After UPA produced “Robin Hoodlum” for Columbia in 1948, they wanted permission to produce a cartoon featuring their own original character. John Hubley, and a good majority of the staff at UPA, wanted to escape the “funny animals” formula and create a human character instead (something, which had usually failed in the past – but the staff felt it could be pulled off). Hubley drew up a storyboard for a possible new cartoon entitled “Ragtime Bear,” demonstrated it to Columbia, and after some consideration, they gave Hubley the green light only because it included a bear. However, the stubborn, nearsighted man, name of Mister Magoo was the real star of “Ragtime Bear,” and such was proved by the audience reaction when it debuted on the screen. Magoo's dopey nephew, Waldo would also make his first appearance in the short. Waldo would always play straight man to his nearsighted uncle's antics and would appear in almost every single Magoo short. Magoo had many fathers. Aside from Hubley, however, one of the most remembered was radio actor, Jim Backus (of the “Gilligan’s Island” fame) who was the ever-popular voice of Magoo. Backus’ improvisation struck another high-point and became widely popular.

In the following year; Hubley would direct “Spellbound Hound,” while animator Pete Burness would take care of most of the series. Burness’ first Magoo cartoon, “Trouble Indemnity” was one of the series’ best. Not only did it feature the writing talents of Bill Scott (who had previously worked at Warner Bros. and would later head towards Jay Ward Productions but it was also nominated for an Academy Award. As Burness carried on the Magoo series, Hubley directed another Magoo entry - “Fuddy Duddy Buddy.” “Buddy” is indeed one of the best Magoo cartoons and represented a rare side of the character. Towards the end of the film, Magoo is faced with the fact that he had mistaken his friend for a Walrus. Suddenly, his spirit brightens and he declares, whatever species he is, “I like him.” With this, Magoo continues to eat dinner with the walrus and tell jokes. Although this was certainly a Hubley effort, he would later claim that it was Burness who gave Magoo a decidedly “warmer side” (while Burness states differently himself). As time went on, Hubley felt that Magoo was slipping out of his grasp. “I felt that as the series developed the formula became somewhat mechanical.” says Hubley to Howard Rieder. “There were too many nearsighted gags, not enough situation comedy and character conflict.” Hubley would later leave UPA in 1952.

Magoo’s design would start to become altered. In his earliest cartoons, Magoo seems to look more like a grizzled, old man. In 1952 his appearance would become a little rounder and cuter. In 1954 he would become a little more stubby and shorter. Finally, by 1955 he would become the character we all know and love today.

Magoo's "warmer side" turned out to be something of a problem. The nearsighted gags started to escalate to such an extent that Magoo's disability would become very selective. In films such as “When Magoo Flew,” for instance, he can see a few things clearly enough (such as a toy dog which he mistakes for a live one) but during another degree in the film (such as when Magoo is walking around on the plane and does not realize he left the plane cabin) when it seems as if Magoo’s other senses were impaired as well. A similar use of this would be in "Magoo's Puddle Jumper" when Magoo doesn't even realize his car has gone under a lake (and neither does Waldo, until the car door is opened and the entire machine fills with water). Although these exaggerations are questionable, they still add to more of an illusory surrounding to remind the viewer that anything is possible in an animated film. And extremes such as this were rewarded; as both "Flew" and "Puddle Jumper" both won Academy Awards in 1955 and 1956.

Magoo cartoons started to become more in demand and every UPA cartoon released in 1957 starred Magoo. In addition to the previous nine releases, there were six more Magoos released in Cinemascope format and have unfortunately undergone the rather shabby pan-and-scan process.

There was talk of doing a UPA feature ever since the day of its initial success. “We wanted to do Don Quixote with Magoo as Don Quixote,” says Jules Engel in an interview with Leonard Maltin. However, the idea was soon dropped since Don Quixote was such an obscure tale. So it was decided to do an adaptation of 1001 Arabian Nights instead.

Burness would give some lax on his Magoo cartoons to work on the feature. But eventually problems escalated and Burness quit after a fight with Steve Bosustow (leaving behind some unfinished Magoo stories which were later completed by other directors). After sometime, the film was complete, but still lacked the quality and charm of the actual Magoo shorts, however it did have some very stylized design and color.

But 1959, UPA was pretty much on the verge on shutting its doors but only before such Magoo shorts as “Bwana Magoo” and “Terror Faces Magoo” were released which were both classics.

Bosustow finally sold UPA to Henry G. Saperstein. Saperstein brought UPA into the television field and produced 130 Magoo cartoons. These new Magoo shorts are criticized by many animation critics. However, I believe that even though they suffer from having Magoo have selective sight, that they are still quite enjoyable. Even the entries featuring Hamlet, Magoo’s pet hamster are not totally misses.

The clearly most fruitful efforts of the Saperstein period were the one-hour Magoo specials (the strongest and most remembered being “Magoo’s Christmas Carol”) and the “Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo” series which offered some serious story adaptations of classic novels such as Don Quixote!

UPA finally closed in 1962 after the release of “Gay Purr-ee” by Warner Brothers. But Magoo cartoons still were produced. DePatie-Freleng’s “What’s New Mr. Magoo” series seemed to be of higher quality that the Saperstein series, but only ran sixteen episodes, unfortunately. Today Magoo remains one of the world’s most beloved cartoon characters and most recently lives on in an all-new series of Magoo comics. “Oh Magoo! You’ve done it again!”