![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 un ...
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 Grimm brothers or "Brothers Grimm", Jacob and Wilhelm, first publi ...
.'' Versions of this character have appeared in numerous works, and it has become a generic archetype of a menacing predatory
antagonist.
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 Brot ...
", ''
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 resembla ...
", "
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 ...
" and the
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
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, cen ...
, but the general theme of restoration is very old.
The
dialogue 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 un ...
and Little Red Riding Hood has its analogies to the Norse ''
Þrymskviða
''Þrymskviða'' (Þrym's Poem; the name can be anglicised as ''Thrymskviða'', ''Thrymskvitha'', ''Thrymskvidha'' or ''Thrymskvida'') is one of the best known poems from the ''Poetic Edda''. The Norse myth had enduring popularity in Scandinavi ...
'' 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 med ...
''; 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 god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...
'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 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.Tylo ...
such as
P. Saintyves 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'' (1 ...
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. Th ...
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 that will swallow the sun at
Ragnarök.
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 objectiv ...
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 Brot ...
"
* "
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 ...
"
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 director of animated films. He is noted for his Silly Symphonies work for Disney, particularly the 1932 short film ''Flowers and Trees'' and the 1933 short film ''Three Little Pigs' ...
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 (voic ...
", written by
Frank Churchill.
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 in the early 1980s, the British actor
Laurence Olivier 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 (play), Broadway' ...
. 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 an ...
'', 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 opposing ...]
, 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'' (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'', as part of a game of
Polo 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 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 McDuck as ...
'', 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 19 ...
'', 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, voicing Mr. Websley ...
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 c ...
).
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 anthology comic book series featuring characters from The Walt Disney Company's films and shorts, including Donald Duck, Scrooge McDuck, Mickey Mouse, Chi ...
'' 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'' 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 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
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 no ...
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 un ...
; 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 anthology comic book series featuring characters from The Walt Disney Company's films and shorts, including Donald Duck, Scrooge McDuck, Mickey Mouse, Chi ...
'' #52 (1945). The first story was written by Dorothy Strebe and illustrated by
Carl Buettner.
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 and
Donald Duck.
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 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 final ...
'' 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 fictio ...
. 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 ...]
''.
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. 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 ha ...
), 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 o ...
''.
In the TV short series ''
Mickey Mouse'', 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 streaming television series produced by Disney Television Animation for Disney+. The series is a continuation and revival of the Emmy Award-winning 2013 ''Mickey Mouse'' shorts, uses ...
'', 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, and occasionally a surname. Notable people and characters with the name include:
People Given name or nickname Men
* Mickey Andrews (bor ...
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'', 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 bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the Sun. It is the largest ...
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, director, and voice actor. He was known for directing and producing animated cartoons during the golden age of American animation. His mo ...
, 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 Cartoo ...
'' (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'' 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 ...
''; 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- ...
, a role he would keep into the 1950s. He would later reprise the role in the "Droopy and Dripple" segments of
Hanna-Barbera'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 Cartoo ...
,
The Shooting of Dan McGoo,
Swing Shift Cinderella,
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'' and ''
Wild and Woolfy''),
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 H ...
(''
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 ...
'', ''
Caballero Droopy''),
Frank Welker (''
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'', H ...
(''
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) 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 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 and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
' 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 transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
animated series ''
Nu Pogodi'', the wolf, commonly translated into English as ''Volk'' (russian: Волк), is portrayed as a
hooligan
Hooliganism is disruptive or unlawful behavior such as rioting, bullying and vandalism, usually in connection with crowds at sporting events.
Etymology
There are several theories regarding the origin of the word ''hooliganism,'' which is a ...
who eagerly turns to
vandalism
Vandalism is the action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property.
The term includes property damage, such as graffiti and defacement directed towards any property without permission of the owner. The term ...
,
abuses
Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of a thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes, or other t ...
minors,
breaks laws and is a heavy
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
Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are m ...
,
ballet
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
and
waltz
The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position.
History
There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the w ...
ing) which demonstrate his more refined side. Wolf can also play the
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...
very well and ride the powerful
rocker motorbike
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruisin ...
, 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
mountaineer
Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, an ...
song, "Song of a Friend" (the signature song of
Vladimir Vysotsky
Vladimir Semyonovich Vysotsky ( rus, links=no, Владимир Семёнович Высоцкий, p=vlɐˈdʲimʲɪr sʲɪˈmʲɵnəvʲɪtɕ vɨˈsotskʲɪj; 25 January 1938 – 25 July 1980), was a Soviet singer-songwriter, poet, and actor ...
