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Difference between revisions of "The Itchy & Scratchy Show"

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'''The Itchy & Scratchy Show''' is a TV show where the mouse ('''Itchy''') is always killing the cat ('''Scratchy'''). It usually has shorts during the [[Krusty the Clown]] Show on [[KBBL-TV]]. This appears to be a violent parody of [[wikipedia:Tom and Jerry|Tom and Jerry]].
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{{Icons|FA}}
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{{for2|the character collection in [[The Simpsons: Tapped Out]]|The Simpsons: Tapped Out characters/The Itchy & Scratchy Show}}
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{{TV Show
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|name = The Itchy & Scratchy Show
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|image = [[File:The Itchy and Scratchy Show.png|220px]]
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|genre = Cartoon
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|Created By = [[Chester J. Lampwick]]
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|Produced By = [[Roger Meyers, Jr.]]<br>[[Krusty the Clown]]
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|starring = [[June Bellamy]]<br>[[Homer Simpson]] (Former)
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|country = [[USA]]
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|channel = [[Channel 6]]
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|appearance = "[[The Bart Simpson Show]]"
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}}
  
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Itchy & Scratchy not only is [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] and [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]]'s favorite cartoon, but frequently the subject of the shorts refer to events taking place in the episode. When the show's writing began to slip, Bart and Lisa wrote their own shorts using [[Abraham Simpson|Grandpa]]'s name. When [[Itchy & Scratchy Land]] was attacked by their own robots, [[The Simpsons]] saved the theme park.
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'''''The Itchy & Scratchy Show''''' is an animated TV show and a segment of ''[[The Krusty the Klown Show]]'' on [[Channel 6]]. The show involves a anthropomorphic mouse named [[Itchy]] repeatedly killing a anthropomorphic cat named [[Scratchy]] for no real reason. The show contains a huge amount of blood and gore and cartoon violence. It is a parody of ''{{W|Tom & Jerry}}'' and ''{{W|Herman and Katnip}}'', but exaggerated to be more violent and gory, unlike ''Tom & Jerry'' which only had slapstick humor. There are at least 1,328 episodes of the show.<ref>"[[Whiskey Business]]"</ref> Itchy, and other Itchy style mice are almost always the aggressors, and like its inspirations, are almost always the victors.
  
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[[Roger Meyers Sr.]], the creator of the show, was posthumously accused of plagiarism and [[Itchy & Scratchy International]] ordered to pay billions of dollars to original creator [[Chester Lampwick]]. The show managed to survive off of a cash settlement from the government in a subsequent plagiarism lawsuit.
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Most of the time, each Itchy & Scratchy episode is based on some kind of theme that ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode is being aired as. For example, The Itchy & Scratchy episode "[[diePod Slaylist]]" shows Scratchy listening to a MyPod when Itchy turns the volume to extreme levels to make Scratchy's eyes explode, which is related to [[Lisa]] receiving a MyPod.
  
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'''''The Itchy & Scratchy Show''''' is a show-within-a-show of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' which usually appears as a segment of the [[The Krusty the Clown Show]], watched regularly by [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] and [[Lisa Simpson]] and other characters. Itself an animated cartoon, ''The Itchy & Scratchy Show'' depicts an anthropomorphic blue mouse, [[Itchy]] (voiced by [[Dan Castellaneta]]) who mutilates an anthropomorphic black cat, [[Scratchy]] (voiced by [[Harry Shearer]]).  
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== History ==
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[[Chester J. Lampwick]] invented Itchy in the year 1919 and owns the rights to Itchy. Lampwick was also known as the "father of cartoon violence." [[Roger Meyers, Sr.]] (1890–1985) plagiarized Itchy and established Itchy and Scratchy Studios in 1921. Originally Itchy was called "Itchy the Lucky Mouse" (a parody of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit).<ref name="The Day the Violence Died">"[[The Day the Violence Died]]"</ref> He starred in his first cartoon made by Lampwick, "[[Manhattan Madness]]".
  
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They first appeared in ''[[The Tracey Ullman Show]]'' [[The Simpsons shorts]] "[[The Bart Simpson Show]]", which originally aired November 20, 1988.
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Scratchy starred in his first cartoon in 1928, entitled ''[[That Happy Cat]]''. The film, which is about fourteen seconds of animation showing the cat whistling and tipping his hat, did very poorly. It is unknown who created Scratchy, or if he was plagiarized by Meyers Sr. in the same way that Itchy was.
  
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== List of Cartoons ==
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Later in 1928, Itchy and Scratchy starred in their first cartoon together entitled "[[Steamboat Itchy]]" a parody of Disney's ''{{W|Steamboat Willie}}'' featuring [[Mickey Mouse]].
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*''See [[List of Itchy and Scratchy cartoons]]''
 
