Otto Mann
Encyclopedia
Otto Mann is a fictional character
on the animated TV series The Simpsons
, voiced by Harry Shearer
. He is the school bus
driver for Springfield Elementary School. Born January 18, 1963.
descent, is notable for his maniacal driving style (which, along with never getting a driver's license, cost him his job on the season three
episode "The Otto Show
"), his love of heavy metal music
, and his propensity for sounding and acting like a perpetual 1980s
teenager. He also has a habit of describing things as "gnarly".
He has been seen at Alcoholics Anonymous
meetings: "My name is Otto, and I love to get blotto
!" He is a stoner
as well (he smokes with Homer
in "Weekend at Burnsie's
", had a joint with him on "Strong Arms of the Ma
", and smoked a bong
in The Simpsons Movie
). It has also been implied that Otto used other drugs like heroin and LSD
(in "Homerpalooza
", during Peter Frampton
's show, he sees his shoes talking to him; in "The Seven-Beer Snitch
", Otto's urine sample was so loaded with illegal substances that the inside of it looked like a scene from the cartoon Yellow Submarine). His openness towards substances is also demonstrated in the new HD intro, in which Otto ingests the presumably radioactive coil that Homer tosses out from work.
In the episode "Homer Defined
" he states that he has a brother, who married his "old lady." In the episode "The Otto Show
" it is revealed that he can play the guitar very skillfully and he says that is all he did in high school. He is often homeless, having been evicted from his apartment and forced to live with the Simpsons in "The Otto Show
", and found squatting
in the Simpsons' recently-vacated home in "You Only Move Twice
". It is also implied that he sleeps in the school bus on several occasions. His worldly possessions are (or were) nothing more than the clothes on his back, a couple of old 'cycle magazines and a jar of mustard. In the commentary for "Bart the Daredevil
", it is revealed that the writers planned to name him "Otto Mechanic", but the joke never appeared in an episode. To add to his typical teenager-like attitude, Otto never gives any rules, such as saying as children were boarding the bus, "Hey, quit shoving! Nah, I'm just kidding, you can shove all you want!" According to the episode "The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer
", Otto was in the same third grade class as Kearney, implying that, much like Kearney, Otto is actually older than he looks and acts, this is further explorated (and exaggerated) in The President Wore Pearls
, where it is suggested that he is even older than Krusty the Clown. His name is a joke on the Ottoman Empire
's name, as well as Bart's tendency to greet him with "Otto, man!" His look is based on former Simpsons writer Wallace Wolodarsky
. In the episode "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge
", when Otto puts on a top hat to propose to his girlfriend, Becky, he looks similar to Velvet Revolver
and former Guns N' Roses
guitarist Slash
; this could well be intentional, due to Otto's love for rock music. There may also be some reference to Jim Morrison
of The Doors
as well, given that both have/had a father who is a high ranking officer in the United States Navy. According to A Complete Guide To Our Favorite Family, it says that his favorite songs are "Free Bird
" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
, "Purple Haze
" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
, "Frankenstein
" by the Edgar Winter Group, and "Iron Man
" by Black Sabbath
.
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 animated TV series The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, voiced by Harry Shearer
Harry Shearer
Harry Julius Shearer is an American actor, comedian, writer, voice artist, musician, author, radio host and director. He is known for his long-running role on The Simpsons, his work on Saturday Night Live, the comedy band Spinal Tap and his radio program Le Show...
. He is the school bus
School bus
A school bus is a type of bus designed and manufactured for student transport: carrying children and teenagers to and from school and school events...
driver for Springfield Elementary School. Born January 18, 1963.
Profile
Otto, who is of GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
descent, is notable for his maniacal driving style (which, along with never getting a driver's license, cost him his job on the season three
The Simpsons (season 3)
The Simpsons third season originally aired on the Fox network between September 19, 1991 and May 7, 1992. The show runners for the third production season were Al Jean and Mike Reiss who executive produced 22 episodes the season, while two other episodes were produced by James L. Brooks, Matt...
episode "The Otto Show
The Otto Show
"The Otto Show" is the twenty-second episode of The Simpsons third season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 23, 1992. In the episode, Bart decides that he wants to become a rock star after attending a Spinal Tap concert, so Homer and Marge buy him a guitar...
"), his love of heavy metal music
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, and his propensity for sounding and acting like a perpetual 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
teenager. He also has a habit of describing things as "gnarly".
He has been seen at Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
meetings: "My name is Otto, and I love to get blotto
Drunkenness
Alcohol intoxication is a physiological state that occurs when a person has a high level of ethanol in his or her blood....
!" He is a stoner
Drug subculture
Drug subcultures are examples of countercultures, which are primarily defined by recreational drug use.Drug subcultures are groups of people united by a common understanding of the meaning and value of the incorporation into one's life of the drug in question...
as well (he smokes with Homer
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
in "Weekend at Burnsie's
Weekend at Burnsie's
"Weekend at Burnsie's" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons thirteenth season. It first aired in the United States on the Fox network on April 7, 2002. In the episode, Homer Simpson is prescribed medicinal marijuana after getting pecked in the eyes by a murder of crows. While his...
", had a joint with him on "Strong Arms of the Ma
Strong Arms of the Ma
"Strong Arms of the Ma" is the ninth episode of The Simpsons fourteenth season which aired on February 2, 2003. It is the 300th episode to be broadcast.-Plot:...
", and smoked a bong
Bong
A bong is a filtration device/apparatus generally used for smoking cannabis, tobacco,or other herbal substances.In construction and function a bong is similar to a hookah, except smaller and more portable...
in The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The film was directed by David Silverman, and stars the regular television cast of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Tress...
