Heffer Wolfe
Encyclopedia
Heffer Wolfe is a fictional character
on the cartoon Rocko's Modern Life
and the comic book series of the same name. Tom Kenny
provided the voice of the anthropomorphic steer
. His catchphrase, which can be heard in the series' opening credits, is "That was a hoot!"
sandwiches and "had an interesting take on life." Heffer first appeared on an ID spot aired on MTV
in 1989; the ID spot depicts Heffer as flying out of a television with the MTV logo branded on his buttocks
.
Murray originally wrote "Sucker for the Suck-O-Matic" as the pilot episode; the executives decided that Heffer would be "a little too weird for test audiences." Murray, instead of removing Heffer from "Sucker for the Suck-O-Matic," decided to write "Trash-O-Madness," an episode without Heffer, as the pilot episode. Originally, Murray did not include any information about Heffer's origins in his pitch to Nickelodeon. Vince Calandra wrote the Heffer's origin plotline in Season 1.
Murray auditioned Tom Kenny
in a large casting call in Los Angeles
and chose him as the voice actor for Heffer. Kenny based Heffer's voice on the voice of a nephew of his; at the time the nephew was a teenager. The boy, who was 13 when the Heffer voice started, was the son of Kenny's brother. Kenny said that the voice was "[n]ot dead on, but some of his quirks I incorporated into the Heffer audition."
Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, a storyboard writer, says that Heffer's right eye and left nostril are "notched at the bottom" due to Murray's design style. Marsh added that the animators found keeping the sides straight "a little tricky at first" and that they referred to the design as "Tombstone-shaped."
, Heffer was raised by wolves in Richhill—as seen by his family name
—who originally were going to eat him, and thus began to fatten him. Eventually the family grew to love Heffer, so they instead raised him, not letting him know that he was adopted until Rocko accidentally revealed the truth when the Wolfe Family invited him for dinner. The mark which Heffer believed to be a "birthmark
" on his buttocks is actually the plotting lines showing where the wolves were going to divide him.
The Nickelodeon UK page describes Heffer as a "devoted friend" who "loves life." Heffer's lack of fear mostly stems from stupidity instead of genuine bravery. The Nickelodeon South East Asia
website describes him as an "overgrown slob." Despite being obese, he can drive; unlike Rocko he does not wear seat belt
s.
Heffer holds several jobs: tree farmer, greenskeeper at a golf course, mail carrier, security guard, waiter at a café, and cashier. Despite his size, he can be very nimble at times, most notably when he is roller-skating. At the local skating rink, he is known as "The King," and performs his own skating routine at the request of the patrons.
Heffer's large size often has him hungry or eating. Another running gag
is Heffer being called a cow, which is usually corrected by him or his father calling Heffer a steer. Heffer's name is taken from the word "heifer".
It is revealed in an episode that Heffer's biological father is still alive with a girl cow named Joyce living in a trailer in the Canoga Park
section of the San Fernando Valley
region of Los Angeles
, California
, United States
. However, Heffer's father seems to have very little patience for his son, even to the point of dropping the short-tempered bombshell that "your mother's a car seat in Illinois
."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the cartoon Rocko's Modern Life
Rocko's Modern Life
Rocko's Modern Life is an animated series created by Joe Murray. The show aired for four seasons between 1993 and 1996 on Nickelodeon. Rocko's Modern Life is based around the surreal, parodic adventures of an anthropomorphic wallaby named Rocko, and his life in the city of O-Town...
and the comic book series of the same name. Tom Kenny
Tom Kenny
Thomas James "Tom" Kenny is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is especially known for his long-running-role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as the live-action character Patchy the Pirate, Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on...
provided the voice of the anthropomorphic steer
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
. His catchphrase, which can be heard in the series' opening credits, is "That was a hoot!"
Conception and development
Joe Murray, creator of Rocko's Modern Life, partially based Heffer on an adopted friend who enjoyed bolognaBologna sausage
Bologna sausage is an American sausage derived from and definitely not similar to the Italian mortadella . It is commonly called boloney, baloney or, more formally, bologna...
sandwiches and "had an interesting take on life." Heffer first appeared on an ID spot aired on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
in 1989; the ID spot depicts Heffer as flying out of a television with the MTV logo branded on his buttocks
Buttocks
The buttocks are two rounded portions of the anatomy, located on the posterior of the pelvic region of apes and humans, and many other bipeds or quadrupeds, and comprise a layer of fat superimposed on the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles. Physiologically, the buttocks enable weight to...
.
Murray auditioned Tom Kenny
Tom Kenny
Thomas James "Tom" Kenny is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is especially known for his long-running-role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as the live-action character Patchy the Pirate, Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on...
in a large casting call in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and chose him as the voice actor for Heffer. Kenny based Heffer's voice on the voice of a nephew of his; at the time the nephew was a teenager. The boy, who was 13 when the Heffer voice started, was the son of Kenny's brother. Kenny said that the voice was "[n]ot dead on, but some of his quirks I incorporated into the Heffer audition."
Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, a storyboard writer, says that Heffer's right eye and left nostril are "notched at the bottom" due to Murray's design style. Marsh added that the animators found keeping the sides straight "a little tricky at first" and that they referred to the design as "Tombstone-shaped."
Character
Best friend of RockoRocko
Rocko Wallaby is the eponymous fictional character of the cartoon Rocko's Modern Life and the comic book series of the same name. Rocko was born in Australia and emigrated to America in High School. He was pitched to Nickelodeon executives as having the personality of a young wallaby Woody Allen...
, Heffer was raised by wolves in Richhill—as seen by his family name
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
—who originally were going to eat him, and thus began to fatten him. Eventually the family grew to love Heffer, so they instead raised him, not letting him know that he was adopted until Rocko accidentally revealed the truth when the Wolfe Family invited him for dinner. The mark which Heffer believed to be a "birthmark
Birthmark
A birthmark is a benign irregularity on the skin which is present at birth or appears shortly after birth, usually in the first month. They can occur anywhere on the skin. Birthmarks are caused by overgrowth of blood vessels, melanocytes, smooth muscle, fat, fibroblasts, or...
" on his buttocks is actually the plotting lines showing where the wolves were going to divide him.
Nickelodeon South East Asia
Nickelodeon Southeast Asia is a satellite and cable TV channel for children and teenagers. Operated by MTV Networks Asia Pacific and owned by Viacom International....
website describes him as an "overgrown slob." Despite being obese, he can drive; unlike Rocko he does not wear seat belt
Seat belt
A seat belt or seatbelt, sometimes called a safety belt, is a safety harness designed to secure the occupant of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result from a collision or a sudden stop...
s.
Heffer holds several jobs: tree farmer, greenskeeper at a golf course, mail carrier, security guard, waiter at a café, and cashier. Despite his size, he can be very nimble at times, most notably when he is roller-skating. At the local skating rink, he is known as "The King," and performs his own skating routine at the request of the patrons.
Heffer's large size often has him hungry or eating. Another running gag
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....
is Heffer being called a cow, which is usually corrected by him or his father calling Heffer a steer. Heffer's name is taken from the word "heifer".
It is revealed in an episode that Heffer's biological father is still alive with a girl cow named Joyce living in a trailer in the Canoga Park
Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California
Canoga Park is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, United States about 25 miles northwest of Downtown Los Angeles....
section of the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
region of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. However, Heffer's father seems to have very little patience for his son, even to the point of dropping the short-tempered bombshell that "your mother's a car seat in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
."
External links
- TVARK MTV Europe - Contains original MTV ID Spot (click on Ident-Tribal)