![Little Red Riding Hood - J](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Little_Red_Riding_Hood_-_J._W._Smith.jpg)
The Big Bad Wolf is a fictional
wolf
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly u ...
appearing in several
cautionary tales
A cautionary tale is a tale told in folklore to warn its listener of a Risk, danger. There are three essential parts to a cautionary tale, though they can be introduced in a large variety of ways. First, a taboo or prohibition is stated: some a ...
that include some of ''
Grimms' Fairy Tales
''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', originally known as the ''Children's and Household Tales'' (german: Kinder- und Hausmärchen, lead=yes, ), is a German collection of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, Grimm brothers or "Brothers Grimm", Jacob Grimm, Ja ...
.'' Versions of this character have appeared in numerous works, and it has become a generic archetype of a menacing predatory
antagonist
An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist.
Etymology
The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, riv ...
.
Interpretations
"
Little Red Riding Hood
"Little Red Riding Hood" is a European fairy tale about a young girl and a sly wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th century European folk tales. The two best known versions were written by Charles Perrault and the Brother ...
", ''
The Three Little Pigs
"The Three Little Pigs" is a fable about three pigs who build three houses of different materials. A Big Bad Wolf blows down the first two pigs' houses which made of straw and sticks respectively, but is unable to destroy the third pig's house t ...
'', "
The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids
"The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats" (german: Der Wolf und die sieben jungen Geißlein) is a fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in Grimm's Fairy Tales (KHM 5). It is of Aarne-Thompson type 123.
The tale has obvious resemblan ...
", "
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
The Boy Who Cried Wolf is one of Aesop's Fables, numbered 210 in the Perry Index. From it is derived the English idiom "to cry wolf", defined as "to give a false alarm" in e''Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable'' and glossed by the ''Oxford E ...
" and the
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n tale ''
Peter and the Wolf
''Peter and the Wolf'' ( rus, Петя и Bолк, r="Pétya i volk", p=ˈpʲetʲə i volk, links=no) Op. 67, a "symphonic fairy tale for children", is a musical composition written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. The narrator tells a children's s ...
'', reflect the theme of the ravening wolf and of the creature released unharmed from its
belly
Belly may refer to:
Anatomy
* The abdomen, the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax; or the stomach
** A beer belly, an overhang of fat above the waist, presumed to be caused by regular beer drinking
** Belly dance
* The fleshy, cent ...
, but the general theme of restoration is very old.
The
dialogue
Dialogue (sometimes spelled dialog in American English) is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people, and a literary and theatrical form that depicts such an exchange. As a philosophical or didactic device, it is c ...
between the
wolf
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly u ...
and Little Red Riding Hood has its analogies to the Norse ''
Þrymskviða
''Þrymskviða'' (Þrym's Poem; the name can be Old Norse orthography, anglicised as ''Thrymskviða'', ''Thrymskvitha'', ''Thrymskvidha'' or ''Thrymskvida'') is one of the best known poems from the ''Poetic Edda''. The Norse mythology, Norse myt ...
'' from the ''
Elder Edda
The ''Poetic Edda'' is the modern name for an untitled collection of Old Norse anonymous narrative poems, which is distinct from the ''Prose Edda'' written by Snorri Sturluson. Several versions exist, all primarily of text from the Icelandic me ...
''; the giant
Þrymr
In Norse mythology, Þrymr (''Thrymr'', ''Thrym''; "uproar") was king of the jǫtnar. In one legend, he stole Mjǫlnir, Thor's hammer, to extort the gods into giving him Freyja as his wife. His kingdom was called Jötunheimr, but according to ...
had stolen
Mjölner,
Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...
's hammer, and demanded
Freyja
In Norse paganism, Freyja (Old Norse "(the) Lady") is a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seiðr (magic for seeing and influencing the future). Freyja is the owner of the necklace Brísingamen, rides a chario ...
as his bride for its return. Instead, the gods dressed Thor as a bride and sent him. When the giants note Thor's unladylike eyes, eating, and drinking,
Loki
Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
explains them as Freyja not having slept, or eaten, or drunk, out of longing for the wedding.
19th-century
Folklorists
Folklore studies, less often known as folkloristics, and occasionally tradition studies or folk life studies in the United Kingdom, is the branch of anthropology devoted to the study of folklore. This term, along with its synonyms, gained currenc ...
and
cultural anthropologists
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tylor ...
such as
P. Saintyves P. is an abbreviation or acronym that may refer to:
* Page (paper), where the abbreviation comes from Latin ''pagina''
* Paris Herbarium, at the ''Muséum national d'histoire naturelle''
* ''Pani'' (Polish), translating as Mrs.
* The ''Pacific Repo ...
and
Edward Burnett Tylor
Sir Edward Burnett Tylor (2 October 18322 January 1917) was an English anthropologist, and professor of anthropology.
Tylor's ideas typify 19th-century cultural evolutionism. In his works '' Primitive Culture'' (1871) and ''Anthropology'' ...
saw Little Red Riding Hood in terms of
solar myth
A solar deity or sun deity is a deity who represents the Sun, or an aspect of it. Such deities are usually associated with power and strength. Solar deities and Sun worship can be found throughout most of recorded history in various forms. The ...
s and other naturally occurring cycles, stating that the wolf represents the night swallowing the sun, and the variations in which Little Red Riding Hood is cut out of the wolf's belly represent the dawn. In this interpretation, there is a connection between the wolf of this tale and
Skoll or
Fenrir
Fenrir (Old Norse: ; "fen-dweller")Orchard (1997:42). or Fenrisúlfr (O.N.: ; "Fenrir's wolf", often translated "Fenris-wolf"),Simek (2007:81). also referred to as Hróðvitnir (O.N.: ; "fame-wolf")Simek (2007:160). and Vánagandr (O.N.: ; " ...
, the wolf in
Norse mythology
Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia, and into the Nordic folklore of the modern period ...
that will swallow the sun at
Ragnarök
In Norse mythology, (; non, Ragnarǫk) is a series of events, including a great battle, foretelling the death of numerous great figures (including the gods Odin, Thor, Týr, Freyr, Heimdallr, and Loki), natural disasters, and the submers ...
.
Ethologist
Ethology is the scientific study of animal behaviour, usually with a focus on behaviour under natural conditions, and viewing behaviour as an evolutionarily adaptive trait. Behaviourism as a term also describes the scientific and objective ...
