View source for The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers

{{short description|American comic book}}

{{infobox comic book title
 | caption   = ''The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'' #1, Feb. 1971 by [[Gilbert Shelton]]
 | image     = Freak Brother No 1.jpg
 | creators  = [[Gilbert Shelton]]
 | date      = February 1971 – 1997
 | issues    = 14
 | ongoing   = n
 | publisher = [[Rip Off Press]]
 | sort      = Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers
 | title     = Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers
}}

'''''The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers''''' is an [[Underground comix|underground comic]] about a fictional trio of [[Cannabis culture|stoner]] characters, created by the American artist [[Gilbert Shelton]]. The Freak Brothers first appeared in ''[[The Rag]]'', an [[underground press|underground newspaper]] published in Austin, Texas, beginning in May 1968, and were regularly reprinted in underground publications around the United States and in other parts of the world. Later their adventures were published in a series of comic books.

The lives of the Freak Brothers revolve around the procurement and enjoyment of [[recreational drug use|recreational drugs]], particularly [[marijuana]]. The comics present a critique of [[the establishment]] while satirizing the [[counterculture of the 1960s|counterculture]].<ref name="DuncanSmith2013">{{cite book |author1=Randy Duncan |author2=Matthew J. Smith |title=Icons of the American Comic Book: From Captain America to Wonder Woman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M_bRZ_et8BIC&pg=PA250 |year=2013 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-0-313-39924-4 |page=245}}</ref>

Fat Freddy's Cat appears in many of the stories, spinning off his own cartoon strip (which appeared as part of the Freak Brothers comic page, in the manner of older comic strip double features) and later some full-length episodes.

An animated TV series adaptation, ''[[The Freak Brothers]]'', was released on [[Tubi]] on November 14, 2021.

== Publication history ==

The Freak Brothers first appeared in ''[[The Rag]]'', an [[underground press|underground newspaper]] published in Austin, Texas, beginning in May 1968.<ref>Booker, M. Keith, [https://books.google.com/books?id=K2J7DpUItEMC&dq=austin+rag&pg=PA649 Encyclopedia of Comic Books and Graphic Novels, Volume 1 (Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2010)]</ref> Their debut was in an advertising flyer for a winter 1968 [[film short]] called ''The Texas Hippies March on the Capitol''.<ref>{{cite news| last= Ward| first= Ed| url= http://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/fab-three/| title= Fab Three:The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, Heroes of Hippiedom, Are Alive and Well and Living in Paris| work= [[Texas Monthly]]| date= November 1991| access-date= December 19, 2016| archive-date= August 5, 2020| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200805072022/https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/fab-three/| url-status= live}}</ref> Freak Brothers strips soon became popular and, thanks to the [[Underground Press Syndicate]], were regularly reprinted in [[underground paper]]s around the United States and in other parts of the world.

The Freak Brothers' first comic book appearance was in ''[[Feds 'n' Heads]]'', self-published by Shelton in the spring of 1968 (and later re-issued in multiple printings by Berkeley's the [[Print Mint]]).<ref>{{cite web| last=Macher| first=Alice| url=http://scans-daily.dreamwidth.org/4758630.html| title=Notes from the undergrounds: Feds 'n' Heads Comics| publisher=Scans Daily| date=July 4, 2014| access-date=December 19, 2016| archive-date=November 5, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105033936/http://scans-daily.dreamwidth.org/4758630.html| url-status=live}}</ref> They also appeared in the first two issues of [[Jay Lynch]]'s ''[[Bijou Funnies]]''. In 1969 Shelton and three friends from Texas founded [[Rip Off Press]] in San Francisco, which took over publication of all subsequent Freak Brothers comics.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sacks |first1=Jason |last2=Dallas |first2=Keith |title=American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1970s |date=2014 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |isbn=978-1605490564 |page=59}}</ref> The first compilation of their adventures, ''The Collected Adventures of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'', had its first printing in 1971 and has been continually in print ever since. 

