Richard "Richie" Rich, Jr. is a
fictional characterA character is the representation of a person in a narrative or dramatic work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr through its Latin transcription character, the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its...
that debuted in
Harvey Comics'Harvey Comics was an American comic book publisher, founded by Alfred Harvey in 1941, after buying out small publisher Brookwood Publications. His brothers Robert B. Harvey and Leon Harvey joined soon after. The company soon got into licensed characters, which by the 1950s, became the bulk of...
Little DotLittle Dot was a comic book character published by Harvey Comics between 1949 and 1982, and then sporadically until 1994. A little girl obsessed with dots, spots, and round, colorful objects, she first appeared in 1949 as a supporting feature in Sad Sack and by 1953 was given her own series,...
#1, cover-dated September 1953. The first
Richie Rich comic appeared in November 1960.
Richie is the only child of fantastically wealthy parents and is the world's richest kid. He lives and works in an expensive mansion and owns at least two of everything money could buy. He appears to be around 7-10 years old, wears a waistcoat with a white shirt with an Eton collar, which is obscured by a giant red bow tie, and blue shorts.
Richard "Richie" Rich, Jr. is a
fictional characterA character is the representation of a person in a narrative or dramatic work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr through its Latin transcription character, the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its...
that debuted in
Harvey Comics'Harvey Comics was an American comic book publisher, founded by Alfred Harvey in 1941, after buying out small publisher Brookwood Publications. His brothers Robert B. Harvey and Leon Harvey joined soon after. The company soon got into licensed characters, which by the 1950s, became the bulk of...
Little DotLittle Dot was a comic book character published by Harvey Comics between 1949 and 1982, and then sporadically until 1994. A little girl obsessed with dots, spots, and round, colorful objects, she first appeared in 1949 as a supporting feature in Sad Sack and by 1953 was given her own series,...
#1, cover-dated September 1953. The first
Richie Rich comic appeared in November 1960.
Character
Richie is the only child of fantastically wealthy parents and is the world's richest kid. He lives and works in an expensive mansion and owns at least two of everything money could buy. He appears to be around 7-10 years old, wears a waistcoat with a white shirt with an Eton collar, which is obscured by a giant red bow tie, and blue shorts. He occasionally attends school in his hometown of Richville. Despite any
negative stereotypesTall Poppy Syndrome is a pejorative term used in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada to describe a societal phenomenon in which people of genuine merit are criticised or resented because their talents or achievements elevate them above or distinguish them from their peers...
associated with his incredible wealth, Richie is portrayed as kind and charitable.
Artists and writers
Richie Rich's most famous illustrator is
Warren KremerWarren Kremer was an American comics writer and artist best-known for his creation of the Harvey Comics characters Richie Rich, Hot Stuff the Little Devil and Stumbo the Giant. His style is known for big, bold compositions, and a keen sense of contrast and color.- Childhood and early career...
. Other illustrators included
Ernie ColonErnie Colón is an American comics artist, born in 1931 in Puerto Rico.Comic book series on which he has worked include Monster in My Pocket, Richie Rich and Casper the Friendly Ghost for Harvey Comics, Grim Ghost for Atlas/Seaboard, the historical fantasy Arak, Son of Thunder and Amethyst: Princess...
,
Sid CoucheySid Couchey is an American cartoonist best-known for his illustration work on the Harvey Comics characters Richie Rich, Little Lotta and Little Dot. His style is known for big, friendly faces and a sharp sense of visual humor....
, Dom Sileo, Ben Brown, Steve Muffatti and Joe Dennett.
Writers for the Richie Rich comic books and syndicated comic strip include Lennie Herman, Stan Kay, and Ralph Newman.
Animated TV series
- Beginning in 1980, Richie Rich appeared in his own Saturday morning cartoon
A Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming which was typically scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the 1990s. In the United States, the generally accepted times considered to be Saturday mornings...
show, Richie RichRichie Rich is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that aired on ABC from 1980 to 1984. Based upon Harvey Comics' popular Richie Rich comic book characters, shared time slots with Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo, The Little Rascals, and Pac-Man over its original broadcast...
. He was voiced by Sparky MarcusSparky Marcus is an American actor born December 6, 1967 in Hollywood, California. He had a prolific career as a child actor.-Career:...