  
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== History within ''The Simpsons'' ==
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Along with the cartoon shorts, Itchy and Scratchy were featured in a wartime radio series,<ref>"[[The Old Man and the Key]]"</ref> at least two films - ''[[Pinitchio]]'' and ''[[Scratchtasia]]'',<ref name="Itchy & Scratchy Land">"[[Itchy & Scratchy Land]]"</ref> and television commercials for [[Laramie cigarettes]].<ref>"[[HOMЯ]]"</ref>  
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=== Origins ===
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An X-rated Itchy & Scratchy movie titled "Itchy & Scratchy meet Fritz The Cat" was created during the 1970s. According to [[Comic Book Guy]], only bootleg copies are available "because of its frank depiction of sex and narcotic consumption".<ref name="The Day the Violence Died"/>
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According to the show, [[Chester J. Lampwick]] invented Itchy in 1919 and owns the rights to that character. Lampwick was also known as the "father of cartoon violence." [[Roger Meyers, Sr.]] (1890-1985) plagiarized Itchy and established [[Itchy and Scratchy Studios]] in 1921. Originally Itchy was called "Itchy the Lucky Mouse" (a parody of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit).<ref>[[The Day the Violence Died]]</ref> He starred in his first cartoon made by Lampwick, "[[Manhattan Madness]]".
 
  
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Scratchy starred in his first cartoon in 1928, entitled ''[[That Happy Cat]]''. The film, which is about fourteen seconds of animation showing the cat whistling and tipping his hat, did very poorly. It is unknown who created Scratchy, or if he was plagiarized by Meyers Sr. in the same way that Itchy was.
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At one point, additional characters were added to the pair on a show titled ''Itchy & Scratchy and Friends Hour'': [[Uncle Ant]], [[Disgruntled Goat]], [[Flatulent Fox]], [[Klu Klux Clam]], [[Manic Mailman]], [[Dinner Dog]] and [[Rich Uncle Skeleton]]. These characters parodied the addition of superfluous, two-dimensional characters to TV shows in an effort to draw viewer interest.<ref name="Itchy & Scratchy Land"/>
  
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Later that year, Itchy and Scratchy starred in their first cartoon together entitled "[[Steamboat Itchy]]" a parody of Disney's Steamboat Willie featuring Mickey Mouse.
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Itchy and Scratchy Studios is currently run by [[Roger Meyers, Jr.]] (born 1956), the son of the cartoon's "creator." Itchy and Scratchy Studios was bankrupted after being sued by Lampwick for $800 billion, but was saved after receiving a large cash settlement from the government over its use of Mr. ZIP.<ref name="The Day the Violence Died"/>
  
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=== "Past" ===
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''The Itchy and Scratchy Show'' airs as a segment on the Krusty the Klown show, though it moved to the [[Gabbo]] show during the latter's short-lived run.<ref>"[[Krusty Gets Kancelled]]"</ref> The show underwent a non-violent retooling following a protest campaign led by [[Marge Simpson]], but after Marge was later discredited, it returned to its original violent format.<ref>"[[Itchy & Scratchy & Marge]]"</ref> The show has spawned an Academy Award-winning film adaptation,<ref>"[[Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie]]"</ref> {{ap|Itchy & Scratchy Land|theme park|amusement parks}},<ref name="Itchy & Scratchy Land"/> and a musical.<ref>"[[Girls Just Want to Have Sums]]"</ref>
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Since ''The Simpsons'' exists in a form of floating timeline, "past" refers to events that occurred before the course of the series.
 
  
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Along with the cartoon shorts, Itchy and Scratchy were featured in a wartime radio series,<ref>[[The Old Man and the Key]]</ref> at least two films - ''[[Pinitchio]]'' and ''[[Scratchtasia]]'', (parodies of ''Pinocchio'' and ''Fantasia''),<ref>[[Itchy & Scratchy Land]]</ref> and television commercials for [[Laramie cigarettes]] (spoofing The Flintstones).<ref>[[HOMR]]</ref>
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The show is animated in South Korea. [[June Bellamy]] (a takeoff on voice actress June Foray) voices both Itchy and Scratchy.<ref name="ReferenceA">"[[The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show]]"</ref>
  
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At one point, additional characters were added to the pair on a show titled ''[[Itchy & Scratchy and Friends Hour]]'': [[Uncle Ant]], [[Disgruntled Goat]], [[Flatulent Fox]], [[Ku Klux Klam]], [[Manic Mailman]], [[Dinner Dog]] and [[Rich Uncle Skeleton]]. These characters parodied the addition of superfluous, two-dimensional characters to TV shows in an effort to draw viewer interest.<ref>[[Itchy & Scratchy Land]]</ref>
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=== Poochie ===
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[[File:Poochie.png|thumb|122px|Poochie, a short-lived character on the show.]]  
  
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=== "Present" ===
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[[Poochie]] was a dog character added to the ''Itchy & Scratchy'' lineup. The producers believed the cartoons were getting stale, and needed a new character to reinvigorate the show, despite the objections of one of the show's writers, who "at the risk of sounding pretentious", felt that Itchy and Scratchy comprised "a dramaturgical dyad". [[Homer Simpson]] got the job of voicing Poochie, who was introduced in the ''Itchy & Scratchy'' cartoon, ''[[The Beagle Has Landed]]''. A product of marketing department thinking, Poochie was near-universally despised, and was killed off in his second appearance, despite Homer's objections.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
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Since ''The Simpsons'' exists in a form of floating timeline, "present" refers to events that occurred during the course of the series.
 
