
The Big Bad Wolf is a fictional
wolf
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...
appearing in several
cautionary tales, including some of ''
Grimms' Fairy Tales
''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', originally known as the ''Children's and Household Tales'' (, , commonly abbreviated as ''KHM''), is a German collection of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, Jacob Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Wilhelm, first publish ...
''. Versions of this character have appeared in numerous works, and it has become a generic
archetype
The concept of an archetype ( ) appears in areas relating to behavior, historical psychology, philosophy and literary analysis.
An archetype can be any of the following:
# a statement, pattern of behavior, prototype, "first" form, or a main mo ...
of a menacing
predatory
Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill ...
antagonist
An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.[Little Red Riding Hood
"Little Red Riding Hood" () is a fairy tale by Charles Perrault about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th-century European Fable, folk tales. It was later retold in the 19th-century by the Broth ...](_b ...<br></span></div>.
<h1><br><p> Interpretations</h1></p>
)
", "
The Three Little Pigs", "
The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids", "
The Boy Who Cried Wolf" and the
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
n tale ''
Peter and the Wolf
''Peter and the Wolf'' ( rus, Петя и волк, Pétya i volk, p=ˈpʲetʲə i volk) Op. 67, a "symphonic tale for children", is a Program music , programmatic musical composition written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. The narrator tells a ...
'', reflect the theme of the ravening wolf and of the creature released unharmed from its
belly, but the general theme of restoration is very old.
The
dialogue
Dialogue (sometimes spelled dialog in American and British English spelling differences, American English) is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people, and a literature, literary and theatrical form that depicts suc ...
between the
wolf
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...
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 my ...
'' from the ''
Elder Edda''; the giant
Þrymr had stolen
Mjölner,
Thor
Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, 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 g ...
's hammer, and demanded
Freyja
In Norse mythology, 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 char ...
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 Æsir, god in Norse mythology. He is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mythology), Laufey (a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to the goddess Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi (son of Lo ...
explains them as Freyja not having slept, or eaten, or drunk, out of longing for the wedding.
19th-century
Folklorists
Folklore studies (also known as folkloristics, tradition studies or folk life studies in the UK) is the academic discipline devoted to the study of folklore. This term, along with its synonyms, gained currency in the 1950s to distinguish the ac ...
and
cultural anthropologists 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'' ...
saw Little Red Riding Hood in terms of
solar myths 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, 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 as the Nordic folklore of the modern period. The ...
that will swallow the sun at
Ragnarök
In Norse mythology, (also Ragnarok; or ; ) is a foretold series of impending events, including a great battle in which numerous great Norse mythological figures will perish (including the Æsir, gods Odin, Thor, Týr, Freyr, Heimdall, a ...
.
Ethologist Dr. Valerius Geist of the
University of Calgary
{{Infobox university
, name = University of Calgary
, image = University of Calgary coat of arms without motto scroll.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
, former ...
,
Alberta
Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
wrote that the fable was likely based on genuine risk of
wolf attacks at the time. He argues that wolves are 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
* "
The Boy Who Cried Wolf" (
Aesop
Aesop ( ; , ; c. 620–564 BCE; formerly rendered as Æsop) was a Greeks, Greek wikt:fabulist, fabulist and Oral storytelling, storyteller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as ''Aesop's Fables''. Although his existence re ...
)
* "
Little Red Riding Hood
"Little Red Riding Hood" () is a fairy tale by Charles Perrault about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th-century European Fable, folk tales. It was later retold in the 19th-century by the Broth ...
" (
Charles Perrault
Charles Perrault ( , , ; 12 January 162816 May 1703) was a French author and member of the Académie Française. He laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from earlier folk tales, published in his ...
\
Brothers Grimm
The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob Grimm, Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm, Wilhelm (1786–1859), were Germans, German academics who together collected and published folklore. The brothers are among the best-known storytellers of Oral tradit ...
)
* "
The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats" (
Brothers Grimm
The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob Grimm, Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm, Wilhelm (1786–1859), were Germans, German academics who together collected and published folklore. The brothers are among the best-known storytellers of Oral tradit ...
