An Owensboro Man Immortalized in Pixar and Other Fictional KY Characters

Several famous folks hail from Kentucky. It's a topic we've covered many times in this space. But those are REAL people. What about the fictional people who can also claim the Commonwealth? They exist, too. (Well...you know what I mean.)

I'm not sure why this particular light bulb came on over my head, so I did a little research into fictional characters native to Kentucky and came up with a small handful. Here are selections from that handful.

The Grimes Family (The Walking Dead)

If the iconic television series The Walking Dead had been adapted exactly as it was conceived by Robert Kirkman, that would have been a television series set in Kentucky. As we all know, of course, it was set in Georgia, and the rest is TV history. But Kirkman is a native of Cynthiana KY and his Grimes family (Sheriff Rick, Lori, Carl, and Judith) is too...in the graphic novel. Still, there's no other American town that claims this brainchild, and Cynthiana is might proud of it. Signs and murals tell the tale.

Daisy Buchanan (The Great Gatsby)

Look, I'll be honest, I simply did not enjoy all the books I was made to read in school. Did I read them? Yes, of course. But some were just a slog. I am not a fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald, but I have always appreciated him making his wealthy socialite, Daisy Buchanan, a Louisville native.

Darrell Cartrip (Cars)

I howled when I saw this in CarsFac back in 2006. Folks NOT from Owensboro or Kentucky would still appreciate the spoof name, but Darrell Waltrip is one of Owensboro's most famous native sons, so it hit a little different around here.

And if you're a collector, check this out:

Now, all we need is for some cracker jack animator to come up with a movie or series SET in Kentucky.

Maybe something about a thoroughbred who runs a distillery and loves basketball. Just a thought.