Chief Wiggum
{{Short description|Fictional character from The Simpsons franchise}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Clancy Wiggum
| series = The Simpsons
| image = Chief Wiggum.png
| first_major = "Homer's Odyssey"
| first_date = January 21, 1990
| creator = Matt Groening
| designer = Matt Groening
| voice = Hank Azaria{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/sam-simon-simpsons-characters-he-780156|title=Sam Simon's Iconic 'Simpsons' Characters|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=9 March 2015|access-date=September 29, 2024|archive-date=November 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120095756/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/sam-simon-simpsons-characters-he-780156|url-status=live}}
| gender = Male
| occupation = Police Chief of Springfield
| family = Iggy Wiggum (father)
Mark (cousin)"The Italian Bob"
Unnamed brotherThe Secret War of Lisa Simpson - Wiggum: "What about military school? It set my brother straight. Now he owns and operates a famous cave."
| spouse = Sarah Wiggum
| children = Ralph Wiggum (son)
}}
Chief Clancy Wiggum{{Sfn|Groening|2010|pp=189, 1199}}
is a fictional character from the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Hank Azaria. He is the chief of police in the show's setting of Springfield, and is the father of Ralph Wiggum and the husband of Sarah Wiggum.
Gluttonous, irresponsible, and immature, Wiggum is often too lazy, cowardly, and corrupt to bother fighting crime. His more responsible subordinate officers Eddie and Lou play the straight men to his shenanigans.
Character development
His surname "Wiggum" is Matt Groening's mother's maiden name and her parents were Norwegian immigrants.{{cite web|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/2007/08/the_real_people_behind_homer_s.html|title=The real people behind Homer Simpson and family|access-date=2008-01-19|first=Joseph|last=Rose|date=2007-08-01|website=The Oregonian|archive-date=June 9, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240609160601/https://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/2007/08/the_real_people_behind_homer_s.html|url-status=live}} As "a conscious pun", Wiggum was designed to look like a pig.{{cite news|title=Flash! 24 Simpsons Stars Reveal Themselves|date=2000-10-21|work=TV Guide|first=Joe|last=Rhodes|url=http://simpsonsarchive.com/other/articles/flash.html|access-date=September 29, 2024|archive-date=September 12, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240912104153/http://simpsonsarchive.com/other/articles/flash.html|url-status=live}}{{cite book |last1=Reiss |first1=Mike |last2=Klickstein |first2=Mathew |author1-link=Mike Reiss|author2-link=Mathew Klickstein|title=Springfield Confidential: Jokes, Secrets, and Outright Lies from a Lifetime Writing for The Simpsons |date=2018 |publisher=Dey Street Books |isbn=978-0062748034 |page=101|location=New York City}} Hank Azaria first based his voice for Wiggum on David Brinkley, but it was too slow and he switched it to an Edward G. Robinson impression. The first use of his first name being Clancy was in "Homer's Barbershop Quartet", but in the script for "The Telltale Head" has his name as Abner Wiggum.
Biography
Many episodes have dealt with the back story of how Wiggum, despite his incompetence, occupies such a high rank in the Springfield Police Department; However, these jokes tend to contradict one another, as is the usual with side characters on The Simpsons.{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/the-simpsons-turns-30-a-big-milestone-for-gen-x-and-america|title='The Simpsons' turns 30 -- a big milestone for Gen X and America|first=Christian|last=Whiton|date=September 30, 2018|website=Fox News|access-date=September 29, 2024|archive-date=September 11, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240911014316/https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/the-simpsons-turns-30-a-big-milestone-for-gen-x-and-america|url-status=live}} Wiggum was temporarily promoted to Commissioner of Police for the state in which Springfield resides during the 2005 episode "Pranksta Rap".{{Cite web|first=Tony|last=Sokol|author-link=Tony Sokol|date=March 25, 2019|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-simpsons-season-30-episode-18-review-bart-vs-itchy-scratchy/|title=The Simpsons Season 30 Episode 18 Review: Bart vs. Itchy & Scratchy|website=Den of Geek|access-date=September 29, 2024|archive-date=July 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723154619/https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-simpsons-season-30-episode-18-review-bart-vs-itchy-scratchy/|url-status=live}} He also appeared on a Halloween novel depicting Netflix's Stranger Things Chief Jim Hopper.{{Cite web|first=Cydney|last=Yeates|url=https://metro.co.uk/2019/07/15/simpsons-spoof-stranger-things-treehouse-horror-xxx-10327565/|title=The Simpsons to spoof Stranger Things in Treehouse Of Horror XXX this Halloween|website=Metro|date=July 15, 2019|access-date=September 29, 2024|archive-date=July 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716162508/https://metro.co.uk/2019/07/15/simpsons-spoof-stranger-things-treehouse-horror-xxx-10327565/|url-status=live}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{cite book |last=Groening |first=Matt |author-link=Matt Groening |title=Simpsons World: The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1–20 |title-link=Simpsons World: The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1–20 |date=2010-10-28 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=9780061711282 |editor1-last=Richmond |editor1-first=Ray |editor1-link=Ray Richmond |edition=1st |editor2-last=Gimple |editor2-first=Scott M. |editor2-link=Scott M. Gimple |editor-last3=McCann |editor-first3=Jessie L. |editor-last4=Seghers |editor-first4=Christine |editor-last5=Bates |editor-first5=James W.}}
External links
{{Portal|The Simpsons|Animation|Television|Comedy}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20170306175951/http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0002981/ Chief Wiggum] on IMDb
{{The Simpsons}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wiggum, Chief}}
Category:Officers of fictional American municipal police departments
Category:Fictional police officers in television
Category:Television characters introduced in 1990
Category:Animated characters introduced in 1990
Category:Fictional police commissioners
Category:Male characters in animated television series
Category:The Simpsons characters