. The show aired on The Richie Rich/Scooby-Doo ShowThe Richie Rich/Scooby-Doo Show is a package show produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1980 for ABC Saturday mornings. The program contained segments from Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo and Richie Rich.The Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo shorts represents the sixth show in which Scooby-Doo appears...
from 1980–82 and The Pac-Man/Little Rascals/Richie Rich ShowThe Pac-Man/Little Rascals/Richie Rich Show was a package show produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1982 for ABC Saturday mornings. In 1983, Pac-Man was given its own half-hour, and the program was retitled The Little Rascals/Richie Rich Show...
from 1982–84. In the animated version, Richie and his pals are somewhat older, around 12 years old. In the cartoon, Richie wears a red sweater with the letter "R" in front.
- In 1996, the second and most recent Richie Rich
Richie Rich is an animated television series produced by Harvey Films, Film Roman, Universal Studios, and distributed by Claster Television. It aired for one season, and also includes select Harveytoons shorts...
animated television series aired in non-network syndicationIn broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows to multiple individual stations, without going through a broadcast network. It is common in countries where television is scheduled by networks with local affiliates, particularly in the United States...
, starring Katie LeighKatie Leigh is an American voice actress best known for her role as Connie Kendall on the Focus on the Family radio program Adventures in Odyssey since 1987. She has voice acted in both television and film roles.-TV Roles:...
as the voice of the titular character. The series ran for 13 episodes and portrayed Richie in his "classic" tuxedoA tuxedo is a type of semi-formal dress for men.Tuxedo may also refer to:* Tuxedo , a middleware platform to manage distributed transaction processing* The Tuxedo, a Jackie Chan movie* Tuxedo , an 1891 vaudeville show...
outfit.
- In a crossover on The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated television sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its eponymous family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie...
Richie Rich takes the place of his friend Bart SimpsonBartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
in a clip from the (fictionalMetafiction is a type of fiction that self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction, exposing the fictional illusion. It is the literary term describing fictional writing that self-consciously and systematically draws attention to its status as an artifact in posing questions about the...
) episode "Disorder in the CourtDisorder in the Court is a 1936 short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. It was the 15th in a series that the trio made of a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
". In another episode Bart and LisaLisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child, and elder daughter, of the eponymous family. She is voiced by Yeardley Smith and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
read a Richie Rich comic book and, noticing the facial similarity between Rich and CasperCasper the Friendly Ghost is the protagonist of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name. As his name indicates, he is a ghost, but is quite personable...
, speculate that maybe Richie became disenchanted with his wealth and killed himselfSuicide is the intentional killing of one's self. Many dictionaries also note the metaphorical sense of "willful destruction of one's self-interest"...
.
Movies
- Richie Rich, a live action
In film, theatre and video, live-action refers to works that are acted out by human actors, as opposed to by animation. As it is the norm, the term is usually superfluous, but it makes an important distinction in situations in which one might normally expect animation, as in a Pixar film, a video...
film adaptation was released in 1994, with Macaulay CulkinMacaulay Carson Culkin is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Kevin McCallister in Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. At the height of his fame he was regarded as the most successful child actor since Shirley Temple. He was also best friends with late entertainer Michael...
as the titular character. It was produced by Silver PicturesSilver Pictures is a feature film production company founded by Hollywood producer Joel Silver during 1985.-Warner Bros.:*Lethal Weapon *Action Jackson *Lethal Weapon 2 *Ricochet *Lethal Weapon 3...
Davis EntertainmentDavis Entertainment is an American independent film production company, founded by John Davis in 1985.-Selected filmography:* Predator * License to Drive * Little Monsters * Predator 2 * Shattered...
and released by Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. (also known as Warner Bros. Pictures, or simply Warner Bros.—the shortened form of the former official, sometimes still used, formal corporate name: Warner Brothers
under its Family EntertainmentWarner Bros. Family Entertainment Is the family film label of Warner Bros., established in 1992. It is best-known for producing numerous family films and television series in either live-action or animation .-History:The division was founded in 1992 to produce more family-friendly films.The first...
label.
- A live-action sequel
A sequel is a work in literature, film, or other media that chronologically portrays events following those of a previous work.In many cases, the sequel continues elements of the original story, often with the same characters and settings. A sequel can lead to a series, in which key elements appear...