  
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[[Itchy and Scratchy Studios]] is currently run by [[Roger Meyers, Jr.]] (born 1956), the son of the cartoon's "creator." Itchy and Scratchy Studios was bankrupted after being sued by Lampwick for $800 billion, but was saved after receiving a large cash settlement from the government over its use of [[Mr. ZIP]].<ref>[[The Day the Violence Died]]</ref>
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== Theme song ==
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{{Main|The Itchy & Scratchy Show theme song}}
  
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''The Itchy and Scratchy Show'' airs as a segment on the Krusty the Klown show, though it moved to the [[Gabbo]] show during the latter's short-lived run.<ref>[[Krusty Gets Kancelled]]</ref> The show underwent a non-violent retooling following a protest campaign led by [[Marge Simpson]], but after Marge was later discredited, it returned to its original violent format.<ref>[[Itchy & Scratchy & Marge]]</ref> The show has spawned an Academy Award-winning film adaptation,<ref>[[Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie]]</ref> amusement parks,<ref>[[Itchy & Scratchy Land]]</ref> and a musical.<ref>[[Girls Just Want to Have Sums]]</ref>
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== List of cartoons ==
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{{Main|List of Itchy and Scratchy cartoons}}
  
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The show is animated in South Korea, just like ''The Simpsons'' itself. [[June Bellamy]] (a takeoff on voice actress June Foray) voices both Itchy and Scratchy.<ref>[[The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show]]</ref>
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== Non-canon ==
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{{Noncanon}}
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=== Treehouse of Horror ===
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In the "[[Treehouse of Horror IX]]" segment "The Terror of Tiny Toon", Bart and Lisa entered their television and were attacked by Itchy & Scratchy. At the end of the story, they broke out of the TV into the real world: Fortunately they were not a threat, as they were the same size as "real-world" cats and mice.
  
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==== Poochie ====
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=== Video games ===
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In the episode "[[The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show]]", [[Poochie]] was a dog character added to the ''Itchy & Scratchy'' lineup. According to the show's plot, the producers believed the cartoons were getting stale, and needed a new character to reinvigorate the show, despite the objections of one of the show's writers, who "at the risk of sounding pretentious", felt that Itchy and Scratchy comprised "a dramaturgical dyad". [[Homer Simpson]] gets the job of voicing Poochie, who is introduced in the ''Itchy & Scratchy'' cartoon, ''[[The Beagle Has Landed]]''. A product of marketing department thinking, Poochie was near-universally despised, and was killed off in his second appearance, despite Homer's objections. Both plots were a reference to TV shows which added new characters purportedly to reinvigorate the show (often in the show's waning years and/or to replace stars who had either departed or, if they were child actors, grown up).
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There are two video games with Itchy and Scratchy as the main characters: ''[[The Itchy & Scratchy Game]]'', released for Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Gear, Super NES and Game Boy<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gameboy.ign.com/objects/010/010551.html|title=The Itchy and Scratchy Game|accessdate=2007-09-22|date=|author=|publisher=IGN.com}}</ref> and ''[[Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness]]'', released for Game Boy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gameboy.ign.com/objects/010/010414.html|title=''Itchy and Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness|accessdate=2007-09-22|date=|author=|publisher=IGN.com}}</ref>
  
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A level of the SNES/Genesis game ''[[Bart's Nightmare]]'' prominently features Itchy and Scratchy.
  
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A special unlockable level in the ''[[The Simpsons Wrestling]]'' is based on ''The Itchy & Scratchy Show'' where Itchy and Scratchy fight in a wrestling match with Bart and Lisa watching through a television.
  
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== Role in ''The Simpsons'' ==
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In ''[[The Simpsons Road Rage]]'', a black and white ''Itchy & Scratchy'' cartoon can be seen at the [[Springfield Drive-In|Springfield drive-in theater]].
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Many aspects of The Itchy & Scratchy show are a parody of Walt Disney movies and include shorts such as "[[Steamboat Itchy]]", a parody of ''Steamboat Willy''; "[[Scratchtasia]]", a parody of ''Fantasia''; and "[[Pinitchio]]", a parody of ''Pinocchio''.<ref name="Groening2">{{cite video | people=Groening, Matt|year=2004|title=The Simpsons season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
 
  
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Itchy and Scratchy often play out an exaggerated form of the conflict in the surrounding episode.  For example, when the Simpson children are taken into foster care, they watch an Itchy and Scratchy cartoon with a similar theme<ref>{[[Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily]]</ref>, and when Homer is recruited by NASA, he watches an Itchy and Scratchy cartoon which directly (and gruesomely) parodies the films ''2001: A Space Odyssey'' and ''Alien''.<ref>[[Deep Space Homer]]</ref>
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In ''[[The Simpsons: Hit & Run]]'', if the player finds all the [[The Simpsons Hit & Run cards|collector cards]] in every level, the ''Itchy & Scratchy'' episode ''[[500-Yard Gash]]'' will be unlocked, which can be viewed at the [[Aztec Theater]].
  
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Itchy and Scratchy have occasionally been used to parody the work of famous directors specifically. One episode, "[[Reservoir Cats]]" is supposedly guest-directed by [[Quentin Tarantino]] and mocks Tarantino's films ''Reservoir Dogs'' and ''Pulp Fiction''. Another cartoon was "guest directed" by [[Oliver Stone]] and shows Itchy shooting Scratchy in a manner similar to Jack Ruby's murder of Lee Harvey Oswald, in reference to Stone's film ''JFK''.
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The characters of Itchy and Scratchy appear in ''[[The Simpsons Game]]'', featured in the level [[Grand Theft Scratchy]] in the form of pimps and hoodlums.
  
