Mother Goose and Grimm
Encyclopedia
Mother Goose and Grimm (aka Mother Goose & Grimm) is an internationally syndicated comic strip
by Pulitzer Prize
-winning cartoonist
Mike Peters. It was first syndicated in 1984 and is distributed by King Features Syndicate
to more than 800 newspapers. Peters has received recognition for the strip with the National Cartoonists Society
's 1991 Reuben Award and a nomination for their Newspaper Comic Strip Award for 2000.
named Grimm, known as Grimmy. Although he is a pet, he is currently depicted as being able to speak with both human and animal characters in the strip. Grimmy's communication was previously depicted in thought balloons. Grimmy's fellow pet is a cat named Attila, with whom he has a sometimes acrimonious but sometimes friendly relationship. Both Grimmy and Attila are owned by Mother Goose (whom the two refer to as "Mom"), an anthropomorphic goose living in human society. The supporting characters include Ralph, a not too bright Boston Terrier
. The strip originally had an additional regular, a pig named Ham who shared the house with Mother Goose, until that character was dropped during the 1990s.
The strip's subject matter features both one-a-day gags and week-long storylines. The central characters sometimes encounter real-life personalities such as Fidel Castro
and Trouble Helmsley. Occasional strips feature gags in which none of the main characters appear; many of these involve animals acting anthropomorphically or are based on characters from literature, popular culture, folklore and mythology, such as Dracula
, Superman
, Robin Hood
and Zeus
.
The November 7th, 2011, strip mentions two restaurants, Le Barnardin and Per Se, located in New York City, suggesting that the characters may live there.
aired a Saturday morning cartoon
in 1991, Mother Goose and Grimm, also promoted as Grimmy, based on the strip. The voice performers included Charlie Brill
as Grimmy, Mitzi McCall
as Mother Goose, and Greg Burson
as Attila. The show is often shown in syndication. It featured early animation work by Stephen Hillenburg
, who went on to work on the Nickelodeon hit cartoon Rocko's Modern Life
and later created SpongeBob SquarePants
.
animated film, Garfield Gets Real
. His first appearance was in the cafeteria scene, when Odie jumps on the table that Grimmy's sitting at. His second one was when he was drinking out of the water fountain near the auditorium, in which he sees a poodle
and immediately falls in love, drops the water on his head, and follows the poodle. He later appeared again in another cafeteria scene in which everyone is thinking of an idea in which to bring Garfield and Odie to come back to Cartoonworld. He appeared again in the men's bathroom drinking out of the toilet, and is immediataly embarrassed. This was similar to Dagwood's scene in which he is taking a bath. His final appearance was when everybody is cheering that they had brought back Garfield from the real world, in which he is in a crowd cheering. He did not appear in the sequels, "Garfield's Fun Fest
", and "Garfield's Pet Force".
in each can of coffee. The comic strip refers to an advertising slogan of Colombian coffee that there's a little bit of Juan Valdez in every can of Colombian coffee. In response to the comic strip, the Colombian Coffee-growers Federation
made plans to sue artist Mike Peters for linking Colombian coffee to human rights abuse
. The Colombian Coffee-growers Federation announced it would seek at least $20,000,000 "for damage and harm, detriment to intellectual property and defamation" as well as a retraction from all newspapers that published the comic strip that day. Federation President Gabriel Silva called the comic strip "a denigrating and disrespectful piece of black humor
". Peters responded saying that he loves Colombia, drinks Colombian coffee every day, and meant no offense or insult. Peters said the comic strip is meant to be read along with the other comic strips that week, including one that refers to a can of Pringles
potato chips containing the ashes of the inventor of Pringles.
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
by Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
Mike Peters. It was first syndicated in 1984 and is distributed by King Features Syndicate
King Features Syndicate
King Features Syndicate, a print syndication company owned by The Hearst Corporation, distributes about 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editorial cartoons, puzzles and games to nearly 5000 newspapers worldwide...
to more than 800 newspapers. Peters has received recognition for the strip with the National Cartoonists Society
National Cartoonists Society
The National Cartoonists Society is an organization of professional cartoonists in the United States. It presents the National Cartoonists Society Awards. The Society was born in 1946 when groups of cartoonists got together to entertain the troops...
's 1991 Reuben Award and a nomination for their Newspaper Comic Strip Award for 2000.
