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Origin (comics)

2025-10-06T13:08:42Z

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{{Short description|Marvel comic book series}}
{{redirect-distinguish|Wolverine: Origin|Wolverine: Origins|X-Men Origins: Wolverine}}
{{other uses of|origin|topic=comics|Origins (comics)}}
{{Infobox comic book title 
| title = Origin
| image = Wolverine origin1.jpg
| caption = ''Origin'' #1 Cover, art by Joe Quesada and Richard Isanove.
| schedule = Monthly
| limited = y
| Superhero = y
| publisher = [[Marvel Comics]]
| date = November [[2001 in comics|2001]] – July [[2002 in comics|2002]]
| issues = 6
| writers = [[Bill Jemas]] (plot) [[Paul Jenkins (writer)|Paul Jenkins]] (plot/script) [[Joe Quesada]] (plot)
| artists = [[Andy Kubert]] [[Richard Isanove]]
| pencillers =
| inkers =
| letterers =
| colorists =
| editors =
| creative_team_month =
| creative_team_year =
| creators =
| subcat = Marvel Comics
| addpubcat1 = Wolverine (comics) titles
| sort = Origin
| main_char_team = Logan/James Howlett Dog Logan Rose O'Hara Thomas Logan
}}
'''''Origin''''' (alternatively known as '''''Wolverine: Origin''''' or '''''Origin: The True Story of Wolverine''''') is a six-issue [[comic book]] [[Limited series (comics)|limited series]] published by [[Marvel Comics]] from November 2001 to July 2002, written by [[Bill Jemas]], [[Joe Quesada]] and [[Paul Jenkins (writer)|Paul Jenkins]], and illustrated by [[Andy Kubert]] (pencils) and [[Richard Isanove]] (color).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brevoort |first1=Tom |last2=DeFalco |first2=Tom |last3=Manning |first3=Matthew K. |last4=Sanderson |first4=Peter |last5=Wiacek |first5=Win |title=Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History |date=2017 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1465455505 |page=307}}</ref>

''Origin'' tells the story of the [[superhero]] [[Wolverine (character)|Wolverine]], best known as a member of the [[X-Men]]. Since the character first appeared in the early 1970s his history had often been shrouded in mystery, with bits of information revealed piecemeal over time (notably in ''[[Weapon Plus|Weapon X]]''), but this series was the first to reveal Wolverine's early days and his original background.

==Plot==

The series reveals that Wolverine was born James Howlett, the son of rich plantation owners in [[19th-century]] [[Canada]]. He is a sickly child who suffers from allergies, so his loving father, John Howlett, Jr., brings an orphaned girl named Rose up from the town to be his companion. The two children also often play with Dog Logan, son of the Howletts' brutal groundskeeper, [[Thomas Logan]] (who looks a lot like the fully-grown Wolverine). Readers are led to believe that Dog was the young Wolverine, but this is later revealed to not be the case. The children's friendship is spoiled by the tension between the boys' fathers centering on James' mother, Elizabeth, who went mad after her first son, John, died under mysterious circumstances years earlier. Rose later stumbles upon Elizabeth changing, and sees that she has three parallel scars along her ribs, hinting that John Howlett III had claws.

[[Image:Wolverine-first-claws.jpg|thumb|right|150px|James Howlett first uses his claws in ''Origin #2''.]]As a result of beatings and alcohol, Dog, over the next few years, becomes increasingly like his father, and his misdeeds, including an attempted assault on Rose and the killing of James' dog, become so violent that he and his father are expelled from the manor. Thomas returns for the purpose of robbing the Howlett estate and to convince Elizabeth to leave with him (it is implied that they had an affair and that Thomas may be the biological father of Elizabeth's sons).

John Howlett enters the bedroom after hearing noises. Thomas kills John Howlett with a [[shotgun]] in front of all three children and Elizabeth. The horror of his father's death causes James' powers to manifest for the first time, and he uses his claws to kill Thomas and injure Dog, before lapsing into shock. Elizabeth tells James "Not you too" (implying that something similar had happened to his deceased brother), rejecting him with disgust. James escapes and Rose follows him. Meanwhile, Elizabeth, surprisingly, cradles the body of Thomas Logan rather than that of her husband. After a few moments, with her shallow grip on reality shattered, she picks up Thomas' shotgun and kills herself in front of Dog.

Questioned by the police, Dog accuses Rose of the killings and the fact that she fled the scene with James appears to confirm this. James is still in shock and appears to have no recollection of what happened. This loss of memory is due to Wolverine's/James' healing factor which, in effect, "healed" (by putting up a mental block) the mentally devastating traumas of witnessing his father's death, the confusion at his mother's anger towards him and the pain and surprise caused by the sudden manifestation of his claws.

Rose seeks help from her aunt, her only relative, who rejects her saying that she had stopped being family when she chose to live with the Howlett's. James' grandfather then drives them both away from the house due to the manifestation of James' powers, mentioning he has had to deal with this sort of thing before. They are given some money and take the train from [[Alberta]] to [[British Columbia]], where they are given work in a stone quarry by the foreman, Smitty. Rose claims that her male companion is her cousin and, since they are on the run, calls him Logan to conceal his identity; though why she should choose the name of their enemy remains unexplained.

Over several years James/Logan strengthens physically, to the point where he no longer resembles the sickly child he had been, although his memory is still shattered. He often goes into the woods to [[hunt]] game, typically among a pack of [[wolves]]. He quickly becomes the head of the pack, and begins using his claws to hunt. He turns down Rose's offers to tell him about his past, and reacts angrily when the subject comes up. She therefore keeps detailed notes in her diary.

