Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear (also spelled Brer Fox and Brer Bear, /ˈbrɛər/) are fictional characters from African-American oral traditions popular in the Southern United States. These characters have been recorded by many different folklorists, but are most well-known from the folktales adapted and compiled by Joel Chandler Harris, featuring his character Uncle Remus.
Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear in Song of the South (1946). Disney's versions of the characters are more stylized and cartoony than the illustrations in Harris's books.
In the animated sequences of the 1946 Walt Disney-produced film Song of the South, like in the tales, Br'er Fox is the stories' antagonist, while Br'er Bear is his unintelligent accomplice. Br'er Fox was voiced by actor James Baskett, who also portrayed the live-action character Uncle Remus, while Brer Bear was voiced by Nick Stewart. In contrast to the earlier illustrations of Frederick S. Church, A. B. Frost, and E. W. Kemble, the Disney animators depict the characters in a more slapstick, cartoony style.[2]
The Disney versions of the characters have made appearances in other works:
Br'er Bear has made cameo appearances in other Disney films. He can be seen frequently in various scenes in the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and he is also seen in the 2004 direct-to-video film The Lion King 1½ along with many other Disney toons coming into the theater in the ending scene.
Br'er Bear has also made sporadic appearances in Disney comics.[3] Although one Disney comic names Br'er Bear a title of "Honorary Constable of Cockleberry County"[4] his "performance" is more akin to Fearless Fosdick. They appear sometimes in the Li'l Bad Wolf stories, where Br'er Bear is a farmer, and is sometimes on friendly terms with the other animals. Br'er Bear and Br'er Fox, along with Br'er Weasel, Br'er Buzzard and the Big Bad Wolf (A.K.A. Zeke Wolf or Br'er Wolf) are members of the "Foul Order of Foulfellows".[5] A running gag is Zeke trying to get his hands on Br'er Bear's chickens so he can eat them, and he ends up getting pounded by Br'er Bear.[6][7][8] They also appear often in the Dutch Donald Duck comics, usually hunting Broer Konijn (Dutch for Brer Rabbit). There, they are also given the names Rein Vos and Bruin Beer, respectively.
Both Br'er Bear and Br'er Fox make an appearance in the 2011 video game Kinect: Disneyland Adventures (Disneyland Adventures in the 2017 remaster) and both can be seen near Splash Mountain in Critter Country.
The cult filmCoonskin, directed by Ralph Bakshi, focuses on a trio of characters inspired by the original folktales. Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Bear and Br'er Fox (renamed "Preacher Fox" in the film) all appear, and the elements of the stories are moved to a then-contemporary urban setting.
In the Tristan Strong series, Br'er Fox was depicted as having a change of heart over time. However, he sacrifices his life to save Tristan and the MidFolk in the first book. In the second book, Br'er Bear is revealed to be the central antagonist, having been upset by the deaths of his friend and children and influenced by King Cotton.
^Brasch, Walter M. (2000). Brer Rabbit, Uncle Remus, and the 'Cornfield Journalist': The Tale of Joel Chandler Harris. Mercer University Press. p. 275.
^Walt Disney Comics Digest #27 February 1971 "The Seven Dwarfs "The Inside Hideout"
^"Walt Disney Comics Digest" #23 July 1970 "Stomps in the Night"
^Walt Disney Comics Digest # 21 April 1970 "The Conscience Plot",
^"Walt Disney Comics Digest #19 January 1970 "The Moon Creature"
^"Walt Disney Comics Digest # 27 February 1971 "Gingerbread House Hoax"
^"Walt Disney Comics Digest # 29 June 1971 "The Sleepwalker"
