The Grinch is a fictional character created by Dr. Seuss. He first appeared as the main antagonist/protagonist in the 1957 children's book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, which was adapted in 1966 into a popular television special, produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's MGM Animation/Visual Arts studio and directed by Chuck Jones. This was followed by two more television specials, a musical, and a 2000 theatrical film in which the titular character was played by Jim Carrey.
The devious, anti-holiday spirit of the character has led to the name "Grinch" becoming a term used to describe a person opposed to Christmas time celebrations or to someone with a coarse, greedy attitude. The Grinch has since become an icon of the winter holidays, despite the character's hatred of the season, and has appeared on various forms of memorabilia such as Christmas ornaments, plush dolls, Halloween costumes, and various clothing items.
As seen in a flashback in "A Hero Sits Next Door", police officer Joe Swanson confronts him on the roof ofLucky's Orphanage, intending to arrest The Grinch for attempted robbery. When Swanson falls off the roof, he becomes paralyzed from the waist down. In "A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas", his wife, Bonnie, explained that this led to Joe hating Christmas. This story turns out to be a lie in "Joe's Revenge".