In April 1995, A Goofy Movie was released in theaters, and the world would never be the same. Loosely based on the 1992 Disney Afternoon animated series Goof Troop, A Goofy Movie was written by Jymn Magon, Chris Matheson and Brian Pimental and was directed by Kevin Lima. The story follows Goofy (Bill Farmer) and his son Max (Jason Marsden) as they take part in a cross country road trip that culminates in the father-son duo appearing onstage alongside superstar Powerline (Tevin Campbell) during a concert.
To celebrate the anniversary of the movie, Disney+ is now streaming a new retrospective documentary, Not Just A Goof. And to mark the occasion at Comics Beat, our writers gathered to have a roundtable discussion about the classic movie and new documentary.
What was your first experience with A Goofy Movie?
AVERY KAPLAN: I think the first time I saw A Goofy Movie was on VHS. For whatever reason, I don’t remember seeing it in theaters (if I did). I learned from the documentary that A Goofy Movie was sold at a lower price point than The Lion King, which explains why so many members of our generation came up watching A Goofy Movie over and over again on our VHS machines.
TAIMUR DAR: Much like Avery, and probably most people, I saw it on VHS. Interestingly, it was through a copy that belonged to my cousin rather than renting it or buying it for myself.
OLLIE KAPLAN: I don’t remember the first time I watched the movie, but somehow it became a staple. When I say staple, it means my Disney stuffies and I would watch it on repeat for hours on end… at least until that fateful day when Goofy was mean to a little me at Disneyland, and I was rescued by Tigger.
From then on, it was all about Winnie the Pooh and Friends because they were “nice,” not “mean” (after working at Disney’s California Adventure for two years, I have A LOT more sympathy for that Goofy because those characters deal with some BS—you get slapped by children over and over again, and then keep your cool at all times).
LISA FERNANDES: I saw it for the first time on VHS, but I’m a lifelong Goofy fan, which sparked my interest in Goof Troop, then A Goofy Movie and its sequel.
E.B. HUTCHINS: I watched it with my family on Disney channel when I was like 7? Disney is ubiquitous so my Mom was okay with me watching it.
AJ FROST: I have memories of seeing it in the theater when it came out in ‘95. I would’ve been about six at the time. The first lines of the film–”M-A-A-aaax” and his popping onto the screen are burned in my memory. That sequence is such a trip!
So, I’ve been a fan from the beginning. I can’t remember exactly if we went multiple times to see it (I’m sure I dragged my dad along), but I certainly remember having the VHS and watching it over and over. I also had the sequel, An Extremely Goofy Movie, and watched it, but it doesn’t have a special place in my heart like the original film does.
JEREMY FUSCALDO: I first saw this movie at my local theater when it first came out. It was surreal at the time because I was watching regular reruns of Goof Troop on the Disney Afternoon when it aired on syndication, and to see the story of Goofy and Max continue on the big screen felt like an event. And after that, I watched the movie on repeat when it first came out on VHS in 1995 or 1996.
HEIDI MACDONALD: I was working at Disney Adventures magazine in 1992 when Goof Troop came out, and had been editing the comics based on that. I’m not sure when I saw the movie, probably in a screening.
I’ll be honest, the office we were all obsessed with where Max came from, like everyone probably, and Goof Troop wasn’t one of our favorite franchises to work on. The movie seemed like typical Disney squeezing every drop of money from an IP, as usual. We had no idea it was going to become such a touch point. I probably saw it at a screening and have no strong memories about it either way!
Do you have a favorite song from the movie?
TAIMUR: I know most people will say “I 2 I” or “After Today” but I’m going to go against the grain and say “On the Open Road.” It’s just so wonderfully written and character based. Likewise, all the other travelers are some of the funniest gags I’ve ever seen. I’m amazed Disney allowed the filmmakers to include a guy tied up in the back of the trunk and the living corpse rising out of the hearse.
OLLIE: Taimur, not to mention one of those giant woman, little man couples, clearly headed to a romantic tryst (like Steven Universe). However, as for my favorite song, I think it’s “Stand Out.” As a dancer and arts kid, it was very relatable. I also attempted to learn the dance from “I 2 I,” but it was hard for me to translate the cartoon dance moves to real life. But now that I’ve seen the behind-the-scenes video of the jazz dancers doing the dance chromatography for the animators to copy, I plan on trying to learn it again.
