Li'l Bad Wolf
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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 ...
", "
The Three Little Pigs "The Three Little Pigs" is a fable about three pigs who build their houses of different materials. A Big Bad Wolf blows down the first two pigs' houses which are made of straw and sticks respectively, but is unable to destroy the third pig's ho ...
", "
The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids "The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats" () 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 Wolf and the Kids". Origin The story was published by the Brothers Grimm ...
", "
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 ''Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable'' and glossed by the ''Oxford E ...
" 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 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, ce ...
, 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 ''Poetic Edda'' is the modern name for an untitled collection of Old Norse anonymous narrative poems in alliterative verse. It is distinct from the closely related ''Prose Edda'', although both works are seminal to the study of Old Norse ...
''; the giant
Þrymr In Norse mythology, Þrymr (''Thrymr'', ''Thrym''; "noise"Rudolf Simek, trans. Angela Hall, ''Dictionary of Northern Mythology'', Cambridge: D. S. Brewer, 1993, repr. 2000, p. 330.John McKinnell, "Myth as Therapy: The Usefulness of ''Þrymskviða ...
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 Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, attitudes, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...
such as
P. Saintyves P. is an abbreviation or acronym that may refer to: * Page (paper), where the abbreviation comes from Latin ''pagina'' * Paris Herbarium, at the ''Muséum national d'histoire naturelle'' * ''Pani'' (Polish), translating as Mrs. * The ''Pacific Rep ...
and
Edward Burnett Tylor Sir Edward Burnett Tylor (2 October 18322 January 1917) was an English anthropologist, and professor of anthropology. Tylor's ideas typify 19th-century cultural evolutionism. In his works '' Primitive Culture'' (1871) and ''Anthropology'' ...
saw Little Red Riding Hood in terms of
solar myth Solar myth (Latin: solaris «solar») — mythologization of the Sun and its impact on earthly life; usually closely associated with lunar myths. Contrary to the assumptions of ethnographers of the 19th and early 20th centuries, in the "primi ...
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 (Old Norse "Fenrir's wolf", often translated "Fenris-wolf"),Simek (2007:81). also referred to as Hróðvitnir (Old Norse "fame-wolf")Simek (2007:160). and Vánagandr (Old Nors ...
, 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 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 ''Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable'' and glossed by the ''Oxford E ...
" (
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 "The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats" () 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 Wolf and the Kids". Origin The story was published by the Brothers Grimm ...
" (
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 "The Three Little Pigs" is a fable about three pigs who build their houses of different materials. A Big Bad Wolf blows down the first two pigs' houses which are made of straw and sticks respectively, but is unable to destroy the third pig's ho ...
" (
Joseph Jacobs Joseph Jacobs (29 August 1854 – 30 January 1916) was an Australian-born folklorist, literary critic and historian who became a notable collector and publisher of English folklore. Born in Sydney to a Jewish family, his work went on to popula ...
) * "
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 William Bletcher (September 24, 1894 – January 5, 1979) was an American actor. He was known for voice roles for various classic animated characters, most notably Pete in Walt Disney's ''Mickey Mouse'' short films and the Big Bad Wolf in Di ...
. 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 Frank Edwin Churchill (October 20, 1901 – May 14, 1942) was an American film composer and songwriter. He wrote most of the music for films produced by Walt Disney, such as ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', '' Dumbo'', ''Bambi'', '' The Ad ...
. 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 Jed Harris (born Jacob Hirsch Horowitz; February 25, 1900 – November 15, 1979) was an Austrian-born American theatrical producer and director. His many successful Broadway productions in the 1920s and 1930s include '' Broadway'' (1926), ''Coqu ...
. 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 ''The Practical Pig'' is a ''Silly Symphonies'' animated short film produced by Walt Disney. It was released on February 24, 1939, and was directed by Dick Rickard. It was the fourth and final cartoon starring The Three Pigs.
