Hutchison, Paula

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This is a list of all the major and minor characters from the animated television series Rocko's Modern Life and the comic book of the same name.

Main characters

Main characters in the television show and comic

Rocko

Main article: Rocko (Rocko's Modern Life)

Rocko is a wallaby who emigrated from Australia to the United States. He is a sensible, moral, and somewhat timid character who enjoys the simple pleasures in life, such as doing his laundry or feeding his dog, Spunky. He is neat, compassionate, and self-conscious. He wears a blue shirt with purple triangles on it that he has become quite attached to. He doesn't wear any pants. Rocko usually works at "Kind of a Lot o' Comics" (but once worked at Conglom-O where Ed Bighead attempted to make him quit) and his hobbies include recreational jackhammering and pining for the love of his life, Melba Toast. Due to Rocko's benevolence and non-confrontational personality, he is the best example of having his kindness being taken for weakness. He is often taken advantage of by the other characters. Rocko would prefer to live a quiet life, but his reckless friends often throw him into turbulent situations. His most common catchphrase is "______-Day is a very dangerous day," even once saying "Open Mike night is a very dangerous night." He is often mistaken for a kangaroo, and occasionally a beaver or weasel. In one episode, a French toad, an Australian kangaroo, and even Spunky claim Rocko is a rabbit. Rocko has no family name because the writers could not think of a family name that they liked. [1].

Heffer Wolfe

Main article: Heffer Wolfe

Heffer Wolfe is Rocko's best friend, a happy-go-lucky and not-too-bright steer (a castrated bull) whom he met in high school. Heffer is an absolute glutton and loves to eat and party. His favorite food is "Pasture Puffies." Though he is normally portrayed as being jobless, he has worked in a number of professions including a waiter at a coffee shop, a salesman at a tree farm, a greens keeper at a golf course, a mail carrier, a cashier at a Chokey Chicken restaurant, a paperboy, and a security guard at Conglom-O-Corp, which caused him to go insane in a reference to The Shining. As his family name suggests, he was raised by a family of wolves who decided not to eat him as a child; his "birthmark" is actually their plotting lines of how to best divide him up into choice dishes. He is often called a "Big fat cow", a term he objects to by saying "steer." His catchphrase, which can be heard in the series' opening credits, is "That was a hoot!"

Filburt Shellbach

Main article: Filburt

Filburt is Rocko's other best friend, a neurotic, hypochondriac turtle wearing Woody Allen-style glasses. He started out as a background character and became a main character in the second season. He lives in a trailer and earns his money by collecting cans "here and there", and has a penchant for "sauce". Filburt has an extremely weak stomach and even the slightest wrong movements can give him nausea. He tried to be a dentist but failed in his last exam when he turned one of Rocko's teeth into a Giant Mutant Tooth. He turned 21 in the second season episode "Born to Spawn" where he is called to his home island of Kerplopitgoes in order to become an adult. At one point, he also had a Frank Sinatra style singing voice that he nearly became a star with. He eventually started a family with Doctor Hutchison, a bubbly cat with a hook for a hand. One of their children turned out to bear a strong resemblance to Heffer, thanks to his having sat on their egg during the incubation period. Among Filburt's catchphrases are "Oh fish sticks!", "I'm nauseous... I'm nauseous..", and "Turn the page, wash your hands. Turn the page, wash your hands. And then you turn the page, and then you wash your hands."

Spunky

Main article: Spunky

Spunky is Rocko's dog who resembles a Jack Russell Terrier. He has a very high-pitched bark and wags his tail a lot. He's not too bright and will eat anything on sight, including Mr. Bighead's salmon bushes and a moldy slime found in Rocko's refrigerator. He often repeatedly drools into his water bowl, thinks it's fresh water and drinks it, only to drool into it again. He is Rocko's only regular pet and Rocko loves him dearly. Rocko will go to great lengths to protect Spunky if he is in danger or about to do something stupid. Spunky is best remembered for falling in love with a mop in the episode "Clean Lovin'", much to Rocko's dismay. Spunky is also the home of two parasites, Bloaty and Squirmy (see below).

