- "Devious, man. Devious!"
- — Zip, "Sunshine"
Zip is Captain Zero's second switcher. He is the newest addition to the fleet, as well as the youngest. He mostly works with Zug and together they are often used to win minor contracts (such as the freighting of quarried boulders) and other such duties. Like the rest of the Z-Stack fleet, Zip is based on the Moran tugs of New York. He speaks with a neutral English accent.
Bio
Zip is often described as Zug, only worse. His head is often in the clouds, and he is well known for being a coward. He is easily scared and sometimes speaks out of turn, as well as being quick to back down when engaging in an argument, and is easily dominated. Zip could be described as being "slow in the head", for it will often take him a while to catch onto things, even basic terms and phrases such as "devious." He is mostly left out of plans, but may come up with his own, most likely wrecking the original.
Whilst Zip and Zug are a similar wavelength, and have often been compared or matched with Ten Cents and Sunshine, Zug is much more skeptical of the pair, whilst Zip is quite the opposite. He will often follow along with Zug's plans in any situation, even if the concept of doing so causes him to lose his nerves. Zug often takes advantage of Zip's naivety to keep himself out of danger. Zip is not seen as often as the other Z-Stacks, though his roles in various episodes have always brought much-needed comic relief. He is rarely seen by himself. Zip is a bit kinder than the other Z-Stacks, sometimes putting common sense before rivalry and trying to do the right thing, such as when he wanted to help as well as urged Ten Cents to pull Izzy Gomez off some foundation rocks in "Warrior."
Zip appears to be smarter than the other tugs estimate. In "Pirate," Zug hid in a dilapidated warehouse and made him a lookout while setting a trap for the supposed pirate. Zip wanted to switch places, but Zug insisted that it would be "better" for him outside than in the warehouse. This gave Zip an idea. He chuffed forward and, with a simple "psst," scared Zug so much that he shuddered. With a mischievous smile, Zip went back to his post. Later on, he tried to warn Zug that he was backing into a flare barge.
Zip's whistle, much like Sunshine, has a whooping sound, but deeper toned. It's also actually O.J.'s in a higher pitch.
Appearances
Episodes
Books and Annuals
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Voice Actors
TUGS
Salty's Lighthouse
Trivia
- In an interview, model maker Chris Lloyd commented that when Zip was almost completely built, his model had accidentally slipped from the workbench and fell onto the floor smashing into pieces. After the incident, it took around two weeks to put the model back together.
- After Tugs' production ended, Zip's model was purchased by the Star Tugs Company, an organisation which aimed to restore and preserve the models.
- It is currently unknown if Zip's other face masks still remain in existence. He currently wears his renowned devious expression.
References
http://www.sodor-island.net/episodeguide/chrislloyd.html