'', 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 National Film Board of Canada (NFB; ) is a Canadian public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary films, animation, web documentaries, and altern ...
: ''
The Thrifty Pig ''The Thrifty Pig'' (aka ''Thrifty Pig'' and ''Walt Disney's The Thrifty Pig'') is a four-minute educational short animated film made by Walt Disney Studios for the National Film Board of Canada. A World War II propaganda film, it was release ...
'' (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 Symphonies'' animated short film produced by Walt Disney. It was released on February 24, 1939, and was directed by Dick Rickard. It was the fourth and final cartoon starring The Three Pigs.
'', 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 ''Toby Tortoise Returns'' is an animated Technicolor short film in Walt Disney's ''Silly Symphonies'' series, directed by Wilfred Jackson. It is a sequel to the 1935 short ''The Tortoise and the Hare'', and premiered on August 22, 1936. This ti ...
'', 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 ''Mickey's Christmas Carol'' is a 1983 American animated Christmas fantasy 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 E ...
'', 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 Furby is an American electronic robotic toy by Tiger Electronics. Originally released in 1998, it resembles a hamster or owl-like creature and went through a period of being a " must-have" toy following its holiday season launch. Over 40 mill ...
).


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 The Big Bad Wolf is a fictional wolf appearing in several cautionary tales, including 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 ant ...
'' nominally starred Big Bad Wolf's good little cub, but "Pop" repeatedly stole the spotlight. Carl Buettner,
Gil Turner Gil Turner (born Gilbert Strunk; May 6, 1933 – September 23, 1974) was an American folk singer-songwriter, magazine editor, Shakespearean actor, political activist, and for a time, a lay Baptist preacher. Turner was a prominent figure in the G ...
and
Jack Bradbury John Morin "Jack" Bradbury (December 27, 1914 – May 15, 2004) was an American animator and comic book artist. Bradbury began working for Disney at age 20 and was responsible for key scenes in films like ''Pinocchio'', ''Fantasia'' and ''Bambi' ...
were among the noted creators to work on the series in its early years, with Buettner giving Big Bad Wolf his proper name of Zeke (1946) and Turner supplying his middle name of Midas (1949). In the comics, Big Bad Wolf generally wants his son to become a bad guy like himself; but, unlike the three little wolves who appeared in the shorts, the gentle Li'l Bad Wolf does not live up to his father's expectations. Indeed, Li'l Bad is friends with the Pigs, Thumper, and other forest characters whom the comics portray as Zeke's intended prey.Li'l Bad Wolf
at
Don Markstein's Toonopedia Don Markstein's Toonopedia (subtitled A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge) is an online encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation, initiated February 13, 2001. Donald D. Markstein, the sole writer and editor of Toonopedi ...

Archived
from the original on October 26, 2015.
A
running gag A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are 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 Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A baseball team nicknamed the ...
! 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 Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community *Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of tel ...
. The feature ran regularly through 1957, when it temporarily moved to the back pages of ''Mickey Mouse''. Li'l Wolf returned to ''Comics and Stories'' in 1961, after which he continued to appear there frequently through 2008. Li'l Wolf has in fact starred in more issues of ''Comics and Stories'' than any other character except for
Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an 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 ''Three Little Wolves'' is a ''Silly Symphonies'' animated short film. Produced by Walt Disney and directed by Dave Hand, the short was released on April 18, 1936. It was the third ''Silly Symphonies'' short starring the Three Little Pigs. It ...
'' and ''
The Practical Pig ''The Practical Pig'' is a ''Silly Symphonies'' animated short film produced by Walt Disney. It was released on February 24, 1939, and was directed by Dick Rickard. It was the fourth and final cartoon starring The Three Pigs.
'', 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 Bonkers may refer to: Television * ''Bonkers'' (American TV series), a 1993–1994 animated series * ''Bonkers'' (British TV series), 2007 comedy * '' Bonkers!'', a 1979 British TV show * "Bonkers" (''The Price Is Right''), a game segment ...