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In the episode "[[The Day the Violence Died]]" there was a clip from a 1970's X-rated Itchy & Scratchy titled "[[Itchy & Scratchy meet Fritz The Cat]]". According to [[Comic Book Guy]] only bootleg copies are available "because of its frank depiction of sex and narcotic consumption".
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=== The Simpsons: Tapped Out ===
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{{TranscludeSection|The Simpsons: Tapped Out decorations/Billboards and signs|Itchy&Scratchy}}
  
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== Background ==
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== Behind the Laughter ==
 
=== Origins ===
 
=== Origins ===
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''The Itchy & Scratchy Show'' first appeared in ''[[The Tracey Ullman Show|Tracey Ullman Show]]'' [[The Simpsons shorts|short]] "[[The Bart Simpson Show]]", which originally aired November 20, 1988. They are based on ''Tom and Jerry'' and other cat & mouse cartoons. As a kid, series creator [[Matt Groening]] and his friends would fantasize about an ultra violent cartoon and how much fun it would be to work on a show like that.<ref name="Groening1">{{cite video | people=Groening, Matt|year=2002|title=The Simpsons season 2 DVD commentary for the episode "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The names "Itchy" and "Scratchy" were inspired by "Pixie and Dixie", who were mice on the cartoon show ''Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks''.<ref name="Groening1"/> [[David Silverman]], a director and producer for ''The Simpsons'', states that the show is based on ''Herman and Katnip''.<ref name="silverman-interview">{{cite web | url = http://cagle.msnbc.com/hogan/interviews/silverman.asp | title = The David Silverman Interview | accessdate = 2006-09-19}}</ref>
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''The Itchy & Scratchy Show'' first appeared in ''[[The Tracey Ullman Show|Tracey Ullman Show]]'' [[The Simpsons shorts|short]] "[[The Bart Simpson Show]]", which originally aired November 20, 1988. They are based on ''Tom and Jerry'' and other cat & mouse cartoons, such as ''Herman and Katnip'' as stated by [[David Silverman]], a director and producer for ''The Simpsons'', citing it as a key inspiration for ''Itchy & Scratchy'' as he described it as a more violent clone of ''Tom and Jerry''.<ref name="silverman-interview">{{cite web | url = http://cagle.msnbc.com/hogan/interviews/silverman.asp | title = The David Silverman Interview | accessdate = 2006-09-19}}</ref> As a child, series creator [[Matt Groening]] and his friends would fantasize about an ultra violent cartoon and how much fun it would be to work on a show like that.<ref name="Groening1">{{cite video | people=Groening, Matt|year=2002|title=The Simpsons season 2 DVD commentary for the episode "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The names "Itchy" and "Scratchy" were inspired by "Pixie and Dixie", who were mice on the cartoon show ''Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks''.<ref name="Groening1"/>
  
 
=== Development ===
 
=== Development ===
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"Itchy and Scratchy" cartoons are often added when a show needs expanding<ref name="Scully1">{{cite video | people=Scully, Mike|year=2006|title=The Simpsons season 9 DVD commentary for the episode "Girly Edition"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> or when there is an issue that the writers wish to satirize.<ref name="Jean1">{{cite video | people=Jean, Al|year=2002|title=The Simpsons season 2 DVD commentary for the episode "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The shorts are often hard for the writers and take a long time to develop and come up with a title for the short and in the end they do not fill up a large amount of time.<ref name="Reiss1"/> Writing the Itchy & Scratchy cartoons is quite often a group effort, with it being pitched out one gag after another.<ref name="Groening3">{{cite video | people=Groening, Matt|year=2006|title=The Simpsons season 9 DVD commentary for the episode "Girly Edition"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Itchy & Scratchy are a favourite of [[John Swartzwelder]], who has written many of the episodes that centre around them and quite often pitches the ideas for the shorts.<ref name="Reiss1">{{cite video | people=Reiss, Mike|year=2002|title=The Simpsons season 2 DVD commentary for the episode "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
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"Itchy and Scratchy" cartoons are often added when a show needs expanding<ref name="Scully1">{{cite video | people=Scully, Mike|year=2006|title=The Simpsons season 9 DVD commentary for the episode "Girly Edition"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> or when there is an issue that the writers wish to satirize.<ref name="Jean1">{{cite video | people=Jean, Al|year=2002|title=The Simpsons season 2 DVD commentary for the episode "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The shorts are often hard for the writers and take a long time to develop and come up with a title for the short and in the end they do not fill up a large amount of time.<ref name="Reiss1"/> Writing the Itchy & Scratchy cartoons is quite often a group effort, with it being pitched out one gag after another.<ref name="Groening3">{{cite video | people=Groening, Matt|year=2006|title=The Simpsons season 9 DVD commentary for the episode "Girly Edition"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Itchy & Scratchy are a favourite of [[John Swartzwelder]], who has written many of the episodes that centre around them and quite often pitches the ideas for the shorts.<ref name="Reiss1">{{cite video | people=Reiss, Mike|year=2002|title=The Simpsons season 2 DVD commentary for the episode "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
  
