''The Goodbye Family'' are a fictional family of

undertaker A funeral director, also known as an undertaker or mortician (American English), is a professional who has licenses in funeral arranging and embalming (or preparation of the deceased) involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks o ...

s created by

fantasy Western The Western is a genre Setting (narrative), set in the American frontier and commonly associated with Americana (culture), folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Weste ...

author and illustrator

Lorin Morgan-Richards Lorin Morgan-Richards (born February 16, 1975) is an American author, illustrator, and songwriter, primarily known for his young adult fiction and Gothic Western comedy series ''The Goodbye Family''. In the past, Morgan-Richards served as the p ...

. The Goodbye Family comprises Pyridine Goodbye, matriarch and mortician, Otis, father and driver of the

hearse A hearse () is a large vehicle, originally a horse carriage but later with the introduction of motor vehicles, a car, used to carry the body of a deceased person in a coffin to a funeral, wake, or graveside service. They range from deliberately ...

, their child Orphie, who has the dual role of

gravedigger A gravedigger is a cemetery worker who is responsible for digging a grave prior to a funeral service. Gravediggers have historically often been members of the church, though in modern secular cemeteries, they may be temporary or full-time staf ...

and self-appointed town Sheriff, and their pets: Ouiji the cat, a tarantula named Dorian, and Midnight their horse. Since 2009, the Goodbyes have appeared in both single panel comic and literature as part of the Great Mountain book series by Morgan-Richards that begin with ''Me’ma and the Great Mountain''. The humor of the Goodbye Family is typically gothic or

macabre In works of art, the adjective macabre ( or ; ) means "having the quality of having a grim or ghastly atmosphere". The macabre works to emphasize the details and symbols of death. The term also refers to works particularly gruesome in natu ...

, and often satirizing

industrialization Industrialisation (British English, UK) American and British English spelling differences, or industrialization (American English, US) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an i ...

and rules of authority. In 2021, ''The Goodbye Family: The Animated Series'' made its debut on YouTube, and subsequently followed with streaming services.

New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Clay Felker and Milton Glaser in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'' a ...

listed it in the top ten of animated TV series in 2022.

Characters and story

Beginning in 2009, Morgan-Richards started to produce the Goodbye Family as one-off cards after an inspiring trip to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. Morgan-Richards envisioned Orphie, the daughter, and primary character, on the roof of the

Notre Dame Cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris ( ; meaning "Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris"), often referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the River Seine), in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, France. It ...

sitting with gargoyles, while her parents Otis tried to board a train with a

shrunken head A shrunken head is a severed and specially-prepared human head with the skull removed many times smaller than its original size that is used for trophy, ritual, trade, or other purposes. Headhunting is believed to have occurred in many regi ...

, and Pyridine publicly sewed a cadaver in Cardiff. Subsequent single panel comics and merchandise were made of each character but before delving further into their identities. In 2012, A Raven Above Press released Morgan-Richards' first novel '' Me’ma and the Great Mountain'', about an indigenous girl that overcomes

ghoul In folklore, a ghoul (from , ') is a demon-like being or monstrous humanoid, often associated with graveyards and the consumption of human flesh. In the legends or tales in which they appear, a ghoul is far more ill-mannered and foul than go ...

ish spirits to save her people. Along with her journey, she meets Hollis Sorrow, a friendly character entombed in a casket made by Goodbye Family Funeral, marking the first mention in literature of the Goodbye Family. By 2015, Steamkat, an online comic distributor, weekly featured The Goodbye Family comic, and starting in the following year, Morgan-Richards released subsequent book collections about the family and syndicated his series through social media and a short run on

Tapas Tapas () are appetisers or snacks in Spanish cuisine. They can be combined to make a full meal and are served cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or hot (such as , which are battered, fried baby squid; or , spicy potatoes). In some bars ...

.The world of the Goodbyes has been further expressed in novels, comic collections, and a TV series. The Goodbye family lives in a giant tree that has been made habitable by Otis' woodworking. Their original house was lost in a fire due to the war of the Tried and Boorish. Family * Orphie: Daughter who loves mischief and has the strength of 20 men – which comes in handy when carrying caskets and as a gravedigger. She finds herself most often filling in as sheriff of the town and training her pet spider Dorian. * Otis: Driver of their funeral hearse with an uncanny ability to smell demise a mile away. He is in charge of all the wakes. He spends his free time walking his hat and feeding their horse Midnight various pickled things. * Pyridine: Matriarch and mortician of the family. She enjoys needling cadavers and social gatherings with the undead. * Ouiji: the family cat. Believed to be part Siamese due to her glowing red eyes. * Dorian: Orphie's pet tarantula (specifically a Needlepoint Tarantula) that loves to spin webbed accessories for the family. * Midnight: Most likely a

Friesian horse The Friesian ( in Dutch; in West Frisian) is a horse breed originating in Friesland in north Netherlands. The breed nearly became extinct on more than one occasion. It is classified as a light draught horse, and the modern day Friesian hor ...