AJ: I hope you don’t forget your knee pads!
OLLIE: AJ, a dancer staple!
TAIMUR: Speaking of that giant woman, whose name is apparently Treeny, I only just recently discovered she’s the same woman performing on stage at the Powerline concert. I have no idea why I never made the connection because it’s so obvious. Raises so many questions for me that I now want a spinoff movie to explore their open road adventure.
LISA: “I 2 I,” every time.
E.B.: “I 2 I,” hands down. It was sung by Campbell, an artist I grew up listening to. “Can We Talk” is a classic R&B song of the ‘90s, and this was before black music was fully integrated into mainstream music (the term crossover appeal was still very much a thing).
AJ: I’m a huge fan of “I 2 I,” naturally. It has that great James Brown, R&B beat – it’s a timeless song as well as one with huge personal meaning.
But you know what? The song I often sing, often at the most random of times, is the first song in the film, “After Today.” It has such a defiant tone to it: “They’ve been laughing since I can remember/Well, they’re not gonna laugh anymore.”
That’s the angsty teen stuff that made an impression on me as a young lad. And looking back, it’s so ‘90s, I mean, “Gonna move to the mall?” That certainly dates the film and makes it such an interesting artifact.
AVERY: Of course, I love both Powerline songs, and over the decades they are probably the ones I have listened to most on the soundtrack. And I love the aforementioned “On the Open Road” and “After Today” as well.
But I do want to mention “Lester’s Possum Park.” When I first saw the sequence in which it is featured, I laughed until I cried—some really funny stuff.
AJ: My mom was always a fan of Bigfoot boogying to “Staying Alive!” The Lester stuff is hilarious too… and disturbing! For fans of classic Disney animation, this scene is particularly of note because the Possum Park Emcee is played by Pat Buttram (Robin Hood, Aristocats) in his final voice role.
JEREMY: My favorite song is a tie between Powerline’s “Stand Out” And “I 2 I”. They were both performed by Campbell and had the best fusion of R&B, Rap, Gospel, and even the musical style of Prince.
In the context of the film, “Stand Out” was my favorite because Max was performing the song as a giant show of impressing Roxanne, even though it came to the detriment of him almost getting in trouble with the principal. And with “I 2 I”– it was Max realizing his dream of getting to perform with Powerline with the help of his Dad, fulfilling his then promise to Roxanne that he would be performing with Powerline on stage.
Granted, it was a lie he told her based around the premise that he knew Powerline – but Goofy knew how important it was to Max to be there, that he went out of his way to ensure Max got to be on stage to impress Roxanne just like he did at the start of the movie; and he and Goofy got to bond by doing the Perfect Cast as a dance move.
HEIDI: I do not have the deep memories associated with this movie, as someone who was in an editorial capacity. And I don’t remember any of the songs. However it did spark memories of my childhood Disney music touchpoint: Mickey Mouse Disco and the immortal song “Watch Out for Goofy!”
I felt deep down that Goof Troop and A Goofy Movie were just extensions of this song. “Mickey Mouse Disco” was a favorite among people my age, so I suspect it might have also stayed lodged deeply within the hearts of the creators.
Do you have any personal memories associated with the movie?
AVERY: Every year until my senior year of high school, I listened to “After Today” on the way to school on the last day of classes before summer.
OLLIE: My best memories of the movie are watching it as an adult with my wife, Avery.
LISA: Sitting on my family’s couch watching it.
E.B.: It’s a comfort movie, so like quite a few. It was a ‘black animated film’ by association because of Campbell’s music and a number of other things that happened in the film.
AJ: Too many to count! Max was, like, my idol when I was a boy. I was a fan of Goof Troop, but I really connected to the character, probably because I thought he was cool.
I don’t know about any of you, but when I was young, I was scared to death of costumed characters. They freaked me out! But when my family visited Disneyland in the summer of 1995, there I was, so excited to meet Max. And I did! It took my parents by surprise because I had such a phobia of those costumes walking around the park. But here was Max, my animated buddy… and I got his autograph! I displayed this picture of Max and me in my room for years afterwards.