 
In several episodes centering around the production of ''The Itchy & Scratchy Show'', such as "[[The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show]]", the show's staff are shown. Almost all of them are caricatures of the actual staff of ''The Simpsons''. In the first scene at the production table the person in the lower right corner, wearing a squid T-shirt, is [[David X. Cohen]]. On the left side, the furthest away is [[Bill Oakley]] with [[Josh Weinstein]] next to him. Next to Weinstein is [[George Meyer]], who is the writer who speaks out and gets fired. The animator shown designing Poochie is supervising director [[David Silverman]]. Others who appear include [[Dan McGrath]], [[Ian Maxtone-Graham]], [[Donick Cary]], [[Ron Hauge]], [[Ned Goldreyer]] and [[Mike Scully]], who had to be added in later, as the animators "didn't have his photo" from which to get an accurate likeness.
 
In several episodes centering around the production of ''The Itchy & Scratchy Show'', such as "[[The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show]]", the show's staff are shown. Almost all of them are caricatures of the actual staff of ''The Simpsons''. In the first scene at the production table the person in the lower right corner, wearing a squid T-shirt, is [[David X. Cohen]]. On the left side, the furthest away is [[Bill Oakley]] with [[Josh Weinstein]] next to him. Next to Weinstein is [[George Meyer]], who is the writer who speaks out and gets fired. The animator shown designing Poochie is supervising director [[David Silverman]]. Others who appear include [[Dan McGrath]], [[Ian Maxtone-Graham]], [[Donick Cary]], [[Ron Hauge]], [[Ned Goldreyer]] and [[Mike Scully]], who had to be added in later, as the animators "didn't have his photo" from which to get an accurate likeness.
  
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== Cultural influence ==
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Itchy is voiced by [[Dan Castellanata]] and Scratchy is voiced by [[Harry Shearer]].
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In a 2006 article IGN.com ranked Itchy & Scratchy in tenth position on their list of the "[[Top 25 Simpsons Peripheral Characters]]", citing that "[[the Itchy & Scratchy Show]] shines a nice mirror on cartoons, showing just how funny cartoon violence really is."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/730/730957p3.html|title=Top 25 Simpsons Peripheral Characters|accessdate=2007-06-08|date=[[2006-09-06]]|author=Eric Goldman, Dan Iverson, Brian Zoromski|publisher=IGN.com}}</ref> In 2007, ''Vanity Fair'' named "[[The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show]]" the sixth best episode in the show's history, describing it as "a classic satire of network influence, obsessed TV fans, and programs that survive long after the shark has been jumped, the episode is a meta-celebration, a tongue-in-cheek rebuttal to everyone who claimed that the quality of ''The Simpsons'' had declined over the years."<ref>{{cite news | author = John Orvted | title = Springfield's Best | publisher = [[Vanity Fair]] | date = [[2007-09-22]] | url = http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/08/top10simpsons200708 | accessdate=2007-07-13}}</ref> Todd Gilchrist called it a masterpiece, stating it "could easily be packaged and sold by itself."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.dvd.ign.com/articles/725/725343p1.html|title=The Simpsons - The Complete Eighth Season|accessdate=2007-07-31|author=Gilchrist, Todd|date=[[2006-09-22]]|IGN.com}}</ref> Comic Book Guy's phrase "Worst. Episode. Ever" was named as a quote that could be used in everyday life, as well as being one of the most popular quotes from the show, by The A.V. Club.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/content/node/47756/2|title=Beyond "D'oh!": Simpsons Quotes For Everyday Use|author=Bahn, Christopher; Donna Bowman, Josh Modell, Noel Murray, Nathan Rabin, Tasha Robinson, Kyle Ryan, Scott Tobias|date=2006-04-26|accessdate=2007-09-22|publisher=The A.V. Club}}</ref>
 