A weekly ''Freak Brothers'' comic strip was [[Comic strip syndication|syndicated]] by Rip Off Press to [[underground press|underground]] and [[student publication]]s in the 1970s, along with the related strip ''[[Fat Freddy's Cat]]''.<ref name=comixjoint>Fox, M. Steven. [https://comixjoint.com/ripoffcomix.html "Rip Off Comix — 1977-1991 / Rip Off Press,"] Comixjoint. Retrieved Dec. 5, 2022.</ref> In addition to those strips, new adventures appeared in magazines such as ''[[Playboy]]'', ''[[High Times]]'', and ''[[Rip Off Comix]]''; these too were collected in comic book form. Shelton continued to write and draw the series until 1992, in collaboration with [[Dave Sheridan (artist)|Dave Sheridan]] (1974 – 1982) and [[Paul Mavrides]] (1978 – 1992).

The majority of the comic books consist of one or more multi-page stories together with a number of one-page strips; many of the latter have a one-row skit featuring [[Fat Freddy's Cat]] at the bottom of the page. Issues #8-10 contained only the long-form story "The Idiots Abroad", which ''[[The Comics Journal]]'' listed as #44 of the "100 Greatest Comics of the Century."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid=40&threadid=16375|title=''The Comics Journal''{{'}}s top 100 comics of the century—S and D|publisher=ilxor.com|access-date=2020-01-26}}</ref> The UK newspaper ''[[The Guardian]]'' said of a 2003 reprint of the story that, "The graphic quality is, even in slightly muddy reproduction, astonishing. Depictions of various European cities recall [[Hergé]] in their accuracy and detail ... As for the subject matter, considering the dates of composition, it has hardly dated."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2003/dec/20/comics|title=Review: The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, Volume Two|last=Lezard|first=Nicholas|date=2003-12-20|work=[[The Guardian]]|location=UK|access-date=2020-01-26|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

== Characters ==

The Freak Brothers are not siblings. They are a threesome of [[Freak scene|freak]]s (similar to, but distinct from, [[hippie]]s) from [[San Francisco]].

[[File:FreakBrothers.jpg|thumb|right|The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, from left to right, Phineas, Fat Freddy, and Freewheelin' Franklin]]

* {{anchor|Franklin Freek}}'''Freewheelin' Franklin Freek''', although laid-back, is the most street-smart of the trio. Apparently he has always been on the streets and it appears that he is several years older than the others. In one story he reveals that he grew up in an orphanage and never knew his parents. Tall and skinny, he has a big bulbous nose, a waterfall mustache and a ponytail. He wears cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. In one strip, he runs into an ex-girlfriend who has a child that bears a striking resemblance to him. He does his best to evade them and is relieved when she does not recognize him. In another strip, when he meets his own (possible) father, the same plot is inverted. Depending on the level of colorization used in the strip in question, Franklin's hair is red, blonde, or light brown.

* {{anchor|Phineas Phreak}}'''Phineas T. Phreak''' is the intellectual and idealist of the group. He has enough mastery of chemistry to create new drugs and takes an avid interest in politics. Of the three, he is the most committed to social change and environmental issues. He is from Texas and while his mother is relaxed and open-minded, his father is a card-carrying member of the [[John Birch Society]]. He is the hairiest of the brothers—tall and skinny with a thick bush of black hair, a beard, a nose bearing more than a passing resemblance to a [[Joint (cannabis)|joint]], and glasses. He is the stereotypical left-wing radical, bearing a superficial resemblance to [[Abbie Hoffman]] or [[Jerry Rubin]].

* {{anchor|Fat Freddy}}'''Fat Freddy Freekowtski''' is the least intelligent of the trio and is most likely to be preoccupied with food. He is moderately overweight, with curly yellow hair and a mustache. His compulsion to eat is the subject of several of the adventures of the group. Fat Freddy frequently gets "burned" during drug transactions; when he does "score" he typically contrives to lose the drugs in various ways, such as by dumping them out of a shopping bag in front of a cooling fan, which then blows them out the window onto a police car. Fat Freddy comes from an unexceptional large family in Cleveland.  In ''The Idiots Abroad'', Freddy visits the Polish village of Gfatsk, where everybody happens to look like him. He is driven away by an angry mob as soon as they hear the name Freekowtski.