James begins to become close to Smitty, who, in turn, develops romantic feelings toward Rose, which she returns. He courts her with books, including poetry by [[William Blake]] and a history of the [[samurai]] (warriors whom Wolverine of the X-Men would later model himself after). Logan's public identity as her cousin makes it impossible for him to declare his own feelings for her. He seems to deal with his feelings by working hard at the quarry, and is given the nickname Wolverine by the local population, who compare his intense digging to a [[wolverine]] going after a root. He also develops a feud with the camp's obese cook, "Cookie" Malone, who goes out of his way to cause trouble for Logan from the time he and Rose arrive. After years of enduring Malone's abuses, Logan eventually gives him a beating after the cook provokes an explosion in the quarry and kills many workers in the process.

Smitty eventually asks Rose to marry him, which she accepts, and Smitty informs her that the [[cage fight]]s are a fast and easy way to earn some extra money. He asks her to leave with him, which she is reluctant to do because of Logan. Logan sees Rose kissing Smitty and, feeling betrayed, later confronts her and confesses his feelings to her, though she rejects him for Smitty after he turns down her offer for him to go with them. Just before the couple leaves to be wed, Dog comes to the bar, originally sent by Old Man Howlett, on his deathbed, to find his heir. Logan works out his violence in a series of cage fights, and confronts Smitty at the last cage fight after venting his fury on Malone, and quickly has him at his mercy. Despite mixed feelings, Logan wishes Rose to be happy and allows Smitty to defeat him purposely.
After the last cage fight, Dog confronts Logan. Dog blames Logan for the events that led to his father's death and is actually there for revenge. In the ensuing fight, Logan gives Dog a beating, but as he is about to kill him, Rose is accidentally impaled on Logan's claws. Logan goes mad with grief (his healing factor throwing up another mental block due to accidentally killing his first love) and runs into the woods, where he stays for an as yet unknown amount of time, living like a wild animal. Smitty attempts to find him during this period and tries to bring him back to humanity, but fails as Logan no longer wishes to be found.

Logan would not let Rose tell him about his past, which he had forgotten anyway. Malone steals Rose's few belongings, and spitefully burns her diary which contains the truth of Logan's past.

==Themes==
Psychologist Suzana E. Flores argues that the narrative depicts complex childhood trauma and its effects, including dissociative amnesia and hypervigilance. Among other causes, Logan's mother shows traits of a "consciously absent mother" partly as the result of the loss of her first child prior to his birth, and this led her to be "unable to conceptualize caring for another child."<ref>Suzana E. Flores, The Psychology of Marvel's Wolverine, McFarland & Co, 2018, p. 81-85.</ref>

==Production==
For decades, [[Wolverine (character)|Wolverine]]'s origins had been a mystery. After the success of the first ''[[X-Men (film)|X-Men]]'' film, it was decided that if the character's origin was not told in the comic, it would be told on the film.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}

[[Paul Jenkins (writer)|Paul Jenkins]] wanted certain characters, artwise and relationship-wise, to resonate with those knowledgeable about Wolverine's character history. Smitty was supposed to look somewhat like [[Scott Summers|Cyclops]], and his relationship with [[Jean Grey]] lookalike Rose to be what sparks Wolverine's jealousy in his fictional future. Similarly, Dog was to be a representation of [[Sabretooth (character)|Sabretooth]], Wolverine's greatest nemesis.<ref>''Origin'' (Deluxe Hardcover only)</ref>

When an interviewer asked Jenkins whether the character of Wolverine's half-brother Dog Logan was Sabretooth, Jenkins replied that he had not intended it to be him, but said he would not have a problem with another writer doing it later.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comicbooksetc.com/interviews/jenkins.shtml |title=ComicbookETC! - Your Hero Headquarters |date=2005-12-26 |access-date=2013-11-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051226123149/http://www.comicbooksetc.com/interviews/jenkins.shtml |archive-date=December 26, 2005 }}</ref> In April 2009, [[Marvel Comics]] released a one-shot specialty comic entitled ''X-Men Origins: Sabretooth'', which was part of a series of origin stories for a number of other X-Men characters. The comic chronicled some of Sabretooth's earliest childhood experiences. Within the comic, it is revealed that Sabretooth's childhood and early life, with the exception of being in an abusive family, differs distinctly from the life of Dog as shown in the ''Origin'' mini-series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://marvel.com/catalog/?id=10993 |title=X-Men Origins: Sabretooth (2009) #1 | X-Men | Comic Books | Comics |publisher=Marvel.com |access-date=2011-01-20}}</ref> The feature films ''[[X-Men Origins: Wolverine]]'' and ''[[Deadpool & Wolverine]]'' would consequently depict Sabretooth as being Wolverine's half-brother.

==Sales==
The final issue #6 of ''Origin'' was ranked second in sales for the January 2002 period with pre-order sales of 166,997.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/987.html| title=Top 300 Comics--January 2002| publisher=icv2.com| access-date=2008-07-09}}</ref>

==Sequel==
At 2013 [[San Diego Comic-Con]], Marvel announced a sequel to the original limited series titled ''Origin II''. Written by [[Kieron Gillen]] with art by Adam Kubert, brother of original artist Andy Kubert, the first issue was released in December 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=46714 |title=SDCC EXCLUSIVE: Gillen Runs with the Wolves in "Wolverine: Origin II" |publisher=Comic Book Resources |access-date=2013-11-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://comicsbeat.com/sdcc13-wolverine-origins-ii-by-kieron-gillen-and-adam-kubert/ |title=SDCC'13: Wolverine Origins II by Kieron Gillen and Adam Kubert — The Beat |publisher=Comicsbeat.com |date=2013-07-19 |access-date=2013-11-12}}</ref>

==In other media==
The film ''[[X-Men Origins: Wolverine]]'', partially inspired by ''Origin'', wherein James Howlett in 19th-century Canada discovers his mutant powers and [[Sabretooth (character)|Victor Creed]] is Logan's half brother.

