Morticia Addams

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Morticia's origins trace back to Charles Addams' New Yorker cartoons in the late 1930s, where none of the characters had dialogue or speech bubbles. Her name was inspired by "mortician" when the 1964 television series gave the characters identities. While some later adaptations hint at a spooky lineage, the claim that she is a witch with a family tree extending to Salem, Massachusetts is not a widely established canon fact from the original 1964 series or the 1990s films. Similarly, the ability to produce smoke directly from her body is not a canonical trait from those sources. Her personal pet is Cleopatra, a carnivorous plant—typically a Venus flytrap or similar—that she feeds hamburgers and meat, though the term "African Strangler" is not canonical. She enjoys cutting rose buds to keep only the stems and crafting sweaters with three arms.

In Their Own Story

While generally indulgent of her children's sinister activities, she feels Uncle Fester must be held in check. Her interactions are marked by rare smiles and low-keyed rhapsodies about her garden. She instructs her children to observe amenities and always kick their father good night. A defining quirk involves her method of alluring Gomez: she easily captivates him by speaking French or any other foreign language. According to Wednesday, Morticia applies baking powder to her face instead of makeup. Her musical inclination is evident as she freely strums a Japanese shamisen. She also collects mail from Thing, the hand-in-the-box, and cooks unusual concoctions for Gomez, including eye of newt.

Reader's Guide

For fans analyzing Morticia's character traits, note that her voice is never raised yet possesses great range. She is contemptuous of clichés unless used for humor. Her costume remains consistent: a form-fitting black gown, occasionally accessorized with a shawl. In the 1990s films, familial relationships shifted; Grandmama became Morticia's mother rather than Gomez's, and Fester became Gomez's brother instead of Morticia's uncle. Her sister Ophelia was also portrayed by Carolyn Jones in the original TV series. In 2009, Yahoo! included her in its Top 10 TV Moms for the 1964–1966 period, while AOL named her one of the 100 Most Memorable Female TV Characters. Her design influenced Disney's Magica De Spell and Natasha Fatale from Rocky and Bullwinkle.

Did You Know?

• Morticia's name was inspired by the word "mortician" when the characters were adapted for the 1964 television series.
• She applies baking powder to her face instead of using actual makeup, according to Wednesday.
• Morticia owns a carnivorous plant named Cleopatra, a Venus flytrap or similar, that she feeds hamburgers and other meats.
• In the original New Yorker cartoons, none of the family members had names or dialogue until Charles Addams selected names for the 1964 TV show.
• Her design served as inspiration for Disney's Magica De Spell and Natasha Fatale from Rocky and Bullwinkle.