)
* "
The Three Little Pigs" (
Joseph Jacobs)
* "
Peter and the Wolf
''Peter and the Wolf'' ( rus, Петя и волк, Pétya i volk, p=ˈpʲetʲə i volk) Op. 67, a "symphonic tale for children", is a Program music , programmatic musical composition written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. The narrator tells a ...
" (
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''. , group=n ( – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor who l ...
)
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, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...
'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?", written by
Frank Churchill.
The Wolf is shown as wearing a top hat, red pants, green suspenders and white gloves. However, he does not 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 the editor and presenter of ''The South Bank Show'' (1978–2010, 2012–2023), and the presenter of the BBC Radio 4 documentary series ...
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. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...
said that Disney's Big Bad Wolf was supposedly based on a widely detested American theatre director and producer called
Jed Harris. 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, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...
produced several sequels, which also featured the Wolf as the villain. The first of them was named after him: ''
The Big Bad Wolf'', 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'', was released in 1939. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, a final, propaganda cartoon followed, produced by
The National Film Board of Canada: ''
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 wolf falls into Practical Pig's trap and is subjected to the Lie Detector, which washes his mouth out with soap, whacks his hands with rulers, or pulls down his pants and spanks him when he tells a lie. The machine's punishment grows harsher and harsher the more he lies, until it is finally spinning him around, smacking his head and scrubbing his bottom. When he finally tells the truth, he is shot away by a rocket stuck up his shirt.
The Big Bad Wolf also made appearances in other Disney cartoons. In ''
Toby Tortoise Returns'', 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
Polo is a stick and ball game that is played on horseback as a traditional field sport. It is one of the world's oldest known team sports, having been adopted in the Western world from the game of Chovgan (), which originated in ancient ...
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'', 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 fantasy comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis from a screenplay written by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman. It is loosely based on the 1981 novel ''Who Censored Roger Rabbit?'' by Gary K. Wol ...
'', 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) was an American voice actor. He appeared in over 100 titles during his three-decade career, including as the voice of Goofy from 1977 to 1988 before Bill Farmer took over the role in 1987. ...
in this one (who was perhaps well known for providing the voice of the original
Furby).
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, Micke ...
'' 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 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
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 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! 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 grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...
; 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, Micke ...
'' #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
Mickey Mouse is an American cartoon character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime icon and mascot of the Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large shoes, and white ...
and
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company. Donald is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit, sailor shirt and cap with ...
.
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 comics, 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 oft ...
'' 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), ''Mickey Mouse'' comic strip, which he worked on from 1930 until his retirement in 1975. His contri ...
, 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
''Raw Toonage'' is an American animated cartoon program that premiered on CBS on September 19, and ended on December 5, 1992, after 12 episodes or 39 shorts and segments had been broadcast. The program was preceded by a ''He's Bonkers'' theatri ...
'' short "The Porker's Court". However, he later appeared, in a more traditional role, in a self-titled short on ''
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 on American Broadcasting Company, ABC and Toon Disney from January 13, 2001 ...
''. 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 on American Broadcasting Company, ABC and Toon Disney from January 13, 2001 ...
'' was provided by Sam Gifaldi. 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'' and ''
The Practical Pig'', although he closely resembles them.
TV series appearances
Along with other Disney characters, the Big Bad Wolf appears in the animated opening of the television series ''
The Mickey Mouse Club
''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and briefly returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first te ...
''.
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 ''
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 on American Broadcasting Company, ABC and Toon Disney from January 13, 2001 ...
'', where he is voiced by
Jim Cummings
James Jonah Cummings (born November 3, 1952) is an American voice actor. Beginning his career in the 1980s, he has appeared in over 400 titles. Cummings has frequently worked with the Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros., serving as the offic ...
. His first appearance on this show featured him as a jazz artist called "Big Bad Wolf Daddy" (a parody of
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy), 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''.
In the TV short series ''
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is an American cartoon character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime icon and mascot of the Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large shoes, and white ...
