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Little HelperLil' Bulb, or simply Helper, is Gyro Gearloose's assistant, who first appeared in Carl Barks' "The Cat Box" in Uncle Scrooge #15 (September 1956). He is a small, humanoid robot (about 20 cm tall), constructed from pieces of metal and a lightbulb, which serves as his head. According to the 2002 story "Gyro's First Invention" by Don Rosa, Little Helper was created when Gyro accidentally passed on some of his intelligence to Donald Duck's desk lamp.

In the Donald Duck comics, he is often shown as an inventor himself, sometimes copying Gyro's inventions. A few stories have given Little Helper prominence, such as when a movie director is shooting a film in Duckburg about an outer space giant attacking Earth, which is in actuality a robot programmed to destroy houses on a set. However, the robot walks off start and starts destroying actual houses in Duckburg, to include one with Gyro and the director inside. At the last minute when the two men are near death, Little Helper disables the giant robot's machinery. Gyro is given a medal for saving the director, and Little Helper is given a medal for saving all of Duckburg.

Little Helper never speaks, but occasionally uses thought bubbles. He enjoys chasing mice and helping Gyro clean up the unusual consequences of his inventions.

Despite Helper regularly appearing alongside Gyro in the original comics, and even having a prominent cameo in the theme song, he did not appear often on the DuckTales cartoon (though, perhaps true to his printed roots, he appeared more frequently in the comics spun off from the show itself).

Appearances in Disney Afternoon media[]

TV episodes[]

Comics[]

  • "Flights of Fancy" (1988)
  • "The Great Bubble Gum Disaster" (1989)
  • "Seeing the Blight" (1989)
  • "The Eek Machine" (1989)
  • "The Bedeviled Dime" (1989)
  • "Kingdom Of The Ants" (1989)
  • "Gyro's Marvelous Picnic Machine" (1989)
  • "La bande à Piktou" (1990)
  • "The Beagle Boys' Scientific Crimewave" (1990)
  • "Shipwrecked" (1990)
  • "The Dream Scheme" (1990)
  • "Honey, I Shrunk the Ducks" (1991)
  • "The Duck Knight Returns" (2010)
  • "Dangerous Currency" (2011)

Gallery[]

External links[]

DuckTales
Media DuckTales (Episode list) • VideographyGladstone comicMagazineVideo game (HD remakeSoundtrack) • Disney ComicsThe Quest for GoldDuckTales 2DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp (soundtrack) • Boom! Studios comicScrooge's Loot
Characters Heroes and allies Scrooge McDuckHuey, Dewey and LouieLaunchpad McQuackWebby VanderquackBentina BeakleyDuckworthGyro GearlooseDoofus DrakeFenton CrackshellDonald DuckLudwig Von DrakeBubba the Cave DuckTootsie the TriceratopsGene the GenieGlittering GoldieAdmiral GrimmitzMrs. CrackshellKing HomerQueen Ariel
Recurring villains The Beagle Boys (Big Time, Burger, Bouncer, Baggy, Bankjob, Bugle, Babyface, and Megabyte) • Ma BeagleBeagle BratsFlintheart GlomgoldCirceKa-Hoo-FuMagica De SpellPoe De SpellEl CapitanMerlock the MagicianDijonSarkusCinnamon TealPeteFritter O'WayDiddle O'WayThe SirensYuckalindaFrontier Beagle BoysMillionara Vanderbucks
Other characters Little HelperLuckyPlutoGabby McDrakeMinima De SpellRipcord McQuackBirdie McQuackLoopey McQuackBlackjackRhubarb McQuackMarilynAphroduckyVulcanThe Garbled OneMoorloonLesdredFiller BrushbillArmstrong
Locations DuckburgThe Money BinMcDuck ManorValley of the Golden SunsAtlantisFountain of YouthScotland
Objects Number One DimeJunior Woodchucks GuidebookGizmosuitMillennium ShortcutGolden GooseWebby's Quacky Patch Doll