{{Infobox comics character
<!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
| character_name = Fat Freddy's Cat
| image          = FatFreddiesCat.jpg
| imagesize      =
| caption        =
| alt            = 
| publisher      =  
| debut          = 1969
| first_series   = 
| first_episode  = 
| first_comic    =
| creators       = [[Gilbert Shelton]] 
| voiced_by      = 
| alter_ego      = 
| full_name      =
| species        = [[Tabby cat]]
| homeworld      = [[San Francisco]]
| alliances      = [[The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers]]
| partners       = [[The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers|Fat Freddy Freekowtski]]
| supports       = <!-- optional -->
| aliases        = <!-- optional -->
| powers         = 
| cat            = 
| subcat         = 
| hero           = y
| villain        = 
| sortkey        = Fat Freddy's Cat

}}

Other recurring characters include:

* '''Dealer McDope''', one of the trio's dealers. He is often mentioned in the strips but rarely appears in person. The character was initially created by [[Dave Sheridan (cartoonist)|Dave Sheridan]] for the Rip Off Press title ''Mother's Oats Comix''.

* '''Hiram "Country" Cowfreak''', a hippy who grows vast quantities of [[cannabis (drug)|marijuana]] at his isolated farmstead. He is referred to as the Freak Brothers' "cousin".

* '''Norbert the Nark''', an inept [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] agent who is continually trying, and failing, to arrest the Freak Brothers.

* '''Tricky Prickears''', The star of a comic book within the comic that the Freak Brothers enjoy reading. He is billed as "The Freak Brothers' favorite law enforcement officer" Tricky is a blind, deaf and reactionary detective and the character is a parody of [[Dick Tracy]], to the extent that Shelton drew his stories in a different style, resembling that of Tracy's creator [[Chester Gould]].

* '''Governor Rodney Richpigge''', a stereotypically rich, corrupt politician whom the Freak Brothers hold in general contempt. The Governor's son is a cocaine dealer.
<!--[[wikipedia:articles for deletion/Fat Freddy's Cat]]-->

== Fat Freddy's Cat ==

'''Fat Freddy's Cat''' is a fictional orange [[Tabby cat]], nominally belonging to Fat Freddy.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rovin |first1=Jeff |title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Cartoon Animals |date=1991 |publisher=Prentice Hall Press |isbn=0-13-275561-0 |accessdate=8 April 2020 |url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc00rovi |url-access=registration |page=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc00rovi/page/87 87]}}</ref>

While the Cat is usually featured in a small '[[topper (comic strip)|topper]]' strip below a Freak Brothers strip, he has had independent appearances and storylines of his own. His two running jokes are Fat Freddy is too lazy to name him, and he suffers neglect and abuse from the Brothers' lifestyle.

Single line segments appeared in student newspapers in Australia in the 1970s.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140093582 |title=FAT FREDDY'S CAT [?] |newspaper=[[Woroni]] |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=5 October 1971 |accessdate=21 July 2024 |page=13 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134400631 |title=FAT FREDDY'S CAT. |newspaper=[[Woroni]] |volume=27 |issue=6 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=1 May 1975 |accessdate=21 July 2024 |page=11 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

'''Fat Freddy's Cat''' first appeared in 1969 in [[underground newspapers]] as a character in ''The [[Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers]]'' strip. He soon gained his own small [[spin-off (media)|spin-off]] topper strip, in imitation of the early ''[[Krazy Kat]]'' strips below ''The Family Upstairs'' by [[George Herriman]]. Some full-size stories also featured Fat Freddy's Cat.

Many of these strips have been collected in comic book form by [[Rip Off Press]] in a series of ''The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'' compilations and later ''The Adventures of Fat Freddy's Cat'', which ran for four small size issues in the 1970s. ''Fat Freddy's Comics and Stories'' ([[One-shot (comics)|one-shot]], 1983) also included several stories about the Cat.

