Spider-Pig: Homer Simpson's pig
1546 words | Reading time: 8 minutes
CharacterThe MovieSpider-Pig
Saved from the slaughterhouse at the Krusty Burger, he was all it took to lock Springfield under a dome. This breakdown starts from the three names of Homer's pig — Spider-Pig, Harry Plopper, then Plopper ("Spider-Cochon" and "Harry Crotteur" in French) — and goes back to the original idea, suggested by Matt Groening after an article about pig slurry. The song, one minute and four seconds to the tune of the 1967 Spider-Man theme, was re-recorded by the same choir for all 32 dubbed versions and climbed to number 23 in the British charts. And no, he does not die.
A pink pig walking on the ceiling, a ditty improvised in the writers' room and a whole town sealed under a dome: Spider-Pig is the most famous supporting character in Simpsons cinema.
A look back at the animal that tipped a whole film — and who carries, in French alone, three different names.
Contents
Who is Spider-Pig?
Spider-Pig is a pink domestic pig, recognisable by his little tuft of blond hair, who first appeared in The Simpsons Movie (2007).
His meeting with Homer takes place at the Krusty Burger: the animal has just filmed a commercial for Krusty's new sandwich, and the clown orders him slaughtered once shooting wraps. Homer steps in and takes the pig home, much to Marge's despair.
Notably: the pig does not speak. He merely grunts — his grunts are credited to actor Tress MacNeille in the original version, but the character has no lines, in any language.
🤫 Adopted at the Krusty Burger, the pig moves in with Homer without speaking a single line, in any language; for a companion who won't chat any more than he does, one to hold close at night, turn to our Simpsons cushions.
Spider-Pig, Harry Plopper, Plopper
The pig changes name as the film goes on, at the mercy of Homer's whims. He first becomes "Spider-Pig" ("Spider-Cochon" in the French version) when Homer walks him along the ceiling while singing. He is then renamed "Harry Plopper" ("Harry Crotteur" in French) — an obvious parody of a famous bespectacled wizard — once fitted with round glasses and a scar.
His "official" name, the one that will stick in the television series, is finally Plopper. Three identities for a single animal: he may be the most frequently renamed character in the whole Simpsons universe.
The pig who triggers the catastrophe
Far from being a simple gag, the pig is the engine of the whole plot. His droppings pile up in a silo that Homer, rushed and lazy, ends up dumping in Springfield lake. It is that pollution that leads the authorities to seal the town under a dome — and the family to flee.
The animal also has a more discreet dramatic function: the excessive attention Homer pays him makes Bart jealous, to the point where the boy turns to Ned Flanders as a substitute father figure.
The idea of the pig comes not from a wish for a gag but from a news story: Matt Groening proposed it at the film's very first brainstorming session, after reading a press article about a town struggling to manage pig slurry.
The song born of an improvisation
The track "Spider-Pig" is a last-minute addition, and we know its genesis almost to the second thanks to director David Silverman: David Mirkin had the idea of the hoof prints on the ceiling, Al Jean threw out the words "Spider Pig", and the ditty was written on the spot.
The tune, for its part, is borrowed from the theme of the 1967 Spider-Man cartoon. The film's composer, Hans Zimmer, then asked arranger Michael A. Levine to turn it into a grandiose choral version — a pure joke to start with, which James L. Brooks decided to keep in the film.
The track lasts only one minute and four seconds. Released as a single, it reached number 23 in the British charts and briefly held the record for the shortest single ever to chart in the United Kingdom. A dizzying detail: the lyrics were translated for the film's 32 dubbed versions, and the same choir re-recorded the whole thing in each language.
⌚ One minute and four seconds on the clock: that was all “Spider-Pig” needed to briefly hold the record for the shortest single ever to chart in the United Kingdom; with one of our Simpsons watches on your wrist, you're the one timing the next listen.
His career after the film
The pig did not stay in cinemas. He makes his television debut in the very opening of season 19, in a couch gag where the family finds him installed in their place, complete with the tune of the song.
Since then, he comes back regularly in cameos, usually for the length of a single shot — sometimes climbing the walls, a permanent nod to his minute of glory. Many viewers believed he perished in the chasm that swallows the Simpsons' house: nothing of the sort is shown on screen, and a deleted scene showed him very much alive.
🛋️ For his television debut, in the couch gag that opens season 19, the pig settled into the family's spot; at your place, the spot that's left is at the foot of the couch, and our Simpsons rugs are made to fill it.
The feature film
Simpsons Poster - The Movie
The 2007 film poster: the one that gave a pig the show's most covered song.
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Summary table
| Profile | Details |
|---|---|
| Identity | Pig adopted by Homer, saved from the slaughterhouse |
| His names | Spider-Pig, then Harry Plopper, then Plopper |
| First appearance | The Simpsons Movie (2007) |
| His role | His droppings cause the town to be sealed under a dome |
| The song | 1 min 04, to the tune of the 1967 Spider-Man theme |
| Origin of the idea | Matt Groening, from an article about pig slurry |
FAQ
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Who is Spider-Pig?The pig Homer adopts in The Simpsons Movie (2007), after saving him from the slaughterhouse at the Krusty Burger.
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Why is he also called Harry Plopper?Because Homer renames him during the film, fitting him with round glasses and a scar — a parody of Harry Potter. His final name is then Plopper.
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Where does the "Spider-Pig" song come from?From an improvisation in the writers' room: the hoof-print idea came from David Mirkin, the words "Spider Pig" from Al Jean. The tune takes up the theme of the 1967 Spider-Man cartoon.
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Does the pig speak?No, never. He only grunts; his grunts are credited to Tress MacNeille in the original version.
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Does Spider-Pig die in the film?No. His disappearance into the chasm is neither shown nor stated: it is a viewer assumption, and a deleted scene showed him alive.
Conclusion
Born of a press article, christened by an improvised gag and propelled into the British charts, Spider-Pig is the most improbable star in the Simpsons universe. A two-minute pig who became, in France, one of the film's most persistent memories.
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