And that probably was the same time I got my Max stuffed doll, which you can see me snuggling in this old chestnut.
Looking forward to today, the film is a shorthand between several friends and me. We send memes based on the film to each other, and also share clips on a pretty regular basis. In fact, one of my best friends from elementary school recently sent me a clip of a dad and daughter dancing to “I 2 I” and commenting that we will need to meet up soon so we can teach our own daughters how to dance to it. Can’t get better than that!
JEREMY: I had fond memories of the Burger King Kids Club commercials that advertised the A Goofy Movie toys that used to be sold. I think I had two of them when they were being sold at the time.
I also had fond memories of rewatching the movie on VHS when it first came out.
HEIDI: See above, for me it was just work, but as the years have gone on I’ve discovered that it had such a profound impact on 90s kids and even beyond, as shown by this roundtable!
Were/are you a fan of Goof Troop as well?
TAIMUR: I most definitely loved Goof Troop! In fact, I think the show introduced me to Goofy. As a kid, I mistakenly assumed A Goofy Movie was a continuation of Goof Troop since Pete’s son, PJ was in both. Obviously, that wasn’t the case. But for years it kept bothering me that the movie excluded Peg and Pistol, Peg’s wife and daughter.
AJ: They’re mentioned in the comic adaptation!
LISA: YES!
E.B.: Yes. They were definitely ‘Piccolo’d’ into black culture. Iykyk.
AJ: Definitely! When Disney+ launched, I made sure it was one of the first shows I watched to test out the new service. I find myself humming the theme song every so often, often emphasizing the “Best buddies/best pals” line (and mangling it to make myself laugh). Of course, imagine my chagrin as I start my re-watch and in one of the early episodes, PJ makes a passing reference to Donald Trump. Jeez, we cannot escape this guy, even in our nostalgia.
AVERY: At least Thanos took care of one of his (many) failed casinos in Infinity Gauntlet (1991) #2.
JEREMY: Yes– I watched the series when it was on syndication and again on Toon Disney in the 2000s. I was a fan of all of the Disney Afternoon shows that aired during the 90s like Talespin, Darkwing Duck and Gargoyles.
AVERY: I was a fan of all the Disney Afternoon cartoons as a kid, and Goof Troop was no exception.
HEIDI: See above. I wanted to make our Goof Troop comics updated Little Lulu/Carl Barks comics (that’s what I want to make everything, really) but it wasn’t a big favorite in the magazine, and I don’t remember any of the comics landing very well.
TAIMUR: It’s funny that Heidi mentions the Goof Troop comics for Disney Adventures not landing well. As I told her when we first met, Disney Adventures, especially the comics, was a major part of my childhood. I’ve managed to save a few issues that I still have to this day.
There’s a couple of Goof Troop comic stories I still remember quite well. One involves Pete purchasing a robot security dog to replace Chainsaw to guard the house. Another is Max purchasing a fish that grows into a giant mutant. The last one I vaguely remember is PJ trying to get a present. I think it involves him babysitting Pistol for some reason and it ends with him having to give Max these dolls.
How has your relationship with the movie evolved over the decades?
OLLIE: Now this is kind of a sad story, but it’s relevant. One of my favorite memories as a child was a cross-country road trip to Disneyland where we stopped at silly tourist sites like “The World’s Largest [insert ordinary object here]” and national parks like the Grand Canyon and White Sands.
Except, when I recounted that memory to my family at dinner a few years ago, I learned that trip never happened. It was a devastating blow. Now, when I watch A Goofy Movie, it gives me nostalgia for an event that never happened, and for me, there is some joy in living vicariously through Max.
E.B.: Like many pieces of media from my youth, I didn’t understand the cultural zeitgeist at the time or if something was a classic in the making. Blackness on television was just getting to the place where we had multiple shows that had it present and its layers on display (A Different World, Moesha, Fresh Prince, etc.).
Media for a long time after integration was still segregated culturally. From music to movies, there was this idea that crossover appeal (can a Black artist like say Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston or even Beyonce at the beginning of her career be able to be liked by white people?) was everything.
The 90s was the first time that the walls between black media and white media started to get cracked. It would be chipped away at for the next two decades until creators like Shonda Rhimes, Beyonce, and Pharrell (check his producing credits, he made most of the biggest hits of the 00’s) started making holes and eventually the walls came down.
