Where's Waldo in popular culture

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This is a list of popular culture and external references to Martin Handford most popular work Where's Waldo. Direct and indirect references to Waldo are common in books, television, songs, games and graphic novels due to the popularity and longevity of the books.

Contents 1 Television 2 Movies 3 Video Games 4 Comics 5 Internet

[edit] Television

• The VH1 mini-series "I Love the '90s" featured "Where's Waldo?" as a topic of discussion during the show on 1993. The celebrities discused the books, tried to find Waldo, and made other comments on the phenomenon. The commentators talk about how hard it is to find Waldo as trying to spot him in the books. Some of them point our some of the absurd and wacky things going on in the pictures aswell. Media "gad-fly" Mo Rocca dresses as Waldo and compares his looks to the character's. Viewers may also notice that Waldo is "hidden" in other segments pictures and video clips as well thoughout the hour. A Waldo also pops up briefly in the follow-up series, "I Love the 90's: Part Deux".

Michael Ian Black: "The gauntlet is thrown, where's Waldo? I accept your challenge. I shall find Waldo and prove that I am better that you!...You look for Waldo and they trick you because you think 'oh, I'll key in on the red and white shirt'. Nah, no, no, no. We've thought of that, sir. There's red and white towels, there's red and white tents...There is tremendous detail and fun and there's jokes scattered throughout the pictures."

• The Simpsons have made many references to Where's Waldo? throughout the years these include:
  

  

  Treehouse of Horror III
  

  

  Bart's Comet
  

  

  Hello Gutter Hello Father
  • During the Treehouse of Horror III segment titled "Dial Z for Zombies", Bart finds himself in the library when he stumbles upon a fictitious "Where’s Waldo" book called "Find Waldo Yet Again". After opening the book Bart finds a very empty and simple and uncrowded scene with Waldo on the beach (Waldo is standing prominently in the center and the only other person in the scene is pointing at him), to which he remarks "He’s not even trying anymore!" To avoid any possible legal complications, The Simpsons' creators altered Waldo's look.
  • In the episode "The Otto Show" the Simpson family takes Otto, the bus driver into their house. After days of lounging around the Simpsons house, Marge suggests to Otto thinking about getting a job and doing something with his life. Marge says "Otto, you can't just sit there watching TV all day." Otto perks up and says, "You know you're right, I should do a little reading. You got any of those Where's Waldo books?". Marge simply replies, "um..no."
  • In the episode titled “Bart's Comet”, the entire town of Springfield finds themselves jammed into Ned Flander’s bomb shelter to protect themselves from a comet headed for the town. One shot of the crowd in the shelter shows just how packed with people the place is. With the entire frame filled with people, similar to a Where's Waldo book, the animators added a yellow-skinned Waldo hidden within the crowd of characters.
  • In the episode “Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder” not only is Waldo referenced, but is shown in Simpsons form. While eating a healthy breakfast of cereal, Homer notices the image on the back of the cereal box and picks it up. It is a “Where’s Waldo” scene (an allusion to the Waldo appearance on Life Cereal boxes in the mid ’90s). Homer exclaims, “Ooh, Where's Waldo?”. Homer continues to search for Waldo but with no luck. Annoyed without being able to spot Waldo, Homer states “...this would be a lot easier without all these people.” After several more minutes of looking Homer screams, “Waldo, where are you?” And as if on cue, a yellow skinned Waldo walks past the kitchen window.

• In the sixth season episode of Family Matters titled "Till Death Do Us Apartment" (originally aired on October 7, 1994), Eddie and his friend Waldo Geraldo Faldo share an apartment after getting the mail Waldo makes reference to the book character of the same name.

Eddie: There's only one Waldo.

Waldo: No, there's another one, but nobody can seem to find him.

• In the fifth season episode Frasier titled "Halloween" (originally aired on October 28, 1997), Dr. Frasier Crane hosts a Halloween pary in which people are asked to come dressed as literary characters. Bulldog, Frasier's co-worker, comes to the party dressed as Waldo, a character unfimilar to the Crane brothers.

Frasier: And as what literary character will you be attending?

Bulldog: Waldo! [Frasier looks at him blankly] From "Where's Waldo?" He's like in sixteen books! And you call yourself well-read.

Bulldog: No, wait, wait! Guess who I am?

Niles: I give up.

Bulldog: I'm Waldo! From "Where's Waldo?" You know, that guy you can't find because he blends into the crowd?

Niles: I don't know, but I'd love a demonstration.

• In the seventh season episode of Full House titled "Smash Club: the Next Generation" (originally aired October 19, 1993), Michelle takes advantage of Nicky and Alex when she turns her younger cousins into her own personal servants. One of the tasks she assigns them is to find Waldo for her in her Where's Waldo books.

