# Which spin-offs are more famous than their founders? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 25, 2012, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396 "2012-07-25T23:52:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.Pu-du-he-pa-as)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396/1 "2012-07-25T23:52:18Z")
I was just doing some reading about ancient Greece, and came across the fact that the Greek city Megara founded a colony named Byzantium. Yes, this is the city that went on to become Constantinople, the seat of the Byzantine empire and modern-day Istanbul. On the other hand, Megara has remained pretty obscure, except as the name of a Disney character, which doesn’t even count! What other examples of spin-offs can you think of that went on to become far more famous than their founder? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396/2 "2012-07-25T23:53:44Z")
The Simpsons. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396/3 "2012-07-26T01:06:40Z")
Happy Days ---
**Author:** ![JWT\_Kottekoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@JWT\_Kottekoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JWT_Kottekoe)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396/4 "2012-07-26T02:59:21Z")
To cite one of thousands of examples, Intel is far more famous than its progenitors, Fairchild Camera and Instrument, and the Shockley Semiconductor Corporation. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396/5 "2012-07-26T03:01:19Z")
Windows started off as a shell for DOS, so it’s kind of a “spin off” in that sense. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396/6 "2012-07-26T03:02:38Z")
The United States. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396/7 "2012-07-26T03:23:41Z")
The Protestants. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396/8 "2012-07-26T04:54:39Z")
Intel spun off from Fairchild spun off from Shockley Semiconductor. You could fill a book with with examples of this sort from tech companies. ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396/9 "2012-07-26T05:41:34Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Intel spun off from Fairchild spun off from Shockley Semiconductor. You could fill a book with with examples of this sort from tech companies. I’m surprised that no one has mentioned Intel. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396/10 "2012-07-26T05:55:58Z")
New York is probably a lot more famous than plain-old, ordinary York. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396/11 "2012-07-26T05:56:57Z")
Fraisier! Also, gasoline. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396/12 "2012-07-26T06:16:51Z")
> [@F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](#): > > On the other hand, Megara has remained pretty obscure, except as the name of a Disney character, which doesn’t even count! I’m pretty sure this [Meg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Disney%27s_Hercules_characters#Megara) is named after this [Meg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megara_(mythology)), which has always given a, um, more tragic flavor to the end of the movie to me. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396/13 "2012-07-26T06:20:10Z")
This might be a stretch but The Simpsons originated as animated shorts shown on The Tracy Ullman Show, before getting their own animated show and becoming some of the most recognizable characters on the planet. Does anyone even remember TTUS? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396/14 "2012-07-26T06:20:21Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > New York is probably a lot more famous than plain-old, ordinary York. However, Amsterdam remains more famous than Nieuw Amsterdam. Weird, huh? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396/15 "2012-07-26T11:51:37Z")
_The Andy Griffith Show_, spun off from _The Danny Thomas Show/Make Room for Daddy_ _Billy Jack_ and its sequels, spun off from _Born Losers_ _The Avengers_, the British TV series staring Patrick MacNee and (at various times) Honor Blackman, Diana Rigg, and other folks, which spun off a reportedly forgettable and realistic cop show called _Police Surgeon_. _Popeye_, the comic strip, later popular cartoon and big syndicatioon hit that starred what was originally a minor character in Elzie C. Segar’s _Thimble Theater_. The stars of TT at the time were the membrer of the Oyl family – father Cole Oyl, brother Castor Oyl, the much-later-named mother Nana Oyl and daughter Olive Oyl. Olive’s boyfriend at the time was Ham Gravy. If they didn’t have to hire a boat and a sailor at one point in their adventures, would anyone remember them today? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396/16 "2012-07-26T12:50:30Z")
_Snuffy Smith_. The comic strip is still hanging in there, but few remember Barney Google (who does show up every decade or so). Porky Pig was supposed to be a one-shot joke in a cartoon whose major character was Beans the Cat. Sort of a spin-off: **Baretta** with Robert Blake was developed from **Toma** , whose star, Tony Musante, quit after one season; when the show was renewed, Blake was brought on. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396/17 "2012-07-26T12:54:56Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > However, Amsterdam remains more famous than Nieuw Amsterdam. I also don’t recognize Nieuw Amsterdam. Did they change its name? Why? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396/18 "2012-07-26T12:59:32Z")
People just liked it better that way. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396/19 "2012-07-26T14:54:21Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > I also don’t recognize Nieuw Amsterdam. Did they change its name? Why? > [@Loach](#): > > People just liked it better that way. I don’t know if it counts as a spin-off, but “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” is a cover. The [original](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vankaSlfSr0) was recorded by The Four Lads in 1953. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396/20 "2012-07-26T15:19:02Z")
Jesus Christ was sort of a spin-off of John the Baptist, and Jesus is definitely more famous than John. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-spin-offs-are-more-famous-than-their-founders/629396.md?page=2)