10 Bizarre Origins Of Your Favourite Cartoon Characters

9. Mario Was Nintendo's Angry Landlord

Imagine if this dude had been named "Jumpman" or "Mr. Video", like originally planned? We wouldn't have the unreserved joy that comes with shouting his name in an OTT Italian accent that we do today, in fact, he probably wouldn't be around today - a fact his creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, admitted himself. So where did our beloved Mario come from? While developing Donkey Kong, the then-president of Nintendo was confronted by angry warehouse landlord, Mario Segale, demanding rent. A heated argument ensued, in which Nintendo employees convinced the landlord the money would be paid. When he left, they realised how much he looked like the bulbous-nosed character in production (that desperately needed a good name), and Mario was born.