, Richie Rich's Christmas WishRichie Rich's Christmas Wish is a 1998 direct-to-video sequel to the 1994 film Ri¢hie Ri¢h, released by Warner Home Video, and starring David Gallagher as the titular character. Like many of the Saban films, it was seen mostly on Fox Family, but now it is very rarely aired on TV. It airs annually...
, followed in 1998. This film starred David GallagherDavid Lee Gallagher is an American film and TV actor. He is best known for the role of Simon Camden on the long running television series 7th Heaven.-Personal life:...
as Richie Rich.
Other characters from the Richie Rich world
- Mr. Richard Rich Sr.: Richie's father; an industrialist (first appearance Little Dot #3)
- Mrs. Regina Rich: Richie's mother (first appearance Little Dot #1)
- Gloria Glad: Richie's girlfriend, notorious for her regular refusal of the many luxurious gifts Richie has offered
- Reginald "Reggie" Van Dough Jr.: Richie's mean prankster cousin (first appearance Little Dot #2) (portrayed by Jake Richardson
Jacob Matthew Richardson is an American actor, currently acting mostly in TV series. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the film Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves and the TV series Fudge.-Life and career:...
on TV).
- Reginald Van Dough Sr.: Reggie's father, who is often angered with Reggie's pranks, and often punishes him for them.
- Vanessa Van Dough: Reggie's mother (It was never determined if Vanessa was related to Richie's mother or his father.)
- Penny Van Dough: Reggie's baby sister.
- Mr. Woody: the incompetent Rich estate carpenter
- Mayda Munny: Richie's snobby want-to-be-girlfriend
- Herbert Arthur Runcible Cadbury: the Riches' butler
A butler is a servant in a large household. In the great houses of the past, the household was sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house...
- Nurse Jenny: the Rich family nurse; was Richie's nanny when he was a baby
- Dollar, the Dog: the Rich family dog, a "Dollarmatian" (like a Dalmatian
The Dalmatian is a breed of dog widely associated with Dalmatia, a region of Croatia, although the exact origin remain unknown. It is noted for its white coat with either black or liver spots.-Body:...
, but with dollar signs instead of spots)
- Irona: the Riches' robot
A robot is a virtual or mechanical artificial agent. In practice, it is usually an electro-mechanical machine which is guided by computer or electronic programming, and is thus able to do tasks on its own...
maid and Richie's bodyguardA bodyguard is a type of security guard or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, or other threats.Most important public figures such as heads of state or...
- Bascomb: the Riches' chauffeur
A chauffeur is an individual who operates any self-propelled vehicle for a profession. While the term may refer to anybody who drives for a living, it usually implies a driver of an elegant passenger vehicle such as a horse-drawn carriage, luxury sedan, motor coach, or especially a limousine;...
- Chef Pierre: the Riches' chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally. In a professional kitchen setting, the term is used only for the one person in charge of everyone else in the kitchen; the executive chef.-Various chef titles:...
extraordinaire
- Professor Keenbean: the head of the Rich research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
department and Richie's personal tutorIn British, Australian, New Zealand, Italian, and some Canadian universities, a tutor is often but not always a postgraduate student or a lecturer assigned to conduct a seminar for undergraduate students, often known as a tutorial. The equivalent of this kind of "tutor" in the United States of...
- Mr. Cheepers: Mr. Rich's accountant
- Freckles and Pee-Wee Friendly: Richie's friends (first appearance Little Dot #2)
- Professor Mindblow: a worker at the research and development department
- Aunt Noovo Rich: Richie's equally wealthy but very eccentric aunt; Mr. Rich's sister. (a pun on the French term nouveau riche
Nouveau riche , or new money, refers to a person who has acquired considerable wealth within his or her generation. This term is generally to emphasize that the individual was previously part of a lower socioeconomic rank, and that such wealth has provided the means for the acquisition of goods or...
)
- The Onion: a recurring villain with horrible onion-powered breath capable of knocking victims unconscious with a trademark "hashoo!"
- Dr. Blemish: a recurring villain, an evil genius scientist and arch-nemesis of Prof. Keenbean
Characters who make occasional appearances in the series
- Casper the Friendly Ghost
Casper the Friendly Ghost is the protagonist of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name. As his name indicates, he is a ghost, but is quite personable...