'', 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 Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is a contemporary swing revival band from Southern California. Their notable singles include "Go Daddy-O", "You & Me & the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight (Baby)", and "Mr. Pinstripe Suit". The band played at the Super Bowl XXXIII h ...
), performing a swing version of his song with the Pigs as his backup band (they are under a contract that states he will eat them if they do not play for him). In this episode, his tendency to destroy houses by exhaling is shown to be an allergy-like reaction to the sight of a door. Later appearances on ''House of Mouse'', however, returned the Wolf to his more traditional role; one episode even featured a newly made short starring the character, based on the aforementioned Li'l Bad Wolf comic stories. Apart from the series appearances, Big Bad Wolf was one of the villains in the direct-to-video film ''
Mickey's House of Villains ''Mickey's House of Villains'' is a 2002 American direct-to-video animated comedy-horror film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. It is based on the animated television series '' House of Mouse'', and serves as a stand-alone sequel t ...
''. 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 ''The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse'' is an American animated 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 the same ...
'', 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 Mickey is a given name and nickname, often a short form (hypocorism) of Michael, Michaela, and Michelle, 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 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 ''Magical Tetris Challenge'' is a 1998 puzzle video game developed and published by Capcom for arcades. It was ported to the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color and PlayStation. It is a version of ''Tetris'' () featuring Disney characters. It is one of ...
'', 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 characte ...
'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 An Oxford shoe is a type of shoe characterized by shoelace eyelet 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. ...
. The Big Bad Wolf also appeared in ''
The Kingdom Keepers ''Kingdom Keepers'' is a series of children's novels written by American author Ridley Pearson. The ''New York Times'' Bestselling series is published through Disney Editions and Disney Hyperion, and the first book was released on August 29, 20 ...
'' 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 is a life simulation game, 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. Compared to its p ...
''. 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 ''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 ...
'' (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 ''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 Cartoon ...
'' (1943), memorably aroused by Red's song and dance performance. Further girl-chasing roles came to the Wolf in '' Wild and Wolfy'', ''
Swing Shift Cinderella ''Swing Shift Cinderella'' is a 1945 MGM animated cartoon short subject directed by Tex Avery. The plot involves the Big Bad Wolf and Cinderella. Frank Graham voiced the wolf, and Sara Berner voiced both Cinderella and The Fairy Grandmother, wi ...
'' 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. 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 ''Tom & Jerry Kids'' (formerly known as ''Tom & Jerry Kids Show'' in the first season) is an American animated television series co-produced by H-B Production Co. and Turner Entertainment Co., and starring the cat-and-mouse duo Tom and Jerry as ...
'' (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 Cartoon ...
,
The Shooting of Dan McGoo ''The Shooting of Dan McGoo'' is a cartoon directed by Tex Avery and starring Frank Graham as the Wolf. Both Bill Thompson and Avery himself voiced the lead character Droopy. Sara Berner did the speaking voice of Lou, while her singing was prov ...
,
Swing Shift Cinderella ''Swing Shift Cinderella'' is a 1945 MGM animated cartoon short subject directed by Tex Avery. The plot involves the Big Bad Wolf and Cinderella. Frank Graham voiced the wolf, and Sara Berner voiced both Cinderella and The Fairy Grandmother, wi ...
,
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, Roger ...
(''Red Hot Riding Hood'' and ''One Ham's Family''),
Billy Bletcher William Bletcher (September 24, 1894 – January 5, 1979) was an American actor. He was known for voice roles for various classic animated characters, most notably Pete in Walt Disney's ''Mickey Mouse'' short films and the Big Bad Wolf in Di ...
(''
The Screwy Truant ''The Screwy Truant'' is a 1945 Screwy Squirrel cartoon directed by Tex Avery and released by MGM. Summary The cartoon centers around an adolescent version of Screwy Squirrel, who skips school to go fishing, which causes truant officer Meathead ...