Ed Bighead

Main article: Ed Bighead

Edward Bighead is a toad, and the husband of Beverly Bighead. He lives next door to Rocko, whom he vehemently despises. In the television show, Mr. Bighead is aggressive and crass towards most people. Ed works at the large corporation Conglom-O. His position with the company is usually in middle management, but it can be any position from assembly-line worker to an executive role, depending on the needs of the episode: according to his nameplate at Conglom-O, his job title is "Toad". As seen in the episode "Sailing the 7 Zzzs", he is a sleepwalker and has the habit of turning into a pirate while sleepwalking and views ordinary people and things as their pirate equivalents. He believes Rocko is an enemy pirate and proceeds to launch various household objects, such as toasters and bowling balls (cannonballs), at Rocko's house (an enemy pirate ship) from a dryer (a cannon). In the comic book, Mr. Bighead works for a similar company headed by Donald Frump, an elephant that serves as a parody of Donald Trump. Ed seems to have very bad luck wherever he goes and thus is very cynical. His catchphrase is "I hate my life."

Bev Bighead

Main article: Bev Bighead

Beverly Bighead is Ed's wife. Bev assumes authority in the Bighead household. Unlike her husband, she enjoys the company of Rocko, Heffer and Filburt. She is a party animal who enjoys cooking and sunbathing nude. There is evidence that she sees Rocko as more than a neighbor and wants to have an affair with him -- she has tried to seduce Rocko on more than one occasion, resulting in Rocko seeing her naked numerous times. She also is a possible masochist — - she sleeps on sharp objects and has been impaled in the back with a lawn dart by Rocko, but was unaffected by it. She has a very raspy voice similar to Patty and Selma from The Simpsons, suggesting that she has smoked in the past, though it may because she is a frog (however Ed's voice is nowhere near as raspy). At one point, she took over Ed's job at Conglom-O for a week when Ed took a leave of absence and ran the company very well. Her favorite bedroom pastime with Ed is to make him crack plates in mid-air with his tongue like clay pigeons. In many ways her character is not unlike Helen Roper of Three's Company.

Main characters in the television show

Paula Hutchison

Doctor Paula Hutchison, or Hutch for short, is a feline character on Rocko's Modern Life. Originally a dentist, Hutch has also been a cashier, surgeon, veterinarian, obstetrician, and pharmacist. She has a large smile and very upbeat outlook on life. She has a hook for a hand which does not hinder her normal activity in any way. She also used the hook to defeat the Giant Mutant Tooth. Hutch took a liking to Filburt and has encouraged him to do various things he's afraid of and eventually married him. Hutch's mother, the widow Hutchison, disallows the wedding between the two because in her belief "cats and turtles don't mix," an obvious reference to interracial marriage. However while both Filburt's and Hutch's families fight each other, it turns out that Hutch's father Frank Hutchison, who was thought to be dead, is actually a turtle, meaning that Widow Hutchison didn't want her daughter to marry Filburt because she didn't get along with her own turtle husband. Her catchphrase is "Kay?" while tilting her head.

Minor characters

Minor characters in the television show and comic

Bloaty the Tick and Squirmy the Ringworm

Bloaty the Tick and Squirmy the Ringworm are two parasites who live on and in Spunky. Certain episodes and Issue 6 of the comic book revolve around their Odd Couple-like relationship. The are also reminiscent of Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton. They are introduced in the first season episode "Dirty Dog", in which their boss, Mr Ickk, comes over for dinner while Rocko tries to give Spunky a bath. This episode suggests that more than one parasite is living on Spunky, though this is never proven. One of Bloaty and Squirmy's more well known sayings is "Up, work, home, TV, bed!".

Chuck and Leon

Chuck and Leon a.k.a. The Chameleon Brothers are identical twins, except for their voices. From their accents, it seems they are of Swedish descent. They became a running gag, having several odd jobs such as being gym owners, running a client agency for clients who need help to break bad habits (In Rocko's case, nail biting), and owning a café. They also claim to have once worked for a tsar (who resembled Heffer) in the fictional country Balzak before immigrating to America; it is heavily implied that this story is entirely fictional. They are most likely modeled after the Finucci Brothers from the 1991 Sylvester Stallone movie Oscar.