Dr. Valerius Geist of the
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary (U of C or UCalgary) is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The University of Calgary started in 1944 as the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta, founded in 1908, prior to being ins ...
,
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
wrote that the fable was likely based on genuine risk of
wolf attacks at the time. He argues that wolves were in fact dangerous predators, and fables served as a valid warning not to enter forests where wolves were known to live, and to be on the look out for such. Both wolves and wilderness were treated as enemies of humanity in that region and time.
Folkloric appearances
Grimm's Fairy Tales
* "
Little Red Riding Hood
"Little Red Riding Hood" is a European fairy tale about a young girl and a sly wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th century European folk tales. The two best known versions were written by Charles Perrault and the Brother ...
"
* "
The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats
"The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats" (german: Der Wolf und die sieben jungen Geißlein) is a fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in Grimm's Fairy Tales (KHM 5). It is of Aarne-Thompson type 123.
The tale has obvious resemblan ...
"
English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs
* ''
The Three Little Pigs
"The Three Little Pigs" is a fable about three pigs who build three houses of different materials. A Big Bad Wolf blows down the first two pigs' houses which made of straw and sticks respectively, but is unable to destroy the third pig's house t ...
''
Composition by Sergei Prokofiev
* ''
Peter and the Wolf
''Peter and the Wolf'' ( rus, Петя и Bолк, r="Pétya i volk", p=ˈpʲetʲə i volk, links=no) Op. 67, a "symphonic fairy tale for children", is a musical composition written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. The narrator tells a children's s ...
''
Aesop's Fables
* "
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
The Boy Who Cried Wolf is one of Aesop's Fables, numbered 210 in the Perry Index. From it is derived the English idiom "to cry wolf", defined as "to give a false alarm" in e''Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable'' and glossed by the ''Oxford E ...
"
Modern standard adaptations
Disney version
The Big Bad Wolf, also known as Zeke Midas Wolf or Br'er Wolf, is a fictional character from
Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
's cartoon short
''Three Little Pigs'', directed by
Burt Gillett
Burton F. Gillett (October 15, 1891 – December 28, 1971) was a Film director, director of animation, animated films. He is noted for his Silly Symphonies work for Walt Disney Pictures, Disney, particularly the 1932 short film ''Flowers and Tree ...
and first released on May 27, 1933. The Wolf's voice was provided by Billy Bletcher. As in the folktale, he was a cunning and threatening menace. The short also introduced the Wolf's theme song, "
Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
"Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" is a popular song written by Frank Churchill with additional lyrics by Ann Ronell, which originally featured in the 1933 Disney cartoon ''Three Little Pigs'', where it was sung by Fiddler Pig and Fifer Pig (voi ...
", written by
Frank Churchill
Frank Edwin Churchill (October 20, 1901 – May 14, 1942) was an American film composer and songwriter. He wrote most of the music for films directed by Walt Disney, such as ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', ''Dumbo'', ''Bambi'', '' The Adve ...
.
The Wolf is shown as wearing a top hat, red pants, green suspenders and white gloves. However, he doesn't wear a shirt or shoes. The Wolf has a taste for disguising himself, but both the audience and the Practical Pig can easily see through the Wolf's disguises. With each successive short, the Wolf exhibits a fondness for dressing in drag and, even "seduces" Fiddler and Fifer Pigs, who become increasingly clueless as to his disguises with each installment, with such disguises as "Goldilocks the Fairy Queen", Little Bo Peep and a mermaid.
In an interview with
Melvyn Bragg
Melvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg, (born 6 October 1939), is an English broadcaster, author and parliamentarian. He is best known for his work with ITV as editor and presenter of ''The South Bank Show'' (1978–2010), and for the BBC Radio 4 documenta ...
in the early 1980s, the British actor
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...
said that Disney's Big Bad Wolf was supposedly based on a widely detested American theatre director and producer called
Jed Harris
Jed Harris (born Jacob Hirsch Horowitz; February 25, 1900 – November 15, 1979) was an Austrian-born American theatrical producer and director. His many successful Broadway productions in the 1920s and 1930s include ''Broadway'' (1926), ''Coque ...
. When Olivier produced
a film version of Shakespeare's ''Richard III'', he based some of his mannerisms on Harris, and his physical appearance on the wolf.
The short was so popular that
Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
produced several sequels, which also featured the Wolf as the villain. The first of them was named after him: ''
The Big Bad Wolf
The Big Bad Wolf is a fictional wolf appearing in several cautionary tales that include some of ''Grimms' Fairy Tales.'' Versions of this character have appeared in numerous works, and it has become a generic archetype of a menacing predatory a ...
'', also directed by Burt Gillett and first released on April 14, 1934. In the next of the sequels, ''
Three Little Wolves'' (1936), he was accompanied by three just-as-carnivorous sons. (These three sons were later reduced to just one who, in contrast to his father, was full of goodness and charm and a friend of the Three Little Pigs.) The fourth cartoon featuring the Three Little Pigs and the Wolf, ''
The Practical Pig
''The Practical Pig'' is a ''Silly Symphony'' cartoon. It was released on February 24, 1939, and directed by Dick Rickard. It was the fourth and final cartoon starring The Three Pigs.[World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...]
, a final, propaganda cartoon followed, produced by
The National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...
: ''
The Thrifty Pig
''The Thrifty Pig'' (aka ''Thrifty Pig'' and ''Walt Disney's The Thrifty Pig'') is a 1941 four-minute educational short animated film made by the Walt Disney Studios, for the National Film Board of Canada. The film was released theatrically on ...
'' (1941).
At the end of each short, the Wolf is dealt with by the resourceful thinking and hard work of Practical Pig. In the original short, he falls into a boiling pot prepared by the pigs. In ''The Big Bad Wolf'', Practical pours popcorn and hot coals down his pants. In the final two shorts, Practical invents an anti-Wolf contraption to deal with the Wolf, who is shown to be powerless against the marvels of modern technology. The "Wolf Pacifier" in ''Three Little Wolves'' entraps him, chases him with a buzz-saw, hits his head with rolling pins, kicks him in the butt with boots, punches his face with boxing gloves, and finally tars and feathers him before firing him out of a cannon, all accomplished automatically and in time to a version of "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?". In ''
The Practical Pig
''The Practical Pig'' is a ''Silly Symphony'' cartoon. It was released on February 24, 1939, and directed by Dick Rickard. It was the fourth and final cartoon starring The Three Pigs.[Toby Tortoise Returns
''Toby Tortoise Returns'' is a 1936 animated Technicolor cartoon in Walt Disney's ''Silly Symphonies'' series. It was directed by Wilfred Jackson. It is a sequel to the 1935 short ''The Tortoise and the Hare'', and premiered on August 22, 1936.