'', 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'', he is a central character in the episode "The Big Good Wolf" (voiced by
Clancy Brown
Clarence James Brown III (born January 5, 1959) is an American actor. Prolific in film and television since the 1980s, Brown is often cast in villainous and authoritative roles.
His film roles include Rawhide in ''The Adventures of Buckaroo Ban ...
), where
Mickey 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 Experiences, commonly known as Disney Parks, is one of the three major divisions of the Walt Disney Company. It was founded on April 1, 1971, exactly six months before the opening of the Walt Disney World Resort.
Led by Josh D'Amaro, ...
for meet-and-greets, parades and shows.
In the video game ''
Magical Tetris Challenge'', Big Bad Wolf is one of
Pete's henchmen, along with a Weasel and is the boss the player fights 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.
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 Su ...
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''.
The character has also appeared as a playable character in video games such as ''
Disney Sorcerer's Arena'' and ''
Disney Magic Kingdoms
''Disney Magic Kingdoms'' is a 2016 city-building game developed and published by Gameloft for iOS, Android, and Windows. It is themed off the Disney Parks. The game was officially launched on March 17, 2016.
Gameplay and story
The game ta ...
''.
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 America ...
, this variation of the Big Bad Wolf's cartoons included many sexual overtones, violence, and very rapid gags.
He debuted in ''
Blitz Wolf'' (1942) as Adolf Wolf, the Three Pigs' Hitler-like foe. Adolf Wolf, who is set on invading the pig's nation of Pigmania. The pig who built his house of stone, "Sergeant Pork" (an homage to Sergeant York), take his precautions and outfits his house with defense machinery, but the two pigs who built their houses of straw and sticks claim they do not have to take precautions against the wolf because they signed a non-aggression pact with him. Adolf Wolf invades Pigmania, despite the two pigs protesting that he signed a treaty with them. He destroys their houses, the straw house with "Der Mechanized Huffer Und Puffer" and the stick house with an artillery shell, forcing the pigs to take shelter in the third pig's house, prompting a battle between the two parties. Towards the end of the cartoon, Adolf Wolf is blown out of his bomber plane by the pigs' artillery shells, fired from their multi-barreled "secret weapon" and filled with Defense bonds, and plummets down to Earth followed by a bomb from his own plane, which promptly blows him to Hell upon impact.
The Avery Wolf returned as a Hollywood swinger in ''
Red Hot Riding Hood'' (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''; 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. He was created in 1943 by Tex Avery for theatrical cartoon shorts produced by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer c ...
, 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. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...
's ''
Tom & Jerry Kids'' (1990).
The Avery Wolf was voiced by
Bill Thompson (''Blitz Wolf''),
Frank Graham (''
Dumb-Hounded,
Red Hot Riding Hood,
The Shooting of Dan McGoo,
Swing Shift Cinderella,
Northwest Hounded Police''),
Kent Rogers (''Red Hot Riding Hood'' and ''One Ham's Family''),
Billy Bletcher (''
The Screwy Truant''),
Patrick McGeehan
Patrick Joseph 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 ...
(''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 and the Walter Lantz cartoon studio. He originated the voices of many familiar Hanna-Barbera ...
(''
Little Rural Riding Hood''),
Manuel Paris (''
Caballero Droopy''),
Frank Welker (''
The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show'', ''
Tom & Jerry Kids'', ''
Droopy Master Detective''),
Lou Scheimer (''The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show''),
Will Ryan
William 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 in t ...
(''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 (''
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 and American actor and comedian. Known primarily for his energetic slapstick performances, he has received two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for BAFTA Awards and ...
) 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 animated comedy short film series distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was part of the ''Looney Tunes'' franchise and featured many of the same characters. Originally running from August 2, 1931, to Septem ...
'' short "
Bacall to Arms", as a theater patron whose lustful mannerisms echoed that of Avery's character. The director had left
Warner Brothers
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
' employ five years before after
a dispute, so it is not certain if this was supposed to be an homage, or if Avery originally had plans to use the wolf on a project that were not realized at the time of his suspension.
Featured shorts
''Nu Pogodi!''
In the
Soviet
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
animated series ''
Nu Pogodi'', the wolf, commonly translated into English as ''Volk'' (), is portrayed as a
hooligan 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 t ...
