| Mrs. Puff | |
|---|---|
| SpongeBob SquarePants character | |
 | |
| First appearance |
|
| Created by | Stephen Hillenburg |
| Voiced by | Mary Jo Catlett |
| Portrayed by | Abby C. Smith (Broadway) |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Penelope Puff[1] |
| Species | Porcupine Pufferfish[2][a] |
| Gender | Female |
| Occupation | Driving teacher |
| Spouses | Mr. Puff (deceased) |
| Significant other | Mr. Krabs (boyfriend) |
Mrs. Penelope "Poppy" Puff[1] is a fictional character in the Nickelodeon animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants and all three films based on the franchise. Voiced by Mary Jo Catlett, Mrs. Puff debuted in the season one episode "Boating School" on August 7, 1999. Mrs. Puff was created and designed by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. He developed the character in response to a request from Nickelodeon that the show star a schoolteacher. Hillenburg did not want to portray SpongeBob as a school-age child, so Mrs. Puff was introduced as his driving instructor instead of an elementary school teacher.
Mrs. Puff is SpongeBob's paranoid driving teacher and the owner of the town boating school, which is similar to a driver's education facility. She would like nothing more than to pass SpongeBob, as he is her most dedicated student, but he routinely fails every driving test he takes. His failures often cause crashes that lead to mass destruction and endanger Mrs. Puff. While she tries her best to be friendly and patient with her students, Mrs. Puff finds SpongeBob's unintentional recklessness exasperating and thus comes to somewhat resent him. SpongeBob's actions even result in her having a criminal record, frequently getting in and out of jail or on parole in many episodes; she has been arrested nine times in the series. In later seasons, she is also portrayed as the girlfriend of Mr. Krabs, after previously kindling a romance in the season 2 episode "Krusty Love".
The character has received a positive critical reception and has become well known in popular culture for her distinctive voice and temperamental personality. She was also a favorite of Hillenburg's, as her creation led to the show getting green-lit while remaining true to the vision of both himself and Nickelodeon. Catlett received an Annie Award nomination in 2001 for her voice-over work as Mrs. Puff along with Tom Kenny as the title character, making them the first SpongeBob cast members to be nominated for an award. Mrs. Puff is featured regularly in a variety of merchandise, such as plush toys and video games, and has appeared at theme parks and in Toyota commercials.
- ^ a b "Yellow Pavement". SpongeBob SquarePants. Season 13. Episode 16b. March 17, 2023. Nickelodeon.
- ^ "Nickelodeon Southeast Asia: Mrs. Puff Biography". Nickelodeon (Southeast Asia). Viacom International, Inc. Archived from the original on November 3, 2008.
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