). In spite of these talents, most of Wolf's schemes eventually fail or turn against him. The character was originally voiced by
Anatoli Papanov
Anatoli Dmitrievich Papanov (russian: Анатолий Дмитриевич Папанов, links=https://ru.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Папанов,_Анатолий_Дмитриевич, translit=Anatoliy Dmitriyevich Papanov, label=; 31 October 1 ...
.
''Revolting Rhymes''
In the book ''
Revolting Rhymes
''Revolting Rhymes'' is a 1982 collection of Roald Dahl poems first published in 1982 originally under the title ''Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes''. A parody of traditional folk tales in verse, Dahl gives a re-interpretation of six well-known fa ...
'', 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
film adaption, a Wolf (voiced by
Dominic West
Dominic Gerard Francis Eagleton West (born 15 October 1969) is an English actor, director and musician. He is best known for playing Jimmy McNulty in HBO's ''The Wire'' (2002–2008), Noah Solloway in Showtime's '' The Affair'' (2014–2019), ...
) 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
Robert Brydon Jones (; born 3 May 1965) is a Welsh actor, comedian, impressionist, presenter, singer and writer. He played Dr Paul Hamilton in the Australian/British comedy series ''Supernova'', Bryn West in the BBC sitcom '' Gavin & Stacey'' ...
) and Rex (voiced by
David Walliams
David Edward Williams (born 20 August 1971), known professionally as David Walliams, is an English comedian, actor, writer, and television personality. He is best known for his work with Matt Lucas on the BBC sketch comedy series ''Little Br ...
). 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
''Happily N'Ever After'' is a 2006 computer-animated family comedy film directed by Paul J. Bolger, produced by John H. Williams, and written by Rob Moreland. It is inspired by fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen and is ...
'' featured three Big Bad Wolves. The Fat Wolf (voiced by
Jon Polito
Jon Raymond Polito (December 29, 1950 – September 1, 2016) was an American character actor. In a film and television career spanning 35 years, he amassed over 220 credits. Notable television roles included Detective Steve Crosetti in the fi ...
) 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
Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for voicing the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media. Kenny has voiced many other characters, including Heffer Wolfe in '' ...
) 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
Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader.
Children's ...
''
The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!
''The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!'' is a children's book by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith. Released in a number of editions since its first release by Viking Kestrel, an imprint of Viking Penguin in 1989, it is a parody of The Three 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
Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the late 1930s by Warner Bros. Cartoons, Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and Voice acting, voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring role ...
cartoons, voiced by
Mel Blanc, who appeared in ''
The Windblown Hare
''The Windblown Hare'' is a Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' animated short directed by Robert McKimson. The short was released on August 27, 1949, and stars Bugs Bunny. The title, another pun on "hair", refers to Bugs being subjected to the Wolf's ...
'', ''
Little Red Riding Rabbit
''Little Red Riding Rabbit'' is a 1944 Warner Bros. '' Merrie Melodies'' cartoon, directed by Friz Freleng, and starring Bugs Bunny. It is a sendup of the Little Red Riding Hood story, and is the first time in which Mel Blanc receives a voice c ...
'', and many more. This was a more humorous wolf, being slightly stupid, but really prone to anger. In ''
Pigs in a Polka
''Pigs in a Polka'' is a 1942 Warner Bros. '' Merrie Melodies'' cartoon series directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on February 2, 1943.
The film is a parody of two Walt Disney Productions films: 1933's ''Three Little Pigs'' and 1 ...
'', 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
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 ...
after they left MGM and formed their own studio, ''Loopy de Loop'' is cast as a
tuque
A knit cap is a piece of knitted headwear designed to provide warmth in cold weather. It usually has a simple tapered shape, although more elaborate variants exist. Historically made of wool, it is now often made of synthetic fibers.
Found ...
-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
The Weinstein Company (usually credited or abbreviated as TWC) was an American independent film studio, founded in New York City by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in March 2005. TWC was one of the largest mini-major film studios in North America pri ...
's
computer-animated films ''
Hoodwinked!
