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Of all the articles I have written for Frank, I have always had the most fun writing about the Mad Hatter and his many different versions. From the original Hatter to the Disney cartoon to Frank’s badass Hatter Madigan, the adaptations of Hatter always seem to be a crowd favorite. So much in fact that October 6 is actually National Mad Hatter Day. Mad Hatter Day is a bit of a free-for-all for those who like to be silly. It’s quite easy to celebrate, you can wear a silly hat, watch a silly movie, throw a tea party, eat some mercury, or just be authentically silly. When I was let out of Franks's basement to write this blog, I was told it should be “…pretty light and leave a lot of room for comedy.” Which I have interpreted as “Be as weird as you want Jared.” To which I say, “Your funeral.” So, I have gathered a collection of my top five Maddest Mad Hatter Moments for you to enjoy.
Starting off this list is arguably the most recognizable version of the Mad Hatter. Voiced by Ed Wynn, the 1951 Disney Mad Hatter was probably most people's first introduction to the wild character. While he has many funny and whimsical moments in the movie, I chose this slick maneuver as the first “maddest” moment. You really would have to be suffering from mercury poisoning to pour tea down the collar of your shirt and out your sleeve and not be screaming from the beverage singeing your skin. I know it’s a cartoon, but it’s still mad.
I had to see it and now so do you! Martin Short is awesome, the comedian is beloved by many. But he has a dark secret. You see when he isn’t solving crimes with Selena Gomez and Steve Martin, Martin Short is busy haunting my dreams. Specifically, his performance as the Mad Hatter in the 1980s nightmare fuel Alice in Wonderland TV movie. First is his laugh, a high pitch truly crazy laugh that sends a chill down my spine. On top of that is the fact that his head is MASSIVE. I know this was an attempt to make him look more like the cartoon but instead, it made him look like a terrifying Steve Madden shoes ad. I have included the full tea party scene so you can have nightmares as well.
Some would argue that Tim Burton’s adaptation of the Mad Hatter made the manic milliner even more famous than before. A part of this, of course, can be attributed to the fantastic performance of Johnny Depp, who brought his signature flare into the role. This specific performance is arguably the most cosplayed version of the Mad Hatter due to the costume, hair, and makeup being exceptionally striking. Also probably because Depp is a sex symbol and if you're going to cosplay, might as well be cosplaying that. Don’t believe me? Well, the video I found was titled “Tarrant Hightopp being sexy af for 5 1/2 minutes straight” Don’t get me wrong, Johnny Depp is a good-looking guy but…I mean…to each their own I guess. I need a shower.
Depp’s Hatter has many great moments but the maddest moment of all is when he is fighting the Knave of Hearts. During the sword fight, the Mad Hatter uses a pin from his pincushion to poke the eye of the Knave gaining the upper hand in the fight. This is truly mad because I never expected to see something so violent from the Hatter. But hey, all is fair in love and war.
The Mad Hatter isn’t just limited to the collection of Alice movies. He was also a less popular Batman villain who made his first appearance in the 1950s comics. The version of the Mad Hatter portrayed in the comics and cartoons has nothing to do with Alice and I’ll prove it to you. First, his hats are mind-control devices. Second, he’s in love with a woman named Alice. Finally, in one of the comics, he had a monkey called Carroll Lewis. Completely different. In Batman: The Animated Series, there is a scene where the Mad Hatter has placed mind control devices on people and Batman has to figure out how to fight through them while on a giant chess board. The queen on the chessboard even says, “Off with his head.”
This is only a quick moment but as a massive Futurama fan, I had to mention it. In this episode, an error happens in Fry’s sentencing for a crime and he is sentenced to the Hal Institute for Criminally Insane Robots. While in a group session, the Mad Hatter Bot, whose hat tag reads 5/3 instead of 10/6 (probably because a robot would do the math on the fraction) periodically makes the other robots change places, causing the therapy robot to end up as a patient, thus receiving “treatment” in the form of a hammer. Is this one of his maddest moments? Well, he is in an insane asylum.
I have more moments and decided in the spirit of Mad Hatter Day, traditional listicle numbering be damned.
This time, the Hatter is portrayed by Steve Buscemi, who, side note, would make an amazing Mad Hatter outside of a skit. In the sketch, Alice, the March Hare, the Dormouse, and the Mad Hatter have a mad-off to show Alice who is the most “mad.” It starts off quite whimsical but when it gets to the Mad Hatter, he seems to actually be insane, claiming to wash his hands over one hundred times a day to wash off the smell of his mother, making toy cars out of his poo, and eventually flipping the table and being placed in a straight jacket. He was both the winner and the loser of the contest.
*AIRHORNS* That’s right, before wrapping up this list, I wanted to bring in the author of The Looking Glass Wars. You know his name because it’s humbly the name of this website. He’s the man who kindly allows me to see the light of day once a month. My boss, Frank Beddor.
So, Frank, I have purposely left out any moments of your version of the Mad Hatter, Hatter Madigan because I wanted to hear what was your favorite mad moment that you came up with. I didn’t leave it out to make you mad. I definitely don’t want that. The Disappointment Box is so small and dark. But yes, what is your favorite Hatter Madigan moment?
SPACE FOR FRANK’S ANSWER
*Response to Franks's answer has been pre-written and will not be edited as the author of the blog kept calling it “censorship”:
Hahaha, I couldn’t agree more. Or if the answer requires it, Hahaha, I disagree completely.
Well, there you have it, my list of the Mad Hatter's Maddest Moments. Before I reach the finish and am forced back into Franks's basement until another blog is needed, I wanted to mention one more quick, “mad” Mad Hatter moment I thought needed to be mentioned.
I guess it's not so much a moment but a snippet from a trailer. In the trailer for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, we see the Mad Hatter throwing his hat. This is early similar to Frank Beddor’s very own Hatter Madigan, who famously uses his hat as a weapon. While it is legally distinct, the Hatter throwing his hat was first conceptualized by Frank Beddor. What, or should I say, who, is so mad about this? Well, Frank Beddor of course. IP theft is no joke and as Frank Beddor’s official lawyer-
(The rest of this sentence has been deleted. It must be stated that Jared Hoffman is not, has not, and never will be, the legal council of Frank Beddor or those associated with Frank Beddor. Frank Beddor loves Tim Burton’s adaptation of “Alice in Wonderland” and does not believe there has been any theft of IP. Additionally, there is no Disappointment Box and Jared Hoffman can leave the basement any time he likes, he just chooses to stay there.)
Jared Hoffman graduated from the American Film Institute with a degree in screenwriting. A Los Angeles native, his brand of comedy is satire stemming from the many different personalities and egos he has encountered throughout his life. As a lover of all things comedy, Jared is always working out new material and trying to make those around him laugh. His therapist claims this is a coping mechanism, but what does she know?