''The Adventures of Fat Freddy's Cat'' were reprinted and expanded (starting over from #1) in six comic book size issues in the 1980s. They included new longer stories about the Cat. A seventh edition was released (in the US only) in 1993. After the demise of the underground newspaper, the Cat continued to appear in various comic books. His last appearance to date was in a 1990 strip reprinted in ''The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'' #12.

The Cat is much smarter than Freddy, and while sharing many of his preoccupations such as drugs, food, sleep and sex, his stories also feature a fair amount of defecation. Like [[Garfield]] (whom he predates) he is laid back, but in his personal habits and outlook he is more like the Freak Brothers. However he tends to regard the Freak Brothers with amused contempt, frequently expressed by defecating in inappropriate and inconvenient places, such as stereo headphones.<ref>[[Nicholas Lezard|Lezard, Nicholas]], [https://www.theguardian.com/books/2001/dec/08/shopping.society Review: The Complete Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, vol. 1], ''[[The Guardian]]'', 8 December 2001</ref><ref>Plowright, Frank, ''The Slings and Arrows Comic Guide'' Slings & Arrows, 2003 {{ISBN|0-9544589-0-7}}, {{ISBN|978-0-9544589-0-4}} p. 236</ref>

Like Calvin of ''[[Calvin and Hobbes]]'' he has a fertile imagination. He is apt to tell tall stories to his three "nephews". One storyline features him playing the role of "F. Frederick Skitty", an undercover agent sworn to stop the distribution of "Tee Hee Hee", a drug that turns people into [[homosexual]]s. Another story involves a scheme by Fat Freddy to replicate [[Dick Whittington]]'s success and sell the Cat to the (fictional) small, oil-rich nation of Pootweet to deal with mice.<ref>Shelton, Gilbert. "The Sacred Sands of Pootweet", ''[[Rip Off Comix]]'' #7 (Rip Off Press, 1980).</ref>

The New Zealand band [[Fat Freddy's Drop]], whose debut album won the 2005 [[Gilles Peterson]] [[Worldwide Winners|Worldwide Winners Award]], were named after the comic.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/worldmusic/a4wm2007/2007_fat_freddys_drop.shtml BBC: Fat Freddy's Drop]</ref> The band's debut single was recorded under the influence of LSD that had been printed with [[blotter art]] of Fat Freddy's Cat,<ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/news/cd--gig-reviews/fat-freddys-drop/2005/10/17/1129401188725.html Sydney Morning Herald: Fat Freddy's Drop: Gig Reviews]</ref> and the band liked the name.

The popular 8-bit computer game ''[[Jet Set Willy]]'' has a room named "We Must Perform a Quirkafleeg" in honour of this strip.

Fat Freddy's Restaurant in [[Galway]], Ireland, described as "Galway's favourite restaurant",<ref>{{cite web
|title = Fat Freddy's Restaurant
|url = http://galwayrestaurants.net/
|accessdate = 2014-02-12}}</ref> is extensively decked out with arcana and other memorabilia relating to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and Fat Freddy's Cat.

The [[science fiction]] novel ''Scam Artists of the Galaxy'' (2020) contains a location named Fat Freddy's Restaurant with a supercilious mostly orange cat. This novel's sequel, ''Election Matters: Life on Universityworld'' (2022), sees the cat and one of its kittens appear.

Fat Freddy's Cat is voiced by [[Tiffany Haddish]] in the animated series ''[[The Freak Brothers]]'', which debuted in 2020, and is commonly called '''Kitty''' by Fat Freddy.<ref name="freak">{{Cite web |url=https://boingboing.net/2020/05/08/furry-freak-brothers-coming-th.html |title=Furry Freak Brothers Coming This Fall, Voiced by Woody Harrelson, John Goodman, Pete Davidson, and Tiffany Haddish |first=Gareth |last=Branwyn |work=[[BoingBoing]] |date=May 8, 2020 |accessdate=May 8, 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref> This version of the character is female and is capable of conversing directly with the Freaks whom she once again has a habit of insulting and belittling. She can apparently handle weed much better than them, though this did not prevent her from having the ultimate high that sent them from 1969 to 2020.