Characters and story
The strip's main character is a bull terrierBull Terrier
The Bull Terrier or English Bull Terrier is a breed of dog in the terrier family. They are known for their large, egg-shaped head, small triangular eyes, and "jaunty gait." Their temperament has been described as generally fun-loving, active and clownish...
named Grimm, known as Grimmy. Although he is a pet, he is currently depicted as being able to speak with both human and animal characters in the strip. Grimmy's communication was previously depicted in thought balloons. Grimmy's fellow pet is a cat named Attila, with whom he has a sometimes acrimonious but sometimes friendly relationship. Both Grimmy and Attila are owned by Mother Goose (whom the two refer to as "Mom"), an anthropomorphic goose living in human society. The supporting characters include Ralph, a not too bright Boston Terrier
Boston Terrier
The Boston Terrier is a breed of dog originating in the United States of America. This "American Gentleman" was accepted in 1893 by the American Kennel Club as a non-sporting breed. Color and markings are important when distinguishing this breed to the AKC standard. They should be either black,...
. The strip originally had an additional regular, a pig named Ham who shared the house with Mother Goose, until that character was dropped during the 1990s.
The strip's subject matter features both one-a-day gags and week-long storylines. The central characters sometimes encounter real-life personalities such as Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
and Trouble Helmsley. Occasional strips feature gags in which none of the main characters appear; many of these involve animals acting anthropomorphically or are based on characters from literature, popular culture, folklore and mythology, such as Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
, Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
and Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
.
The November 7th, 2011, strip mentions two restaurants, Le Barnardin and Per Se, located in New York City, suggesting that the characters may live there.
Books
- The Portable Mother Goose and Grimm (1987)
- Oh God, It's Grimm (1987)
- Steel Belted Grimm (1988)
- Four Wheel Grimmy (1989)
- Grimmy Come Home (1990)
- It's Grimmy (1990)
- Grimmy: Best In ShowConformation showConformation shows, also referred to as breed shows, are a kind of dog show in which a judge familiar with a specific dog breed evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type for their breed, as described in a breed's individual breed standard.A...
(1990) - Grimmy: Pick of the LitterLitter (animal)A litter is the offspring at one birth of animals from the same mother and usually from one set of parents. The word is most often used for the offspring of mammals, but can be used for any animal that gives birth to multiple young. In comparison, a group of eggs and the offspring that hatch from...
(1990) - Grimmy: Night of the Living VacuumVacuumIn everyday usage, vacuum is a volume of space that is essentially empty of matter, such that its gaseous pressure is much less than atmospheric pressure. The word comes from the Latin term for "empty". A perfect vacuum would be one with no particles in it at all, which is impossible to achieve in...
(1991) - Grimmy: Top Dog (1991)
- Grimmy and the Temple of Groom (1992)
- Grimmy: The Postman Always Screams Twice (1996)
- Grimmy: Friends Don't Let Friends Own Cats (1996)
- Grimmy: King of the Heap (1997)
- Grimmy: Good Dog, Bad Breath (1999)
- Grimmy: Always Stop & Smell the HydrantsFire hydrantA fire hydrant , is an active fire protection measure, and a source of water provided in most urban, suburban and rural areas with municipal water service to enable firefighters to tap into the municipal water...
(1999) - Grimmy: Cats & PancakePancakeA pancake is a thin, flat, round cake prepared from a batter, and cooked on a hot griddle or frying pan. Most pancakes are quick breads; some use a yeast-raised or fermented batter. Most pancakes are cooked one side on a griddle and flipped partway through to cook the other side...
s Stick to the Ceiling (1999) - Grimmy: In a Class by Himself (1999)
- Grimmy: Mailmen Can't Jump (1999)
- Grimmy: My Dad was a BoxerBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
(1999) - Grimmy: The Horrors of Global Worming (2000)
- Grimmy: The Revenge of Grimmzilla (2000)
- Grimmy: It's a Dog Sniff Dog World (2000)
- Revenge of the Fireplugs (2001)
- Grimmy Goes PostalGoing postalGoing postal, in American English slang, means becoming extremely and uncontrollably angry, often to the point of violence, and usually in a workplace environment....
(2001) - Grimmy's Flea CircusFlea circusA flea circus refers to a circus sideshow attraction in which fleas are attached to miniature carts and other items, and encouraged to perform circus acts within a small housing...