, she is the Goodbye's main implement of travel for both single rider and carriage. She characteristically is fueled by pickled things. * Kepla: a mysterious sibling of Orphie that happens to be somehow older than her parents. Kepla is often found digging for crickets in the cemetery. * Lassie: a deadly snake that was introduced in the 2019 comics that assists Orphie like a lasso in catching villains. * Cousin Kook: an odd cousin who has a penchant for hoarding and appearing at the wrong times. * Grandma Yeast: a cat lady who resides in Nothom, the story's

Netherworld Netherworld (''nether'', ″beneath, lower″) may refer to: *Underworld, a region thought to be beneath the surface of the world in many religions and mythologies Film and television * ''Netherworld'' (film), a 1992 American horror film *''Nethe ...

. She is known to wear her shoes backward. * Uncle Richard-Lael Lillard: medium who lives outside of town in a stone mansion. Townsfolk * Rowe Barrow: concerned citizen and close friend of Orphie. * Lee Minor: hard working friend of Orphie. * Rusty Potts: drifting miner who has a donkey named Jenny. * Max Star: mail delivery and pony express rider. * Barry Dingle: wealthy land owner, controls the majority share of agriculture. * Ol' Man Pickenpinch: struggling farmer. * Madam Dusty: a powerfully rich madam who runs the local brothel. * Knockout Kate: works under Madam Dusty and has a violent temper. * Reverend Moustache: preacher for the troubled town of Nicklesworth. * Mayor Big Jo: mayor of Nicklesworth and board chair of the Big Wig Society. * Souq: a walking skeleton that enjoys flashing. * Teddy and Tammy Fae Helios: (pronounced Hello) are antagonists to the Goodbyes, opposite and revealed as sunlight eating vampires. * Tumbleweed: a joking flying bushel of weeds. In an interview, when asked about the characters influences Morgan-Richards replied: "I suppose Pyridine Goodbye, the matriarch, is loosely based on my wife, Otis Goodbye is myself, and Orphie their child is Berlin (Morgan-Richards' daughter) and our friend's child Heidi (who came before our daughter). All though with a few other influences. Just like the Goodbye Family we do have a pet tarantula and Siamese cat."

Humor

Morgan-Richards clarifies the genre of ''The Goodbye Family'': "I fall into the category of

Weird West Weird West, also known as Weird Western, is a term used for the hybrid genres of fantasy Western, horror Western and science fiction Western, combining elements of the Western genre with those of fantasy, horror and science fiction. The ter ...

, but I think it may be more of a 'Down West' as I'd like to call it, for its sense of macabre western humor".

''The Goodbye Family and the Great Mountain''

''The Goodbye Family and the Great Mountain'' is a gothic Western

juvenile fiction Young adult literature (YA) is typically written for readers aged 12 to 18 and includes most of the themes found in adult fiction, such as family dysfunction, substance abuse, alcoholism, and sexuality. It is characterized by simpler world build ...

novel by

, the second in his Great Mountain series, about undertakers Otis, Pyridine, and their daughter Orphie. According to the book's summary Pyridine is a witch and mortician, Otis is a bumbling but brazen hearse driver, and Orphie has the strength of twenty men and helps with grave digging. Following the first novel '' Me’ma and the Great Mountain'', Me’ma, an Indigenous child, has routed the mining tycoon Baron Von Nickle and headed west over the Great Mountain as the defeated and leaderless miners returned east to the town of Nicklesworth. Frank Thorne is the only soldier to stay intact and searches for the Baron's accomplice. The Goodbye family, undertakers in town, hear of the defeat when the Baron's

rattail Grenadiers or rattails are generally large, brown to black gadiform marine fish of the subfamily Macrourinae, the largest subfamily of the family Macrouridae. Found at great depths from the Arctic to Antarctic, members of this subfamily are amo ...

hair appear on their doorstep. The Goodbye's, suffering from poor business, look to monetize the situation and seek an heir, but find the townsfolk are turning into zombies. Otis finds the culprit in a new tonic that leads the family to Nothom, the

underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld. ...

, where Thorne is following close behind. They find a production facility that is pumping oil to those above for consumption, dramatically altering the land of Nothom to the dissatisfaction of the Goodbyes. In turn, and without the Baron, the oil is causing the townspeople above, like Thorne, to become the living dead and fall under the control of the Baron's accomplice, a wicked warlock named Zenwick Aldrich. The book is a blend of goth and humor and stylistically has been compared to author's like

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 story includes a foreword by

medium Medium may refer to: Aircraft *Medium bomber, a class of warplane * Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''The Medium'' (1921 film), a German silent film * ''The Medium'' (1951 film), a film vers ...

Richard-Lael Lillard. A common theme in Morgan-Richards' stories is an underlying environmental message. Similarly, to his first novel, '' Me'ma and the Great Mountain'', he also provides a solution. In ''The Goodbye Family and the Great Mountain'', dependence on

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...

is the cause of conflict and the Goodbye family's disruption and disorder saves the day.