== Storylines and themes ==

[[File:Keedspills.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Fat Freddy, with his cat]]
Drug use is the predominant theme that runs throughout all volumes of this title. The protagonists "live in a state of blissful torpor relieved only by bursts of paranoia or stimulant-induced frenzy."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2001/dec/08/shopping.society|title=Reefer madness|work=[[The Guardian]]|location=UK|first=Nicholas|last=Lezard|date=December 8, 2001|access-date=October 13, 2015|archive-date=December 2, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161202010433/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2001/dec/08/shopping.society|url-status=live}} Additional  on December 19, 2016</ref> Marijuana is the most frequently mentioned, but numerous other [[stimulant]]s and [[psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants|hallucinogen]]s are mentioned as well. [[Heroin]] is usually missing from the list. In one adventure, Franklin is shown to turn down an offer of "smack" when hitching a ride.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=July 2020}}

Food is a recurring subject. These stories most often involve Fat Freddy and his marijuana-induced "munchies" (increased appetite). The squalor engendered by the Brothers' indolence is often highlighted; several strips feature the household's [[cockroach]] population, ruled over by a [[fascist]] [[monarchy]]. Several stories satirize [[government]]s, particularly the [[Federal Government of the United States|U.S. government]]. These stories invariably show [[politician]]s and their agents as [[political corruption|corrupt]], incompetent, or both. The theme of foreign travel is sometimes explored, most notably in the three-part ''Idiots Abroad'' series.

It is common for the storylines to begin with an air of realism, but rapidly descend into comic [[pantomime]].

Classic Freak Brothers stories include:
* ''Grass Roots'': The Brothers find a year's supply of [[cocaine]] and move to the country with the proceeds. They snort it all in two days. The Brothers are joined by a trio of hippie women who join them in their misadventures: the dilapidated farmhouse, Freddy's run in with a hillbilly moonshiner, the rumor of gold on the property, and Phineas running for sheriff.<ref>''The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'' #5 (Rip Off Press, May 1977).</ref>
* ''Chariot of the Globs'': Fat Freddy's Cat is [[alien abduction|abducted by aliens]].<ref name=FreakBros4>''The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'' #4 (Rip Off Press, Nov. 1975).</ref>
*''The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers in the 21st Century:'' The Brothers experience life in the future.
*''Knock 'em Dead:'' The Brothers form a punk band.
* ''The 7th Voyage of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers: A Mexican Odyssey'': The Brothers holiday in [[Mexico]], are thrown in jail and escape with the help of [[shaman]] Don Longjuan, in an oblique parody of the [[Carlos Castaneda]] books.<ref name=FreakBros4 />
* ''The Idiots Abroad'': The Brothers are split up attempting to travel to [[Colombia]] hoping to score cheap dope down there, yet none of them manages to reach [[Bogotá]]; Fat Freddy accidentally joins a group of nuclear terrorists in Scotland before disrupting the [[International Workers' Day]] military parade in [[Moscow]], USSR and being subsequently sold to slavery in Africa; Franklin is almost killed by a native apocalyptic South American cult before joining a group of pirates; while Phineas ends up in [[Mecca]] and becomes the world's richest man after founding a new religion.<ref>Serialized in ''The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'' issues #8–10 (Rip Off Press, 1984, 1985, and 1989).</ref>

== Film and TV adaptations ==
[[File:Truckin.jpg|right|thumb|Still from ''Grass Roots''.]]
In 1978, the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers appeared in the full-length [[pornographic film]] ''[[Up in Flames (film)|Up in Flames]]''. The story involves the brothers' attempts to raise cash to make their rent deadline (the trio being in danger of being evicted from their apartment). Fat Freddy gains employment at a local food store run by graphic artist [[Robert Crumb]]'s character [[Mr. Natural (comics)|Mr. Natural]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ripoffpress.com/fbmovie.cfm|title=The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers Movie!|accessdate=2007-01-26|publisher=Rip Off Press, Inc.'s Freak Brothers Factory Store|last=Todd|first=Kathe ("Mom")|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070209052122/http://www.ripoffpress.com/fbmovie.cfm|archivedate=2007-02-09|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1979, [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] paid Shelton and Rip Off Press $250,000 for the rights to make a live-action ''Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'' film. Shelton received the bulk of the money, which enabled him to live part-time in Europe. Meanwhile, the Universal-produced ''Freak Brothers'' film never made it to the production stage.<ref name=comixjoint />