The Goofy Movie is both fun and a cultural time capsule. Also, 2D animation needs to come back, and at the risk of writing another 200-400 words on this, I’ll leave that there.
AJ: For three decades now, this film has shaped the way I think about family and connection. The way I think about it, A Goofy Movie wasn’t just a childhood favorite—it was a constant. As a kid, I thought Max was the coolest. As a father myself now, I tear up at the thought of rejection if my child were to think I was the most un-cool person in her life (it will probably happen, but still).
It may be a cliche, but the film grew with me over the years. As I got older, I noticed Goofy’s heartache and existential quest. The same movie that once made me laugh now makes me think. That shift has mirrored my own growth, especially as I’ve thought more deeply about empathy, intergenerational relationships, and the emotional labor it takes to stay close to someone drifting away.
And now, as I revisit it, I see the story from both Max’s and Goofy’s perspectives. I witness a father striving to do his best, a son burdened by expectations, and the complex, beautiful space in between where their love must navigate. I think about my dad a lot, too. He passed away about a decade ago now, and so watching this film about fathers and sons is meaningful to me; I tear up every time! This film has lingered in my mind like few others—because it has truly earned that place.
JEREMY: This movie shaped the way I thought about my relationship with my family and friends. When I was younger, I used to feel bad for Max when his dad took him on that Fishing Trip when he had other plans. But then, as I got older, I related more and more to Goofy’s perspective in how he just wanted to spend time with his son.
That part is relatable because Goofy is trying to put the work into improving his relationship with his son, and when he recognizes that his son is unhappy at the Possum Park– he does not minimize his feelings; he acknowledges them by respecting his wishes and leaving the park to go camping nearby. And later on, Goofy decides to give Max the family map in a genuine effort to give Max more freedom in deciding what places they should go instead of sticking to his family tradition to help improve their relationship.
I always related with Goofy because even though I’m not a father (I just became an Uncle last year), I’ve had friendships that have come and gone over the years where I was in that position where I was trying to improve things because I genuinely wanted to spend time with friends and do the things I don’t think I ever got to experience.
On a creative level, it helped inspire me as a writer in understanding the complication of relationships and relationships with our parents and children are tricky to figure out. But that everything can work if we listen to each other’s hearts, as Powerline would sing.
I also got to attend a virtual workshop hosted by Jymn Magon (the co-writer of the film) where he got to talk about his work at Disney Television Animation on Gummi Bears, DuckTales and Talespin.
AVERY: One thing I can say is that my appreciation for Farmer’s performance as Goofy has only grown. While he has been the primary voice of Goofy in many, many projects, I especially adored his guest starring appearance in DuckTales (2017) Season 3’s “Quack Pack!” And as a huge, huge fan of Amphibia, I love his work as the Plantar family patriarch, Hop Pop.
TAIMUR: So glad that Avery mentioned Farmer. I also have to highlight the fantastic voice acting. Everyone knocks it out of the park.
I’m also really taken with Kellie Martin who voices Roxanne. She’s really accomplished both on-camera and in voiceover. Some of her other voice over roles I loved as a kid were as Molly in Taz-Mania and Daphne in A Pup Named Scooby-Doo. For a character who’s not in the movie too much, you do get a sense of her character in the small moments like when she helps Max up after he falls off the bleachers.
Did you watch the new documentary, Not Just A Goof? Have you read the comic?
OLLIE: Apparently, I bought Avery the comic and forgot about it. So, it’s now on my “to-read” list, which, to be fair, is massive even though I consume written material at an unconscionable rate (thanks, ADHD brain, for only understanding things at triple speed). As for the documentary, it was superb.
LISA: I have and I did!
E.B.: Yes and yes.
TAIMUR: I did indeed watch the documentary with my older sister who also has a mutual appreciation of A Goofy Movie. This is literally the first time I’m learning that there was a comic, so I definitely want to seek it out ASAP!
AJ: Taimur and gang, let’s inform our readers that the comic we’re referring to can be found in this volume from our friends over at Fantagraphics.