''),
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 ''Wild and Woolfy'' is a 1945 animated cartoon short, one of six cartoons in which Droopy was paired with a wolf as his acting partner. It is one of a very few cartoons in the series where Bill Thompson did not voice Droopy, instead Tex Avery him ...
''), 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 ''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 ...
''), Manuel Paris (''
Caballero 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 carto ...
''),
Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American actor who specializes in voice acting. He began his career in the 1960s, and held around 850 film, television, and video game credits as of 2020, making him one of the most prolific v ...
(''
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 series produced by Filmation in association with MGM Television featuring the popular cartoon duo Tom and Jerry. The show ...
'', ''
Tom & Jerry Kids ''Tom & Jerry Kids'' (formerly known as ''Tom & Jerry Kids Show'' in the first season) is an American animated television series co-produced by H-B Production Co. and Turner Entertainment Co., and starring the cat-and-mouse duo Tom and Jerry as ...
'', '' 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 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 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, Ben Kenobi in '' Star ...
('' 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 Hooliganism is disruptive or unlawful behavior such as rioting, bullying and vandalism, often in connection with crowds at sporting events. A hooligan is a person that engages in illicit reckless behaviors and is a public nuisance. Etymology ...
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 Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become sports ...
song, "Song of a Friend" (the signature song of
Vladimir Vysotsky Vladimir Semyonovich Vysotsky (25 January 193825 July 1980) was a Soviet singer-songwriter, poet, and actor who had an immense and enduring effect on Soviet culture. He became widely known for his unique singing style and for his lyrics, which ...
). 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 Dmitriyevich Papanov (; 31 October 1922 – 5 August 1987) was a Soviet and Russian actor, drama teacher, and theatre director at the Moscow Satire Theatre where he served for almost 40 years. A prominent character actor, Papanov is mos ...
.


''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 Dominic Gerard Francis Eagleton West (born 15 October 1969) is an English actor, director, producer, and musician. He is best known for playing Jimmy McNulty in HBO's ''The Wire'' (2002–2008), Noah Solloway in Showtime's '' The Affair'' (20 ...
) 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 David Edward Williams (born 20 August 1971), known professionally as David Walliams (), is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television personality. He is best known for his work with Matt Lucas on the BBC sketch comedy series '' Little ...
). 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 James Elliot Lapine (born January 10, 1949) is an American stage director, playwright, screenwriter, and librettist. He has won the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical three times, for ''Into the Woods'', ''Falsettos'', and '' Passion''. He ha ...
. The Big Bad Wolf was portrayed by
Robert Westenberg Robert Westenberg (born October 26, 1953) is an American stage actor and singer, acting teacher, and professor. He received a Tony Award nomination for his performance in the original Broadway cast of ''Into the Woods''. He appeared on Broadw ...
in the original Broadway cast and
Chuck Wagner Chuck Wagner (born June 20, 1958) is an American actor, director, musical theater historian and teacher. He has had an extensive career in theater, but is perhaps best known for co-starring in the short-lived science fiction TV series '' Automan' ...
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 Gregg Edelman (born September 12, 1958) is an American actor. He has starred in numerous Broadway productions earning four Tony Award nominations for his roles in '' City of Angels'' (1990), '' Anna Karenina'' (1993), ''1776'' (1998), and ''Into ...
and
Christopher Sieber Christopher Luverne Sieber (born February 18, 1969) is an American actor. Known primarily for his extensive roles on stage in musicals, he has received nominations for two Tony Awards, two Drama Desk Awards, and two Outer Critics Circle Awards ...
, 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 Cheyenne David Jackson (born July 12, 1975) is an American actor and singer. His credits include leading roles in Broadway musicals and other stage roles, as well as film and television roles, concert singing, and music recordings. After beginn ...
and
Andy Karl Andy Karl (born August 27, 1974 as Andrew Karl Cesewski) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for performing in musical theatre specifically musicals adapted from successful movies. He has received several accolades including a Laur ...