In 2006, the company Grass Roots Films began production on a feature-length [[clay animation]] film based on the series, called ''[[Grass Roots (film)|Grass Roots]]'', co-produced by German distribution company X Filme.<!-- {{efn|A three-minute piece of test animation from ''Grass Roots'' can be seen [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YINWUjFQRDU on YouTube].}} --> In 2013, work on the film stopped.

An animated television series adaptation titled ''[[The Freak Brothers]]'', based on the characters and set in modern San Francisco, was released on [[Tubi]] on November 14, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/streaming/tubi-grooves-into-adult-toons-with-debut-original-the-freak-brothers/|title = Tubi Grooves into Adult Toons with Debut Original 'The Freak Brothers'|date = 19 October 2021}}</ref> The series was preceded on May 6, 2020, by a mini-episode titled "Kentucky Fried Freaks".<ref>[https://www.greenmarketreport.com/fabulous-furry-freak-brothers-make-new-york-comic-con-appearance/ Greenmarketreport: 'New York Comic Con appearance']</ref> The series features [[Woody Harrelson]], [[Pete Davidson]], [[John Goodman]], and [[Tiffany Haddish]] as voice actors for the three Freaks and the cat respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/05/freak-brothers-woody-harrelson-john-goodman-pete-davidson-tiffany-haddish-cast-1202928121/|title='The Freak Brothers': Woody Harrelson, John Goodman, Pete Davidson & Tiffany Haddish Set as Leads for Toon Series Based on Cult Comics|date=7 May 2020}}</ref> [[Courtney Solomon]] and [[Mark Canton]] serve as executive producers, with [[Jeffrey Scott Edell]] serving as Co-Executive Producer, alongside [[Adam DeVine]] and [[Blake Anderson]] who also provide voice acting.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/the-fabulous-furry-freak-brothers-animated-series-workaholics-silicon-valley/|title=Underground Comic The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers Getting Animated TV Series|website=Screen Rant|last=Yeoman|first=Kevin|date=July 12, 2019}}</ref> The series is animated by Pure Imagination Studios and Starburns Industries studio, which also worked on ''[[Rick and Morty]]''. In May 2022, the series was renewed for a second season.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/top-stories/the-freak-brothers-s2-marks-tubis-frist-ever-renewal/ | title='The Freak Brothers' S2 Marks Tubi's Frist-Ever Renewal | date=2 May 2022 }}</ref> The series will be released on digital on April 17, 2023 by [[Lionsgate]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2023/04/the-freak-brothers-s1-hustles-to-digital-release/ | title='The Freak Brothers' S1 Hustles to Digital Release | date=4 April 2023 }}</ref>

== In popular culture ==
[[Fat Freddy's Drop]], formed in the late 1990s, is a [[Wellington]], [[New Zealand]], band that took its name from the ''Freak Brothers'' comics. According to the band, individual doses of a certain type of [[Lysergic acid diethylamide|LSD]] popular in Wellington at that time had the image of Fat Freddy's Cat printed on it. Dropping — common slang for taking LSD — Fat Freddies became the inspiration for the band's name.<ref name="smh">{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/cd--gig-reviews/fat-freddys-drop/2005/10/17/1129401188725.html|title=Fat Freddy's Drop|access-date=6 September 2009|last=Blake|first=Jason|date=17 October 2005|work=smh.com.au|publisher=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]}}</ref>