(2001) - Compost Happens (2001)
- Grimmy's Cat Tails (2001)
- Grimmy: One Sick Puppy (2001)
- The Ultimate Mother Goose and Grimm: 20th Anniversary Collection (2006)
Television show
CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
aired a Saturday morning cartoon
Saturday morning cartoon
A Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming that has typically been scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the present; the genre's peak in popularity mostly ended in the 1990s while the popularity of...
in 1991, Mother Goose and Grimm, also promoted as Grimmy, based on the strip. The voice performers included Charlie Brill
Charlie Brill
Charlie Brill is an American actor.His first motion picture was in The Beast of Budapest. He also appeared in Blackbeard's Ghost, The Amazing Dobermans and Off the Wall....
as Grimmy, Mitzi McCall
Mitzi McCall
Mitzi McCall is an American actress married to actor Charlie Brill. She performed on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. Other credits include guest appearances on Life Goes On, The Twilight Zone, Silk Stalkings , and voice work on many cartoons...
as Mother Goose, and Greg Burson
Greg Burson
-Biography:Greg Burson was given the responsibility of voicing Bugs Bunny in the 1995 Carrotblanca, a well-received 8-minute Looney Tunes cartoon originally shown in cinemas alongside The Amazing Panda Adventure and The Pebble and the Penguin...
as Attila. The show is often shown in syndication. It featured early animation work by Stephen Hillenburg
Stephen Hillenburg
Stephen McDannell Hillenburg is an American animator, writer, producer, actor, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants. He currently owns his own production company, United Plankton Pictures...
, who went on to work on the Nickelodeon hit 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 later created SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
.
Garfield Gets Real
Grimmy made a couple of appearances on the CGIComputer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
animated film, Garfield Gets Real
Garfield Gets Real
Garfield Gets Real is a 1999 CGI movie starring Garfield. It was produced by Paws, Inc. in cooperation with Davis Entertainment and The Animation Picture Company and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It was written by Garfield's creator Jim Davis, who started working on the script in the fall of 1996...
. His first appearance was in the cafeteria scene, when Odie jumps on the table that Grimmy's sitting at. His second one was when he was drinking out of the water fountain near the auditorium, in which he sees a poodle
Poodle
The Poodle is a breed of dog. The poodle breed is found officially in toy, miniature, and standard sizes, with many coat colors. Originally bred as a type of water dog, the poodle is highly intelligent and skillful in many dog sports, including agility, obedience, tracking, and even herding...
and immediately falls in love, drops the water on his head, and follows the poodle. He later appeared again in another cafeteria scene in which everyone is thinking of an idea in which to bring Garfield and Odie to come back to Cartoonworld. He appeared again in the men's bathroom drinking out of the toilet, and is immediataly embarrassed. This was similar to Dagwood's scene in which he is taking a bath. His final appearance was when everybody is cheering that they had brought back Garfield from the real world, in which he is in a crowd cheering. He did not appear in the sequels, "Garfield's Fun Fest
Garfield's Fun Fest
Garfield's Fun Fest is a 2008 CGI movie starring Garfield. It was produced by Paws, Inc. in cooperation with The Animation Picture Company and distributed by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. It was written by Garfield's creator Jim Davis as a sequel to Garfield Gets Real in 1999. The DVD...
", and "Garfield's Pet Force".
Lawsuit
In a comic strip published on January 2, 2009, one character wonders if the Colombian crime syndicate puts parts of the body of Juan ValdezJuan Valdez
Juan Valdez is a famous fictional character that has appeared in advertisements for the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia since 1959, representing the Colombian coffee farmer. The advertisements were designed by the Doyle Dane Bernbach ad agency, with the goal of distinguishing...
in each can of coffee. The comic strip refers to an advertising slogan of Colombian coffee that there's a little bit of Juan Valdez in every can of Colombian coffee. In response to the comic strip, the Colombian Coffee-growers Federation
Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia
The Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia , often abbreviated Fedecafé, is a non-profit business association, popularly known for its "Juan Valdez" marketing campaign. The federation was founded in 1927 as a business cooperative that promotes the production and exportation of Colombian coffee...
made plans to sue artist Mike Peters for linking Colombian coffee to human rights abuse
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
. The Colombian Coffee-growers Federation announced it would seek at least $20,000,000 "for damage and harm, detriment to intellectual property and defamation" as well as a retraction from all newspapers that published the comic strip that day. Federation President Gabriel Silva called the comic strip "a denigrating and disrespectful piece of black humor
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
". Peters responded saying that he loves Colombia, drinks Colombian coffee every day, and meant no offense or insult. Peters said the comic strip is meant to be read along with the other comic strips that week, including one that refers to a can of Pringles
Pringles
Pringles is a brand of potato and wheat based snacks originally developed by Procter & Gamble. Pringles are sold in more than 140 countries and have yearly sales of more than...
potato chips containing the ashes of the inventor of Pringles.
Sources
- Strickler, DaveDave StricklerDave Strickler is a reference librarian noted for his compilation of Syndicated Comic Strips and Artists, 1924–1995: The Complete Index, regarded as a major reference work by researchers and historians of newspaper comic strips....
. Syndicated Comic Strips and Artists, 1924-1995: The Complete Index. Cambria, California: Comics Access, 1995. ISBN 0-9700077-0-1