Here Comes the Grump



""Here comes the Grump!

Here comes the Grump!

Here comes the Grump!""

- The Theme Song

Here Comes the Grump is a DePatie-Freleng Enterprises Saturday Morning Cartoon that ran in 1969-1970 on NBC. Princess Dawn, her Non-Human Sidekick Bip, and ordinary Earth teenager Terry Dexter are being chased by the villainous Grump and his klutzy Dragon. Each episode takes them to a new locale, where the heroes enlist the aid of the locals to try and get The Grump off their trail and maybe learn where to find the magical crystal key that will lift the Grump's spell of gloom from Princess Dawn's kingdom.

Here Comes the Grump provides examples of:
"In a magic place
 * Adventure Towns
 * The Alleged Steed: Grump's dragon, but only when it's funny.
 * Amusing Injuries: The Grump is a frequent victim.
 * Ash Face: Happens to Grump in just about every episode. Typically caused by the dragon's Sneezes of Doom.
 * Bizarre Alien Biology: Bip turns around by pulling in his head and tail, then popping them out again on the opposite sides. Oh, and he can detach his nose.
 * Bottomless Magazines: Grump's bow appears to have a bottomless quiver.
 * Cool Airship: The heroes travel around in a very unusual hot air balloon.
 * Distressed Damsel: Princess Dawn, when captured.
 * "Everybody Laughs" Ending: Once an Episode.
 * Everything's Better with Princesses
 * Expository Theme Tune:

There's a princess caught in a chase

But no matter how fast she goes, right on her heels and toes

Here comes the Grump! Here comes the Grump! Here comes the Grump!"

"Princess Dawn: Do you suppose we've given Grump the slip?
 * Expy: The Grump is heavily based on Yosemite Sam, another Friz Freleng character. The dragon is based on Sam's dragon from "Knighty Knight Bugs".
 * Hair of Gold: Princess Dawn, of course.
 * Here We Go Again: An atypical case in that the Grump usually catches up with our heroes again at the beginning of the episode, rather than the end.
 * Ironic Echo Cut: From "The Lemonade Sea":

(cut to Grump)

Grump: You will never give Grump the slip!"


 * Magnetic Hero: The protagonists often seek aid and shelter from the new characters they meet in each episode.
 * Motor Mouth: The Blabbermouth from "The Blabbermouth of Echo Island".
 * Non-Human Sidekick: Bip.
 * Parody Episode: "With Malice In Blunderland"
 * Pepper Sneeze: Used to provoke the dragon's explosive allergies. One episode even has a forest of pepper trees that grow pepper-shakers which sprinkle pepper on the dragon.
 * Planet of Hats: There's a town where everyone sleeps all day, a town where everyone has wheels, and many more.
 * Rump Roast: The Grump gets this treatment a couple times; for example, in the beginning of "The Bloonywoonie Battle".
 * Running Gag: The dragon sneezing on the Grump.
 * Shark Pool: In "The Eenie Meenie Miners," Grump tries to trick the heroes into falling into a pit of crocodiles. Naturally, he ends up falling in the pit himself.
 * Sneeze of Doom: The dragon's sneezes are a frequent source of amusing injuries for the Grump.
 * Status Quo Is God
 * Stern Chase
 * Sugar Bowl
 * Team Pet: Bip.
 * Title Drop
 * Title Theme Tune
 * Voice Changeling: The Blabbermouth of Echo Island uses this trick to play distracting pranks on the Grump and his dragon.
 * Walking Princess Dawn's Kingdom
 * Wraparound Background