Collections of comics

*''Memento Mori: The Goodbye Family Album''. 2017. *''Wanted: Dead or Alive… But Not Stinkin’''. 2017. *''The Goodbye Family Unveiled''. 2017. *''Down West''. 2018. *''Nicklesworth: Featuring the Goodbye Family''. 2018. * ''Gallows Humor: Hangin' with the Goodbye Family'' (2018) * ''Dead Man's Hand-kerchief: Dealing with the Goodbye Family'' (2019) * ''The Importance of Being Otis: Undertaking with the Goodbye Family'' (2019) * ''Yippee Ki-Yayenne Mother Pepper: Getting Saucy with the Goodbye Family'' (2019) * ''Pyridine's Fancy: It's a Grave Business with the Goodbye Family'' (2020) * ''Keeping up with the Boneses: Digging with the Goodbye Family'' (2020) * ''Family Messings: Getting Dirty with the Goodbye Family'' (2021) * ''It's Your Funeral: Stitched Up with the Goodbye Family'' (2022) * ''It Came From the Outhouse: Off the Grid with the Goodbye Family'' (2024)

Comic volumes

* ''The Goodbye Family Jewels: Volume 1'' (2020)

Novels

*'' Me’ma and the Great Mountain''. 2012. *'' The Goodbye Family and the Great Mountain''. 2020.

Television

Initially, Morgan-Richards released his episodes of ''The Goodbye Family: The Animated Series'' in parts on YouTube. On August 19, 2022, Amazon Prime Video picked up the series's first season, as well as

Tubi Tubi (stylized as tubi) is an American over-the-top ad-supported streaming television service owned by Fox Corporation since 2020. The service was launched on April 1, 2014, and is based in Los Angeles, California. In 2023, Tubi, Credible L ...

on October 28, 2022. The series has also been added to streaming platforms Apple TV, Xumo, to name a few. In December 2023, the series was renewed on Tubi for its second season.

Writers

Since inception, the series has been written by Lorin Morgan-Richards and editor Jessica Rose Felix.

Voice actors

''The Goodbye Family: The Animated Series'' has several main cast members: Nick Gligor voices Rusty Potts, Lou Steed, Teddy Helios, Tumbleweed, Cousin Kook, as well as several minor characters. Berlin Richards voices Orphie Goodbye and other children. Nana Grace voices Lee Minor, Madeline Sage, and other female episodic characters.

voices Otis Goodbye, Barry Dingle, Reverend Moustache, and other male episodic characters. Valerie Stoneking primarily voices Pyridine Goodbye and female townspeople. Elijah Shaffer voices Rowe Barrow and Mayor Big Jo. Recurring guest appearances have included Richard-Lael Lillard, Mather Louth and Chopper Franklin, among others.

Animated series

Morgan-Richards uses the animation software

Toon Boom Toon Boom Animation Inc., also known as Toon Boom, is a Canadian software company founded in 1994 and based in Montreal, Quebec. It specializes in the development and production of animation and storyboarding software for film, television, the ...

and has been the sole animator for the series, and stylistically it has been described as a pen-scratched, gothic take on the Old West.

Season 1 (2021–22)

Season 2 (2022–23)

Season 3 (2023-24)

Season 4 (2024-25)

Specials

Awards

Audiobook

In August 2022, an audiobook was released for ''The Goodbye Family and the Great Mountain'', narrated by Richard-Lael Lillard. The following year, Richards released ''Me’ma and the Great Mountain'' narrated by Jessica Rose Felix, and with a foreword by Corine Fairbanks.

Soundtrack

In 2021, Ratchet Blade Records released ''The Goodbye Family'' EP, produced and mixed by Chopper Franklin, lyrics by Lorin Morgan-Richards, vocals by Mather Louth and music by the Heathen Apostles. Song list includes ''Sew it up'', ''Get Outta Dodge'', and ''Lake of Fire'' (instrumental). In the second season of ''The Goodbye Family: The Animated Series'', Richards and Franklin collaborated again to create ''Gothic Western Haunt''. A single, produced and mixed by Chopper Franklin, lyrics by Lorin Morgan-Richards, vocals by Mather Louth and music by Heathen Apostles (2023, Ratchet Blade Records).

References

External links

''The Goodbye Family''
on

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodbye Family, The 2009 comics debuts American comics characters American black comedy comics Comics about married people Comics characters introduced in 2009 Environmental fiction books Fantasy Westerns Fictional families Fictional undertakers Gag cartoon comics Gag-a-day comics Humor comics Mass media franchises introduced in 2009 Metafictional comics Satirical comics Surreal comedy comics Tapastic webcomics Webtoons Western (genre) comics Western (genre) comics characters 2020s American animated comedy television series 2020s American adult animated television series 2020s American horror comedy television series 2020s American satirical television series 2020s American sitcoms 2021 American animated television series debuts American animated sitcoms Animated television series about families Animated television series about ghosts American English-language television shows American adult animated comedy television series