Both brothers appear in the second story of Issue #1 once. They never speak and are never identified by their names.

Mr. Dupette

In the television show Rocko's Modern Life, Mr. Dupette is the CEO of Conglom-O, the megacorporation whose motto is "We Own You." Prior to this he is the manager at Super Lot-O Comics in the episode Canned, where he fires Rocko. It is unknown precisely when or how he became the CEO of Conglom-O. Some episodes showing flashbacks to Conglom-O's early years, such as when Ralph Bighead turned down his father's offer of a job at the company, remain consistent with Dupette's original appearance in Canned, while others depict him as being with Conglom-O during events set well before the events of Canned.

Dupette is almost always shown picking his nose, although sometimes he has a personal assistant pick his nose for him. Despite his official job title of "Slimy Boss" and propensity for firing executives on a whim for the most inane reasons, Dupette is a staunch environmentalist thanks to Rocko's efforts (in the episode Zanzibar!) and he also secretly enjoys performing as a clown as children's birthday parties (in the episode Closet Clown). He is also a golf pro and, as his original job suggests, a big comic book fan.

In the Rocko's Modern Life comic book, Dupette appears in the second story of Volume #1 and is never identified by name. In the comic, an elephant named Donald Frump serves as Mr. Bighead's boss.

Earl

Earl is a large, mean-looking, purple mutt who looks something like a bulldog. He has large lower teeth the protrude from his mouth and wears a spiked dog collar. He was initially homeless, and is occasionally locked up at the O-Town Science Lab, due to his viciousness. Earl enjoys mauling Rocko, Ed Bighead, the mailman, and basically anything else that is alive. He was adopted by Bev Bighead in the second season; Ed hates him. His eyes, mouth and head are very similar in shape and size to the Bigheads, possibly another reason Mrs. Bighead adopted him.

Gladys Hippo

Gladys Hippo is a sunglasses-wearing, stretch pants sporting hippopotamus with whom Rocko, Ed, or one of the other main characters would often collide and get stuck in her large, sagging breasts. She would utter her catchphrase, a Katharine Hepburn-like "How dare you!" at this juncture. She also drags Rocko on a "ding-dong ditch" frenzy after catching Rocko and Heffer trying to pull the prank on her and finds it hilarious in one episode.

Gladys appears in the comic book in "This Is A Test!," the second story of Issue #1, and "Remote Controlled," the first story of Issue #4. Gladys appears in the background in "This Is A Test!" In "Remote Controlled," an unidentified passerby bumps into her, causing Gladys to yell her trademark phrase at the man.

Really Really Big Man

Really Really Big Man is a supporting character from Rocko's Modern Life. Big Man or RRBM for short, he is in fact really big and really strong. In most episodes that revolve around him, he shows incredible but uncontrollable strength. His superpowers include flight, magic chest hairs, nipples that allow people to see their future (by attaching them to the eyeballs) and super strength. His alter-ego is a cross-gender office worker named "Lois Lame" (a parody of Lois Lane and Clark Kent). His catchphrase is "Gaze into my nipples of the future!". He is voiced by Tom Kenny. Really Really Big Man exists in the comic book version only as comic book superhero and not a real, tangible being.

Melba Toast

Melba Toast is a mysterious female character who happens to be Rocko's next door neighbor in the television show and comic. Rocko falls head over heels for her but never sees her. Melba's face is never seen in the television show, nor in the comic. In the comic Melba is portrayed as a famous and high-class model for beauty products for the hands and feet.

Slippy the Slug

In the television show, Slippy the Slug manages the city dump. Before that, he ran a dangerous carnival sponsored by the sewage treatment center called the "Carnival O' Knowledge."

Slippy appears in the second story of Issue #1 and the first story of Issue #7; in Issue #7 he operates a "Slippy the Slug's Sales for Suckers" booth at the Humongo Comicon.

