Eric Theodore Cartman is a fictional character on the American animated television series South Park. One of the four main characters along with fellow protagonists Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Kenny McCormick, he is often portrayed as the series' main antagonist in opposition of his friends, who commonly refer to him by his surname. He debuted on television when South Park first aired on August 13, 1997; he had earlier appeared in "The Spirit of Christmas" shorts created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone in 1992 ("Jesus vs. Frosty") and 1995 ("Jesus vs. Santa").
Voiced by Trey Parker, Cartman is an overweight, spoiled, foul-mouthed, mean-spirited, selfish, and ill-tempered fourth-grader living with his hermaphroditic de facto mother in the fictional town of South Park, Colorado, where he commonly has extraordinary experiences not typical of conventional small-town life.
Cartman is one of the most popular characters on the show, and has remained one of the most recognizable television characters ever since South Park became a hit during its first season. Parker and Stone describe the character as "a little Archie Bunker", and state that he is their favorite character, and the one with whom they most identify. During its thirteen seasons, South Park has received both praise and criticism for Cartman's tendency to be politically incorrect and shockingly profane. Prominent publications and television channels have included Cartman on their lists of the most iconic television and cartoon characters of all-time. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.