...]
'', Practical and the Wolf made cameo appearances during the boxing match between Toby Tortoise and Max Hare. The Wolf also appeared in ''
Mickey's Polo Team
''Mickey's Polo Team'' is a 1936 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Productions and released by United Artists. The cartoon features a game of polo played between four Disney characters, led by Mic ...
'', as part of a game of
Polo
Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ...
between four of Disney's animated characters (one of whom was the Wolf) and four animated caricatures of noted film actors.
He also appeared in ''
Mickey's Christmas Carol
''Mickey's Christmas Carol'' is a 1983 American Animation, animated family comedy-drama featurette directed and produced by Burny Mattinson. The cartoon is an adaptation of Charles Dickens's 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol'', and stars Scrooge ...
'', dressed as a streetcorner Santa Claus at the beginning of the featurette.
The Wolf made a couple of brief cameo appearances in ''
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' is a 1988 American live-action/animated comedy mystery film directed by Robert Zemeckis, produced by Frank Marshall and Robert Watts, and loosely adapted by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman from Gary K. Wolf's 1 ...
'', first hiding behind a lamppost in Toontown, and later at the end of the film when all the toons are gathered, wearing a sheep costume and mask which he instantly stripped off to reveal his true wolfish features. He was voiced by
Tony Pope
Anthony J. Pope (March 22, 1947 – February 11, 2004), also known as "Anthony Mozdy", was an American voice actor. He is best remembered for voicing Goofy for eleven years. He also worked on the first two DVDs of LeapFrog Enterprises, LeapFrog, ...
in this one (who was perhaps well known for providing the voice of the original
Furby
Furby is an American electronic robotic toy that was originally released in 1998 by Tiger Electronics. It resembles a hamster or owllike creature and went through a period of being a " must-have" toy following its holiday season launch, with co ...
).
Comic books
In 1936 Disney's Big Bad Wolf came to Sunday newspaper comics, which were reformatted and reprinted in the monthly ''
Walt Disney's Comics and Stories
''Walt Disney's Comics and Stories'', sometimes abbreviated ''WDC&S'', is an American Comics anthology, anthology comic book series featuring characters from The Walt Disney Company's films and shorts, including Donald Duck, Scrooge McDuck, Mic ...
'' in 1941. They were popular enough there that a demand for new Big Bad Wolf comics arose. From 1945, the original
WDC&S series ''
Li'l Bad Wolf
The Big Bad Wolf is a fictional wolf appearing in several cautionary tales that include some of ''Grimms' Fairy Tales.'' Versions of this character have appeared in numerous works, and it has become a generic archetype of a menacing predatory an ...
'' nominally starred Big Bad Wolf's good little cub, but "Pop" repeatedly stole the spotlight. Carl Buettner,
Gil Turner
Gil Turner (born Gilbert Strunk; May 6, 1933 – September 23, 1974) was an American folk singer-songwriter, magazine editor, Shakespearean actor, political activist, and for a time, a lay Baptist preacher. Turner was a prominent figure in the G ...
and
Jack Bradbury
John Morin "Jack" Bradbury (December 27, 1914 - May 15, 2004) was an American animator and comic book artist. Bradbury began working for Disney at age 20 and was responsible for key scenes in films like ''Pinocchio'', ''Fantasia'' and ''Bambi''. ...
were among the noted creators to work on the series in its early years, with Buettner giving Big Bad Wolf his proper name of Zeke (1946) and Turner supplying his middle name of Midas (1949).
In the comics, Big Bad Wolf generally wants his son to become a bad guy like himself; but, unlike the three little wolves who appeared in the shorts, the gentle Li'l Bad Wolf does not live up to his father's expectations. Indeed, Li'l Bad is friends with the Pigs,
Thumper, and other forest characters whom the comics portray as Zeke's intended prey.
[Li'l Bad Wolf]
at Don Markstein's Toonopedia
Don Markstein's Toonopedia (subtitled A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge) is an online encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation, initiated February 13, 2001. Donald D. Markstein, the sole writer and editor of Toonopedi ...
Archived
from the original on October 26, 2015. A
running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are not ...
in the comics typically comes when in trying to catch the Pigs, Zeke runs afoul of
Br'er Bear, who ends up pounding "Br'er Wolf" for one offense or another. Another gag is that Br'er/Zeke Wolf never succeeds at anything such as camping or stealing farm products; once he actually caught a duck for dinner but it ended up tasting awful and later he ended up with a whole pack of ducks-which turn out to be
mud hens
The American coot (''Fulica americana''), also known as a mud hen or pouldeau, is a bird of the family Rallidae. Though commonly mistaken for ducks, American coots are only distantly related to ducks, belonging to a separate order. Unlike the we ...
! Another time even when he twice caught chickens he still loses as usual! In Disney's comics his appearance is a little different than original: he usually wears an all-blue clothing but white gloves; and his son follows the same pattern of his father clothes, but he uses red instead of blue.
=Disney's Li'l Bad Wolf
=
Li'l Bad Wolf (or just Li'l Wolf as referred to by his friends) is Zeke "Big Bad" Wolf's son.
In spite of his name, Li'l Bad Wolf wants to be a good little
wolf
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly u ...
; badness is really the domain of his father. Zeke wants his son to be just as bad as he is, but the kindhearted (or, at worst, naive) Li'l Wolf, despite wanting to please his father, cannot bring himself to do others harm. Even worse for Zeke, Li'l Wolf's best friends are the Three Little Pigs themselves, and he constantly saves them from his father's appetite.
Despite disappointing his father, Zeke Wolf was shown to be very fond of his son, and Li'l Wolf of his father.
Li'l Wolf debuted in his own self-titled series, beginning in the comic book ''
Walt Disney's Comics and Stories
''Walt Disney's Comics and Stories'', sometimes abbreviated ''WDC&S'', is an American Comics anthology, anthology comic book series featuring characters from The Walt Disney Company's films and shorts, including Donald Duck, Scrooge McDuck, Mic ...
