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Baby Blues
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Baby Blues | |
|---|---|
 The title frame from Sunday, April 20, 1997. |
|
| Author(s) | Jerry Scott, Rick Kirkman |
| Current status / schedule | Running |
| Launch date | January 7, 1990 |
| Syndicate(s) | Creators Syndicate (1990-1995) King Features Syndicate (1995-present) |
| Genre(s) | Humor |
Baby Blues is a comic strip series produced by Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott since January 7, 1990.
Contents |
The strip is mainly about raising babies and children. Children in the strip are more often than not unaware of their parents' difficulties (but also fear of their punishments), and parents often meet a dilemma, being exhausted and frustrated of the children's incooperation, as well as ultimate love towards them.
Wanda MacPherson pulling Bullwinkle from a hat
The strip mainly consists of three families:
- Wanda Wizowski-MacPherson: The mother. Though she originally had a job, she chose to stay at home to look after her children. However, she is easily frustrated by this job, and jealous of any mothers who seem to do better than she does. Wanda was born March 23, 1965. She stands 5' 5" tall. She has black hair and brown eyes.
- Darryl MacPherson: The father. A manager, noticeable with his extremely large nose. He is sometimes unaware of his wife's exhausted state. In various strips, Zoe, Wren and Hammie are there to meet him right when he gets home from work. He takes this as nice, but then realizes they're in trouble. He stands 5' 9" tall. (6' 0 when he measures with his nose up.)
- Zoe Jennifer/Madison MacPherson: The first sibling ("born" January 7, 1990 – her birth starts the strip). She is a very fussy girl and likes to tease and annoy Hammie. She was the only child to appear on the Baby Blues television show. She and Hammie tend to fuss the most over Wanda's dinner, and would prefer macaroni and cheese. Originally, her middle name was Jennifer, but on April 9, 2007, her middle name is changed to Madison. See Strip
- Hamish MacPherson: The middle sibling, usually called Ham or Hammie ("born" April 29, 1995). He has great fondness and uninhibited enthusiasm for trucks, and can tell their model on sight, as proven in several strips. His first words were "buh-dozer" and "bazooka." Likes to tell his mom when his big sister teases or bullies him, but generally he gets mad less often than Zoe. He also likes driving Zoe mad or watching Zoe get into trouble (without doing anything himself). He was named after his great-great-grandfather, who was called "Ham". Going to his first sleepover, he misses Wanda very much, but not as much as she appears to miss him.See Strip
- Wren MacPherson: The youngest sibling ("born" October 26, 2002) See Strip. Still an infant at the time of this writing. She does not seem to be as much of a nuisance as her elder siblings. Wren is a very curious baby. She often is shown climbing on top of things or grabbing at things. She loves to stick things in her mouth. She has shown an annoyance several times to her parents by holding her legs completely stiff so they couldn't change her diaper.
Bunny is pregnant with twins, both of whom are territorial.
- Bunny: The mother and the main character of this family. She is the target of any possible jealousy from Wanda, because Bunny outrages her by being perfect in many aspects (such as body, life-style, etc.) Nearly all main adult characters don't like her and have, on occasion, tricked her. Bunny does seem oblivious to how she irritates Wanda, or anyone else. She is also oblivious, at times, to the convenience or needs of others in contrast to her own. She still has moments of near-human quality, especially concerning motherhood, despite her fairly obtuse personality.
- Butch: Bunny's husband. Generally unaware of his wife's behavior towards the neighbors. Tends to spoil Bunny, a point which Bunny herself enjoys discussing in detail with her neighbors. He is generally seen in the background with Darryl if the two families are together.
- Bogart: Butch and Bunny's eldest son. He's the greatest victim of Zoe's teasing and bullying (because he doesn't cope with teasing as well as Hammie), she calls him a "crybaby". Named after movie star Humphrey Bogart, since he was conceived while his parents were watching "The African Queen." It is evident, based on some dialogue, that Bogart is not as fond of his extracurricular life as Bunny might think he is. In the TV series, he is called Haggot.
- Wendell John and Wendell Jon: Butch and Bunny's twin boys born August 10, 2002 See Strip. Easily confused since their names are homophones. They were conceived while their parents watched "Dumb and Dumber". Zoe has said that she shuffles them whenever Bunny isn't looking, making it unlikely that Bunny knows the difference between the two. Before they were named, they were called "Puce" and "Teal" based on the colors of their wrist bands.
- Yolanda: is the mother of this family and a long-time supporter of Wanda, usually quiet when Wanda quarrels with Bunny. Yolanda feels the same sort of jealousy of Bunny that Wanda feels, but not quite as strongly. Wanda can always depend on Yolanda to chat with, and is Wanda's best friend.
- Mike: Yolanda's husband, as much of a guy as Darryl. Tends to support Darryl's point of view, though not as subtly as one might think. He is also friends with Butch, so the three stick together when the families have gatherings.
