April Winchell :: Character Guides

Cruella De Vil is a fashion designer whose company is one of the most prestigious in the world; though her drive to stay on top of the industry has caused her to consider unorthodox designs, such as exquisite fashions made from Dalmatian fur. In an attempt to get enough Dalmatians to ensure her designs could be fulfilled, she sent her two henchmen, Horace and Jasper Badun, to try to steal as many Dalmatians as they could. As fate would have it, Roger and Anita’s pet Dalmatians, Pongo and Perdita, fell in love and Perdita soon gave birth to fifteen Dalmatian puppies. When Cruella heard news of this, she attempted to purchase the Dalmatians, though when Roger declined, she ordered Horace and Jasper to pay them a visit and steal their Dalmatians in the dead of night. Cruella’s plans were eventually foiled and all of the ninety-nine Dalmatians she attempted to slaughter were given to Roger and Anita Dearly, though Cruella’s actions seriously hindered her company’s reputation and her personal image around the world.

Cruella’s primary office is in Topstown, though Cruella owns a mansion outside of the small community of Grutely, which just happens to be next door to the property that Roger and Anita Dearly have recently purchased. When she hears news of this, she attempts to coerce Anita into selling her the property, since Anita works for her, though when Roger refuses, Cruella decides that she must do everything she can to either force the Dearlys to sell the land, or find a way of nullifying their contract, which would make her capable of easily purchasing the land. However, Cruella isn’t alone in her endeavors to steal the Dearly Farm, as she often employs the help of some of her relatives in order to expand upon her schemes; though she also has her pet ferret, Scorch, and her two bumbling henchmen, Horace and Jasper Badun. Despite this, Cruella tends to prefer a hands-on approach in she often comes up with many of her schemes on her own, though it’s due to her extensive wealth that she’s capable of implementing them.

Gone, however, are the days when Cruella wished to use animal fur in her designs; though due to her long-standing hatred for Dalmatians, she isn’t afraid of harming or even killing the Dearly Dalmatians if they get in her way; though she seldom manages to gain the upper-hand on her canine nemeses. During the Christmas special of the series, it is revealed that Cruella’s hatred of Dalmatian puppies comes from the fact that her parents neglected her as a child, and that she always wanted a Dalmatian puppy to supplement for their love; though her parents never purchased her a Dalmatian, which further built the strife. Regardless of her thoughts on the Dalmatians, Cruella is intent on doing everything she can in order to retrieve the deed to the Dearly Farm from Roger and Anita Dearly, though since the two of them hate her for what she did to them in the past, Cruella realizes she’ll have to remain ever vigilant if she wishes to succeed in her endeavor and acquire the property that she has always wanted.