). It has also been implied that Otto used other drugs like heroin and LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
(in "Homerpalooza
Homerpalooza
"Homerpalooza" is the 24th episode of The Simpsons seventh season and originally aired on May 19, 1996. The plot focuses around Homer's depression about aging and no longer being cool, and his quest to become cool again by joining the "Hullabalooza" music festival as a carnival freak. The episode...
", during Peter Frampton
Peter Frampton
Peter Kenneth Frampton is an English musician, singer, producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. Frampton's international breakthrough album was his live release, Frampton Comes Alive!. The album sold over 6 million copies...
's show, he sees his shoes talking to him; in "The Seven-Beer Snitch
The Seven-Beer Snitch
"The Seven-Beer Snitch" is the fourteenth episode of The Simpsons sixteenth season, first aired on April 3, 2005 in the United States.-Plot:...
", Otto's urine sample was so loaded with illegal substances that the inside of it looked like a scene from the cartoon Yellow Submarine). His openness towards substances is also demonstrated in the new HD intro, in which Otto ingests the presumably radioactive coil that Homer tosses out from work.
In the episode "Homer Defined
Homer Defined
"Homer Defined" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 17, 1991. In the episode, Homer accidentally saves the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant from meltdown by choosing a button to a counting rhyme...
" he states that he has a brother, who married his "old lady." In the episode "The Otto Show
The Otto Show
"The Otto Show" is the twenty-second episode of The Simpsons third season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 23, 1992. In the episode, Bart decides that he wants to become a rock star after attending a Spinal Tap concert, so Homer and Marge buy him a guitar...
" it is revealed that he can play the guitar very skillfully and he says that is all he did in high school. He is often homeless, having been evicted from his apartment and forced to live with the Simpsons in "The Otto Show
The Otto Show
"The Otto Show" is the twenty-second episode of The Simpsons third season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 23, 1992. In the episode, Bart decides that he wants to become a rock star after attending a Spinal Tap concert, so Homer and Marge buy him a guitar...
", and found squatting
Squatting
Squatting consists of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use....
in the Simpsons' recently-vacated home in "You Only Move Twice
You Only Move Twice
"You Only Move Twice" is the second episode of The Simpsons eighth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 3, 1996. The episode, based on a story idea by Greg Daniels, has three major concepts: the family moves to a new town; Homer gets a friendly, sympathetic...
". It is also implied that he sleeps in the school bus on several occasions. His worldly possessions are (or were) nothing more than the clothes on his back, a couple of old 'cycle magazines and a jar of mustard. In the commentary for "Bart the Daredevil
Bart the Daredevil
"Bart the Daredevil" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons second season and aired on December 6, 1990. It was written by Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky and directed by Wes Archer. In the episode, the Simpsons go to a Monster truck rally that features famous daredevil Lance Murdock. Bart...
", it is revealed that the writers planned to name him "Otto Mechanic", but the joke never appeared in an episode. To add to his typical teenager-like attitude, Otto never gives any rules, such as saying as children were boarding the bus, "Hey, quit shoving! Nah, I'm just kidding, you can shove all you want!" According to the episode "The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer
The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer
"The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer" is the season premiere of The Simpsons’ eighteenth season and first aired September 10, 2006. Lisa meets Fat Tony's son, Michael, who does not want to enter the family business of the mafia, but wants to pursue his dream of being a chef...
", Otto was in the same third grade class as Kearney, implying that, much like Kearney, Otto is actually older than he looks and acts, this is further explorated (and exaggerated) in The President Wore Pearls
The President Wore Pearls
"The President Wore Pearls" is the third episode of the The Simpsons fifteenth season, first broadcast on November 16, 2003. The episode was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Music And Lyrics .-Plot:...
, where it is suggested that he is even older than Krusty the Clown. His name is a joke on the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
's name, as well as Bart's tendency to greet him with "Otto, man!" His look is based on former Simpsons writer Wallace Wolodarsky
Wallace Wolodarsky
Wallace Wolodarsky is an American television writer and director. He wrote for The Simpsons during the first four seasons; all of his episodes were co-written with former writing partner Jay Kogen...
. In the episode "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge
It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge
"It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge" is the twenty-first episode of The Simpsons eleventh season. It first aired in the United States on the Fox network on May 14, 2000. After a failed marriage attempt with Otto, Becky stays with the Simpson family...
", when Otto puts on a top hat to propose to his girlfriend, Becky, he looks similar to Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...
and former Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
guitarist Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
; this could well be intentional, due to Otto's love for rock music. There may also be some reference to Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors...
of The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
as well, given that both have/had a father who is a high ranking officer in the United States Navy. According to A Complete Guide To Our Favorite Family, it says that his favorite songs are "Free Bird
Free Bird
"Free Bird" is a song by the American southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd...
" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
, "Purple Haze
Purple Haze
"Purple Haze" is a song written in 1966 and recorded in 1967 by The Jimi Hendrix Experience and released as a single in both the United Kingdom and the United States. It appeared on their 1967 album Are You Experienced...
" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience were an English-American psychedelic rock band that formed in London in October 1966. Comprising eponymous singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix, bassist and backing vocalist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the band was active until June 1969, in which...
, "Frankenstein
Frankenstein (song)
"Frankenstein" is a rock instrumental by The Edgar Winter Group from their album They Only Come Out at Night.In live performances of the song, Edgar Winter further pioneered the advancement of the synthesizer as a lead instrument by becoming the first person ever to strap a keyboard instrument...
" by the Edgar Winter Group, and "Iron Man
Iron Man (song)
"Iron Man" is a song by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath from their second studio album Paranoid released in 1970. It was later included on their initial greatest hits compilation We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll , as well as all subsequent greatest hits compilations.-Writing and...
" by Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
.
External links
- Otto Mann at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...