Minor characters in the television show

The Wolfe Family

Grandpa Wolfe

Hiram William Wolfe is the grandfather on George's side of the family. He hates wallabies but mistakenly believes that Rocko is a beaver, yet still dislikes him. This belief lead to a very controversial line in one of the episodes where Grandpa suggests they "eat the beaver", slang for cunnilingus. He is very old, and though his exact age is never revealed, he was in his prime in the 1940s or 1950s, according to the second season episode "Cruisin'". This would put him at around 80 to 90 years old. His eyesight, coordination, and bladder control are all suffering, as well not being able to chew solid food. His mannerisms, his appearance and even his voice are all very similar to Abraham Simpson from The Simpsons.

George Wolfe

George Wolfe is the temperamental father. He does have a rarely seen soft side, such as his secret support of Heffer's joining the Boy Scouts. He is constantly angry and rarely smiles, much like his father. At family dinners, he almost always ends up screaming at another family member or guest. He is also extremely protective of his car, even guarding the keys from the rest of the family with a laser grid security system.

Virginia Wolfe

Virginia Wolfe is the compassionate mother of Heffer with a nervous facial tic and crazed driving skills. Her trademark is to make a strange grinding noise with her teeth. Her name comes from the English novelist Virginia Woolf and her mannerisms and speech are very similar to the character of Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) from Fargo, though Rocko's Modern Life started airing two years prior to the release of Fargo.

Cindy Wolfe

Cindy Wolfe is Heffer's sister. Usually a background character, she speaks in a voice reminiscent of a valley girl. She is a parody of female teenagers and their tendency to gravitate towards rebelliousness and unusual fads or phases, such as the time she took a (revealed later to be temporary) vow of silence. She also sometimes wears crazy outfits that are supposed to be "in-fashion" at the time.

Peter Wolfe

Peter Wolfe is Heffer's brother. His voice is a deeper, male version of Cindy's and, also like Cindy, parodies rebellious teenage male behavior. He is most likely a stoner and is very lazy. He was primarily used for a background character, but also became part of long-running but rarely scene gag that implies that he is a crossdresser.

Filburt and Paula's children

Gilbert, Shelbert, Norbert, and Missy are the four children of Filburt and Dr. Hutchison, who all came from the same egg in the fourth and final season of the show. Gilbert and Shelbert look exactly like Filburt while Missy is a miniature version of Hutchinson. Norbert, on the other hand, has Filburt's eyes but oddly resembles Heffer (most likely because Heffer had sat on the egg for a while before it hatched). He also believes that Rocko is his mother and constantly follows him around. For most of the series, the four are featured only as babies; however, they do appear once as teenagers in the episode "Future Schlock."

Ralph Bighead

Ralph Bighead is Ed and Bev Bighead's son. He was disowned by Ed for not wanting to work for Conglom-O, so he went to Holl-o-Wood to become a cartoonist. He created a cartoon called The Fatheads, a married couple that constantly fights and hits each other. The Fatheads were based loosely on Ralph's parents as a sort of retaliation for his awful childhood. Eventually, he became tired of being a cartoonist and wanted to quit, but was contractually obligated to keep producing cartoons for his company. In an attempt to get around this, Ralph created the intentionally bad cartoon Wacky Delly so it would immediately be cancelled and he could quit his job. Instead, the show became a runaway hit, much to Ralph's dismay. He finally made up with his parents (mainly his father) with the help of Rocko, Heffer and Filburt and is welcomed back into his family. Rocko and his friends are big fans of both The Fatheads and Wacky Delly. Creator Joe Murray provides the voice of Ralph.

Dingo

Dingo, appearing in "Wimp on the Barbie", was Rocko's primary bully during Rocko's childhood. In the episode, Rocko explains that he fled to the United States to escape from Dingo. When Dingo sends a letter to Rocko telling him that he is coming to visit, Rocko freaks out, afraid Dingo will come to the United States and continue to bully him there. When Dingo finally arrives at Rocko's house, he reveals himself as a member of a cult that opposes all types of violence and that he is now at peace with everyone, and is now known as "Foofy No-No". His ears are also gone when he visits Rocko.