In the video game ''[[X-Men Origins: Wolverine (video game)|X-Men Origins: Wolverine]]'', a trivia caption on the loading screens says Victor Creed's nickname as a boy was "Dog".

== Collected editions ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Title
!Material collected
!Published date
!ISBN
|-
|''Wolverine: Origin''
|''Origin'' #1-6
|March 2009
|{{ISBNT|978-0785137276}}
|-
|''Wolverine: Origin II''
|''Origin II'' #1-5
|March 2015
|{{ISBNT|978-0785190325}}
|-
|''Wolverine: Origin - The Complete Collection''
|''Origin'' #1-6, ''Origin II'' #1-5
|January 2017
|{{ISBNT|978-1302904715}}
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Wolverine}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Origin (Comics)}}
[[Category:2001 comics debuts]]

TV Funhouse

2025-10-02T11:38:29Z

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{{Short description|Animated television series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
'''''Saturday TV Funhouse''''' is a segment on [[NBC]]'s ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' (''SNL'') featuring [[animated cartoon|cartoons]] created by ''SNL'' writer [[Robert Smigel]].<ref name=NYT>{{cite web|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/23/arts/television/23itzk.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|title='Saturday TV Funhouse' Gets Its Own 'Saturday Night Live' Special|author-link=David Itzkoff|author=Itzkoff, Dave|date=April 23, 2006}}</ref> 101 "TV Funhouse" segments aired on ''SNL'' between 1996 and 2008, with one further segment airing in 2011. It also spawned a short-lived spinoff series, ''TV Funhouse'', that aired on [[Comedy Central]].

==Production==
Programmed to air between the host segments of ''Saturday Night Live'', ''TV Funhouse'' parodied such genres as 1950s educational films, [[Saturday morning cartoons|Saturday morning]] [[Hanna-Barbera]]/[[Ruby-Spears]]/[[Filmation]] cartoons of the 1970s and 1980s, and the 1960s [[stop motion]] [[Christmas television special|holiday specials]] of [[Rankin/Bass]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Crump |first1=William D. |title=Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film |date=2019 |publisher=McFarland & Co |isbn=9781476672939 |pages=274–275}}</ref> ¨Any episode of ''TV Funhouse'' appearing on ''Saturday Night Live'' would be listed by the announcer as "A cartoon by Robert Smigel.

The animation was produced by [[J. J. Sedelmaier|J.J. Sedelmaier]] Productions for its first three seasons until Wachtenheim/Marianetti Animation took over primary animation production duties.

===Recurring ''SNL TV Funhouse'' skits===
{{main|List of Saturday TV Funhouse segments}}
* '''Fun with Real Audio''' – This sketch presented animated scenes to found, real-life audio tracks.
* '''The All-New Adventures of [[Mr. T]]''' – A parody of the [[Ruby-Spears]] animated series ''[[Mister T (TV series)|Mister T]]''. This cartoon depicts Mr. T (voiced by [[Tracy Morgan]]) as desperate to find work after 10 years, aggressively auditioning for unlikely parts such as classical [[theatre]] and [[tampon]] [[television commercial|commercial]]s with help from Jeff Harris (voiced by [[Andy Daly]]), Kim Nakamura (voiced by [[Ana Gasteyer]]), Spike O'Neill (voiced by [[Andy Daly|Andrew Daly]]), and Bulldozer the Bulldog. Whenever he encounters obstacles such as directors telling him auditions are already over, he simply responds with the phrase "Ain't got time for jibber-jabber, I need work!" Mr. T also throws in different advice during his dialogue like "Drink your milk", "Stay in school", "Don't do drugs", and "Eat all your greens". After getting the employment, he would often mix up of all his advice to his companions when stating how one could get work as Bulldozer barks after that.
* '''[[The Ambiguously Gay Duo]]''' – A parody of the comic book [[superhero]] duets. The vaguely [[homosexual]] superheroes Ace and Gary (voiced by [[Stephen Colbert]] and [[Steve Carell]] respectively) fight crime in Metroville while their adversaries like Bighead (voiced by [[Robert Smigel]]) and Dr. Brainio (voiced by [[Stephen Colbert]]) try to figure out their true sexuality. [[Bill Chott]] provides the narration for this cartoon. All the shorts were re-written from ''[[The Dana Carvey Show]]''. In the live-action version on the ''SNL'' episode hosted by [[Ed Helms]], [[Jon Hamm]] and [[Jimmy Fallon]] play Ace and Gary while Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell played Dr. Brainio and Bighead.
* '''The Anatominals Show''' – A parody of a [[Yogi Bear]]–type [[Hanna-Barbera]]–style cartoon where Kogi [[Bear]], Pook Bear, Mindy Bear, Sheila [[Coyote]], Betsy [[Cattle|Cow]], and other animal characters are anatomically correct even when they are confronted by the [[park ranger]] during attempts to take picnic baskets. Both episodes were interspersed with scenes of [[Lorne Michaels]] (voiced by [[Robert Smigel]]) expressing deep disappointment with the show or trying to prevent visitors to [[Studio 8H]] from seeing the cartoon.
* '''The [[Michael Jackson]] Show''' – A parody of [[Hanna-Barbera]] cartoons, highlighting the misadventures of Michael Jackson (voiced by [[Dino Stamatopoulos]]) and his odd friends. Included in his rag-tag entourage are his talking [[common chimpanzee]] [[Bubbles (chimpanzee)|Bubbles]], an aged [[Emmanuel Lewis]], a talking anthropomorphic [[llama]] who's just called Llama, the [[Skeleton (undead)|living skeleton]] of [[Joseph Merrick|The Elephant Man]] (voiced by [[Robert Smigel]] impersonating [[Jimmy Durante]]), a [[zebra]] with a [[pushmi-pullyu]] design, the sentient and speaking arm of [[Elizabeth Taylor]], and a sentient urn containing [[Marilyn Monroe]]'s ashes. Michael's friends often try to get him not to do stuff with little boys which goes comically awry for them. Sometimes when he gets satisfied with a little boy or the aged Emmanuel Lewis, Michael Jackson would have the same reactions that [[Quick Draw McGraw]] character [[Snuffles (character)|Snuffles]] would have when he gets his dog biscuit. The theme song is to the tune of ''[[The Yogi Bear Show]]''.
* '''[[The X-Presidents]]''' – A parody of Hanna-Barbera/[[Filmation]] cartoons from the 1970s. This sketch features former [[President of the United States|US Presidents]] [[Gerald Ford]], [[Jimmy Carter]], [[Ronald Reagan]], and [[George H. W. Bush|George H.W. Bush]] (all voiced by Jim Morris) as crime-fighting superheroes imbued with [[Superpower (ability)|superpowers]] by a "[[hurricane]]-powered dose of radiation" received at a celebrity [[golf]] tournament. Each of their wives is a member as well. [[Bill Clinton]], despite his status as a living former president, is not a member since he did not receive the hurricane-powered dose of radiation, as he was in office during the initial incident.