  
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=== Video games ===
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=== Cultural influence ===
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A video game named ''[[The Itchy and Scratchy Game]]'' was released for Sega Megadrive/Genesis, Game Gear, Super NES and Game Boy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gameboy.ign.com/objects/010/010551.html|title=The Itchy and Scratchy Game|accessdate=2007-09-22|date=|author=|publisher=IGN.com}}</ref> Another game, ''[[Itchy and Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness]]'', was released for Game Boy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gameboy.ign.com/objects/010/010414.html|title=''Itchy and Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness|accessdate=2007-09-22|date=|author=|publisher=IGN.com}}</ref> A level of the SNES/Genesis game ''[[Bart's Nightmare]]'' also prominently features Itchy and Scratchy.
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In a 2006 article IGN.com ranked Itchy & Scratchy in tenth position on their list of the "[http://tv.ign.com/articles/730/730957p2.html Top 25 Simpsons Peripheral Characters]", citing that "the Itchy & Scratchy Show shines a nice mirror on cartoons, showing just how funny cartoon violence really is."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/730/730957p3.html|title=Top 25 Simpsons Peripheral Characters|accessdate=2007-06-08|date=2006-09-06|author=Eric Goldman, Dan Iverson, Brian Zoromski|publisher=IGN.com}}</ref> In 2007, ''Vanity Fair'' named "[[The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show]]" the sixth best episode in the show's history, describing it as "a classic satire of network influence, obsessed TV fans, and programs that survive long after the shark has been jumped, the episode is a meta-celebration, a tongue-in-cheek rebuttal to everyone who claimed that the quality of ''The Simpsons'' had declined over the years."<ref>{{cite news | author = John Orvted | title = Springfield's Best | publisher = Vanity Fair | date = 2007-09-22 | url = http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/08/top10simpsons200708 | accessdate=2007-07-13}}</ref> Todd Gilchrist called it a masterpiece, stating it "could easily be packaged and sold by itself."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.dvd.ign.com/articles/725/725343p1.html|title=The Simpsons - The Complete Eighth Season|accessdate=2007-07-31|author=Gilchrist, Todd|date=2006-09-22|IGN.com}}</ref> Comic Book Guy's phrase "Worst. Episode. Ever" was named as a quote that could be used in everyday life, as well as being one of the most popular quotes from the show, by The A.V. Club.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/content/node/47756/2|title=Beyond "D'oh!": Simpsons Quotes For Everyday Use|author=Bahn, Christopher; Donna Bowman, Josh Modell, Noel Murray, Nathan Rabin, Tasha Robinson, Kyle Ryan, Scott Tobias|date=2006-04-26|accessdate=2007-09-22|publisher=The A.V. Club}}</ref>
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== Appearances ==
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{{Incomplete}}
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{{TO}}
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{{ShortsA
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{{Season2A
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|E1=yes
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|E3=yes
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|E3n=Hungry are the Damned
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|E9=yes
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|E13=yes
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|E13n=audio only
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|E21=yes
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|E21n=poster
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{{Season3A
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|E1=yes
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|E6=yes
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|E10=yes
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{{Season4A
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|E3=yes
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|E6=yes
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|E14=yes
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|E15=yes
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|E2=yes
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{{Season7A
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|E20=yes
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|E20n=audio only
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{{Season10A
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|E3=yes
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|E3n=Terror of Tiny Toon
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{{Season13A
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|E11=yes
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*{{mov}}
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{{Season22A
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|E12=yes
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{{Season23A
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|E4=yes
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|E8=yes
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|E13=yes
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{{Season24A
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|E9=yes
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|E18=yes
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{{Season25A
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|E5=yes
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|E8=yes
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|E14=yes
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|E21=yes
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{{Season26A
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|E1=yes
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|E11=yes
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{{Season27A
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|E1=yes
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{{Season28A
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|E5=yes
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|E15=yes
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{{Season29A
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|E15=yes
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{{Season30A
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|E8=yes
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|E9=yes
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|E18=yes
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|E20=yes
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|E20n=poster
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|E22=yes
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}}
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{{Season32A
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|E16=yes
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*{{spec|Do the Bartman}}
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*{{spec|Deep, Deep Trouble}}
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*{{TSG}}
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*{{bon|O Bart, Where Art Thou?}}
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*{{bon|Comics Fan No More!}}
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*{{bon|The Itchy and Scratchy Show!}}
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*{{bk|The Bart Book}}
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*{{game|The Simpsons Wrestling|(as a playable level)}}
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*{{game|The Simpsons Road Rage}}
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*{{game|The Simpsons: Hit & Run}}
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*{{game|The Simpsons Game}}
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*{{game|The Simpsons: Tapped Out|(Cartoon Set)}}
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*{{ad|Slaughter is the Best Medicine}}
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*{{ad|500 Easy Pieces (Butterfinger commercial)}}
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*{{merch|Simpsons Mania! (Inkworks)|pipe=yes|3=Simpsons Mania!|(mentioned)}}
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{{TC}}
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}}
  
 
== References ==
 
== References ==
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{{reflist}}
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{{Reflist}}
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{{The Itchy and Scratchy Show}}
 
{{The Itchy and Scratchy Show}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Itchy & Scratchy Show}}
  
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[[Category:Itchy & Scratchy]]
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[[Category:The Itchy & Scratchy Show| ]]
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[[Category:TV Shows]]
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[[Category:TV shows]]
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[[Category:Parodies]]
 

Latest revision as of 23:19, November 4, 2024


For the character collection in The Simpsons: Tapped Out, see The Simpsons: Tapped Out characters/The Itchy & Scratchy Show.
The Itchy & Scratchy Show
The Itchy and Scratchy Show.png
TV Show Information
Genre: Cartoon
Starring: June Bellamy
Homer Simpson (Former)
Country of origin: USA
Channel: Channel 6
First appearance: "The Bart Simpson Show"


The Itchy & Scratchy Show is an animated TV show and a segment of The Krusty the Klown Show on Channel 6. The show involves a anthropomorphic mouse named Itchy repeatedly killing a anthropomorphic cat named Scratchy for no real reason. The show contains a huge amount of blood and gore and cartoon violence. It is a parody of Tom & Jerry and Herman and Katnip, but exaggerated to be more violent and gory, unlike Tom & Jerry which only had slapstick humor. There are at least 1,328 episodes of the show.[1] Itchy, and other Itchy style mice are almost always the aggressors, and like its inspirations, are almost always the victors.