Mr. Smitty

In Rocko's Modern Life, Mr. Smitty is Rocko's boss at Kind of a Lot o' Comics, a purple toad with obvious hair plugs who is always seen smoking a cigar and seems to either fire Rocko or make his job a living hell in almost every episode he appears in. His tyrannical and aggressive nature and short temper are apparently the result of "the green button" on his office chair. He is the only character in the series that Rocko openly dislikes.

Peaches

Pink-skinned and clad in black robes, the ironically named Peaches is in charge of "Heck," a parody of Hell (which he claims appears infernal "for the tourists"). By taking off his hood, he reveals his head disturbingly resembles cow udders. Despite his menacing appearance and given his authority, Peaches has an "average joe" tone and likes playing with a paddle ball. He has attempted to lure Heffer into "Heck" several times but has repeatedly failed to do so. Due to his failures, he was punished by being forced to star in his own cartoon show: Peaches' Modern Life. He is a parody of Satan.

Flecko

Flecko is a fly, who appears in the episodes "Day of the Flecko", in which he is a prolonged nuisance to Rocko as the latter tries to get to sleep and "Fly Burgers", in which he sues Rocko after feigning serious injury. He also makes an appearance in "Rocko's Happy Vermin" as he saves the rest of his bug friends. He has a glass eye that always falls out.

The Hopping Hessian

The Hopping Hessian is a parody of the Headless Horseman, a one-legged ghost from the Revolutionary War who lurks beyond the old Foto-Hut. Gordon The Talking Leg is The Hessian's missing leg who sounds like Johnny Carson and has a face on his foot.

Minor characters in the comic book

Children at the campsite

In "I'll Never Go Camping Again," the second story of Issue #7, Rocko recalls his last camping trip as a young wallaby. Two other children at the camp site (the "leader" is a pig named Curly) belittle the frightened Rocko when he is unable to gather fire wood. All three camp members, including Rocko, are frightened by an evil spirit lurking in the woods.

Cindy

Cindy is a female turtle who approaches Filbert while he is dressed as "Benito of the Ppmkfpt," a comic book character similar to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Cindy receives a photograph from Filbert at a comic book convention and later announces that she wishes to date Filbert. Cindy appears in "Conned Again," the first story of Issue #7.

Doctor Demento

Doctor Demento, featured in "Dental Hijinks," the first story of Issue #1, is a sadistic dentist that operates on Rocko's mouth. During the procedure to extract Rocko's rotten tooth, the machine explodes since Demento has a lit match nearby, causing both Rocko and Demento to be hospitalized.

Donald Frump

Donald Frump is a white elephant that appears at a party at the Bighead house. Frump is Ed Bighead's boss. Bev Bighead flirts with Frump in an attempt to secure Mr. Bighead's promotion, yet Mr. Bighead scolds Frump for flirting with Bev, ending chances of the promotion. Frump's name is a spoof of Donald Trump, and his appearance is the parody of the "white elephant" concept. Frump appears in "Who Invited You?", the second story of Issue #2.

Mr. Grunge

Mr. Grunge, the lead singer of the Lollapalosers featured in Issue #4, seems to be incoherent and inept.

Party guests

The guests of Ed Bighead's party, featured in "Who Invited You?," the second story of Issue 2, collectively feel bored. Once Rocko and Heffer appear, the guests enjoy the party. Aside from Frump, only one guest, Harry, is named.

Rosie O'Grazie

Rosie O'Grazie is a female cow that enjoys health food. Heffer falls in love with her in "Eat This! It's Good for You!", the sole story of Issue #3. Heffer eventually realizes that he is not meant to be with her by the end of the story.

Willy D. Weasel

Willy D. Weasel, in "This Is A Test!," the second story of Issue #1, is a reporter for WBUKS Eye Whitless News. Weasel tries to convince Rocko to sell Spunky in exchange for millions of dollars since Spunky acts as a "camera" for television channels around the world.

This biographical information was gathered from the Paula_Hutchison page, courtesy of the Wikipedia project.

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