====Disney parodies====
TV Funhouse did four parodies of [[The Walt Disney Company]]. Their first one on April 4, 1998 was a trailer to the cheerful spin on the [[Titanic]] called "Titey" which had [[Jason Alexander]] voicing Titey and [[Whoopi Goldberg]] voicing the "[[Iceberg that sank the Titanic|bad old iceberg]]". The trailer also showed some marine life working together to save Titey from sinking. In addition, [[Gilbert Gottfried]] also voiced [[Napoleon|Napoleon Bonaparte]] who was on top of the iceberg in one shot during its duel with Titey and [[Molly Ringwald]] voiced [[Anne Frank]] who sings about writing in a diary someday and mention the exploits of Titey.

The February 10, 2001, episode, "Ray of Light," parodies the controversy over [[Ray Lewis (American football)|Ray Lewis]]'s involvement in an Atlanta homicide. Although Lewis went on to become the [[Super Bowl XXXV]] [[Super Bowl MVP|MVP]], he was unable to utter the famous line "[[I'm going to Disney World!]]" The skit was involved with Disney "making it up" to Lewis by placing him in various [[List of Disney animated features|Disney animated movies]]. Lewis would be shown fleeing the scene of Disney character death scenes, frequently uttering "I didn't see nothin'!" He also did a song stating that he "did not kill no motherf****** lion".

"Bambi 2002," a poke at Disney's penchant for [[List of Disney home entertainment#Sequels, followups, and spin-offs|direct-to video sequels]] at the time, imagines a sequel to the [[Bambi|original movie]] where Bambi's mother turns up alive. The title character fights stylized [[terrorism|terrorist]] types, meets [[Jared Fogle]], and performs a [[rap music]] number in the forest. Also in the sketch are moments involving some of Disney's darker issues, as well as some pornographic humor with the unaffiliated film ''Pokahotass''.

On April 15, 2006, Robert Smigel again parodied Disney's home video moratorium [[Disney Vault|policy]], as well as [[Walt Disney]]'s alleged [[racism]] and [[anti-Semitism]]. When two kids are brought to the Disney Vault by [[Mickey Mouse]], they find Walt's frozen head, several controversial things that were never released, the "very original version" of ''[[Song of the South]]'' that Walt only screened at parties, and [[Jim Henson]] and [[Kermit the Frog]] bound and gagged in a chair, Mickey Mouse breaks down and quotes "He wouldn't sell! He wouldn't sell...!" (a reference to a broken deal between [[The Jim Henson Company]] and [[The Walt Disney Company]] {{circa|1990}} following Henson's death; Disney bought [[the Muppets]] franchise in 2004, 2 years prior to the sketch).

===NBC special===
On April 29, 2006, [[NBC]] aired a full-length, 90-minute ''SNL'' "best of" special for ''TV Funhouse''. The special was hosted by The Ambiguously Gay Duo interacting with the current ''SNL'' cast with a cameo from [[Jimmy Fallon]].<ref>[http://www.awn.com/news/television/ambiguously-gay-duo-fellow-saturday-tv-funhouse-shorts-special-slated Ambiguously Gay Duo & Fellow Saturday TV Funhouse Shorts Special Slated | AWN | Animation World Network]</ref>

The special was released on DVD October 24, 2006.

