The character Ziggy has on several occasions ventured out beyond the newspaper comics-page panel in which he typically resides. Here are five of Ziggy’s other appearances in the spotlight.
• A Seinfeld TV episode centered on Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) drawing and publishing a cartoon for The New Yorker that unwittingly plagiarized Ziggy.
• In Cheers, Woody Harrelson’s character, Woody, breaks into hysterical laughter after reading Ziggy.
• The Simpsons references Ziggy in two different episodes. In one, Homer’s boss Mr. Burns addresses the fact that life never seems to give Ziggy a break. “Ah, Ziggy,” Burns sighs, “will you ever win?”
• On TV’s 30 Rock, the character Jack Donaghy (Alec Balwin) learns the names of various celebrities and coworkers by using flashcards. A scene shows him quickly going through the cards and calling out names, including “Ziggy from the comic strip Ziggy.”
• In addition to being the star of numerous cartoon collections, gift books and calendars, Ziggy was also the subject of a 1982 TV Christmas special, Ziggy’s Gift.
