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"The only thing better than experience is, more experience!"

O.J.
Otis
  • Affiliation: Star Fleet
  • Number: 3
  • Type: (Paddle wheel) Harbor Tug

Otis is a paddle-driven harbor tug who works in The Star Fleet and owned by Captain Star. Otis mainly tows barges, but does help out the tugs, usually organizing the liner dockings.

Bio[]

Otis is the only one of his kind remaining in Snugboat Harbor, and Captain Star's eldest tug. He can be described as "slow, but versatile". He is indeed capable of a variety of tasks, but is sometimes restricted by his age and mechanical condition.

Prior to an overhaul during the year of the heat wave, Otis' aged engine was the cause for a number of mishaps, including an accident that resulted in the sinking of the Fultan Ferry. Otis' weakness and age has often placed him on the receiving end of jokes and insults from the Star Fleet and Zero Fleet alike.

As the Star Fleet's 'oldest tug', Otis possesses unbeatable wisdom. He has extensive knowledge and experience of harbor life and manoeuvres, and because of this, Captain Star often places him in charge of large operations, such as ocean liner dockings. On various occasions, Otis has demonstrated his ability to devise swift and clever strategies to help himself and his fellow Stars out of predicaments. He does not stand for nonsense, and is quick to correct the younger tugs if they make mistakes. Despite his occasionally harsh approach, Otis cares for his fellow tugs, just like a grandfather figure to them.

A possible basis for Otis is the "Eppleton Hall", built by Hepple & Co of South Shields in 1914. Eppleton Hall originally worked in 1914 for the Lambton and Hetton Collieries Ltd. She later worked for France Fenwick, Wear and Tyne Ltd until 1964, and after fifteen years was donated to the USA National Park Service. She is still afloat at Hyde Street Pier, San Francisco, to this day.

Behind the Scenes (TUGS)[]

Chris Tulloch noted that O.J.'s model was one of the most reliable. This may have been for many reasons. But, according to Tulloch, the vast majority of main characters (those with machinery inside them) would often threaten to "turn turtle" and would have to be fixed firmly to a chassis to keep them upright. However, due to O.J.'s paddle-wheels, he rarely had this balance problem. The chassis was still used on O.J. to keep him from bobbing up and down like a toy boat.

Voice Actors[]

Trivia[]

  • In TUGS, Otis' original name was "O.J." It is believed that he was re-named to avoid any confusion with O.J. Simpson, whose trial was still a hot topic at the time during the 1990s.
  • His name is covered with a black censor bar in post production to hide his original model nameplate O.J., from being seen. Although sometimes his name was left uncensored in wide shots where it wasn't visible.
  • Around 1993-1994, his model was taken out of storage and was converted, (removed face, hat, glasses, stack and repainted) into a generic looking paddle boat named "Lakesider III", for the 4th series of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. It is unsure why Otis was chosen, although it was probably due to his reliability.
  • In 2012, his model was bought by The Star TUGS Trust, and after finding Otis's wheelhouse, face, glasses, hat and compartment, was switchable from Lakesider III to Otis.
  • Currently, Otis has his laughing/happy face displayed on the model, although since most of Otis' faces have been recovered, he is often seen with different facial expressions.
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