,
abuses
Abuse is the act of improper usage or treatment of a person or thing, often to Distributive justice, unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rap ...
minors,
breaks laws and is a heavy
smoker. His adventures revolve around constant failures to capture a
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores and live Solitary animal, solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are precociality, able to fend for themselves ...
. 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, with its introduction occurring at the Figure skating at the 1908 Summer Olympi ...
,
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 dance, ballroom and folk dance, in triple (3/4 time, time), performed primarily in closed position. Along with the ländler and allemande, the waltz was sometimes referred to by the ...
ing) which demonstrate his more refined side. Wolf can also play the
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
very well and ride the powerful
rocker motorbike
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike; uni (if one-wheeled); trike (if three-wheeled); quad (if four-wheeled)) is a lightweight private 1-to-2 passenger personal motor vehicle steered by a handlebar from a saddle-style seat.
Motorcycle designs var ...
, 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 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'', by famous writer
Roald dahl
Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime Flying ace, fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies ...
, 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. Failing to blow down the third pig's brick house, the Wolf threatens to come back later with dynamite, intending to blow it up instead. 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) 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 gained prominence for his roles in film, television and radio. He was appointed Order of the British Empire, Member of the Order ...
) 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.
''Into the Woods''
The Big Bad Wolf is a minor character in the 1987 Broadway musical ''
Into the Woods
''Into the Woods'' is a 1986 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine.
The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...
'' by
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...
and
James Lapine. The Big Bad Wolf was portrayed by
Robert Westenberg in the original Broadway cast and
Chuck Wagner in the first national tour. The 2002 Broadway revival featured the Wolves from ''Little Red Riding Hood'' and ''The Three Little Pigs''. They were portrayed by
Gregg Edelman and
Christopher Sieber, respectively.
Gavin Creel
Gavin James Creel (April 18, 1976 – September 30, 2024) was an American actor, singer, and songwriter best known for his work in musical theater. Over his career he received a Grammy Award, a Tony Award, two Drama Desk Awards and a Laurence O ...
portrayed the role in the original cast of the 2022 Broadway revival,
Cheyenne Jackson and
Andy Karl both replaced Creel in the role for limited runs.
The musical was adapted into a
film
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
by
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film Film production company, production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios (division), the Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. The st ...
and directed by
Rob Marshall
Robert Doyle Marshall Jr.http://www.alumni.cmu.edu/s/1410/images/editor_documents/alumnirelations/getinvolved/alumniawards/all_honorees_2018june1.pdf (born October 17, 1960) is an American film and theater director, producer, and choreographer. ...
, where
Johnny Depp
John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Johnny Depp, multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for ...
played the role of the Big Bad Wolf.
''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
Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He has been voicing SpongeBob SquarePants (character), the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media since its debut in 1999. Kenny has voice ...
) 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", does not speak and is the runt of the litter.
''Dimension 20 Neverafter''
In the
actual play show
Dimension 20's 15th season, the Big Bad Wolf is the manifestation of Death in the world of the Neverafter, who, after meeting with a starving Little Red Riding Hood, allows her to kill him, and eat his flesh, turning her into a werewolf. When the wolf passes, Little Red is left to "take up the mantle of Death", turning into a full wolf.
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. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...
''
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
''Looney Tunes'' is an American media franchise produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The franchise began as a series of animated short films that originally ran from 1930 to 1969, alongside its spin-off series ''Merrie Melodies'', during t ...
'' series used the Big Bad Wolf as a
stock character
A stock character, also known as a character archetype, is a type of character in a narrative (e.g. a novel, play, television show, or film) whom audiences recognize across many narratives or as part of a storytelling tradition or convention. Th ...