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 ''Happily N'Ever After'' is a 2006 animated fantasy adventure 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 a ...
'' featured three Big Bad Wolves. The Fat Wolf (voiced by
Jon Polito Jon Raymond Polito (December 29, 1950 – September 1, 2016) was an American actor. In a film and television career spanning 35 years, he amassed over 220 credits. His television roles included Detective Steve Crosetti in the first two seasons ...
) 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 Actual play, also called live play, is a genre of podcast or web show in which people play tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) for an audience. Actual play often encompasses in-character interactions between players, storytelling from the gam ...
show
Dimension 20 ''Dimension 20'' is a tabletop role-playing game show produced by and broadcast on Dropout (media company), Dropout, and created and generally hosted by Brennan Lee Mulligan as the show's regular Dungeon Master. Most of the games use Dungeons ...
'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! ''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 ''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 ''Three Little Bops'' is a 1957 American animated musical comedy film, directed by Friz Freleng and written by Warren Foster. A takeoff on ''The Three Little Pigs'' told as a hip, jazzy musical filled with jive talk, the short features the voice ...
'', the wolf (voiced by
Stan Freberg Stan Freberg (born Stanley Friberg; August 7, 1926 – April 7, 2015) was an American actor, author, comedian, musician, puppeteer, radio personality and advertising creative director. His best-known works include " St. George and the Dragonet ...
) 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 ''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 ...
'', ''
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 ...
'' (in which he is voiced by
Billy Bletcher William Bletcher (September 24, 1894 – January 5, 1979) was an American actor. He was known for voice roles for various classic animated characters, most notably Pete in Walt Disney's ''Mickey Mouse'' short films and the Big Bad Wolf in Di ...
and
Jim Backus James Gilmore Backus (February 25, 1913 – July 3, 1989) was an American actor. Among his most famous roles were Thurston Howell III on the 1960s sitcom ''Gilligan's Island,'' the father of James Dean's character in '' Rebel Without a Cause, ...
, 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 Tweety is an animated character, a yellow canary bird in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' series of animated cartoons. His characteristics are based on Red Skelton's famous "Junior the Mean Widdle Kid". He appeared in ...
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 A knit cap, colloquially known as a beanie, 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 mad ...
-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! ''Hoodwinked!'' is a 2005 American animated musical mystery comedy film directed and written by Cory Edwards along with Todd Edwards, and Tony Leech, and produced by Katie Hooten, Maurice Kanbar, David K. Lovegren, Sue Bea Montgomery, a ...
'' and ''
Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil ''Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil'' is a 2011 American animated spy comedy film directed by Mike Disa in his theatrical feature directorial debut and written by Disa, Cory Edwards, Todd Edwards, and Tony Leech. The sequel to '' Hoodwinked!'' ( ...
'' 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 Aron J. Warner is an American film producer, screenwriter, and voice actor, best known for producing the ''Shrek'' films. He was known as the first person to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Life and career Warner joined PDI/ ...
) 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 Wagner Maniçoba de Moura (; born 27 June 1976) is a Brazilian actor, voice-actor and filmmaker. His accolades include the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''The Secret Agent'' (2025), as well as a Golden Globe n ...
) appears as the
personification of death Personifications of death are found in many religions and mythologies. In more modern stories, a character known as the Grim Reaper (usually depicted as a berobed skeleton wielding a scythe) causes the victim's death by coming to collect that per ...
, who wishes to kill
Puss in Boots "Puss in Boots" (; ; ; ) is a European fairy tale about an anthropomorphic cat who uses trickery and deceit to gain power, wealth, and the hand in marriage of a princess for his penniless and low-born master. The oldest written telling version ...
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 The Sesame Street 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''. Henson's involvement in ''Sesame Street'' began when he and Joan Ganz Co ...
