Lionel is the right-hand partner of Dumbo in Disney Channel's 1985-1987 television series Dumbo's Circus. He is notable for being the very first character to be voiced by Jim Cummings.
Background
Personality
He is a Brooklyn-accented lion who serves as Dumbo's right-hand partner, popcorn server, ticket taker, and sideshow barker. He has a knot in his tail. He was inspired by the character of Timothy Q. Mouse from the 1941 film.
As revealed in the episode "A Lion Needs a Mane", Lionel takes a lot of pride in his mane. So naturally, when pieces of his mane start falling out, he thinks he'll become bald until Dumbo revealed through a book he read that lions shed their manes each year and it grows back on their own.
History
Lionel was with Dumbo when they first started out.
Trivia
- Lionel holds the distinction of not just being the first Disney character that Jim Cummings voiced, but also his first voice acting role in general.