- Wendy the Good Little Witch
Wendy the Good Little Witch is a fictional comic book character from Harvey Comics. Wendy was introduced as a back-up feature as well as a companion for Casper in Casper the Friendly Ghost #20, May 1954. Soon, she was trialed in Harvey Hits, starting with #7. After a total of six appearances, she...
- Little Dot
Little Dot was a comic book character published by Harvey Comics between 1949 and 1982, and then sporadically until 1994. A little girl obsessed with dots, spots, and round, colorful objects, she first appeared in 1949 as a supporting feature in Sad Sack and by 1953 was given her own series,...
- Little Lotta
Little Lotta is a fictional character published by Harvey Comics from 1953 to 1972, and then sporadically until 1993. A contemporary of Little Audrey, Little Dot and Wendy the Good Little Witch, she was one of Harvey's best-known female characters during the 1960s and featured in many of the...
- Little Audrey
Little Audrey is a fictional character, appearing in Paramount Pictures' Famous Studios cartoons from 1947 to 1958. She is considered a variation of the better-known Little Lulu, devised after Paramount decided not to renew the license on Marjorie Henderson Buell's comic strip character...
- Jackie Jokers
Jackie Jokers is a supporting character of the Richie Rich comic book franchise from Harvey Comics. He is marked by a black bowl haircut....
- Hot Stuff the Little Devil
Hot Stuff the Little Devil is a comic book character who first appeared in Hot Stuff #1, published by Harvey Comics in October 1957. The character didn't first appear as a back-up feature in another book or receive a trial run in Harvey Hits...
Comic book titles
- Richie Rich
- Richie Rich Adventure Digest
- Richie Rich and...
- Richie Rich and Billy Bellhops
- Richie Rich and Cadbury
- Richie Rich and Casper
- Richie Rich and Casper in 3-D
- Richie Rich and Dollar
- Richie Rich and Little Dot
- Richie Rich and Gloria
- Richie Rich and His Girlfriends
- Richie Rich and Jackie Jokers
- Richie Rich and New Kids on the Block
- Richie Rich and Professor Keenbean
- Richie Rich and Reggie
- Richie Rich and Timmy Time
- Richie Rich Bank Books
- Richie Rich Best of the Years Digest
- Richie Rich Big Book
- Richie Rich Big Bucks
- Richie Rich Billions
- Richie Rich Cash
- Richie Rich Cash Money
- Richie Rich, Casper, and Wendy
- Richie Rich Diamonds
- Richie Rich Digest
- Richie Rich Digest Stories
- Richie Rich Digest Winners
- Richie Rich Dollars and Cents
- Richie Rich Fortunes
- Richie Rich Gems
- Richie Rich Giant Size
- Richie Rich Gold and Silver
- Richie Rich Gold Nuggets Digest
- Richie Rich Holiday Digest
- Richie Rich Inventions
- Richie Rich Jackpots
- Richie Rich Million Dollar Digest
- Richie Rich Millions
- Richie Rich Money World
- Richie Rich Money World Digest
- Richie Rich Movie Adaptation
- Richie Rich Profits
- Richie Rich Relics
- Richie Rich Riches
- Richie Rich Success Stories
- Richie Rich Summer Bonanza
- Richie Rich Treasure Chest Digest
- Richie Rich Vacation Digest
- Richie Rich Vacation Digest Magazine
- Richie Rich Vacation Digest '93 Magazine
- Richie Rich Vault of Mystery
- Richie Rich Zillionz
- SupeRichie
Similar characters in comics
- Rollo (in Nancy
Nancy is an American daily and Sunday comic strip, originally written and drawn by Ernie Bushmiller.The character of Nancy, a precocious little girl , first appeared in the strip Fritzi Ritz about the airheaded flapper title character...
)
- Wilbur Van Snobbe (in Little Lulu
Little Lulu is a comic strip character, created by Marjorie Henderson Buell. Little Lulu first appeared in The Saturday Evening Post on February 23, 1935 in a single panel, appearing in her debut as a flower girl at a wedding, strewing the aisle with banana peels.Little Lulu replaced Carl...
)
- Lord Snooty
Lord Snooty was a fictional character in a comic strip in the UK comic The Beano, first appearing in issue 1, dated 30 July 1938, and was the longest running strip in the comic until Dennis the Menace and Gnasher overtook it...
External links