On April 15th, 1938 “Donald’s Nephews” first premiered and introduced Huey, Dewey, and Louie to the screen for the first time. The boys’ first appearance was in the Walt Disney Donald Duck Comic Strip first published in October of 1937, but “Donald’s Nephews” would mark the beginning of their popularity in animated shorts, movies, and television shows.

One of my favorite resources on the boys’ history is Dave Lee’s video from last year.

Donald’s Nephews, 1938

The boys’ first appearance in 1938 brought them to Donald’s house for some mischief. They roared onto the screen on their trikes, and they kept Donald spinning while he tried to keep them occupied. The boys appearance and personalities are indistinguishable except for the color of their clothing. In future shorts the colors sometimes change, but the boys are interchangeable. They were voiced by Donald Duck actor Clarence Nash.

DuckTales, 1987

The boys were popular recurring characters in shorts, and it was 1987’s DuckTales that made them some of our favorite characters. In this show they lived with their great uncle, Scrooge McDuck, in his mansion and took part in globe-trotting adventures. In DuckTales the boys keep their identical appearances and voices, but the color of their clothing was set for the show and all future appearances. The boys were voiced by Russi Taylor. You can now watch DuckTales on Disney+.

Quack Pack, 1996

The next big appearance for the boys was in their next television series Quack Pack which debuted in 1996. This interpretation of the characters moved them back into Donald Duck’s home and aged the boys to preteens. The boys are also given distinct personalities and voices in this show. The boys distinct voices were performed by Jeannie Elias (Huey), Pamela Adlon (Dewey), Elizabeth Daily (Louie). It’s a controversial show among the fandom, and it can also been found on Disney+.

DuckTales, 2017

In 2017 the boys received another update with the DuckTales reboot for DisneyXD. In the latest version of the boys they retain distinct personalities and voices. Huey wants to be more mature, he is a dedicated Junior Woodchuck, and he is the oldest. Dewey is the middle sibling, he craves attention, and often leaps before he thinks. Louie is the youngest, he is the laziest, and he schemes to make things happen. Huey is voiced by Danny Pudi, Dewey by Ben Schwartz, and Louie by Bobby Moynihan.

Honorable Mentions

The boys have also had appearances on televisions specials such as “Soccer Goofy” and shows like “House if Mouse” and the recent Mickey Shorts.

The boys’ history on screen also includes many movie appearances, including some of our favorite Christmas Specials. What are your favorite versions of the boys from screen? Let us know in the comments below or on social media.