'' #52 (1945). The first story was written by Dorothy Strebe and illustrated by
Carl Buettner Carl may refer to:
*Carl, Georgia, city in USA
*Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
*Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name
*Carl², a TV series
* "Carl", an episode of tel ...
.
The feature ran regularly through 1957, when it temporarily moved to the back pages of ''Mickey Mouse''. Li'l Wolf returned to ''Comics and Stories'' in 1961, after which he continued to appear there frequently through 2008. Li'l Wolf has in fact starred in more issues of ''Comics and Stories'' than any other character except for
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is an animated cartoon Character (arts), character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red sho ...
and
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor shirt and cap with a bow tie. Donald is known fo ...
.
Apart from ''Comics and Stories'' and ''Mickey Mouse'', Li'l Wolf has also appeared in many different Disney anthology comic books, including a number of giant-size specials and a series of one-page text stories in ''Donald Duck''.
Li'l Bad Wolf's only comic strip appearance was in the ''
Disney Christmas Story
''Disney Christmas Story'' is an American Disney comic strip that appeared each year in the weeks before Christmas, beginning in 1960. The strip ran Monday to Saturday for the three to four weeks leading up to Christmas Eve, and often promoted th ...
'' for 1963, "Three Little Pigs Christmas Story". This sequence was drawn by
Floyd Gottfredson
Arthur Floyd Gottfredson (May 5, 1905July 22, 1986) was an American cartoonist best known for his defining work on the ''Mickey Mouse'' comic strip, which he worked on from 1930 until his retirement in 1975. His contribution to Mickey Mouse comi ...
, who reinstated Li'l Wolf's sharp teeth.
From 2003 to 2008, reflecting a trend initiated in European Disney comics, Zeke Wolf increasingly often featured as the title character in new stories himself, although Li'l Wolf continued to play a minor role.
Li'l Wolf's first animated appearance was in the ''
Raw Toonage
''Disney's Raw Toonage'' is a half-hour American Disney animated series that aired on CBS on September 19, 1992. The show was cancelled on December 5 after 12 episodes had been broadcast.
'' Bonkers'' and ''Marsupilami'' were spun off from this ...
'' short "The Porker's Court". However, he later appeared, in a more traditional role, in a self-titled short on ''
Disney's House of Mouse
''Disney's House of Mouse'' (or simply ''House of Mouse'') is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation that originally aired for three seasons on ABC and Toon Disney from January 13, 2001, to its finale ...
''. The voice for the animated Li'l Wolf in ''
House of Mouse
''Disney's House of Mouse'' (or simply ''House of Mouse'') is an American Animation, animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation that originally aired for three seasons on ABC and Toon Disney from January 13, 2001, to ...
'' was provided by
Sam Gifaldi
Sam, SAM or variants may refer to:
Places
* Sam, Benin
* Sam, Boulkiemdé, Burkina Faso
* Sam, Bourzanga, Burkina Faso
* Sam, Kongoussi, Burkina Faso
* Sam, Iran
* Sam, Teton County, Idaho, United States, a populated place
People and fictional ...
. Li'l Wolf is not to be confused with the Three Little Wolves, Big Bad Wolf's three mischievous sons who appeared in the cartoon shorts ''
The Three Little Wolves
''Three Little Wolves'' is a ''Silly Symphony'' cartoon. Released on April 18, 1936, and directed by David Hand (animator), Dave Hand. It was the third ''Silly Symphony'' cartoon starring the Three Little Pigs (film), Three Little Pigs. It is lo ...
'' and ''
The Practical Pig
''The Practical Pig'' is a ''Silly Symphony'' cartoon. It was released on February 24, 1939, and directed by Dick Rickard. It was the fourth and final cartoon starring The Three Pigs.[The Mickey Mouse Club
''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first televised fo ...]
''.
In the series ''
Bonkers'', the Big Bad Wolf appears in the episode "The 29th Page" at a prison line-up along with other Disney criminals, and in "CasaBonkers" where Katya tosses him out of his car so she can go after Bonkers.
The Big Bad Wolf has been a recurring character in ''
Disney's House of Mouse
''Disney's House of Mouse'' (or simply ''House of Mouse'') is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation that originally aired for three seasons on ABC and Toon Disney from January 13, 2001, to its finale ...
'', where he is voiced by
Jim Cummings
James Jonah Cummings (born November 3, 1952) is an American voice actor. Since beginning his career in the 1980s, he has appeared in almost 400 roles. Cummings has frequently worked with The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros., including as th ...
. His first appearance on this show featured him as a jazz artist called "Big Bad Wolf Daddy" (a parody of
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is a contemporary swing revival band from Southern California. Their notable singles include "Go Daddy-O", "You & Me & the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight (Baby)", and "Mr. Pinstripe Suit". The band played at the Super Bowl XXXIII h ...
), performing a swing version of his song with the Pigs as his backup band (they are under a contract that states he will eat them if they do not play for him). In this episode, his tendency to destroy houses by exhaling is shown to be an allergy-like reaction to the sight of a door. Later appearances on ''House of Mouse'', however, returned the Wolf to his more traditional role; one episode even featured a newly made short starring the character, based on the aforementioned Li'l Bad Wolf comic stories. Apart from the series appearances, Big Bad Wolf was one of the villains in the direct-to-video film ''
Mickey's House of Villains
''Mickey's House of Villains'' (also known as ''House of Mouse: The Villains'') is a 2002 American direct-to-video animated comedy-horror film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. It is based on the animated television series, ''House of M ...
''.
In the TV short series ''
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is an animated cartoon Character (arts), character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red sho ...
'', the Big Bad Wolf appears in the episode "Sock Burglar", as one of the villains suspected of stealing the town's socks, and in "The Perfect Dream" as a rogue biker. In the spinoff series ''
The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse
''The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse'' is an American Animated series, animated streaming television series produced by Disney Television Animation for Disney+. The series is a continuation and revival of the Emmy Award-winning 2013 ''Mickey Mou ...
