Orson Pig is the main protagonist of U.S. Acres. He is considered the "straight man" of the cast, since his personality is more neutral. He communicates with Wade more often than all other characters (in the TV series version), mostly complaining to Wade for having so many fears. Orson has the responsibility of treating Booker and Sheldon like they are his children since he looked after them. In the comic strip, Booker and Sheldon's mother abandoned her own children out of sheer laziness to take a vacation and never returned.
Physical Appearance
Orson is that a typical member of the domestic pig species. Despite not considering himself as "fat", he is repeatedly insulted by other characters, due to his body shape. A notable example is shown in "Show Stoppers", where Orson believes that he has the body of a superb athlete. Upon hearing the statement, Roy decides to insult him.
Personality
Orson is the practical and stern, but fair leader of the farm. His work ethic makes him a great leader amongst the animals. Orson has a good sense of humor, which is often tested as a common gag in the cartoons. He tends to avoid conflicts and often tries to resolve a bad situation rather than add to it. Orson loves books, with his overactive imagination often causing him to see his reality as the world described in the book when reading one. This can also bring other characters into with him, essentially morphing reality itself. He can also be gullible and will usually believe everything he reads.
Orson occasionally dresses in a superhero suit and calls himself "Power Pig," which often causes others to fall down laughing at him. Booker often calls him "Mom" due to Orson being the one that hatched him. A running gag through out the series is Orson's fear of his older brothers, who are bigger and stronger than him, and like to use him as a ball or a punching bag. Orson is also an easy target for Roy to pull pranks on due to his gullibility.
Orson has three major alter-egos: a superhero named Power Pig, a spy named Double Oh Orson, and a Greek soldier named Hogcules.
Episode Appearances
Garfield and Friends
- All U.S Acres segments.
The Garfield Show
- "Down on the Farm" (scrapped)
Garfield Tales
- TBA
Trivia
- In 1986, Orson had long eyelashes (like Nermal) until they disappeared on January 3, 1988. This was possibly because the eyelashes meant he was an infant from the time until then.
- Orson often makes bunny-like ears when scared or happy.
- He is the only character who has a full family. His brothers were seen multiple times in the show and in the first week of the comic. His mother's voice was heard offscreen in an episode, and she appeared the first week of the comic, and his dad only appeared once. Aloysius Pig is his cousin.
- He makes a cameo in "Scary Scavenger Hunt 2: Donuts of Doom".
- Orson was intended to have a cameo appearance in The Garfield Show episode "Down on the Farm", where he tells Garfield to stop complaining and be glad that he is still part of the show. Orson's model was created and his lines were recorded, but the scene got cut due to international laws that forbid talking pigs. [1]