Balto


 * This page is about the animated movie. For the artist, see Balto (artist). For the fursuiter see Balto Woof

Balto is a 1995 animated film loosely based on the true story of a courageous wolfdog who saved the town of Nome, Alaska from the diphtheria epidemic of 1925. He leads a dog team on a 600-mile (in real life, Balto, a fullbred Siberian Husky, only traveled 53 miles) trip across the Alaskan wilderness to get medical supplies. The film is based on a true story which inspired the Iditarod dog sled race. It was executive produced by Steven Spielberg, directed by Simon Wells, and soundtrack produced by James Horner. It featured the voice talents of Kevin Bacon, Bridget Fonda, Bob Hoskins and Phil Collins.

Balto was the final animated feature produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblimation animation studio.

There were two direct-to-video sequels: Balto II: Wolf Quest (2002), and Balto III: Wings of Change (2005).

Balto and Furries
Balto provided inspiration for a few multiplayer worlds, such as Arctic Thunder MUCK, Crossroads MUCK, BaltoMUCK, and Northern Lights MUCK. While all of these MUCKs are now defunct, Balto still continues to enjoy cult film status amongst many furries and has inspired many wolf characters, husky characters and the combination thereof.

Trivia
The real life Balto wasn't a hybrid at all; he was a purebred husky. It also wasn't Balto who did most of the work. He was just the lead dog on the final run.