Most of the time, each Itchy & Scratchy episode is based on some kind of theme that The Simpsons episode is being aired as. For example, The Itchy & Scratchy episode "diePod Slaylist" shows Scratchy listening to a MyPod when Itchy turns the volume to extreme levels to make Scratchy's eyes explode, which is related to Lisa receiving a MyPod.

History[edit]

Chester J. Lampwick invented Itchy in the year 1919 and owns the rights to Itchy. Lampwick was also known as the "father of cartoon violence." Roger Meyers, Sr. (1890–1985) plagiarized Itchy and established Itchy and Scratchy Studios in 1921. Originally Itchy was called "Itchy the Lucky Mouse" (a parody of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit).[2] He starred in his first cartoon made by Lampwick, "Manhattan Madness".

Scratchy starred in his first cartoon in 1928, entitled That Happy Cat. The film, which is about fourteen seconds of animation showing the cat whistling and tipping his hat, did very poorly. It is unknown who created Scratchy, or if he was plagiarized by Meyers Sr. in the same way that Itchy was.

Later in 1928, Itchy and Scratchy starred in their first cartoon together entitled "Steamboat Itchy" a parody of Disney's Steamboat Willie featuring Mickey Mouse.

Along with the cartoon shorts, Itchy and Scratchy were featured in a wartime radio series,[3] at least two films - Pinitchio and Scratchtasia,[4] and television commercials for Laramie cigarettes.[5] An X-rated Itchy & Scratchy movie titled "Itchy & Scratchy meet Fritz The Cat" was created during the 1970s. According to Comic Book Guy, only bootleg copies are available "because of its frank depiction of sex and narcotic consumption".[2]

At one point, additional characters were added to the pair on a show titled Itchy & Scratchy and Friends Hour: Uncle Ant, Disgruntled Goat, Flatulent Fox, Klu Klux Clam, Manic Mailman, Dinner Dog and Rich Uncle Skeleton. These characters parodied the addition of superfluous, two-dimensional characters to TV shows in an effort to draw viewer interest.[4]

Itchy and Scratchy Studios is currently run by Roger Meyers, Jr. (born 1956), the son of the cartoon's "creator." Itchy and Scratchy Studios was bankrupted after being sued by Lampwick for $800 billion, but was saved after receiving a large cash settlement from the government over its use of Mr. ZIP.[2]

The Itchy and Scratchy Show airs as a segment on the Krusty the Klown show, though it moved to the Gabbo show during the latter's short-lived run.[6] The show underwent a non-violent retooling following a protest campaign led by Marge Simpson, but after Marge was later discredited, it returned to its original violent format.[7] The show has spawned an Academy Award-winning film adaptation,[8] amusement parks,[4] and a musical.[9]

The show is animated in South Korea. June Bellamy (a takeoff on voice actress June Foray) voices both Itchy and Scratchy.[10]

Poochie[edit]

Poochie, a short-lived character on the show.

Poochie was a dog character added to the Itchy & Scratchy lineup. The producers believed the cartoons were getting stale, and needed a new character to reinvigorate the show, despite the objections of one of the show's writers, who "at the risk of sounding pretentious", felt that Itchy and Scratchy comprised "a dramaturgical dyad". Homer Simpson got the job of voicing Poochie, who was introduced in the Itchy & Scratchy cartoon, The Beagle Has Landed. A product of marketing department thinking, Poochie was near-universally despised, and was killed off in his second appearance, despite Homer's objections.[10]

Theme song[edit]

Main article: The Itchy & Scratchy Show theme song

List of cartoons[edit]

Main article: List of Itchy and Scratchy cartoons

Non-canon[edit]

Donut Homer.png The contents of this article or section are considered to be non-canon and therefore may not have actually happened or existed.

Treehouse of Horror[edit]

In the "Treehouse of Horror IX" segment "The Terror of Tiny Toon", Bart and Lisa entered their television and were attacked by Itchy & Scratchy. At the end of the story, they broke out of the TV into the real world: Fortunately they were not a threat, as they were the same size as "real-world" cats and mice.

Video games[edit]

There are two video games with Itchy and Scratchy as the main characters: The Itchy & Scratchy Game, released for Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Gear, Super NES and Game Boy[11] and Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness, released for Game Boy.[12]

A level of the SNES/Genesis game Bart's Nightmare prominently features Itchy and Scratchy.

A special unlockable level in the The Simpsons Wrestling is based on The Itchy & Scratchy Show where Itchy and Scratchy fight in a wrestling match with Bart and Lisa watching through a television.

In The Simpsons Road Rage, a black and white Itchy & Scratchy cartoon can be seen at the Springfield drive-in theater.

In The Simpsons: Hit & Run, if the player finds all the collector cards in every level, the Itchy & Scratchy episode 500-Yard Gash will be unlocked, which can be viewed at the Aztec Theater.

The characters of Itchy and Scratchy appear in The Simpsons Game, featured in the level Grand Theft Scratchy in the form of pimps and hoodlums.