==Fox Pilot==
In 1998, Fox commissioned a pilot from Smigel and Stamatopoulos. An earlier version of what would become Comedy Central's show, "Saturday TV Funhouse" was a dark parody of [[Bozo the Clown|Bozo]], with Smigel playing Prozo, a half-drunk clown. While living in [[Chicago]], Smigel became fascinated with [[WGN-TV]]'s ''[[The Bozo Show|Bozo’s Circus]]''.<ref name="pmcd">{{cite web|last1=Patrick |first1=McDonald |title=TBS Just For Laughs: Robert Smigel Brings Bozo Circus Parody to Chicago|date=June 18, 2009 |publisher=Hollywood Chicago|url=https://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/7998/tbs-just-for-laughs-robert-smigel-brings-bozo-circus-parody-triumph-to-chicago|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231201172055/https://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/7998/tbs-just-for-laughs-robert-smigel-brings-bozo-circus-parody-triumph-to-chicago |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 1, 2023}}</ref> He researched old television shows, and with the help of [[Doug Dale]], who played fellow clown Looky, found footage of 1970s children shows such as ''[[Gigglesnort Hotel]]'' and ''[[The BJ and Dirty Dragon Show]]''. After that they started coming up with ideas for the show.<ref>{{cite web |author=Mr. Beaks|title=Robert Smigel and Dino Stamatopoulos Open Up Their TV FUNHOUSE to Mr. Beaks!!|date=July 28, 2008 |publisher=Ain't It Cool News|url=http://legacy.aintitcool.com/node/37689|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231222104111/http://legacy.aintitcool.com/node/37689|archive-date=December 22, 2023}}</ref>

The pilot began with an episode of "Fun With Real Audio." Next in the studio, a character named "Ringmaster Ted" introduces the show and its characters as he stands in front of the audience filled with children and parents. Prozo, “most people’s favorite clown,” played by Smigel; his “kooky pal Looky,” played by Doug Dale; “the mysterious Wizzy,” played by Stamatopoulos; a cat puppet that is licking itself named Furball; and a three-piece TV Funhouse Band, fronted by [[Floyd Vivino]]. Some of the segments featured include: Prozo leading the studio audience in song: "If you're Jewish and you know it, clap your hands!"<ref name="tad">{{cite magazine |last1=Friend |first1=Tad|author-link=Tad Friend |title=Unseen TV|date=November 11, 2002 |magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2002/11/18/unseen-tv|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240516214829/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2002/11/18/unseen-tv|archive-date=May 16, 2024}}</ref> a sketch in which the clowns reenact the [[Camp David Accords]] between [[Bill Clinton]], [[Yasir Arafat]], and [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] with a trolly full of pies, and an episode of ''[[The Ambiguously Gay Duo]]'', among others. A deleted scene showed a sketch featuring Bozo and a speaking [[outhouse]], voiced by [[Stephen Colbert]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ess|first1=Ramsey|title=Clowns, Guns, and Talking Outhouses: A Look Back at Robert Smigel's Original TV Funhouse Pilot|date=November 5, 2018|publisher=Vulture|url=https://www.vulture.com/2018/11/robert-smigels-tv-funhouse-fox-comedy-pilot.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230511003244/https://www.vulture.com/2018/11/robert-smigels-tv-funhouse-fox-comedy-pilot.html|archive-date=May 11, 2023}}</ref>

In 2002, Smigel said of Fox declining to show the pilot: "I know this thing is all about 'Fuck the networks! They're idiots! But I don't know...This show has a disturbing element."<ref name="tad"/> In June 2009, [[Just for Laughs]] sponsored an event at the Lakeshore Theater in Chicago to present the pilot, “I wanted to do the Bozo parody as close to the real thing ([[Bob Bell (actor)|Bob Bell]]) as possible,” Smigel said in the Q&A after, “I didn’t want to do the angry clown thing.”<ref name="pmcd"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Lynch|first1=Tom|title=Smiling at Smigel: Robert Smigel comes to Chicago|date=June 23, 2009|publisher=New City Stage|url=https://www.newcitystage.com/2009/06/23/smiling-at-smigel-robert-smigel-comes-to-chicago/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928210712/https://www.newcitystage.com/2009/06/23/smiling-at-smigel-robert-smigel-comes-to-chicago/|archive-date=September 28, 2023}}</ref>

==Comedy Central's TV Funhouse==
{{Infobox television
| alt_name = Saturday TV Funhouse
| image = Tvfunhousepanel.jpg
| caption = The ''TV Funhouse Panel'' at [[San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic-Con]] in 2008. L to R: [[Robert Smigel]] (with [[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]]), [[Dino Stamatopoulos]], [[Bob Odenkirk]] and [[Tommy Blacha]] with Doug Dale on laptop screen
| camera =
| runtime = 22 Minutes
| creator = [[Robert Smigel]] [[Dana Carvey]]
| developer =
| producer = [[Samantha Scharff]] [[Tanya Ryno]], for SNL
| executive_producer = [[Robert Smigel]] [[Dino Stamatopoulos]] Lou Wallach
| starring = [[Doug Dale]] [[Robert Smigel]] [[Jon Glaser]] [[Dino Stamatopoulos]] [[David Juskow]] [[Tommy Blacha]] [[Frank Simms]]
| narrator =
| theme_music_composer = Steven Gold
| open_theme =
| end_theme =
| country = United States
| language = English
| network = [[Comedy Central]]
| first_aired = {{Start date|2000|12|06}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2001|01|24}}
| num_series = 1
| num_episodes = 8
| list_episodes =
| related = [[Saturday Night Live]]
| company = Poochie Doochie Productions Comedy Central Productions
}}
The spinoff series was somewhat of a twisted ''[[Pee-Wee's Playhouse]]''-style children's TV show, hosted by [[Doug Dale]] and his "Anipals" puppet friends.

===Plot===
Every episode had a different theme to it (e.g., "Hawaiian Day" or "Astronaut Day") and saw the Anipals usually getting into some sort of trouble, not wanting to do whatever their happy-go-lucky host had in mind for the day.

