Fritz the Cat

fictional character

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July 19, 2026

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Fritz the Cat is an iconoclastic and sex-obsessed character created by American counterculture comic book artist and social satirist R. Crumb. Crumb introduced Fritz the Cat in 1965 while working for the satirical magazine Help!.1

In 1972, an X-rated animated feature film adaptation of Fritz the Cat was released by producer Ralph Bakshi. Crumb, however, disliked the film and responded by killing the character in his comic The People's Comics.1

Fritz the Cat is considered one of the earliest cartoon characters to be adapted into an adult-oriented animated film, predating many other adult animated features.12

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R. Crumb
…creating such well-known characters as Fritz the Cat and Mr. Natural. Crumb’s drawing style was influenced by many earlier cartoonists—notably the Disney cartoonist Carl Barks—and his satire likewise was inspired by the irreverence of Harvey Kurtzman, a mentor of sorts whose periodicals included Mad (1954–56) and Help! (1960–65).
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…creating such well-known characters as Fritz the Cat and Mr. Natural. Crumb’s drawing style was influenced by many earlier cartoonists—notably the Disney cartoonist Carl Barks—and his satire likewise was inspired by the irreverence of Harvey Kurtzman, a mentor of sorts whose periodicals included Mad (1954–56) and Help! (1960–65).
Read More