Cindy Bear is a fictional character created by Hanna-Barbera. She is one of the primary supporting characters of the Yogi Bear franchise as well as a regular in the stable of frequently appearing Hanna-Barbera animated personalities. Cindy was originally portrayed by voice actress Julie Bennett, who reprised the part for most of the character's appearances from the 1960s through the 1980s.Julie Bennett credits at IMDB.com

Personality Cindy Bear is the love interest of Yogi Bear and a resident of Jellystone Park. She speaks with a pronounced Southern accent, and she carries a parasol. Cindy rarely engages in the same antics as Yogi and Boo-Boo and does not share the same antagonistic relationship with Ranger Smith. Her romance with Yogi Bear is typically portrayed as on-again/off-again, with her pursuing him while he avoids and evades her advances. Just as often, however, Yogi is shown to return her affections.Hey There, It's Yogi Bear, Yogi's First Christmas

Development

Cindy Bear was originally designed by Ed Benedict. One early sketch saw her clad in a bonnet, a frilly scarf and an apron with an elongated, pointed muzzle.Early sketch credited to Ed Benedict #1 A second sketch dropped all accessories save the frill scarf and shortened her muzzle.Early sketch credited to Ed Benedict #2

Cindy made her debut in the 1961 television series The Yogi Bear Show as a semi-recurring character. Her finalized animation design featured blue/grey fur, a hat, a white frill scarf and a necklace.Warner Bros. Online official video trailer for Yogi's Birthday Party (mistakenly credited as Yogi's All-Star Christmas Caper)

Cindy appeared prominently in the 1964 feature film Hey There, It's Yogi Bear in which she is kidnapped, spurring Yogi and Boo-Boo to come to her rescue. She was redesigned by art director Iwao TakamotoHey There, It's Yogi Bear! credits at IMDB.com for the film into the more familiar modern version with taupe fur, a flower, a light blue skirt and a yellow hankerchief like scarf.

Cindy has received a few slightly different, one-off redesigns. In Yogi's First Christmas, she was given dark brown fur and white hair, as well as a number of different outfits which she wore throughout the film.Screenshot of Cindy from Yogi's First Christmas For the Spümcø short "Boo Boo Runs Wild", she retained her modern character design, but with the blue/grey fur of her original design."Boo Boo Runs Wild" video featuring Cindy Yo Yogi! featured a preteen Cindy Bear with a significant redesign, wearing a modern 1990s outfit consisting of a white skirt/top, purple jacket, purple shorts, white boots and a ponytail.Behind the Voice Actors - Yo Yogi!

Cindy Bear appears in Jellystone! as a medical doctor.Jellystone! | Official Trailer | HBO Max Family In this version, Cindy is a brilliant doctor and scientist. But she is also an egomaniac capable of turning on her friends to get her way.

Animated media Television shows 1961 - The Yogi Bear Show (segments "Acrobatty Bear", "A Wooin' Bruin" and "Yogi's Birthday Party") 1973 - Yogi's Gang (episodes "Gossipy Witch" and "Mr. Hothead") 1977 - Laff-A-Lympics 1985 - Yogi's Treasure Hunt (episodes "To Bee or Not to Bee", "Yogi and the Beanstalk" and "Secret Agent Bear") 1988 - The New Yogi Bear Show 1990 - Wake, Rattle, and Roll 1991 - Yo Yogi! 1999 - Boo Boo Runs Wild 2002 - What's New, Scooby-Doo? (episode "Roller Ghoster Ride") (cameo as toy) 2004 - Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law (episode "Droopy Botox") 2021 - Jellystone!

Films and specials 1964 - Hey There, It's Yogi Bear (singing voice by Jackie Ward) 1980 - Yogi's First Christmas 1988 - Yogi and the Invasion of the Space Bears (singing voice by Linda Harmon) 1989 - Hanna-Barbera's 50th: A Yabba Dabba Doo Celebration 2013 - Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon (cameo as picture)

Comics

While only a recurring character in the animated shorts, Cindy Bear featured prominently in the various Yogi Bear and other Hanna-Barbera comics published by Dell Comics, Charlton Comics and Marvel Comics.

Cindy made her debut in Dell's Yogi Bear #5, detailing her backstory. It is revealed that Ranger Smith had her transferred to Jellystone from Red Oak National Park in a scheme to hamper Yogi's mischief by distracting him with Cindy's persistent wooing. The plot eventually backfires when Yogi succumbs to Cindy's advances and begins stealing twice as many picnic baskets to feed her.Yogi Bear #5 Oct/Nov 1961

She would also appear frequently in the Charlton Comics series, drawn in both her early designYogi Bear #10 March 1972 and her revised design.Yogi Bear #18 June 1973

Cindy also appeared as a participant in Marvel's Laff-A-Lympics comic series. In Laff-A-Lympics #5, she helps uncover a false identity scheme by the Really Rottens. In Laff-A-Lympics #13, she was revealed to be the team's chef during the offseason....at least until the eating habits of Grape Ape drove her to quit.

Licensing Cindy Bear can be regularly encountered as a costumed meet-and-greet character at a chain of recreational vehicle and camping parks ("Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp Resorts"). The first of these parks opened in 1969 in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. As of 2011, over 70 locations have hosted the parks.

References