Which Came First Chip n Dale or Alvin and the Chipmunks?

Does anyone remember this great forgotten kids cartoon? I even had the nintendo game

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e5q6ubDlZE (catchy theme tune)

What other "forgotten" cartoons can u remember??

What about these 2 catchy little numbers?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA0TS9l_nJE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HW7YTWeg20&feature=related (we're tiny...we're toony...we're all a little loony)

There was a mega drive game for this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsK820dTTY4

Brings back so many memories of early 90's. I'm going to have that music in my head all night!

This backstory is known by few, as the brighter side of the chipmunks’ careers has cast it into shadow.

Prelude

Before they were Disney stars or Rescue Rangers, the furry friends known as Chip ‘n’ Dale shared a rather dubious and clandestine past. This included a short but pivotal relationship with the crew now recognized as Alvin and the Chipmunks. This back story is known by few, as the brighter side of the chipmunks’ careers has cast it into shadow.

The Truth

Chip

Denmark’s winter was especially cold in 1940. In the dead of February, only seven weeks before the German war machine perverted the borders, a young chipmunk by the name of Chip Refsgaard was struggling to make his acorn stores last. Born and raised in Tønder, he was nesting at what would soon be the Nazi’s key land point of entry.

Desperate for food, Chip often wandered south to do business with the German chipmunks. It was in these dealings that he became aware of the impending invasion. Always a schemer (this is depicted well in the cartoons), Chip traded tactical information concerning Tønder to the German chipmunks for nuts. His “business partners” were in league with the local rodent socialist party. Now, whether or not any of this information made it back to Hitler’s men is not known. But by the time April 9th rolled around, Chip had relocated to Germany, his stomach full.

As the weather warmed, food wasn't as much of an issue. Protected from immediate wartime conflict by the rapidly expanding German front, Chip moved freely throughout Europe during most of the 1940s.

Dale

Meanwhile, in the leafy luxury of Libson’s Eduardo VII public park, Dale Alavedra was bored. While the war had stirred things up in Portugal, the country’s neutral stance and tendency to under-prioritize chipmunks in times of global crisis was making for a dull scene.

Orphaned by wealthy parents, Dale spent most of his time in entertainment, specializing in skits and busking at high-end events. He occasionally played guitar at underground venues when he was getting tired of wooing and bedding the upper-class daughters of various chipmunk aristocrats. As such, he was well connected to all echelons of Portuguese rodent society, even if he didn't take it all too seriously.

The muted atmosphere of World War II was getting on his nerves, so when he by chance happened upon a travelling Danish chipmunk by the name of Chip at a deserted peanut beer tavern, he was quick to get social.

The job

How Chip made it through the front line and into Portugal is still shrouded in mystery. Some say he used his wiles to elude troops. Some say he smuggled himself along with refugees. Others figured that since chipmunks aren't typically thought of as immediate threats (tell that to Donald Duck), he simply ambled right on through.

What is better known is his motivation for striking out West. He wanted to leave Europe. Perhaps his travels through Germany had made him uneasy at the prospect of the future, or perhaps he just wanted a change. Either way, he had a plan, as always.

Through his contacts, Chip had learned of a distress call from a well-to-do American chap named David Seville. The man, originally from France, had a step-daughter there who he had lost track of when communications fell in the invasion. She was bound for Libson but he hadn’t heard from her in a while and was understandably concerned. A handsome reward was offered to anyone who could provide accurate news.

Chip knew Dale could help him with Seville’s request. After chatting for a few hours at the tavern, it was apparent that the kid was well connected, even if he was a bit slow. This intuition paid off: with Chip’s brain and Dale’s playboy network, the duo was able track down the step-daughter, who was taking shelter at a local church.

Overjoyed, Seville offered a tidy sum for the work. Chip convinced him to forgo his share of the cash in exchange for a one-way ticket across the Atlantic. Dale had bonded with his counterpart during the job, and was intrigued by the prospect of America. In a fairly typical impulsive move, Dale decided to join Chip on the voyage.

The band

Curious to meet his private eyes, Seville offered to house Chip and Dale while they got on their feet. This “temporary” arrangement would last for several years until eventually imploding on itself.

Seville had three adopted chipmunk children: Alvin, Simon and Theodore. A few years younger than Chip and Dale, they looked up to them as idols: strange, exotic European chipmunks were not something that they were used to. The year was 1943.