The theme song describes this show as the "last cartoon show of the day".

This show didn't show any cartoons from ''The Ambiguously Gay Duo'', ''The Michael Jackson Show'', and/or ''The X-Presidents'' despite some of its characters appearing in the theme song.

===Production===
The Comedy Central version of ''TV Funhouse'' premiered in December 2000 and was not picked up for a second season. Interviews with Smigel indicate that Comedy Central believed in the show, but was disappointed in how it went over budget every episode. Smigel has also expressed how difficult the show was and how tedious the puppet-live animal segments were to shoot.

The show was released on DVD July 22, 2008, under the title ''Comedy Central's TV Funhouse''.

===Recurring skits===
* '''Wonderman''' — A parody of [[Max Fleischer]]'s [[Superman]] cartoons that stars Wonderman (voiced by [[Robert Smigel]]) who fights a constant crusade to stop crime and get his alias of Henry Moore laid.
* '''Mnemonics: Your Dear, Dear Friend''' — A parody of [[educational film]]s about teaching children using a [[mnemonic]] for everyday subjects using age-inappropriate mnemonics to improve their memory. [[Robert Smigel]] narrates this segment.
* '''The Baby, the Immigrant, and the Guy on Mushrooms''' — Artemis the [[Cat]] watches over a baby (voiced by [[Sarah Thyre]]), an immigrant, and a guy on mushrooms while the female homeowner (voiced by [[Sarah Thyre]]) is away. Artemis works to keep the clueless trio out of any danger which always ends with him getting hurt.
* '''A Michael Kupperman Cartoon''' - An assortment of cartoons drawn by [[Michael Kupperman]].