Michelle: Nicky, did you find Waldo for me yet?

Nicky: (looking at Waldo book) No Waldo.

Michelle: Keep looking, he's in there.

• In the Seinfeld episode “The Heart Attack” Jerry, George, and Elaine are sitting in Monk’s Restaurant when Elaine asks “Hey, where’s Kramer?” to which Jerry replies “I don't know. That's like asking ‘Where’s Waldo?’”.

• In the Saturday Night Live "Weekend Update" segment of the May 16, 1992 broadcast, Kevin Nealon reported "The 'Where's Waldo?' books have become so popular that the publishers are adding new additions. Last week, they came out with 'Where's Georgie?' and next week, they're coming out with a double edition: 'Where's Ronnie & Gorby?'"

• The opening skit of the October 6, 2001 episode of Saturday Night Live featured Will Ferrell as US President George W. Bush. In a comical parody of a President's address to America following September 11th, the president says, "...Make no mistake: we're coming for you, Bin Laden. I'm gonna make you my own personal "Where's Waldo". And unlike those frustrating Waldo books, I'm gonna find you."

• In the Drawn Together episode "Spelling Applebee's", Princess Clara says to Captain Hero at one point that if he wants her, he knows where to find her. She then puts on a striped shirt, a hat, and glasses, and disappears into the crowd. Immediately after this, the camera pulls out and an image of a screaming alien appears, referencing the Internet prank mentioned below. If a viewer pauses the scene before the alien appears, however, the screen makes a Where's Waldo-esque image. Clara, dressed as Waldo, is located at the top right of the screen.

• In the Family Guy episode "Sibling Rivalry", Stewie and Brian find diversity in an Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue when they find a black version of Waldo. In the episode "Saving Private Brian", Brian was shown running through an obstacles course, one of which required him to locate Waldo.

• In an episode of Dr. Katz, one of the main character's patients says that he is so gullible that he bought a Where's Waldo? audio book to listen to on a long journey. We hear a section of the audio, which says, "Woman with baby...man on a bicycle...Waldo..."

• In The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Wally was found by Billy along with Billy's Captain Fathead action figure, & Carmen San Diego; and was referred to by Billy as "Waldo".

• In an episode of Viva La Bam, in an attempt to hide from Bam in New York, his uncle Don Vito dresses like Waldo.

• There is Friends episode where Ross is in a doctor's waiting room and helps a girl find 'Waldo' in her book. When she is confused later at Ross' outbursts he shouts, "Hey! I helped you find Waldo!."

• In the Married... with Children episode "Get Outta Dodge", Bud gives Kelly a "little task" to keep her occupied, and she is shown looking for Waldo all around the house and neighborhood. After reappearing still looking for him several times during the episode, the final scene shows the family and their neighbors, minus Al, sitting at the kitchen table, with Kelly sitting next to a man dressed as Waldo.

• In the Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends episode "The Big Picture", Mac and Bloo investigate old photographs of all of Foster's friends, and there is a prankster named Wally, who wears a red and white striped shirt. Bloo looks for him in every picture, repeating, "Where's Wally?" to himself.

• There is an episode of Fairly Oddparents entitled "Where's Wanda?"

• An episode of Pokémon has the title pun, "Where's Armaldo?"

[edit] Movies

• A man dressed as Waldo was in attendance at the Academy Awards in The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult.

[edit] Video Games

• In the video game SimCopter, there is a small red square in a loft window of the player's hangar. If you leave your mouse over it for a second, the text 'You've found Waldo!' appears.

[edit] Comics

• The Simpsons Comic #49 features a story where Maggie goes missing. The comic’s cover is a a parody of a Where’s Waldo scene with The Simpsons cast. Although the inside comic does not feature Waldo, the cover has a yellow skinned Waldo hidden in the crowd scene.

• MAD Magazine #310 (April 1992) features a comic titled "Where's Waldo? For Complete Morons" by Sergio Aragones. A reprint of the cartoon was published in the book "Mad About the '90s : The Best of the Decade" published in 2005. The MAD 20 of 2005 featured a comic titled "Where's W?", a book parody in the style of the "Where's Waldo?" series. The cover shows a tableau of the crowded, flooded streets of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, with George W. Bush completely impossible to find.

• In the comic strip Get Fuzzy, there is a strip where Satchel complains to Rob that Bucky has been scribbling in his Where's Waldo books. Bucky says that he put Beards on Waldo to make it "Where's Osama".

[edit] Internet

• An internet flash movie on Albino Blacksheep was created taking an image from Where's Waldo at the Circus. The video shows a section of a crowd scene (part without Waldo) and the viewer is told to find Waldo. After a few seconds of searching, the picture abruptly switches to a picture of a monster and makes a loud noise in an attempt to scare the viewer.