Bill the Cat is a fictional character created by cartoonist Berkeley Breathed. Bill is a large orange tabby cat, first introduced in 1982 as a parody of the comic character Garfield. Bill has appeared in Breathed’s 1980s comic strip Bloom County as well as the two “sequel” strips (Outland and Opus), his illustrated children’s books and the 1991 television special A Wish for Wings That Work. The cat’s most frequent spoken sentiments are “Ack!” and “Thbbft!” Numerous strips indicate that Bill’s persistent near-catatonic state is the result of drug use or brain damage resulting from once being legally dead and then revived after too long of a period.
Note: About a week ago, Berkeley Breathed starting posting new Bloom County comics, after over 25 years. I was a 10-year-old when the strip ended.
Opus the Penguin is a fictional character created by cartoonist Berkeley Breathed. First introduced in 1981, Opus is a large-nosed penguin (occasionally mistaken for a puffin) with a herring addiction who lost track of his mother during the Falklands War. Opus has appeared in many of Breathed’s works, most notably his 1980s comic strip Bloom County. Breathed has described him as an “existentialist penguin” and the favorite of his many characters. Opus’ hopeless naïveté and optimism was at the center of Bloom Country, and he’s also the subject of two “sequel” strips (Outland and Opus), three children’s books and the 1991 television special A Wish for Wings That Work.
Note: As of this week, Berkeley Breathed is creating new Bloom County comics, after over 25 years. I was a 10-year-old when the strip ended.
Batwoman is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in 1956, the character is a wealthy heiress who becomes inspired by the notorious superhero Batman and chooses, like him, to put her wealth and resources towards a war on crime as a masked vigilante in her home of Gotham City. Batwoman was introduced as a love interest for Batman in order to combat the allegations of Batman’s homosexuality arising from the controversial book Seduction of the Innocent (1954). Conversely, the modern Batwoman is written as being a lesbian of Jewish descent. Described as the highest-profile gay superhero to appear in stories published by DC, Batwoman’s sexual orientation drew wide media attention following her reintroduction.
I suppose this is my contribution to the long-awaited celebration of the Supreme Court declaring same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states yesterday. It’s always a nice feeling to be proud of something that happens in my country, belated or not. Rainbows are everywhere. As for my 8-bit characters, the LGBTQIA+ tag keeps growing.
The Flash is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 (January 1940). All incarnations of the Flash possess “super speed,” which includes the ability to run and move extremely fast, use superhuman reflexes and seemingly violate certain laws of physics. Thus far, four different characters have assumed the identity of the Flash: Jay Garrick (1940-present), Barry Allen (1956-1985, 2008-present), Wally West (1986-2006, 2007-2012, 2013-present) and Bart Allen (2006-2007). The second incarnation of the Flash (Barry Allen) is part of the Silver Age of comic books. The third incarnation (Wally West) is considered the greatest and most well-known superhero of the four. Each version of the Flash has been a key member of at least one of DC’s premier teams: the Justice Society of America, the Justice League and the Teen Titans.
Dr. Crime is the costumed identity of Edward Elmgren, a villain in Marvel’s main universe, Earth-616. Elmgren’s primary weapon was a blow gun that fired darts coated with a lethal poison. In 1941, Elmgren led an expedition into the Amazon looking to find riches, but instead found a concentrated shrinking formula used by an Amazonian tribe to shrink heads. This shrinking formula enabled Elmgren to reduce the size of human beings and their clothes. As Dr. Crime he began administering this liquid using a water pistol. During a battle with Captain America and Bucky, Elmgren attempted to escape by using his own shrinking formula, but was swooped up by a passing eagle and likely carried to his death.
Sonic the Hedgehog is an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog. He is the protagonist of a video game franchise created by Yuji Naka, and is developed and owned by Sega. The franchise centers on a series of speed-based platform games, but several are spin-offs in different genres. Sonic’s peaceful life is often interrupted by mad scientist Doctor “Eggman” Robotnik. Typically, Sonic—usually along with some of his friends, such as Tails, Amy Rose and Knuckles—must stop Eggman and foil any plans of world domination. The first game in the series, published in 1991, was conceived after Sega requested a mascot character; the title was a success and and transformed Sega into a leading video game company during the 16-bit era in the early to mid-1990s. The series has sold 150 million units as of November 2014, making it one of the best-selling franchises of all time.
Since I had a Sega Genesis instead of a Super Nintendo, Sonic the Hedgehog was a relevant part of my junior high school experience. The decision to choose Sega Genesis over SNES was easy at the time because violent arcade games like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, plus EA Sports titles, were important to adolescent me. Oh yeah, and NBA Jam was the best (as covered in my Mike Iuzzolino post).