===Episodes===
{{Episode table |background=#F46D25 |overall= |season= |title= |writer= |airdate= |prodcode= |viewers= |country=U.S. |episodes={{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 1
| EpisodeNumber2 = 1
| Title = Western Day
| WrittenBy =
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2000|12|06}}
| ProdCode = 101
| Viewers =
| ShortSummary = Doug must wrangle up his own fun when the Anipals ditch him to head for high times south of the border in [[Tijuana]].
----
* '''Wonderman''' - After stopping a robbery at an ice cream van, Wonderman (voiced by [[Robert Smigel]]) meets Velma (voiced by Deanna Storey) and works to hook her up with his alias of Henry Moore so that he can get laid.
* '''Mnemonics: Your, Dear Dear Friend''' - A live-action educational film discusses how to improve your memory. Featuring Katherine Sena Heisler, Natalie Laspina, Nicholas Boak, and Bryan Hyman as the students, Alan Spilton as the surgeon, and Kate Super as the nurse. Narrated by [[Robert Smigel]].
* '''The Baby, the Immigrant, and the Guy on Mushrooms''' — Artemis the Cat works to keep the clueless trio from getting into danger at a construction site. Featuring the voices of [[Doug Dale]], [[Sarah Thyre]], and [[Robert Smigel]].
* '''Policeman''' - A live-action educational film about the duties of a police officer (portrayed by Jay Spadero). Also featuring Robert Trumbull as the governor and Richard Schlam as the chef. Narrated by Eve Josephson.
| LineColor = F46D25
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 2
| EpisodeNumber2 = 2
| Title = Hawaiian Day
| WrittenBy =
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2000|12|13}}
| ProdCode = 102
| Viewers =
| ShortSummary = Doug and Rocky the Fish have a luau all by themselves while the Anipals help Chickie rescue his 95th son, Jason, from a cult.
----
* '''Kidder, Downey, and Heche: Private Trespassing Investigators''': [[Margot Kidder]], [[Robert Downey Jr.]], and [[Anne Heche]] (voiced by [[Ana Gasteyer]]) use their trespassing abilities to help a woman look for her dog Corky. Featuring the voices of [[Joe Lo Truglio]], [[Robert Smigel]], and Nancy Walsh.
* '''Overcoming Bowel Moments: A Teenager's Guide to Self Control''': A live-action educational film that teaches the viewers how to control their bowel movements using God's plan. Featuring Massimo Di Giovanna, Nicholas Joy, Bob Goodman, Mary Ann Conk, Ruth Last, Kevin Payne, and [[Joe Lo Truglio]]. Narrated by A.D. Miles who also produced this short.
* '''Klassic Kartoon Kommercials''': An advertisement for a bug spray called Attack that stops cockroaches dead. Featuring the voices of Brade Abelle, Darren Baker, Daniel Barrios, [[Doug Dale]], Daniel Fitzgerald, Jen Jiles, and [[Dino Stamatopoulos]].
| LineColor = F46D25
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 3
| EpisodeNumber2 = 3
| Title = Christmas Day
| WrittenBy =
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2000|12|20}}
| ProdCode = 103
| Viewers =
| ShortSummary = The Anipals tap Doug's spine to extract his Christmas cheer. After one of Chickie's sons helps to turn the cheer into powder, the Anipals become addicts.
----
* '''Tingles''' - A stop-motion cartoon about Tingles the Christmas Tension who appears on December 23rd where he sprinkles tension dust everywhere.
* '''Lost Cartoon Flashback Presents: The Harlem Globetrotters First Christmas''' - The Harlem Globetrotters celebrate their first Christmas where they go back in time to the birth of Jesus. Featuring the voices of [[Andy Daly|Andrew Daly]] as [[Saint Joseph]], [[Tyrone Finch]] as [[Meadowlark Lemon]], [[Ana Gasteyer]] as [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|Mary]], [[Tim Meadows]] as [[Curly Neal]], [[Tracy Morgan]] as [[Hubert Ausbie|Hubert "Geese" Ausbie]], and [[Robert Smigel]]. This segment originally aired on ''Saturday Night Live'' on December 12, 1998.
* '''Places to Find Your Christmas Present''' - An instruction video that tells kids about the different places where they can find their hidden Christmas present. Featuring Gene Burke, Matthew Cowell, Sara Kapner, and Sam Stone. Narrated by Dan Landi.
| LineColor = F46D25
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 4
| EpisodeNumber2 = 4
| Title = Mexican Day
| WrittenBy =
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2000|12|27}}
| ProdCode = 104
| Viewers =
| ShortSummary = The Anipals appear on the [[Sally Jessy Raphael]] Show to help Dave, an endangered lizard, to get laid, leaving Doug to celebrate Mexican Day with a tequila worm and a Puerto Rican Mexican-food delivery guy.
----
* '''Fetal Scooby-Doo''' — A parody of the [[Scooby-Doo]] series where fetal versions of Mystery Inc. solve a mystery at the old amusement park and have encounters with a fetal [[Headless Horseman]] and the Ghost of [[Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben|Baron Von Wilhelm]]. Featuring the voices of Amy Bennett, Dan Goettel, Elon Gold, [[Dino Stamatopoulos]], and Leyna Juliet Webber.
* '''Jokámel''' — A [[Joe Camel]] parody of the anime series ''[[Pokémon (anime)|Pokémon]]'' following Camel's departure from the cigarette mascot business with the cartoon being tobacco free as the protagonists fight against Team Mortar. There is also commercials for Jokámel products. Featuring Jake Friedland, David Hayes, George G. King III, Lauren O'Neil, Grant Rosenmeyer, and Andrew Zutty, and the voices of Lester Grant, Ashley Greenfield, Dino Stamatopoulos, and Leyna Juliet Webber. Narrated by Julia Ireland and Mark Rivers.
* '''Mnemonics: Your, Dear Dear Friend''' - Another educational film involving Mnemonics, for reading musical notes, the groups of bones in the spinal column, the first five Presidents of the United States, and the original 13 Colonies of America. Featuring Nicholas Boak, Precious Coleman, Chase MacIntosh, Stella Maeve, and Josh Kaplan. Narrated by [[Robert Smigel]].
| LineColor = F46D25
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 5
| EpisodeNumber2 = 5
| Title = Caveman Day
| WrittenBy =
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2001|01|03}}
| ProdCode = 105
| Viewers =
| ShortSummary = The Anipals compare New Year's resolutions: Hojo wants to learn to play the saxophone, Chickie hangs out with his brother with [[Tourette syndrome]], and Fogey must resist [[coprophagia|eating his own poop]]. Meanwhile, Doug dresses as a caveman and builds a dinosaur skeleton out of baby back ribs, and Rocky the Fish takes a group of kids to visit a cookie factory.
----
* '''Mischievous Mitchell''' — A parody of [[Dennis the Menace (U.S. comics)|Dennis the Menace]] as Mitchell does things to taunt his Jewish neighbors the Goldsteins much to the annoyance of his neighbor George Wilton. Featuring the voices of Darrin Baker, Mollu K. Charette, Steve Horowitz, Jennifer Jiles, Jeremy Scwhartz, and Sally Winters.
* '''Lost Cartoon Flashback Presents: The Black Sabbath Show''' - A supposed lost parody of The Beatles cartoon featuring the band [[Black Sabbath]] and their dog Doom Doom going to Hawaii. Featuring the voices of [[Tommy Blanca]] and Patrick McCarthy.
* '''Mnemonics: Your, Dear Dear Friend''' - A third educational film involving Mnemonics, this time for learning the atmospheres, the circular system, and the five stages of grief. Featuring Nicholas Bock, Jordan Duffy, Natalie Laspina, Ed Moran, Max Rock, and Richard Saltzman. Narrated by [[Robert Smigel]].
| LineColor = F46D25
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 6
| EpisodeNumber2 = 6
| Title = Safari Day
| WrittenBy =
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2001|01|10}}
| ProdCode = 106
| Viewers =
| ShortSummary = Part 1 of 2. The Anipals travel to [[Atlantic City]] to visit Fogey's old friend, [[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]], where Chickie falls in love with a chimp-stitute.