). 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 Nelson (July 10, 1934 – August 23, 2012) was an American puppeteer, best known for his work with The Muppets. Known for his wide range of characters and singing abilities, he performed Muppet characters on ''Sesame Street'', ''The M ...
(particularly the blue version) and occasionally performed by
Tyler Bunch Tyler Bunch, also known as H.D. Quinn, https://twitter.com/tyler_bunch?lang=en is an American puppeteer, director, and actor. Career Since 1993, Bunch has been a puppet performer for The Jim Henson Company and The Muppets Studio. Under the ...
,
Kevin Clash Kevin Jeffrey Clash (born September 17, 1960) is an American puppeteer, director and producer best known for puppeteering Elmo on ''Sesame Street'' from 1985 to 2012. He also performed puppets for ''Labyrinth'', ''Dinosaurs'', '' Oobi'', and vari ...
,
Joey Mazzarino Joseph Mazzarino (; born June 4, 1968) is an American puppeteer, actor, director and writer. 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 ''S ...
, 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''. Rudman currently performs the roles of Scooter, Janice, and Beaker for ...
, 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''. Rudman currently performs the roles of Scooter, Janice, and Beaker for ...
) 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. Her long career has included puppetry on television and roles in musical theatre in the West End, as well as other television, film and voice roles. Gold was raised in London ...
), his father Well-Clad Wolf (performed by
Jerry Nelson Jerry Nelson (July 10, 1934 – August 23, 2012) was an American puppeteer, best known for his work with The Muppets. Known for his wide range of characters and singing abilities, he performed Muppet characters on ''Sesame Street'', ''The M ...
), his brother Big Rad Wolf (performed by
Joey Mazzarino Joseph Mazzarino (; born June 4, 1968) is an American puppeteer, actor, director and writer. 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 ''S ...
), 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 film ...
), 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 was the second British-American spin-off of ''Sesame Street'' that the BBC had made after '' Sesame Tree'' 6 years before. The show ran on CBeebi ...
'' 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 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 fam ...
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 style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...
-style
trenchcoat A trench coat 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, hence the name ''trench coat.'' Originally made ...
-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 ''The Wolf Among Us'' is an episodic adventure game developed and published by Telltale Games. It is 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 American's Hallmark Entertainment. It depicts the adventures of a ...
'', 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 Lamb and mutton, collectively sheep meat (or sheepmeat) is one of the most common meats around the world, taken from the domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries'', and generally divided into lamb, from sheep in their first year, hogget, from sheep in thei ...
,
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 Virginia Wolf were an English rock band from Manchester, England. Their two albums were ''Virginia Wolf'' (1986) and ''Push'' (1987). The band existed from 1977 until 1988 and featured Nick Bold on lead guitar, Chris Ousey on vocals, Jason Bonh ...
.)


''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 ''Class Warfare'' is a book of collected interviews with Noam Chomsky conducted by David Barsamian. It was first published in the United States by Common Courage Press, and in the United Kingdom by Pluto Press, in 1996. Publishing history The ...
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 Robert Paul Weston is a British people, British-born Canadian author of novels for children and young adults. His debut was the award-winning verse novel, novel-in-verse, ''Zorgamazoo''. His second novel, ''Dust City'', a dark fantasy for young ...
, 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 ''Goldie & Bear'' is an American animated fantasy children's television series created by Jorge Aguirre for Disney Junior. The series is produced by Milk Barn Entertainment and Titmouse, Inc in its first and second seasons respectively. Inspire ...
'' 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 This is a list of wolves in fiction, including normal wolves and anthropomorphic wolf characters. For werewolf characters see List of werewolves. Literature Folk tale *''The Boy Who Cried Wolf'' *'' The Goat and Her Three Kids'' *''Little Red Ri ...
*
List of wolves {{about, individual wolves, a list of wolf species, List of canids, individual dogs, List of individual dogs Wolves are mammals in the genus ''Canis''. While the term "wolf" most commonly refers to the grey wolf, it may also refer to closely relate ...


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