Of course I watched the documentary. It was illuminating, and definitely showed the third-class nature of Disney’s respect for the film during production and release. The comic adaptation is certainly interesting. I believe it’s translated from the French, so it’s like a translation of a translation. And it’s a more contemporary translation at that, so the character’s lines are slightly tweaked in some spots to be 2010s teen speak, rather than 1990s speak. That is jarring! And we also learn Roxanne’s last name: Rover. How droll…
But I wonder if anyone remembers the original Goofy Movie documentary from 1995 that aired on the Disney Channel! Check out Toontown in its fuzzy glory.
JEREMY: I still need to read the comic but I did watch the documentary this past month. It was a fun trip down memory lane in learning how the movie was made. I was surprised to learn that Goofy was almost going to be voiced by Steve Martin which would have been a big mistake. I was glad to learn what it took to keep Farmer as the voice of Goofy.
Although I did not read the comic adaptation of the film– I did get too read some of the Goofy Movie/Goof Troop comic tie-ins that were published in Disney Adventures back in the 1990s.
AVERY: I’m personally glad they decided against Martin as Goofy (to say the least). Plus, I wonder whether or not A Goofy Movie would have enjoyed the enduring legacy that it has if they had chosen Martin for the role instead of Farmer. I kind of doubt it!
I enjoyed the comic when I read it in the aforementioned Fanta adaptation, which my spouse Ollie got for me. I would strongly recommend these collections to any fans of the Disney Adventures comics! In addition to including a lot of stories that I read in DA when I was young (many of them edited by our own fearless leader, Comics Beat Editor-in-Chief Heidi MacDonald), they also incorporate international comics starring the familiar characters, which I had never gotten the chance to read before.
As for Not Just A Goof, I found it interesting and informative. I especially liked the use of animation to bring the flashback anecdotes to life. Plus, who knew that Powerline’s climactic dance had been choreographed, performed and video taped to serve as a point of reference for the animations? No wonder the sequence goes so hard.
Also, I would be remiss not to mention the antepenultimate episode of Atlanta, “The Goof Who Sat By the Door.” If you haven’t seen this alternate-history A Goofy Movie documentary, I’d recommend checking it out ASAP. It’s superb
OLLIE: My first introduction to Heidi’s work was these comics.
HEIDI: I have yet to watch this documentary, or read the comic, but I absolutely need to. I’ve been stunned to find out how popular this movie is and reading all the stories from everyone here has really touched me.
When I was working at Disney Adventures I knew the comics would have an impact on kids because the comics I read as a kid changed my life. As I’ve mentioned several times, my immediate team and the rest of the folks I knew at Disney didn’t think A Goofy Movie was going to resonate as it has, but it’s great to know that something so positive came out of this time.
What are the themes that you think have made A Goofy Movie so lasting, and make such an impression on even audiences today?
JEREMY: I think one of the film’s lasting themes that have made the movie so lasting is it’s theme of parenthood– it’s about the relationship between parents (in this case, fatherhood) and how our parents and environments can in some form shape who we become.
I think that is in part of why audiences still connect with it today because of that recurring theme of family and the time we spend with our parents when we are young and how those memories can affect us for the better.
TAIMUR: Obviously, parenthood is the biggest theme in the film that could fill its own essay. It’s funny, for the past week I’ve randomly been binging Pepper Ann for whatever reason.
Besides both featuring actress Jenna von Oÿ, I realize in both cases I’m really drawn to the themes of school. It’s very much in the vein of classic Spider-Man/Peter Parker stories with a kid trying to find his place. It’s that timeless theme of youth in rebellion that always hits home.
AVERY: Heck yeah, Taimur — she was too cool for seventh grade!
As for the movie’s themes, I think many viewers empathize with the idea of being an outsider, as both Max and Goofy are shown to be. But, they ultimately achieve their goals (and then some) by relying on one another. It’s a classic theme for a reason!
AJ: Family, teenage angst and romance, comedy, peril, reconciliation. These are elements that define A Goofy Movie. And they’re universal. I think the movie succeeds precisely because it balances laugh-out-loud moments with genuine emotional depth–which seems incongruous from the persona of Goofy as understood through his traditional place in the Disney pantheon–as father and son navigate literal and metaphorical rapids. The winning combination of pathos and humor allows people to revisit this film year after year.
A Goofy Movie and Not Just A Goof are currently available to stream on Disney+.