Director [[Paul Thomas Anderson]] said the look of [[Joaquin Phoenix]]'s lead character, Larry "Doc" Sportello, in Anderson's 2014 adaptation of the [[Thomas Pynchon]] novel ''[[Inherent Vice (film)|Inherent Vice]]'', was based in part on Freewheelin' Franklin Freek:
{{cquote|"[T]here's this documentary on [[Daniel Ellsberg]], called ''[[The Most Dangerous Man in America]]''. There's a great picture of a buddy of his who has this great set of glasses, a floppy hat and these mutton chops. I took a still frame from that and I sent it to [Phoenix], along with the omnibus collection of ''The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'' comic, by Gilbert Shelton—and that's probably the most we really talked about [Phoenix's portrayal of the character]".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/features/paul-thomas-anderson-reveals-secrets-of-stoner-odyssey-inherent-vice-20150115| title=Paul Thomas Anderson Reveals Secrets of Stoner Odyssey 'Inherent Vice'| first= David |last=Fear |date=January 15, 2015|access-date= March 4, 2015|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] | archive-date= January 16, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150116074014/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/features/paul-thomas-anderson-reveals-secrets-of-stoner-odyssey-inherent-vice-20150115| url-status=live}}</ref>}}

=== Sports ===
The [[Ultras|ultra]] supporters of [[Serie B]] Italian football (soccer) team [[Ternana Calcio]], from the Italian Umbrian city of [[Terni]] are called "The Freak Brothers". Like many Italians ultras, they are linked with the political left.<ref>[https://www.ilmessaggero.it/umbria/terni_addio_a_rambo_capo_storico_dei_freak_brothers_ultras_della_ternana-3641325.html "Terni, addio a Rambo: capo storico dei Freak Brothers ultras della Ternana,"] ''[[Il Messaggero]]'' (31 March 2018). {{in lang|it}}</ref>

=== Places ===
Fat Freddy's Restaurant, in [[Galway]], Ireland, has [[wikt:arcana|arcana]] and other memorabilia relating to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and Fat Freddy's Cat.<ref>{{cite web |title = Fat Freddy's Restaurant |location = Galway, Ireland |url = http://galwayrestaurants.net/ |access-date = February 12, 2014 |archive-date = November 30, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161130110727/http://galwayrestaurants.net/ |url-status = live}}</ref> There is also an inn in [[Olongapo]], [[Philippines]], called "The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers Stagger Inn".{{cn|date=December 2022}}

=== Science ===
At the  [[Le Havre Normandy University]], Claire Bowen analysed the timeless appeal and current relevance of the Freak Brothers comics in the American couter culture of the 1970s<ref>{{Citation | last = Bowen | first = Claire | title = "Far-out, unbathed leftists." The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and Middle America | journal = Les Années Woodstock / The Woodstsock Years | volume = 1 | date=2015-01-28 | pages = 67–76| language = en | url = https://gric.univ-lehavre.fr/IMG/pdf/claire_bowen_far-out_unbathed_leftists._the_fabulous_furry_freak_brothers_and_middle_america.pdf}}</ref> Chiara Polli at the [[University of Messina]] conducted [[Semiotics|semiotic]] studies of a selection of [[Italian language|Italian]] translations of the Freak Brothers Comics, using [[Isotopy (semiotics)|isotopies]] as a key tool in the analysis of comics in translation.<ref>{{Citation | last = Polli | first = Chiara | title = Isotopy as a Tool for the Analysis of Comics in Translation: The Italian 'Rip-Off' of Gilbert Shelton's Freak Brothers | journal = Punctum - International Journal of Semiotics | volume = 07| issue = 2:2021| pages = 17–43| year = 2021| language = en | doi = 10.18680/hss.2021.0016}}</ref>

== Bibliography ==

=== ''The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'' series ===

Almost all of the titles in the series have a title in words. Issues #0–7 and #12–13 are in black and white; issues #8–11 were produced in both color and black-and-white editions.

