo. He can get excited and start yelling or talking really fast at times. He likes coffee, donuts, and his two best friends, Yoyo and Piddles. He is voiced by Mike Adair.
  • Yoyo – Yoyo is a green rabbit. He is excitable and prone to mistakes. Sometimes he has a big role in the card where he only talks, but sometimes he just talks after Hoops. He is voiced by Bob Holt.
  • Piddles – Piddles, a small blue mouse-like character who is usually called a "critter." As a close friend to Hoops and Yoyo, she has a high pitched voice and is really smart. She is voiced by Bev Carlson.

Supporting
  • Chili Bear – Chili Bear is Hoops and Yoyo's boss at work. He only talks very rarely. He was mostly seen on the Hoops and Yoyo website. He is voiced by Peter Martin.
  • Marshy – Marshy is a marshmallow monster that antagonizes Hoops and Yoyo. Marshy also appears in Hoops and Yoyo's nightmares. He sometimes does things wrong, and always talks about him being so large. Mike Adair is the voice of Marshy.
  • Puck – Puck is a purple mouse that sometimes appeared on the Hoops and Yoyo website's homepages.
  • Bluebird – Bluebird is a bluebird that appeared on the Hoops and Yoyo website.

Television

The characters were used on the Hallmark Channel in November and December 2009 and 2010 as part of a special movie night block called Hallmark Channel's Movie Night with Hoops & Yoyo. This is the first time that Hallmark Cards and Hallmark Channel have collaborated.[2] On November 25, 2011, Hallmark, for the CBS network, made a Christmas TV special with the Hoops & Yoyo characters, entitled Hoops & Yoyo Ruin Christmas.[3] On October 26, 2012, Hallmark aired Hoops & Yoyo's Haunted Halloween.

Albums

In December 2005, Hallmark released a Hoops & Yoyo holiday CD entitled Jingle Jingle Wiggle. It features both vocal and instrumental music. All of the music is played by Yoyo. The CD also features the animated short "A Bongo Christmas." They have also released a CD entitled One Donut a Day! on July 1, 2007. It includes 19 short songs.

Pulled graduation card

In 2010, Hallmark pulled an astronomy-themed Hoops & Yoyo "talking" graduation card off shelves after members of the Los Angeles, California chapter of the NAACP claimed that it contained a racist message. The greeting card contained the words: "And you black holes -- you're so ominous! And you planets? Watch your back!" However, the Los Angeles NAACP members felt that the card was offensive because "black holes" sounded like "black whores" in the recording. Hallmark denied that the card was in any way racist, but pulled it from its stores nonetheless.[4]

References
  1. Milligan, Mercedes (2009-07-24). "Hallmark's Furry Flash Friends". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
  2. Eggerton, John (2009-10-19). "Hallmark Channel, Greeting Cards Get Together on Screen Animated greeting card characters to host channel's "Countdown to Christmas"". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
  3. Crump, William D. (2017). How the Movies Saved Christmas: 228 Rescues from Clausnappers, Sleigh Crashes, Lost Presents and Holiday Disasters. McFarland & Co. pp. 122–123. ISBN 9781476664880.
  4. "Is this Hallmark graduation card racist?".
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