'', he is a central character in the episode "The Big Good Wolf", where
Mickey
Mickey is a given name and nickname, almost always masculine and often a short form (hypocorism) of Michael (given name), Michael, and occasionally a surname. Notable people and characters with the name include:
People Given name or nickname Men ...
tries to reform him, but while characters are found that can help him be good, he ends up devouring them one by one, until Mickey manages to rescue them from his stomach.
Other appearances
As a walkaround costumed character, Big Bad Wolf appears at the
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, Inc., formerly Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and informally known as Disney Parks, is one of The Walt Disney Company's five major business segments and a subsidiary. It was founded on Apri ...
for meet-and-greets, parades and shows.
In the video game ''
Magical Tetris Challenge
''Magical Tetris Challenge'' is a puzzle game by Capcom for the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, and PlayStation (the latter version was released in Japan and Europe only). It is a version of ''Tetris'' featuring Disney characters. It is one of the ...
'', Big Bad Wolf is one of
Pete
Pete or Petes or ''variation'', may refer to:
People
* Pete (given name)
* Pete (nickname)
* Pete (surname)
Fictional characters
* Pete (Disney), a cartoon character in the ''Mickey Mouse'' universe
* Pete the Pup (a.k.a. 'Petey'), a character ...
's henchmen, along with a Weasel and is the boss you fight before Pete, the final boss. His levels theme seems to be a disco remix, with him wearing a purple top hat with a matching tailcoat, white dress shirt, red bow tie, purple trousers and brown
Oxfords
An Oxford shoe is characterized by shoelace eyelets tabs that are attached under the vamp, a feature termed "closed lacing". This contrasts with Derbys, or bluchers, which have shoelace eyelets attached to the top of the vamp. Originally, Oxf ...
.
The Big Bad Wolf also appeared in ''
The Kingdom Keepers'' series, in the fourth book, "Power Play", where he appeared non anthropomorphized. In the book, he attempted to eat
Pluto
Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of trans-Neptunian object, bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the S ...
and the main characters, Finn and Amanda. He ends up falling into the
Rivers of America.
The Big Bad Wolf makes a cameo on an Old West Wanted poster in ''
Disney Magical World 2
is a life simulation video game and a sequel to ''Disney Magical World''. The game was released for the Nintendo 3DS on November 5, 2015 in Japan and in October 2016 in North America, Europe, and Australia. The popular life simulation game retur ...
''.
MGM/Tex Avery's Big Bad Wolf
Created by animation director
Tex Avery
Frederick Bean "Tex" Avery (February 26, 1908 – August 26, 1980) was an American animator, cartoonist, animation director, director, and voice actor. He was known for directing and producing animated cartoons during the golden age of American a ...
, this variation of the Big Bad Wolf's cartoons included many sexual overtones, violence, and very rapid gags, and never became as successful as the Disney incarnation.
After debuting in ''
Blitz Wolf
''Blitz Wolf'' is a 1942 American animated propaganda short film produced and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. A parody of the Three Little Pigs told via a World War II perspective, the short was directed by Tex Avery (in his first cartoon fo ...
'' (1942)—as Adolf Wolf, the Three Pigs' Hitler-like foe—the Avery Wolf returned as a Hollywood swinger in ''
Red Hot Riding Hood
''Red Hot Riding Hood'' is an animated cartoon short subject, directed by Tex Avery and released with the movie ''Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case'' on May 8, 1943, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In 1994, it was voted number 7 of The 50 Greatest Cartoons ...
'' (1943), memorably aroused by Red's song and dance performance. Further girl-chasing roles came to the Wolf in ''
Wild and Wolfy'', ''
Swing Shift Cinderella
''Swing Shift Cinderella'' is a 1945 MGM animated cartoon short subject directed by Tex Avery. The plot involves the Big Bad Wolf and Cinderella. Frank Graham voiced the wolf, and Sara Berner voiced both Cinderella and The Fairy Grandmother, wit ...
'' and ''
Little Rural Riding Hood
''Little Rural Riding Hood'' is a 1949 MGM animated cartoon short subject directed by Tex Avery, conceived as a follow-up to his 1943 cartoon ''Red Hot Riding Hood''.
In 1994, the cartoon was ranked in 23rd place of The 50 Greatest Cartoons. It is ...
''; simultaneously, the Wolf was used as foe against Avery's
Droopy
Droopy is an animated character from the golden age of American animation. He is an anthropomorphic white Basset Hound with a droopy face; hence his name. He was created in 1943 by Tex Avery for theatrical cartoon shorts produced by the Metro-Go ...
, a role he would keep into the 1950s. He would later reprise the role in the "Droopy and Dripple" segments of
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...
's ''
Tom & Jerry Kids
''Tom & Jerry Kids'' (formerly known as ''Tom & Jerry Kids Show'' in the first season) is an American animated comedy television series co-produced by Hanna-Barbera and Turner Entertainment Co., and starring the cat-and-mouse duo Tom and Jerry a ...
'' (1990).
The Avery Wolf was voiced by
Bill Thompson (''Blitz Wolf''),
Frank Graham (''
Dumb-Hounded
''Dumb-Hounded'' is a 1943 American animated short film directed by Tex Avery and written by Rich Hogan. It was the first cartoon to feature Droopy. The film was released on March 20, 1943 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Plot
A wolf escapes from Swing Sw ...
,
Red Hot Riding Hood
''Red Hot Riding Hood'' is an animated cartoon short subject, directed by Tex Avery and released with the movie ''Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case'' on May 8, 1943, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In 1994, it was voted number 7 of The 50 Greatest Cartoons ...
,
The Shooting of Dan McGoo
''The Shooting of Dan McGoo'' is a cartoon directed by Tex Avery and starring Frank Graham as the Wolf. Both Bill Thompson and Avery himself voiced the lead character Droopy. Sara Berner did the speaking voice of Lou, while her singing was provid ...
,
Swing Shift Cinderella
''Swing Shift Cinderella'' is a 1945 MGM animated cartoon short subject directed by Tex Avery. The plot involves the Big Bad Wolf and Cinderella. Frank Graham voiced the wolf, and Sara Berner voiced both Cinderella and The Fairy Grandmother, wit ...
,
Northwest Hounded Police
''Northwest Hounded Police'' is a 1946 American animated short film directed by Tex Avery, produced by Fred Quimby, and featuring Droopy and Avery's wolf character. A remake of Droopy's first cartoon '' Dumb-Hounded'' (also adopting elements from ...
