Zoidberg
Dr. John A. Zoidberg, often referred to mononymously as Zoidberg, is a fictional character from the animated series Futurama. He is a Decapodian, a crustacean-like species of alien, who works as the staff doctor for Planet Express, despite his woeful understanding of human physiology and allusions to his questionable credentials. His character parodies the supposed wealth and automatic respect of modern doctors—for example, his incompetence at human medicine makes him extremely poor despite his profession, and he is implied to be frequently homeless when not at work. The Decapod (named after the actual Decapoda order of ten-footed crustaceans) are an extended parody on Jewish culture—the bigger joke being that shellfish are not kosher.
Zoidberg | |
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Futurama character | |
First appearance | "The Series Has Landed" (1999) |
Created by | Matt Groening David X. Cohen |
Designed by | Matt Groening |
Voiced by | Billy West |
In-universe information | |
Full name | John A. Zoidberg |
Species | Decapodian |
Gender | Male |
Occupation | Staff doctor at the Planet Express delivery company. |
Significant other | Candy Marianne |
Relatives | Harold Zoid (uncle) |
Origin | Decapod 10 |
Zoidberg is voiced by Billy West, who performs the character with a Yiddish-inflected accent inspired by actors George Jessel and Lou Jacobi.