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 a cartoon character created in the late 1930s at Warner Bros. Cartoons (originally Leon Schlesinger, Leon Schlesinger Productions) and Voice acting, voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his featured roles in the ' ...
cartoons such as ''
Little Red Riding Rabbit'', ''
The Windblown Hare'' (in which he is voiced by
Billy Bletcher and
Jim Backus, respectively), and many more. This was a more humorous wolf, being somewhat stupid and 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!" A different version of the Big Bad Wolf was a friend of
Sylvester
Sylvester or Silvester is a name derived from the Latin adjective ''silvestris'' meaning "wooded" or "wild", which derives from the noun ''silva'' meaning "woodland". Classical Latin spells this with ''i''. In Classical Latin, ''y'' represented a ...
and antagonist of
Tweety in the short ''
Red Riding Hoodwinked''.
Hanna-Barbera's ''Loopy de Loop''
The only theatrical short subject cartoon series produced by
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...
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
French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French people, French colonists first arriving in Canada (New France), France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of ...
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, LLC (usually credited or abbreviated as TWC) was an American independent film production and distribution company, which was founded in New York City by Bob and Harvey Weinstein on March 10, 2005. TWC was one of the larg ...
's animated films ''
Hoodwinked!'' and ''
Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil'' features the Wolf as a misunderstood
Fletch-type investigator voiced by
Patrick Warburton
Patrick Warburton (born November 14, 1964) is an American actor. His live action TV roles include David Puddy on ''Seinfeld'', the Tick (character), title character on ''The Tick (2001 TV series), The Tick'', Jeb Denton on ''Less than Perfect'' ...
. 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 animated ''
Shrek
''Shrek'' is a 2001 American animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, and written by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, and Roger S. H. Schulman, loosely based on the 1990 children's picture boo ...
'' 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 fairy tale by Charles Perrault about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th-century European Fable, folk tales. It was later retold in the 19th-century by the Broth ...
" as a friendly, misunderstood
cross-dresser
Cross-dressing is the act of wearing clothes traditionally or stereotypically associated with a different gender. From as early as pre-modern history, cross-dressing has been practiced in order to disguise, comfort, entertain, and express onesel ...
(apparently still wearing the girl's 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 animated fantasy comedy film loosely based on the 1990 children's picture book '' Shrek!'' by William Steig. Directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Vernon from a screenplay by Adamson, Joe Sti ...
'' raised the ire of some groups who objected to the film's sexual content, in what is billed as a children's film.
In ''
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish'', a variation of the Big Bad Wolf (voiced by
Wagner Moura) appears as the
personification of death, who wishes to kill
Puss in Boots and remove his last life, as he believes he has wasted the others.
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 G ...
'', released in 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 television, 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 Worksh ...
'', 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.
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
Fable is a literary genre defined as a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse (poetry), verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphized, and that ...
'' by
Bill Willingham 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-style
trenchcoat-wearing
detective
A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads the ...
. 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 plays a character called
Wolf
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...
, 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,
rabbit meat
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated form ...
, or little-girl meat, which he tries to overcome when he falls in love with
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
, 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 self-contained, book-length form of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and Anthology, anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comics sc ...
published by
Top Shelf Comics by J.D. Arnold and Rich Koslowski, sets the wolf as a sympathetic victim of
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
Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
-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 cannot scare them and is not menacing at all.
''Goldie & Bear''
The Big Bad Wolf appears in the
Disney Junior
Disney Jr. (formerly Disney Junior) is an American pay television network owned by the Disney Branded Television sub-division of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company. Aimed mainly at children two to seven year ...
preschool series ''
Goldie & Bear'' voiced by
Jim Cummings
James Jonah Cummings (born November 3, 1952) is an American voice actor. Beginning his career in the 1980s, he has appeared in over 400 titles. Cummings has frequently worked with the Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros., serving as the offic ...
(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
Charles Perrault ( , , ; 12 January 162816 May 1703) was a French author and member of the Académie Française. He laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from earlier folk tales, published in his ...
'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
References
External links
Zeke Wolf's HooZoo Profile
{{The Three Little Pigs
Anthropomorphic wolves
Fairy tale stock characters
Fictional characters introduced in the 17th century
Fictional characters with air or wind abilities
Fictional con artists
Fictional wolves
Male characters in fairy tales
Male literary villains
European folklore characters
The Three Little Pigs
Little Red Riding Hood