''),
Kent Rogers
Kent Byron Rogers (July 31, 1923 – July 9, 1944) was an American actor who appeared in several live-action features and shorts, and a voice actor for Warner Bros. Cartoons and Walter Lantz Productions.
Career
For Warner Bros. Cartoons, R ...
(''Red Hot Riding Hood'' and ''One Ham's Family''),
Patrick McGeehan
Patrick McGeehan (March 4, 1907 – January 3, 1988) was an American actor.
Early life
Patrick Joseph McGeehan was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on March 4, 1907. He left home at age 14 when he went to sea, later working in vaudeville, and wa ...
(''
The Screwy Truant
''The Screwy Truant'' is a 1945 Screwy Squirrel cartoon directed by Tex Avery and released by MGM.
Summary
The cartoon centers around an adolescent version of Screwy Squirrel, who skips school to go fishing, which causes truant officer Meathead ...
'' and ''
Wild and Woolfy
''Wild and Woolfy'' is a 1945 animated cartoon short, one of six cartoons in which Droopy was paired with a wolf as his acting partner. It is one of a very few cartoons in the series where Bill Thompson did not voice Droopy, instead Tex Avery hims ...
''),
Tex Avery (''Wild and Woolfy''),
Daws Butler
Charles Dawson Butler (November 16, 1916May 18, 1988) was an American voice actor. He worked mostly for the Hanna-Barbera animation production company where he originated the voices of many familiar characters, including Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Ho ...
(''
Little Rural Riding Hood
''Little Rural Riding Hood'' is a 1949 MGM animated cartoon short subject directed by Tex Avery, conceived as a follow-up to his 1943 cartoon ''Red Hot Riding Hood''.
In 1994, the cartoon was ranked in 23rd place of The 50 Greatest Cartoons. It is ...
'', ''
Caballero Droopy''),
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...
(''
The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show
''The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show'' (also known as ''The New Adventures of Tom and Jerry'') is an American animated television program produced by Filmation for MGM Television featuring the popular cartoon duo Tom and Jerry. The show first aired on ...
'', ''
Tom & Jerry Kids
''Tom & Jerry Kids'' (formerly known as ''Tom & Jerry Kids Show'' in the first season) is an American animated comedy television series co-produced by Hanna-Barbera and Turner Entertainment Co., and starring the cat-and-mouse duo Tom and Jerry a ...
'', ''
Droopy Master Detective''),
Lou Scheimer
Louis Scheimer (October 19, 1928 – October 17, 2013) was an American producer and voice actor who was one of the original founders of Filmation. He was also credited as an executive producer of many of its cartoons.
Early life and education
...
(''The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show''),
Will Ryan
William Frank Ryan (May 21, 1949 – November 19, 2021) was an American voice actor, musician and singer. He provided the voice of Petrie in the 1988 animated film ''The Land Before Time''.
He was also known for his voice work as Eugene Meltsner ...
(''Thanks a Latte''), Dave Redl (''Web Premiere Toons''),
John DiMaggio
John William DiMaggio (; born September 4, 1968) is an American actor. His various voice roles include Bender on ''Futurama'', Jake the Dog on ''Adventure Time'', Marcus Fenix in the '' Gears of War'' series, Dr. Drakken on '' Kim Possible'', ...
(''
Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse'') and
Stephen Stanton
Stephen Walter Stanton (born August 22, 1961) is an American voice actor and visual effects artist. His roles include Sasha Nein in ''Psychonauts'' and ''Psychonauts 2'', Grand Moff Tarkin in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, Admiral Raddus in ''Rogu ...
(''
The Tom and Jerry Show'').
The Avery Wolf's actual name has varied over time. It was seldom given in the 1940s, but a 1945 studio announcement called him Wally Wolf.
[''Boxoffice'', Oct. 20, 1945] In modern-day appearances, the Wolf's name is often given as Slick Wolf or McWolf.
The Avery Wolf was referenced in the film ''
The Mask'' (1994), when Stanley/The Mask (performed by
Jim Carrey
James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and artist. Known for his energetic slapstick performances, Carrey first gained recognition in 1990, after landing a role in the American sketch comedy te ...
) briefly transforms into him while watching Tina Carlyle perform in a Red Hot Riding Hood-like performance, howling and whistling at her and then banging his head with a mallet. The Mask also changes into his wolf-like form on occasion in the
spin-off animated series of the same name, particularly in the animated crossover featuring ''
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective''.
A similar wolf appeared in the
Merrie Melodies
''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animation, animated series of comedy short films produced by Warner Bros. starting in 1931, during the golden age of American animation, and ending in 1969. Then some new cartoons were produced from the late 197 ...
short "
Bacall to Arms
''Bacall to Arms'' is a 1946 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' series short planned by Bob Clampett and finished by Arthur Davis, in his second-to-last cartoon at Warner Bros. The short was released on August 3, 1946.
The title refers both to He ...
", as a theater patron whose lustful mannerisms echoed that of Avery's character. The director had left
Warner Brothers
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...
' employ five years before after
a dispute, so it's not certain if this was supposed to be an homage, or if Avery originally had plans to use the wolf on a project that weren't realized at the time of his suspension.
Featured shorts
''Nu Pogodi!''
In the
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
animated series ''Nu Pogodi'', the wolf, commonly translated into English as ''Volk'' (russian: Волк), is portrayed as a hooliganism, hooligan who eagerly turns to vandalism, Child abuse, abuses Minor (law), minors, Crime, breaks laws and is a heavy smoking, smoker. His adventures revolve around constant failures to capture a Hare. On the other hand, many of Wolf's attempts to catch Hare are often characterized by uncanny abilities on his part (including figure skating, ballet and waltzing) which demonstrate his more refined side. Wolf can also play the guitar very well and ride the powerful Rocker (subculture), rocker motorbike, making his character more sophisticated than a normal hooligan.
In the first episode, while climbing a high building to catch Hare, Wolf whistles the popular Mountaineering, mountaineer song, "Song of a Friend" (the signature song of Vladimir Vysotsky). In spite of these talents, most of Wolf's schemes eventually fail or turn against him. The character was originally voiced by Anatoli Papanov.