[[Robert Goulet]] guest stars.
----
* '''Stedman''' — A two-part supposed parody of [[James Bond]] starring spy Stedman Graham ([[Tim Meadows]]), boyfriend of [[Oprah Winfrey]] ([[Maya Rudolph]]). However, some, including [[James Brolin]] ([[Chris Parnell]]), think that he is in fact gay and using Oprah's money. When their anniversary occurs, Stedman gets out of his consummation with Oprah by claiming that Professor Hate has escaped from prison as he goes somewhere tropical. Oprah is warned by a vision from [[Dionne Warwick]] that Stedman is in danger and goes to help him. Also featuring the voices of Elizabeth Pryor Nagel, [[Tara Sands]], and Ashley Wolfe.
* '''Porn for Everyone''' — A video of "Silence of the G.A.M.S." where a man engages in censored sexual intercourse with his secretary Ruth. Originally titled "Porn For Kids", changed by the network.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2001/01/16/porn-for-kids-wont-be-repeated/|title='PORN FOR KIDS' WON'T BE REPEATED|date=January 16, 2001|accessdate=April 19, 2024|author=Hoffmann, Bill|website=[[New York Post]]}}</ref>
| LineColor = F46D25
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 7
| EpisodeNumber2 = 7
| Title = Astronaut Day
| WrittenBy =
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2001|01|17}}
| ProdCode = 107
| Viewers =
| ShortSummary = Part 2 of 2. Still in Atlantic City, the Anipals attempt to "unstick" Triumph before his big show. Meanwhile, Doug tries to achieve weightlessness while dressed as an astronaut.
----
* '''Great Leaders of History''' — A [[VH1]] documentary parody that talks about [[George Washington]] as it claims that he fell into a deep depression and an addition to painkillers after becoming the first President of the United States, an intervention with a painful outcome, his friendship with [[Napoleon]], his arrest for public nudity and battery of a small bear, and checking into the Betsy Ross Rehabilitation Center at Eisenhower. There are also interviews with Joe Walsh, Rick Nielsen, and George Washington himself.
* '''The Baby, the Immigrant, and the Guy on Mushrooms''' — Artemis the Cat works to keep the clueless trio from getting into danger at an airport while his owner works to check to see if their seats are together on the airplane. Featuring the voices of Dale, [[Sarah Thyre]], and Smigel.
* '''The Safety Gang''' — An educational television show where four kids make up the titular group and talk about safety while interacting with Stranger Dan and keeping Wet Fingers and Outletta from playing too close to each other. They also claim that they "take a bullet for safety". Featuring Cournie Beceiro, Morgan Billings, Matthew Bush, Phillip Miller, and David Roya.
* '''A Michael Kupperman Cartoon Presents: Captain Marginal''' - A [[Shazam (DC Comics)|Captain Marvel]] parody where Billy Batsonsaws was a regular paperboy until he is talked into entering a magical cave where a powerful old man inside gives him special powers which he gains upon saying the word "Skrewpa" and will be turned into a hillbilly-themed superhero. Though the old man forgot what the acronym is due to being in the cave for too long. Featuring the voices of Robert Batttone, Doug Kleinman, and Henry Strozier.
| LineColor = F46D25
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 8
| EpisodeNumber2 = 8
| Title = Chinese New Year's Day
| WrittenBy = Unknown
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2001|01|24}}
| ProdCode = 108
| Viewers = N/A
| ShortSummary = The Anipals ditch the Funhouse to enter the lucrative, glamorous world of laboratory animal testing, as Doug celebrates Chinese New Year's Day and makes fireworks with a panda. The set was struck by detonating a puppet panda (full of innards for realism) on the set, splattering everywhere. Staged as a satirical accident, Doug replied with the word "Cut". Eventually, the Anipals reunite with an injured Doug.

[[John Ritter]] guest stars as a speaker for Claredelon, the cosmetic company doing the animal testing.
----
* '''Wonderman''' - After helping a woman ([[Ana Gasteyer]]) who tripped over a blind homeless man over a woman dangling from a window and a woman struggling with a purse snatcher, Wonderman (Smigel) hooks her up with his alias of Henry Moore who operates a dry cleaning business.
* '''Nurture-You Mom & Dad''' - A commercial about full-sized dolls for the daughters of tired parents. There is even a version of "Nurture-You Mom & Dad" that wet themselves. Featuring Sara Kapner, Kevin Dorff, and Nin Nelson. Narrated by Jackie Maloof.
* '''What Do We Know?''' - An educational show where a man ([[Bob Odenkirk]]) talks about a cactus, how much it rains in the Amazon rainforest, facts about Morocco, the [[Pyramid of Amenemhat III (Dahshur)|Black Pyramid of Amenemhatt III]], and the Himalayas. Also featuring Howard Kremer and Chip Pope.
* '''A Michael Kupperman Cartoon Presents: Pablo Picasso: His Amazing Life''' - A documentary about [[Pablo Picasso]] where he would get into arguments with imaginary statues that follow him, frequently getting attacked by lions, driving around with a cartoon duck, and fairies rocking him while duck sang him to sleep. Featuring the voices of Robert Battone, Doug Kleinman, and [[Dino Stamatopoulos]].
| LineColor = F46D25
}}
}}

===Cast===
* [[Doug Dale]] - Doug

====Anipal Voices====
* [[Tommy Blacha]] — Hank
* [[Doug Dale]] — Jeffery
* Matt Davis
* [[Jon Glaser]] — Hojo
* [[Jonathan Groff (writer)|Jonathan Groff]]
* [[Jackie Hoffman]]
* [[David Juskow]] — Larry
* Susan Krause
* Frank Simms
* [[Robert Smigel]] — Fogey, Xabu, Rocky, Terrence
* [[Brian Stack (comedian)|Brian Stack]] — Mr. Whiskers (first episode)
* [[Dino Stamatopoulos]] — Chickie, Mr. Whiskers

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0271320}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS_gQd8UB-hIQ2Pj1gmzjMJOcVtUtq4u_ Some of the ''TV Funhouse'' episodes]

{{Saturday Night Live}}
{{Comedy Central programming}}
{{Comedy Central animation}}

[[Category:2000s American adult animated television series]]
[[Category:2000s American animated comedy television series]]
[[Category:2000s American late-night television series]]
[[Category:2000s American satirical television series]]
[[Category:2000s American sketch comedy television series]]
[[Category:2000 American animated television series debuts]]
[[Category:2001 American television series endings]]
[[Category:American adult animated comedy television series]]
[[Category:American adult animated television spinoffs]]
[[Category:American television shows featuring puppetry]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Comedy Central animated television series]]
[[Category:Comedy Central late-night programming]]
[[Category:American television series with live action and animation]]
[[Category:Saturday Night Live sketches]]
[[Category:Saturday Night Live in the 2000s]]