With Chip’s help and Seville’s relationships with the entertainment industry, Dale quickly found himself in an acting gig with Disney. In the very first skit, Dale appears with another chipmunk actor, widely assumed to be “Chip.” While this is the official story, Chip did not get into acting until years later.

Watch the first skit, “Private Pluto,” here. (WARNING! May cause extreme cases of nostalgia).

Dale’s acting career was taking off, and Seville’s children were in awe. Taking after their idol, they began to gravitate towards acting. They took classes, and received mentorship from their father as well as from Dale. Chip ran the books, but slowly found himself enamored by the acting world as well. A better writer than Dale, he started to script skits.

Part of good acting is good sense of voice, so the chipmunk brothers also took singing lessons. One day, they snagged some of Chip’s poetry (he wrote sonnets as a hobby next to professional writing) and converted it into a harmonious tune. The others were struck by their innate talent. Seville saw dollar signs. Acting was out: singing was in. A band was formed. Chip came up with a simple name that stuck: Alvin and the Chipmunks.

He’s the frontman, it’s obvious. And plus, it just rolls off the tongue much better. – Chip, on choosing the iconic name.

The first crack

In 1946 Chip finally joined Dale as an official acting partner. His foray into the creative world of writing apparently kicked something into gear, as he was just as gifted as Dale. They were prosperous through much of the late forties, enjoying success and increasing wealth, much of which went to help fund the Alvin and the Chipmunks project.

Though full of talent, Alvin and his siblings still had a ways to go before they could perform professionally. But they grew impatient, especially as they grew older. Addled with the onset of chipmunk puberty, the band became difficult to deal with. Seville, a loving father, continued to mentor them but Chip and Dale slowly drifted away, caught up in their own careers.

During the 1950s, Dale once again became complacent despite his achievements and became involved with the trafficking of kookoonut, a chipmunk drug derived from the aflatoxins of the Brazil nut. Similar to human cocaine, it was the thrill he needed. It was also very profitable. Chip was not known to indulge (though many suspect he enjoyed the occasional bump) but he gladly ran the financial side of things for Dale. Without express permission, Chip used pieces of Seville’s production company to help with the accounting. Seville was furious when he found out. Though the drug is not illegal by human law, having it so close to his children was just as bad as the breach of trust.

Chip was asked to leave the house. He left, and Dale loyally followed.

This was the first major fissure in the relationship. Seville and Chip were not on good terms, but Alvin and his brothers still looked up to him, and especially to Dale. As the fifties carried on, Dale slowly became less involved with kookoonut and refocused on acting and mentoring the band. Chip grew apart from the boys; the alienation with their father proved too much.

The final straw

Things may have turned out differently if Dale had managed to stay in the Seville family’s good graces. Just as Alvin and the Chipmunks were starting to get traction at local and statewide venues, an all-girl chipmunk outfit called the Chipettes appeared on the scene, headed by the sassy starlet Brittany Miller. A female mirror to Alvin’s band, the sexual tension between the two groups was almost distastefully blatant (it did wonders for marketing however, and David Seville leveraged the hell out of it).

Naturally, Dale was able to attract the attention of the Chipettes through his fame and general charm. His lifetime experience of chasing rich Portuguese princesses was no match for Miss Miller’s resolve. Add a pinch of kookoonut, and the case was as good as closed. To Dale, she was just another highly appreciative fan, just another fling and a fun night out. To Alvin, she was the world.

Like his father, Alvin’s fury was extravagant. His brothers, while less aggressive, couldn't help but side with him. Dale, seeing the whole thing as uproariously foolish, abandoned them happily. It was over, for good (and as far as we know, Dale and Brittany never got together again).

The legacy

Most fans of either chipmunk team are completely unaware of this troubled past and strange connection. They just know of how Chip and Dale eventually got into the business of rescue ranging, and that Alvin and Brittany’s bands continue to produce movies of… questionable quality.

Maybe it’s better to remember them all for the joy they've brought children and adults alike.

Maybe it’s better to leave the past be.

Who came first Chip and Dale or Alvin and the Chipmunks?

Did Alvin and the Chipmunks come from Chip and Dale?

What came first chip Dale?

When did Chip and Dale first come out?