History ComicStrip / TheAddamsFamily

* The "Wall-Eyed Couple": [[https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ed/15/c7/ed15c75d6c3ed180b84dc6c7202cb2e2--charles-addams-cartoons-adams-family.jpg A bald man with bulging eyes and a blank smile and a short woman with scraggly hair and a nervous smile.]] In the cartoon shown, they even have a baby, who looks exactly like both of them -- in that [[spoiler:it has two heads, which are exact copies of the parents']]. They are shown visiting the family a lot.

* NoNameGiven: None of the family members have names; they were only given names for the TV series. Interestingly, extended relatives of the family avert this and are referenced by name, such as Uncle Eimar and Uncle Cosimo.

For many, ''many'' years, Creator/CharlesAddams drew single-panel cartoons for ''Magazine/TheNewYorker''. While these used stand-alone – and, typically, rather macabre – gag-a-week jokes, there were a few recurring characters: namely, a creepy family of loners who were dark opposites of the idealized American family.

For many, ''many'' years, Creator/CharlesAddams drew single-panel cartoons for ''Magazine/TheNewYorker''. While these were standalone -- and, typically, quite macabre -- gag-a-week jokes, there were a few recurring characters: namely, a creepy family of loners who were dark opposites of the idealized American family.

If this family seems to bear an uncanny resemblance to Creator/RayBradbury's eldritch Elliotts, that's not an accident. Eight years after Addams introduced his chararacters, the Elliotts debuted in a short story called "Homecoming", published in ''Mademoiselle'' with an illustration by Addams. The two men even talked about getting together for a full-length collaboration, but it sadly never came about. (You can read about the Elliotts, and see Addams' original illustration, in Bradbury's 2001 anthology ''From the Dust Returned''.)

If this family seems to bear an uncanny resemblance to Creator/RayBradbury's eldritch Elliotts, that's not an accident. Eight years after Addams introduced his chararacters, the Elliotts debuted in a short story called "Homecoming" which was published in ''Mademoiselle'' with an illustration by Addams. The two men even talked about getting together on a full-length collaboration, but it sadly never came about. (You can read about the Elliotts, and see Addams' original illustration, in Bradbury's 2001 anthology ''From the Dust Returned''.)

If this family seems to bear an uncanny resemblance to Creator/RayBradbury's eldritch Elliotts, it's not an accident. Eight years after Addams introduced his chararacters, the Elliotts debuted in a short story called "Homecoming", which was published in ''Mademoiselle'' with an illustration by Addams. The two men even talked about getting together on a full-length collaboration, but it sadly never came about. (You can read about the Elliotts, and see Addams' original illustration, in Bradbury's 2001 anthology ''From the Dust Returned''.)

If this family seems to bear an uncanny resemblance to Creator/RayBradbury's eldritch Elliotts, it's not an accident. About a decade after Addams introduced his chararacters, the Elliotts made their debut in ''Mademoiselle'', in a story called "Homecoming" in 1946 -- which Addams illustrated. The two men wanted to get together on a full-length collaboration, but it never happened. (You can read about the Elliotts and see Addams' original illustration in Bradbury's 2001 anthology ''From the Dust Returned''.)

This page is for the ''New Yorker'' cartoons with the recurring family characters, ''not'' the TV show, movies, or any other adaptations and their tropes. In these cartoons, they didn't even have names; they were called "the Addams Family" because Charles Addams had created them. For a general overview of all works based off the cartoons, see [[Franchise/TheAddamsFamily here]].

The first members of the family depicted were the mother, the butler, and the "Thing", making their debut in [[http://comicsalliance.com/files/2016/01/addams-02.jpg this 1938 cartoon]]. They were joined in subsequent cartoons by a father, a son, a daughter, a [[TheGhost hinted-at-but-never-shown]] baby, a grandmother, and a recurring bald man whose relationship with the family was ambiguous, but became known as an uncle. These characters proved to be so popular that [[Series/TheAddamsFamily a TV show]] was based off of them, and their popularity only grew from there.

For many, ''many'' years, Creator/CharlesAddams drew single-panel cartoons for ''Magazine/TheNewYorker''. While these were standalone -- and, typically, quite macabre -- gag-a-week jokes, there were a few recurring characters: namely, a creepy family of loners who were dark opposites of the idealized American family. The first members of the family depicted were the mother, the butler, and the "Thing", making their debut in [[http://comicsalliance.com/files/2016/01/addams-02.jpg this cartoon.]]

They went on to appear again, joined by a father, a son, a daughter, a [[TheGhost hinted-at-but-never-shown]] baby, a grandmother, and a recurring bald man whose relationship with the family was ambiguous, but became known as an uncle.

These characters proved to be so popular that [[Series/TheAddamsFamily a TV show]] was based off of them, and their popularity only grew from there.