''Revolting Rhymes''
In the book ''Revolting Rhymes'', the Big Bad Wolves from "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Three Little Pigs" appear. In the book's version of "Little Red Riding Hood," the Big Bad Wolf devours grandma like the story and an unfooled Little Red Riding Hood uses her concealed pistol to shoot him dead. She managed to make a wolfskin coat from him. In the book's version of "Three Little Pigs," the Big Bad Wolf devoured the two pigs after blowing down the house. The third pig enlists Little Red Riding Hood to deal with this wolf and she does so in the same way as she did the other wolf.
In the Revolting Rhymes (film), film adaption, a Wolf (voiced by Dominic West) serves as a storyteller to Little Red Riding Hood's children after incapacitating their intended babysitter Mrs. Hunt. He has two nephews named Rolf (voiced by Rob Brydon) and Rex (voiced by David Walliams). Rolf was the one who ate Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother following a falling out with his uncle and is killed by Little Red Riding Hood who later skinned him for a wolf-skin coat. Rex eats the Banker Pig's brothers and is killed by Little Red Riding Hood when he tries to use dynamite on his bank. Once Little Red Riding Hood's children are asleep after the story, the Wolf decides not to exact revenge for his dead nephews and leaves the house wishing Little Red Riding Hood a good night. After exiting the bus, the Wolf sheds Mrs. Hunt's clothes and runs into the woods.
''Happily N'Ever After''
The film ''Happily N'Ever After'' featured three Big Bad Wolves. The Fat Wolf (voiced by Jon Polito) is the alpha of the Big Bad Wolves and based on the Big Bad Wolf from "The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats." The Tough Wolf (voiced by Tom Kenny) is the second-in-command, is based on the Big Bad Wolf from "Three Little Pigs," and is often competing with the Fat Wolf. The Crazy Wolf, based on the Big Bad Wolf from "Little Red Riding Hood," doesn't speak and is the runt of the litter.
Modern positive adaptations
Several recent interpretations of the Big Bad Wolf show him as being a character with relatively good intentions, mostly considered "Bad" due to a misunderstanding or prejudice. Arguably, this practice started with the 1989 children's book ''The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!'' However, the best-known "good" adaptations are from films, where it is mostly used for a comedic effect.
''The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!''
The story as told by Alexander T. Wolf from The Three Little Pigs suggests that wolves may not necessarily have to be "Big" and "Bad", but are perhaps misunderstood because what they eat happens to be cute. It should be inferred, however, that the following story given by Alexander T. Wolf is merely a fiction made up to conceal his guilt. Alexander T. Wolf, portrayed as rather civil, had a cold. He was baking a cake for his grandmother's birthday and the wolf had to travel to the little pigs' houses to borrow a cup of sugar. Each time the pigs turned him away, Alexander T. Wolf's cold caused him to huff and puff and sneeze a great sneeze whereupon the wolf would accidentally destroy the pig's house. Finding the inhabitant deceased, the Alexander T. Wolf decided to eat the body so as not to let good meat go to waste, since the pig was dead anyway. The final pig's house was not blown down and Alexander T. Wolf went into an excessive sneezing fit while the pig allegedly insulted his grandmother. The authorities came and dragged a furious and flustered wolf away and locked him up in prison. It is from prison where Alexander T. Wolf is now telling his (not entirely convincing) story as the news reports have found out about the two dead pigs he ate and jazzed up their story. Now labeled the "Big Bad Wolf," Alexander T. Wolf stated that he was framed. The story ended with a white-bearded Alexander T. Wolf quoting "But maybe you can loan me a cup of sugar."
''Looney Tunes''' Big Bad Wolf
The ''Looney Tunes'' series used the Big Bad Wolf as a stock character in several of its shorts, widely varying in its portrayal depending on the short's storyline. In the 1957 short ''Three Little Bops'', the wolf (voiced by Stan Freberg) plays a trumpet rather badly while instrument playing pigs engage in club hopping using clubs made of straw, sticks, and bricks. There is also a version appearing mostly in Bugs Bunny cartoons, voiced by Mel Blanc, who appeared in ''The Windblown Hare'', ''Little Red Riding Rabbit'', and many more. This was a more humorous wolf, being slightly stupid, but really prone to anger. In ''Pigs in a Polka'', the wolf is portrayed as a master of disguise, dressing as a gypsy and a beggar to fool the Three Little Pigs. A typical gag in these stories would have a sign poke into the foreground, stating, "IT'S THE BIG, BAD WOLF." Whereupon the wolf would angrily shove it away, saying, "Oh, all right, knock it off! They know who I am!"
Hanna-Barbera's ''Loopy de Loop''
The only theatrical short subject cartoon series produced by Hanna Barbera after they left MGM and formed their own studio, ''Loopy de Loop'' is cast as a tuque-topped, kind-hearted wolf who speaks with a bad French Canadian accent, and whose kind-hearted attempts to assist almost always ended up by being rejected by those he sought to help-or something slightly worse.
''Hoodwinked!''
The Weinstein Company's computer-animated films ''Hoodwinked!'' and ''Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil'' features the Wolf as a misunderstood Fletch (film), Fletch-type investigator voiced by Patrick Warburton. The Wolf, whose full name is Wolf W. Wolf, works undercover assignments. His assistant and cameraman is a hyperactive squirrel named Twitchy and he writes a column for ''The Once Upon a Times''. His reason for stalking Red Puckett is not to eat her, but rather to get information from her about a mysterious thief striking this part of the woods.
''Shrek''
The popular computer animation, computer-animated ''Shrek'' film series reversed many conventional roles found in fairy tales, including depicting the Big Bad Wolf (voiced by Aron Warner) from
Little Red Riding Hood
"Little Red Riding Hood" is a European fairy tale about a young girl and a sly wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th century European folk tales. The two best known versions were written by Charles Perrault and the Brother ...
as a friendly misunderstood cross-dresser (apparently still wearing her grandmother's clothes) and on good terms with the three little pigs. This depiction and Pinocchio's expansive nose in ''Shrek 2'', raised the ire of some groups who objected to the film's sexual content, in what is billed as a children's film.
In the fighting game Shrek SuperSlam, released 2005, Big Bad Wolf is a playable character and appears as "Huff n Puff Wolf".
