History Main / TheCreepyUndertaker

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[[quoteright:350:[[WebAnimation/TheBackwaterGospel http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_backwater_gospel_4916.jpg]]]]
[-[[caption-width-right:350:For as long as anyone can remember, the coming of the undertaker has meant the coming of death.]]-]

You see that guy who's constantly lurking around the graveyard? Yeah, that's TheCreepyUndertaker.

The creepy undertaker lurks around the graveyard and has an unhealthy obsession with his deceased clients. When they're not in the graveyard, they can be found in rather eerie places, such as near newly deceased bodies or in coffins. Often they are the primary suspect whenever something particularly creepy happens.

May turn out to be a LivingDollCollector. Prone to spout ominous-in-context lines like "Be seeing you..."

Compare the more humorous CreepyMortician. Not to be confused with Wrestling/TheUndertaker. Compare with the {{Undertaker}} character in {{Western}}s.

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!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* The Undertaker from ''Manga/BlackButler''. Even more so in the Manga, [[spoiler:where it is revealed, by him, that he is the one responsible for the reanimation of the corpses that were attacking everyone on board the ship. And that was just because he was curious!]] Justified in that he's actually [[spoiler:a {{Shinigami}} rather than a human -- and a rogue amongst their ranks, in the manga]].
* ''Anime/GregoryHorrorShow'' is built around this. Good old Gregory is downright unnerving, especially as you learn more about what he is. He suffers from VillainDecay in the other three seasons, however, becoming a victim of the greater evils around him. Still, [[spoiler:he does feed off of human souls.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ComicBook/GreenLantern villan Black Hand was reinvented as one of these in the leadup to ''ComicBook/BlackestNight''.
* ''ComicBook/PierreTombal'': Gravedigger Pierre himself isn't scary, just the fact that all the dead people in his cemetery are living skeletons whom he (and others) treat as residents in the place.
* ''ComicBook/LuckyLuke'': Gravediggers are recurring characters in this comic strip, usually using ''formol'' as perfume, having vultures as pets and already coming to take measurements for the coffins before the cowboys are actually shot down. The most recurring undertaker has a body pale skin color, sometimes green.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* Dirt Nap from ''Fanfic/{{Equestrylvania}}''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* The CreepyMortician Bludworth in ''Film/FinalDestination''.
* The Tall Man in the first ''Film/{{Phantasm}}''.
* The mortician Dobbs in ''Film/DeadAndBuried''.
* There's a creepy undertaker in PeterDavid's SpaceWestern "Oblivion".
* ''Theatre/{{Oliver}}'', both the stage and film versions, has a whole family like this. They even get a song, "That's Your Funeral".
* The undertaker in ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartIII'', who measures Marty up for his coffin while he's still alive.
* ''Film/VanHelsing'' has a rather creepy undertaker in the village.
* The title character in ''Film/CemeteryMan'', despite being a handsome Rupert Everett, is still pretty crazy and spooky.
* In the 1993 anthology film ''Film/BodyBags'' John Carpenter portrays the Coroner, a wacky character who has a twisted fascination with the corpses he gets every night and hosts the framing segments. Among other things he holds conversations with the dead people around him and even [[ILoveTheDead plays around with some of them]]. [[spoiler:Subverted at the end when he turns out to be another corpse come to life when the real coroners appear.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* Legitimate First from ''Discworld/NightWatch''.
* Pylum in ''Literature/GalaxyOfFear: City of the Dead''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* A couple of examples in ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' sketches.
* Moody dark moor Scotsman Fraser on ''Series/DadsArmy''
* Technically, the Cryptkeeper from ''Series/TalesFromTheCrypt''.
* The mincing, AmbiguouslyGay Dennis Rainbird from ''Series/MidsomerMurders''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Radio]]
* PlayedForLaughs in ''Radio/TheGoonShow'' with Gravely Headstone, as in the following (quoted from memory):
-->'''Seagoon:''' You can't bury me, I'm still alive! It's impossible!\\
'''Headstone:''' Not impossible, but one should have to box ''exceeding'' clever.\\
'''Seagoon:''' No, wait, you can't bury me yet -- I want to join the Guards.\\
'''Headstone:''' No man under six foot can join the Guards. Come along.\\
'''Seagoon:''' No, no! Keep away! Aaagh!
* A recurring character in the sitcom ''Series/TheLifeOfRiley'' was "Digger" Digby O'Dell who was known for his morbid jokes and usually left with the [[CatchPhrase following one-liner]]: "Well, I must be... [[{{Pun}} shoveling off]]."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Myths & Religion]]
* The Vodoun/voodoo deity Baron Samedi a.k.a. Saturday takes this appearance. In some lore he lurks in graveyards looking for people to turn into zombies.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* Dampe from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' is often seen lurking around the graveyard when you are young Link, it gets kind of unsettling what with the [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Poes]] that also lurk around there. Bizarrely enough, a cute little kid idolizes Dampe and spends daytime wandering around the graves trying to mimic the gravedigger. He pays you a lot of rupees for a spooky mask that helps offset his cuteness.
* ''VideoGame/{{Carmageddon}}'' has a pair of undertaker twins as one of the opponents.
* The creepy gravedigger in ''VideoGame/GodOfWar''. [[spoiler: Actually Zeus in disguise.]]
* Mr. Russett from ''VideoGame/TheLostCrown'' is a subversion: he ''looks'' fairly creepy, but is actually one of the most helpful people Nigel meets.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''WebAnimation/TheBackwaterGospel'' features an undertaker who simply sits and waits...
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* Dag Darkomen, played by Creator/BrianPosehn, from the second campaign (starting at episode 74) of ''Podcast/NerdPoker''.
[[/folder]]