The Simpsons: Tapped Out[edit]

This section is transcluded from The Simpsons: Tapped Out decorations/Billboards and signs. To edit it, please edit the transcluded page.
Itchy & Scratchy Billboard
Image Cost Reward Sell price Bonus Conformity increase Availability Unique? Dimensions - D x W Yearbook
Tapped Out Itchy & Scratchy Billboard.png Donut40 XP40 Tapped Out Cross.png 1% Vanity +400
Kitsch +40 		Level 42
Premium 		Tapped Out Cross.png 1 x 4 Building is available via the Yearbook Mystery Box
Donut30
N/A Mystery Box Prize
Internal Name Tiles ID
ItchyScratchyBillboard Beach, Grass, Dirt, Sand, Pavement, Boardwalk Section, Ornate Pier Section, Krustyland Road 23501

Behind the Laughter[edit]

Origins[edit]

The Itchy & Scratchy Show first appeared in Tracey Ullman Show short "The Bart Simpson Show", which originally aired November 20, 1988. They are based on Tom and Jerry and other cat & mouse cartoons, such as Herman and Katnip as stated by David Silverman, a director and producer for The Simpsons, citing it as a key inspiration for Itchy & Scratchy as he described it as a more violent clone of Tom and Jerry.[13] As a child, series creator Matt Groening and his friends would fantasize about an ultra violent cartoon and how much fun it would be to work on a show like that.[14] The names "Itchy" and "Scratchy" were inspired by "Pixie and Dixie", who were mice on the cartoon show Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks.[14]

Development[edit]

"Itchy and Scratchy" cartoons are often added when a show needs expanding[15] or when there is an issue that the writers wish to satirize.[16] The shorts are often hard for the writers and take a long time to develop and come up with a title for the short and in the end they do not fill up a large amount of time.[17] Writing the Itchy & Scratchy cartoons is quite often a group effort, with it being pitched out one gag after another.[18] Itchy & Scratchy are a favourite of John Swartzwelder, who has written many of the episodes that centre around them and quite often pitches the ideas for the shorts.[17]

In several episodes centering around the production of The Itchy & Scratchy Show, such as "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show", the show's staff are shown. Almost all of them are caricatures of the actual staff of The Simpsons. In the first scene at the production table the person in the lower right corner, wearing a squid T-shirt, is David X. Cohen. On the left side, the furthest away is Bill Oakley with Josh Weinstein next to him. Next to Weinstein is George Meyer, who is the writer who speaks out and gets fired. The animator shown designing Poochie is supervising director David Silverman. Others who appear include Dan McGrath, Ian Maxtone-Graham, Donick Cary, Ron Hauge, Ned Goldreyer and Mike Scully, who had to be added in later, as the animators "didn't have his photo" from which to get an accurate likeness.

Itchy is voiced by Dan Castellanata and Scratchy is voiced by Harry Shearer.

Cultural influence[edit]

In a 2006 article IGN.com ranked Itchy & Scratchy in tenth position on their list of the "Top 25 Simpsons Peripheral Characters", citing that "the Itchy & Scratchy Show shines a nice mirror on cartoons, showing just how funny cartoon violence really is."[19] In 2007, Vanity Fair named "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show" the sixth best episode in the show's history, describing it as "a classic satire of network influence, obsessed TV fans, and programs that survive long after the shark has been jumped, the episode is a meta-celebration, a tongue-in-cheek rebuttal to everyone who claimed that the quality of The Simpsons had declined over the years."[20] Todd Gilchrist called it a masterpiece, stating it "could easily be packaged and sold by itself."[21] Comic Book Guy's phrase "Worst. Episode. Ever" was named as a quote that could be used in everyday life, as well as being one of the most popular quotes from the show, by The A.V. Club.[22]

Appearances[edit]

Incomplete.png This article or section is incomplete.


Please improve the article, or discuss the issue on the talk page.

References[edit]

  1. ↑ "Whiskey Business"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "The Day the Violence Died"
  3. ↑ "The Old Man and the Key"
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Itchy & Scratchy Land"
  5. ↑ "HOMЯ"
  6. ↑ "Krusty Gets Kancelled"
  7. ↑ "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge"
  8. ↑ "Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie"
  9. ↑ "Girls Just Want to Have Sums"
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show"
  11. ↑ The Itchy and Scratchy Game. IGN.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
  12. ↑ Itchy and Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness. IGN.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
  13. ↑ The David Silverman Interview. Retrieved on 2006-09-19.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Groening, Matt. (2002). The Simpsons season 2 DVD commentary for the episode "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  15. ↑ Scully, Mike. (2006). The Simpsons season 9 DVD commentary for the episode "Girly Edition" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  16. ↑ Jean, Al. (2002). The Simpsons season 2 DVD commentary for the episode "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Reiss, Mike. (2002). The Simpsons season 2 DVD commentary for the episode "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  18. ↑ Groening, Matt. (2006). The Simpsons season 9 DVD commentary for the episode "Girly Edition" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  19. ↑ Eric Goldman, Dan Iverson, Brian Zoromski (2006-09-06). Top 25 Simpsons Peripheral Characters. IGN.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-08.
  20. ↑ John Orvted. "Springfield's Best"Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 2007-07-13. 
  21. ↑ Gilchrist, Todd (2006-09-22). The Simpsons - The Complete Eighth Season. Retrieved on 2007-07-31.
  22. ↑ Bahn, Christopher; Donna Bowman, Josh Modell, Noel Murray, Nathan Rabin, Tasha Robinson, Kyle Ryan, Scott Tobias (2006-04-26). Beyond "D'oh!": Simpsons Quotes For Everyday Use. The A.V. Club. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.


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