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Eccles, voiced by [[Spike Milligan]], is arguably the most popular character in the pantheon of Goon Show characters.
 
{{Infobox character
| color            = #000566 <!-- headers background color; the foreground color is automatically computed -->
| name              = Eccles
| series            = [[The Goon Show]] <!-- or |franchise=; use without the italic on the outside -->
| image            = Eccles sketch trace.png
| image_upright    = 1
| alt              =
| caption          =
| first_major      = <!-- per [[MOS:MAJORWORK]] - major works include TV series, films, books, albums and games -->
| first_minor      = <!-- or |first_issue=; Per [[MOS:MINORWORK]] - minor works include TV episodes, chapters, songs and game missions -->
| first_date        =
| first            = <!-- Use instead of first_major= etc. when custom or complex formatting is needed. -->
| last_major        =
| last_minor        = <!-- or |last_issue= -->
| last_date        =
| last              = <!-- Use instead of last_major= etc. when custom or complex formatting is needed. -->
| creator          = [[Spike Milligan]]
| based_on          = <!-- if not an original creation, use {{based on|character|author}} -->
| adapted_by        = <!-- for character adaption articles -->
| designer          =
| portrayer        =
| voice            = [[Spike Milligan]]
| full_name        = "Mad" Dan Eccles
| nickname          = Field Marshall Eccles <!-- or |nicknames= -->
| alias            = <!-- or |aliases= -->
| species          = <!-- or |race=; for non-humans only -->
| gender            = Male <!-- if not obvious -->
| occupation        = <!-- or |position= or |class= -->
| origin            = <!-- or |home= -->
| nationality      =
}}
 
'''"Mad" Dan Eccles''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɛ|k|əl|z}}), also referred to as 'Field Marshall Eccles', is the name of a comedy character, created and performed by [[Spike Milligan]], from the 1950s [[w:United Kingdom|United Kingdom]] [[w:radio|radio]] [[w:comedy|comedy]] series ''[[The Goon Show]]''. In the episode "[[The MacReekie Rising of '74]]", [[Peter Sellers]] had to fill in for the role in Milligan's absence. Very occasionally, he was referred to as 'Mad Dan' Eccles.
 
Eccles was originally one of the show's secondary characters, but like his counterpart [[Bluebottle]] (portrayed by Sellers), Eccles became extremely popular and he is regarded as epitomising the show's humour. The Eccles character and his distinctive voicing were strongly influenced by Milligan's childhood love for the classic [[w:Walt Disney|Walt Disney]] cartoons and specifically Disney's [[w:anthropomorphic|anthropomorphic]] [[w:buffoon|buffoon]] dog character [[w:Goofy|Goofy]]. When Milligan wrote ''[[w:The Idiot Weekly|The Idiot Weekly]]'', an [[w:Australia|Australia]]n version of ''[[The Goon Show]]'', Eccles often made appearances in the script.
 
Milligan visualised Eccles as a tall, lanky, amiable, well-meaning, but incredibly [[w:Stupidity|stupid]] teenager who often found himself involved&mdash;usually alongside Bluebottle&mdash;in one of the nefarious schemes created by arch-[[w:villain|villain]] [[Hercules Grytpype-Thynne]]. As well as being frequently referred to as being something other than an ordinary human, Eccles also possesses remarkable stupidity when dealing with physical objects; in "[[The Greatest Mountain in the World]]" he describes two sticks of dynamite as "What luck! Two big cigars and they're both lit!"
 
{{Goons}}
 
[[Category:Goon Show characters]]
[[Category:Male characters in radio]]
[[Category:Radio characters introduced in 1951]]

Latest revision as of 17:20, 8 April 2023

Eccles
The Goon Show character
Eccles sketch trace.png
Created bySpike Milligan
Voiced bySpike Milligan
In-universe information
Full name"Mad" Dan Eccles
NicknameField Marshall Eccles
GenderMale

"Mad" Dan Eccles (/ˈɛkəlz/), also referred to as 'Field Marshall Eccles', is the name of a comedy character, created and performed by Spike Milligan, from the 1950s United Kingdom radio comedy series The Goon Show. In the episode "The MacReekie Rising of '74", Peter Sellers had to fill in for the role in Milligan's absence. Very occasionally, he was referred to as 'Mad Dan' Eccles.

Eccles was originally one of the show's secondary characters, but like his counterpart Bluebottle (portrayed by Sellers), Eccles became extremely popular and he is regarded as epitomising the show's humour. The Eccles character and his distinctive voicing were strongly influenced by Milligan's childhood love for the classic Walt Disney cartoons and specifically Disney's anthropomorphic buffoon dog character Goofy. When Milligan wrote The Idiot Weekly, an Australian version of The Goon Show, Eccles often made appearances in the script.

Milligan visualised Eccles as a tall, lanky, amiable, well-meaning, but incredibly stupid teenager who often found himself involved—usually alongside Bluebottle—in one of the nefarious schemes created by arch-villain Hercules Grytpype-Thynne. As well as being frequently referred to as being something other than an ordinary human, Eccles also possesses remarkable stupidity when dealing with physical objects; in "The Greatest Mountain in the World" he describes two sticks of dynamite as "What luck! Two big cigars and they're both lit!"