- Keesha: Mike and Yolanda's eldest daughter, Zoe's close friend. Keesha and Zoe are constantly leaving clothes behind at each other's houses when they have playdates.
- Dziko "Dizzy": Mike and Yolanda's youngest daughter, born November 11, 2002 See Strip Yolanda was praised by everybody saying that the name was unique. However, Zoe ended this thought by noting aloud that there were "only" three children sharing that name in her class.
Rhonda Wizowski looking for a stud finder.
- Rhonda Wizowski: Wanda's younger sister. Enjoys the life of being a single woman, except when given a hard time about not "having children and settling down" by her mother. She usually shows up as the babysitter when Wanda and Darryl go out and leave their children behind. She is sometimes even tricked into babysitting for them. Recently, she is shown wanting to find a man and start a family. She was recently shown to have an online relationship with a person named Thom, who called her Linda and caused her to throw wine at her computer; she broke up with him.
- Hugh Wizowski: Wanda's father, likes to brag about his healthy life. Darryl doesn't have a great relationship with him.
- Maggie Wizowski: Wanda's mother, quiet about her views on Wanda. It is easy to spot a resemblance between her and her daughters. She approves of Wanda's lifestyle as a result of her three grandchildren, and would prefer Rhonda to settle down and have children as well. Drives Rhonda nuts.
- "Mac" MacPherson: Darryl's father, notorious for spoiling the kids in spite of their parents' wishes. Very quiet and shy, except for when he's playing with his grandchildren.
- Pauline MacPherson: Darryl's mother, keeps "Mac" in line, especially concerning his spoiling the kids. Obsessive about neatness.
- Trent: Best friend of Hammie since kindergarten. He teaches Hammie to do many weird things. A child of the same name appeared as a friend of Zoe on May 6, 1997 See Strip.
- Mr. Doyle: First appeared September 24, 2001 See Strip. Zoe and Bogart's first grade teacher (maybe Keesha's too). He's also frequently annoyed by Zoe.
- Zoe: A child that goes to the same school as Zoe (main character), who shares the same name. She is usually referred to "The Golden Haired Girl" by Zoe (main character). She is constantly cruel to Zoe (main character) and even called Wanda ugly and fat in one comic. She was a character who was in two short stints, and hasn't reappeared.
- Bryan: A child in Zoe's preschool class, is shown to have an obsession with dinosaurs that stems so deep, he is in fact, always a dinosaur, unless in the presence of his mother. First appeared June 30, 1997 See Strip.
- Kiki: The MacPherson's (very very longly) temporary babysitter, known to have six brothers and sisters, and began changing diapers at 3 years of age. First appeared March 21, 1997 See Strip
- The Brewers: The childless couple from down the lane, known to have a swimming pool, and problems concerning infertility. First appeared August 23, 1996 See Strip Wanda and Darryl seem mildly annoyed (yet sometimes actually jealous) by the fact that they are childless.
- Dr. Beezy: Wanda's obstetrician for her third pregnancy, in place of Dr. West. Dr. Beezy has had no trouble putting up with Darryl's oddness. When asked for her qualifications, she responded, "Three kids, ages 5, 7, and 10. Two natural, One C-Section, and I'm told I have very warm hands." Dr. Beezy was introduced February 11, 2002 See Strip.
- Ashley: A girl who criticizes almost everything about the MacPherson house. She called Wanda "Zoe's maid" and owns a camera cellphone, which she captured a picture of Wanda's hands, which she said were "different from other mothers."
- Bud: One of Zoe's friends, shown attending her third birthday party. Darryl highly dislikes Bud, because he destroys everything.See Strip
- Thelma: One of Zoe's friends. She lives with her great-grandmother, thus her use of various old fashioned sayings. She is very nice to Zoe and Wanda (possibly also a result of living with her great-grandmother).
Unlike other strips, children in Baby Blues do grow as time passes, though slower than real time.
The authors claimed that the time ratio is 3 to 1 [1] (that is, three days in real time equals one day in the strip), but the fact is only true when a MacPherson's kid is born and hasn't celebrated the first birthday. As the strip goes on, the ratio becomes about 2 to 1. Characters do not celebrate all their birthdays even in terms of comic time.[citation needed]
As of 2007, the strip has been on for 17 years and the main character, Zoe MacPherson, is 8 years old. Meanwhile, her brother Hammie has appeared for twelve years and is now 5.
