Griddle Greaser Pete - [Fearsome Critter]

Griddle Greaser Pete. - [fearsome critter] - (Latin: Arvinaporcus lakeshorekearni)

•About this Critter: ‘Here comes good ol’ Greaser Pete slippin’ & slidin’, a fine flapjack he did make, on bacon he did skate!” - a lesser known short yarn about a wee 'Pig-man' that Paul Bunyan captured, stapled bacon to its feet & made skate atop of his gigantic stove top Pancake griddle...  

• History: Pete originates from stories included among other critters published in artchilds 'Yarns of the Big Woods' (Published 1922-1925 across several newspapers.) - Greaser Petes short story goes as follows:

“Fine griddle cakes,” said the stranger, as he filled up his plate with another stack. "Ever’time I eat griddle cakes, though. I get kind of lonesome for the West, where I knocked around when I was a young fellow. I get to thinkin’ of my cow-punchin’ friend and his Griddlegreaser Pete.”

    “Griddlegreaser Pete?” asked the old guide, who had been filling the stranger full of queer yarns the entire evening before. “Well, now that’s a queer name. Who might he be?”

    “He was a cross between a pig and goodness-knows-what. My friend found him when wanderin’ around the ranch one day, and he trained, him and put him to work.”

    “You see, my friend was a big fellow, even for out West where men are men. And as big as my friend was, his appetite for griddle cakes was bigger. He ate them down so fast it would make you dizzy.”

    “He had a special-made griddle so’s he could fry a whole stack of his fav’rite cakes at once. And that’s where the animal came in. My friend fastened a slab of bacon to each of his hind feet and taught him to go skating over the griddle, so’s to grease it up right. When he’d gone all over the griddle—and he could do it in less time than it takes me to tell you—he would rest in a cool corner until the batch of cakes had been fried. Then he’d hop onto the griddle and set to work again.”

..Thats the entirety of what was said of pete. This ones dark for a couple of reasons (aside from the implied/potential cannibalism) - The "cow punchin' friend" is quite obviously Paul Bunyan. in the context of Paul Bunyan, The original “griddle greasers” were usually said to be children but also occasionally the camps “flunkies” (rather unfortunately often colored & depicted as racist caricatures.) - [for a more nuanced explanation google: “Paul Bunyan racism”] -

[1922 W. B. Laughead image source]

[Map 1935 image source and another version, again in 1941.]

I like to think that 'Greaser Pete' was perhaps an early effort to steer away from that sorry bit of illustrated folklore? - (Perhaps not.) - Fortunately: folklore does change over time, and Paul’s gigantic griddle eventually became popular as a pancake skating rink for all! - Appearing as the location for contests and other sports in later illustrated entries.

[image source]

[Paul doing the work himself]

i suppose theres also a possibility of it relating to the pigman of vermont but told through a bunyan lens.

• Today: Griddle Greaser Pete Is also popular among yokai artists as well, in recent years he’s made a few appearances in various Japanese bestiaries, they call him a “breakfast fairy” which is a very cute take. 🥰 

Sticker Art by @Samkalensky (yo thats me!) - Part of my fearsome critters sticker collection, weather resistant 4" Glossy sticker. Check my shop & follow @samkalensky for many more!