''Hoodwinked!'' is a 2005 computer-animated musical comedy mystery film. It retells the folktale ''Little Red Riding Hood'' as a police procedural, using backstories to show multiple characters' points of view. It was produced independently by ...
'' and ''
Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil
''Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil'' (also known as ''Hoodwinked 2'') is a 2011 3D computer-animated spy comedy film and the sequel to 2005's ''Hoodwinked!'', directed by Mike Disa in his theatrical feature directorial debut. The film was also wr ...
'' features the Wolf as a misunderstood
Fletch-type investigator voiced by
Patrick Warburton
Patrick Warburton (born November 14, 1964) is an American actor.
On television, he has played David Puddy on '' Seinfeld'', the title character on ''The Tick'', Jeb Denton on ''Less Than Perfect'', Jeff Bingham on '' Rules of Engagement'' and L ...
. 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-animated ''
Shrek
''Shrek'' is a 2001 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 book of the same name by William Steig. It is the first installment in the ''Shrek'' franchise. The film was directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jen ...
'' film series reversed many conventional roles found in fairy tales, including depicting the Big Bad Wolf (voiced by
Aron Warner
Aron J. Warner is an American film producer and voice actor who's best known for producing the ''Shrek'' films. He was known as the first person to win the Academy Awards Best Animated Feature Film.
Life and career
Warner joined PDI/DreamWo ...
) 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 Brot ...
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
''Shrek 2'' is a 2004 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 picture book '' Shrek!'' by William Steig, produced by DreamWorks Animation and released by DreamWorks Pictures. The sequel to ''Shrek'' (2001) and the ...
'', 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
''Shrek SuperSlam'' is a fighting video game featuring characters from the ''Shrek'' film series. It was developed by Shaba Games, published by Activision and released in the fall of 2005 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Nintendo DS and Game ...
, 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
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) ...
'', appearing usually in purple fur (although he originally had blue shaggy fur, as he was a variant of
Herry Monster
The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson, many for the purpose of appearing on the children's television program ''Sesame Street''. Some of the best known Muppets on ''Sesame Street'' include Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, ...
). 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
Jerry L. Nelson (July 10, 1934 – August 23, 2012) was an American puppeteer, best known for his work with The Muppets. Renowned for his wide range of characters and singing abilities, he performed Muppet characters on ''Sesame Street'', ' ...
(particularly the blue version) and occasionally performed by
Tyler Bunch
Tyler Bunch, also known as H.D. Quinn, is an American puppeteer, puppet designer, director, and actor.
Career
In addition to his work for the Jim Henson Company, Bunch has created and performed puppets for PBS, Nickelodeon and Disney's Th ...
,
Kevin Clash
Kevin Jeffrey Clash (born September 17, 1960) is an American puppeteer, director and producer known for puppeteering Elmo on ''Sesame Street'' from 1984 to 2012. He also performed puppets for ''Labyrinth'', ''Dinosaurs'', '' Oobi'', and various ...
,
Joey Mazzarino
Joseph Mazzarino (; born June 4, 1968) is an American actor, puppeteer, writer and director. He is best known for his roles on ''Sesame Street'' as Murray Monster, Stinky the Stinkweed and other Muppets, and being Head Writer and Director on ' ...
,
Martin P. Robinson,
David Rudman
David Rudman (born June 1, 1963) is an American puppeteer, puppet builder, writer, director, and producer known for his involvement with the Muppets and ''Sesame Street''.
Career
David Rudman has been a ''Sesame Street'' Muppet performer since ...
, and
Matt Vogel.
In episode 3001, the music number "Bad Wolf" showed the Big Bad Wolf (performed by
David Rudman
David Rudman (born June 1, 1963) is an American puppeteer, puppet builder, writer, director, and producer known for his involvement with the Muppets and ''Sesame Street''.
Career
David Rudman has been a ''Sesame Street'' Muppet performer since ...
) with his family which consists of his mother Big Glad Wolf (performed by
Louise Gold
Louise Gold (born 1956) is an English puppeteer, actress and singer whose career has spanned more than four decades. She is best known for her work as a puppeteer on television and for roles in musical theatre in the West End.
Gold was raised ...
), his father Well-Clad Wolf (performed by
Jerry Nelson
Jerry L. Nelson (July 10, 1934 – August 23, 2012) was an American puppeteer, best known for his work with The Muppets. Renowned for his wide range of characters and singing abilities, he performed Muppet characters on ''Sesame Street'', ' ...
