Other Media
Tonto has appeared in the various media based on The Lone Ranger.
He starred in his own comic book, The Lone Ranger's Companion Tonto, 31 issues of which were published by Dell Comics during the 1950s.
Later depictions beginning in the 1980s have taken efforts to show Tonto as an articulate and proud warrior whom the Ranger treats as an equal partner. In the Topps Comics four-issue miniseries, The Lone Ranger and Tonto, Tonto is even shown to be a very witty, outspoken and sarcastic character willing to punch the Lone Ranger during a heated argument and commenting on his past pop-culture depictions with the words, "Of course, Kemosabe. Maybe when we talked I should use that 'me Tonto' stuff, way they write about me in the dime novels. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"
Tonto was portrayed by Jon Lovitz in several Saturday Night Live sketches along with Tarzan (Kevin Nealon) and Frankenstein's Monster (Phil Hartman), playing off of their collective lack of proper English skills.
Tonto appears in the movie Inspector Gadget during the Minions Anonymous meeting.
The animated television series Metalocalypse character Nathan Explosion—who is one-fourth Native American—has several times in the series been called Tonto due to his speaking in short, simple sentences.
Bill Cosby had an early stand-up comedy routine which discusses Tonto and his position as the Lone Ranger's companion, and how, according to Cosby, every time the Lone Ranger would send Tonto to town, "the bandits would beat the snot out of him."
Different covers of the song "Apache (The Shadows song)," also known as "Jump On It" (versions by Sugarhill Gang in 1981, Sir Mix-a-Lot in 1996, etc.) refer extensively to Tonto, including the refrain "Tonto, Jump on it, Jump on it, Jump on it. Kemosabe, jump on it."
Singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett dedicated a verse to Tonto in his award-winning song "If I Had a Boat": "The mystery masked man was smart / He got himself a Tonto / 'Cause Tonto did the dirty work for free. / But Tonto he was smarter / And one day said Kemo-Sabe / Kiss my ass, I bought a boat, I'm going out to sea."
In the VeggieTales 2007 episode "Moe and the Big Exit," Aaron (Archibald Asparagus) dresses like Tonto.
He is mentioned in the lyrics of "Ex-Lion Tamer," a song from the band Wire on their 1977 debut album Pink Flag.
In Frank Zappa's You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 3, the "Bobby Brown" lyric "none of the jocks even think I'm a homo" is changed to "none of the jocks even think I'm a tonto." After Bobby Brown is castrated, the background lyric "High-ho Silver away" is used repeatedly.
In the 200th episode of the television series Gilmore Girls, Tonto is mentioned as a pet name Lorelai calls her daughter Rory.
Tonto will be portrayed by Johnny Depp in the upcoming feature film The Lone Ranger.
Read more about this topic: Tonto (Lone Ranger Character)
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