He knows our motivations, that's what he'd like to think! He's Dr. Scratchansniff the studio shrink! - Yakko, Wakko and Dot
Das ist gut, ja? - Dr. Scratchansniff
Dr. Otto von Scratchansniff (usually referred to as just Dr. Scratchansniff and sometimes a nickname said by the Warners "Scratchy") is the psychiatrist at Warner Bros. studios who speaks with a thick Austrian accent. He is the one charged with keeping an eye on the Warner siblings, Yakko, Wakko, and Dot. He was one of the greatest psychiatrists in Hollywood before the Warners arrived. After the Warner's arrival, he was driven to the brink of insanity because of them as seen in De-Zanitized.
He once had gray hair, but it was ripped off due to the Warners driving him to insanity in his sessions with them, which is why he is now bald. He wears a white smock, purple pants, black shoes, and glasses. His eyes were never shown, but Dot says they are blue in The Monkey Song.
In the revival series, he has a longer nose and pointier chin, dons a more detailed labcoat, and has five fingers on each hand instead of four.
Personality[]
He is a regular character in the Warner Brothers' sketches, usually as the victim of their antics. However some shorts feature Scratchansniff as a sort of surrogate father to the Warner siblings, doing activities such as making them food and taking them to the circus (as shown in the theatrical short I'm Mad). Some times the Warner siblings will even call him "father" or "daddy" just to mess around and annoy him for the fun of it. He is highly allergic to poison oak. Scratchansniff is attracted to fat women as shown in 'Drive-Insane' and Anchors a-Warners'
He has worked at Warner Bros. for fifty years, implying that he must be at least in his mid-70s, despite his relatively spry demeanor. His patients over the years have included Edward G. Robinson, Peter Lorre, Better Davis, Rex Harrison, the Invisible Man, Jack Nicholson, Cher, Clint Eastwood, Michael Keaton, and Ronald Reagan. He occasionally uses a puppet, named Mr. Puppet Head, when treating children to help then talk about their feelings
In the 22 years since the original Animaniacs ended, it appears that the gradual exposure to the Warners finally broke him. Come "Hindenburg Cola", Scratchy has become dead-set on upstaging the Warners and making them pay for their zany antics. His obsession has become so dangerous that Scratchy ends up injuring himself trying to "prank" the Warners.
Appearances[]
Original Series[]
Main Title (nonspeaking)
Ep1: De-Zanitized
Ep1: The Monkey Song
Ep1: Nighty-Night Toon (nonspeaking)
Ep5: Taming of the Screwy
Ep6: What Are We?
Piano Rag
Ep14: La La Law
Ep27: You Risk Your Life
Ep34: Clown and Out
Ep43: Survey Ladies
Ep44: The Senses Song
Ep50: Twas the Day Before Christmas
Ep53: Drive-Insane
Episode 58: Meet John Brain/Smell Ya Later
Ep64: Lookit the Fuzzy Heads
The Warners' 65th Anniversary Special
Ep69: I'm Mad
Ep70: A Quake, a Quake!
Ep71: Bingo
Ep78:The Sound of Warners
Ep79: The Party
Ep82: Wakkos' Two-Note Song, The Big Wrap Party Tonight
Ep87: Anchors A-Warners
Ep90: Ralph's Wedding
Ep92: Dot - The Macadmia Nut
Ep93: Cute First (Ask Questions Later)
Wakko's Wish
Reboot[]
Ep6 (Reboot): The Cutening (nonspeaking
Ep13 (Reboot): Hindenburg Cola
Trivia[]
Rob Paulsen re-used his Dr. Scratchansniff voice for a character from a 2005 segment of Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi named The Amazing Dr. Mysto.
Doctor Scratchansniff’s voice is based on Peter Sellers’ Doctor Strangelove (10:55).
In English version of Animaniacs, some of the only words that Dr. Otto Scratchansniff spoke in German are "Ja" ( in 'Etiquette Song') and 'Und' (in "I'm Mad").