Garfield is the title character of a comic strip created by Jim Davis. Published since 1978, Garfield chronicles the life of the cat Garfield; his owner, Jon; and Jon’s dog, Odie. As of 2013, it was syndicated in roughly 2,580 newspapers and journals, and held the Guinness World Record for being the world’s most widely syndicated comic strip. Common themes in the strip include Garfield’s laziness, obsessive eating, and disdain of Mondays and diets. Originally created with the intentions to “come up with a good, marketable character,” Garfield has spawned merchandise earning $750 million to $1 billion annually. In addition to the various merchandise and commercial tie-ins, the strip has spawned several animated television specials, television series and movies. Part of the strip’s broad appeal is due to its lack of social or political commentary.
Few things are more banal than a Garfield comic strip, but apparently few things are more profitable than relatable banality. My daughter now has two plush Garfield toys from my 1980s childhood. With one billion dollars in Garfield merchandise sold each year, this lazy cat is difficult to avoid, despite having nothing interesting to say. However, it’s all worth it, because the existential angst of Dan Walsh’s Garfield Minus Garfield is the best.
Snoopy is a pet dog owned by Charlie Brown in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. The original drawings of Snoopy were inspired by Spike, one of Schulz’s childhood dogs. Snoopy is a perpetually innocent and mindlessly happy dog who either fantasizes or dances around in joy. Snoopy cannot talk, so his thoughts are shown in thought balloons. In the animated Peanuts films and television specials, Snoopy’s thoughts are not verbalized; his moods are instead conveyed through growls, sobs, laughter, monosyllabic utterances and pantomime. Snoopy has imagined himself as different things such as a pelican, a vulture, an author and a World War I Flying Ace (in which he battles the Red Baron).
Wolverine is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Born James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant who possesses animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities (including three retractable claws housed within each forearm) and a healing factor. He has been depicted variously as a member of the X-Men, Alpha Flight and the Avengers. Wolverine is typical of the many tough antiheroes that emerged in American popular culture after the Vietnam War; his willingness to use deadly force and his brooding nature became standard characteristics for comic book antiheroes by the end of the 1980s. As a fan-favorite character, Wolverine has appeared in most X-Men adaptations, including animated TV series, video games and the live-action X-Men film series.
Roshanna Chatterji (also known as Tremor) is a superhero in the DC Universe with the ability to create vibrations, giving her the power to create earthquakes or disrupt land. Tremor is Bengali and was born in India, where she discovered her ability to move the earth with shockwaves. She frequently displayed her powers, which led to people calling her a witch. She moved to the U.S., where she quickly made new friends, before an alcohol-fueled joyride changed her life. Tremor was created by Gail Simone and Jim Calafiore and first appeared in the Secret Six comics. She also appears within the rebooted Prime Earth (or the New 52) continuity, in The Movement comic book series. Tremor, a teenager, is asexual, making her the only known asexual superhero in either DC Comics or Marvel.
Dana Scully is a fictional character in the science fiction-supernatural television series The X-Files (1993-2002) played by Gillian Anderson. Scully is an FBI agent, partnered with fellow Special Agent Fox Mulder for the first seven seasons, and in the eighth and ninth seasons partnered with John Doggett. In the TV series, they work out of a cramped basement office at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. to investigate unsolved cases labeled “X-Files.” In contrast to Mulder’s “believer” character, Scully is the skeptic for the first seven seasons, choosing to base her beliefs on what science can prove. She later on becomes a “believer” after Mulder’s abduction at the end of season seven. Scully also appears in the feature films The X-Files: Fight the Future (1998) and The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008).
FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, portrayed by Kyle MacLachlan, is a fictional character and the protagonist of the television series Twin Peaks (1990-91), created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. Cooper is an eccentric FBI agent who arrives in Twin Peaks in 1989 to investigate the brutal murder of popular high school student Laura Palmer. He displays an array of quirky mannerisms such as giving a “thumbs up” when satisfied, sage-like sayings, a distinctive sense of humor, and a love for good cherry pie and a “damn fine cup of coffee” (which he takes black). One of his habits is speaking into a microcassette recorder, through which he addresses a mysterious woman named “Diane.” Cooper briefly appears in the 1992 prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.
Note: The Twin Peaks pilot episode was first broadcast 25 years ago, on April 8, 1990. It was recently announced that MacLachlan will return as Cooper for a nine-episode continuation of Twin Peaks in 2016. The new limited series will be set in present day, picking up 25 years after the events of the 1991 finale. It will air on Showtime.
Ice King (or Simon Petrikov) is a main character of Adventure Time, an American animated television series created by Pendleton Ward for Cartoon Network. Ice King’s magical abilities are contained in his crown he uses to rule the Ice Kingdom. The series follows the adventures of Finn (voiced by Jeremy Shada), a human boy, and his best friend and adoptive brother Jake (voiced by John DiMaggio), a dog with magical powers to change shape and grow and shrink at will. Finn and Jake live in the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo.
Note:Adventure Time launched as a Cartoon Network series on April 5, 2010. It’s been five years of Ooo!