''Sesame Street''
The Big Bad Wolf has become a regularly recurring puppet character on ''Sesame Street'', appearing usually in purple fur (although he originally had blue shaggy fur, as he was a variant of Herry Monster). Besides the purple and blue variants, there were also green and white versions of the Big Bad Wolf. He is generally performed by Jerry Nelson (particularly the blue version) and occasionally performed by Tyler Bunch, Kevin Clash, Joey Mazzarino, Martin P. Robinson, David Rudman, and Matt Vogel (puppeteer), Matt Vogel.
In episode 3001, the music number "Bad Wolf" showed the Big Bad Wolf (performed by David Rudman) with his family which consists of his mother Big Glad Wolf (performed by Louise Gold), his father Well-Clad Wolf (performed by Jerry Nelson), his brother Big Rad Wolf (performed by Joey Mazzarino), his sister Big Sad Wolf (performed by Camille Bonora), his aunt Big Grad Wolf (performed by Fran Brill), and his uncle Big Mad Wolf (performed by Martin P. Robinson).
In episode 4035, the Big Bad Wolf is shown to have a brother named Leonard Wolf (performed by Jerry Nelson), who tells Elmo and Rosita that not all wolves are the same.
In episode 4219, the Big Bad Wolf works in the hair-drying salon after telling Elmo and Telly Monster that he is no longer in the pig-chasing business.
In episode 4266, the Big Bad Wolf huffs and puffs Slimey the Worm when he is unable to catch the Three Little Pigs not realizing the harm he is doing to Slimey. When he does realize this thanks to Alan, Big Bird. Mr. Snuffleupagus, and Oscar the Grouch, the Big Bad Wolf apologizes to Slimey and starts a hobby of bubble blowing.
The puppet for the purple variant of the Big Bad Wolf appeared in ''The Furchester Hotel'' as different characters.
''Fables''
The comic book series ''Fables (comics), Fables'' by Bill Willingham features a reformed Big Bad Wolf as a major character, commonly referred to as "Bigby Wolf, Bigby". In order to pass for human, (the other animal fables want nothing to do with him), he has been infected with lycanthropy, making him, in essence, a werewolf. He acts as sheriff for the Fable community, going by the name of Bigby Wolf. He is often portrayed as a typical film-noir-style trenchcoat-wearing detective. In the context of the series, he earned the name "Big Bad" after his (much larger) siblings sarcastically noted his drive to be ferocious, particularly after his father, the incarnation of the North Wind, left his mother due to a wind's nature of having to move, else the wind would never reach other lands. Due to his unique parentage, his infamous "huff 'n puff" is a form of wind control that has been shown to be powerful enough to smash trees down, blow out an army of flaming animated puppetmen, and Bigby once conjectured that even a brick house would most likely be blown to bits by it. Bigby Wolf serves as the main protagonist and player character of the 2013 video game adaptation of ''Fables'', ''The Wolf Among Us''. He is shown to have four forms—fully human, still mostly human but with wolf eyes, fangs, claws, and higher strength, a humanoid wolf of still greater strength, and a towering four-legged wolf possessing immense power and speed.
''The 10th Kingdom''
In the 2000 eight-hour film (broadcast as a mini-series) ''The 10th Kingdom'', Scott Cohen (actor), Scott Cohen plays a character called Wolf (The 10th Kingdom), Wolf, which is based on the Big Bad Wolf and there is some speculation to whether he may even be the Big Bad Wolf's descendant (mainly owed to the fact that most other characters in the mini-series are descendants of many well-known fairy tale characters). Wolf recognizes he has a sort of obsessive-compulsive disorder towards eating Lamb (food), lamb meat, European Rabbit#Humans' relationship with rabbits, rabbit meat, or little-girl meat, which he tries to overcome when he falls in love with Virginia Lewis (The 10th Kingdom), Virginia, the main character. (Note that her married name would be Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Virginia Wolf.)
''BB Wolf and the Three LPs''
A 2010 hardcover graphic novel published by Top Shelf Comics by J.D. Arnold and Rich Koslowski, sets the wolf as a sympathetic victim of class conflict, class warfare in the rural south. Pigs and wolves serve as allegorical races in the story, with the wolves as disenfranchised farmers and the pigs as wealthy elitists. When the blues-playing wolf suffers numerous crimes at the hands of pigs, he swears revenge and rampages through the southern underworld. The hardcover is available with a CD of its songs as sung by BB Wolf.
''Dust City''
''Dust City'', a 2010 novel by Robert Paul Weston, circles around Henry Whelp, the son of the Big Bad Wolf. In it, Henry's father was framed by a league of those who transport fairy dust. Henry must discover the truth and help to release his father.
''Holka Polka: A Fairytail Mystery''
''Holka Polka'', a children's play features the character in a different light, as someone who is afraid of little girls and can't scare them and isn't menacing at all.
''Goldie & Bear''
The Big Bad Wolf appears in the Disney Junior preschool series ''Goldie & Bear'' voiced by
Jim Cummings
James Jonah Cummings (born November 3, 1952) is an American voice actor. Since beginning his career in the 1980s, he has appeared in almost 400 roles. Cummings has frequently worked with The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros., including as th ...
(who also voiced other #Disney version, Disney version of the character). In the show he is called Big Bad Wolf or Big Bad (his real name is Aloysius). He is a troublemaker that likes scaring people, stealing, and being rude. However, he is also depicted as having a conscience and at times being a nice guy.
Gallery
File:Three little pigs - the wolf lands in the cooking pot - Project Gutenberg eText 15661.jpg, Illustration by L. Leslie Brooke, from The Golden Goose Book, Frederick Warne & Co., Ltd. 1905
File:Chaperon rouge2.jpg, Illustration for Charles Perrault's Little Red Riding Hood, Le Petit Chaperon Rouge from Histoires ou Contes du Temps passé: Les Contes de ma Mère l'Oye (1697). Gustave Doré's illustrations appear in an 1867 edition entitled Les Contes de Perrault. Second of three engravings
File:Little Red Riding Hood.jpg, ''Little Red Riding Hood'', 19th-century painting by Fleury-François Richard
File:Walter Crane26.jpg, "The better to see you with": woodcut by Walter Crane
See also
*List of fictional wolves
*List of wolves
References
External links
Zeke Wolf's HooZoo Profile
{{Peter and the Wolf
Big Bad Wolf,
Fairy tale stock characters
Fictional wolves
Fictional characters introduced in the 17th century
Anthropomorphic animals
Male literary villains
Male characters in fairy tales
Metaphors referring to wolves