If this family seems to bear an uncanny resemblance to Creator/RayBradbury's eldritch Elliotts, it's no accident. Addams created his family in about 1938, while the Elliotts first appeared in ''Mademoiselle'', in a story called "Homecoming" in 1946 -- which Addams illustrated. They wanted to get together on a collaboration, but it never happened. You may read about the Elliotts and see Addams' original illustration in Bradbury's 2001 anthology ''From The Dust Returned''.

For many, ''many'' years, Creator/CharlesAddams drew single-panel cartoons for ''Magazine/TheNewYorker''. While these were standalone -- and, typically, quite macabre -- gag-a-week jokes, there were a few recurring characters: namely a creepy family of loners who were dark opposites of the idealized American family. The first members of the family depicted were the mother, the butler, and the "Thing", making their debut in [[http://comicsalliance.com/files/2016/01/addams-02.jpg this cartoon.]]

For many, ''many'' years, Creator/CharlesAddams drew single-panel cartoons for ''Magazine/TheNewYorker''. While these were standalone (and usually quite macabre) gag-a-week jokes, there were a few recurring characters: a creepy family of loners who were dark opposites of the idealized American family. The first members of the family shown were the mother, the butler, and the "Thing", making their debut in [[http://comicsalliance.com/files/2016/01/addams-02.jpg this cartoon.]]

* BigFancyHouse: They live in one that has fallen into decay (though given their outlook on life, it may not be "fallen into" so much as "deliberately created").

* BigFancyHouse: They live in one that has fallen into decay.

For many, ''many'' years, Creator/CharlesAddams drew single-panel cartoons for ''Magazine/TheNewYorker''. While these were standalone (and usually quite macabre) gag-a-week jokes, there were a few recurring characters: a creepy family of loners who were dark opposites of the normal American family. The first members of the family shown were the mother, the butler, and the "Thing", making their debut in [[http://comicsalliance.com/files/2016/01/addams-02.jpg this cartoon.]]

If this family seems to bear an uncanny resemblance to Creator/RayBradbury's eldritch Elliots, it's no accident. Addams created his family in about 1938, while the Elliotts first appeared in ''Mademoiselle'', in a story called "Homecoming" in 1946 -- which Addams illustrated. They wanted to get together on a collaboration, but it never happened. You may read about the Elliotts and see Addams' original illustration in Bradbury's 2001 anthology ''From The Dust Returned''.

[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/addams_record_changer_trimmed.jpg]]

* [[https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/56/38/69/56386976a70b9a7d52e38efa804d218f--addams-family-cartoon-the-addams-family.jpg "It", a short, hairy creature]]. Based off Cousin Itt from the TV show (see CanonImmigrant below), he only appeared in the one cartoon, but was subsequently depicted with the family in much of Addams's cover art.

* The "Wall-Eyed Couple": [[https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ed/15/c7/ed15c75d6c3ed180b84dc6c7202cb2e2--charles-addams-cartoons-adams-family.jpg A bald man with bulging eyes and a blank smile and a short woman with scraggly hair and a nervous smile.]] In the cartoon shown, they even have a baby. They are shown visiting the family a lot.

* The Baby. In a couple of cartoons, the mother is said to be pregnant. According to the KnittingPregnancyAnnouncement, it will have four legs, and if it's a boy it will be given "a Biblical name, like Cain or Ananias." It was never referenced again, which is understandable as the cartoons' continuity was loose, but it did inspire Pubert in Addams Family Values.

* [[https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/56/38/69/56386976a70b9a7d52e38efa804d218f--addams-family-cartoon-the-addams-family.jpg A short, hairy creature]]. He only appeared in the one cartoon, but was subsequently depicted with the family in much of Addams's cover art. Inspired by Cousin Itt from the TV show (see the entry for Canon Immigrant below).

* Disembodied hands reaching out from strange places had appeared in Addams's art before, but they were connected with the family when one cartoon showed two arms reaching out of a phonograph to change the records (see the page image). These were [[CompositeCharacter givien the Thing's name and role]] in the TV show.

* CanonImmigrant: Cousin Itt was a character created for the [[Series/TheAddamsFamily TV show.]] As a nod to the show, Charles Addams drew [[https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/56/38/69/56386976a70b9a7d52e38efa804d218f--addams-family-cartoon-the-addams-family.jpg this cartoon]] with a hairy creature that heavily resembled Cousin Itt answering the phone and saying "This is It speaking." Charles Addams's version of Cousin Itt went on to appear alongside the family.

* SpookyPainting: [[https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/97/1c/64/971c64905b0e991bab8c4b8552b92909.jpg A whole room of them]]... except for Uncle Zander's. He was the black sheep of the family, y'see.