Princess Bubblegum is a main character and the most recurring princess of Adventure Time, an American animated television series created by Pendleton Ward for Cartoon Network. Princess Bubblegum is a scientist, inventor and ruler of the Candy Kingdom. The series follows the adventures of Finn (voiced by Jeremy Shada), a human boy, and his best friend and adoptive brother Jake (voiced by John DiMaggio), a dog with magical powers to change shape and grow and shrink at will. Finn and Jake live in the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo.
Note:Adventure Time launched as a Cartoon Network series on April 5, 2010. It’s been five years of Ooo!
Jake the Dog is one of the main characters of Adventure Time, an American animated television series created by Pendleton Ward for Cartoon Network. The series follows the adventures of Finn (voiced by Jeremy Shada), a human boy, and his best friend and adoptive brother Jake (voiced by John DiMaggio), a dog with magical powers to change shape and grow and shrink at will. Finn and Jake live in the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo.
Note:Adventure Time launched as a Cartoon Network series on April 5, 2010. It’s been five years of Ooo!
Finn Mertens (or Finn the Human) is the main protagonist of Adventure Time, an American animated television series created by Pendleton Ward for Cartoon Network. The series follows the adventures of Finn (voiced by Jeremy Shada), a human boy, and his best friend and adoptive brother Jake (voiced by John DiMaggio), a dog with magical powers to change shape and grow and shrink at will. Finn and Jake live in the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo.
Note:Adventure Time launched as a Cartoon Network series on April 5, 2010. It’s been five years of Ooo!
Kwaku Anansi is the West African spider god. He often takes the shape of a spider and is considered to be the spirit of all stories, as well as the god of lies and mischief. Anansi is one of the most important characters of West African and Caribbean folklore. He is the first spider, but often acts and appears as a man. The Anansi tales originated from the Ashanti people of present-day Ghana. The word Ananse is Akan and means “spider.” Anansi is depicted in many different forms. Sometimes he appears as an ordinary spider, sometimes he is a spider wearing clothes or with a human face, and sometimes he looks much more like a human with spider elements, such as eight legs.
Pinocchio is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children’s novel The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883), by the Italian writer Carlo Collodi. Carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a small Italian village, Pinocchio was created as a wooden puppet, but dreamed of becoming a real boy. He has also been used as a character who is prone to telling lies and fabricating stories. Pinocchio has been called an icon of modern culture, and is one of the most reimagined characters in the pantheon of children’s literature. A well-known adaptation is the Walt Disney film Pinocchio (1940).
The Toast King is a large, anthropomorphic slice of toast who rules over the Moon, following his principle that “heat induces royalty.” He wears a crown bearing the initials “TK,” and is often depicted holding a golden pitchfork with a speared knob of butter. The Toast King’s friends include Insanity Prawn Boy and Moon Keith Moon, and he claims to rule over Moon Hitler’s Nazi Moon Base. British animator Jonathan “Jonti” Picking, also known as Weebl, created the On the Moon cartoon series and the rest of Weebl’s Stuff. Some of Weebl’s most famous creations include Cat Face, Weebl & Bob and 2003’s “Badgers” (plus a slew of other repetitive, overstimulating cartoons set to dance music). Since the release of the first On the Moon Flash cartoon in November 2005, 24 episodes have been produced. The most recent episode was released in August 2013.
Spoilsbury Toast Boy is a young slave who is forced to make “toasties” in a toast workhouse for the manipulative beetles that haunt his desolate world. The backwards-running animation series Spoilsbury Toast Boy is a horrific nightmare created by British cartoonist and musician David Firth, who also created Salad Fingers. One night an evil beetle kills Spoilsbury Toast Boy’s creepy grandmother by pushing her into a fireplace. Later, after beetles lure Toast Boy to a doctor’s appointment at 9:41, they brutally murder him with their “brain-fixing machine.” The first two Kafkaesque Flash cartoons were released in 2004 and a third (and final?) episode was released in 2005.
Batwoman – No. 885
Batwoman is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in 1956, the character is a wealthy heiress who becomes inspired by the notorious superhero Batman and chooses, like him, to put her wealth and resources towards a war on crime as a masked vigilante in her home of Gotham City. Batwoman was introduced as a love interest for Batman in order to combat the allegations of Batman’s homosexuality arising from the controversial book Seduction of the Innocent (1954). Conversely, the modern Batwoman is written as being a lesbian of Jewish descent. Described as the highest-profile gay superhero to appear in stories published by DC, Batwoman’s sexual orientation drew wide media attention following her reintroduction.
I suppose this is my contribution to the long-awaited celebration of the Supreme Court declaring same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states yesterday. It’s always a nice feeling to be proud of something that happens in my country, belated or not. Rainbows are everywhere. As for my 8-bit characters, the LGBTQIA+ tag keeps growing.