----

!! Examples:

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* The Undertaker from ''Manga/BlackButler''. Even more so in the Manga, [[spoiler:where it is revealed, by him, that he is the one responsible for the reanimation of the corpses that were attacking everyone on board the ship. And that was just because he was curious!]]
** Justified in that he's actually [[spoiler: a {{Shinigami}} rather than a human -- and a rogue amongst their ranks, in the manga]].
* ''GregoryHorrorShow'' is built around this. Good old Gregory is downright unnerving, especially as you learn more about what he is. He suffers from VillainDecay in the other three seasons, however, becoming a victim of the greater evils around him. Still, [[spoiler:he does feed off of human souls.]]

[[folder:Comics]]
* GreenLantern villan Black Hand was reinvented as one of these in the leadup to ''BlackestNight''.
* ComicStrip/PierreTombal: Gravedigger Pierre himself isn't scary, just the fact that all the dead people in his cemetery are living skeletons whom he (and others) treat as residents in the place.
* ComicBook/LuckyLuke: Gravediggers are recurring characters in this comic strip, usually using ''formol'' as perfume, having vultures as pets and already coming to take measurements for the coffins before the cowboys are actually shot down. The most recurring undertaker has a body pale skin color, sometimes green.

[[folder:Fanfics]]

[[folder:Film]]

* The undertaker in ''[[Film/BackToTheFuture Back To The Future Part III]]'', who measures Marty up for his coffin while he's still alive.

* The title character in ''CemeteryMan'', despite being a handsome Rupert Everett, is still pretty crazy and spooky.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* Technically, [[TalesFromTheCrypt the Cryptkeeper]].

[[folder:Podcasts]]
* Dag Darkomen, played by Creator/BrianPosehn, from the second campaign (starting at episode 74) of ''Podcast/NerdPoker''.
[[/folder]]

* PlayedForLaughs in ''TheGoonShow'' with Gravely Headstone, as in the following (quoted from memory):
-->'''Seagoon''': You can't bury me, I'm still alive! It's impossible!
-->'''Headstone''': Not impossible, but one should have to box ''exceeding'' clever.
-->'''Seagoon''': No, wait, you can't bury me yet - I want to join the Guards.
-->'''Headstone''': No man under six foot can join the Guards. Come along.
-->'''Seagoon''': No, no! Keep away! Aaagh!
* A recurring character in the sitcom ''TheLifeOfRiley'' was "Digger" Digby O'Dell who was known for his morbid jokes and usually left with the [[CatchPhrase following one-liner]]: "Well, I must be...[[IncrediblyLamePun shoveling off]]."

[[folder:Religion and Mythology]]
* The Vodoun/voodoo deity Baron Samedi AKA Saturday takes this appearance. In some lore he lurks in graveyards looking for people to turn into zombies.

* Dampe from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' is often seen lurking around the graveyard when you are young Link, it gets kind of unsettling what with the [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Poes]] that also lurk around there.
** Bizarrely enough, a cute little kid idolizes Dampe and spends daytime wandering around the graves trying to mimic the gravedigger. He pays you a lot of rupees for a spooky mask that helps offset his cuteness.
* ''{{Carmageddon}}'' has a pair of undertaker twins as one of the opponents.

* Mr. Russett from ''TheLostCrown'' is a subversion: he ''looks'' fairly creepy, but is actually one of the most helpful people Nigel meets.

[[folder: Web Original]]
* [[WebAnimation/TheBackwaterGospel 'The Backwater Gospel']] features an undertaker who simply sits and waits...

[[folder:Religion and Mythology]]
* The Vodoun/voodoo deity Baron Samedi AKA Saturday takes this appearance. In some lore he lurks in graveyards looking for people to turn into zombies.
[[/folder]]

* Dirt Nap from ''Fanfic/MyLittleCastlevania''.

* GregoryHorrorShow is built around this. Good old Gregory is downright unnerving, especially as you learn more about what he is. He suffers from VillainDecay in the other three seasons, however, becoming a victim of the greater evils around him. Still, [[spoiler:he does feed off of human souls.]]

* {{Carmageddon}} has a pair of undertaker twins as one of the opponents.
* The creepy gravedigger in VideoGame/GodOfWar. [[spoiler: Actually Zeus in disguise.]]

* [[WebAnimation/TheBackwaterGospel]] features an undertaker who simply sits and waits...

* The Backwater Gospel features an undertaker who simply sits and waits...

[[quoteright:350:[[BackwaterGospel http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_backwater_gospel_4916.jpg]]]]

The creepy undertaker lurks around the graveyard and has an unhealthy obsession with his [[strike:friends]] deceased clients. When they're not in the graveyard, they can be found in rather eerie places, such as near newly deceased bodies or in coffins. Often they are the primary suspect whenever something particularly creepy happens.

[[quoteright:241:[[BlackButler http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Undertaker_5368.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:241:Seriously. Just look at [[BlackButler this guy]].]]

Compare the more humorous CreepyMortician. Not to be confused with TheUndertaker. Compare with the {{Undertaker}} character in {{Western}}s.

* The undertaker in ''BackToTheFuturePartIII'', who measures Marty up for his coffin while he's still alive.

* VanHelsing has a rather creepy undertaker in the village.

* Legitimate First from [[Literature/{{Discworld}} Night Watch]].