* ''Freak Brothers'' No. 0: ''Underground Classics'' #1 (Jan. 1985)
* ''Freak Brothers'' No. 1: ''The Collected Adventures Of...'' (1971)
* ''Freak Brothers'' No. 2: ''Further Adventures of those...'' (Mar. 1972)
* ''Freak Brothers'' No. 3: ''A Year Passes Like Nothing'' (1973)
* ''Freak Brothers'' No. 4: ''Brother, Can You Spare 75¢ for the...'' (Nov. 1975)
* ''Freak Brothers'' No. 5: ''Grass Roots'' (May 1977)
* ''Freak Brothers'' No. 6: ''Six Snappy Sockeroos'' (June 1980)
* ''Freak Brothers'' No. 7: ''Several Short Stories'' (1982)
* ''Freak Brothers'' No. 8: ''The Idiots Abroad, Part I'' (1984)
* ''Freak Brothers'' No. 9: ''The Idiots Abroad, Part II'' (1985)
* ''Freak Brothers'' No. 10: ''The Idiots Abroad, Part III'' (1989)
* ''Freak Brothers'' No. 11 (1990)
* ''Freak Brothers'' No. 12 (1992)
* ''Freak Brothers'' No. 13 (1997)—black-and-white reprints of stories from ''Thoroughly Ripped'' (Rip Off Press, 1978) plus a new cover and one story never before printed in the U.S.: "The Plant"
* ''Fifty Freakin' Years with the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'' (Knockabout Comics, 2017)—new strips by Shelton, as well as his written introduction

=== Compilations and collections ===

Several compilation titles have been published that merge several of the original titles into one book.

* ''Thoroughly Ripped with the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and Fat Freddy's Cat!'' (Rip Off Press, 1978) {{ISBN|0-89620-077-9}}—full-color collection of stories from ''[[High Times]]'' magazine published from Dec. 1976 to Sept. 1978 (as well as one story from ''[[Playboy]]'' magazine). Book came in two editions, one of which included a [[board game]] called "It's a Raid".

* ''The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers in Grass Roots'' (Rip Off Press, 1984) {{ISBN|0-89620-090-6}}—full-color reprints of material from comic book issues #5 and 7.

* ''The Complete Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'', Volume One ([[Knockabout Comics]], 2001) {{ISBN|0-86166-146-X}}—reprints comic book issues #0–7 and 12

* ''The Complete Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'', Volume Two (Knockabout Comics, 2004) {{ISBN|0-86166-149-4}}—color reprints comic books issues #8-11 and 13. (Note: according to the reverse title pages, the second volume has the same {{ISBN|0-86166-146-X}})

*  ''The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers Omnibus'' (Knockabout Comics, 2008) {{ISBN|978-0-86166-159-6}}—collection of the entire series, including some stories and covers done after publication of the "Complete" books. Includes everything from the two books above, except for the covers of ''Rip Off Comics'' 15 and 21, which do not show the Freak Brothers.

* ''The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'' (Fantagraphics Books, 2022-?) a 7 volume hardback collection of the complete FFFB and Fat Freddy's Cat.

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{wikiquote|Gilbert Shelton|Gilbert Shelton and The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers}}
* [http://www.ripoffpress.com/ Rip Off Press, Inc., publishers of the Freak Brothers comics in the U.S.]
* [http://www.knockabout.com/ Knockabout Comics, publishers of the Freak Brothers comics in the U.K.]
* [https://archive.today/20120914043317/http://www.toonopedia.com/freakbro.htm  The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers] at [[Don Markstein's Toonopedia]]. Archived from the [http://www.toonopedia.com/freakbro.htm original] on April 13, 2012.

{{Underground comix characters}}
{{Underground comix works}}
{{Hippies}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, The}}
[[Category:The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers| ]]
[[Category:1968 comics debuts]]
[[Category:1997 comics endings]]
[[Category:American comics adapted into films]]
[[Category:American comic strips]]
[[Category:Comics adapted into animated films]]
[[Category:Comics adapted into animated series]]
[[Category:Comics set in the 1960s]]
[[Category:Comics set in the 1970s]]
[[Category:Comics set in the 1980s]]
[[Category:Comics set in the 1990s]]
[[Category:Comics set in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Psychedelic art]]
[[Category:Underground comix]]
[[Category:Fictional trios]]