| Title | Date | ISBN | Collection? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baby Blues: This is going to be tougher than we thought. | April 1991 | ISBN 0-8092-3996-5 | Yes |
| She Started It! | September 1992 | ISBN 0-8092-3266-9 | Yes |
| Guess Who Didn't Take a Nap? | March 1993 | ISBN 0-8362-1715-2 | Yes |
| I Thought Labor Ended When The Baby Was Born | March 1994 | ISBN 0-8362-1744-6 | Yes |
| We Are Experiencing Parental Difficulties... Please Stand By | March 1995 | ISBN 0-8362-1781-0 | Yes |
| Night Of The Living Dad | March 1996 | ISBN 0-8362-1310-6 | Yes |
| I Saw Elvis In My Ultrasound | September 1996 | ISBN 0-8362-2130-3 | Yes |
| One More and We're Outnumbered! | March 1997 | ISBN 0-8362-2692-5 | Yes |
| We Are Not Alone | May 1996 | ISBN 0-8362-1325-4 | No |
| The Super-Absorbent, Biodegradable, Family-Size Baby Blues: A Baby Blues Treasury | September 1997 | ISBN 0-8362-3657-2 | No |
| Check, please... | March 1998 | ISBN 0-8362-5423-6 | Yes |
| Threats, Bribes & Videotape | August 1998 | ISBN 0-8362-6750-8 | Yes |
| If I'm A Stay At Home Mom, Why Am I Always In The Car? | March 1999 | ISBN 0-8362-7845-3 | Yes |
| Ten Years And Still In Diapers: A Baby Blues Treasury | August 1999 | ISBN 0-7407-0008-1 | No |
| Lift And Separate | March 2000 | ISBN 0-7407-0455-9 | Yes |
| I Shouldn't Have To Scream More Than Once! | August 2000 | ISBN 0-7407-0557-1 | Yes |
| Motherhood Is Not For Wimps | March 2001 | ISBN 0-7407-1393-0 | Yes |
| Butt-Naked Baby Blues | August 2001 | ISBN 0-7407-1852-5 | No |
| Baby Blues: Unplugged | March 2002 | ISBN 0-7407-2323-5 | Yes |
| Dad To The Bone | August 2002 | ISBN 0-7407-2670-6 | Yes |
| Never A Dry Moment | March 2003 | ISBN 0-7407-3304-4 | Yes |
| Baby Blues 2004 Day-to-Day Calendar | July 2003 | ISBN 0-7407-3642-6 | No |
| Wall-to-Wall Baby Blues | August 2003 | ISBN 0-7407-3811-9 | No |
| Two Plus One is Enough | March 2004 | ISBN 0-7407-4140-3 | Yes |
| Baby Blues 2005 Day-to-Day Calendar | July 2004 | ISBN 0-7407-4507-7 | No |
| Playdate: Category 5 | September 2004 | ISBN 0-7407-4665-0 | Yes |
| Driving Under the Influence of Children | May 2005 | ISBN 0-7407-5005-4 | No |
| Baby Blues 2006 Day-to-Day Calendar | July 2005 | ISBN 0-7407-5150-6 | No |
| Our Server Is Down | October 2005 | ISBN 0-7407-5445-9 | Yes |
| Something Chocolate This Way Comes | April 2006 | ISBN 0740756869 | Yes |
| Baby Blues Family Organizer: 2007 Wall Calendar | July 2006 | ISBN 0-7407-5881-0 | No |
| Baby Blues: 2007 Day-to-Day Calendar | July 2006 | ISBN 0-7407-5914-0 | No |
| Framed!: a Baby Blues Treasury | September 2006 | ISBN 0-7407-6194-3 | No |
| Briefcase Full of Baby Blues | April 2007 | ISBN 0-7407-6355-5 | Yes |
| Night Shift | October 2007 | ISBN 0-7407-6842-5 | Yes |
In 2000, "Baby Blues" was adapted into an animated cartoon series which aired on The WB Television Network for a few weeks in the summer, from July 28, 2000 to August 25, 2000. The animated version featured Darryl and Wanda raising the infant Zoe as their first child, as distinct from the comic strip's storyline at the time which showed Zoe as the older sister to Hammie. Mike O'Malley supplied the voice of Darryl while Julia Sweeney played Wanda.
The Baby Blues television series differed from the comic strip by focusing on Darryl and Wanda's relationship with the Bittermans, a neighbor family with three children (Rodney, Megan, and Shelby); Kenny, Darryl's co-worker; and Bizzy, the babysitter for Zoe. Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott had little creative control over the animated version. [2]
The WB typically aired two episodes each week, thus enabling eight different episodes to be shown in the five-week run, but abandoned plans to air additional episodes which had been completed. Previously unaired episodes were later shown by the Cartoon Network in its Adult Swim block. Like fellow WB primetime animated series The Oblongs and Mission Hill, this show was cancelled after 13 episodes.
The Theme Song was "It's All Been Done" by the Barenaked Ladies.
Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since October 2007 | Comic strips started in the 1990s | 2000 television series debuts | 2000s American television series | Animated television series | WB network shows | Television programs based on comic strips | Television shows set in Pennsylvania