Sure he’s unusual because he told truth to power. (Who can forget “I speak for the trees.”) But the Lorax also makes our list because of what he is -- one of the most enduring oddball characters to emerge from the fertile mind of Dr. Seuss. This “shortish,” “brownish,” “mossy” eco-hero still speaks for the trees -- and all victims of unbridled development. And now he’s becoming the star of his own 3-D movie.