Chief Wiggum

{{Short description|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_minor = [[Homer's Odyssey (The Simpsons)|Homer's Odyssey]] | first_date = January 21, 1990 | creator = [[Matt Groening]] | designer = Matt Groening | voice = [[Hank Azaria]]<ref>{{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}}</ref> | gender = [[Male]] | occupation = [[Police chief]] of [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]] | family = Iggy Wiggum (father)<br>Mark (cousin)<ref>"[[The Italian Bob]]"</ref><br>Unnamed brother<ref>[[The Secret War of Lisa Simpson]] - Wiggum: ''"What about military school? It set my brother straight. Now he owns and operates a famous cave."''</ref> | spouse = [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Sarah Wiggum|Sarah Wiggum]] | children = [[Ralph Wiggum]] (son) }}

'''Chief Clancy Wiggum'''{{Sfn|Groening|2010|pp=189, 1199}} is a 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 (The Simpsons)|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 [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Eddie|Eddie]] and [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Lou|Lou]] play the [[straight man|straight men]] to his shenanigans.

== Character development == His surname "Wiggum" is [[Matt Groening]]'s mother's maiden name and her parents were [[Norwegian Americans|Norwegian immigrants]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> As "a conscious pun", Wiggum was designed to look like a [[pig]].<ref name=tvguide>{{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}}</ref><ref name="sprcon">{{cite book |last1=Reiss |first1=Mike |last2=Klickstein |first2=Mathew |author1-link=Mike Reiss|author2-link=Mathew Klickstein|title=[[Springfield Confidential|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}}</ref> [[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.<ref name=tvguide/><ref name="sprcon"/> The first use of his first name being Clancy was in "[[Homer's Barbershop Quartet]]", but in the script for "[[The Telltale Head]]" his name was 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 typical with side characters on ''The Simpsons''.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Wiggum was temporarily promoted to [[Commissioner of Police]] for the [[Springfield_(The_Simpsons)#Location|state in which Springfield resides]] during the 2005 episode "[[Pranksta Rap]]".<ref>{{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}}</ref> He also appeared on a Halloween novel depicting [[Netflix]]'s ''[[Stranger Things]]'' Chief [[Jim Hopper (Stranger Things)|Jim Hopper]].<ref>{{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 (British newspaper)|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}}</ref>

==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]]

{{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]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Edward G. Robinson]] [[Category:Characters created by Matt Groening]]