), his brother Big Rad Wolf (performed by
Joey Mazzarino
Joseph Mazzarino (; born June 4, 1968) is an American actor, puppeteer, writer and director. He is best known for his roles on ''Sesame Street'' as Murray Monster, Stinky the Stinkweed and other Muppets, and being Head Writer and Director on ' ...
), his sister Big Sad Wolf (performed by Camille Bonora), his aunt Big Grad Wolf (performed by
Fran Brill
Fran Brill (born September 30, 1946) is an American retired actress and puppeteer, best known for her roles on ''Sesame Street'', as well as playing Sally Hayes in the Hal Ashby film '' Being There'' (1979), Dana Mardukas in the Martin Brest fi ...
), 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
''The Furchester Hotel'' is a puppet series that aired on CBeebies (the BBC's preschool network). It is the second British-American spin-off of ''Sesame Street'' that the BBC have made after '' Sesame Tree'' 6 years before. The show ran on CBeeb ...
'' as different characters.
''Fables''
The comic book series ''
Fables
Fable is a literary genre: a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized, and that illustrates or leads to a particular moral ...
'' by
Bill Willingham
William Willingham (born 1956) is an American writer and artist of comics, known for his work on the series '' Elementals'' and '' Fables''.
Career
William Willingham was born in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. During his father's military career the f ...
features a reformed Big Bad Wolf as a major character, commonly referred to as "
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
Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarde ...
-style
trenchcoat
A trench coat or trenchcoat is a variety of coat made of waterproof heavy-duty fabric, originally developed for British Army officers before the First World War, and becoming popular while used in the trenches.
Originally made from gabardine, ...
-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
''The Wolf Among Us'' is an episodic graphic mystery-drama adventure game developed by Telltale Games, based on Bill Willingham's ''Fables'' comic book series, to which it serves as a prequel. The game consists of five episodes that were re ...
''. 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
''The 10th Kingdom'' is an American fairytale fantasy miniseries written by Simon Moore and produced by Britain's Carnival Films, Germany's Babelsberg Film und Fernsehen, and the US's Hallmark Entertainment. It depicts the adventures of a young ...
'',
Scott Cohen plays a character called
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 un ...
, 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 meat
Lamb, hogget, and mutton, generically sheep meat, are the meat of domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries''. A sheep in its first year is a lamb and its meat is also lamb. The meat from sheep in their second year is hogget. Older sheep meat is mutton. Gen ...
,
rabbit meat
Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit species ...
, or little-girl meat, which he tries to overcome when he falls in love with
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, the main character. (Note that her married name would be
Virginia Wolf.)
''BB Wolf and the Three LPs''
A 2010 hardcover
graphic novel
A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
published by
Top Shelf Comics
Top Shelf Productions is an American publishing company founded in 1997, originally owned and operated by Chris Staros and Brett Warnock and a small staff. Now an imprint of IDW Publishing, Top Shelf is based in Marietta, Georgia.
Top Shelf pu ...
by J.D. Arnold and Rich Koslowski, sets the wolf as a sympathetic victim of
class warfare
Class conflict, also referred to as class struggle and class warfare, is the political tension and economic antagonism that exists in society because of socio-economic competition among the social classes or between rich and poor.
The forms ...
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
Disney Junior is an American pay television network owned by the Walt Disney Television (part of Disney General Entertainment Content) unit of The Walt Disney Company through Disney Branded Television. Aimed mainly at children two to seven y ...
preschool series ''
Goldie & Bear
''Goldie & Bear'' is an American animated children's television series which began on September 12, 2015. The show was created for Disney Junior by Jorge Aguirre and Rick Gitelson. It was directed by Chris Gilligan and produced using CGI animation ...
'' voiced by
Jim Cummings (who also voiced other
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 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
Walter Crane (15 August 184514 March 1915) was an English artist and book illustrator. He is considered to be the most influential, and among the most prolific, children's book creators of his generation and, along with Randolph Caldecott and Ka ...
See also
*
List of fictional wolves
*
List of wolves
This is a list of famous individual wolves, pairs of wolves, or wolf Pack (canine), packs. For a list of wolf subspecies, see Subspecies of Canis lupus. For a list of all species in the Canidae family, several of which are named "wolves", see list ...
References
External links
Zeke Wolf's HooZoo Profile
{{Peter and the 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